You are a type specialist in a hostile region. How do you best represent your chosen element?

[Magnus0]

This trainer is a weapon collector who is interested in all the different weapon-like moves one could use in a Pokemon battle. All his Pokemon have their own fighting style based on a specific weapon they are associated with.

The Axe

Ability: Mold Breaker
Item: Scope Lens
- focus energy
- dual chop
- slash
- guillotine

A very suboptimal moveset, but it does evoke the devastating potential of a well-placed axe strike.

The Fist

Ability: Iron Fist
Item: Fist Plate
- knock off
- drain punch
- ice punch
- bullet punch

The only available option with iron fist. Its intimidating nature fits well with the general theme.

The Sword and The Shield

Ability: Stance Change
Item: Metal Coat
- king's shield
- swords dance
- sacred sword
- iron head

It's literally a weapon. It also has a medieval fantasy vibe, which is quite fitting for a dragon team.

The Cannon

Ability: Torrent
Item: Assault Vest
- hydro cannon
- flash cannon
- dragon pulse
- ice beam

Another pretty obvious choice, as Blastoise literally has cannons in its shell. It is also vagualy dragon like thanks to being a reptile.

The Mind

Ability: Inner Focus
Item: Mental Herb
- calm mind
- psychic
- focus blast
- energy ball

A more abstract kind of weapon, to bring some variety. The pen is mightier than the sword and all that.

The Claw

Ability: Though Claws
Item: Charizardite X
- hone claws
- flame charge
- dragon claw
- shadow claw

The ace of the team, and an actual dragon. It makes good use of its ability though claws.

 

[Eeveeto]

Our dragon loving trainer came from Kanto and saw that there is only one Dragon type line in Central Kalos. Not wanting to trade or to travel to the wildest parts of Kalos, he decided that one line is enough and perfectioned it:

Item: Focus Sash. Ability: Mold Breaker. Moves: Counter, Guillotine, Endeavor, Dual Chop. The smallest dragon, but sometimes the most dangerous. Counter, Guillotine and Endeavor are all moves capable of doing incredible damage, especially when the item is Focus Sash. Being unevolved sometimes is a blessing instead of a curse.
Item: Sitrus Berry. Ability: Blaze. Moves: Sword Dance, Flare Blitz, Acrobatics, Dragon Rush. A dragon looking Mon. Some trainers would expect this guy to be the Mega, but instead it uses its base typing to boost and use powerful STAB moves and Dragon Rush.
Item: Eviolite. Ability: Mold Breaker. Moves: Rest, Sleep Talk, Dragon Tail, Poison Jab. The middle phase of the sole Dragon line. It has Eviolite and uses Restalk + Dragon Tail to weaken opposing team... and also see said team, so that teammates in the back have a plan.
Item: Lum Berry. Ability: Overgrow. Moves: Sleep Powder, Sludge Bomb, Outrage, Frenzy Plant. All Kanto starters are reptiles (Venusaur is half lizard, half frog, but the saur part makes the first more likley) and could have had Dragon typing. Venusaur rules the forest as Dragons rule caves and mountains. This Venusaur uses Sleep Powder to temporarily disable a foe, then launches its strong moves. Lum Berry makes Outrage safer to use.
Item: Blastoisinite. Ability: Rain Dish. Moves: Water Pulse, Aura Sphere, Dark Pulse, Dragon Pulse. Blastoise is another reptile and its known to live very long (10000 years in the Wartortle's Dex entry, we can assume the lifespan of Blastoise is the same), just like Dragons do according to legends. Blastoise is the Mega of the team and uses all 4 pulse moves (yes, Aura Sphere is also a pulse move) to take advantage of Mega Launcher.
Item: Life Orb. Ability: Mold Breaker. Moves: Dragon Dance, Dragon Claw, Iron Tail, Earthquake. Final, perfectioned form of the only Dragon line of this region. Uses Dragon Dance and cleans everything that is left.

