The bravery of a Staraptor in combat is said to be able to shatter walls of Shuckle shell. Their attacks, developed over millions of years to defend their chicks from ice-type predators, possess all the power of a Garchomp or a Salamence, and is said to match even those of Victini or Arceus. They prevented the development of a mechanical air force in Sinnoh's skies, for no matter how thick the hull or how quickly it moved, a diving Staraptor could still knock any airplane out of the sky. Today, they are frequently seen in the Sinnoh League and other top competitions, leaving opponents to search in vain for a pokemon which can absorb their attacks without fainting.
But the way that Staraptor battle is on the fine line between courage and a death wish. Pokemon center nurses frequently complain about the many repeated traumatic injuries which Staraptor suffer after every match, which lead many to an early retirement. No Staraptor is actually known to have survived the collisions with plane engines in wartime – they were simply effective because training a Staraptor was still far cheaper and easier than building an airplane - and few survived battles even in the age of swords. Even when defending their nests from predators such as Weavile, more often than not Staraptor go down fighting, as they always have, but in the process they let their children escape. Staraptor do not enter battle seeking glory, but martyrdom, and this reckless disregard for their own health and lives has frustrated many of their trainers.
But trainers must be cautious when trying to instill a Staraptor with a sense of self-preservation, for on those rare occasions their efforts succeed, they will only produce a pokemon as shy and powerless as a Hoothoot.