Pok?mon of the Day - Dratini (163/???) [being remade]

That what wrong with the media today. All they have is questions, questions, questions. They never have cookies. Today's Pokemon of the Day is Tangrowth! The evolved form of Tangela, and another Pokemon which evolves only through learning Ancientpower, Tangrowth is a little friendlier-looking than its pre-evolved form, although it is equally sinister, using its rapidly growing vines to ensnare its prey, shrugging off flesh wounds with indifference in the process. Its ability to regenerate makes it no surprise that it has access to the Regenerator ability, and complements its passable physical bulk. Like most fully evolved Pokemon that evolve via special means, Tangrowth isn't found in the wild - indeed, at the time of its release the only way to get one was to transfer a Tangela via Pal Park...or trade for one online. In the anime, a Tangrowth appeared as a misguided antagonist, stealing Pokemon's energy so that it could use Growth on a dying tree. Its other roles have been limited to cameos.

Share your opinion, memories, and experiences of Tangrowth! As well as the general questions in the first post of this topic, here are some fun things to think about:

• Why do you think Tangela needs to learn Ancientpower to evolve into Tangrowth? Would you have chosen another move to trigger as the catalyst for its evolution?
• What do you think lurks beneath Tangrowth's vines?

I got a feeling inside of me, It's kinda strange like a stormy sea. I don't know why, I don't know why, I guess these things've gotta be~ Today's Pokemon of the Day is Roselia! First introduced in Generation III, despite being yet another Grass/Poison dual-typed Pokemon, there is a lot about Roselia that is unique: it has its own signature move, Grass Whistle (although other grass-types have been able to learn this move in later generations), was one of the fourteen Pokemon that could accumulate foreign Pokedex entries in Diamond and Pearl, and is the only Pokemon to have both its pre-evoution and evolution introduced in the same generation. In the anime, Roselia was Drew's signature Pokemon, and Nando's Budew would later evolve into one whilst battling Ash's Pikachu. It has appeared several times outside of its major appearances in cameos.

Share your opinion, memories, and experiences of Roselia! As well as the general questions in the first post of this topic, here are some fun things to think about:

• Given that Budew and Roserade are right next to one another in the National Pokedex and Roselia ismuch earlier, would you have preferred Roselia to have been introduced later, or if its pre-evo/evo were introduced in earlier/later generations?
• Do you prefer Roselia's shiny colouring to its regular colouring? What colouring would you choose for the roses on Roselia's arms if given the choice?

Well, right now I wish my mom had named me "Bob" Today's Pokemon of the Day is Lugia! The Legendary mascot of a record of three Pokemon games - Silver, SoulSilver, and XD - and the trio master of the Legendary Birds, Lugia is...uh, a plesiosaur/dragon/stegosaurus thing. As a mascot Legendary, Lugia is what you would expect: extremely efficient at what it does, with the name of the game being a rather irritating tank. With access to both Multiscale and Roost...it's going to be around for a while. This is before one even considers what it can do whilst it's out, too. Lugia's main appearance in the anime was, of course, in the second Pokemon movie, in which it did a lot of aimless flying about trying to calm down the raging Legendary Birds...which were ultimately calmed by a little girl instead. It also featured prominently in the Johto anime however, where a young one was captured by one of Team Rocket's more competent branches. Needless to say, its parent was not happy about it.

Share your opinion, memories, and experiences of Lugia! As well as the general questions in the first post of this topic, here are some fun things to think about:

• Despite not being a water-type, Lugia has been depicted as such - mistakenly in the novelisation of the second film, but deliberately in the TCG. Do you think being a Water type suits Lugia more? Which of its existing types would you change to accomodate this if so?
• What did you think of Shadow Lugia in Pokemon XD? Is this something you'd like to see again in future titles?
• Lugia spends a lot of time at the bottom of the sea, the same as Kyogre. Which of the two would prevail in a battle for control over the oceans?
• Did Lugia's design prompt you to choose Pokemon Silver or SoulSilver instead of Gold or HeartGold?

