We’re back for the Normal-type reviews, and today we’re going to focus on Lillipup, Herdier and Stoutland, dog Pokémon that look like they have facial hair and nice coats to go with them! If you are ready with this one, please proceed.
Selected Fan Art (Artist: Colonels-Corner)
It is oft-cited that dog is man’s best friend, not just in one culture, but in many cultures. There is a perfectly good reason this title is given to such animals. Because dogs demonstrate loyalty, companionship and general close relationship with people, they are animals that people can rely on for a lot of things. This does not only occur at present, but it is something that happens for a very, very long time. You can bet that any franchise would have at least one instance of dogs if they could, such as Mickey Mouse, Superman and Garfield. Naturally, Pokémon have several dog Pokémon, but these Pokémon are the closest that represents the qualities people like about dogs.
The type of dog these Pokémon are based on is mixed, in a minor sense. The main dog these Pokémon are based on is the Yorkshire terrier, a small dog that is known for their drooping fur that looks like a coat on its body and a moustache around its muzzle. Herdier looks a little like other types of terriers, since its facial fur and fur coat resembles them more than the Yorkshire variety. Stoutland, in addition to the terrier characteristics it possesses, has abundant fur that best matches the Shih Tzu. Mixed breeds for dogs is common if dogs were to roam free since they don’t distinguish breeds, but in Pokémon, any dog cannot be considered mixed mainly because whatever species they beget don’t mix and match characteristics, so even if these Pokémon breed with other dog Pokémon, they will still have their main characteristics present.
The Pokémon look like normal dogs that they could very well pass off as one, except their size. Like the other dog Pokémon, they are much larger than an average dog, especially compared to the tinier terrier. Much like dogs, the main quality these Pokémon show is the quality of loyalty, especially for Herdier and Stoutland. Herdier is stated to follow its trainer’s order loyally, while Stoutland isn’t mentioned to be loyal, but one could assume that this is the case when it excels at rescuing people.
Lillipup’s face is full of fur, but not enough to look like a moustache. Since it is a young Pokémon, it understandably lacked one. It does look like it has been splattered in the face, though. Interestingly, they work like whiskers in that they are used to sense things, but it can be used to sense subtle changes in the surroundings. Essentially, it is a lot more potent than real whiskers. When it evolves, its whiskers begin to take a more moustache-like shape, and when it fully-evolves, its facial fur becomes so long it is longer than its body length. While having long whiskers is no doubt useful, it could be used against it, much like how long hair is discouraged in wars for allowing the enemy to take advantage of it.
The fur coat is another thing that becomes more pronounced during evolutions. In the beginning, Lillipup’s coat is plainer. Herdier begins to grow some black fur coat to be able to absorb damage thanks to the hardness of its fur, but at Stoutland’s stage, the fur becomes overgrown and very useful. Not only can it shield from damage and the cold, it is warm and comfortable for the person that is wrapped in it. This trait might be the basis for its ability Sand Rush, which grants immunity to Sandstorm damage and double Speed at the same time. It would be nice if one of its abilities is either Thick Fat or Fur Coat, in order to tie into its characteristic thick fur more appropriately.
Intelligence is one of the highlighted strengths on these Pokémon. While Lillipup is courageous Pokémon even when going against strong opponents, it knows well enough to avoid fights it won’t stand a chance against, most probably the fully-evolved ones that are big and formidable. An interesting titbit is that Lillipup is one of the few non-fully-evolved Pokémon that learns Giga Impact, a move normally reserved for fully-evolved Pokémon. In addition to Lillipup’s ability to judge strength, Stoutland is a wise Pokémon that excels at rescuing people that are stranded in lost areas like the sea or mountains. It must mean that it has a lot of mobility and the senses that could find those in need.
Ability-wise, Lillipup has different abilities from its evolutions. It has Vital Spirit, Pickup and Run Away, mostly mirroring its more energetic nature. As for Herdier and Stoutland, there’s Intimidate to reduce the opponent’s Attack, Sand Rush for a speed boost in Sand and Scrappy to get past Ghost-types without a hitch. It also learns useful offensive attacks like Play Rough, Crunch, Superpower and the elemental Fangs, other than the obligatory Normal STAB. Even if it could do all these, its abilities are done better by most Pokémon who could use Scrappy better or take better advantage of Intimidate’s power drop. This leaves Sand Rush as a unique advantage for the Pokémon, since base 80 Speed is enough to be fast in Sand. It’s great that Stoutland’s Attack increased in Generation 6, to take better advantage of its offensive capabilities.
These Pokémon can do a lot of good work, and it’s a good thing they are loyal to the people, which is natural for a Pokémon based on dogs. Like dogs, they make for great pets as long as you show them affection, which will surely make them feel great and return the favour. The intention of Normal-type animals is that they resemble the real animal, except they are essentially super-powered in a plausible way.
+ Have lots in common with dogs
+ Beautiful and useful fur coat
– Lillipup looks oddly-designed
– Most battling qualities didn’t stand out
Lillipup’s TCG Card
This is a simple card without much description in the moves, but it does have a Lillipup with a lot of youthful energy conveyed in its stance.
Herdier’s TCG Card
Herdier is normally sporting a fierce look, so to see it with a sadder face is something else. It looks to be waiting for somebody, presumably its master.
Stoutland’s TCG Card
The Stoutland in this card is standing quite majestically and with dignity, and in some ways, imposing (probably because of the dark shade over its top portion of the body).
Retaliate
Like any loyal dog, these Pokémon will avenge their teammates when one of them went down. And thus, Retaliate is the best move to represent this family of Pokémon. This move is learned by several Pokémon, ranging from some expected ones (Fighting-types) to some unexpected ones (Dark-types).
Retaliate is normally an average-powered attack, but if this attack is immediately used after a teammate has fainted, its damage will double, which translates to a powerful attack. While the effect of this move is quite good, the fact that its effect only works once for only one turn makes it a bit predictable, since the opponent could easily have another teammate take the hit.
If I were to suggest a change, it would be that Retaliate hits the target before they switch similar to Pursuit, which will fit the theme of vengeance for this move. This way, the opponent can’t just let someone else take the attack easily, and if the opponent has a Pokémon that resist Normal, then you don’t need to use this attack unless it ensures elimination.
Overall, this is a simple attack that has an effect that is easy to see the benefits to, but it could use an improvement.
That’s all for today’s article. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it.
Next Article: Litleo & Pyroar
