Stoutland (Lillipup, Herdier)
Canis huddersfield
Overview
Stoutland are a very popular pet in the cooler portions of the world. They are intelligent, low-maintenance, and good with children. Stoutland can even be used as farm laborers in a pinch. Gym challengers can easily obtain a lillipup as a starter and continue using it to the end of the challenge. It can then remain in the household once the challenge is over.
Stoutland have been imported to Alola, most notably around Paniola to assist in herding. They do not fair well in the archipelago. Their long, thick coats were developed to help them survive in mountain ranges and northern areas with long, harsh winters. Tropical lowlands are not good territory for them. While a skilled groomer can keep their hair short, this is expensive and the pokémon tends not to like it. The process also undercuts their defensive prowess in battle. There are better canine companions in Alola. Eevee are becoming increasingly easy to obtain and most of its evolutions fair better than stoutland in Alola's heat. Manectric are loyal companions that can also herd livestock if needed. Furfrou and granbull are also fairly low maintenance, health problems aside.
The species are still great companions, of course, but they struggle in the local climate in ways that other potential team members do not. Ice specialists that already have to figure out ways to keep their pokémon cool can make good use of a stoutland. Most other trainers cannot.
There are currently efforts to crossbreed stoutland with arcanine to produce stoutland that are better suited for warm climates. Some early successes have been reported, but there are not enough hybrids at this time for widespread public distribution.
Physiology
Lillipup, herdier, and stoutland are all classified as pure normal types. The designation is mostly uncontroversial. Some taxonomists argue for a secondary ice-typing as the species is well adapted for life in the cold. While stoutland have some limited cryokinesis it is not their preferred means of either battling or maintaining their temperature. As such most taxonomists agree that stoutland does not qualify for an ice-typing.
Lillipup are small canine pokémon. Their coat is long and usually brown, grey, or white. In some captive specimens the coat will grow until it reaches the ground. The remaining purely wild populations tend to have shorter but thicker coats. The most notable feature of lillipup is their facial hair. It is loaded with very sensitive whiskers that can create a radar-like view of the world. The whiskers can even sense ghost-types hiding in the spectral plane.
Herdier's facial hair retracts to cover their forehead, eyebrows, and muzzle while leaving the rest of the face with only normal fur. On balance they gain a long black coat on their back. The fur in this coat is very dense and can link together to form a sort of armor. It also keeps them very warm, which is important as they leave their parents and venture into the cold on their own.
Stoutland have black protective fur covering most of their body. The white facial hair grows out into a moustache that can reach the ground. Stoutland are also a lot wider and bulkier than herdier and lillipup. Some of this mass is fur, but most is not. Stoutland also have an inner eyelid that protects their eyes from impacts. This is useful when running through snow or hailstorms, but their broad paws and inner eyelid can also make them effective at running on sand.
Stoutland can grow to be four feet tall at the withers. They can weigh up to 300 pounds, although most weigh less than 180. Captive specimens can live for up to thirty years. Wild and feral individuals, especially in Alola, do not live nearly as long.
Behavior
Wild stoutland can still be found in portions of the Crown Tundra, Scandanavia, and Siberia. Despite thousands of years of domestication these populations are physically similar due to continued interbreeding between wild, feral, and captive specimens.
Stoutland mate for life. In cold climates they will usually hunt separately, especially if there are lillipup or the female is pregnant. Stoutland can use their powerful legs and broad paws to chase down prey over the snow. Alternatively, they can use their whiskers to sense creatures hidden by snow, dirt, or foliage and then strike at the hidden prey. Stoutland are not the largest creatures in their home range but their tenacity and durable coat let them take on creatures even larger than they are.
Wild lillipup seldom stray far from their parents. The stoutland's fur can keep their children warm. The parents will also dig a deep burrow under the snow or dirt for their puppies to take shelter in. As the lillipup grow older they may be brought along for hunts or territorial patrols.
Territorial disputes between stoutland tend to be resolved by moustache length: the stoutland with the largest moustache will get whatever territory (and mate) it wants. Lesser dogs will have to settle for smaller territories and less powerful mates. Biological sex and dominance have little to do with each other: either can be the dominant stoutland in an area and have their choice of mates.
Lillipup are forced out by their parents as they near evolution. The new herdier will typically form packs of six to twelve individuals. Packs tend to hunt together. Herdier are quite clever. They can set up ambushes formed either of other herdier lying in wait or crudely made traps of pitfalls and sticks.
