Archen

It is the pre-evolution of Archeops, the only evolution in its line. Archen was regenerated from a fossil and represents a primitive form of bird: a small, bipedal animal covered in untidy feathers, with features that resemble a reptile. Its wings do not allow it to fly. It moves by hopping between branches and, from the treetops, launches itself to glide and catch prey.

Pokédex entries present it as a possible ancestor of bird Pokémon, although later research casts doubt on that idea. This contradiction fits its inspiration: a prehistoric creature positioned between dinosaurs and modern birds. Its Rock and Flying typing reflects both its fossil origin and its adaptation to life in the trees.

It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 9.5 kg. It has a large head, blue wings with claws and a thin tail tipped with a blue feather. It evolves upon reaching level 37, when its wings leave behind the clumsy gliding of its initial stage.

Archen has no overall competitive viability: its HP is 55, its Attack is 112 and its Speed is 70, but both of its defenses sit at 45. Its Special Attack reaches 74, enough to make use of some coverage, although its spread clearly favours physical attacks. In Little Cup, it does find an offensive niche thanks to its high Attack, acceptable Speed and access to moves such as Rock Slide, Acrobatics and U-turn.

Its central problem is Defeatist. Once its HP reaches half, it lowers its stats and loses much of the pressure that justified using it. Rock and Flying give it good offensive coverage and let it hit Fire-, Bug- and Flying-type Pokémon effectively. Defensively, it is immune to Ground and resists Bug, Fire, Flying, Normal and Poison, but it stacks weaknesses to Electric, Ice, Rock, Steel and Water.

Stealth Rock and U-turn let it provide utility, while Earthquake covers Steel-type Pokémon that resist its main attacks. Its weakness to Rock makes repeated switches dangerous, and its lack of defenses and reliable recovery makes it easy for opponents to bring it down to the Defeatist threshold. In a standard game, it works best as an early attacker or a situational answer to Flying-type threats, not as a defensive piece.

Archen belongs to the Flying and Water 3 Egg Groups. Its gender ratio is highly uneven: 87.5% male and 12.5% female. Its Eggs require 30 cycles to hatch, equivalent to approximately 7905 steps using the usual formula.

Its notable Egg Moves include Head Smash, with a power of 150, and Knock Off, which combines damage with removing the opponent's held item. Bite provides a straightforward Dark-type option, while Defog lets it remove hazards from the field. Switcheroo also opens up strategies based on exchanging held items.

The evolution is straightforward: Archen evolves into Archeops upon reaching level 37. It does not need friendship, a specific item or a special area. Its catch rate is 45, so obtaining it is not trivial, and it is worth bringing suitable Poké Balls or weakening it carefully. As a Fossil Pokémon, obtaining it is tied to recovering ancient remains in the games that include it.