Magmortar (Magby, Magmar)
Perignem flammasque
Overview
Magmortar are akin to amphibians that live on land in the day but must sleep in the water at night to rehydrate. The key difference is that magmortar do not come from water, but lava. Magmortar are mineral pokémon with partially molten bodies. During the day they come to the surface to hunt and explore only to retreat to the safety of lava or eternal flame at night. This limits their surface appearances to erupting volcanoes and a handful of areas with supernatural fire. On Alola there are volcanoes that can erupt for months at a time. The magma chamber on Mauna Wela is also never far from the surface. This makes Alola one of the best places on the planet for seeing magmortar in the wild.
As creatures of flame, magmortar have esoteric care requirements that can leave even experienced fire-type and mineral pokémon specialists unprepared. They are primarily lithovorous but get very cranky if denied the ability to hunt. Magmortar will need to rest for several hours a day in actual lava or an expensive habitat ball sufficiently replicating the experience. Their body temperature means they will damage many things they come near, teammates and trainer included.
Magmortar still have their fans. They are very unique pokémon that can invoke a sense of awe in those witnessing them. They are also used to draw conclusions about the mineral pokémon of the mantle that are ordinarily impossible to observe. All three stages can be a threat in combat due to their heat and unwavering determination. Trainers should just be aware of the difficulties inherent in raising a creature that has evolved for life in the mantle onto the surface.
Physiology
All three stages are currently classified as pure fire-types. There is some argument that as mineral pokémon magmortar should be classified as rock-types as well. Their cannon projectiles lend some credence to this theory. However, aside from magmortar's projectiles the line have little affinity for rock elemental energy. Even the minerals in their body are largely molten. The pokémon will die if their entire body hardens. For now a rock-typing remains unlikely for magmortar and extremely unlikely for magby and magmar.
Magby are bipedal mineral pokémon that superficially resemble humanoids or avians. Most of their body is usually glowing red with the area on the chest directly above the chest glowing yellow. Their body at room temperature is golden in color; their apparent coloration is a result of the heat acting on the outer layers of the body. The top of magby's head is coated in thin metallic strands that superficially resemble fur. Magby have a mouth and appear to possess both eyes and vision. The mechanics of magby's sight are poorly understood as the eyes tend to shatter as the carcass cools.
Magby's body is made of partially molten rock. The innards consist of a cardiovascular system equivalent consisting of a chamber of superheated molten rock powered by a continuous mixture of inhaled oxygen, fire elemental energy, and very small-scale nuclear fission. The fission is used primarily to kickstart a reaction that amplifies fire energy and not for direct heat generation. Magby are no more radioactive than other mineral pokémon such as nosepass and metang. Even magmortar are safe to be around without radiation shielding for up to six hours a day. The heat gradient in the molten 'blood' is used to move the superheated blood throughout the body and keep the pokémon from cooling down to the point of hardening. The outer layers of the body are mostly solid plates of a strange alloy of iron, gold, and tungsten inside of layers of granite. The inner skin is more metallic than the outer skin, which is primarily granite. Granite is a better insulator than the metals and keeps heat inside the body. The outer skin is typically kept around 1100 degrees Fahrenheit. The joints are composed of materials with a lower melting point and have enough plasticity to allow for movement. The muscles themselves seem to be powered by the pokémon's ability to control magma. In other words, magby use their elemental abilities to puppet their own body. This makes them particularly vulnerable to manipulation by other magma-controlling pokémon.
All three stages possess a crude digestive tract that absorbs food from the mouth, melts it down in a pouch adjacent to the main blood chamber, and then absorbs needed chemicals into the blood. Impurities are excreted by incineration and exhalation. Impurities with a particularly high boiling point are either retained in the body until the pokémon returns to lava or excreted from a joint at the base of the tail.
Magmar have a resting outer body temperature of roughly 2200 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point a purely granite outer shell would become slightly plastic, especially when in combat. A tungsten alloy becomes mixed in with the granite to help the pokémon retain its form. The joints around the legs and neck are a modified variant of obsidian that is only partially molten at this temperature. The inner skin alloy is naturally liquid at this temperature and is only solid because of occasional venting of heat through skin vents. Even then it is still molten enough that its movements alter the pokémon's flow of fire energy. This can manifest as a spontaneous, ever-shifting corona just above the pokémon's skin. Magmar always appear to glow and the patterns and colors of their body are ever-shifting. Two open spouts of flame above the head resemble horns but are not at all solid. Reliable description of magmar is difficult with the naked eye due to their corona and the distortion of the air around them due to heat.
