Numel Report

Numel (the Numb Pokémon) is a relatively common Fire/Ground-type Pokémon found among volcanic environments within the Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova and Paldea regions and the Blueberry Academy Terarium as well as the Kanto and Johto regions on rare occasions. Despite being dull-witted and difficult to battle with, Numel are fascinating mammals that certainly take desert survival to hot extremes. You might not think much of them in battle, but it cannot be argued that these creatures have been a key component to the human race's survival in volcanic environments; after all, why waste your time with a pack mule when you can use a creature that eats less than a third of the food for nearly the same amount of cargo suspension!?

Unlike nearly all other types of mammals, Numel (along with their evolved form, Camerupt) are unable to produce body heat by themselves and would have to gain heat through some external method if it were not for the fact that they actually possess internal magma chambers. Possibly a result of their choice of habitat, Numel are born with a small chamber of boiling magma in their back hump and are kept internally warm by its tremendous heat in even the coldest of environments. More importantly, though, the magma (which often reaches temperatures as high as 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit) is responsible for maintaining these creature's metabolisms and can even serve as a direct source of energy when food resources are scarce (an important task indeed, as Numel cannot stand hunger in the slightest). Numel rarely ever erupt this magma because it is slow to regenerate and cools quickly when exposed to the outside air, leaving their Fire-type powers somewhat weak and difficult to bring out in battle (that, and the loss of magma actually causes their hump to grow smaller until it is almost non-existent). Moreover, their magma is still susceptible to the cooling effects of water even when inside their hump and will quickly harden upon coming into contact with rain or other sources of water, making Numel extremely sluggish and weak; the only way Numel can unfreeze their magma is by laying dangerously close to sources of extreme heat, such as active lava flows or magma chambers (or, consequently, members of their evolutionary line).

Numel and Camerupt both share a valuable place among human society in that they are the commonly employed as pack mules in volcanic environments that would otherwise be lethal to lesser creatures. As surprising as it seems, the nerves within the brains and muscles of these creatures are not designed to be very tolerant of high temperatures and are partially compromised due to the excessive amount of heat stored within their bodies, making them somewhat dull-witted and incapable of feeling most physical pain. While this makes them somewhat difficult to battle with without extensive training, it also makes these creatures easy to work with and exceptionally efficient at transporting cargo that would otherwise painfully debilitate creatures their size; a single Numel alone can transport around 220 pounds of cargo, while a Camerupt can transport nearly four times that amount. As such, Numel and Camerupt have been relocated to many of the more remote volcanic regions of the world for transportation purposes, allowing communities otherwise separated by unstable and dangerous terrain to become more connected in terms of trading practices and intellectual development. If it had not been for these creatures, many of the communities across the world that are otherwise isolated by the presence of a volcano would have remained just that: isolated. While recent years have seen a dramatic increase in their usage for tourist purposes, these creatures are still used in many developing communities as a way of ensuring their survival against destruction, lest their volcanic isolation lead them to ruin when their local hazard finally blows. It should be noted, however, that Numel are usually imported far more often than Camerupt because they rarely ever erupt their magma; since they have a penchant for erupting considerable quantities of magma the moment they get exceptionally angry, Camerupt are more dangerous to transport cargo with and tend to be seen only among private owners who have spent the time needed to train these beasts for use in their own businesses.

Though they might not be the most efficient or most intelligent of fighters (due to their extreme body temperatures slightly inhibiting their brain development), Numel are adorable creatures that can give young trainers the rare opportunity to begin a path towards specializing in either Fire or Ground-types. You probably won't find much use for them outside of cargo transportation until after they evolve, but that's fine; considering how slowly they move, these critters aren't going anywhere anytime soon. If you're looking to mount an expedition in the middle of a frozen wasteland, then make sure to bring a couple of these strange creatures with you; they might not be worth much in terms of conversation material, but they'll certainly do a good job of keeping you warm!

Professor Wormwood