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Mantine (Mantyke, Mantitan)
Marevespertilio navis
Overview
Mantine are peaceful giants of the sea. They only hunt plankton and small fish. In turn few creatures hunt them. Wild mantine are indifferent to humans and will let them get close so long as they do not approach any mantyke.
Captive mantine are known for their docility and use as a ride pokémon. In the early days of Alolan settlement common people and soldiers moved between island in canoes. Nobles and priests often rode on the back of a lapras. There are reports of individual trainers bonding with a mantine and riding on its back across the waves, but this was always gentle travel.
Mantine surfing in its current form was not invented until pokéballs arrived in Alola. The natives were well aware of the aerial prowess of wild mantine. One thrill seeker captured one in hopes of riding through the air. To get airborne he had his mantine ride up the surface of a high wave like wild mantine are known to do. Over time more trainers would follow in his footsteps and begin to add their own twists, sometimes literally, to the sport.
At the time the burgeoning foreign population in Alola saw mantine riding as dangerous and degenerate religious practice like hula dancing. There were several attempts to ban it. It was not until service members stationed in Alola saw a native Alolan (illegally) riding the waves that the practice became well known outside of Alola. Word spread and soon tourists came to Alola just to watch the mantine surfing. The practice was quickly legalized and many mantine surf companies were established that captured and trained mantine for tourists and thrill seekers to ride. The wild mantine population dropped considerably before their capture was heavily restricted by the government. Due to mantine’s very long lifespans and gestation periods the population still has not fully rebounded. Most new captive mantine today are either imported from other parts of the world or born in captivity.
Trainers who want a ride pokémon of their own or who would like a gentle giant to bond with may be drawn to mantine. Be forewarned that captive mantine will either need to spend most of their time in the ocean or have a very large saltwater enclosure to live in. If they see their lodgings as inadequate they will attempt to fly away.
Physiology
Both mantine and mantyke are classified as dual water- and flying-types. There is an argument that mantyke should be a pure water-type because of its awkward flight. This is a minority view. Mantyke can still fly to an extent and make use of flying-type energy. As such their current typing is unlikely to be changed in the future.
Mantyke have two-toned bodies with a lighter shade of blue on the belly than on their back. Other color morphs have been observed. Black backs and white bellies with the occasional black marking is the most common morph. Others include grey, fully black, fully white, or even pink.
Mantyke’s flat, broad pectoral fins have a triangular shape. The caudal fin is very short and they have no dorsal fin. Instead mantyke have two prehensile cephalic fins that expand outward on either side of their mouth. These are primarily used for sensing water and air currents to keep track of conspecifics and potential predators. Mantyke are coated in a layer of mucus that keeps infection and parasites at bay.
Mantine have much the same body shape as mantyke. They are roughly twice as wide as they are long, excluding the caudal fin. The pectoral fins grow out in a normal shape. They are still proportionally small. The cephalic fins grow more rigid and are used to channel attacks instead of sensing the water. A long, ribbony caudal fin takes on this purpose. Mantine do not rely on their caudal fin for movement. Instead, they beat their pectoral fins like wings to push back water.
Unlike most fish, mantine and mantyke have both lungs and gills. Juvenile’s lungs are still small and underdeveloped, but mantine can breathe air indefinitely. Their mucus will eventually dehydrate and necessitate a dive back into the water, but this will take up to forty-eight hours. In the air their pectoral fins are held wide and air currents are manipulated to keep them aloft. Their current manipulation is not so strong that it can get them airborne on its own. They must instead ride a wave out of the water or use a great deal of energy to breach. Thankfully mantine are unusually adept at the move surf and wave creation in general, meaning that they can make their own waves to get airborne with.
Mantine can grow to be 16 feet wide and 600 pounds heavy. Their wild lifespan is estimated to be around 100 years. Captive specimens typically life for fifty to sixty years. It is possible that the Pacific mantine can grow far larger, but at present it is disputed whether these are a separate species or an evolution (see Evolution)
Behavior
Mantine live in schools of about twenty adults and their children. The school moves between island chains in the Pacific. When they reach an island they will rest there for up to three weeks. During the northern hemisphere’s summer they can be seen as far north as San Francisco Bay and Japan. During the autumn and spring they seek out more equatorial islands. In the Southern Hemisphere’s summer they can be found as far south as Tasmania and the South Island of New Zealand. Different schools have different migration routes. Mantine are most abundant in Alola during the months of April, May, September, and October. Alola is warm enough that there is usually at least one school in the archipelago every month.