 

[Frostbiyt]

Hello! Our last round's winner has selected our next topic.

Given the upcoming release of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, I thought it'd be fun to stay in the Kalos region, and so it's to another slice of that tripartite land we head to, and a type that's always fun to play around with.

You are a Dragon-type specialist in Central Kalos. How do you best represent your chosen type?
​

A reminder to please read the guidelines in the OP before commenting, especially if you're new to the thread. You have until October 16th, 9PM GMT to make your case!

Once again to be perfectly clear: you may only select Pokemon from the Central Kalos Pokedex, i.e. Chespin-Haxorus. Any teams which include Pokemon from either the Coastal or Mountain Kalos dexes will not be valid for this round and will be disqualified.

Central Kalos Dex is here for those who need it: https://www.serebii.net/xy/centralpokedex.shtml

I'm still coming up with a concept for my team, but I was wondering if you'd allow the use of a mega and its base form on the same team? Char + Mega Char X was what I was considering.

 

[Pikachu315111]

Dragon King's Champions:
As the sole Dragon-type in Central Kalos, there is a Haxorus who reigns as king. However, one does not remain king for long without those who are willing to fight for them (or at least for their kingdom). These five Champions come from all walks of life and each have their own relation to the king; Indeed, any one of them may very well become the next king when Haxorus reign comes to an end.


Haxorus, the Dragon King (Dragon. Mold Breaker. Life Orb. Outrage, Dragon Dance, Iron Tail, Earthquake)
Fraxure, the Dragon Prince (Dragon. Rivalry. Eviolite. Outrage, Swords Dance, Iron Tail, Reversal)
(Mega) Charizard, the Ascended Dragoon (Fire/Dragon. Tough Claws. Charizardite X. Outrage, Dragon Dance, Flare Blitz, Steel Wing)
Chesnaught, the Noble Knight (Grass/Fighting. Bulletproof. Leftovers. Dragon Claw, Woodhammer, Hammer Arm, Spikes)
Smeargle, the Virtuoso Jack (Normal. Technician. Focus Sash. Dual Chop, Spore, Shell Smash, Baton Pass)
Scrafty, the Rebellious Rogue (Dark/Fighting. Moxie. Shell Bell. Dragon Claw, Payback, High Jump Kick, Head Smash)

Dragon Kingdom

Haxorus: The elder wyrm king and commander of the Champions, just because he's old doesn't mean he's a pushover. Quite the opposite in-fact, because when it comes to dragons the one who rules doesn't come down to politics but raw power. Haxorus whole game plan is to hit hard (and with Mold Breaker remove as many obstacles to doing that as possible), maybe warms-up with a Dragon Dance, but after that it's power all the way.

Fraxure: The heir to the throne, or so one would think. But as I said, power is what determines rule and so Fraxure still has a long way to go in that regard. But until then, Fraxure has his own way of doing things; similar to Haxorus, but different enough. Being a pre-evolution has one advantage and that's the use of Eviolite, boosting it's alright defenses to even higher than its evolution. Though it lacks power it can make up for it with Rivalry (as long as its other opponents are guys, still seems a bit bashful around the ladies) and choosing to use Swords Dance knowing full well its probably not ever going to be in a position to go first (lucky for having that extra defense). Speaking of which, while Haxorus can make full use of Earthquake, Fraxure opts for Reversal as if you plan on bringing it down before it can take the throne it'll gladly show it's still more than strong enough to take the hit and dish it back out.

Mega Charizard X: If it's another powerful dragon you're looking for, you're not just looking for any normal Pokemon but one which ascends into dragonhoon upon Mega Evolving. Always jokes as an "honorary" dragon, Gen VI finally gave Charizard his chance to unleash its draconic blood with a from that flips what being a Charizard means on its head. While its Attack only got a moderate boost (comparatively to other Mega Pokemon), Tough Claws settles on what offense stat it relies on. Luckily, it's the stat which is also boosted by Dragon Dance, and with good Speed already it's already outspeeding and soon overpowering any dragon for the crown, Haxorus or otherwise.

