Pokémon The Alola Pokedex

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Lanturn (Chinchou)
Magnalux wilsonii

Overview

The deep sea is still poorly understood. The vast majority of it remains unmapped. Our glimpses come mostly from a smattering of submersible trips, the occasional washed-up carcass, and migrants who visit us from the depths. Most deep sea residents inspire a mix of revulsion and fear in those who see them.

The great lanturn found off the coast of Alola are the rare exception. In modern times they are often seen positively due to their rounded lines, playful disposition, and similarities to the charismatic palafin. The less palatable elements of the anglerfish such as sharp backwards-facing teeth and parasitic males are downplayed in the great lanturn. They still have backwards-facing teeth, but they are much wider than other anglerfish. Like all anglerfish they do not have teeth extending from their upper jaw.

The species is also one of the only pokémon that frequents the abyssal plains and also makes a reasonably good companion. They are tolerant of shallow waters and largely sedentary, meaning they do not need a tank quite as large as their size suggests. Lanturn still dislike bright lights that are not their own. Some specimens are difficult to feed. They are also prone to shorting electronics in and around their tank during meals. These issues pale in comparison to every other species in their subfamily.

Skilled aquarists with an interest in deep-sea fauna should strongly consider lanturn. Island challengers, with their frequent travel during the day and away from the coast, may wish to avoid the species.

Physiology

Both stages are classified as dual water- and electric-types. The ruling is not controversial for females. There has been a great deal of discussion as to whether male lanturn should retain their electric-typing as they are no longer capable of producing the blinding flashes of female lanturn or male chinchou. They still retain the ability to sense electrical currents in their vicinity and can use weak shocks to hunt when absolutely necessary.

In many of lanturn’s relatives, adult males physically fuse with the adult females. This is not the case for male lanturn. They will briefly be addressed here. For the rest of the guide, assume that only females are being referred to unless specifically stated otherwise.

Male chinchou are similar to female chinchou, only about one-tenth the size and with weaker electrical attacks. Male lanturn lack any sort of light creating antennae. Their teeth are primarily focused on hanging on to the female’s body and siphoning nutrients from her blood stream. Adult males only grow to roughly five inches in length. They also have a more typically fusiform body shape compared to the relatively compressed shape of female lanturn.

Chinchou have a depressed body shape and a fin configuration that makes them very weak swimmers. Their modified dorsal fin is located towards the rear of the body and is split into two branches. Each branch ends in a bulb organ. These organs allow for chemicals to be mixed and subjected to electric currents of varying strength. The bulbs can each produce luminous intensities of up to 100,000 candelas. The bulbs working in concert can also produce electrical currents of up to 1,000 volts in the water when working in concert. Curiously, the bulbs can also be recharged by shocks from other electric-types. Lanturn will often refuel weakened chinchou they encounter.

Chinchou’s anal and pectoral fins form crude flippers that can be used to slowly paddle through the ocean or crawl on the ground. They spend a great deal of their time resting on the seabed. If they find themselves on land they can move towards the nearest body of water. Chinchou’s caudal fin is essentially just a stub.

Chinchou primarily sense the world through their highly developed lateral lines. These let them feel the location of almost any living creature within one hundred feet of them. Their vision is somewhat limited, with odd cross-shaped eyes that let them sense the rough size and position of a creature but little else.

Both chinchou and lanturn have backwards-facing teeth. These are designed to trap stunned or killed prey in their mouths. The sharp edges of the teeth can cause lacerations that finish off wounded prey. Both stages use suction to inhale their prey whole.

Lanturn have a far more compressed body shape than their juvenile form. Their eyes are now far more developed and capable of seeing colors, movement, light patterns, and even textures. The modified dorsal fin is much the same, except that now one bulb is in front of the other rather than both trailing off to the sides of the head. The front bulb is more powerful than the back one and can reach luminous intensities of over 500,000 candelas. Lanturn are also more versatile than chinchou and are good at mimicking the color, pattern, and intensity of other bioluminescent creatures in the deep sea to lure in prey or mimic even larger predators.

Lanturn spend far more time in the water column than on the benthos and most of their fins have grown and become better suited for swimming. They are still not particularly fast swimmers but they are rather graceful.