During resting times mantine will go to reefs to be cleaned. There a variety of cleaner fish, most notably remoraid, will remove parasites from their body. This helps mantine as they are not able to remove the parasites on their own. The cleaner fish get a meal out of it. When they are done the mantine will explore the area to investigate changes and educate their children. In time they will swim off to the next destination on their migration.
Mantine feed by bringing food to their mouth. They can generate weak-but-precise whirlpools that draw zooplankton and small marine organisms into their mouth. Mantine have no teeth so they simply open their mouth and let their food be sucked in by the currents. Sometimes mantine will swim after each other in circles to form stronger whirlpools that draw in more food. The mantyke will then swim through the whirlpool to eat the collected food.
There are few predators for mantine, especially when they are out at sea. When marine predators approach the first line of defense is the remoraid arsenal that follows mantine around. They will fire water jets at the attacker in hopes of deterring them. In the meantime the mantyke will swim up to the mantine and attach themselves via a groove on the underside and the mantine will hold them with their pectoral fins. The school will create a wave and the mantine will launch themselves out of the water and away from their would-be predators. Sharpedo can breach the surface to keep an eye on where the mantine are heading. The fleet will then track the mantine as they fly and be waiting for them when they touch back down. Gyarados can create a storm that drives the mantine back to the water. A few very large flying predators will attempt to fight them in the air but cannot reliably kill them in the water. Noivern could kill mantine, but it would then be left vulnerable for any survivors to drown it. They also could not carry an adult mantine’s body to shore.
Husbandry
Mantyke do not require a mantine to be happy. They adjust well to humans and can be very friendly and affectionate. They enjoy it when their trainer gets into the pool and holds them. Sometimes they will attempt to leave their pool to follow their trainer. Mantyke raised in one place will require a pool with at least ten times the number of gallons as the pokémon is wide in inches. This is a problem as newborn mantyke can be seventy inches across, mandating a 700-gallon aquarium. By evolution they will need at least 15,000 gallons. Ideally the aquarium would be wide and fairly shallow. Trainers are encouraged to use a greenhouse saltwater pool for raising mantyke. This helps regulate the temperature and provides the pokémon with natural light. The best tank for mantyke would have the ability to create small waves to help the pokémon get airborne.
Some mantyke enjoy flying harnesses. They can be secured and brought to a park or into the backyard. The harness will be attached to a long rope whose other end is firmly secured to the ground. The mantyke can then be tossed into the air on a particularly windy day. There a mantyke at least six months old can glide on its own power. A large bird should be available to deter potential predators and break a fall. The pokéball should also be on hand to allow for withdrawal in a worst-case scenario. Be very mindful of what the harness will fall on without the mantyke in it. Harness retrieval is one of the other functions the spotting bird can serve. Well-trained birds can be rented out for spotting mantyke flights in some parts of Alola.
Mantyke are social pokémon. Ideally there should be either another mantyke or another social water-type of similar size in their tank. Frequent exposure to their trainer can also fill this need, but most trainers do not have ten hours a day to spend watching over or playing with their mantyke. Brionne and juvenile alomomola make good companions. Primarina and milotic will also happily babysit mantyke. Remoraid will make the mantyke feel more secure but will not meet their social needs.
Of course, mantine are the best options for watching over mantyke. Unfortunately, their care requirements are even more demanding. Because they are much stronger swimmers mantine require more water. Thirty thousand gallons is the absolute minimum required for a full grown mantine. Unless the trainer plans to frequently socialize with the mantine at least five should be held together. A recommended setup in the industry is a 500,000 gallon pond, pool, or tank with ten to twelve mantine and a few smaller fish such as remoraid and mantyke. Many mantine companies have simply netted off a portion of a bay or inlet.
