Kabutops (Kabuto)
Kabutops maximus

Overview

Kabuto are an ancient lineage dating back to the Cambrian. They were believed to have gone extinct in the late Permian or early Triassic when kabutops tracts disappeared from the fossil record. Kalosian natural historians had written treatises on the fossils as early as 1640.

European explorers rediscovered a living population of kabuto in 1722. In fact they were local abundant around Rapa Nui with thousands coming to its beaches to lay eggs every month.

Scientists were fascinated by the species. At one point bringing a live specimen back to a European university could earn a year's wages, leading to a boom in harvesting that caused their numbers to decline. Rapa Nui banned hunting in 1811 and populations mostly rebounded.

In the 1970s interest grew in reviving fossils. Early kabutops species were a very promising candidate given the extant population to crossbreed with and knowledge of their care. This coincided with the discovery that kabuto blood contains disinfectants and coagulants. Kabuto blood now sells for tens of thousands of dollars per gallon. The European captive population had declined to eight individuals due to inbreeding and a difficulty breeding them.

All of this combined to present Rapa Nui with a very lucrative revenue source. The island was culturally rich but monetarily poor. A decision was made to reopen the kabuto harvest.

Fifty years later, the last continuous kabuto lineage is on the brink of extinction. Where thousands of kabuto once mated every month only a few dozen show up. The reduced numbers has increased pressure on the remaining eggs from seabird predation.

Wild, revived, and hybrid kabuto are expensive compared to most pokémon, but relatively cheap compared to other fossils. This makes them a popular introduction to the care of revived pokémon. While Kabutops may no longer the planet's apex predator, they are still extremely formidable combatants that can see success through the end of the island challenge.

Physiology

Kabuto and kabutops are classified as dual rock- and water-types. Some scholars contend they deserve a big-typing as they are arthropods related to the arachnids, almost all of whom have bug-typings. They are also adept at using bug-type moves. However, their thick stone carapace, aquatic habitat, and hydrokinesis make the current typings more applicable than one primarily rooted in lineage.

Kabuto are the last of the trilobites. They are like nothing else seen on the planet since the dawn of the Mesozoic. A kabuto's body is composed of two segments, a prosthoma and an opisthoma. The prosthoma is the head and opsithoma the remainder of the body. The prosthoma is the heavier of the segments and contains all sensory organs and the core of the nervous and circulatory systems. The opsithoma contains a segmented thorax and the bulk of the digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems.

Kabuto have a heavy stone carapace on their back. It is not segmented and extends from the prosthoma to cover the entire body. The opsithoma is built to carry some of the weight but has no direct connection to the carapace.

Every kabuto has nine eyes. Two are located on the back. These are simple eyes that can only detect light and potentially crude motion. There are five more small, simple eyes on the front and bottom of the prosthoma. Kabuto's primary eyes are two forward-facing, holochoral eyes. Each contains over 10,000 lenses. Kabuto have color vision, extremely accurate depth perception, and the ability to distinguish similar objects over 200 yards away in clear water. Their other senses are a bit more limited. They have a chemoreceptor used for smelling the water and a very crude sensory pit for detecting vibrations.

Kabuto also have chilicerae, a pair of fangs and pincers located just beneath the mouth. These are usually kept pressed against the exoskeleton but can be brought out to keep opponents away from the head, move food to the mouth, latch onto objects, or even to drain bodily fluids through their hollow interiors. They have eight smaller legs beneath them used for locomotion. Four are for walking and four are tipped with paddles that can propel them through the water. Only two sets are down at a time with the others tucked against the body.

Kabutops are evolved for a more predatory niche. Their thorax has more pronounced segmentation than kabuto. The carapace has split into multiple segments. A large semicircular plate covers the prosthoma. The opisthoma has a single large plate over the center of the back with smaller, slightly maneuverable plates positioned perpendicular to the long plate. The side plates, or fins, can be moved to alter the flow of water around the body and accelerate or decelerate quickly. Kabutops have a maximum swimming speed of roughly thirty-three miles per hour, which was likely far faster than their Ordovician Era prey.