Magmortar have a surface temperature of 3600 degrees Fahrenheit. The exterior of nearly all of their body is no longer solid. Their shape is maintained entirely through control of their lava and is highly variable across time and individuals. The internal organs have either melted or have tungsten membranes. The only remaining organs of magby and magmar are the digestive tract and chamber, the cardiovascular chamber, and a mass of highly pressurized silica and mercury that appears to be the center of their nervous system. Some scientists have theorized that most actual cognition occurs inside the cardiovascular chamber through the movements of a supercharged sea of fire energy and subatomic particles. This is a niche theory but cannot be discounted given the pokémon's strange biology.
Magmortar's cannons are contraptions made of thick tungsten plates. Heat is used to form pressure differentials between different chambers. Stones, including living mineral pokémon, can be inserted into the cannons while the magmortar temporarily cools their body. Each shot is then sequestered into its own chamber where it can later be propelled forward by the decompression of superheated air leaving the cannon. Magmortar can fire off up to five shots in a second, but they can only hold ten total in each cannon. Once all shots are expended the cannons can be opened up and used as flamethrowers.
Magmortar's wild lifespan is unknown. Captive specimens typically live for around eighteen months, although some have lived for up to five years. An adult magmortar typically weighs around two thousand pounds and is between six and eight feet tall, depending on the individual's weight and preferences.
Behavior
Magmar are believed to spend almost their entire lifespan in the magma underneath the earth's surface. They are probably lithovores and might prey upon other magma-based pokémon. There is a theory that magmortar do not naturally exist beneath the surface and only occur as an adaptation to prolonged exposure to surface conditions. Their cannon, among other things, would be of little use when constantly immersed in molten rocks with no air to use for firing. While magby and magmar are often documented retreating back into the earth after an eruption brings them to the surface, magmortar seem to stay on the surface until they find a location that can permanently support them or die of hypothermia.
The only permanent surface populations are in areas of perpetual volcanic activity, mystical flames, or other long-lived fires. Examples include the Ailell Caldera in Iceland, the Burning Tower in Japan, and the abandoned town of Empire, West Virginia, where a coal seam has been burning continuously since 1931. Mauna Wela has not been erupting for literal years like Ailell has. It can still erupt for up to four months at a time. Even when it is not erupting there are lava tunnels beneath Akala that can lead to the magma chamber. Magmar only rarely leave the tunnels outside of eruptions but they can be seen from time to time. The island's three magmortar are documented on the surface every few weeks. During eruptions magmar are frequently sighted in and around the lava flow.
Magmortar are predators. There is no apparent reason for this. They can subsist off of minerals alone. Killing and eating mineral pokémon can help them obtain the rarer minerals they need to survive, but magmortar are equally prone to hunting organic and even spectral pokémon. Bone marrow, intestines, and livers appear to be their favorite food. Their provision in captivity leads to a statistically significant increase in activity and behaviors associated with happiness. Magmortar rarely hunt humans. There are many stories of them doing so across the world, and even documented instances in the 18th and 19th Centuries, but the advent of pokéballs has made them wary of people. Most will leave the area if they see one.
Magmar not have many of the traditional tools of a predator. They are very noticeable because of their heat and emitted light. They are not particularly fast, capping out at movement speeds of four miles per hour. Magmortar have cannons to hunt with but magmar and magby are limited to plumes of fire. Instead, magby and magmar hunt in packs. They use their natural heat to ignite the dry plants on Mauna Wela. A few walk into a patch of foliage, each from different sides. They seek to kill their prey in the confusion by blunt force trauma, stampeding, or immolating the head so that the torso's organs are uncooked. They dislike eating food that has been burnt up before they begin eating, even though it will almost certainly be thoroughly charred by the time they finish their meal. Sometimes a group of magmar will try to ambush more formidable prey, such as dragons, by approaching their nest and forcing the prey to fight at melee range in defense of their eggs or flightless offspring. Reptiles and dragons are some of magmar's preferred, and most dangerous, prey.
At the end of the day all of the magmar will return to the nearest source of lava to bask in it. Doing so allows them to repair all damage to their body within a few hours. Intense flames have a similar effect, albeit at a much slower rate and without providing minerals to replace lost tissue with. In emergencies magmar will sometimes breathe flame into injured specimens to keep their body from cooling to the point of hardening.
Husbandry
The primary problem with magmortar care is keeping them from dying of hypothermia. Every night they must have a sufficiently warm place to retreat to. In practice this requires industrial ovens that can reach temperatures of at least twice the pokémon's surface temperature. Elementally charged flames, such as those from other pokeemon, lower this requirement to only the pokémon's surface temperature. Even for magby this can be challenging. Modified pottery kilns work for magby. Magmar and magmortar will require more specialized setups, usually custom made for the purpose. Fire-type trainers with extremely hot pokémon such as volcarona may be able to get around these requirements. It is no accident that every prominent magmortar trainer is a fire-type specialist.