Chinchou are mostly dark blue. Lanturn are counter-shaded with yellow or light blue ventral sides and faces with dark blue dorsal sides.

Lanturn can grow to be six feet long and weigh upwards of three hundred pounds. Wild lifespans are very poorly understood. Captive specimens can live for several decades in optimal conditions.

Behavior

Chinchou spend almost all of their time on the seafloor. They light up their bulbs to lure in prey when they sense suitably small organisms nearby. The lights are kept at a very low intensity to draw in small predators, which are then eaten when they get close. Chinchou hunt by either blinding their prey, shocking them, or both. They are then eaten in one bite. Chinchou, especially males, have also been known to scavenge or inhale larger pieces of detritus that fall near them.

Male lanturn spend almost all of their time biting onto a female. One or two attached males does not seem to cause the female distress, although she may react poorly if there are too many. Males tend to fight each other to claim their territory before this occurs. If need be the female can scrape herself against the seafloor or simply persuade a cleaner fish or predator to remove a few males.

In the deep sea, lanturn rely on mimicry to keep themselves fed and safe. Few water-types enjoy picking a fight with lanturn and their powerful electric shocks and can usually be deterred by simply illuminating the area and exposing themselves. Some larger predators, such as malamar, probably hunt lanturn. Captive specimens react poorly to large cephalopods. One lanturn carcass washed ashore with grievous wounds consistent with a malamar’s tentacles. Some scholars have theorized that ground-types may also prey on chinchou and lanturn. Evidence of large deep-sea ground-types is currently speculative and based on a few carcasses, gut contents from fish captured by a submersible, and strange formations on the abyssal plains. On the surface lanturn are vulnerable to attacks from fast attacks from large predators such as palafin and sharpedo because they need a few seconds to ready their most powerful shocks.

Lanturn appear to have a monthly cycle. Around the full moon they spend most of their time in the deep ocean, just above the seafloor. They slowly migrate towards the surface over the course of a week or so until they arrive around the new moon. Lanturn prefer to stay around sixty feet beneath the surface at night. They use bright flashes of light to stun opponents before shocking or swallowing them. These flashes are easily seen from the surface. During the day they tend to darken their bulbs and retreat down to depths of around three hundred feet.

Lanturn are highly curious and routinely approach and engage with submersibles. Near the surface they may also approach boats and scuba divers. Very large ships or pokémon can scare them away. Captive specimens appreciate toys and have demonstrated play behaviors with conspecifics.

Husbandry

Chinchou and lanturn like darker waters. Chinchou also need cold waters. Their maximum tolerance is around 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Lanturn can tolerate water temperatures into the low 70s. Both stages can also tolerate the waters of the oxygen minimum zone, although completely anoxic waters can be fatal. One of the biggest problem in tank design for the species is ensuring that life support systems can survive powerful electric shocks that are prone to occur when the residents are hungry or startled. The pokémon’s sensitive lateral lines can also cause them stress in a tank with electronic devices.

Feeding lanturn is rarely a problem as they will happily eat anything readily identifiable as meat. They may still be willing to eat larger pellets and other fish food products, although this varies by individual. Lanturn can be taught not to eat tankmates, although the possibility of strong shocks still makes this inadvisable.

Chinchou can be infuriatingly difficult to feed. They sense prey primarily through lateral lines, making live food far and away the easiest for them. However, finding food fish that are likely to swim near chinchou, unable to harm them, and can be reliably acquired is a challenge. Many aquarists simply pre-injure the prey before dropping it in front of the chinchou. Some consider this to be unethical. Some smarter specimens may accept carcasses of prey species they have previously hunted. The main consolation for chinchou trainers is that feeding need only happen once every few weeks. Very large meals can be followed by fasting periods of several months. Cinchou should be fed when they begin to move around the floor of the tank. Some specimens learn that this behavior triggers feeding and will show signs of hunger even when they have very recently been fed.