Chesnaught: But maybe the path forward for the kingdom isn't a dragon king at all. While not having the power advantages being a Dragon-type brings, Chesnaught compensates with a more strategic setup that relies on team support (Spikes), niche defense (Bulletproof), and a bit of healing (Leftovers). But serving under dragons has taught Chesnaught that strategy means nothing without power so has two powerful STABs (and of course a Dragon-type Move to represent) that could pave the way for it showing it has both the brawn and brain to reign.

Smeargle: A random card, with all the big and muscular Pokemon before it looks a bit out of place, a plain ol' jack amongst royalty and knights. However what Smeargle lacks in physique it makes up for in versatility and cunning. For Smeargle prefers not to fight itself but strengthen others to fight in its steed or nullifying the threat by sending it to sleep; a politician if I ever saw one. And if it has to fight it made sure it could take-on any other dragon by cleverly boosting the king's Signature Move. Smeargle may be a normal Pokemon but maybe that's what all the other normal Pokemon are looking for to represent them.

Scrafty: No ruler is ever without opposition, and Scrafty is the leading rebel here; he may serve as a kingdom Champion but that doesn't mean he abides by Haxorus' mighty rule. Haxorus may hit hard, but Scrafty can not only take it but dish it out itself, and it doesn't need an Eviolite either. Having Moxie to keep on raising its Attack with every KO and Shell Bell to heal what it dishes out, Scrafty uses a variety of poweful yet tricky and/or risky Moves to keep it one turn ahead. Who knows whether rule under Scrafty would be good, but from how Scrafty sees it, it's a better change than rule under a tyrannical dragon.

 

[QuentinQuonce]

I'm still coming up with a concept for my team, but I was wondering if you'd allow the use of a mega and its base form on the same team? Char + Mega Char X was what I was considering.

Thank you for asking but afraid not, this is covered in the OP.

• No repeat species. Obviously bosses in the series sometimes do use repeat species, however it doesn't really fit the definition of "intellectual exercise" to just say you'd use the same species multiple times to pad out a roster. For the avoidance of doubt, alternate forms count - if two Pokemon have the same Pokedex number, they are repeat species.

 

[Frostbiyt]

Fear

Across time and culture, dragons have been used to symbolize many things. In some regions, they symbolize divinity. Nobility. Nature. In this part of the world they have been seen as beasts terrorizing the peasantry, to be slain by a hero. They are powerful, regal, used by rulers past in heraldry to show that they too are powerful and regal.

What I see in how we perceive dragons however, is fear. Why else would they need to be slain? Some of the cruelest tyrants have used the mere name of these beasts to inspire terror in their subjects.

Some say that the dragon is a manifestation and distillation of our deepest fears, instilled through millions of years of evolution. Death came to our tree-dwelling ancestors from the sky on the wings of raptors who ripped them from their boughs. Identifying the slender reptilian forms of snakes amongst the twisting branches was vital for their survival. The wicked teeth and claws of the enormous cats who could scale our trees with their sheer strength gives the final quintessential features of a dragon. I channel this primeval fear through my team. I don't use dragons.

I am the dragon.

You barely catch the trainer's final words as you mash B through what must be the longest character dialog you've ever seen in a Pokémon game. The second trainer then approaches.

Check out my cool dragon Pokémon!


The Dragon

Red in Tooth and Claw

Pyroar (M) @ Power Herb
Ability: Rivalry
- Overheat
- Solar Beam
- Hyper Beam
- Attract

Rivalry gives Pyroar a 25% power boost against same gendered opponents, giving its already high powered moves even more of a punch. Attract is gay erasure for neutralizing opposite gendered opponents who Pyroar would otherwise struggle with.