In any case, keeping mantine enclosed is its own challenge. Mantine can fly wherever they want to. Some companies and trainers accept this and simply fit a tracking collar onto them. They will occasionally go to meet up with their pokémon for a quick checkup and potential transport back to the mainland for a battle, ride, or full physical. Others bond with the pokémon as mantyke. Specimens raised in captivity usually remain fond of their trainer and try to remain close. Sometimes there can be misunderstandings where the mantine attempts to kidnap their trainer and bring them along on a journey to sea.
Mantyke should be fed food less than two inches long. Food can be served whole or cut up. Cooking is unnecessary. The ideal diet consists of five parts crustaceans and one part fish. Mantine eat roughly three parts crustaceans to fish and can eat chunks up to six inches long. A bucket of food can be slowly slid into the water in front of the pokémon and they will use a whirlpool to ingest the contents. When the pokémon is no longer hungry the whirlpool will dissipate and feeding should stop. For the first few weeks after capture feed the pokémon whenever it begins creating whirlpools. After this a rough feeding schedule can be devised and implemented based on the individual’s needs.
The line can be taken on the island challenge. Both stages prefer to have frequent access to saltwater so trainers wanting to raise one will need to carefully plan out a coastal route and ensure there are frequent Pokémon Center stops when inland trips must be taken. Mantyke will also need to be tossed into the air at the start of battles to keep them airborne. Mantine can learn how to take off from the surface. Feedings can be very difficult on dry land. It is recommended that trainers keep an inflatable pool on hand that the mantine can fill and then feed out of. Mantyke can be fed by slowly pouring a bottle of finely minced seafood suspended in water into their mouth.
Mantyke and mantine can be taught to urinate exclusively in the water. However, they are on land for long stretches of time and see no end in sight they will urinate whenever they feel the need.
Both stages strongly prefer aquatic habitat balls such as dive and lure balls. Stasis balls are acceptable but not ideal. Land-based habitat balls are unsuitable for the line.
Illness
Injured mantyke and mantine are quick to heal. The wound might scar but all but the most serious injuries will eventually be repaired. Most wild mantine can be identified by color morph or spot pattern, but some have a variety of distinctive scars that can also be used.
This resilience is greatly weakened after a few days away from saltwater. Their mucus covering will begin to dry up and flake off. Water-attacks will become slower and less powerful. Metabolism and activity will plummet. Upon any observable change in the consistency of mantine’s mucus it is very important to immediately take them to saltwater. If the problem persists after rehydration contact a veterinarian. Make sure mantine have ample opportunity to hydrate before all major battles.
Mantine are liable to accumulating parasites if they swim in publicly open saltwater pools or the open ocean. Absent remoraid or other cleaner fish the trainer will need to learn how to remove them. This is a somewhat delicate art and interested trainers should consult a specialist guide.
Evolution
Mantyke begin to grow more muted scales as they grow. Upon reaching twelve feet in width their ribbon tail will start to grow out and their cephalic horns will harden. These changes mark the formal demarcation line between mantyke and mantine. Wild specimens can take up to ten years to evolve. Captive specimens have evolved slightly faster given excellent care and occasional battle opportunities but no known mantyke has evolved before its seventh birthday.
There is a disputed third stage, tentatively dubbed “mantitan.” Some wild specimens have been found with a wingspan of over twenty-five feet. Their caudal fin has developed into a long barb tipped in a stinger. ‘Mantitan’ can weigh as many as 7,000 pounds. These giants seem to be unable to fly due to their massive weight. Size alone helps them defend themselves. As of now it is disputed whether the so-called mantitan are truly an evolution of the Pacific mantine or another species altogether. In any case no captive mantine has ever exceeded a twenty-foot wingspan or been found with a stinger. If mantitan a separate evolutionary stage it is unknown what the trigger for evolution is.
Battle
Mantine are potent walls in matches with available pools. They are large, somewhat resistant to elemental attacks, quick to recover, and in possession of a decent utility movepool. Whirlpool, defog, and roost help mantine hold opponents down, remove hazards, and keep themselves in top condition, respectively. Mantine have a significantly more potent toxic attack than most other species, even if it is still nowhere near as effective as that of a true poison-type. They are also capable of using powerful wave-based attacks such as surf. The rest of mantine’s offensive movepool is shallow and consists mainly of ice beam and air slash. In any case mantine are not well suited for offense so a shallow but effective utility movepool is fine.