Ruddi hell! Today's Pokemon of the Day is Druddigon! Alas, poor Druddigon. Introduced in Gen V, it has since been consigned to obscurity in lower-level tiers; useful but unnoticed, the only Dragon-type in the long, sordid history of Dragon types to get hardly any attention whatsoever. But with no evolution or pre-evolution (making it the only Dragon type not a Legendary not to have this) and the lowest base stat of all fully-evolved dragon-types, it's not too surprising. Loosely based on the agama lizard, Druddigon just can't seem to catch a break. Druddigon has made several anime appearances however, under the ownership of several prominent trainers - include Drayden - and a shiny one even appeared, where it was calmed by Clair. Dragon Gym Leaders, if nobody else, seem to think it's a worthwhile Pokemon!

Share your opinion, memories, and experiences of Druddigon! As well as the general questions in the first post of this topic, here are some fun things to think about:

• What do you think it would take for Druddigon to get the same sort of attention other Dragon-types have received?
• Druddigon races through tunnels formed by Excadrill and Onix...what do you suppose happens when it encounters one?
• Given Druddigon's accessibility in the Unova games, did you use one in your team?

E.T. Phione home. Today's Pokemon of the Day is Phione! An odd - yet painfully adorable - Pokemon, Phione is the only Pokemon that can be obtained by breeding a Mythical Pokemon; Manaphy. It cannot evolve into Manaphy, or produce Manaphy eggs. Because of this, and its low base stats, it's debatable as to whether it is actually a Mythical Pokemon itself or not. Asking the official site didn't help matters either; after denying and then hastily confirming it when asked, the whole section of the site was taken down with its restructuring. Guess they don't know either. Unsurprisingly, Phione is mediocre is lower tiers, and a far cry from its progenitor in terms of usefulness. Phione has only had one appearance in the anime, where several appeared at once, although one in particular stole the spotlight for skirt-chasing Dawn's Buneary for some reason.

Share your opinion, memories, and experiences of Phione! As well as the general questions in the first post of this topic, here are some fun things to think about:

• So, what do you think - IS Phione a Mythical Pokemon?
• Which do you find cuter - Phione or Manaphy?

One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do... Today's Pokemon of the Day is Cubone! Called the Lonely Pokemon due to its tendency to keep to itself and avoid all social contact - thereby making it the Pokemon equivalent of at least 90% of internet users - Cubone lives in a sorry state of affairs, having lost its mother far too soon. So it's tendency to avoid all social contact, and its mournful cries, are an understandable reaction. What is a bit creepier, however, is that it wears the hollowed-out skull of its dead mother constantly. Despite it's generally morbid backstory, Cubone has never really been explored in any great depth in the anime, being the Pokemon of choice for Giselle, as well as being one of the less-friendly Pokemon in Pikachu's Vacation. It has had several small cameos throughout the series.

Share your opinion, memories, and experiences of Cubone! As well as the general questions in the first post of this topic, here are some fun things to think about:

• What do you think Cubone looks like under its skull helmet?
• How do you think Cubone got a hold of its mother's skull in the first place?

SHARPTOOTH! Today's Pokemon of the Day is Tyruntrum! One of eleven Pokemon designed by Hitoshi Ariga, a long-time illustrator of the Pokemon TCG, Tyruntrum is, unsurprisingly, another fossil Pokemon, introduced alongside Aurorus in Generation VI. Despite being yet another Rock-type fossil, Tyruntrum is the first to be part-Dragon, and the only Pokemon to date with this type combination. With access to Head Smash, Outrage, and Superpower, it's not difficult to guess what this Pokemon was designed to do in the game. In the anime, Tyruntrum has only appeared once, in a standard episode about fossil Pokemon that have been revived by scientists and, predictably, stolen by Team Rocket for nefarious purposes.

Share your opinion, memories, and experiences of Tyruntrum! As well as the general questions in the first post of this topic, here are some fun things to think about:

• Every Fossil Pokemon is part-Rock type: do you think this suits Tyruntrum? What other type would you give it instead if given the opportunity?
• Did Tyruntrum's design or typing prompt you to choose the Jaw Fossil in Pokemon X/Y?