We’re back for the Normal-type reviews, and today we’re going to focus on Skitty and Delcatty, cat Pokémon that are best appreciated through appearances! If you are ready with this one, please proceed.
Selected Fan Art (Artist: HavocGirl)
Cats are one of the most popular pets, so it makes sense for Pokémon to have some cat Pokémon. Meowth is the first cat Pokémon, and it went well with people, so now we have a second cat Pokémon called Skitty. Unlike Meowth’s more interesting inspirations, Skitty seems more ordinary in comparison, with only its tail as a standout. Delcatty is pretty much like Skitty, being an ordinary cat, but this time Delcatty is more fashionable.
Skitty’s tail is oddly shaped, as if it is like one of the grass-on-a-sticks that cats like to play with, such as the foxtail grass or bulrush. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Skitty likes to chase its own tail. That’s not mentioning that it has an affinity in chasing moving things, which besides its tail, would likely include certain toys and other (smaller) Pokémon. The playfulness tends to be the main attraction with kitties, which is how Skitty becomes popular with people, along with its cute looks.
Based on the information in the PokéDex, Skitty and Delcatty are highly domesticated cats, who aren’t known to be hunters or fighters, unlike its other feline brethren. If stray, Skitty would prefer to live in holes in the trees or forests. Delcatty is quite picky when it comes to what it wants, for it prefers comfortable and clean places, and because the Pokémon aren’t territorial (they don’t have permanent habitation), will go elsewhere if it is disturbed by other Pokémon. It also prefers a comfortable and unfettered life, so it likely prefers being reared. With that look, Delcatty seems primed to be taken care of by people.
A Moon Stone is required to evolve Skitty into Delcatty. It seems strange that Delcatty is pretty much the only cat Pokémon to require a unique evolution compared to the more tradition level-up other cats use. This could be interpreted as Delcatty’s nocturnal habit, where it is most active at night. It could also be interpreted as how Skitty is very domesticated that it didn’t battle often, thus requiring something else to bring its strength to the next level.
Skitty is highly popularised by the meme known as “Hot Skitty on Wailord Action”, which is essentially the absurdity of how a Pokémon as small as Skitty and a Pokémon as big as Wailord are compatible partners in breeding. There seems to be a lot of support in this pairing, as the existence of fan-art proves (some inappropriate, of course). Although there are other absurdities in breeding compatibility with Wailord, such as Diglett (the smallest compatible Pokémon with Wailord, alongside Dedenne) and Seedot (very plant-like), Skitty was the first to be known to be able to do this, and so Skitty was stuck as that partner of choice. It goes to show that popularity doesn’t always go to something most deserving, but the runner-ups would.
There is an ability called Normalise, which turns any non-Normal move into a Normal move, and it is exclusive to Skitty and Delcatty. The advantages of this ability are clear, since it gives STAB on every attack and bypass certain immunities such as Thunder Wave on Ground-types. Normally, Ghost-types would be able to block any move, but since Foresight is a move they can learn, it allows them to get past them. Unfortunately, it still has the problem of being resisted by Rock- and Steel-types.
Unfortunately for Delcatty, its stats are subpar, making it a suboptimal choice for battle even with Normalise (which is not that great an ability anyway). Even discounting Normalise, its other abilities (Cute Charm and Wonder Skin) won’t make up for the stats it has. In this sense, Delcatty perfectly fits the mould of a domesticated cat that is not a skilled battler. Since Contests are introduced in the same Generation, perhaps Delcatty was made to be a suitable choice in it due to its good looks.
Some Pokémon are only made to be pets, and not necessarily used for a serious battle. These Pokémon are the definition of one, because while it has some novel qualities such as learning Assist (though not exclusive to it anymore) and having Normalise, it does not perform as effectively as even some early-game Pokémon such as Raticate and Mightyena. If it weren’t for its association with Wailord, Skitty would have been a forgettable Pokémon that would only be loved by those who like cuteness.
+ Takes after the qualities of a domesticated cat
± Popular for its association with Wailord
– Ineffective battler
– Inconvenient to obtain and evolve
Skitty’s TCG Card
Skitty is the type of cat Pokémon that prefers to play, therefore it’s a good thing that it has a companion to share the passion. One could fall into a state of irresistible awe when seeing two cats playing with each other, and this case is no different.
Delcatty’s TCG Card
Delcatty likes to look good, so it takes pride in its natural beauty while gracefully walking. It comes in handy in Contests, since that’s where it can really show what it’s made of. Being the centre of attention certainly is heaven for Delcatty.
Assist
This move is known as “Cat’s Paw”, therefore many of its learners are feline Pokémon. As this move was introduced in Generation 3 along with Skitty, this is a move that represents Skitty’s signature move, both the Pokémon and the move’s simultaneous introductions, and the move that cat Pokémon are guaranteed to get.
On its own, Assist doesn’t do anything. True to the Japanese saying that is interpreted as receiving assistance even from a cat, this move borrows another move that a teammate has. Since it doesn’t call the user’s moves, the user doesn’t need to worry about any redundancy (since they could just use their move on their own). Even with the borrowing of moves, there are some moves that are out of Assist’s range, because of the unique way certain moves work, such as Focus Punch, Destiny Bond and Protect.
If combined with Prankster, a user could potentially make a team where only one desired move is called, while the user could annoy the opposing Pokémon as much as they liked. In Generation 5, Roar and Whirlwind could be called, so Liepard could potentially use either move to keep shuffling the opponents until it is free to set up. The changes in Generation 6 made Assist a less exploitable move, rendering its strategies unusable or hard to use.
Spinda could also use Assist with Contrary to call powerful moves that reduce stats, such as V-Create, Superpower and Close Combat to boost its stats, making it stronger and bulkier. It is difficult to use, however, since Spinda’s stats are very low.
All in all, Assist’s utility is pretty helpful, but for it to be reliable, it needs a lot of setup. A proper setup is rewarding, but it is still risky because the opponent might have a member of a team that stops its exploits. Unfortunately, many of the exploits are fixed, making Assist less reliable.
That’s all for today’s article. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it.
Next Article: Slakoth, Vigoroth & Slaking
