Zangoose

Normal

1 male/1 female

Seviper

Poison

1 male/1 female

A pair of feuding enemies so entwined in their battle that it is almost impossible to mention one without the other.

Description

Zangoose is a variably quadruped/biped predator with very large claws that stands level with an adult human's chest. Stout, with shorter legs than its arms. Amid its white fur are zigzagging patterns of red, marking its chest, face, and completely covering its forepaws. Despite its stout appearance, it is quite agile.

Most Zangoose have Immunity against toxins. A rare few, the Berserkers, have a Toxic Boost adrenalin rush to deal maximum damage at the cost of endurance.

Seviper is a snake, longer than a human is tall, with a sharp blade on its tail and a pair of fangs that always rest outside its mouth, mounted to the upper jaw. The blade and fangs are crimson. Its scales are mostly dark grey, but a few gold patterns adorn its back, face, and belly to warn predators away.

Seviper typically have the ability to Shed Skin to slip away from predators and shrug off burns, powders, and paralysis. Some, more specialized in fighting Zangoose, are cunning Infiltrators that can sneak in and strike down a whole group, and on the battlefield ignore barriers and some shields.

Battle Characteristics

Both Pokémon have identical moderate Constitution, and medium Toughness and Resistance stats.

Zangoose has medium Power, good Speed, and impressive Strength focused through the claws. Its natural Move Pool is not, to the surprise of some, highly adapted to fighting Poison types. It is mostly Normal moves, the odd Dark and Bug move, and some Fighting moves. Options arise from other methods of learning moves, but only one Ground move gets added (Dig).

Seviper has good Strength and Power (still with lower strength than Zangoose), and medium Speed. Most of its moves are Poison. TMs only offer moderate versatility.

Legends/Folklore

No one knows why these Pokémon hate each other. The leading suggestion is that they were fighting over scarce resources during a famine and started hunting each other.

Life Cycle/Evolution Conditions

Seviper lives alone from hatching. It can hunt immediately. They may take a few weeks to fully understand how much venom to use, but otherwise are intellectually mature. Reproductive maturity and full growth are achieved at seven months.

Zangoose are raised by their parents for four months before the family structure falls apart and they disperse. Maturity comes at seven months.

Diet

Predators, both of them. Zangoose goes for smaller prey that it tears up with its claws into manigable bites. If successful in hunting a Seviper, it eats what it can, and leaves the skeleton, fangs, and tail blade on the edge of its territory as a warning to other Seviper and a trophy to be admired by other Zangoose.

Seviper eats prey up to the size of Zangoose. Unlike most snakes, it swallows its prey in pieces after carving it up with the sword edged tail. This lets it regurgitate pieces if it needs to reduce its weight to fight a predator without losing all the food.

Breeding

Zangoose is in the Field Group. It produces two pups at a time in late winter, to give them time to grow without Seviper active. Eggs cost 27,000P on average.

Seviper is in the Field and Dragon Groups. Eggs are laid by the dozen between mid-spring and early summer. Eggs cost 27,000P on average.

Hypothetically, they could reproduce together, but even with artificial methods to trigger heat, they are too aggressive and cannot calm down enough to mate.

Wild Behavior/Threat Level

They are average predators. Against humans, they decide that discretion is the better part of valor and keep a distance unless emboldened into a fight against their rival.

Bonding and Care

Seviper, once the basic needs are satisfied, can be managed with a simple climbing structure to lounge on and a few boulders to whet its tail-blade on.

Zangoose like to explore and sniff around to find interesting things to poke at.

Both species can hypothetically be on one team. They cannot cooperate in double/triple battles, but they can be kept from killing each other by extremely talented trainers. It is, however, a labor that takes constant vigilance. Not recommended.

Human/Pokémon Relations

Zangoose can easily manage in a human home. The home may not be as well off if it sharpens its claws on furniture and walls.

Seviper mostly just go with the flow once they have a trainer.

With Family

Zangoose can live with human families fairly easily, but Seviper is less tolerant of children.

Team Compatibility

Aside from the aggression towards each other, they should be manageable as long as their appetites are satisfied.

Warning

Both lines will reflexively slash at things that catch them off guard. Do not startle them.

Summary

Feuding rivals and otherwise regular Pokémon.