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Heracross

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Heracross
File:Heracross.png
National Pokédex
Shuckle - Heracross (#214) - Sneasel
Johto Pokédex
Pinsir - Heracross (#113) - Koffing
Hoenn Pokédex
Pinsir - Heracross (#168) - Rhyhorn
Sinnoh Pokédex
Gastrodon - Heracross (#062) - Aipom
Japanese nameHeracros
Evolves fromNone
Evolves intoNone
GenerationSecond
SpeciesSinglehorn Pokémon
TypeBug / Fighting
Height4 ft 11 in (1.5 m)
Weight119.0 pounds (54.0 kg)
AbilityGuts/Swarm

Heracross (ヘラクロス, Herakurosu, Heracros in original Japanese language versions) is one of the Template:Pokenum fictional species of Pokémon from the Pokémon Franchise – a series of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri.

Heracross is a beetle-like Pokémon, clearly modelled on the Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle. The name Heracross is a derived from the hercules beetle and the suffix -ceros, meaning horn.

Biological characteristics

Heracross is a large, beetle-like, winged bipedal insect. Its entire body is blue. It has a capsule-shaped thorax similar to Pinsir's, a pair of yellow eyes and two clawed arms and feet. Although they are not directly related, they do often have close numbers on Pokédex lists. Growing from its head is a large T-shaped horn, which is flanked on either side by a smaller antenna. Starting with Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the end of female Heracross' horns are somewhat heart-shaped.

Heracross is a powerful but docile Pokémon. Its natural habitat is forests and its diet consists of tree sap, nectar and honey. Its strength is such that it can topple large trees if it so wished.

Heracross is endowed both defensively and offensively, giving it excellent protection against potential predators. Its body is entirely covered in a shell as hard as steel, which wards off many attacks. Heracross's main weapon is its large horn, of which it is particularly proud. However, it only uses it in the wild to deter its foes, not hurt them.

To chase off intruders, Heracross tends to charge at them in a straight line, diving beneath them, scooping them up by thrusting its horn under their belly, and finally flinging them away with considerable force. Thanks to its power, Heracross can easily lift in this way foes a hundred times heavier than it is (5400 kg). It keeps a steady footing while doing this by planting its claws into the ground or a tree trunk.

In the video games

File:Heracross.jpg
The Heracross trophy from Super Smash Bros. Melee

In Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal, Heracross could be encountered by using the Headbutt move on trees in mountainous areas of the Johto region. In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Heracross are located in the Safari Zone. In Pokémon Colosseum, Heracross is a Shadow Pokémon and can be Snagged in Realgam Tower. In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Heracross are available in Pattern Bush. In Diamond and Pearl, Heracross sometimes appear after slathering honey on a golden tree.

Heracross stats are decent and generally above-average, especially their very high Attack and high Special Defense. Heracross can further raise their Attack by using their Swords Dance technique. However their Defense is rather below average making them easily defeatable by most of their weaknesses.

Heracross are often used in a purely offensive manner in battle, since they learn many powerful physical moves, such as Brick Break, Rock Slide, Close Combat, Stone Edge, Pursuit, Reversal, and their signature move, Megahorn (Heracross being the only Pokémon with a Same Type Attack Bonus for this move). When Heracross were first introduced, their unique knowledge of Megahorn made them a good counter to Psychic-type Pokémon, if a rather risky one due to their Fighting type. Their type combination of Bug and Fighting make them weak to Fire and Psychic attacks, and twice as weak to Flying-type attacks. However they're resistant to five types: Fighting, Grass, Ground, Bug and Dark. While their Rock Slide technique can be used to cover the Flying-type weakness, the speed of flying-type Pokémon generally makes this a risky play. It is also a good candidate for the Endure/Reversal combo, seeing as it learns both of these moves naturally. Throwing a Salac Berry into the mix would increase Heracross' Speed enough to land a devastating "revenge" strike before being defeated. To add to that, this Pokemon's abilites are called "Guts" and "Swarm", the former raising its attack if it is inflicted by a status condition (if it is burned, its attack is increased rather than suffering or negating the stat drop that the condition normally inflicts) and the latter raising the power of all bug moves if its HP falls too low.

Heracross is also used by the Kanto rival in Fire Red and Leaf Green and the Sinnoh rival, and elite four member Aaron in Diamond and Pearl, and the player's rival in Diamond and Pearl once the player reaches Canalave City. Heracross can be caught in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl by slathering honey on trees. They usually appear on the tree to the east of Floaroma Town. To date, heracross is the only pokemon thats part fighting and bug.

In the anime

Heracross was Ash's first Johto Pokémon and is one of the Pokémon Ash has used in his team. He caught it during Episode #121 (A Sappy Ending), after helping its swarm against a rival swarm of Pinsir, and taking out Team Rocket's Robot Pinsir (which was stealing all of the sap from the Pinsir swarm's trees). Heracross is a powerful Pokémon, but it is often distracted by the sight of trees, going over to them to suck their sweet sap. When in the presence of Ash's Bulbasaur, Heracross tries to feed off the nectar in Bulbasaur's bulb (because it's a flower bulb), much to the latter's frustration. Ash eventually left Heracross in the care of Professor Oak, where it has remained since. Ash however got it back to battle in the Johto League, in which it battled Gary's Magmar and won, but lost to Gary's next Pokémon, Blastoise. He also got him back in episode 441- Fierce Fighting! Jungle Battle at the Battle Palace, in which it battled Spenser's Venusaur and also tried to suck the nectar from the flower on Venusaur's back. However, Heracross lost that battle.

Heracross is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi in all adaptations of Pokémon.

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game

File:Heracrosstcg.png
Heracross, as seen in he Pokémon Trading Card Game

Heracross, like many other Basic Pokémon with no evolutions, is not overwhelmingly represented in the card game. It has appeared in all the following sets, in all cases Grass-type unless otherwise noted:

  • Neo Genesis
  • Neo Destiny
  • Skyridge
  • EX Hidden Legends
  • EX Team Rocket Returns (Fighting/Ground type)
  • EX Dragon Frontiers (as Heracross δ, Fire type)

References

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
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