Lanturn need more enrichment than most fish. They appreciate new stimuli such as plants, hiding places, ropes, balls, feeding toys, and ‘play dates’ with other lanturn. Lanturn can also be kept in packs of up to six adults and several chinchou. Some specimens appreciate music. Others find it stressful. The same is true for exposure to new light patterns. Many lanturn see flashing lights with no bioelectricity around them as deeply concerning. Others love to learn new patterns. One aquarium lanturn in Germany saw a video of a rave and now routinely lights up the gallery she is in with bright, flashing colors. She has even learned how to simultaneously broadcast different colors from each bulb, a behavior not previously seen in the species.

Chinchou fare poorly on the trail. They are rarely allowed into Pokémon Center pools, and even if they were the temperature would be unsuitable for them. Even the surface waters of Alola are too warm. Lanturn are better equipped to handle the coastal seas, although they dislike being out in the day and are not allowed in Pokémon Center pools. This makes them more difficult to travel with than the average water-type, but not impossible for very determined trainers.

Male lanturn are easiest to keep with a female lanturn. They can technically be raised without one, but this is difficult and serves little purpose. Females do not require males for anything other than breeding. They may even result in a greater frequency of illnesses from the multiple open wounds on their body.

Illness

Lanturn and chinchou illnesses are still not well studied. One of the most common symptoms is bloating, usually as a result of a bacterial infection. Prompt application of antibiotics can reduce symptoms. Still, consult a veterinarian and have blood work drawn to rule out other possible causes. Waiting for the antibiotic treatment to run its course can prove catastrophic if there was another underlying cause.

Bulb injuries are common in chinchou. Most are fixed by evolution. These illnesses are usually not fatal in captivity as they can hunt without them. Bulb injuries in lanturn are also rarely fatal but can cause significant psychological distress. Unfortunately, most veterinarians are unwilling to operate on a poorly-documented electricity-producing organ due to the risk of accidental discharge.

Lanturn in general are relatively frail and prone to illness. Keep a close eye for symptoms such as stringy waste, discoloration, labored breathing, or anorexia. The latter can be hard to diagnose due to the infrequency with which the species eats.

Evolution

There is significant debate as to whether male lanturn or chinchou should be classified as their own evolutionary stage, akin to how nidoking and tauros are handled. Lanturn has a better case than most due to the lack of bulbs on males. This is even done for multiple other anglerfish species. However, the males ability to live freely and similar internal organs to females has led to some argument against the classification. Scientific bodies in multiple jurisdictions have designated male lanturn ‘anglatch.’

Male chinchou tend to evolve around three months of age. Female chinchou evolve around one year. Chinchou eat everything they possibly can in the leadup to evolution. Or, perhaps, it is the other way around. Chinchou may only be able to evolve after a period of exceptional food availability. This makes sense for wild chinchou, as they would be trying to eat everything available to them regardless of the approach of evolution.

Battle

Lanturn struggle in most standard formats. They have relatively few reliable options of striking outside of their pool. On land they can survive for a few minutes but are not particularly mobile. Bright flashes of light can blind targets and trainers alike but do not deal a great deal of damage. Some referees view these flashes as excessive force. The species is not used often enough in the American or international leagues for a uniform ruling to have been reached.

Underwater lanturn function much better. Most of the stalwarts in the formats of aquatic or mostly aquatic battles are electric-types. Relatively few common species have electricity as powerful as lanturn’s. Lanturn are phenomenal at wallbreaking. They can still struggle against rushdown attackers due to their charge and recharge time. Lanturn can also function as impromptu walls or tanks with rest and sleep talk paired with flashes of light and attacks like scald or thunder wave. They are not the best at this role, but they can usually fill it.

Most of the totems in the island challenge are not aquatic. Lanturn’s initial flash of light can still disorient a great many opponents and allow the rest of the team to finish the job. This gives them utility throughout the island challenge, although they are unlikely to contribute as much against the kahunas and Elite 4 as they do not have all of their pokémon out at one time to be blinded.

Chinchou are best not battled with. This is a small loss for island challengers as it would be nearly impossible to bring one on a journey.

Acquisition

Chinchou capture, while technically legal, is effectively only done by the staff of public aquariums with access to autonomous vehicles. Wild chinchou spend most of their time on the seafloor and are rarely seen at depths of less than six hundred feet. They are very rarely available for purchase. Chinchou require a Class IV license to possess.