All wild stoutland in Alola are recently introduced ferals. The wild population has been observed breeding, but it is not believed that the current population is self-sustaining in the long term. Herdier in particular struggle to keep up active hunting strategies while overheating. Stoutland can at least easily dig up roots and buried prey to eat. In the wild shrubs and roots are only a small portion of stoutland's diet in the north. In Alola it seems to constitute about thirty to forty percent of biomass consumed.
Wild stoutland are known to be fond of people. They may have begun hunting with humans as far back as fifty thousand years ago, although their proper domestication did not occur until much later. Wild stoutland will happily rescue any human they see in trouble. Sometimes this courtesy even extends to pokémon who could have been prey if the stoutland was hungrier. Attacks on humans are vanishingly rare and almost entirely attributable to rabies.
Husbandry
Stoutland are fairly standard canines. Their diet can be composed exclusively most pre-prepared canine mixes. They can easily be trained to use a litter box, or at least to only defecate and urinate outside. Walks are greatly appreciated. A stoutland without sufficient exercise can become very rambunctious. At their size they can unintentionally damage property while riled up.
Stoutland have a few advantages over other canines. Not even lillipup bark or yap without very good reason, making them a quiet dog good for tenants. Stoutland also do not shed. In spite of this managing their hair is easily the hardest part of their husbandry. Herdier and stoutland have fur that acts as a sort of armor. It can be very difficult to trim without hurting the pokémon. Grooming is best left to professionals. While stoutland hair can be allowed to grow out this will cause the pokémon to overheat in the Alolan sun. Outside of regular trimming session the hair will need to be regularly brushed to prevent knotting.
All stages are very social. They are known for having bad separation anxiety when removed from trusted humans or teammates. On balance, herdier and stoutland they are quite good with caring for children and other pokémon. The line is very intelligent: even lillipup are as smart as human toddlers. Stoutland have the equivalent intelligence of a ten-year-old child. A stoutland is undyingly loyal to the people it is attached to. Those without the pokémon's trust will struggle to get it to listen. Any abuse or neglect is remembered and will be held against the trainer for years to come. Affection and care are likewise remembered and rewarded.
Illness
Stoutland are prone to most canine diseases. Rabies vaccination is mandatory for all lillipup within three weeks of capture or birth. Tick, flea, and worm medications are readily available from all pokémon supply stores.
Digestive tract issues are particularly common in stoutland. They are prone to constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting. These symptoms are especially likely after a change in diet. Care should be taken to phase in any dietary changes slowly. In the event of diarrhea make sure to provide the pokémon with plenty of fluids and a cool place to rest.
Many newborn lillipup suffer from low blood sugar. If feedings are not frequent enough health problems can quickly arise. This is most common in hang-raised lillipup but can occur in specimens raised by their mother, especially if the mother has not had a role model to teach her the ropes of motherhood. Sluggishness can be hard to spot right away as lillipup are not particularly active while nursing. Glassy eyes are the first readily observable symptom, at least in puppies that have opened their eyes (see Breeding). Make sure that these puppies are immediately fed and then closely monitored until they are old enough to eat solid food.
Evolution
As lillipup grow older their black coat begins to grow in. Stoutland will ordinarily begin to reject their offspring once the first black hairs appear. The formal demarcation line for evolution is the growth of a full coat of black fur. This usually occurs around the sixteen-month mark.
Herdier continue to grow as they age. Their black coat grows as they do. The formal demarcation line between herdier and stoutland is either sexual maturity or the growth of a moustache at least half a meter long, whichever comes first. This usually occurs around the twenty-five month mark in captivity or the thirty month mark in the wild.
Battle
Stoutland are durable with a special ability to sense and strike ghosts. Their support movepool is small but functional with moves such as thunder wave and helping hand. None of this is quite enough to save them on the competitive circuits. Many top trainers have a stoutland as a personal or family pet, but they will rarely bring the pokémon to their serious matches. They are simply outclassed by other normal types. Between tauros, miltank, bouffalant, bewear, kangaskhan, and snorlax there are no real niches left for stoutland to fill. Even stoutland's armored fur is an incomplete defense as the coat does not extend to the face.
