Sunkern

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Sunkern
National Pokédex Aipom - Sunkern (#191) - Sunflora Johto Pokédex Yanma - Sunkern (#102) - Sunflora
Japanese name	Himanuts
Evolves from	None
Evolves into	Sunflora
Generation	Second
Species	Seed Pokémon
Type	Grass
Height	1 ft 0 in (0.30 m)
Weight	4.0 lb (1.8 kg)
Ability	Chlorophyll or Sun Power(from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl and Pearl onwards)

Sunkern (ヒマナッツ, Himanattsu^?, Himanuts in original Japanese language versions) is one of the 493 fictional species of Pokémon from the Pokémon Franchise – a series of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. The purpose of Sunkern in the games, anime, and manga, as with all other Pokémon, is to battle both wild Pokémon—untamed creatures encountered while the player passes through various environments—and tamed Pokémon owned by Pokémon trainers.^[1]

Sunkern are small, yellow-and-brown creatures with green leaves protruding from their heads. The name Sunkern refers to the species as a whole, as well as to individual specimens. In origin, the name is possibly a portmanteau of the words sun and kernel. Its Japanese name in a portmanteau of hima, "sunflower", and "nuts".

Contents 1 Biological characteristics 2 In the Pokémon video games 3 In the Pokémon anime 4 In other media 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Biological characteristics

In the Pokémon universe, a Sunkern's entire life would be centered around its evolution into a Sunflora. Sunkern would move as little as possible, trying to preserve the energy and nutrients it would require for the evolution process. Sunkern's dietary are summarised, in the Pokédex, to be only morning dew, which collects under the leaves of plants beneath which it would lie. The natural enemy of a Sunkern would be the fictitious bird, Spearow. Sunkern would be virtually defenseless against predators for their only form of protection is thought to be shaking the leafy heads.^[2]

[edit] In the Pokémon video games

Sunkern are available in Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal, both in Route 24 and the National Park. It is also available in Pokémon Emerald, in the Safari Zone,^[3] once the player has defeated the Elite Four.^[4]

There are seventeen different Pokémon types, a special attribute determining strengths and weaknesses of each species, offsetting each other in a complicated series of rock-paper-scissors relationships. Sunkern are Grass-types, so their attacks are particularly effective against Ground-, Rock- and Water-type Pokémon, but Bug-types, Fire-types, Poison-, Ice-types and Flying-types attacks are particularly effective against them. Attacks of the Rock, Ground, Water, Electric, and Grass types do little damage to Sunkern, and Sunkern do little damage to other Grass types, as well as to Fire-, Flying-, Bug-, Steel-, Poison-, or Dragon-types. All other types have no particular advantage or disadvantage when facing Sunkern.^[5]

Sunkern have abnormally low statistics, the lowest in the game, with a score of thirty for each one. Since Sunkern is slow, defenseless and offensively challenged, evolving is the only way it can effectively battle. Sunkern's evolution will occur only by coming in contact with a Sun Stone.^[6] When they evolve into Sunflora, they gain improved stats and can learn many new moves.^[7]

Sunkern's attacks are related to the absorption of enemy's power, like Absorb, Mega Drain and Giga Drain which does damage to the oponent and also sucks to restores a bit of Sunkern's HP; while Sunflora's attacks are more varied with attacks like Razor Leaf, Petal Dance and Solar Beam.

[edit] In the Pokémon anime

The Pokémon anime series and films are a meta-series of adventures separate from the canon that most of the Pokémon video games follow (with the exception of Pokémon Yellow, a game based on the anime storyline). The anime follows the quest of the main character, Ash Ketchum^[8]—an in-training Pokémon Master—as he and May (as well as several other companions^[8]) travel around the fictitious world of Pokémon along with their Pokémon partners, Pikachu and Blaziken.^[9]

A Sunkern featured in Episode 189, "Moving Picture", in which the group, including Todd, visit a fertile mountain, which has been frozen because of an Articuno, the Pokémon Todd is attempting to photograph. The mountain, usually inhabited by Sunflora, was turned into a barren icy slope. The group came across an abandoned Sunkern, and left it with a visiting old couple in the area. In return for aiding it, Ash gave the Sun Stone he had won at the Bug Catching Contest to the couple so Sunkern could evolve. This evolution allowed the couple to take their picture with a Sunflora, as they did the day they married.^[10]

[edit] In other media

Gold, a male protagonist of Pokémon Adventures (a manga series based on the Game Boy games), has a Sunkern, named Sunflo, that he caught in Chapter 99, "VS. Sunkern", during a battle with police officer, Falkner, against a Skarmory. Gold discovers that Skarmory are weak to Fire-type attacks, but his Cyndaquil can't reach the Flying Pokémon, so Gold catches a drifting Sunkern to propel Cyndaquil into the air.^[11] Sunflo evolved in Chapter 172, "The Last Battle! IV", in which, Gold's team of Pokémon attempt to battle the crime lord, the Mask of Ice. As the Pokémon battle him, the Mask of Ice laughs that whatever the damage, he can regenerate his body. Gold's Sudowoodo uses his Aipom's Baton Pass to speed around and restrain the antagonist, while Gold's Mantine launched Sunflo into the air, where it used a Sunny Day attack, and evolved into a Sunflora. Gold's Typhlosion charged forward and destroyed the Mask of Ice's lower body with a Flamethrower.^[12]

The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a collectible card game similar in goal to a Pokémon battle in the video game series; players must use cards (with individual strengths and weaknesses) in an attempt to defeat their opponent by "knocking out" all of his cards.^[13] The game was first published in North America by Wizards of the Coast in 1999, until Nintendo USA started publishing the series in 2003.^[14] Most Sunkern cards are typical, Basic Pokémon cards, and are primarily used to play stronger cards (such as Stage-1 Pokémon, like Raichu, or Stage-2 Pokémon, like Charizard).^[15] Sunkern have appeared in the Neo Genesis, Neo Destiny, Skyridge and EX: Unseen Forces sets.^[16]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Pokémon website
• Bulbapedia (a Pokémon-centric Wiki)’s article about Sunkern as a species.
• Sunkern’s fourth-generation Pokédex entry on Serebii.net
• Pokémon Dungeon Pokédex entry, full of statistics analysis
• PsyPoke Pokédex entry
• Smogon Pokédex entry
• WikiKnowledge.net’s entry for Sunkern Previously hosted by Wikibooks