Bisharp (Pawniard)
Chatrang fischer
Overview
Bisharp have long intrigued scientists for their intelligence, bizarre anatomy, and pack hunting behaviors. Their closest relative, durant, are eusocial scavengers that closely resemble non-pokémon ants. Bisharp look like no animal in nature. Instead of the surprisingly decentralized nature of a hive mind, bisharp have strict command structures with a single female leading a pack of nine males. The species has also developed a reputation for being bloodthirsty and engaging in frequent border disputes with neighboring packs and other species. The tactics used in these hunts has inspired a variety of games across their native range. At least one captive bisharp has taken an interest in the games their species inspired and become grandmasters in their own right.
Bisharp are mostly better pokémon than their reputation suggests. They are eager battlers, usually obedient, and have relatively low care requirements. Bisharp almost never lash out at teammates without reason. The most famous and most deadly behavioral problem is their tendency to kill female trainers they deem to be weak and incompetent. Women and girls are advised against training the species unless they are either physically strong and willing to get their hands dirty or possess a brilliant strategic mind.
Physiology
Bisharp and pawniard are classified as dual dark- and steel-types. The ruling is disputed as they are insects, justifying a bug-typing. They simply fit the requirements of the other two typings better. Pawniard are almost always covered in thick metallic armor. Bisharp always are. Both stages are bloodthirsty, deceptive, nocturnal, and immune to telepathy.
Pawniard are wingless insects. Under their armor they have two main body segments, a carapace and a head. Their limbs are long and sturdy. They are strong enough for the pokémon to walk upright in armor at almost all times. Most pawniard are surrounded by metallic blades that form armor. A set of circular blades surround their midsection and longer blades extend from the end of the arms. Most of the head is coated in a thick armor plating with a large, sharp blade jutting from the front. Thin plate armor covers the limbs. Pawniard armor is almost entirely black, although red and yellow accents are not unheard of. Specimens crossbred with another species can have more varied armor colors.
The exact shape of pawniard armor depends on the bisharp in charge of the pack. Pawniard's exoskeleton is relatively soft and misshapen as it first forms. The bisharp will carefully cut away unnecessary metal to create armor it thinks the pawniard needs. Some pawniard are better suited for agile strikes while others are more sturdily defended. Others have larger and sharper blades than usual designed to pierce or bypass the armor of other pawniard. Once the armor has been carved it will begin to harden to its final density.
Pawniard can emit a substance similar to grease that lubricates their joints. The chemical may also be used to mark trees and communicate with other packs.
The species best sense is their sight, courtesy of large yellow eyes. Despite having incredibly detailed vision that holds up at night and over long distances, pawniard can only see in greyscale. Bisharp may be capable of seeing some color, although this is disputed.
Bisharp have the same general body shape as pawniard, just larger and with heavier armor. The blades on bisharp's arms are longer and sharper than those of pawniard and can easily slice through standard pawniard armor to score a kill. The arm blades also have a secondary blade jutting from the wrist. The pokémon has control over this blade's angle and can lay it flat against the main blade or perpendicular form it. Their biological legs do not touch the ground. Instead, they link to a set of two blades that delicately balance them and can be used to deliver devastating kicks. The shoulder and hip armor is thicker and harder than that of pawniard. Even the 'exposed' portions of the exoskeleton have a metallic coating over them. The blade on top of the head also curves on top and comes to two points, one in front of the forehead and one over the top of the head.
Unlike pawniard, bisharp tend to have more than just black coloration. Their arm and leg blades are usually silver or white. The blade on top of their head is often a copper or gold color.
Bisharp usually stand about five feet tall, excluding their head blade, and weigh two hundred pounds. Some very large specimens have reached heights over five and a half feet and weighed two hundred and fifty pounds. Bisharp can live up to sixty years in the wild, although five or less years post-evolution is more common. Captive bisharp routinely live to be seventy years old as long as they are well cared for.
