Professor Cherry! Ep 1. Tadbulb biologically decoded
(In character) Hello! I am Professor Cherry! And i want to look further into pokemon on a deeper level! So far, I am stranded on Paldea after my sea crew came for supplies and left without me. So here I am on the South province Area 5 of Paldea. Ready to take on a task that no other Professor has done!
As i walk along the beach, i come across a river. I know that the Great City of Mesagoza has numerous rivers, so ill travel along it until I come across the city!
I spot with my eye a little golden nugget. As i approach, it begins to move! That's not item! That's a Pokemon! And i believe the name is Tadbulb.
As i approach, it begins to cry. The bulb flashes its bright colors at me. Not as in an attack state, but a warning that if I get closer, a battle will start! I take out my pokedex and get a read on it.
Tadbulb is the only EleTadpole pokemon. Theyre about one foot in height, 0.9 pounds, and have abilities such as Static and Own Tempo.
Tadbulb shakes its tail to generate electricity. If it senses danger, it will make its head blink on and off to alert its allies.
It floats using the electricity stored in its body. When thunderclouds are around, Tadbulb will float higher off the ground
I was really fascinated about the first dex entry so I did some research into it.
In biology, this behavior is a form of aposematism (warning signaling) combined with intra-specific communication (alerting allies).
Because Tadbulb uses light flashes specifically, the biological mechanisms and concepts at play include bioluminescent signaling. Which is what you might see with Photoplankton and fireflies. That allows it to flash its body using its own chemicals. Other pokemon examples include Lumineon which is the only other pokemon I can think of that has this.
The other thing it uses is Aposematism. Thsts the advertising of an organism's defense mechanisms (like toxins, stingers, or electric shocks) to potential predators. It may use it as a warning signal to pokemon possibly like Basculion and other river pokemon. Just like how I approached it and it started it's cry!
The third reason it uses this for is stated in the dex, Alarm Signals & Kin Selection. When an animal alerts its "allies" (members of its own species) to danger, it is utilizing alarm signaling.
This is often driven by kin selection, an evolutionary strategy where an organism engages in self-sacrificing behavior (like giving away its position by flashing) to ensure the survival of its close relatives who share its genes.
So in short, they learn to alarm other animals with the same genes. Not jeans. Other real world examples included primates, meerkat, honeybee, squids, and birds.
It would be preyed upon by its weakness, ground types. Things like Paldean Wooper and Clodsire, Whiscash, Barboach, and Bombirdier would eat this little dude up.
It's diet would include little bugs and some fish since it already has moves like water gun and spark. So things like Suirskit and Tarountula. As for fish, a full grown Arrokuda would terrify a Tadbulb, but a juvenile would make a bulb happy.
"Well im glad i understand you a little more Tadbulb!" I say when I throw a pokeball to catch it.
Let me know if you guys liked and enjoyed this. I have a couple more im thinking of but this was the pilot episode and I hope it takes off!
(This is Candy, but as I was in pokemon violet looking at its behaviors, I came across a shiny Tadbulb)
Comments
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If Cherry ends up being the name of the Gen 10 professor, I will laugh so so hard that I may never recover.
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