The Twisting Serpent

Gyarados @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Moxie
- Waterfall
- Earthquake
- Crunch
- Dragon Dance

A fairly straightforward Dragon Dance set here, with Moxie to allow it to snowball. When combined with the previous entry, it's likely Gyarados can come in on a severely weakened opponent and finish them off for its first attack boost.


Death from Above

Talonflame @ Liechi Berry
Ability: Gale Wings
- Flare Blitz
- Acrobatics
- Flame Charge
- Roost

Liechi Berry and Flame Charge give Talonflame a boost without needing to take a turn off from attacking. Flare Blitz gets it down to pinch berry range faster, where Acrobatics then becomes a base 110 priority attack with no drawbacks being fired off of a boosted attack stat. Finally, priority Roost allows for interesting strategic options that come from being able to change typing.


The Dragons

Fraxure (F) @ Lum Berry
Ability: Rivalry
- Outrage
- Superpower
- Iron Tail
- Attract

To pair with the male Pyroar, we have a female Fraxure who also has Rivalry and Attract. These two leads complement each other by allowing them to effectively handle opponents of the same or differing genders.

Haxorus @ Life Orb
Ability: Mold Breaker
- Dragon Claw
- Earthquake
- Guillotine
- Dragon Dance

Another Dragon Dance set, but this one leans into the Mold Breaker ability, which lets it bypass abilities like Levitate or Sturdy.



Charizard @ Charizardite X
Ability: Blaze -> Tough Claws
- Dragon Claw
- Flare Blitz
- Swords Dance
- Roost

This is the most frightening set in the lineup (don't tell the other guy). Dual STAB is all you need when you are a Swords Dance boosted Mega that can Roost for extra longevity.

| ​

 

[CTNC]

I don't know what's more shocking about last round, that I happened to use only wildcards no one else used or that the Status Moves Only guy won with a theme of pain...

There isn't a theme jumping out at me other than high Attack stats, so I'm just going to go with really strong Pokemon.


Fraxure
Mold Breaker
-Dual Chop
-Dragon Dance
-Shadow Claw
-X-Scissor

Fraxure's Attack stat rivals many fully evolved Pokemon and its bulk is pretty comparable to the frailer fully evolved Pokemon. Also, there are so few Pokemon that look even remotely draconic. Please don't make me pick another fully evolved Pokemon!

Brick Break or Ground coverage other than Dig would be nice for Steel types, but only Haxorus can learn those for some reason. Even just Bulldoze would have been nice even though I wouldn't use it. Shadow Claw is neutral against the types that resist Dragon Claw, so it's not bad. Besides, being Neutral instead of Super Effective means Haxorus can be better than Fraxure in both stats and moveset. Poison Jab for Fairy types was tempting, but I decided against it because XY introduced the Fairy type to counter Dragons. Got to let the Fairies win... X-Scissor was chosen as the third attack because of a lack of better options. Dragon Dance is used over Sword Dance for the much needed Speed buff and because Dragon.


Gyarados
Intimidate
-Dragon Tail
-Waterfall
-Stone Edge
-Thunder Wave

Call it a hunch, but I think that Gyarados is going to be the most popular wildcard. No idea why when it's clearly a Flying type and has a Dark type Mega. Why do so many people think it looks like a Dragon? :P

Gyarados's Dragon Attack options are Dragon Rage, Twister, Dragon Tail, or Outrage. The first two aren't worth considering and Outrage is transfer only. Lysandre got to have his Gyarados know it, but he's also the only villain to canonically die... I'm not sure if that was because of the attempted omniside or the illegal moveset, but I'm not taking the risk. Dragon Tail is the only choice that isn't laughable and Thunder Wave takes advantage of making the player switch. Thunder Wave is practically guarantee to have an impact with its 100 Accuracy. I hope that move never gets nerfed.

Waterfall is for higher Accuracy than Aqua Tail and the Flinch chance taking advantage of Thunder Wave slowing the player's Pokemon to 1/4 speed. Stone Edge hits Ice types, but it's mostly there because no one else has Rock coverage.