Kabutops have only two pairs of legs, not including the chilicirae The foreleg of the front limbs is a large crescent-shaped blade with an extremely sharp edge. Prior to revival there was debate as to what secondary purposes they may have had. Some scholars argued they were paddles. Others that they were used to anchor in the substrate. In reality kabutops scythes are used for sex and violence. They are formidable weapons that can slash through most prey. Kabutops can also rub them against each other in a certain way to produce a scraping sound that serves as a mating call. The hind legs are much longer than kabuto with broad feet ending in two long claws. These allow them to stand bipedally on land or anchor themselves for more powerful slashes. Kabutops struggle to move quickly bipedally and prefer to slide on their stomach while creating a jet of water beneath them. Their tracts are more common in the fossil record than conventional kabutops fossils.

Until the species rediscovery by science it was unknown how they breathed in the water. They had crude air sacs in their prosthoma that could store oxygen when moving on land. However, no evidence of gills was preserved in the fossil record. Surviving and revived kabuto have book gills, appendages used for gas exchange with the surrounding water. Kabutops can manipulate their fins to drive water straight past the book gills and ensure an adequate supply of oxygen during periods of intense activity.

Kabutops grow to lengths of eight feet. Their hunched posture means they are less than six feet tall when standing upright. Females can weigh up to five hundred pounds. This is almost entirely due to the carapace. Excluding it, kabutops are far lighter than their size would suggest. Males are smaller, rarely exceeding six feet and three hundred pounds. Captive lifespans are around twenty years in good conditions. Wild kabuto lifespans are about five years.

Behavior

Kabuto are scavengers that spend most of their time trawling the substrate one to three hundred feet beneath the surface. They will also hunt any worms are small crustaceans they come across. They try to minimize eating shelled creatures as they lack a jaw to break them down. Instead, tougher food is ground by sand and pebbles in their gizzard.

Wild kabuto are known for having many other organisms living on their carapace. Kabuto have no ability to remove them, move around, and will defend themselves against larger creatures. This makes their carapace an excellent home for barnacles. They may also host echinoderms, anemones, and snails. On occasion a male will latch onto a female's back and not let go for months, sometimes going without eating for the duration.

There has not been a truly wild kabutops population in hundreds of millions of years. They were believed to be apex predators that initially dominated the seas with their size, speed, and scythes. As the Silurian gave way to the Devonian, large fish began to compete for kabutops' niche. They evolved to hunt on land for brief periods of time, probably to chase prey towards the shore and then eating them when they grounded themselves. Kabutops may have even used their scythes to cut down trees to eat animals nesting in them. This connection is tenuous, rooted in a single fossil of a large tree with a clean cut through it. Kabutops may have also eaten the tree itself. They are known to eat driftwood and will readily accept fruit in captivity.

Perhaps in the Permian, when the seas had long outgrown kabutops' reign, the ability to surface let them escape their own predators.

Kabutops fossils generally have not been found clustered together. They are sometimes tolerant of conspecifics in captivity but rarely social.

Captive specimens tend to rest in their enclosure's substrate for most of the day. Their fins are used to move oxygenated water past their book gills. They visually track moving objects. If they decide to attack, they lift themselves off the seafloor and quickly accelerate to chase the prey down before ending it with a slash. They prefer to drive prey onto land rather than killing it underwater as the former lets them drain all the fluids with their chilicirae. Their lungs may have evolved to chase prey onto land, but scholars have argued with these results as they occurred in revived, captive specimens in situations where they may have been incentivized to push their prey to shore due to the design of the testing facility.

Husbandry

Kabuto are hardy creatures that can survive in water between 55 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They can tolerate salinities between seven and sixty parts per thousand. Pools should be a minimum of two hundred square feet with a thick layer of sandy substrate. They do not care about depth as long as their entire carapace is underwater. Kabuto can be given access to a land area but will not reliably use it.

