Scizor Report

Scizor (the Pincer Pokémon) is an exceptionally rare Bug/Steel-type Pokémon found among grassy plains, meadows and Forests within the Johto, Sinnoh, Kalos, Alola, Galar and Paldea regions and the Blueberry Academy Terarium as well as the Hisui region on rare occasions. Brutally tough and difficult to damage directly, Scizor are powerful insects that can smash and slice through most opponents without ever having to worry about taking damage in the process. They might not be anywhere near as fast as their pre-evolved form, but when it comes to defense and offenses, there are few Bug-types capable of besting these creatures in battle; just make sure you understand that they only have one head, or their little mind games might prove to be a little too much for you to handle!

Scyther normally cannot evolve and are technically not supposed to be able to evolve as a result of otherwise perfectly stable genetics; when exposed to certain energy fields (such as those found in trading devices) while holding a Metal Coat item, however, their bodies react to the metallic powder and fuse with it, creating Scizor. Unlike most Pokémon, this mutation is so random for the species that their base stat total does not actually change; only the arrangement of their stats, their moves and their type change. The addition of a solid metal coat on both the outside of their bodies and metal filaments in their interior muscle tissue negates a Scizor's ability to fly completely and turns them from partial Flying-types to partial Steel-types; after evolution, the only purpose that their wings serve is to regulate their internal body temperature, as the metal armor they are wearing is not completely stuck to their body and can easily cook their innards on hot days or even melt in the heat of battle. In addition, the metal armor heavily reduces their base Speed stat and makes it much more difficult for them to move, in turn making it virtually impossible for them to employ the same battle strategies used by Scyther. On the other hand, however, the metal armor amplifies these creature's defenses and increases their physical strength considerably, making them a lethal threat in battle even without superb agility. Lastly, the moves that Scizor can learn are changed slightly as a result of their new forms, as they can learn the Bullet Punch (acquired immediately after evolution), Metal Claw, Iron Defense and Iron Head moves naturally whereas Scyther cannot. Overall, the decision between Scyther and Scizor is merely one of taste; which one a trainer chooses to battle with will depend on whether they prefer to use speed to win their battles or enjoy having strong defenses and physical offenses at the expense of a bit of mobility.

As a result of their bright coloration and lower movement speed, Scizor must take a far more direct approach when confronting an enemy in battle. For starters, Scizor will usually raise their two pincers up rapidly at the beginning of combat after identifying their nearby opponents as a threat in order to intimidate their opponent; this actually seems to work on less intelligent Pokémon, as the eye patterns on the sides of the pincers can glow brightly in sunlight as a result of the reflective qualities of their armored bodies. If the opposition is properly stunned by this motion, it grants Scizor the opportunity to move quickly towards them and mercilessly swing their pincers down forcefully on their skull with boulder-crushing force, which together account for a third of their total body weight, potentially knocking them out cold or crushing their skull to the point of reducing it and whatever is left of the body afterwards to scraps and ending the battle before it even begins. Since this rarely works on trained Pokémon, though, Scizor have learned to use their strong armor (which is impervious to most regular attacks) as a buffer against damage while they swing tactfully away with powerful attacks like Bullet Punch and Metal Claw in close quarters, though the latter tends to be less effective than normal in practice as their claws are more adept for crushing then they are grabbing and tearing. In the wild, Scizor generally will only confront larger prey that is less mobile and more heavily armored as compensation for their new abilities and will rarely expend much effort in hiding themselves from sight (a trait that passes over to their combat tactics), making them both easier and more difficult to handle in battle.

It is lastly noted that Scizor is one of only 46 species of Pokémon known to be capable of undergoing Mega Evolution. In possession of a Scizorite, Mega Evolution causes the already steel-hard carapace of Scizor to harden even further and become more streamlined in form, with the elastic tissues holding the armor together at its joints loosening up and making it easier for Mega Scizor to move its otherwise bulky armor, though still not enough to rival the agility of its pre-evolved form, Scyther. Aside from these additions, the most prominent feature of Mega Scizor is its claws, which have shifted from a traditional insect-like pincer to a devastating pair of vice-grips, each weighted at the center to increase their striking momentum and possessing hardened metal barbs capable of piercing concrete and ripping anything that they pinch to shreds. This grants them increased offensive power, but unfortunately, they are unable to easily grasp objects with these mutated pincers, and if they battle for too long, the sheer weight of the appendages becomes too much for them to readily support. Moreover, because their bodies are already in a tentative state of survival with their heavy and encapsulating armor as it is, the immense energy granted in Mega Evolution is constantly overflowing from them; as a result, these creatures cannot sustain themselves for long periods of time in battle, less their bodies start to melt and be cooked internally. In terms of stats, the advanced physical features of Mega Scizor slightly increases their base Special Attack and Speed stats, moderately increases their base Attack and Special Defense stats, and critically increases their base Defense stat; in turn, they gain the highest base stat total out of all Bug-type Pokémon (tied with Mega Pinsir, Mega Heracross and Genesect) and the highest base Attack stat out of all non-legendary Steel-type Pokémon. Mega Scizor are designed to be able to take full biological advantage of their natural form (to the point where their Ability is locked as Technician, a key Ability possessed by the majority of the species) and are more than capable of both dealing and taking considerable damage in battle, making them one of the most powerful Bug-type Pokémon available to a trainer.

While they might be unable to employ the classic hit-and-run tactics used by Scyther, Scizor are in their own right devastating beasts capable of crippling opponents their size or even larger with brute force and intelligent tactics. With an armored hide that few regular moves can even put a dent in and a vicious selection of moves that perfectly complements their powers, it goes without saying that Scizor are wicked insects that any trainer should be proud to have on their team. Make sure that you bring your best offenses to bear when stuck fighting against these beasts and bring plenty of agility to the fray; the last thing that you need in any battle is to have one of these creatures get the first strike, as it is likely nothing but downhill travel from there!

Professor Wormwood