Charmander Line

General

Classification
Scalekin
Element
Fire
Sapience
Non-sapient
Silhouette
Environment
Volcanic, Desert

The charmander line consisted of fairly well-known volcanic reptiles. They were frequently offered as a starting companion for beginning handlers due to their playful and curious natures, thus it was not uncommon to see the powerful later-stage charizard under the command of experienced trainers. However, wild broodmothers and broodlords were known for their aggression, and for this reason wild populations were generally closely monitored.

Stages

Charmander

The base stage of the line, charmanders were considerably smaller than their late-stage counterparts. They resembled lizards more than dragons, and many of the features that were trademarks of their so-called "adulthood"—such as horns and wings—were not yet visible. Sexual dimorphism was also fairly limited at this stage. Males were more brightly colored than the females and normally sported the bright orange coloration that was characteristic of the species. Females tended to be a bit duller and slightly darker in comparison. However, both sexes are roughly of the same size and build.

They had very small fangs and claws, and they were not considered to be powerful fighters as the flames they could produce, while hot enough to burn, could be easily extinguished, thus even inexperienced handlers were able to handle them with relative ease.

Charmanders were often offered to beginning trainers due to their docile natures and playful temperaments. They were rarely aggressive, and would typically display curiosity towards just about everything in the world around them. They loved to play, and young wild charmanders were often seen in groups play-fighting and wrestling, and almost anything can become a toy. However, they were typically heavily reliant on more powerful individuals of their brood, notably their mothers, as their small size made them easy prey for more predatory species.

Charmeleon

Charmeleons were typically associated with the adolescent stage of the charizard growth pattern, as their evolution into a more dangerous stage normally resulted in them to be more aggressive and reckless. They were distinct from charmanders due to their much more pronounced claws and the horn on the back of their head, and particularly powerful charmeleons would also sometimes display "wing buds", which were the sacs from whence the wings of a charizard would form.

Like in the charmander stage, male charmeleons were more brightly colored than the females, and their horn also was normally more pronounced. They normally used their developed natural weapons to establish a pecking order within the brood, and it was not uncommon for fatalities to occur in scraps between older, more experienced charmeleons that had long left the safety of their broodmother. However, it was rare for a male to attack a female and vice-versa, and instead the sub-hierarchies that developed seemed to be utilized to establish potential pairings between unrelated members of a brood, as the strongest male would inevitably attempt to court the strongest female.

Charmeleons who were raised by a handler from infant-hood were still known to display a rebellious and more aggressive behavior, though a well-trained pokémon was far more easy to control than a wild one. Thus, it was incredibly important that a bond be established from a young age, so that the pokémon recognized and respected their handler.

Charizard

An individual was considered to be a charizard once its wings had fully metamorphized and were released from the wing sacs on their backs. The single horn at the back of a charmeleon's skull would have normally split and formed two defined horns, though a mutation where it remains a solitary one was not unheard of. Charizards could continue to grow in size for several years as they amassed power, and ancient charizards could be genuine behemoths in size.

Female charizards were duller in coloration than the males, but they could also grow to be much larger. Male horns were longer and more pronounced, and they seemed to be often used in mating displays. Males were still known for being aggressive and reckless, though females were less prone to engage in combat unless the need arose, as ultimately their role in their broods was to ensure the care of eggs and other young. Unlike charmeleons, females did not typically bicker or continue to further establish a hierarchy, though males would still engage in brutal fights as they attempted to court the most desireable females. Deaths of male charizards were quite common, though they were frequently not considered to be much of a loss in a brood, as only one adult male was needed to ensure the brood's continued survival.

Some male charizards, as a result, would set off and attempt to create broods of their own, find other broods where they could fight into a better place in the hierarchy, or choose to remain loners.

Taming a wild charizard was almost unheard of, therefore most trainers needed to raise their charizard from a very young age to ensure loyalty. Charizards that shared a close bond with their handler were known for being fiercely loyal and protective, but there were numerous horror stories that tell of an unbonded charizard turning on and even killing a handler that they did not respect. For this reason, catching a charizard (or even a charmeleon) directly from the wild was considered to be highly dangerous, and only the most daring (or foolish) trainers ever attempt such a feat.

Biology

Abilities

As creatures that were largely attuned to the fire element, members of the charmander line were known for their capacity to thrive in areas such as active lava flows. Their tough scales and general resistance to heat made them almost immune to most examples of the fire element. Thus, stories of charizards actually rising from lava pools were not uncommon.

Members of the charmander line also had specialized sacs in their bodies that allow for the production of a fiery breath. Hydrogen was stored in these sacs—which also helped in maintaining flight—and then forced out at high pressures while a specialized structure in the back of the throat created a spark. This resulted in a powerful stream of fire. Charmanders tended to be capable of much weaker blasts as their hydrogen sacs were not fully developed. A charizard's saliva could also reach extreme temperatures, which aided in tearing apart prey by beginning to burn away the flesh. At times this saliva resembled dripping lava, which gave the impression that a charizard would actually be drooling lava. This super-heating of saliva was a direct response to the charizard's appetite, where the process began as soon as it became clear food is available. Super-heated saliva was also sometimes produced when confronted by a potential opponent, though in these cases it acted as a defensive weapon rather than a digestive tool.

