It is said that on dark nights in Unova, treasure-hunters from afar are often lured by the sight of glowing golden rings levitating in mid-air. Although some tales attribute to these rings mystical powers, such as invisibility or immortality, most hunters are lured to them by the possibility of gold. But inevitably, once they touch these mystical rings, these greedy individuals are left unconscious, bereft of whatever coins or other small trinkets they were carrying, and with a bite mark from a single, large tooth somewhere on their body – and all such travelers agree that the rings had the texture not of metal, but of fur.
These golden "rings", as most Unovans and few foreigners know, are in reality the fur of a Watchog's chest and tail. And although few humans are greedy or ignorant enough to fall for their tricks in the modern era, their advanced minds rendered them unlikely targets in the first place, and it is telling that most humans who encounter Watchog end up only robbed. After all, pokemon ranging from Purrloin to Volcarona are drawn to shiny round objects, and these creatures are rarely so lucky. They comprise most of Watchog's diet, for despite their above-average size, Watchog struggle to take down prey without the aid of subterfuge.
Insofar as humans are concerned, however, Watchog gold can be nearly as profitable as the real thing. Despite their non-metallic composition, stories abound of Unovan merchants selling rings of golden Watchog fur abroad. Even today it is used in jewelery as an affordable substitute for true gold, for even after shedding, Watchog fur never loses its luster.