Behavior
Bisharp are best known for their strange pack behaviors. One bisharp lives alongside nine pawniard. During the day the pack relaxes by a running body of water, using stones they find to sharpen their blades. The bisharp also helps reshape pawniard's armor after they molt (see Breeding). They hunt at night. Bisharp are excellent tactical and strategic thinkers that figure out how to optimally use their pack to kill either many weaker foes or one or two stronger ones. In Alola bisharp have been documented using clever tactics to bring down scrafty, raticate, toucannon, and oricorio. After the hunt the meat is divided up into twelve pieces. The bisharp claims three portions while each pawniard claims one. These numbers can be adjusted if the pack contains a growing pawniard who needs extra food for molts. The excess usually comes out of the bisharp's share.
Growing pawniard require metal in their diet. Pawniard will often spend some of the days venturing into caves in search of anything they can mine. Bisharp will sometimes plan raids on human settlements to steal metal. On at least one occasion they have stolen portions of the fence enclosing Ula'Ula Meadow, letting raticate in until the segment can be replaced. Adding more electrical wires has not stopped these raids. If anything, it may have encouraged them by presenting the bisharp with more interesting materials to plunder.
Bisharp packs that begin to compete for food and resources will organize a ritual war. The two packs will enter formation, with two pawniard on either side of the bisharp and five pawniard in a line in front of them. The pack's lines will face each other head on and a battle will commence. The battle ends when one bisharp is killed. The winning side will take stock and note any lost pawniard. These pawniard will be replaced with the strongest survivors from the other pack. Any excess pawniard will be executed. The bodies of pawniard from the winning side will have their armor removed and repurposed. Their bodies will be placed into the river and left to drift downstream. The armor of dead pawniard from the defeated pack is removed and the bodies are eaten.
Husbandry
Pawniard and bisharp are natural carnivores. They can eat many kinds of meat products, ranging from dried meat to predator biscuits to some insect mixes. This still leaves one major problem: they love drinking blood. They do not exclusively drink blood like crobat, but they still get irritable and sometimes have joint problems if they cannot consume enough of it. Some specialty stores sell blood directly. Most pokémon supply stores will at least sell frozen blood, which is usually appreciated. Artificial blood products are also usually accepted, even if they are not preferred. In some areas the pokémon can be allowed to do their own hunting. Pawniard appreciate hunting alongside their trainer and team. This can be a good bonding exercise. Bisharp can hunt alone or alongside their trainer or teammates. As long as the pokemon are drinking enough blood water should not be required.
The line can easily be housebroken, either directly or through watching teammates. Pawniard are also quick to understand some words in the human language, especially those related to combat. They are less adept at other pokémon languages but can still learn. Unfortunately, bisharp's voices sound like a mix between insect buzzing and screeching metal. Researchers believe they may have nuanced languages, but their harsh form of speech still leaves them unable to serve as translators with most species.
Wild pawniard devote a lot of time to keeping their blades sharp. In captivity they can do this with whetstones provided by their trainer or by finding their own to use when near rivers. Some pawniard have favorites that they insist on carrying with them wherever they travel. If a stone must be bought it is a good idea to bring the pokémon along to select their own.
Molting pawniard will require carving to prevent uneven armor development and ensure they can move properly. This is best done by a bisharp. Captive bisharp will often help out captive pawniard, even if they are not on the same team. Some wild bisharp will do the same, although they are equally likely to kill the pawniard for trespassing on her territory. It is recommended that trainers intending to care for a molting pawniard have a bisharp of their own.
Bisharp are highly intelligent. The biggest challenge with them is learning how to balance this while still maintaining authority. In the wild they plan out different battles every time they hunt or face an opposing pack. Research on captive specimens suggests that they are constantly sizing up everyone they encounter, friend and foe, and figuring out dozens of ways the battle could go. They are excellent at strategy-based games and these can be used as enrichment. Some trainers have found it effective to have bisharp help train other pokémon and assist in planning strategies for major battles. The language barriers can make this difficult, but bisharp are brilliant and enjoy chances to put their brains to use.
The catch is that bisharp packs only have one queen. Bisharp kill any queen who intrudes too far onto their own territory. Pawniard are inclined to obey trainers who act as their queen, and bisharp have difficulties accepting new queens. In particularly dire cases these frustrations may end in them killing their trainer. This is most common with female trainers due to pack gender dynamics—all pawniard are male and all bisharp are female. Male trainers are not seen as inherently dangerous to the bisharp, although they may have more trouble gaining the allegiance of pawniard. Female trainers will have an easy time swaying pawniard but find bisharp to be standoffish.
