Pupitar Report

Pupitar (the Hard Shell Pokémon) is a rare Rock/Ground-type Pokémon found among caverns and mountainous terrain within the Johto, Unova, Kalos, Alola, Galar and Paldea regions as well as parts of the Sevii Islands and the Sinnoh region on rare occasions. Though they might seem just as incapable of combat as other cocoon-like Pokémon, Pupitar are surprisingly powerful creatures that can easily devastate lesser creatures with their rock-hard bodies and impressive physical strength. Make sure that you don't underestimate these shelled beasts in battle if you know what's good for you; they might not display much in the way of personality, but with a developing monstrosity like Tyranitar within, the chances of angering them at the wrong time are simply too big to risk!

When Larvitar evolve, they enter a stasis-like form and encase themselves within a thick cocoon made from processed soil fused into a solid rock mass, which grants them access to the Iron Defense technique immediately afterwards. While in this form, Larvitar are unable to actually move themselves and are effectively trapped in place; however, because their metamorphosis is merely an extended growing phase and not a complete physical alteration, they are still able to move their limbs around and can thus still move around with surprising agility as Pupitar. Moreover, they still maintain the ability to attack with their bodies and in fact obtain a bit of extra physical strength as a result of their outer shell, which is effectively as durable as bedrock. To say the least, Pupitar are not to be underestimated in close quarters, as they are able to utilize their Thrash attack to easily topple an entire building without much difficulty and are able to strike up close with powerful Crunch attacks. This makes the creatures far more threatening than any other cocoon-like Pokémon known and can equally make them a tough customer to handle in battle, a trait that comes in extreme handy in the wild as Pupitar develop very slowly and do not evolve for a considerable length of time after evolving from Larvitar.

In emergency situations or when the anticipation for evolution becomes too great for them to handle and they need to vent their anxiety, Pupitar have one other interesting ability that can easily make them a threat to even be near in battle. Because their internal organs and fully-developed limbs are effectively lodged within hardened rock with little to no permeability, it is extremely easy for the organism inside to overheat and become cooked by its own shell. To keep this from happening, Pupitar periodically vent gas stored in their bodies outwards near the base of their shell and take in fresh, cool air to maintain their personal health. If Pupitar need to get from one place to another very quickly or vent over their anticipation for evolution, however, they can easily store large amounts of air in their shells and then eject it all out at once, resulting in a pressurized jet of air that can effectively send a single Pupitar flying through the air like a rocket, smashing through rubble and weaker armor like cardboard. This in turn has no detrimental effects on Pupitar, as their hard shell can absorb tremendous amounts of kinetic force before cracking. In battle, this can allow Pupitar to strike opponents from far away with little difficulty, but it also places them in danger as they require a decent amount of time to pressurize their insides, leaving the opposition plenty of opportunity to counterattack.

Though they might not be much of an imposing force to more experienced trainers, Pupitar are nonetheless powerful beasts that can deal plenty of damage to the opposition despite the fact they are little more than a shell. You probably won't be able to do a whole lot with them until they evolve, but in the meantime, you might as well enjoy their immunity to Electric-type attacks. After they become Tyranitar, these odd creatures will unfortunately lose their basic Ground-type attributes...but considering the power of the beast that comes about from all of the time they bided, that's a loss more than worthwhile taking in the long-run!

Professor Wormwood