None of this is to say that stoutland are weak. They emphatically are not. But trainers with a great deal of time, resources, and assistance will almost always pick the stronger pokémon to fill a slot on their main roster.
A stoutland can easily stay competitive up to the end of the island challenge. Their size and strength let them hit hard enough to damage even the late totems that are not inclined to hold back or surrender. Herdier and stoutland's fur can take most physical hits, although they must play around strikes to the face. Stoutland even has solid coverage options in stomping tantrum, crunch, and the elemental fangs. Many of those options can be taught even without TMs.
Herdier are durable. While they hit less hard than stoutland they can still deal decent damage and outpace many slower opponents. Their tenacity can also let them pull through a few matches they might otherwise be at a disadvantage in.
Lillipup are courageous against any opponent they believe they stand a chance against, no matter how slim. If they believe there is no chance they will turn tail and attempt to flee. Hyping the pokémon up before battles and walking through planned strategies helps bolster their confidence. Lillipup, like its evolutions, functions best as a bulky attacker that can take a few hits and deal decent damage in return. Be cautious, though, as lillipup do not have a full coat of protective fur to help them take hits to their back.
Acquisition
Feral populations can be found around Paniola Town on Akala Island. Capture of lillipup is allowed with a Class I license, although it is best to catch one that has already been rejected by its parents. Herdier and stoutland capture is handled by the DNR. Simply put wild herdier and stoutland have a difficult time adjusting to new trainers and they are not suitable for capture. The line are frequently available from both breeders and shelters.
Breeders present the opportunity to raise a lillipup from a young age and form a particularly close bond. Many shelters also have herdier and stoutland that outgrew their old apartment homes or were surrendered due to the cost of feeding and grooming them. These pokémon start off stronger and are often grateful to the trainer who got them out of the shelter.
All three stages can be purchased or adopted with a Class I license.
Breeding
Stoutland mate for life. They do not have a standard breeding season and usually make another litter as soon as the last one has been kicked out. After a five-week pregnancy the female will give birth to about six pups. The male and female will then diligently watch over their children until they come close to evolution, at which point the offspring will be kicked out to pave the way for a new litter. Stoutland in the wild and captivity have also been known to adopt orphaned lillipup and, on occasion, babies of other canine species. There are old legends in Europe of future heroes being abandoned in the wilderness and raised by stoutland.
It is relatively easy to breed stoutland in captivity. If they accept a mate they will periodically produce litters. The older lillipup can then be given away to other trainers without issue. Stoutland have been known to cross breed with most canines, especially true dogs and wolves.
Stoutland with offspring of their own will put less time and attention towards helping raise teammates and children in their household. Trainers should keep this in mind when deciding if they want to breed their stoutland or not. A childless stoutland will happily babysit human children or make sure other pokémon have their needs met.
Relatives
Stoutland's closest living relatives are boltund and furfrou, other dogs domesticated in Europe. While stoutland have always been more dominant in the northern reaches of Europe, the other dogs became more popular in the warmer areas around the Mediterranean. Over time boltund became associated with Galar, furfrou with Kalos, and stoutland with Russia. Wild populations of stoutland can still be found across much of montane or temperate Europe. Feral populations can now be found across much of the globe.
There are a few breeds of stoutland made by crossbreeding with other canines. The most common is the regal stoutland, made by crossing with furfrou. Despite having even longer fur the regal stoutland is actually more tolerant of warm weather. Its fur is also much better as wool. The large size combined with usable wool makes them a niche farm animal in parts of Europe. Crosses with boltund can produce the Wyndon stoutland. The fur of Wyndon stoutland is often repulsed from the body, making them appear much larger than they actually are. This has the side effect of dramatically reducing their cold tolerance.
More niche crosses include the static stoutland, a similar cross with manectric that is much smaller but better able to control electric energies. The plains, Mongolian or royal stoutland is an attempted cross with arcanine for use in colder areas. This is one of the few crossbreeds that is larger than a purebred stoutland. They have much thinner fur and better endurance than purebred stoutland as well.
While stoutland can interbreed with other canines those crossbreeds are not routinely bred for and are the result of individual pokémon taking an interest in each other. This is far more common in captivity than in the wild. Stoutland have been observed mating with most canines, with a few exceptions. Species that select mates based in part on intelligence (zoroark, ninetales, lucario, espeon, sylveon) are often reluctant to settle for a creature they perceive as juvenile at best.