Mantine competes for a slot as a bulky water-type with milotic, slowbro, and alomomola. It is the least durable of them but has better healing than all but miltoic. The pseudo-dragon greatly outclasses mantine with a more expansive utility movepool, better armor, higher intelligence, and faster regeneration. On balance mantine hit somewhat harder with surf and whirlpool. Water-type specialists sometimes prefer mantine as their defensive backbone as access to wind attacks helps shore up matchups against grass-types. Unfortunately, pelipper can set up rain and fire off relatively strong hurricane attacks so it faces competition in this niche, too.
There are a few things in the later stages of the island challenge that can defeat down an adult mantine that knows roost. Strong electric- and rock-type attackers can outpace mantine’s damage output, but the latter must fear retaliation with water-type attacks. However, mantine’s strongest moves are dependent on available water for them to manipulate. Their rate of water generation is slower than offensively oriented water-types. Very powerful physical attackers, especially those with the ability to inflict puncture wounds, can badly injure any mantine they can catch. Birds can also easily outmaneuver mantine in the air and drive them to ground.
Mantyke are rather large for a baby pokémon. Their size alone can give them an advantage against most weaker adversaries on the first island. After that they will struggle more and more. The very slow growth rate of mantyke means that a mid-challenge evolution is unlikely.
Acquisition
Mantine abundance varies seasonally. The best times to see one in the wild are in the late spring and early autumn. Wild capture is very limited. Three capture permits are raffled off every year to trainers on the island challenge, two for mantyke and one for mantine. Given the high demand for these permits it is much easier to simply by one from an established breeder or surf company. Young mantyne can still run up to $8,000. Mantine that have not been trained for surfing run less due to the difficulty of teaching an adult. Trained mantine can sell for up to $35,000.
Mantyke require a Class II license to capture or purchase. Due to their higher care requirements mantine require a Class III license to possess. Acquiring one through any means other than evolution requires a Class IV permit.
Breeding
The pectoral fins that are used to bring mantyke in the air can also be used for two mantine to temporarily latch on to each other. The male will swim upside down beneath the female until his sperm is deposited. Then he will swim away. Mantine pregnancies last for approximately one year. At the end the female will give birth to one or two live pups. The mother will pay close attention to her pups for about thirty days before she mostly ignores them. All adults in the school pay some attention to the mantyke, but none are held singularly responsible for them. Female mantine wait at least a year after pregnancy to become pregnant again. Males can mate every year.
Captive breeding requires a holding area with portions at least thirty feet deep. If a specific pairing is desired than the two should be the only adults in the tank. A few mantyke should still live inside it to keep them company. Infant mortality is high in captive specimens. The reasons for this are still not well understood. Roughly 40% of mantyke are stillborn in captivity. Miscarriages have been observed in the wild, but they do not appear to be common.
After one month the mother will let a trusted human take her child. If left in the tank she will show no particular fondness for the baby over other mantyke.
Relatives
There is debate as to whether mantitan is an evolution of mantine or the adult form of another species. If it is another species than it is speculated to grow up deeper in the ocean before coming to the surface when it is too large to be easily hunted. The main problem with this theory is that mantitan are regularly seen in mantine schools and almost never seen with each other. It is odd that a species would surface and then spend its adult life in the company of another species altogether.
Atlantic mantine (M. n. pliny) are smaller than their Pacific counterparts. They have proportionally larger wings as well. These mantine do not create their own waves to get airborne with. They breach directly out of the water and take off. To compensate they have stronger aerokinesis but weaker hydrokinesis. Crossbreeding between the two subspecies has produced specimens that struggle to become airborne through either method.
Most Atlantic mantine stay close to shore. There are not an abundance of islands to travel between. Instead, they spend the spring in the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast of the United States. Then they travel east to Europe at the height of the summer. As temperatures drop they migrate south, first to the Mediterranean and then to Africa. As winter approaches they make another trans-Atlantic trip to South America. Eventually they will make their way back up to the Caribbean and repeat the cycle.
