Toucannon

It makes the gases inside its body explode to fire seeds from its beak with enough force to pulverise huge rocks. Toucannon takes this mechanism to the extreme: it heats its beak to over 100 °C before battling, and contact can cause severe burns. It also uses its beak to communicate; the knocks between partners vary in number and force depending on what they want to convey. Pairs maintain such a harmonious relationship that they are associated with good fortune at weddings.

Its design is based on a toucan, with the beak turned into a kind of cannon and the seeds into projectiles. The English name combines “toucan” and “cannon”, while the Japanese name, Dodekabashi, combines the idea of something enormous with the Japanese word for toucan. It is the final stage of a line that starts with Pikipek, passes through Trumbeak and ends here. The change is not just one of size: the line goes from a woodpecker to a toucan specialised in heat, gunpowder and communication through beak knocks.

Toucannon has a clear offensive profile, but it does not stand out in the most demanding competitive formats. Its 120 Attack is the figure that holds the set together; 80 HP provides an acceptable base, while Defense, Special Attack and Special Defense are all stuck at 75. Its 60 Speed forces it to take hits before attacking and greatly limits its opportunities.

Skill Link is the ability that best defines its approach: it increases the number of hits made by multi-hit moves. With Rock Blast and Bullet Seed, it can take advantage of attacks that strike several times, although their individual power is low. Sheer Force also makes sense, as it boosts power and removes the secondary effects of moves that have them. Keen Eye is safer, but applies less direct pressure.

Normal and Flying give it useful STAB against several targets, and its movepool adds answers to Fighting, Rock, Fire, Grass and Dark. Drill Peck offers reliable physical damage; Brave Bird hits much harder at the cost of recoil, and Swords Dance can turn a free turn into a genuine threat. Roost extends its presence if it gets the chance to use it.

The problem lies in the combination of 60 Speed, average defences and weaknesses to Electric, Ice and Rock. It also depends quite heavily on landing its powerful attacks and lacks the bulk needed to switch in repeatedly. In lower-level singles play, it works as a physical wallbreaker: it comes in against a passive opponent, forces damage with its Flying-type moves and takes advantage of switches with U-turn. Outside that context, there are faster and bulkier offensive birds that fill the same role better.

Toucannon belongs to the Flying Egg Group and has an even gender split: 50% female and 50% male. Its 15 Egg Cycles amount to approximately 4080 steps, a long incubation period for a species usually obtained at the end of its evolutionary line.

Its notable Egg Moves include Sky Attack, Gunk Shot and Boomburst. The first offers a very powerful Flying-type option; Gunk Shot expands its physical coverage with Poison, while Boomburst provides a Normal-type special attack that makes better use of matchups against opponents with high physical Defense.

The evolution is straightforward. Trumbeak evolves into Toucannon upon reaching level 28. Before that, Pikipek evolves into Trumbeak upon reaching level 14. There is no alternative condition or evolution item involved.

In the wild, it may be holding a Rawst Berry. Its catch rate is 45, so catching one takes more work than catching a common species, and it is worth saving suitable Poké Balls or inflicting a status condition before throwing them. The Flying Egg Group allows you to breed specimens with inherited moves without any special gender restrictions.