The easiest way to gain a bisharp's loyalty is to prove not only to be a queen, but a better one than the bisharp herself. Being a master strategist is the easiest way to prove this. Fighting alongside their own pokémon is the second most effective. For this reason it is common to see bisharp round out the teams of fighting-type specialists who are already working out alongside their team. Bisharp also help cover weaknesses to psychic-types and readily get along with other pokémon who are eager to fight and learn.
The second easiest way to gain a bisharp's loyalty is to prove to be a nurturing queen. Trainers who care deeply for their pokémon's physical and psychological needs have an easier time gaining the pokémon's affection. This is easiest on teams with translators, although telepathic translators will not be effective on the bisharp herself. Trainers with productive hobbies such as gardening, art, and woodwork can also catch the bisharp's attention. Part of a queen's job is to create and to watch over pawniard. Trainers who fit into this role will have a more fraught relationship with their bisharp than one of pure dominance, but can still gain her unwavering loyalty.
Illness
The line is not inclined to share injuries or illnesses. Anything that becomes visible is a sign of defectiveness. It is an invitation to enemies to attack and tends to lead to their sacrifice by the bisharp in the next territorial war. Even bisharp that become visibly wounded are usually shamed into resignation. As such both stages are extremely reluctant to share their ailments with their trainer. Insect medicine is also not nearly as developed as care for other kinds of pokémon.
Thankfully, it is difficult to seriously wound a pawniard or bisharp. They can regenerate minor damage to their armor and bodies alike. Just getting past the armor is challenging for most opponents. As long as they are not deliberately kept in for an extended period of time against foes that can hurt them, irreparable injury is unlikely. Basic potions and healing methods can patch up moderate wounds that the line cannot heal themselves.
Serious injuries will usually result in death. Pawniard will become despondent and occasionally commit hunger strikes when they are no longer able to battle. Bisharp will also enter a depressive phase, but they can find new purposes in creative tasks or less violent games.
The most common form of illness by far is pesticide injection. Be careful to keep bisharp away from regularly treated agricultural areas and to make sure any processed food they eat is free of preservatives that could harm them. Even standard insect repellent can be dangerous in higher dosages.
Evolution
In the wild pawniard evolve when there is no bisharp to lead them. The most common circumstance this occurs in is when the last bisharp is injured and resigns. This can also occur if the bisharp is captured, dies of illness, or if only the bisharp is killed in a territorial dispute. In these cases the victorious bisharp will take whatever pawniard she needs to replace her own losses and leave the remaining survivors to their own devices, with a warning to stay away from her territory in the future.
The remaining pawniard will confer and select one to evolve. They will then do so. Pawniard evolve via flash evolution. Sometimes changes made to her armor as a pawniard will remain or be exaggerated on evolution. In other cases, any changes from the default are reduced or eliminated. Scientists are unsure what causes this disparity.
Evolution in captive packs occurs whenever the bisharp is removed for any reason. This can make producing a steady stream of bisharp relatively easy and profitable, although the new bisharp often have difficulties adjusting to new trainers.
When a pawniard is the only member of its species on a team they evolve when they have obtained a great deal of combat experience. This evolution will usually occur long after other teammates have evolved. There is some dispute as to whether pawniard need to consistently be pitted against enemies beyond their strength in order to evolve or if this is just something that coincidentally happens around the time a traveling trainer's pawniard gains the experience he needs.
Battle
Bisharp have straightforward combat capabilities. They have thick armor, sharp blades, and they know how to use them. Their elemental pool is both narrow and shallow, leaving their ranged arsenal weak and limited. Some can rely on more devious tricks like sucker punch or stealth rock, but for the most part they simply engage in melee combat with their blades. This does not make their battles predictable. Bisharp are clever and can use their natural weapons to down opponents that should be beyond their capabilities. Their surprising strength and tenacity has made them popular on the competitive circuits, occasionally seeing five or more ranked trainers use them at once. Their ability to shut down psychic-types also makes them popular in metagames where psychics are common.