Marevespertilio navis
Overview
Mantine are peaceful giants of the sea. They only hunt plankton and small fish. In turn few creatures hunt them. Wild mantine are indifferent to humans and will let them get close so long as they do not approach any mantyke.
Captive mantine are known for their docility and use as a ride pokémon. In the early days of Alolan settlement common people and soldiers moved between island in canoes. Nobles and priests often rode on the back of a lapras. There are reports of individual trainers bonding with a mantine and riding on its back across the waves, but this was always gentle travel.
Mantine surfing in its current form was not invented until pokéballs arrived in Alola. The natives were well aware of the aerial prowess of wild mantine. One thrill seeker captured one in hopes of riding through the air. To get airborne he had his mantine ride up the surface of a high wave like wild mantine are known to do. Over time more trainers would follow in his footsteps and begin to add their own twists, sometimes literally, to the sport.
At the time the burgeoning foreign population in Alola saw mantine riding as dangerous and degenerate religious practice like hula dancing. There were several attempts to ban it. It was not until service members stationed in Alola saw a native Alolan (illegally) riding the waves that the practice became well known outside of Alola. Word spread and soon tourists came to Alola just to watch the mantine surfing. The practice was quickly legalized and many mantine surf companies were established that captured and trained mantine for tourists and thrill seekers to ride. The wild mantine population dropped considerably before their capture was heavily restricted by the government. Due to mantine’s very long lifespans and gestation periods the population still has not fully rebounded. Most new captive mantine today are either imported from other parts of the world or born in captivity.
Trainers who want a ride pokémon of their own or who would like a gentle giant to bond with may be drawn to mantine. Be forewarned that captive mantine will either need to spend most of their time in the ocean or have a very large saltwater enclosure to live in. If they see their lodgings as inadequate they will attempt to fly away.
Physiology
Both mantine and mantyke are classified as dual water- and flying-types. There is an argument that mantyke should be a pure water-type because of its awkward flight. This is a minority view. Mantyke can still fly to an extent and make use of flying-type energy. As such their current typing is unlikely to be changed in the future.
Mantyke have two-toned bodies with a lighter shade of blue on the belly than on their back. Other color morphs have been observed. Black backs and white bellies with the occasional black marking is the most common morph. Others include grey, fully black, fully white, or even pink.
Mantyke’s flat, broad pectoral fins have a triangular shape. The caudal fin is very short and they have no dorsal fin. Instead mantyke have two prehensile cephalic fins that expand outward on either side of their mouth. These are primarily used for sensing water and air currents to keep track of conspecifics and potential predators. Mantyke are coated in a layer of mucus that keeps infection and parasites at bay.
Mantine have much the same body shape as mantyke. They are roughly twice as wide as they are long, excluding the caudal fin. The pectoral fins grow out in a normal shape. They are still proportionally small. The cephalic fins grow more rigid and are used to channel attacks instead of sensing the water. A long, ribbony caudal fin takes on this purpose. Mantine do not rely on their caudal fin for movement. Instead, they beat their pectoral fins like wings to push back water.
Unlike most fish, mantine and mantyke have both lungs and gills. Juvenile’s lungs are still small and underdeveloped, but mantine can breathe air indefinitely. Their mucus will eventually dehydrate and necessitate a dive back into the water, but this will take up to forty-eight hours. In the air their pectoral fins are held wide and air currents are manipulated to keep them aloft. Their current manipulation is not so strong that it can get them airborne on its own. They must instead ride a wave out of the water or use a great deal of energy to breach. Thankfully mantine are unusually adept at the move surf and wave creation in general, meaning that they can make their own waves to get airborne with.
Mantine can grow to be 16 feet wide and 600 pounds heavy. Their wild lifespan is estimated to be around 100 years. Captive specimens typically life for fifty to sixty years. It is possible that the Pacific mantine can grow far larger, but at present it is disputed whether these are a separate species or an evolution (see Evolution)
Behavior
Mantine live in schools of about twenty adults and their children. The school moves between island chains in the Pacific. When they reach an island they will rest there for up to three weeks. During the northern hemisphere’s summer they can be seen as far north as San Francisco Bay and Japan. During the autumn and spring they seek out more equatorial islands. In the Southern Hemisphere’s summer they can be found as far south as Tasmania and the South Island of New Zealand. Different schools have different migration routes. Mantine are most abundant in Alola during the months of April, May, September, and October. Alola is warm enough that there is usually at least one school in the archipelago every month.