Dodrio
Early Bird
-Drill Peck
-Facade
-Steel Wing
-Quick Attack

I kept looking through the Dex for a sixth Pokemon and every time I saw Dodrio I kept thinking hydra. 110 Attack is pretty good, nothing else is standing out, and the head feathers look kind of like horns. Why not?

The STAB choices, if they can be called choices when Dodrio's movepool is so shallow, are the "amazing to have as an option" Drill Peck and the "not that great but counters burns" Facade. I really wish Jump Kick wasn't Gen 7 only... I had to go with Steel Wing instead. It's better because it hits Fairies on a team that needs a way to hit Fairies, but it's worse from a logical standpoint because have you ever seen their wings? Quick Attack gives the utility of a Priority move and Dodrio's movepool is really shallow.

Crawdaunt
Hyper Cutter
-Crabhammer
-Crunch
-Brick Break
-Dragon Dance

I'm pretty sure I remember hearing that Lobsters being called Dragon Shrimp in Japanese is why Crawdaunt gets Dragon Dance as an Egg move... I couldn't check if that was true because there's a Shrimp called the Dragon Shrimp in English. Anyway, Crawdaunt has had Dragon Dance as an Egg move ever since HGSS, so I'm going with it.

Crawdaunt strongest coverage moves are Special and Base 90 Special Attack is nice enough to consider Ice Beam, but it's not boosted by Dragon Dance, so I went with Brick Break. Dark/Fighting coverage was considered really good before XY and it's not like any major new things could ever change that, right?


Haxorus
Mold Breaker
-Dragon Claw
-Dragon Dance
-Earthquake
-Poison Jab

Haxorus's moveset is meant to be an upgrade from Fraxure's. Dragon Claw is more accurate than Dual Chop, Earthquake is more powerful than Shadow Claw and hits Steel Super Effectively instead of Neutrally, and the questionably useful coverage of X-Scissor is changed to Poison Jab which is still questionable but it hits Fairy because the time to let Fairies is over.


Mega Chaizard X
Blaze -> Tough Claws
-Dragon Claw
-Flare Blitz
-Fly
-Roost

We finally have a Kalos round where there's a Mega with the type the team! If multiple of the same species was allowed, I'd go with one Non-Mega Charizard and one Mega because their typings are different. Speaking of typing, Fly is the covorage move just because base Charizard is Flying.

Roost is used as the last move because half the team already has setup moves, it helps with Flare Blitz's recoil, and there's the feeling of despair the player gets from seeing an almost KOed Mega recover from the brink of defeat.




If you count Charizard as a Flying type instead of a Dragon type because of needing to change types from Flying to Dragon with Mega Evolution in the middle of battle, then this team has more Flying types than Dragon types. Even with that in mind, I couldn't look at this team and see it as a Flying team.

 

[Lunaflare]

Wanted to do something without Zard.



The Paladin
:xy/chesnauight:

Chesnaught
Bulletproof
- Swords Dance
- Dragon Claw
- Synthesis
- Spiky Shield

I picked Swords Dance and Spiky Shield because they fit the paladin theme. I picked Dragon Claw for the Dragon type and Synthesis because paladins have self-healing. Overall, this Chesnaught would make a stalwart Paladin in a campaign setting.

The Warlock


Gyarados
Moxie
- Twister
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
- Taunt

Gyarados is dragon-adjacent and I got the idea of a Warlock from its destructive tendencies and elemental movepool. I ended up picking Twister to fit the Dragon type, Dark Pulse, Fire Blast, and Taunt are Warlock-y moves (Eldritch Blast anyone?) Anyway, I figured this one would have a Fiend patron.

The Rogue


Scrafty
Intimidate
- Fake Out
- Dragon Dance
- Facade
- Thief


Oop, another Dragon-adjacent Pokemon. Well, it looks like a dragon, at least. Anyway, this is a Rogue-esque moveset, with Dragon Dance fitting the Dragon-type theme, Facade and Fake Out being Rogue-ish moves, and Thief being self-explanatory. Hopefully this Scrafty can pass a Deception check! It has an advantage, after all.

