Elgyem

It weighs 9 kg, but its body barely reaches 0.5 m in height. The contrast fits its appearance: a small humanoid creature with an enormous head and a fixed stare, closer to the popular image of an extraterrestrial than to that of a land animal. Its category, the Cerebral Pokémon, points to the other half of the design: a small being whose power lies in its mind.

Pokédex entries surround it with rumours. It is said to have appeared in a desert where a UFO crashed 50 years ago, and that its arrival coincided with the accident. When it approaches a television, the screen displays strange landscapes that might belong to its place of origin. It also uses its psychic powers to compress its opponents’ brains and give them headaches.

It is a Psychic-type species introduced in the fifth generation. It occupies the first spot in a two-stage evolutionary line: when it reaches level 42, it becomes Beheeyem, a taller and more developed form that retains the same connection to extraterrestrials and the brain.

Its stat spread makes its role clear: 85 Special Attack, 55 HP, Attack, Defense, and Special Defense, and only 30 Speed, for a total of 335. It has enough special power to deal damage during the story, but its defenses do not stand up well to hits, and its low Speed forces it to take attacks before responding.

Its most useful ability in double battles is Telepathy, which avoids attacks from its allies. Synchronize passes poisoning, paralysis, or burns it receives on to the opponent, while Analytic powers up the move if it is the last Pokémon to attack. The latter fits its low Speed, although it requires control over turn order.

The Psychic type gives it a reliable main attack in Psychic and lets it make use of Calm Mind to raise its Special Attack and Special Defense. It also has Shadow Ball and Energy Ball to cover specific threats, as well as Trick Room, which reverses the order of action and temporarily turns its low Speed into an advantage. Recover extends its time on the field if it finds a safe turn.

It is not a common competitive choice outside low-level battles. In that environment, Eviolite improves its defenses while it remains unevolved, and a combination of Calm Mind, Trick Room, and Psychic allows it to pressure faster opponents. Even so, its 55 HP and reliance on setting up the turn leave it exposed to Bug-, Ghost-, and Dark-type attacks, as well as to any opponent that can hit it hard before it acts.

It belongs to the Human-Like Egg Group and has an even gender ratio: 50% female. Its egg cycles amount to approximately 5355 steps, a moderate distance for breeding several specimens. The ability Synchronize is also useful outside battle, since it allows you to look for specific natures while travelling through the game.

Its notable Egg Moves include Disable, which blocks the last move used by the opponent, and Destiny Bond, a risky option for trading its defeat for the opponent’s. Psych Up copies the target’s stat changes, while Astonish provides a physical Ghost-type alternative, although its base Attack is only 55.

The evolution is exact: Elgyem evolves into Beheeyem when it reaches level 42. It is obtained in Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, and its catch rate is 255, so catching it in the wild is trivial when it appears. Its experience growth rate is Medium Fast, and its base friendship is 70.