Drapion

It looks like a living suit of armour, but beneath that shell is a scorpion capable of moving quickly and attacking from unexpected angles. Its purple body is topped with two large pincers and a tail that can also seize prey. The strength in its arms is enough to tear a car apart, though it does not need to rely on it to be dangerous: the tips of its claws secrete a highly potent poison, which it prefers to save for the finishing blow.

Its ferocity has earned it the nickname Sand Devil. Even so, Pokédex entries point to behaviour that is less straightforward than its appearance suggests: it becomes docile and peaceful around Hippowdon. That mix of aggression and submission fits a territorial creature, not a beast that attacks without reason.

It occupies the second spot in its evolutionary line. Skorupi loses its poisonous insect appearance when it reaches level 40 and develops a much more robust body, with the Poison and Dark types. The change explains why the evolution looks like a different creature, even though it retains the pincers, tail and taste for poison.

Its stat spread clearly favours physical combat: 70 HP, 90 Attack, 110 Defense, 60 Special Attack, 75 Special Defense and 95 Speed, for a total of 500. It takes physical hits well and has enough Speed to avoid being left behind by the entire opposing team, but its Attack does not match that of the great wallbreakers and its Special Defense is considerably more vulnerable.

Battle Armor is the ability that defines its safer side: it blocks critical hits. Sniper offers an offensive alternative by boosting moves that land critical hits, while Keen Eye prevents its Accuracy from being lowered. The Poison and Dark typing grants it immunity to Psychic-type attacks and resistances to Poison, Grass, Ghost and Dark. In return, Ground hits it super effectively, and it has very little room to manoeuvre against powerful special attackers.

Swords Dance can make up for its modest Attack, while Crunch provides a reliable physical Dark-type attack. Cross Poison and X-Scissor round out useful coverage against specific targets, although the move pool in Pokémon Legends: Arceus does not let it fill the same role as it does in traditional competitive games. In older battles, it found a place as a physical attacker, Toxic Spikes setter and hunter of Psychic- or Ghost-type opponents thanks to moves such as Knock Off and Pursuit. Status conditions, faster opponents and any Ground user force it out of battle.

Its Egg Groups are Bug and Water 3, an unusual combination that fits both its arthropod appearance and the references in its evolutionary line to ancient sea scorpions. The gender ratio is 50% male and 50% female, so either sex can take part in breeding under the usual conditions.

Its 20 Egg cycles equal approximately 5355 steps using the standard conversion. It is not a fast species to hatch, although it does not belong to the groups with the longest times either. Its experience growth rate is Slow and its base friendship is 70.

The evolution is exact: Skorupi evolves into Drapion when it levels up to level 40. Its catch rate is 45, a figure that makes it difficult to catch without weakening it and preparing the capture with status conditions or suitable Poké Balls. In games where it appears as an exploration target, it is worth saving resources for several attempts; its bulky appearance does not translate into an easy catch.