We’re back for the Normal-type reviews, and today we’re going to focus on Litleo and Pyroar, lions that have the fire of pride! If you are ready with this one, please proceed.
“Simba and Nala have come back in the form of Pokemon. That is all.” ~ shaymin
Selected Fan Art (Artist: Irete)
When you think of lions, perhaps one thing that might come to mind is the Lion King, since its story made lions popular in more recent memory (Kimba the White Lion was older than that, so the influence might not reach far). In fact, lions are normally associated with the characters found in Lion King, so it’s expected for Litleo and Pyroar to be put into their roles. Lion Pokémon aren’t a novelty however, since Generation 4 introduced Shinx, Luxio and Luxray, Electric-type lion Pokémon.
The sexual dimorphism of a lion is one of the most distinctive and well-known ones, because you can easily tell between a lion and a lioness. Basically, the lion has a mane that gives them their famous look, while the lioness does not have it. The lion’s mane is mainly for display, as the lion would use it for intimidating and attracting lionesses to mate with. Likewise, Pyroar is easily distinguished between male and female, and the male’s mane looks like as if it has the character of “big” written all over it. Naturally, the male with the largest mane is the leader of the pride. Even though a lioness doesn’t have hair like the female Pyroar, it adds to its look. It certainly is more prominent than Luxray and family, whose mane difference between male and female is minor.
Since these Pokémon are based on lions, their behaviour is likely to be similar to real lions. Lions are socially inclined, which is not common among feline animals. When a group of lions are gathered, they form a pride. Normally, prides have more females than male since they are what keep the pride going, so that makes it a harem. The lionesses also hunt for any game because they are well-suited for the job, considering how the lion’s mane makes it more of a burden. They also protect the cubs, which is pretty much the standard for mothers. If any cubs were old enough, they will be out of the pride and left on their own to create a new one. This might be possible for Litleo, but the ‘Dex merely mentions that Litleo leaves the pride to become stronger through independence.
Like any Fire-type, the flames that surged from the Pokémon are a showcase of their strength. Litleo, for example, will have a heat surge if facing a strong opponent so as to bring up a firepower boost. Pyroar’s fiery breath is said to be more than 5000 degrees Celsius (obviously, that is so hot it will burn your skin off), which it won’t hesitate to unleash on any challenger. One personality trait that Fire-types naturally tend to have is being hot-blooded, so they are more ready to battle, as Litleo is said to be. Things could get heated, both figuratively and literally, if Pyroar battles with one another, and it will definitely be something to run away from if you want to be safe and avoid harm, unless someone stops them. An unfortunate scenario would be when a forest fire starts because there is a war between prides.
Like Helioptile and Heliolisk, Litleo and Pyroar are another Pokémon that has Normal as a secondary type. Since Fire is the major characteristic of these Pokémon, being that firepower is the Pokémon’s main trait, it is justified. Perhaps the Normal-type is related to how these Pokémon are based on land mammals, which is, in their case, lions. This Generation also introduced more Normal-types paired with other types, so if I were to guess, it would be because Ghost-type is now resisted or nullified by two types (Steel doesn’t resist Ghost anymore). Therefore, Normal-type is paired with other types since a pure Normal-type lacks resistances, so pairing it with another type would make it more effective.
On the subject of abilities, they made sense given the context on these Pokémon. Think about it: Rivalry relates back to their contention with one another’s prides, Unnerve is from their intimidation and Moxie is because of “pride”. While these abilities are useful in their way, it’s not as useful for the Pokémon in question since the former two are situational while the latter is for Physical attackers, and that does not fit the Special attacking nature of these Pokémon. It’s as if all the thematic abilities are fit into the Pokémon that there is no room for useful abilities.
If you do not take into account these Pokémon’s abilities, they are a standard Special attacker with great Speed and Special Attack, which goes well with their STABs in Fire Blast and Hyper Voice. As added coverage, Dark Pulse is recommended. One move that is exclusive to these Pokémon is Noble Roar, no doubt inspired by how loud lions roar. It’s a move that reduces both Attack and Special Attack, which is quite useful because the power drop is reliable. Since the Pokémon aren’t ideal setup attackers, they are not the most optimal users to take advantage of this effect.
There is something magnificent about a lion that makes it a respectable figure in many cultures. It is often depicted as a symbol for strength and nobility, and the icon is usually the male, since its male makes it quite distinguished. Perhaps the distinguished look is a way of saying that we people need to stand out from others by being lofty in virtue, and lions remind us of what people could be. This must be why lions, even in Pokémon, are well likeable.The way these Pokémon are designed, I find them more cartoonish compared to Generation 4’s lion Pokémon. Don’t get me wrong: I do like how they are designed, but compared to a real lion, they look slightly off, especially in regards to their faces.
Overall, the nobility and strength exuded by these Pokémon do make them quite an honourable figure. The only thing about Litleo and Pyroar that doesn’t seem right is how cartoonish they look, though it’s not a big issue all in all.
+ Has gender differences
+ Firepower defines strength
– Pokémon looks somewhat cartoonish for lions
– Abilities are not quite reliable
Litleo’s TCG Card
Here is a picture of Litleo running on the field. The lighting of this field is bright, which fits the fiery type of this Pokémon. The whole place looks like it is set in the morning, so it looks quite refreshing too. It does bug me a little that Litleo looks too cartoonish for a lion cub, since it looks too round for my liking.
Pyroar’s TCG Card
It seems that all the Pyroar cards only feature the male variant, unlike Frillish and Jellicent (both cards have both variants, though the male version gets more focus). It’s probably to be expected, since the male looks more majestic. The way Pyroar makes its commanding roar suits its royal nature really well. The colours on this card make the whole thing quite bright and holy, which adds to the effect.
Noble Roar
This move is only learnt by Litleo and Pyroar, making it their signature moves. This is a compatible signature move for such Pokémon because lions are normally noble animals, so a type of roar that demands respect from others fit their nature. This move could technically fit some other royal beasts as well, possibly the legendary beasts from Johto, or the Shinx family because they are lions too.
What this move does is to reduce its target’s Attack and Special Attack by one stage. Because it reduces both attack stats, it is a versatile move if used on an environment where switching is usually a disadvantage, such as Doubles or Triples. It’s only a single-target move, unlike Growl. If it targets a range of targets, then it would see more use in Doubles or Triples for the battle advantage.
That’s all for today’s article. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it.
Next Article: Meloetta