Lanturn do come to the surface on the nights of new moons. There is no reliable way to find one as they tend to surface in different places each time. They are most commonly found south of Akala, but this is not guaranteed. Lanturn will sometimes approach divers or boats to investigate. They may come back to the same place to visit a boat again the next month if they are given food or toys. This is the easiest way to bond with a lanturn and set up a capture.

Lanturn are more common in the aquarium trade than chinchou. There are a handful of breeders of the species but most captive specimens were wild-caught. Adoption of difficult-to-care-for fish is usually unavailable as rehoming is handled by a network of public aquariums and private collectors. Trainers interested in joining a waitlist for unreleasable lanturn should contact the Hau’oli Aquairum. Lanturn require a Class III license to possess.

Breeding

Lanturn females accept mating attempts from males about four times a year. The female will inflame her cloaca and send a chemical signal that she is receptive to mating. All attached males will squabble for the right to mate. The winner will do so by swimming into the cloaca. He does not leave. Three to five chinchou are born at the end of a two-month pregnancy. Females apparently return to the same place for every birth. Most chinchou packs are made up of siblings of different ages.

Captive breeding is possible but generally not done due to the difficulty of chinchou care and the increased risk of health problems that comes from keeping male lanturn. Wild specimens are also still relatively common on the surface.

Cross-breeding with the lesser lanturn has been observed. They rarely mate with other anglerfish, even in captive settings.

Relatives

There are three species of lanturn. These are the great lanturn and the lesser lanturn, M. johnsonii. These were formerly believed to be the same species. Greater lanturn are found throughout the warm surface waters of the Indo-Pacific and the depths below them. Lesser lanturn only grow to three feet in length and are more common in the cooler regions of the South Atlantic and Southern Oceans. They are otherwise similar to greater lanturn, albeit with proportionally longer teeth.

The North Atlantic or false lanturn (M. monoceros) is native to the Atlantic Coast of Europe. They inhabit shallower waters than the other species and have a mottled brown or green coloration instead of a blue-and-yellow one. They also possess only one bulb instead of two. It is angled forwards in chinchou as well as lanturn. Their bulb seems to have fewer possible colors. False lanturn lean more heavily into water-type attacks but can emit short bursts of electricity from their bulb. They primarily hunt bug-types in estuaries. The bulb is used to lure in bug-types before a pulse of water knocks them into the water to be finished off. Alternatively, many common insects can be fried at once and then eaten. During the day lanturn bury themselves into the substrate and try to disguise their bulb as a plant.

False chinchou spend most of their time buried in the substrate. They have a unique ability to mimic the bioelectric signatures of other species. This draws in predators that use their lateral lines to hunt, only to overwhelm their senses with a burst of electricity before fleeing from or swallowing them, depending on the size of the fish lured in.

Lanturn are related to a number of smaller anglerfish species, most native to the deep sea. Few of these are believed to be pokémon. Rumors persist of a gigantic lanturn relative capable of swallowing a submarine whole. The rumors were intentionally spread by the U.S. Navy to cover up a Mexican sailing ship’s encounter with an experimental nuclear submarine.

 

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Garbodor (Trubbish)
Pestisviva urbisnovae

Overview

Garbodor are incredibly strange creatures. No one seems entirely certain where they came from or what they are. They simply appeared in a landfill outside Castelia in 1967. They were initially believed to be phantoms possessing garbage bags, but this theory fell was debunked once the first reliable ectoplasm sensors were developed. They were briefly believed to be sentient bacterial amalgamations. However, this theory of garbodor has become harder to support. It is now apparent that every individual has wildly different bacterial compositions. Unless they are amalgamations of not only different individual cells but cells of different species, the bacterial hive mind theory must be rejected. This leads to the possibility that they are an extremely strange mineral pokémon based on petroleum products instead of stone.

The species is at once incredibly noxious and one of the most efficient decomposers of manmade chemicals and plastics currently known. They are useful for heavily controlled industrial sites. Most individual trainers will find them to be too much of a health hazard to bother with.

Physiology

Both trubbish and garbodor are classified as pure poison-types. The ruling is not controversial.