The Barbarian


Haxorus
- Swords Dance
- Outrage
- Frustration
- Giga Impact


I'm a simple 'mon, I smash heads in. The selected moves tie into the rage Barbarians can fly into at a moment's notice. Or, at least a Fury Warrior from World of Warcraft. This is also the only actual Dragon-type on the team.

The Bard


Dunsparce
- Captivate
- Attract
- Screech
- Round

Dunsparce, please do not attempt to seduce the dragon. This is a meme build built around flavor, much like the other Pokemon on this team. Captivate and Attract are to max out Dunsparce's RIZZ (I'm not even sure if I'm using this word right lmao, gen alpha is truly an enigma) Screech and Round are sound-based moves (I think) and Bards love playing their instruments. Also, why isn't this Pokemon a Normal/Dragon type?

The Monk



Lucario @ Lucarionite
- Dragon Pulse
- Close Combat
- Extreme Speed
- Bullet Punch

The only Pokemon with a specified item and the ace of this team, this Lucario is a master of unarmed combat! Combining the power of strength and the grace of speed, I went with a sort of mixed set with this one. Dragon Pulse is self-explanatory, while the remaining moves fit the RPG abilities of a Monk.

Overall, I picked these six and their movesets based on different classes you would find in RPG games, such as Dungeons & Dragons or World of Warcraft. Some of them are dragons, some ought to be dragons, and some just learn Dragon-type moves. The lack of Charizard is a deliberate choice to set my team apart from others and force me to think creatively about what Pokemon I would have if I was, indeed, a Dragon-type trainer from Central Kalos.​

 

[DrPumpkinz]

(it's just like a minute-long clip don't worry)

the X squad

Haxorus
Ability: Mold Breaker
- Dragon Claw
- X-Scissor
- Night Slash
- Brick Break

Crobat
Ability: Inner Focus
- Cross Poison
- X-Scissor
- Air Slash
- Steel Wing

Exploud
Ability: Scrappy
- Boomburst
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Brick Break

Sharpedo
Ability: Rough Skin
- Night Slash
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Poison Jab

Doublade
Ability: No Guard
- Shadow Claw
- Gyro Ball
- Sacred Sword
- Aerial Ace

Mega Charizard X
Ability: Tough Claws
- Dragon Claw
- Flare Blitz
- Shadow Claw
- Brick Break

The irony of an X-themed trainer in Kalos being a Dragon specialist is not lost on me, but it absolutely is lost on this jabroni.

 

[miku_teto_nerutriplebaka]

This team is meant to represent a hidden cave in Kalos called the Dragon Roost where dragon type pokemon thrive.

Crobat Item: Life Orb Ability: Inner Focus
Acrobatics, U-turn, Cross Poison, Steel Wing.
In the Dragon Roost there are many Pokemon that flourish there, however Zubat, Golbat, and Crobat rule over the non-dragons.

Aegislash Item: Rocky Helmet Ability: Stance Change
King's Shield, Shadow Ball, Flash Cannon, Sacred Sword.
The dragons of the cave have many treasures that they stole and love dearly. Among them is a haunted shield and sword from the royal family that swore to defeat them.

Slurpuff Item: Sitrus Berry Ability Unburden
Dazzling Gleam, Surf, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt.
The dragons love food just as much as treasure and even they have a sweet tooth.

Snorlax Item: Leftovers Ability: Thick Fat
Crunch, Body Slam, Earthquake, Rest
The dragons in the Roost have often been described as being lazy so why not have something as lazy as them.

Haxorus Item: Lum Berry Ability: Mold Breaker
Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Poison Jab, Dragon Dance
The queen of the Roost Haxorus. Her ruthless nature when defeating her foes has been said to be more than breathtaking.

