Lumineon (Finneon)
Pantodon luxor
Overview
The deep ocean is still largely unexplored. The creatures that live there have adaptations that can seem alien to surface dwellers. Yet it is not far away in linear distance. The ocean floor around Alola is about two miles deep. The distance is short enough that creatures theoretically could frequently travel from the bottom to the surface. Few species actually do this as it would requires adapting to two very different environments.
Relicanth, clamperl, and lanturn all dwell on the abyssal plains off Alola's coast. While all three cansurvive at the surface with a long enough decompression period, none intentionally make the trip. Lumineon is one of the very few species in Alola to do so with any regularity.
As with most fish, finneon and lumineon are not ideal for traveling trainers. There has been a spike in demand in the aquarium trade following the 2003 film Finneon's Wake. Alola's wild population of finneon has sharply declined since the movie's release. This is particularly ironic as Wake centers around a finneon trying to escape the confines of an aquarium.
Physiology
Both finneon and lumineon are classified as pure water-types. Both partially subsist on moonlight, leading some scientists to argue for a fairy-typing. This view has been rejected by the USDA as neither stage attacks with moonlight, is injured by cold iron, or has an extraterrestrial origin.
The scales on the dorsal side of finneon's body are dark blue, while those on the ventral side are light blue. The area around the lateral line and is pink. There are also pink spots on the caudal fins. The pink areas contain receptors that absorb and store moonlight. It can later be released to form a shimmering silver light. Finneon also have a mucus coating that makes them difficult for predators to grip. The coating also allows them to live inside of some venomous anemones.
Most of finneon's fins are rather short. The notable exception are their and pectoral caudal fins. The caudal fin is the most compact and muscular. It is mostly hidden by the pokémon's very long pectoral fins. The movements of the long, wing-like pectoral fins in water currents combined with the shimmering light creates a disorienting effect. It can be difficult for predators to identify the pokémon's weak points. This is doubly true if dozens of individuals are lit up in close proximity.
Lumineon lose their mucus coating upon evolution. The pink lateral line and counter-shading are also lost. They are replaced by horizontal stripes and a solid pink coloration inside of the pectoral fins and at the end of the caudal fin. The rest of the pectoral fins are dark blue with a light blue fringe. Lumineon's pectoral fins are even larger than those of finneon. Their pelvic fins have also greatly expanded. The pectoral fins are thin and free-floating. This makes the pokémon look much larger than it actually is. The pelvic fins, by contrast, are straight and sturdy. These are used to anchor the pokémon into the substrate.
Lumineon can reach lengths of 1.3 meters and weights of 20 pounds. Captive specimens can survive up to six years. The lifespan of wild lumineon is unknown.
Behavior
Finneon rest inside of anemones during the day. The finneon gain a safe place to rest. The lumineon, in turn, occasionally bring food to their host. They also help ward off more active predators that are not deterred by the anemone's stings alone.
The finneon come out at night to school. Swarms of dozens or hundreds of finneon form near reefs. Members take turns basking in the moonlight at the surface. The first line of defense against predators is to stun or confuse them with shimmering lights. If this does not succeed, the finneon will pool their limited powers of hydrokinesis to create strong currents around the school.
Wishiwashi are primarily diurnal, but on occasion a school of finneon will encounter a wishiwashi school. These tend to lead to mass death events on the wishiwashi's side as the lights disrupt their coordination and leave them vulnerable to predators. Finneon themselves would never eat anything as large as an adult wishiwashi. They eat a diet of zooplankton. Finneon will also eat released eggs and sperm during other species' spawning events.
Relatively little is known about the habits of wild lumineon. What we do know is mostly pieced together from footage from submersibles. The presence of large, strange intruders at the bottom of the sea naturally alters the behavior of the pokémon it observes, making this data somewhat unreliable.
Lumineon appear to spend most of their time near the ocean floor 'walking' along on their pectoral fins. They sense the substrate beneath them for anything edible. They will happily eat worms, crustaceans, and anything weak or slow enough to be killed and small enough to be eaten in a single bite. Their have been videos taken of lumineon trying to eat starmie. The latter usually releases a single leg and flees.
Lanturn, gorebyss, huntail, and golisopod could all plausibly kill a lumineon if they crossed paths. This occurs fairly often on submersible streams as being bathed in light ruins lumineon's ability to blend in to the darkness. Lumineon glow when threatened in an attempt to make themselves look larger and more dangerous than they are. They otherwise stay dark as making any light is a good way to be found and eaten.
Every full moon some lumineon will surface. They typically do so far away from land, as pelagic areas have fewer predators than coastal waters. Lumineon will spread out their fins and bask in the moonlight until dawn approaches, at which point they will slowly begin to descend back to the depths to feed.
Husbandry
Finneon are best stored in large saltwater tanks. Their tank should ideally have plenty of coral and at least one large anemone per pokémon. Finneon have also been known to hide inside of crevasses, clams, and plants if they cannot find an anemone. There should be plenty of surface area in the tank and a moonlight-lamp hung above it to allow for basking. Outdoor pools can do without the lamp as long as there are no major barriers to natural moonlight. They should not be stored with fin-nippers. Filtration currents should be kept weak to avoid damaging the pokémon's fins.