Kabutops need larger, deeper pools than kabuto. The deepest part should be at least eight feet deep. Substrate should be at least as thick as in a kabuto tank. Kabutops prefer having access to a sandy beach area. If indoors they enjoy having a heat lamp to bask under.

Theoretically both kabuto and kabutops can survive indefinitely on land as long as they receive adequate food and access to fluids. This still causes them distress, especially if the ocean is not in view. Use of a translator can alleviate concerns. Kabutops are reasonably intelligent and can be trained through classical condition or bargained with through a translator.

Kabuto enjoy oysters or clams that have been removed from their shells, crustacean, fish, and worms. They can be fed some pre-packaged mixes but these are generally inadequate for meeting all of their dietary needs. On land kabuto should be given access to a pouch with a thin membrane and water inside of it. Kabuto can stab into the pouch and drink through their chilicirae. Scattering food in their substrate can be good enrichment but can also foul the water if it is not found.

Kabutops prefer fish and larger invertebrates. They will also eat amphibians and reptiles. Birds and mammals will sometimes be accepted, but this varies depending on the individual. Kabutops prefer food that is strung along by a fishing line or other cable to give them something to chase.

In addition to their standard diet, kabuto and kabutops should either be kept in mineral rich water or given frequent access to small pebbles and fragmented cuttlebones to allow for proper carapace growth.

Kabuto are extremely easygoing teammates that rarely have conflicts with teammates, aside from a few very large predators that try to eat them. Kabutops are also surprisingly accepting of other species so long as they do not swim in their pool. Anything that swims in their pool while the kabutops is hungry may be chased down and dismembered, regardless of prior affinity. Allies met exclusively on land, in shallow water, or while full are usually tolerated. Some are even appreciated if they prove competent battlers or help clean the kabutops' carapace.

Illness

Kabuto and kabutops rarely have serious health problems. Physical injuries can be healed by molting. Bacterial and viruses in their bloodstream are usually clotted around and prevented from spreading to the rest of the body. Some parasites can be a problem if they lodge themselves near the book gills. They are also known to be host to cyanobacteria colonies that can make them very sick. Finally there is the risk of panhypoproteinemia. This syndrome causes a gradual loss of proteins throughout the body. It is 100% lethal and usually kills within five weeks of detection. Its cause is still unknown but the syndrome has become rarer as husbandry has improved.

Evolution

Kabuto spend the first week of their life drifting as larvae. Then they sink to the seafloor and settle. Kabuto grow extremely rapidly, alternating between week long periods of molting, growing, and reforming their carapace and three day periods of non-stop consumption. Kabuto undergo twenty molts in their first sixth months of life until they reach full size. Every molt involves less physical growth and more growth of the carapace. Kabuto can consume small portions of their old stone armor but cannot process shed exoskeletons like some modern crustaceans can. The long periods spent without any protection leads to extremely high juvenile mortality.

Kabuto have not evolved into kabutops for hundreds of millions of years. The lineages that could evolve died out at the end of the Permian in favor of sticking to scavenging the benthos for life. Revived and hybridized kabuto can evolve. If food is extremely abundant for a few weeks kabuto will gorge themselves. After a few days of nearly continuous eating they may flash evolve into a kabutops. The new kabutops is only about 50% larger than the kabuto. They will steadily grow to their full size over the course of four to five more months. Unlike modern crustaceans kabutops do reach a terminal size and will no longer molt unless injured. These molts do not result in growth, simply regeneration.

Captive kabutops prefer to spend the entire molting process hiding in the sand. During this time their claws are not fully developed and they have few defensive or offensive tools.

A kabuto that has stopped molting can be provided a great deal of food for several weeks. This will usually trigger evolution.

Battle

Kabutops' viability is more dependent on the arena than most pokémon. Specifically, their odds of success depend on the floor. Kabutops can zip around open, sandy arenas with or without water features and deliver devastating blows up close. Any attacks aimed their way while in motion will hit their armor. Environments that are slick due to rainfall are extra beneficial.