Charizard Item: Charizardite X Ability: Blaze/Tough Claws
Flare Blitz, Dragon Claw, Aerial Ace, Roost.
The King of the Roost Charizard. Via Mega Evolution Charizard regains his draco-heritage and destroys opposing pokemon and trainers with ease.

 

[QuentinQuonce]

Good morning - new poll is up. Unfortunately for personal reasons I wasn't able to get this done last night as originally planned. Happy belated Kalos day to all who celebrate.

https://strawpoll.com/bVg8B7pmbyY​

You have until October 19th, 9PM GMT to cast your vote!

Numbers numbers numbers

Numbers

Haxorus: 9

Fraxure: 4

Axew: 1

Charizard: 8

Gyarados: 4

Scrafty: 3

Lucario: 2
Chesnaught: 2
Crobat: 2
Aegislash: 2
Blastoise: 2

Dodrio: 1
Slurpuff: 1
Doublade: 1
Exploud: 1
Kecleon: 1
Dunsparce: 1
Sharpedo: 1
Talonflame: 1
Alakazam: 1
Pangoro: 1
Venusaur: 1
Smeargle: 1
Charmeleon: 1
Crawdaunt: 1
Snorlax: 1


Analysis

Haxorus reigns supreme, as it should. Best Unova dragon.

As the recently-released PL:Z-A may highlight, Central Kalos is interesting because in a lot of ways it's the least defined of the region's three segments. Suburbs, fields, a wood... some small and remarkable caves... lots of rivers, of course... and the capital city. It's not an area rife with extremes of temperature or perilous terrains, perhaps accounting for the notable lack of diversity in its dex listing.

But then again... you can see why the remake elected to contain itself to just a single city, because cities by their very nature tend to produce more diversity. Because feasibly anything could be there! Unfortunately, Lumiose City in XY-era was not the teeming hub of variety one might have expected and Dragons - seemingly too wild for its stylish streets - are more commonly found in the mountains and deserts further afield.

So, what did we get to complement Central Kalos's single Dragon line? As often happens when we do a Dragon round, there were typically high showings for Gyarados and Charizard (I'd have to check, but I think 8 might be a record for the highest scores ever achieved by a wildcard species), but also Scrafty, the reptilian thug often known to dance in a draconic fashion. Nice to see Fraxure get some good representation, too.

Following that, there's a lot of lizards, reptiles, and dinosaurs in their wake: Kecleon, Crawdaunt, Sharpedo, Dunsparce, Venusaur, Blastoise - even Talonflame and Dodrio. Interesting to see Crobat used twice, with that in mind, but bats are cave-dwelling creatures and thus overlap with where dragons tend to be found. I've never been truly sure what exactly Exploud is - mammal, reptile? - but its inclusion in the Monster egg group highlights the way in which the kaiju aesthetic isn't solely for dinosaurs and can be applied with relative ease to anything brutal, misshapen, and monstrous. Same goes for Snorlax, actually.

Lastly, we got a touch of the medieval with Lucario, Chesnaught, Doublade, Aegislash: knights in armour and their weapons. Just the thing for slaying dragons (ice? Never heard of it).



Stuff I expected to see more (or at all):

Not a whole lot that wasn't used, I think the available species were mined quite thoroughly.

Gallade is another knight-inspired species, but didn't make an appearance anywhere.

Farfetch'd. Stretching the knight concept a little far (Sirfetch'd is really much closer) but it's still a sword-wielder and a bird, I suppose.

Roserade. On a fantasy-inspired roster where knights and dragons rub shoulders with wizards and orcs (I promise I'll get off this idea in a moment), Roserade plays the beautiful maiden/magical princess quite well.

Ninjask. I don't know why, but its hard carapace, wicked grin, and sharp claws have always seemed a little draconic to me. Maybe just me.

 

[DrPumpkinz]

I've never been truly sure what exactly Exploud is - mammal, reptile?

Whismur is a little rabbit thing while Loudred and Exploud are vaguely hippo-like so I assume mammal.