Machamp (Machop, Machoke)
Overview
Machamp are the fighting-type that all other fighting-types are measured against. Only the toughest of dragons can match them in raw strength. An equally small number of pokémon have a comparable drive to train. The two traits combine to make machamp the quintessential melee-ranged powerhouse of competitive battling.
In addition to their power in combat, pokémon of the machamp line also enjoy helping others, especially if the task involves heavy lifting or clever applications of raw strength. This makes machamp one of the most popular pokémon for construction projects. In Alola, machamp are also often used as ride pokémon. Unusually for a ride pokémon, machamp prefer it if their trainer also brings along heavy gear or other pokémon to carry. The main problem with training machamp is simply finding things for them to do.
Physiology
Machop, machoke, and machamp are classified as pure-fighting types.
Machamp are one of the few surviving therapsid pokémon, making them technically not either reptiles nor mammals. In practice they function much the same as mammals and can be treated as such most purposes.
Machop are short bipeds with a human-like shape, a stubby tail, leathery gray skin, and three ridges above their head. The ridges are useful for increasing the machop's surface area, helping vent the massive amounts of heat that their bodies can generate while exercising. A quirk in machop's muscles lets them exercise for long periods of time. They also require much less caloric intake that their physical exertion would suggest. On balance, machop must sleep for almost fourteen hours a day.
Machoke are taller and have much larger muscles than their pre-evolution. The head shape slowly grows into a more typical one for a therapsid, as opposed to the machop's rather human-like face. Several long red markings appear on the arms and legs. A series of dark gray armored flaps grow over the groin area to help protect it and support the yellow plate above it. The yellow plate has an armored exterior.
The plate connects to several nerves, tendons, and strange cords that weave throughout the machoke's body. These serve to sharply limit the amount of power that machoke can bring to bear, although they are still capable of lifting several tons. The plate can be removed in a pinch, lifting the physiological and psychological limits it imposes on the muscles. Machoke grow incredibly strong as a result, but this comes with a price. While machoke have bones much denser than an ordinary human's, they are still not nearly strong enough to withstand a machoke's full strength. Firing off uninhibited punches can literally shatter the pokémon's body in the process. In the wild the plate is only removed when the pokémon is already dying and wants to accomplish one last thing.
Machamp have two key differences from machoke, one obvious and one not. The visible one is the growth of two new arms, both every bit as strong as the old ones. More subtle, but more important, is the strengthening of bones and connective tissues. A full grown machamp has ligaments with the tensile strength of silicon and bones tough enough to withstand their own punches. Even without removing their plate, machamp can punch 1000 times a second and exert energy equivalent to a kiloton of TNT. Unfortunately for humanity (but fortunately for machamp), the ambient energy that strengthens them dissipates after death, making machamp bones unviable as an industrial material.
Many people are surprised to see how small machamp actually are. Even the tallest of machamp only grow up to one hundred and seventy centimeters. They can still weigh over two hundred and fifty kilograms. Machamp can live up to ninety years in captivity. Wild lifespans are not well documented, but they are probably similar.
Behavior
Machop spend all of their time browsing, sleeping, or training. Their preferred food is shrubby vegetation that is relatively low to the ground. Fruits and root vegetables are also eaten from time to time. Machop train in the evening, usually with other machop but sometimes with machoke or other species. Sparring is their exercise of choice, although more typical strength and flexibility exercises are also mixed in. As they grow older machop will pick a single style of combat and focus all of their energies on it.
Machoke start to branch out and learn other styles of combat from the machamp in their dojo. While machop are somewhat shy, machoke often seek out fights with other pokémon to test their strength and strategy. Many trainers are terrified the first time a machoke jumps into their path and demands a battle. They pose very little risk in practice: the entire line is herbivorous and machoke try not to seriously hurt their opponents. The challenge that looks scary to humans is just a standard greeting in machoke society.
Machamp do not live in the same dojos as machoke and machop. Instead they start to wander the world, settling down only long enough to figure out a new style or move that they did not previously know. Once they have obtained mastery they will move on. Machamp are less aggressive at picking fights than machoke. They tend to hang back and watch others battle before deciding if it's worth issuing a challenge or not. In the wild machamp often follow apex predators around to watch for prey species that can put up a solid fight.
Husbandry
Many pokémon can live happy lives as household pets or zoo animals. This line is not one of them. Caring for a member of the line requires daily training for both trainer and team. Still, each of them have different training needs.
Very young machop should be exposed to many different fighting-type pokémon or human martial artists. Once they take a special interest in one style, they should regularly be brought back to someone who could teach them. Ideally the trainer would also take lessons at the same time. Machoke prefer rotating between a few different instructors. Teaching others, including their trainer, can also make machoke happy. Machamp simply need a wide variety of opponents and teachers to work through. This is easiest to satisfy in major cities where many different types of people and pokémon are gathered in one place.
Standing water troughs or bottles should be available in the pokémon's quarters. Machamp can go some time without water, but they drink a lot at once. Their diet should primarily consist of shrubs with small amounts of leaves, roots, shoots, and fruit mixed in. Wild-raised specimens will regulate their own eating. Captive-born machop must be taught to do so, ideally by a machoke. All three stages are easily housebroken. None of them like pokéballs, but they will tolerate them for short periods, especially in the lead up to a major battle.
One of the line's most endearing qualities is their desire to give back to their community. In the wild this is the dojo for machop and machoke. Machamp are loyal to wherever they are currently training. In captivity this typically means the trainer, the team, and human society at large. As long as training is adequate the pokémon will gladly assist with chores, construction, or even public service. Be aware that machoke and machamp are not built for delicate hand movements. They can safely carry bulky goods, people, or mid-size to large pokémon. Items smaller than their hand are often broken, especially if moving them requires dexterity.
