Lickitung Report

Lickitung (the Licking Pokémon) is an uncommon Normal-type Pokémon found among grassy fields and caves within the Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, Galar and Hisui regions. Incredibly bizarre in terms of both appearances and behavior, Lickitung are fascinating creatures that serve as a startling example of what happens when one relies on one type of natural sense more than any other a little too much. You probably won't find much use for these creatures in a conventional battle, but if you need to generate a few surprises, you certainly won't be disappointed; after all, it only takes a single lick from these oddballs to inflict Paralysis against even the most mobile of opponents!

Lickitung and Lickilicky both serve as unique examples of what can happen to an organism when one type of natural sense is utilized and overdeveloped at the expense of others; in their case, that type of sense is taste. Both of these creatures have only average hearing and sight, a relatively weak sense of smell and an extremely weak sense of touch (due to weak sensory nerves within their skin); their tongues, on the other hand, are lined with massive sensory nerves throughout and are capable of being wielded as precisely and as delicately as a human's hand in nearly all day-to-day tasks, including feeding and battling (this partially explains why Lickitung and Lickilicky, along with Goodra, are the only non-Grass-type Pokémon capable of utilizing the devastating Power Whip attack). Their brains are effectively hard-wired to memorize objects based on their texture and taste, which only their tongues can analyze simultaneously, and have a difficult time retaining things observed visually or through sound; for trainers that prefer to remain dry at all times, this often proves to be the ultimate deal-breaker. In order to keep their tongues free of bacterial growth, Lickitung and Lickilicky continuously coat their tongues in thick, antibacterial saliva that effectively combines the effects of hand sanitizer, alcohol and glue (the lattermost of which it can even be made into if boiled down properly), numbing and curing any wounds or infections while still allowing them to grab a hold of anything they desire with little chance of being pried away from their grasp. Unfortunately, their saliva is so potent that it is capable of creating an irritating and itchy rash on the skin of and inducing temporary Paralysis within any life form that they lick if the contact area is not cleaned immediately, with this effect being more common among Lickilicky; the numbing effects tend to be more drastic against organisms with sensitive nerves, so Pokémon such as Slowpoke or Psyduck are usually unaffected by their licks. Moreover, while they are known to use their tongues to clean themselves, their saliva leaves a powerful stench behind that makes their actual cleanliness a bit questionable to some. At the moment, it is unknown from what type of environment these creatures originated from nor is it understood why they would have ever needed to develop such odd powers in the first place, leaving their existence at odds with the best researchers in the field even if their biology does work well in feasting upon and swallowing whole the insectoids they commonly hunt.

The tongues of Lickitung extend to about six-and-a-half feet in length, far exceeding the natural height of their possessors. Although they generally do not like to battle, Lickitung can generally hold their ground against most offenders with little trouble because the risk of Paralysis they pose is usually enough to deter most opponents; aside from that, though, Lickitung meat is actually poisonous to most creatures, making them unappetizing to all but the most determined of hunters. Lickitung are usually not very self-conscious about their appearances and will often let thick layers of grime buildup in their fur before cleaning it, but they will employ their massive tongues to clean themselves during mating season. It is interesting to note that Lickitung are put off by sour tastes, a trait that is not apparent in Lickilicky; this is most likely because Lickilicky possess more potent saliva and are thus less sensitive to the overall strength of specific tastes. Although Lickilicky have sturdy-enough body structures to hold their tongues in place effectively, Lickitung are not as well-developed internally and instead have their tongues anchored to a very peculiar place: the inside of their tails. This is because Lickitung are not anatomically structured efficiently enough to utilize their massive tongues as humans do their own, relying not on their throat and hyoid bone but the strong joint connecting their tails to their posteriors for anchorage. As such, it is not unusual to see a Lickitung's tail quiver and contract whenever it unrolls and extends its tongue.

Though they might be more quirky than useful in most combat situations, Lickitung are nonetheless fascinating beasts that can effectively take a considerable beating in battle even if they can't do much on offense. Whether you're looking to simply freak out the opposition or need an unorthodox fighter to fill out your team, Lickitung can prove to be useful combatants until you manage to find something more diverse. If you want to avoid almost certain disaster, though, you might want to avoid taking these creatures out in public; after all, one man's backpack or one woman's purse is nothing more than another thing to lick in eyes of these beasts!

Professor Wormwood