Although they are not true gods – they evolve from Gabite, and are not unique – Garchomp have been referred to in Sinnoh as the god of pokemon battles. It is an apt description, for were they ever to fight, Garchomp would probably fell most of the gods.
Beloved as a symbol of courage and heroism, Garchomp have been viewed as the ultimate warriors since long before men learned how to tame them in pokeballs, and when men did learn they quickly used them to dominate the battlefield. It was behind a Garchomp that Nobunaga unified Ransei, and its raw power won so much credit for his victories that he occasionally took the field with a Hydreigon instead, simply to prove he was also a skilled tactician. But every pokemon has a weakness and Garchomp in particular can only fight ice pokemon by hoping to knock them out before they can attack. After all, it was Mitushide, who famously specialized in ice pokemon, that finally slew Nobunaga and his Garchomp.
Today, pokemon trainers have replaced warlords, but Garchomp are as powerful as ever. The Sinnoh League (and in this era of travel and global trades, increasingly leagues in other regions as well) does not consist solely of Garchomp, because there is a rule against using more than one of the same pokemon – a rule established after a trainer named Cynthia won the annual championship with six Garchomp, for fear that everyone else would follow in her footsteps. This year's Sinnoh quarter-finalists all used Garchomp or pokemon used specifically to counter Garchomp, and more often than not, both – a fact little mentioned by the media, for they might as well have been pointing out that trainers can only carry six pokemon each.
