Skarmory

Skarmory
File:Skarmory.png National Pokédex Mantine - Skarmory (#227) - Houndour Johto Pokédex Mantine - Skarmory (#198) - Doduo Hoenn Pokédex Spinda - Skarmory (#115) - Trapinch
Japanese name	Airmd
Evolves from	None
Evolves into	None
Generation	Second
Species	Armor Bird Pokémon
Type	Steel / Flying
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.7 m)
Weight	111.3 pounds (50.5 kg)
Ability	Keen Eye / Sturdy

Skarmory (エアームド, Eāmudo, Airmd in original Japanese language versions) is one of the Template:Pokenum fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion dollar^[1] Pokémon media franchise – a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. Despite only originally available in the Silver Version of Pokémon Gold and Silver, Skarmory has risen to fame among trainers due to its overuse among both player-to-player battles and online battle simulators, such as Pokémon NetBattle. Skarmory is popular because of its ability to easily absorb physical hits.

The drawing and sprite design of Skarmory was created by Ken Sugimori for its 2000 release on the Game Boy Color. Skarmory's image is based on the Greek myth, the Stymphalian Birds. The Stymphalian Birds are most famous as being part of one of the The Twelve Labours of Hercules, as Hercules was sent to destroy the vicious crows, thought to be made of metal.

Skarmory is a portmanteau of the words sky, or possibly scar, and armory. The Japanese name, Eāmudo, is a portmanteau of the Japanese pronunciations for the words air and armored.

Biological characteristics

Skarmory is a species of avian Pokémon whose flesh is entirely composed of a tough silvery metal, save for its distinctive red wing plumes. Its shelled skin gains its toughness from a young age through a rather harsh process: Skarmory mothers nest in bushes of bramble, and the constant exposure of the chicks to the thorny environment of a bramble bush causes scratches and abrasions that prompt the development of the skin into hard steel shells. Surviving infancy in a bramble bush ensures a strong body and a strong chance for survival in the wilderness for the rest of a Skarmory’s life.

Skarmory is by no means restricted by its protective shell; While its metal exterior is sturdy, its bones are hollow and light, allowing it easy flight just like any other bird. Onlookers often wonder if Skarmory’s anatomy constitutes a genuine improvement to its aerial mobility: the Pokémon is capable of flying at a top speed of 180 miles per hour, because of its streamlined body and hollow bones.

Skarmory behaves like a real-life bird of prey such as an eagle in its hunting and battling habits. It routinely hunts by swooping down to ground level and picking its prey with its clawed talons. Alternatively, it uses its sharp talons and sword-like wing tips to seemingly slice through its targets at its blindingly fast speed, a tactic it uses both for hunting and when in a trainer-directed Pokémon battle. Another way Skarmory is like other birds is the molting of its feathers, which Skarmory performs once a year. The wings, as a result of being battered and worn out by the battles the Pokémon wages, molt once a year to restore the feathers' sharpness. The fallen feathers left behind have been used by people in the past to craft weaponry such as swords, daggers, and arrow heads.

On a minor note, Skarmory's bladed tail feather is also said to resemble a can opener.

In the Pokémon video games

In the Pokémon video games, Skarmory is a rare Pokémon. It is found in the mountainous fields of Route 45 in Pokémon Silver and Crystal versions; on the ash-covered plateau of Route 113 in the Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald versions; and in FireRed version, in the Ruin Valley on Six Island and the Sevault Canyon on Seven Island. It is also found in the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl versions it is rarely found at the top of Stark Mountain. In Pokémon Colosseum, Gonzap, the boss of Team Snagem, has a Shadow Skarmory that the player can Snag in Realgam Tower.

In Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, the Fortree City Gym Leader, Winona, uses a Skarmory that knows Steel Wing. The player's next major encounter with Skarmory is during the battle with the Pokémon League Champion, Steven Stone. In both cases, Skarmory proves to be an easy opponent, being weak against Fire-type or Electric-type attacks. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, Skarmory appears as the first boss character and cannot be befriended or tamed there, but all other Skarmory found in the wild can be.