It remains unclear what form of life the line most resemble. The leading theory is that they are mineral pokémon hosting symbiotic bacteria. Both stages have outer ‘skin’ made of plastics. The grey or brown skin is relatively thick and often coated with a thin layer of greasy green sludge.

Both stages have a digestive system consisting of a mouth, a throat lined with sharp objects to break down material into smaller pieces, a gizzard with coarse stones that grinds food down even further, and then a stomach. The stomach consists of one or more chambers with specialized bacteria creating chemicals necessary to break down food. The number of stomach chambers and the primary bacteria in them depends on the pokémon’s diet. Specimens with more varied diets tend to have multiple small chambers. Those that eat only one thing day in and day out will have a single large stomach. Garbodor can specialize their stomachs to consume almost anything, from rotting produce to petrochemicals to low grade radioactive waste. What cannot be easily digested is then disposed of.

Trubbish have a lumpy body that is almost entirely coated in slime at all times. This is one of their primary defense mechanisms. The other is their fumes. Almost all trubbish and garbodor are constantly leaking toxic fumes. These are produced by the breakdown of chemicals and plastics in their stomach. The exact composition of the fumes varies by diet. Only trubbish fed on almost exclusively organic matter lack them. Even these trubbish are still capable of pumping toxins into their slime depending upon their exact diet.

Trubbish almost always have two eyes and two ears. These appear to work in a similar way to the equivalents in vertebrate animals. The ears sense vibrations. They are also used to detect airborne chemicals and communicate with conspecifics. Their eyesight is surprisingly keen at distances of a few feet. Models and experiments suggest that beyond this range they can make out colors but struggle to make out the precise shape of objects. Both stages appear to have strong senses of taste that let them determine the chemical composition of almost anything they put in their mouth. This makes bites a common greeting among trubbish. It can also make them dangerous to humans, especially if their front teeth break the skin.

Trubbish also have two arms used to move things to their mouth. Most develop pseudo-thumbs made of brightly colored plastics. These are fixed in place but combine with the limited movements of the arms to let them better grasp things.

Garbodor are significantly bulkier than trubbish. Their ears are now tipped with tufts of flesh that serve an unknown purpose. Garbodor’s legs are shorter and broader than trubbish’s, making them very slow but difficult to topple. Their slime tends to be more congealed and only covers the top half of their body. Some specimens even have ‘capes’ of congealed slime trailing behind them, occasionally breaking off and being left behind on the ground. Discarded capes are often eaten by other garbodor.

Their body is also more customizable than trubbish’s. Garbodor seem to form their arms’ structure with found parts, customizing them to their needs. Some garbodor have long arms that help them grab things from up high. Others have bulky ones that let them lift heavy objects to get to food. Others still have improvised weapons or ways to vent specific toxins. Garbodor are also fond of sticking found objects into folds in their skin. They are then sealed in place with an adhesive they can secrete from their skin. These objects are often toys, brightly colored objects, or other visually interesting items.

Garbodor can grow to be five feet in height. They can weigh over three hundred pounds, although this varies depending on arm composition and diet. Wild lifespans are not known. Captive specimens can live for up to thirty years.

Behavior

Most garbodor are now captive specimens. They are happy to have a steady supply of food and protection from predators. However, there are inevitably a few feral pokémon in more polluted areas. This is more common in open dumps in developing countries or long-abandoned sites such as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

In Alola trubbish can occasionally be found wandering cities. Wild specimens are only common in Tapu Village and Po Town. There they are hunted down and preyed upon by muk. Garbodor are naturally slow and their natural defenses pose little threat to their fellow poison-types. This has led to natural selection favoring two separate, often contradictory adaptations: weight and speed. Faster garbodor and trubbish can simply outrun their even slower predators. Heavier and stronger ones can use moves like stomping tantrum to disorient muk and drive them away. The Tapu Village garbodor tend to favor speed while the Po Town population have become steadily heavier over time. Ecologists have so far managed to prevent the eradication of these populations in order to facilitate a real-time study of speciation in mostly abandoned environments. The garbodor are still culled when they wander into populated areas.