During resting times mantine will go to reefs to be cleaned. There a variety of cleaner fish, most notably remoraid, will remove parasites from their body. This helps mantine as they are not able to remove the parasites on their own. The cleaner fish get a meal out of it. When they are done the mantine will explore the area to investigate changes and educate their children. In time they will swim off to the next destination on their migration.
Mantine feed by bringing food to their mouth. They can generate weak-but-precise whirlpools that draw zooplankton and small marine organisms into their mouth. Mantine have no teeth so they simply open their mouth and let their food be sucked in by the currents. Sometimes mantine will swim after each other in circles to form stronger whirlpools that draw in more food. The mantyke will then swim through the whirlpool to eat the collected food.
There are few predators for mantine, especially when they are out at sea. When marine predators approach the first line of defense is the remoraid arsenal that follows mantine around. They will fire water jets at the attacker in hopes of deterring them. In the meantime the mantyke will swim up to the mantine and attach themselves via a groove on the underside and the mantine will hold them with their pectoral fins. The school will create a wave and the mantine will launch themselves out of the water and away from their would-be predators. Sharpedo can breach the surface to keep an eye on where the mantine are heading. The fleet will then track the mantine as they fly and be waiting for them when they touch back down. Gyarados can create a storm that drives the mantine back to the water. A few very large flying predators will attempt to fight them in the air but cannot reliably kill them in the water. Noivern could kill mantine, but it would then be left vulnerable for any survivors to drown it. They also could not carry an adult mantine’s body to shore.
Husbandry
Mantyke do not require a mantine to be happy. They adjust well to humans and can be very friendly and affectionate. They enjoy it when their trainer gets into the pool and holds them. Sometimes they will attempt to leave their pool to follow their trainer. Mantyke raised in one place will require a pool with at least ten times the number of gallons as the pokémon is wide in inches. This is a problem as newborn mantyke can be seventy inches across, mandating a 700-gallon aquarium. By evolution they will need at least 15,000 gallons. Ideally the aquarium would be wide and fairly shallow. Trainers are encouraged to use a greenhouse saltwater pool for raising mantyke. This helps regulate the temperature and provides the pokémon with natural light. The best tank for mantyke would have the ability to create small waves to help the pokémon get airborne.
Some mantyke enjoy flying harnesses. They can be secured and brought to a park or into the backyard. The harness will be attached to a long rope whose other end is firmly secured to the ground. The mantyke can then be tossed into the air on a particularly windy day. There a mantyke at least six months old can glide on its own power. A large bird should be available to deter potential predators and break a fall. The pokéball should also be on hand to allow for withdrawal in a worst-case scenario. Be very mindful of what the harness will fall on without the mantyke in it. Harness retrieval is one of the other functions the spotting bird can serve. Well-trained birds can be rented out for spotting mantyke flights in some parts of Alola.
Mantyke are social pokémon. Ideally there should be either another mantyke or another social water-type of similar size in their tank. Frequent exposure to their trainer can also fill this need, but most trainers do not have ten hours a day to spend watching over or playing with their mantyke. Brionne and juvenile alomomola make good companions. Primarina and milotic will also happily babysit mantyke. Remoraid will make the mantyke feel more secure but will not meet their social needs.
Of course, mantine are the best options for watching over mantyke. Unfortunately, their care requirements are even more demanding. Because they are much stronger swimmers mantine require more water. Thirty thousand gallons is the absolute minimum required for a full grown mantine. Unless the trainer plans to frequently socialize with the mantine at least five should be held together. A recommended setup in the industry is a 500,000 gallon pond, pool, or tank with ten to twelve mantine and a few smaller fish such as remoraid and mantyke. Many mantine companies have simply netted off a portion of a bay or inlet.