Skarmory has high Defense, and two type immunities: Ground-type and Poison-type. Since its arrival in the second generation games, it has been considered a premiere tank Pokémon. This is especially because it has eleven of seventeen types for its strengths.

In the Pokémon anime

Skarmory first appeared in the episode Hot Matches, in which Ash and his friends meet a trainer named Mickey who owns a Skarmory. Mickey is looking for challenges against Fire-type Pokémon, as Fire-types are strong against the Steel-type Skarmory and she wants to prove Skarmory's strength. Brock challenges Mickey with his Vulpix, but Skarmory defeats Vulpix with its signature attack Steel Wing. Ash's Cyndaquil then battles Mickey's Skarmory, but the battle is interrupted by Team Rocket. After Ash and friends defeat Team Rocket, the battle recommences, and Cyndaquil pulls through for the win. Several other Skarmory have appeared since then, including one belonging to Atilla of Team Rocket, a second belonging to Winona of the Fortree City Gym, and one living in the Valley of Steel, which (alongside Magnemite and Magneton) attacked any humans or non-Steel-type Pokémon that entered the valley.

In the Pokemon anime edition of "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out Of The Gate!", Skarmory is the main antagonist of the episode. Responsible for kidnapping Pikachu (and later on his little brother Pichu), the Skarmory's behavior while guarding its prisoners is notably bizarre. Constantly muttering to herself about how she doesn't "like this one bit," she reacts violently when Team Go-Getters, comprised of Squirtle, Charmander, and Chikorita, comes to rescue Pikachu and Pichu. Although she overpowers the team, Skarmory is ultimately defeated through the use of Corsola quills the team got from their friend Aunty Kangaskhan and a combination of Water Gun, Flamethrower, and Leaf Blade. After her defeat, Skarmory retains no memory of her previous actions, and indeed begins to act quite kindly to her former enemies, suggesting she was not in control of herself.

In the Pokémon Chronicles episode Delibird's Dilemma, Meowth and Wobbuffet run into a Skarmory, which blasts them off.

A trainer with a Skarmory is one of May's opponents in the Kanto Grand Festival.

In other media

File:Skarmory tcg.jpg

Skarmory in the Pokémon Trading Card Game

Falkner, the Violet City Gym-leader, caught a Skarmory in Ch. 99 "VS. Sunkern".^[2] Winona, the Fortree City Gym Leader, used a Skarmory in Ch.245 "VS. Vibrava".^[3] Emerald also uses a Skarmory in Ch.03 "VS. Illumise",^[4] most likely owned by Crystal.

Skarmory appears several times in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, popular in sets as being one of the first "Metal-type" cards. Due to Skarmory's overuse by players of the TCG, players have nicknamed Skarmory the "lost legendary bird". This theory is backed up by the artwork of the Skarmory's Neo Revelations appearance, a crop of a large picture of fellow Flying-types, Lugia and Ho-Oh. Skarmory has appeared in the Neo Genesis, Neo Revelations, Expedition (appears twice), Skyridge, EX Dragon and EX Deoxys sets. Skarmory appears as a more powerful Skarmory EX in EX Power Keepers.

References

• The following games and their instruction manuals: Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue; Pokémon Yellow; Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2; Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal; Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald; Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen; Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

Notes

Publications

• Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-439-15404-9.
• Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-930206-15-1.
• Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 1-930206-50-X
• Mylonas, Eric. Pokémon Pokédex Collector’s Edition: Prima’s Official Pokémon Guide. Prima Games, September 21 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4761-4
• Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Emerald Version Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., April 2005. ISBN 1-930206-58-5

External links

• Official Pokémon website
• Bulbapedia (a Pokémon-centric Wiki)’s article about Skarmory as a species
• Template:Serebiidex
• Pokémon Dungeon Pokédex entry, full of statistics analysis
• PsyPoke - Skarmory Pokédex entry and Usage Overview
• Smogon.com - Skarmory Tactical Data
• Template:WikiKnowledge