Trubbish are live in dumps of four to ten individuals. They trade shifts while feeding. One trubbish will keep watch for potential predators while the rest feed. They all scatter if a muk approaches. Trubbish’s excellent color vision is well-suited for detecting the synthetic muk that are abundant in Alola. They use their ears to communicate feelings. Their ears stand straight up when angry or afraid and flop down when they are hungry. A trubbish with ears between the extremes is showing their contentment. They also believed to communicate with conspecifics through belches. The exact length, volume, and chemical composition of the belch conveys a different message. These messages have not yet been decoded.

Garbodor are primarily solitary. They will only live in close quarters if there is abundant food or the individuals are specialized for different diets. Garbodor tend to stay in one place until the food is depleted and then wander in search of their next meal. They are fond of abandoned residences and will scavenge them for toys or other interesting objects. On occasion they can be seen pulling their collection from its storage pouches and examining it.

Husbandry

Captive trubbish and garbodor treated as pets should be fed almost exclusively wood or food scraps. Rot and mold do not bother them, but can result in more toxic slime. They never smell pleasant, but their fumes are not literally harmful to human health if kept on a stable diet. It still cannot be guaranteed that the garbodor will never experiment with eating plastics or other waste. Children and the infirm should avoid close contact with even the most domestic of garbodor.

This diet makes garbodor ill-suited for combat. Trainers who wish to battle with their garbodor are encouraged to set up a stream of toxic wastes for them to eat and store the pokémon in a well-ventilated facility with emission control technology. This can be an expensive setup for a pokémon that can charitably be described as above-average in power. This method of raising garbodor is only typically employed by wealthy poison-type specialists and garbage disposal companies.

Garbodor kept in these controlled, sterile conditions require a fair bit of supplementary enrichment in the form of toys, music, or projected broadcasts of colorful cartoons. Conventional televisions are not recommended as enrichment. Garbodor will often try to eat or ‘collect’ them by breaking it into smaller pieces. Roof-mounted projects are more likely to survive and screens are cheaper to replace if consumed or otherwise destroyed.

Trubbish will happily coexist with conspecifics so long as food is abundant. They are a little wary of humans and typically want at most one or two extended interactions a day. This is for the best for everyone involved. Garbodor will need to be weaned onto specialized diets before being kept together. Otherwise there will be conflicts unless an extreme amount of garbage is left around them at all times.

Trubbish and garbodor are generally risky teammates for organic pokémon, especially curious or small ones at risk from their fumes. Most inorganic pokémon do not feed on petrochemicals and the other constituent components of trubbish. This makes them safe companions for even predatory mineral pokémon. Please note that garbodor feeding on low-grade radioactive waste may still be preyed upon by tyranitar. Attempts to set up joint feeding sites have a mixed record. Failure tends to occur when the tyranitar run out of higher-grade waste to eat and are still hungry. Phantom pokémon are also generally safe teammates for garbodor, but more curious or jealous ghost-types may compete with garbodor for access to toys.

Illness

Digestive problems are the main issue for the line. Rapidly switching diets, especially from one specialized diet to another, can result in lethargy, weight loss, vomiting, and irritability. Wild specimens are typically generalists that retain the ability to eat any meal they come across. This does limit them to eating only a moderate amount of any one item at a time. Dietary specialists lose the ability to process other items and must steadily build it back up. This can be a problem for garbodor that have fed on the same supply of waste for a month or more and suddenly must be given a new order from a different supplier.

Most digestive problems eventually go away on their own.

Evolution

Sufficiently large trubbish show an increased interest in collecting objects rather than eating them. They also tend to spend more time around garbodor watching how they behave. This is done from a safe distance. Direct confrontation, especially around food, is almost always avoided.

Trubbish begin to accumulate material to craft crude prosthetics or grow out their existing arms. This usually occurs over a period of three to four months. Garbodor may assist in this process, although only on their own terms and away from food supplies. The conclusion of construction is usually considered to be the formal demarcation line between the stages.

In Galar some garbodor are capable of gigantamaxing, a process similar to mega evolution in which ambient energies temporarily lead to an enormous increase in size and power. Most pokémon simply grow larger during this event. Some, like garbodor, can change shape as well. Gigantamax garbodor tend to form a gigantic pile of trash in a mound. Their body shape is closer to swalot or muk than their ordinary form. Some items in their collection are also blown up to extreme size, although the effect fades when the gigantamaxing ends.