The secondary problem with magmortar care is keeping them from burning down things they shouldn't at night. Magby naturally breathe out incredibly hot embers. Sometimes their nose leaks a substance similar to burning napalm when they get cold. They can be taken into the outside world with a great deal of caution. Magmar and magmortar can cause vegetation to ignite by mere proximity. Any facility built to house them must be built from specialized materials or at least designed so that the surfaces can melt and resolidify without serious damage being done. Taking them out in public is inadvisable if not illegal.
Magmortar's diet is primarily made up of minerals. Granite and quartz should make up the core of their diet. Gold, iron, and tungsten should make up at least 25%. More food should be provided after injuries or if the heating is inadequate for a short period of time.
It is only safe to interact with magmortar while wearing highly specialized equipment. Even magmar and magby require industrial caliber heatproofing equipment for safe contact. Magby can be handled without full body gear but will still need heatproofing equipment on any limb that touches them. A full suit of personal protective equipment is still highly recommended as magby are excitable and may not stand perfectly still when touched.
In practice magmortar are only owned by researchers studying the mantle, professional fire-type specialists who can afford the expensive equipment they require, and metalworking facilities. Magmortar flames can be up to ten thousand degrees Fahrenheit, allowing them to melt even the most heatproof of metals. Keeping up these flames will also begin to deform the pokémon's body, limiting the time they can be used. For this reason some metalworking facilities keep teams of magmortar on hand. This is not substantially more expensive than caring for one magmortar, especially for operations that end up with a great deal of scrap metal to feed to their pokémon.
Some potters and casual fire-type specialists keep magby. They are still dangerous pokémon that are quite difficult to care for, but they can still be raised outside of heavily controlled environments. Taking one onto the trail is still unlikely to succeed. Trainers who insist on using a magby on their island challenge should spend most of their time at a central base, only going into the field when absolutely necessary. This is not the island challenge experience most trainers want.
Illness
By far the biggest health problem for the line is hypothermia. When internal temperatures get too low the pokémon will begin to solidify. Once the circulatory system is frozen death will follow in a matter of minutes. The pokémon's organs also tend to explode or crack during this process. Magmortar are capable of keeping themselves warm during daytime trips to very cold locations. There is not much difference between zero degrees and one hundred for a creature with a surface temperature of over 1100 degrees. The real risk of hypothermia comes when the pokémon does not have access to an adequately warm place to sleep and heal at night. Even standard flames may not be hot enough for them. Very large campfires can be adequate resting places for a few nights, but even these fires must be continuously maintained for several hours. Even hotter temperatures will be required for healing.
The first sign of hypothermia is a highly flammable fluid leaking from the nose or mouth. The next sign is usually the exhalation of black smoke. Magmortar's breath is usually clear. Black smoke only settles in when they have recently eaten something with a great deal of impurities or they are tired, heavily damaged, or cooling down. All three mean that the pokémon will need to retreat someplace warm.
Most physical damage is actually not a serious, long-term problem. So long as the pokémon can find some place sufficiently warm they can melt down their body and recast it without the damage. This may require external material if part of their mass was lost in the injury. They also appreciate having granite provided as it often resolidifies in a way they dislike. The pokémon should be allowed to stay in their basking place until they decide to reemerge. Premature removal can cause far more damage than the initial wound.
Evolution
Magby evolve into magmar when they have consistently been exposed to temperatures hot enough to support their evolved form. On average this requires a month of nightly access to a sufficiently hot resting place. This makes it quite easy to prevent a magby from evolving, which is generally preferable. Magmar are substantially more difficult to care for than their preevolved form. The evolution occurs when the magby finds the hottest place they can and a helpful magmortar. Their form is melted down and entirely reforged into that of a magmar.
Magmar evolve into magmortar if their resting place is hot enough to support it, or if they believe they could find a sufficiently hot area and are facing frequent combat situations. Evolution requires incredibly hot temperatures of at least 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It also requires the pokémon to amass a great deal of gold and titanium and bring it to the forge where they will remake themselves. Magmortar evolution in captivity can be very expensive due to the metal requirements and logistically difficult due to the need to find a forge.
Battle
Magmortar are restricted in popularity by the difficulty of caring for them. They would otherwise be would be far more dominant on competitive circuits. Simply put, magmortar are dangerous for most pokémon to even approach. Melee attackers will usually hurt themselves far more than the magmortar in the process of attacking it. Common anti-fire strategies are also often ineffective. Magmortar's outer shell will keep most rock attacks from reaching the core and their body heat will evaporate any water that gets close. Very powerful seismic attacks can disrupt their physical composure or internal circulation. This is their only serious defensive weakness.
