I have approximate knowledge of many things

359: Absol

Here's a Pokemon we feel like could mostly be described as "Mid-2000s DeviantArt fursona (affectionate)". Such a haughty, edgy personality to its design as well as being a vague middle-ground between a wolf and a fox. It just feels like a mode of mammalian monster design we don't see much anymore these days, even from the furry community, which has very much mellowed out from its millenials-in-their-teenage-years phase. Perhaps like an edgy self-insert's backstory, Absol is an ultimately misunderstood hero of sorts. Absol just has it all!

The idea is that Absol is said to be a living bad luck charm, only showing up just before a disaster arrives. When it actuality, it's trying to warn people of said incoming disaster, but because we're a weirdly superstitious lot, humans have gone and assumed Absol is a malicious entity that somehow caused these disasters to happen. As such, Absols now live in remote areas like highlands and mountains, away from humanity. Again, it seems rare when they make a Pokemon that people at large seem to dislike, and this is a neat backstory for such a Pokemon. Gosh knows animals irl can have weird superstitions float around them, like Absol is an extreme version of a black cat.

The design itself is pretty cool too, being an odd mix of quadrupedal carnivores, and oddly enough, a bit of human, with such a humanoid head, in spite of the huge scythe sticking out of its neck. Said scythe, while the plausibility of it being a wild animal's weapon is a little up in the air, is certainly a striking visual. The overall package has a bit of a sphinx feel to it, with it being a slightly lion-esque creature with a vaguely humanoid head. In a series with a lot of canid and/or feline critters, Absol stands out among them as more unique than most.

Final boss mode

Mega Absol:

And as if to become more sphinx-like, Absol ups its chimera factor by throwing wings into its mega evolution. They're not functional as wings, but it is nonetheless interesting to portray this creature with a death scythe and an ability to sense imminent danger as a guardian angel of sorts.

And I just CAN'T help but wonder if someone at Gamefreak also saw the parallels between Absol and furry characters from the mid-2000s because cmon. How many of those fellas kinda just had tiny angel wings for no reason?!? Absol is neat, and it thankfully has a Mega that doesn't detract from that fact.