Illness
There are very few theraspids alive. This means that there are very few generalist diseases that affect machamp. The handful of specialist diseases and parasites usually don't slow the afflicted pokémon down very much, but can nevertheless be easily vaccinated or medicated against.
Machop and machamp recover very quickly from almost all wounds. Machoke do as well, but they are still the most vulnerable stage. Self-inflicted injuries can occur even with the limiting plate intact. These injuries can be quite severe, although most will eventually heal. With the plate removed machoke can literally tear themselves apart. Intentional removal of the plate creates a presumption of pokémon abuse under commonwealth law.
Evolution
Machop flash evolve upon obtaining mastery of their main fighting style. They will flash evolve again after gaining proficiency in about a dozen styles. The first evolution usually occurs around the tenth birthday with the second occurring around the fiftieth birthday. Newly evolved machamp leave their dojo to wander around the wild, only briefly rejoining machoke dojos to breed.
These evolution times are very long. While they can be slightly shorter in captivity, especially for the machoke to machamp evolution, they will still take years or decades to occur.
Battling
Machamp are one of the most metagame defining pokémon in the world. Their serious attacks can bend metal and eventually overwhelm all but the sturdiest of opponents. They can even punch up to a thousand times a second, although these punches aren't terribly strong. If machamp can reach their opponent they will usually win. Even the bulkiest of walls tend to be steel- or rock-types that fall sooner rather than later. The few pokémon that can take multiple hits can also fall prey to machamp if they have a conventional head. Machamp are prone to striking particularly stubborn opponent's heads with enough force to cause a concussion. While they seldom outright kill opponents, the attack is disorienting enough to give the machamp and its trainer time to think.
There are a handful of ways to deal with machamp. Many exploit the species' relatively inaccurate throws by staying at a distance. Ranged flying pokémon can fire at machamp while dodging the occasional rock slide or stone edge. Teleporters can stay away from machamp and fire back with powerful psychic attacks that machamp has no real resistance to. Ghosts can turn intangible to avoid normal blows and then use trickery moves and spectral attacks to wear machamp down. This strategy is risky because machamp are very good at weathering status effects and often only hit harder out of spite. Most machamp have also picked up a dark-type move or two and can punish ghosts that turn intangible but don't run.
Some dragons can match machamp in brute strength and hold on long enough to run out the switch clock and get a counter in. Fighting-types can usually pull this off, too, by making machamp want to drag out the fight long enough to get a proper measure of their opponent. Rare pokémon that the machamp has not fought before can gain a similar reaction. Some particularly strong fire -type pokémon can either create an inferno so hot that the machamp dares not approach. Water-types with great bulk or speed and a very strong surf or hydro pump can potentially knock a machamp of its feet and keep it pinned and drowning under the crushing torrent of water.
Every serious team needs at least one counter and multiple checks to machamp. Care should be taken not to knock out a pokémon with something machamp can beat until the machamp is taken care of. Otherwise the machamp will easily revenge kill it. Trainers facing machamp should do everything they can to knock it out before the switch timer runs. Otherwise the machamp will be withdrawn and come back in later to score a free knockout on another pokémon.
Machoke are much weaker and a fair bit less bulky than machamp are. This makes them far more manageable to face with strong pokémon that are not particularly weak to it. All of the tactics that can check machamp work extremely well against machoke.
Machop are strong for their size, but not overbearingly so. Facing one in a straight physical brawl isn't recommended, but at least most similarly experienced pokémon can take a few hits without fainting.
Acquisition
Machoke dojos are typically found in rocky areas where scrub plants are common. The two Alolan dojos are located in Ten Carat Hill and the Vast Poni Canyon.
The best way to lure a machop or machoke away from its dojo is to battle it with a fighting-type pokémon, or something else with a style that it can replicate. If the pokémon takes interest it might decide to focus on that style and come with its new mentor. This can require several days or even weeks living near the dojo, potentially without anything to show for it. Outright capture is not recommended as it may provoke other dojo members. Even if the captor gets away, the pokémon is unlikely to listen to commands.
Machamp capture is not possible or legal in Alola. Newly evolved machamp are typically relocated to a larger landmass where they can explore without getting upset when it runs out of styles to learn. Occasionally the DNR will allow a trainer a chance to bond with a soon-to-be-relocated machamp.
Adoption is possible, especially from injured or elderly trainers who can no longer give their pokémon the attention it needs. Shelters occasionally have machop, machoke, or machamp whose old trainer recently died.
Machop can be captured or adopted with a Class II license. Machoke can be captured or adopted with a Class III license. Machamp can be adopted with a Class IV.
Breeding
Machamp that cross path with a machamp of the opposite sex will engage in a duel. If the winner is impressed, they will mate. The female will lay a clutch of three to five eggs about sixteen days later. She will drop them off at the nearest machoke dojo. Then she will leave. The male will stay another thirty to forty days until the eggs hatch. Then he will leave to resume his travels.
Captive breeding is surprisingly easy. Two machamp brought together will challenge each other. The female will be quite content leaving her eggs with the male's trainer. Unfortunately, the male is reluctant to directly assist with childrearing. It is best to get at least one machoke to help train the babies on the basics of combat and life skills.
Subspecies
Machamp are native to the mountainous areas, deserts, and dry grasslands of the old world. Occasionally a vagrant machamp will enter into a rainforest, marshland, or prairie but machoke dojos are not found in these locations. Because machamp have wide ranges, genes mix across large distances. As such there is only one machamp subspecies.