Unfortunately, bisharp's counters are commonly employed by professional trainers. Ranged airborne attackers can avoid most of bisharp's hits and wear them down over time. Electric- and fire-types like vikavolt and charizard can bypass bisharp's armor or turn it into a liability.
Bisharp in general struggle against powerful fire-types that can heat up their armor until it is actively damaging their organic tissue. Fast electric-types they cannot catch are also difficult to deal with. Even though their typing would suggest a serious weakness against fighting-types, those are actually some of bisharp's best matchups. Bisharp are at their best against other melee attackers. Machamp and hariyama might be able to dent bisharp's armor with a well-placed strike. They could also find themselves deceived, outplayed, and with severed Achilles tendons.
Slow walls, even physical walls, are bisharp's easiest matchups. Bisharp can get in close, dance around strikes, and deal serious damage with their blades. Even tyranitar and aggron can be tripped up and worn down by an experienced bisharp.
If it is at all possible, keep a distance from bisharp and pawniard. Exploit their relatively low speed and inability to fight at range. Wear them down over time. Even getting close for a finishing blow is dangerous as bisharp are often known to feign weakness or injury when needed to get an enemy in close.
Bisharp are perfectly capable of handling the last few battles of the island challenge. Pawniard start off strong and are still at least somewhat viable into the third island, even without evolving. On the second and third island be careful in selecting their matchups. The fire and electric trials can be particularly difficult for pawniard unless they are taken on at the very start of the challenge.
Acquisition
Bisharp packs in Alola were first introduced in Route 17. They were originally kept as guards and a novelty by wealthy landowners in the area. Following the destruction of Tapu Village many of these residents abandoned their homes and moved to Melemele or Akala. These islands often had stricter rules against owning entire packs due to their violence and scavenging. As predators it was also feared they would pressure native species through hunting. At least three packs were left to guard their owner's old estates until a more permanent solution could be found. In the years since they have expanded into the rest of Route 17 and at least two more packs have been established. Their expansion is slowed by conservation enforcement around Ula'Ula Meadow, the steep terrain of Mt. Hokulani, and the lack of running water in Haina Valley.
As invasive species the capture limits on pawniard and bisharp are relatively lax. Even the pokémon that were once owned by the estate they lived on are legally counted as abandoned and capture is allowed. Bisharp are usually willing to write off the loss of a pawniard without pursuing the trainer. So long as they are clever and powerful enough to take a pawniard without immediately alerting the rest of the pack, it is the trainer's right to do so.
Bisharp capture is more difficult. The pawniard will attempt to defend their queen with lethal force, and the bisharp herself is unlikely to hold back. If the pawniard can be defeated and the bisharp captured, she will almost always assent to being commanded. These battles can be fought using the trainer's entire team at once. Be warned that any pokémon that fight may be killed. Pawniard are also not above targeting the trainer directly.
Bisharp adoption is complicated. Pawniard can be released to the wild and will find an incomplete pack to join. They also will accept any sufficiently strong trainer who wants to adopt them. Most bisharp cannot be released as they will try to take over a pack from another bisharp, killing them in the process. As a result they must be rehomed when their trainer dies or can no longer legally care for them. Shelters are often unwilling to take in bisharp as they acclimate poorly to environments with no primary caretaker and no social constancy. Bisharp can also have difficulties accepting another trainer. Bisharp that need to be rehomed are often given to dedicated breeders who will then sell the ones that are strongest or most sociable.
Pawniard can be purchased, adopted, or captured with a Class III license. Bisharp can be captured or purchased with a Class IV license.
Breeding
Bisharp prefer not to breed. Their pack is most easily replenished by killing opposing bisharp and taking their strongest pawniard. In fact, bisharp with their own packs almost never breed. The only times they will do so are when they are at least one pawniard short and either cannot find another bisharp to challenge or believe defeat would be almost certain. In these events they will select a mate based on strength and genetic diversity. She will lay nine eggs thirty days later. Newly hatched pawniard do not have metal exoskeletons and are only weigh a few ounces. They will grow through a series of twenty molts. They only have organic exoskeletons for the first ten. After this point they will begin to grow metal armor. The pawniard will be fed metal after the molt and will be protected by the rest of the pack until it solidifies. Following the twentieth molt the pawniard will reach his final size and armor.
