Absol

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Absol
Image:Absol.png
National
Chimecho - Absol (#359) - Wynaut
Hoenn
Chimecho - Absol (#152) - Vulpix
Japanese name アブソル Abusoru
Stage Basic
Evolves from None
Evolves to None
Generation Third
Species Disaster Pokémon
Type Dark
Height 3 ft 11 in (1.2 m)
Weight 103.6 lb (47 kg)
Ability Pressure/Bad Luck(the latter from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl onwards)

Absol (アブソル Abusoru?) are one of the 493 fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion-dollar[1] Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. The purpose of Absol in the games, anime, and manga, as with all other Pokémon, is to battle both wild Pokémon—untamed creatures that characters encounter while embarking on various adventures— and tamed Pokémon creatures owned by Pokémon trainers.[2]

The name "Absol" might mean "absence" of "sol," or sunlight, which might refer to the fact that there is no sunlight (literally) or happiness (figuratively) in a natural disaster, why it is a Dark-type, and why it is a nocturnal Pokémon. It may also come from one of the words "absolve", "absorb", "absolute", or "absolution".

Its name is common to all the languages that have different Pokémon names (English, French, German, and Japanese).

Contents

[edit] Characteristics

[edit] Appearance

Absol has a black face, black tail, and a black scythe-like growth on the right side of its head. Some believe this to be an abnormal development of its right ear. Despite its appearance, this scythe is actually very soft to the touch, particularly whenever Absol is not tense or angry, but when it does become so, the scythe becomes dangerously strong and sharp.

Absol is widely believed to be based on the Barghest, a mythical nocturnal spectre-hound that lives in the mountains. However it may also be based on the Egyptian Sphinx. Also worth noting is the design of the head: mostly white fur on the head with a small black dot in the forehead, a black face, and a scythe-like blade along its face. This design, and Absol itself, seems to be based on the symbol and principles of yin and yang. Also it has some characteristics of the Maned Wolf.

[edit] Biology

Absol is a nocturnal carnivore in the wild. It mainly lives high up in the arctic mountain ranges playing in snow. It also has a startling lifespan; the average individual of the Absol species lives up to 100 years. Its natural hobby is to sit on top of a mountain and look at the moon, and it is said that when the moon is full, the flowing moonlight restores its energy and improves its health.

Absol’s claim to fame (or infamy, depending on the observer) is that it appears whenever a natural disaster is about to happen. Absol uses its sharp senses to detect subtle changes in the sky and the land, and with its knowledge of natural balance it can predict oncoming natural disasters (it may also be able to use Future Sight technique in a similiar way that Gardevoir uses it to sense dangers to its trainer). It apparently carries a concern for the safety of humans because, once it detects the coming of a disaster, it goes off to the nearest human settlements to give warnings to the people. In addition to Absol's personality, Absol's cry easily resembles a warning siren. Unfortunately, over time people have developed a misunderstood view of the Pokémon; they held a superstitious belief that Absol had a cause-and-effect relationship with disasters like earthquakes, gaining it a classic “bad luck” image. However, to the population of people who have come to understand the Pokémon, Absol is popular as a pet and as a Pokémon partner in areas prone to natural disasters because it can warn its owners of large-scale danger, making it a significantly valuable Pokémon for any trainer to have when facing the many dangers of the Pokémon world. Many people mistakenly and wrongfully think that Absol is a Legendary Pokémon.

[edit] In the video games

[edit] Third generation

Absol's Attack statistic is very high, but its Defense and Special Defense are below-average. Its Special Attack is on the very borderline of good and bad, and its Speed is also average.

Its move pool includes moves such as Slash, Bite, Razor Wind and Future Sight. Although Bite is its only useful move that gets a same-type attack bonus, due to the fact that many Psychic-types have high Special Defense, but a low Defense stat, Absol can make very good use of its physically-based attacks.

Absol's has the Pressure ability, which is very rare among non-legendary Pokémon. When Absol is hit by a move, the opponent's PP is reduced by 2 rather than 1.

Absol's below-average defensive capabilities lower its usefulness.

Another downside of Absol is that faster opponents can confuse it before it can attack; with its high attack rate, Absol is capable of inflicting major damage onto itself.

It can learn the Dark-type move Faint Attack, the move Baton Pass (allowing it to be used as a Baton-Passer), the recoil-damage move Double-Edge, the move Substitute and the Psychic-type move Magic Coat as Egg Moves.

[edit] Fourth generation

Absol can learn a Ghost-type move, Shadow Ball; this move was considered to be physical before the fourth generation. It is considered a special move in Diamond and Pearl, however, and it might be assumed that it will continue to be in further Pokémon continuity.

Absol can learn Blade Test, a Dark-type move with a base power of 70, by leveling up. It can also learn Swords Dance to increase its Attack even more, as well as Aerial Ace, Return, and Hyper Beam, also powerful physical moves. (Hyper Beam is Special in Diamond and Pearl - Giga Attack is the physical form.)

In the fourth generation, a second ability called Bad Luck is introduced to Absol and the Murkrow evolution line. Opponents are able to score a higher amount of critical hits on Pokémon with this ability (making Pressure the desired ability for Absol). It also appears to be the rival of Arseus, but since Absol is a Disaster Pokémon and Arseus is the Creation Pokémon, both of them almost seemed to sense the natural disasters.

[edit] Other games

Image:Darkniterelikb11f.png
English screenshot of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. The female player (who is controlling the Absol) and her ally, a Magneton, has defeated a whole bunch of Ghost-type Pokémon and both of them have gained a lot of Exp. Points. It appeared that Absol has used Perish Song while exploring Darknight Relic.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, an Absol calms down an enraged Articuno, whom was about to destroy the protagonist and his/her partner. This Absol at this point sensed the natural disasters happening in the world, and agrees to travel with the protagonist and the partner to help clear the former's name.

[edit] Availability

Absol can be captured on Route 120 between Fortree City and Lilycove City, and is rather rare. A level 48 Absol can also be caught in Pokémon Colosseum in Realgam Tower under the control of Rider Delan.

[edit] In the animé

Absol in "Absol-lute Disaster"
Absol in "Absol-lute Disaster"

Absol has appeared in the sixth movie "Pokémon: Jirachi Wishmaker." It acted as Jirachi's protector and had to help Ash & Co. get Jirachi to the place where it must return to its shell form on time. However, Butler stopped it and after being released it was consumed by the fake Groudon.

Absol also appears in an episode called "Absol-lute Disaster", where a village fears an Absol predicting it could flood them. Brock fights an Absol in the Pokémon contest he enters, too. Last but not least, it is revealed that Drew has an Absol when he enters the Kanto Grand Festival.

[edit] In the trading card game

Absol appears as a Basic Dark-type Pokémon on four cards:

  • EX Team Magma vs. Team Aqua
  • EX Hidden Legends
  • EX Legend Maker
  • EX Holon Phantoms

[edit] References

Books
  • Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-439-15404-9.
  • Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-930206-15-1.
  • Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed Version & Pokémon LeafGreen Version Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 1-930206-50-X
  • Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Emerald Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., April 2005. ISBN 1-930206-58-5

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../a/b/s/Absol.html"