In any case, keeping mantine enclosed is its own challenge. Mantine can fly wherever they want to. Some companies and trainers accept this and simply fit a tracking collar onto them. They will occasionally go to meet up with their pokémon for a quick checkup and potential transport back to the mainland for a battle, ride, or full physical. Others bond with the pokémon as mantyke. Specimens raised in captivity usually remain fond of their trainer and try to remain close. Sometimes there can be misunderstandings where the mantine attempts to kidnap their trainer and bring them along on a journey to sea.
Mantyke should be fed food less than two inches long. Food can be served whole or cut up. Cooking is unnecessary. The ideal diet consists of five parts crustaceans and one part fish. Mantine eat roughly three parts crustaceans to fish and can eat chunks up to six inches long. A bucket of food can be slowly slid into the water in front of the pokémon and they will use a whirlpool to ingest the contents. When the pokémon is no longer hungry the whirlpool will dissipate and feeding should stop. For the first few weeks after capture feed the pokémon whenever it begins creating whirlpools. After this a rough feeding schedule can be devised and implemented based on the individual’s needs.
The line can be taken on the island challenge. Both stages prefer to have frequent access to saltwater so trainers wanting to raise one will need to carefully plan out a coastal route and ensure there are frequent Pokémon Center stops when inland trips must be taken. Mantyke will also need to be tossed into the air at the start of battles to keep them airborne. Mantine can learn how to take off from the surface. Feedings can be very difficult on dry land. It is recommended that trainers keep an inflatable pool on hand that the mantine can fill and then feed out of. Mantyke can be fed by slowly pouring a bottle of finely minced seafood suspended in water into their mouth.
Mantyke and mantine can be taught to urinate exclusively in the water. However, they are on land for long stretches of time and see no end in sight they will urinate whenever they feel the need.
Both stages strongly prefer aquatic habitat balls such as dive and lure balls. Stasis balls are acceptable but not ideal. Land-based habitat balls are unsuitable for the line.
Illness
Injured mantyke and mantine are quick to heal. The wound might scar but all but the most serious injuries will eventually be repaired. Most wild mantine can be identified by color morph or spot pattern, but some have a variety of distinctive scars that can also be used.
This resilience is greatly weakened after a few days away from saltwater. Their mucus covering will begin to dry up and flake off. Water-attacks will become slower and less powerful. Metabolism and activity will plummet. Upon any observable change in the consistency of mantine’s mucus it is very important to immediately take them to saltwater. If the problem persists after rehydration contact a veterinarian. Make sure mantine have ample opportunity to hydrate before all major battles.
Mantine are liable to accumulating parasites if they swim in publicly open saltwater pools or the open ocean. Absent remoraid or other cleaner fish the trainer will need to learn how to remove them. This is a somewhat delicate art and interested trainers should consult a specialist guide.
Evolution
Mantyke begin to grow more muted scales as they grow. Upon reaching twelve feet in width their ribbon tail will start to grow out and their cephalic horns will harden. These changes mark the formal demarcation line between mantyke and mantine. Wild specimens can take up to ten years to evolve. Captive specimens have evolved slightly faster given excellent care and occasional battle opportunities but no known mantyke has evolved before its seventh birthday.
There is a disputed third stage, tentatively dubbed “mantitan.” Some wild specimens have been found with a wingspan of over twenty-five feet. Their caudal fin has developed into a long barb tipped in a stinger. ‘Mantitan’ can weigh as many as 7,000 pounds. These giants seem to be unable to fly due to their massive weight. Size alone helps them defend themselves. As of now it is disputed whether the so-called mantitan are truly an evolution of the Pacific mantine or another species altogether. In any case no captive mantine has ever exceeded a twenty-foot wingspan or been found with a stinger. If mantitan a separate evolutionary stage it is unknown what the trigger for evolution is.
Battle
Mantine are potent walls in matches with available pools. They are large, somewhat resistant to elemental attacks, quick to recover, and in possession of a decent utility movepool. Whirlpool, defog, and roost help mantine hold opponents down, remove hazards, and keep themselves in top condition, respectively. Mantine have a significantly more potent toxic attack than most other species, even if it is still nowhere near as effective as that of a true poison-type. They are also capable of using powerful wave-based attacks such as surf. The rest of mantine’s offensive movepool is shallow and consists mainly of ice beam and air slash. In any case mantine are not well suited for offense so a shallow but effective utility movepool is fine.
