Wobbuffet Report

Wobbuffet (the Patient Pokémon) is a rare Psychic-type Pokémon found among grassy fields and dark caverns within the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Kalos and Galar regions as well as the Ruin Valley of the Sevii Islands and the Sinnoh and Unova regions on rare occasions. Quirky to a fault and impossible for all but the most determined fighters to effectively use, Wobbuffet are fascinating organisms that represent the ultimate curveball in both offensive and defensive combat. If you can master using one of these strange Pokémon in battle, consider yourself among the most elite of Psychic-type specialists; after all, how many trainers can effectively use a Pokémon that can't even attack first, let alone at all!?

Wobbuffet are almost always found within the darkness of caverns or outside under the cover of night, only ever going outside during the day to search for berries to eat in emergency situations or when there are no caves within sight. Wobbuffet hate direct sunlight and hate even more being scared or surprised, but not because of their own personal well-being; oddly enough, Wobbuffet prefer to remain out of sight because they want to keep their tails hidden. For the longest time, scientists could not understand why Wobbuffet, which are normally quite placid, were so protective of their tails and would viciously 'attack' anyone that dared to strike their tails. Recent evidence, however, has shown a very logical reasoning behind their reclusive natures: Their tail is actually the real Wobbuffet. While it is not so clearly observed in Wynaut, in the case of both them and Wobbuffet, the bulk of their intelligence lies in their tail and the rest of the body is nothing more than a large, squishy puppet containing the rest of their vital organs; this may explain why both Wynaut and Wobbuffet lack much in the way of a skeletal system and thus possess such abnormal body shapes. If the 'tail' of a Wobbuffet is ever damaged, it can temporarily or even permanently shut off the tentative neural connections between the brain and the body and thus hinder their capacity to attack in battle or even function at all. As a result of this and perhaps out of spite, Wobbuffet rarely ever let their opposition have the last laugh if their tails are attacked; the moment their tail is struck, Wobbuffet will utilize the one technique their brains can use without needing the rest of the body, the infamous Destiny Bond technique (which, among Psychic-types, only they and Wynaut can naturally learn), to take their opponent down with them.

In terms of combat ability, Wobbuffet are both useless and completely unstoppable in the right circumstances. Instead of focusing on their own personal strength in battle, Wobbuffet utilize their tempered spirits and incredible endurance to absorb damage and reflect it back at their opponent for twice the impact through the usage of Counter and Mirror Coat attacks (in order to increase the effectiveness of their strikes, Wobbuffet may also inflate their bodies during the counterattack; why this works, however, is currently a mystery). While Wobbuffet are relatively soft-skinned and unable to put up much resistance against damage, their massive HP reserves enable them to easily take many powerful blows before falling. Combined with a Safeguard technique for preventing status conditions and a Destiny Bond technique for taking down exceptionally powerful opponents, this makes Wobbuffet both the ultimate anti-offensive and anti-defensive weapon at the same time. Worse yet, their unique Shadow Tag Ability prevents opponents from fleeing battle under normal circumstances, as it psychically links the spirit of Wobbuffet and their opponent together for the duration of battle. Unfortunately, this all comes with the obvious drawback of preventing Wobbuffet from ever making the first strike in battle, but defensively-minded trainers should have no trouble adjusting to this issue with practice.

As far as personality goes, you would be better off looking for a visible emotional response from a Magikarp. A neurological defect within the brains of Wobbuffet creates a mental 'block' that prevents them from completely feeling and visibly demonstrating much in the way of emotion, leaving them in a near-constant state of melancholy neutrality. For trainers that cannot connect to their Pokémon on a non-visual basis, this can prove to be an insurmountable task to overcome and will often prove to be the ultimate downfall in battle. In addition to being monotone in emotional disposition, Wobbuffet are inherently stubborn when near others of their own species and will often attempt to compete with one another in tests of endurance. Occasionally, however, Wobbuffet may attempt to out-do each other to the highest degree by seeing who can endure hunger the longest; if both competitors are strong-willed, this can go on for long periods of time and may not end until one of them dies of starvation. Trainers that observe this sort of behavior in their Wobbuffet or a different one should try to stop it immediately, if only for the health of those involved.

Despite appearing to be nothing more than odd gimmicks that have no real place in battle, Wobbuffet are dangerous creatures that can easily score a KO against any opponent, no matter how strong they may be, as long as they or their trainers know when to use what moves. With the highest base HP stat out of all Psychic-type Pokémon and looks only a mother could love, these strange critters can certainly prove to be troublesome if you decide to rely only on conventional strategies to beat them. When it comes to taking an eye for an eye, few critters can deliver a counterattack as effectively as these oddballs; even if you end up biting off more than you can chew with one, you'll still only be a single Destiny Bond away from evening the playing field!

Professor Wormwood