Offensively magmortar can launch powerful cannon shots and extremely hot bursts of fire. Their cannon shots are limited and their flamethrowers are functionally limited, too, by the damage that will occur to the arm. Most trainers do not use magmortar offensively, preferring instead to have them slowly light more and more of the arena aflame until even their slow speed is enough to corner and scorch an enemy. Cannon shots or flamethrowers can be used as part of this plan or to ground pokémon that would otherwise simply fly above the inferno on the field. Magmortar can also purposefully weaken their shell to unleash flames directly from their core all over their body, creating a massive pulse of heat at the cost of greatly reduced staying power. Magmortar must be withdrawn once they have sufficiently damaged themselves or are beginning to suffer from hypothermia.
The only good way for most pokémon to play against them is to keep their distance, place obstacles between themselves and the fire-type, and wait for them to exhaust themselves. Ranged offensive attacks strong enough to dent their armor can accelerate this process. Telepaths and ghost-types can strike the pokémon's elemental core, although magmortar's mind and spirit are so odd that they are still resistant to both kinds of attacks. Physical engagement should be avoided at all costs, except for those few pokémon that can temporarily withstand magmortar's flames. Rhyperior, steelix, and volcarona are the most prominent hard counters to magmortar. None of these three are particularly common on the competitive circuits.
In practice, magmortar are uncommon enough that most trainers do not need to have a dedicated check or counter on their team. Ranked trainers should still have a strategy, though, if only because the current top ranked trainer has been known to use one.
Magby may struggle in some of the later stages of the island challenge. Very little will be able to fight a magmar. There are a few pokémon that can trivialize even the final stages of the island challenge but are so difficult to care for that very few people, if any, will ever use them. Magmar and magmortar solidly fit into this category.
Acquisition
Magby can be found on Mauna Wela or any other volcano during eruptions. Trainers can catch one by getting within three hundred yards of the lava flow and waiting. Retrieving the ball after the capture can be dangerous or impossible depending on where it falls. It is best to wait for the pokémon to get more than two hundred yards away from the lava flow and in a position where the ball will not roll back into the lava after capture. Magnetic retrieval gloves can be helpful for solving the latter problem.
Magmar and magmortar can be found around Mauna Wela on a more regular basis, even if they are only seen once every few days. Consult with a park ranger to find the best place to find them. Please be aware that magmortar capture is currently prohibited to allow for research on the population.
The Ember Breeding Company on Akala occasionally sell magby of various ages, including eggs. This is safer and more reliable than trying to capture a wild specimen but will cost several thousand dollars.
Magby can be captured, purchased, or adopted with a Class IV license. Magmar and magmortar require a Class V license to possess, even if a trainer with a Class IV license legally obtained a magby and evolved them. This is because of the increased danger and care requirements involved in magmar and magmortar care.
Breeding
The mechanics of breeding inside of the mantle are poorly understood. Presumably magmar are capable of reproducing. The magmortar breeding populations on the surface are highly unlikely to be the origin of all magby that live in the mantle. However, magmar have never been documented breeding on the surface. Only magmortar have.
Magmortar reproduce in pairs. In the past it was believed that there were distinct sexes and one of each was required. Recent research has failed to uncover sex organs and has suggested that magmortar can breed with any other magmortar. Like most mineral pokémon, this takes the form of assembling their offspring. Unusually the assembled product is a spherical egg with a metallic exterior and a very hot interior where the magby finishes developing. Magmortar create two eggs but are only invested in one. The other is donated to other magmortar or simply abandoned. Abandoned eggs are unlikely to hatch absent human intervention or a chance adoption by another fire-type.
Magmortar take turns watching over their offspring. When one parent leaves to feed and explore the other will stay behind to look after their magby. Parents gather food for the magby until they are about six months old, at which point they are given increasing independence. Parental oversight never fully ends, even once the magby has evolved into a magmortar, but grows far laxer with time.
Captive breeding of magmortar is inevitable if two are kept together in adequate conditions. The magmortar will usually present their trainer with one of the eggs to raise on their own. This should be done in an incubation chamber kept at similar temperatures to the magmortar's primary habitat. Ideally another magmar or magmortar will agree to become the egg's guardian. This decreases the likelihood the magby will readily agree to leave to another facility but substantially reduces the work involved in raising ones. If a surrogate is not found the trainer must take it upon themselves to raise a small child that could inflict second to third degree burns with an unprotected hug.
The egg-forging magmortar will not care what happens to their second egg. It can be sold, raised separately, or given to a surrogate without issue. Attempting to remove the primary egg will result in aggression. Even removing the magby is risky until they evolve into a magmar.
Relatives
Magmortar and all other mantle-dwelling mineral pokémon are in the Class Igneminfra. Macargo and magmortar are the best known examples of this class as both are occasionally seen on the surface. Exactly how closely related the two are, or how relation would even be determined for mineral pokémon with no genetic code or consistently solid organs, is unsettled.