Mantine competes for a slot as a bulky water-type with milotic, slowbro, and alomomola. It is the least durable of them but has better healing than all but miltoic. The pseudo-dragon greatly outclasses mantine with a more expansive utility movepool, better armor, higher intelligence, and faster regeneration. On balance mantine hit somewhat harder with surf and whirlpool. Water-type specialists sometimes prefer mantine as their defensive backbone as access to wind attacks helps shore up matchups against grass-types. Unfortunately, pelipper can set up rain and fire off relatively strong hurricane attacks so it faces competition in this niche, too.
There are a few things in the later stages of the island challenge that can defeat down an adult mantine that knows roost. Strong electric- and rock-type attackers can outpace mantine’s damage output, but the latter must fear retaliation with water-type attacks. However, mantine’s strongest moves are dependent on available water for them to manipulate. Their rate of water generation is slower than offensively oriented water-types. Very powerful physical attackers, especially those with the ability to inflict puncture wounds, can badly injure any mantine they can catch. Birds can also easily outmaneuver mantine in the air and drive them to ground.
Mantyke are rather large for a baby pokémon. Their size alone can give them an advantage against most weaker adversaries on the first island. After that they will struggle more and more. The very slow growth rate of mantyke means that a mid-challenge evolution is unlikely.
Acquisition
Mantine abundance varies seasonally. The best times to see one in the wild are in the late spring and early autumn. Wild capture is very limited. Three capture permits are raffled off every year to trainers on the island challenge, two for mantyke and one for mantine. Given the high demand for these permits it is much easier to simply by one from an established breeder or surf company. Young mantyne can still run up to $8,000. Mantine that have not been trained for surfing run less due to the difficulty of teaching an adult. Trained mantine can sell for up to $35,000.
Mantyke require a Class II license to capture or purchase. Due to their higher care requirements mantine require a Class III license to possess. Acquiring one through any means other than evolution requires a Class IV permit.
Breeding
The pectoral fins that are used to bring mantyke in the air can also be used for two mantine to temporarily latch on to each other. The male will swim upside down beneath the female until his sperm is deposited. Then he will swim away. Mantine pregnancies last for approximately one year. At the end the female will give birth to one or two live pups. The mother will pay close attention to her pups for about thirty days before she mostly ignores them. All adults in the school pay some attention to the mantyke, but none are held singularly responsible for them. Female mantine wait at least a year after pregnancy to become pregnant again. Males can mate every year.
Captive breeding requires a holding area with portions at least thirty feet deep. If a specific pairing is desired than the two should be the only adults in the tank. A few mantyke should still live inside it to keep them company. Infant mortality is high in captive specimens. The reasons for this are still not well understood. Roughly 40% of mantyke are stillborn in captivity. Miscarriages have been observed in the wild, but they do not appear to be common.
After one month the mother will let a trusted human take her child. If left in the tank she will show no particular fondness for the baby over other mantyke.
Relatives
There is debate as to whether mantitan is an evolution of mantine or the adult form of another species. If it is another species than it is speculated to grow up deeper in the ocean before coming to the surface when it is too large to be easily hunted. The main problem with this theory is that mantitan are regularly seen in mantine schools and almost never seen with each other. It is odd that a species would surface and then spend its adult life in the company of another species altogether.
Atlantic mantine (M. n. pliny) are smaller than their Pacific counterparts. They have proportionally larger wings as well. These mantine do not create their own waves to get airborne with. They breach directly out of the water and take off. To compensate they have stronger aerokinesis but weaker hydrokinesis. Crossbreeding between the two subspecies has produced specimens that struggle to become airborne through either method.
Most Atlantic mantine stay close to shore. There are not an abundance of islands to travel between. Instead, they spend the spring in the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast of the United States. Then they travel east to Europe at the height of the summer. As temperatures drop they migrate south, first to the Mediterranean and then to Africa. As winter approaches they make another trans-Atlantic trip to South America. Eventually they will make their way back up to the Caribbean and repeat the cycle.