Disclaimer: What? Pokemon belongs to Nintendo? Oh darn.
A/N: Edited from its original version.
Common Name: Seviper, Habunake
Scientific Name: Cuspiserpens pusillacrus
Description: Seviper are very large snake pokemon, measuring almost 9 feet long and 7 inches thick. Their heads are triangular, with a thick, short crest on the back. Seviper are notable for their 6-inch fangs, which cannot be contained inside the pokemon's mouth, but rather hang outside. Seviper's distinctive tail ends in a fleshy dorsal flange and a blade made out of enamel on the its underside. When slithering, the fangs fold back, though they remain outside the mouth, and the tail fin is held twisted sideways so as not to impede motion. Seviper have six 'traction scutes,' large, projecting scales along their undersides used to aid motion.
Seviper are dusty black in color, with several colorful markings. From the top of the head down the spine are large, gold-colored diamond markings, each with another diamond outlined within. The lower jaw is similarly gold, as is a ring around the eyes and the traction scutes. There are purple, slashlike markings on the muzzle and throat and a purple ring at the base of the flange. The enamel of the tail's blade is bright red, as are the fangs and eyes. These colors are believed to serve as a warning against potential predators.
Range: Seviper's natural range is eastern Hoenn, but persecution has pushed the species into a tiny fraction of its range.
Habitat: Seviper live in riparian areas, near lakes, rivers, and wetlands. They require proximity to upland areas for nesting.
Call: Seviper let out a series of staccato, dry hisses when agitated.
Diet: Seviper are carnivores, subduing large prey with their venom, and simply constricting small prey. They generally hunt either aquatic pokemon or terrestrial ones that come to drink by the waters they inhabit. Seviper eat any pokemon they can fit into their extremely flexible jaws, including Surskit, Lotad, Lombre, Nuzleaf, Marill, and Zangoose.
Life Cycle: During the dry season, Seviper mate, the males engaging in a surprisingly intricate ritual combat. They begin by scraping their tails through the undergrowth, causing a distinctive dry rustling. This summons both male combatants and females interested in mating. The males raise their heads, showing the purple throat markings, and may strike at each other with their mouths closed and fangs pulled back. They then rear as high as they can, and push against each other, sometimes entwining in their efforts. Eventually, one male will submit.
The female Seviper lays an enormous clutch, sometimes containing several dozen eggs, in a burrow she excavates far from the water where the adults spend most of their lives. She then goes down into the burrow and broods, clenching her muscles around her clutch to generate heat. Brooding females, it should be noted, are notoriously aggressive.
The young pokemon hatch by the start of the wet season, and their exhausted, emaciated mother leads them down to the water. They then part, and female Seviper show no recognition of their young after this point. She may have to wait 2-3 years to regain breeding condition, astounding considering Seviper live only around 20 years. Hatchling Seviper have no venom, but quickly develop it as they shed their skin and grow.
Relationship with Humans: Seviper were well-respected by ancient peoples, for their bright colors and for their powerful venom. Though their teeth, blades, and skins were used in rituals, they were only rarely hunted.
Today, this respect of Seviper has turned into outright fear, and the snakes have been exterminated from many areas as safety hazards. Today, they are found mostly in parks and reserves, and are rarely legally available for capture, though they are highly desirable in the arena.
Seviper feature in several of Hoenn's folktales, mostly pertaining to their 'rivalry' with the Zangoose. These stories are usually morality tales on the futility of revenge, but are based in reality, as Seviper will prey on Zangoose as commonly as Zangoose prey on Seviper.
Naturalist's Notes: Seviper are excellent swimmers, using their flange and blade as a fin. But their blade is also a weapon, and Seviper often are seen sharpening their blades on a favored whetstone. In addition, the inside of this pokemon's blade is inlaid with microscopic grooves, which transmit venom into any wound they create. Unlike as with the venom in Seviper's fangs, the release of this toxin is automatic and unconscious.
The venoms have more or less the same effects, creating immense pain, tissue destruction, internal hemorrhaging and eventual death. But they require different antivenins, so if you are injured by a Seviper, remember which end hurt you!
When threatened, Seviper take on a distinctive defensive posture, scrunching up their bodies into several humps, raising the tail blade straight up like a flag, and raising the head. This allows the Seviper to strike quickly from two directions, and best shows off its warning coloration.
As adults, Seviper's only predators are Zangoose, but when young they may be picked off by Whiscash or Crawdaunt.