Kabutops struggle to maneuver on grassy terrain and hard, packed surfaces like concrete. Arenas with lots of features to avoid are even more problematic.

Kabutops aren't particularly fast without sliding. They can still outwalk most walls. Their very sharp claws, decently strong armor, and access to swords dance can make them an intimidating wallbreaker in any environment. Their use as a sweeper depends on terrain or the presence of rain. They are reasonably popular on rain teams but can struggle a little outside of them.

On the island challenge kabutops can simply end many fights with a few slashes of their scythes. Even totems cannot keep battling with large gashes in their size. Hard, artificial battlefields are also relatively rare. Many battlefields even have water features. The simple combination of water and bug attacks gives them an advantage over three of the kahunas, although their rock-typing gives them a disadvantage against Hala.

Kabuto function better as support pokémon that can deal damage as needed. Their shells let them tank almost any weak physical hit while setting up stealth rocks or firing projectiles. In a war of attrition, the kabuto eventually wins. Assuming, of course, that they aren't flipped over. Kabuto have no means of righting themselves on land and cannot so much of anything if flipped onto their back. The armor beneath them is weaker than the armor above, letting most opponents quickly and easily defeat them while defenseless. Kabuto's weight and very low center of gravity can make this easier said than done.

Acquisition

International conservation treaties heavily restrict the movement of live wild kabuto. Almost all specimens available in Alola or revived or hybridized. As fossils they are predictably expensive. The cost is more affordable than others. A hybridized kabuto can be purchased for less than three thousand dollars. A pure revived kabuto is somewhat more expensive. Kabutops are rarely available but can sometimes be adopted. Both stages can be purchased or adopted with a Class III license.

Breeding

Kabuto gather on spring tides, high tides under a full moon, to deposit their eggs. They congregate in the intertidal zone. Females dig small burrows and insert eggs through an ovipositor. At least one male will then fertilize the eggs. The female buries them under a thin layer of sand and then departs back to the sea. Kabuto are believed to lay eggs only three to four times per year. Males may attempt to fertilize them far more frequently. A female can lay thousands of eggs at a time.

Captive breeding requires a setup with an artificial beach, simulated tides, and access to natural moonlight. It is fairly straightforward, though, and the kabuto do not mind humans taking their eggs to put them into a hatchery tank.

Hybridized kabuto can breed. Pure revived kabuto cannot. Kabutops mating involves displays of strength between males. These do not involve their scythes, which are to be dangerous to spar with. Instead they stand bipedally on the beach and attempt to knock the other over by pressing into them with their chest. The strongest males may attract a female's attention. She will then deposit eggs in the intertidal zone and the male will fertilize them. Males then stay with the eggs to guard them until they hatch. Kabutops can lay tens of thousands of eggs at a time and lay them up to five times a year. They often pick the same mates but sometimes change their selection over time.

Captive breeding only requires two kabutops of opposite sexes. Ideally, they would be kept apart outside of the week before a full moon. Kabutops will not willingly surrender eggs and may lash out if they are withdrawn to their ball while eggs are removed. They are not protective of larvae or juveniles.

Relatives

Over the course of millions of years, dozens of genera of trilobites rose and fell. Today, two are alive. The first is the natural kabuto, Ultimum deceptor. The revived kabutops are discussed in the entry above. No recent fossils of other kabuto species have been found.

There are persistent rumors that the Plasma Liberation Front directly or indirectly controlled a project trying to create a super weapon. The existence of this weapon, referred to as genesect, has never been proven. Regardless, enough evidence has been leaked that it would be unwise to entirely dismiss it. The story goes that Plasma made a genetically modified kabutops with no scythes but a powerful cannon on its back. Reports vary as to how many, if any, were successfully created. There are no credible reports of the PLF or its successors using a genesect in any of their activities.