Most breeding in the wild is done by injured bisharp. When a bisharp is too injured to continue defending her pack she will resign and let the pawniard pick their own leader. Before she leaves she will mate with a pawniard. She will then find a secluded area with metal nearby and lay her eggs. The bisharp will do her best to defend and nurture her offspring. When the pawniard all reach their final molt, she will once again resign and live out the rest of her days alone. If she meets an unaligned pawniard she may mate with him and then raise another pack. In the unlikely event that she recovers she may challenge another bisharp to single combat for control of her pack.
Bisharp breeding in captivity is easier than in the wild. Injured specimens can be mated with a pawniard. She and her children are very likely to survive with human aid. Unlike in the wild, bisharp are often willing to mate again and raise another pack after their first is self-sufficient. She will then be wiling to part with her offspring and raise another pack. Some captive bisharp have raised as many as six packs in their lifetime before losing interest.
Bisharp have been documented occasionally expressing interest in mating with heracross, pinsir, and other physically powerful insect pokémon. They will not mate with durant despite being closely related. Their social structures are simply incompatible. Bisharp have been known to abandon offspring when the sire is of another species. The breeder should be prepared to step in as the primary caregiver if necessary.
Relatives
There are five species of bisharp. The one in Alola are the American bisharp. They are known for their pitch-black armor and relative caution when compared to other species. American bisharp prefer to bait opponents into attacking before reacting accordingly. Their armor is the thickest of any species, leaving them slow but durable in line with their combat style. Territory wars can sometimes begin with thirty minutes of the lines evaluating the other before one finally moves. Of the bisharp species they are most prone to deception and seemingly erratic attack patterns.
The fastest species Russian bisharp, C. kasparov. The species is almost entirely white and silver, except for their deep blue eyes. This helps them blend in with snowy terrain in the winter. Russian bisharp are the lightest of the continental species. They are known for being surprisingly fast and aggressive. Some specimens can run up to thirty miles an hour in short bursts. Russian bisharp also have long lifespans, with some surviving for up to one hundred years. These bisharp were the most common in past metagames. In recent years their dominance has given way to that of the third species.
The European bisharp, C. magnus, come in a variety of colors. Red, black, white, and golden are the most common, but some specimens have been observed with blue or green armor as well. Sometimes they sport striped patterns. Others are monocolor. European bisharp are the largest species and can grow to be up to seventy inches tall. European bisharp are versatile. Most master a number of combat styles. They will seek out other species and observe them in order to learn techniques of their own. In different battles they can fight like completely different pokémon, making counter-planning by reviewing old footage nearly useless. They are also quick thinkers and tend to take risks the other species would not, letting them end their battles quickly and decisively.
The oldest bisharp species is the Asian bisharp, C. wenjun. These bisharp have the brightest colors of any species. They often have bright red blades and black armor, although colors vary heavily by region and subspecies. There are different variants in Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and India, each with their own odd playstyles and appearances. The Asian bisharp are the shortest, seldom reaching more than five feet tall. They are a little wider than the European and Russian bisharp to compensate.
The fifth species is by far the most different. Most bisharp cannot swim. They simply hold their breath and walk along the bottom of rivers when they must cross them. This precludes them from crossing oceans, making them unlikely to become dominant in archipelagos. The oceanic, Cuban, or Caribbean bisharp, C. casablanca, is the exception. The Cuban bisharp's blades are made of metal. Their helmet armor contains some, although the bulk of it is organic chitin. The rest of their armor is a mix of chitin and wood. Cuban bisharp have smooth, deep brown bark. The bisharp carves the bark of her pawniard to match her aesthetic tastes, and the pawniard in turn are allowed to carve the bisharp's armor.
The Cuban bisharp's relatively low density lets them swim between islands. Their wars often take place near beaches or rivers, letting the bisharp factor the water into their strategies. Cuban bisharp have very long and flat blades that function as oars. While the species is popular among collectors for their distinctive appearance, they are seldom used by competitive trainers due to the lack of strength in their armor. The species' ability to manipulate plants around them and use grass- and water-type attacks is not quite enough to make up for their inability to take serious hits.