Diet

Wild charizard and their young were largely carnivorous. While groups of charmeleons hunted in groups in order to take down larger prey, fully mature charizards were mainly solitary in their hunting tendencies. Human dwellings near charizard broods were often very wary, as it was quite common for charizards to prey on domesticated pokémon herds or other animals, like those of mareep and their later stages, due to the easy access to available food. Adult females with young would bring food back for their clutch until they were strong enough to hunt on their own, though charmanders were capable of hunting small prey, such as insects, on their own if necessary.

Individual members of this line were noted to consume grown foods—such as berries—when no other sustenance was available. However, charizards without a somewhat steady supply of meat were more prone to illness, thus it was recommended that trainers allowed members of this line under their care to hunt on a regular basis if meat could not be readily provided.

Reproduction

Members of the charizard line reached sexual maturity at around the age of five. Males were considerably more aggressive than females in mating, with loner and rogue males often competing in ferocious battles over available females in the area. Broodlords, however, were the only males permitted to breed within a brood, thus would often have a harem of females readily available. This line was polygamous, though Broodlords could have a specific female in his harem that was a "favourite." A brood could have multiple broodlords within it, provided all of them were capable of holding their own in the hierarchy.

Males had very little to do with the young after they were born aside from offering protection from intruders. Females typically laid a clutch of two to four eggs, which they keep on a nest built from stones. These nests, if the location allowed, were near constant sources of warmth, such as lava flows or hot springs, where the stones were heated naturally. If in an unfavorable area the female would consistently heat the stones herself with her fiery breath.

Once the eggs hatched, the infant charmander were heavily reliant on their mothers for both food and protection. While they could hunt small insects, most of their sustenance was provided by their mothers in the form of small prey animals or chunks of meat from larger kills. They typically would remain with their mothers for about two years, at which point they typically either entered or would be nearing the charmeleon stage. Once her young left her, the female would typically be ready to breed again.

Environment

Members of the charmander line frequently inhabited hot, arid regions, especially the areas around active volcanoes where they would be sighted basking near lava flows. While volcanic plains and mountains are their favored habitat, charizards and their young could also be found in deserts.

Society

Groups of charizards and their young organize themselves into hierarchies known as broods. Each brood was usually ruled by one or a small number of dominant males, which were known as Broodlords. These males had any number of female consorts.

The males in a brood were commonly chased out soon after reaching maturity by the dominant males if they could not fight to maintain a place within the brood. These young males were considered to be among the most dangerous as they would wander large distances searching for loner females to take as consorts in order to start their own brood, or for a weaker Broodlord that they could usurp in order to take over an already established brood.

The size of a brood could range considerably, though with how few broods remained in the wild they typically consisted of anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five individuals, with most of them being young charmanders and charmeleons.

Combat

Charmanders were not known for their combat ability in the wild, and frequently fled from danger rather than confronting it. Charmeleons and charizards, however, would confront any threat with a fierce display of fire, commonly accompanied by a loud roar or growl. Charmeleons frequently relied on their powerful tails and large claws in battle. Their fiery breath, though powerful, was not yet as strong as a mature charizard's.

Charizards, however, used their fiery breath whenever they had the opportunity. They would usually stay airborne and breathe fire at whatever threatened them, resorting to actual physical combat only if it proved necessary. Physical combat generally resulted in fights with other charizards, as the charmander line was highly resistant to flame even from their own species.

Weak points on all members of the charmander line included of their eyes and throat, which were less heavily scaled than other portions of their body. The wings of charizards also were vulnerable as, unlike charmeleons, they were not very quick on the ground and instead relied on the sky for most of their speed. Cutting off a charizard's ability to fly could leave it handicapped and, for that reason, many older males had heavily marred wing membranes from fights with other charizards.

However, charizards would only very rarely attack unprovoked. Most attacks on human settlements and humans themselves were in in the pursuit of food, the protection of young, or a response to its territory being disturbed.

Variations

Myths

Burning Tail Tip

A common myth was that a member of the charmander line would die as soon as the flame on its tail went out. This was not necessarily the case, as the flame was more reminiscent of magma than an actual fire. The flame on the tip of the tail served as a vent to release excess body heat as well as an indication of the individual's current health. When the tail was burning brightly it was an indication of good health, while a tail that was weakly burning indicated a weak or sickly individual, as their body heat was significantly lower. Individuals who were deceased would have no flame at all.

When immersed in water the tip of the tail would essentially crust over—much like how lava hardens when it meets water—however soon after being removed from the liquid it would begin burning again. If the tail was kept extinguished for too long, the individual could die or become extremely ill due to overheating.

Influence

Mythology

Charizards, like other draconic pokémon, were often depicted in mythology as wholly evil creatures that sought only to bring destruction. They were among the common choices for beasts that demanded virgin maidens as a sacrifice, though they had also been revered as gods or spirits of volcanoes by some societies due sightings of them actually emerging from pools of lava. For that reason, some ancient drawings often use charizard as metaphorical symbols for destruction brought by lava flows.

Modern

Charmanders were an extremely popular image among children, and for that reason many toys and books geared towards a younger audience featured them. Charmanders were also considered to be ranked among the most popular starting pokémon for handlers, provided one could be found.

Category: Scalekin