Battle

Garbodor are extremely toxic to be around. It is especially dangerous to breathe the air around them for prolonged periods of time. Most professional arenas are large outdoor fields. Indoor stadiums where fumes would be more effective typically ban garbodor for logistical reasons. Most stadium shields are designed to block and elemental and radioactive energies, not ordinary air pollution.

Garbodor are relatively good counters for organic melee fighters. Their skin and body are highly elastic and the organs are under thick layers of blubber-like oil, plastic, or bacterial reserves. Their surface slime can be actively dangerous to touch.

Every other type of pokémon has a generally advantageous matchup against garbodor. Ranged attackers can hit them from outside the range of their fumes. Mineral and phantom pokémon rarely mind foul air. Most organic tanks and walls can outrun garbodor.

Garbodor are not necessarily useless outside of their ideal matchups. They can litter the field with trash and poisons that can slowly wear down future pokémon. Garbodor are also relatively resistant to elemental and physical attacks so they can set up many hazards before going down. Finally, attacks like sludge wave and gunk shot can expand their effective reach. They just do not hit hard enough to really threaten most opponents with a single gunk shot.

On the island challenge garbodor are incredibly difficult to raise, especially if their fumes are potent. Trainers who somehow do have a toxic garbodor will have good matchups against most totems. Kahunas and the Elite Four are more likely to have pokémon capable of simply overpowering a garbodor before they become a serious problem.

Trubbish are very similar to garbodor in their fighting style, or lack thereof. Their breath is as dangerous as their attacks and they are hard to take down for their size. However, they are less likely to have had the time to master hazard-setting moves. In the early parts of the island challenge they are better off getting into brawls with organic melee attackers they come across. These are thankfully very common on the teams of beginning trainers.

Acquisition

There are two primary colonies of feral trubbish in Alola. These are located in the abandoned areas of Po Town and Tapu Village. Capture is permitted for trainers on the island challenge but otherwise requires a permit. Feral specimens can occasionally be found near garbage disposal facilities. They tend to be attracted to extremely cluttered places. Alternatively, garbage disposal sites and other breeds are sometimes willing to sell their trubbish for a price. Unwanted trubbish and garbodor are usually sent to garbage disposal facilities rather than put into shelters for adoption.

Capture or purchase of trubbish or garbodor requires a Class IV license.

Breeding

Garbodor were initially very difficult to breed in captivity. Experiments showed that they only breed in the wild when there is a combination of high food and low population densities. This necessitates larger breeding facilities to supply pokémon to more concentrated disposal sites. By nature these are usually located in hollowed out industrial areas or extremely rural locales where land is cheap and local governments are more likely to tolerate foul odors.

Garbodor probably reproduce asexually. Soon-to-be-parents are more likely to socialize with conspecifics. These meetings seem to be about arms, collections, and other customized aspects of their bodies. Sometimes gifts or even fluids are swapped. This may be a form of sexual reproduction, although analysis has shown these fluids are simply a bacterial sludge rather than traditional gametes. Garbodor have been observed creating trubbish even without contact with conspecifics for years beforehand.

Garbodor usually scavenge thicker, malleable plastics alongside larger sheets such as garbage bags. These are used to form a rough shell for the new trubbish. The exterior is coated in slime while crude fluids and potentially organs are orally inserted into the new trubbish. The final details are still disputed. Garbodor never finish their new trubbish while being directly supervised and video feeds are inconclusive as to what the exact catalyst is that causes a new trubbish to awaken.

Trubbish follow their parent around for roughly five days before being led to a dump of other trubbish and abandoned. Parents show no more interest in their own children than in those of other garbodor.

Relatives

There is still debate as to whether garbodor should properly be classified as organic or mineral pokémon. For the time being most taxonomists classify them as mineral mokémon. Taxonomy of mineral pokémon is notoriously tricky. For now, garbodor are classified in the family Oleosus alongside other mineral pokémon whose bodies are primarily based on petrochemicals.

No other member of Oleosus was common in Unova at the time garbodor first appeared. The exact nature of their origins remains highly speculative.