Many inexperienced aquarists make the mistake of buying finneon when they are less than five inches long and placing them in a reef tank suitable for a fish of that size. Even without accounting for evolution, finneon can grow to be over 1' long. They prefer to live in schools of ten or more individuals. A very large tank or pool is needed to properly house them.
Lumineon prefer open tanks with a sandy bottom to the densely-packed reefs that finneon love. It is not necessary to pressurize the water as lumineon can survive at the surface. Anything small enough to fit in lumineon's mouth and slow enough to fall prey to it will be eaten. Fin nippers should also be avoided for similar reasons as finneon. Fish that stay near the top of the water column can peacefully coexist with lumineon. Burying toys in the sand can make for good enrichment. Make sure the toys are either small and edible or otherwise too large to be a choking hazard. Moonlight lamps should be turned on at least once a month in a regular cycle.
Raising a finneon or lumineon on the trail is possible but very much not recommended. Finneon tend to grow nervous in the open public pools at pokémon centers, and even lumineon are prone to getting their fins nipped. Neither likes being in coastal waters or shallow pools, preferring reefs or the open ocean instead. Near-constant storage in a stasis ball will be required. This carries a danger of malnourishment and migraines.
Finneon can be safely fed a diet of brine shrimp placed near the water's surface at night. Lumineon prefer to have worms, flatfish, or crustaceans buried in the sand for them to find.
Some resorts have taken to 'seeding' the water with brine shrimp and chopped-up-fish at night to encourage finneon to come out. This is often successful and can lead to mesmerizing light displays without keeping any finneon in captivity.
Illness
Fin damage is the most common category of illnesses for the species. Fin nipping occurs when an opponent tears or bites the fin. It tends to result in serious rifts in the fin or even entirely missing pieces. This can limit the pokémon's ability to create lights. Serious cases can result in infections or death. It can mitigated or cured by an immediate healing potion or move.
Fin rot occurs in water of low quality. It tends to appear as steady discoloration or weakening of the fin, eventually resulting in the loss of the fin or death by poisoning. The best way to treat fin rot is to transfer the pokémon to cleaner water. It can be treated by some antidotes and a competent veterinarian, but the damage is unlikely to be entirely reversed.
Evolution
Lumineon flash evolve after absorbing a set amount of lunar energy throughout their lifetime. In the wild this typically occurs around ten months of age. It can be much faster in captivity, but evolutions that occur before the six month mark can result in stunted growth or defects in the evolutionary process. Evolution can be accelerated by more powerful lunar lamps or by placing a moon stone in the tank.
Battle
Lumineon are not natural battlers. They can access a wide range of energy spectrums for attacks, but they lack the physical or elemental strength to use any of them well. Coordinators, on the other hand, have made lumineon a staple of the field. Their weak-but-varied arsenal, natural beauty, and bioluminescence make them very good at displays. The power level of contest battles is much lower than that of professional matches, allowing lumineon to hold their own.
In normal battles lumineon will struggle, even on the island challenge. There are two ways to go about training one: offense and utility. Offensive lumineon can learn a variety of tricks such as hydro pump, ice beam, signal beam, and hidden power. These can allow lumineon to batter grounded opponents from the safety of a saltwater pool. Alternatively, lumineon can use tricks such as defog, rain dance, and toxic to support the team and gradually wear opponents down. Beware of anything that can hit lumineon in the water, as their frail fins and lack of armor make them easy to knock out.
Finneon are sturdier for their size and better suited for utility movesets over offensive ones. They can be a decent choice for early battles with a saltwater pool, but will quickly fall behind their teammates.
Acquisition
Finneon can be found in reefs during the day. At night they tend to come a little closer to the coast. They will be very visible, although it can be hard to aim a ball at any given pokémon. Finneon do not typically form a collective defense against captures from docks or boats, but may attempt to fight back against trainers on the back of a pokémon. Lumineon can be found in deeper waters on the nights of full moons. They will dive deeper at the first sign of trouble, making capture somewhat difficult. Aquarium specialty stores usually sell finneon and occasionally sell lumineon.
Both stages can be obtained with a Class III license.
Breeding
Lumineon are hermaphrodites that can produce both eggs and sperm. The details of their reproduction are unknown. They have never been bred in captivity nor been observed mating or spawning in the wild. It seems probable that they use bioluminescence to attract mates as their lights are otherwise seldom used.
Relatives
P. luxor is known as the reef lumineon. They can be found on most reefs in the tropical and sub-tropical Pacific.
The other species, P. neolant, is an anadromous fish native to Sinnoh, Kamchatka, and the delta of the Amur River. They are born in the spring just as the ice begins to melt. They will then head to the sea to evolve as the ice returns. After evolution they will dive down to the depths, only surfacing once a month to bask in moonlight. The finneon have more muted colors compared to P. luxor. This helps them blend in with the grasses and mud lining the rivers and lakes they call home. Bioluminescence is usually only employed to ward off predators that approach a school. Captive schools can be taught that light displays lead to feedings, encouraging the behavior.
A few resorts in Unova kept schools of P. neolant as they had a higher tolerance for cold surface waters compared to P. luxor. The finneon delighted guests until 2003, when Hurricane Charlie hit the region and broke many of the sea pens. At least one resort forgot to withdraw the pokémon before the storm hit, leading to a school escaping into the wild. Improbably, this school has since begun to breed. Finneon are now somewhat common in Unova.