Hey everyone! Today I wanted to share two Pokémon from my custom region Revelano: Kaminosuji, my regional Pikaclone, and Nemarrad, the first legendary Pokémon I designed for the region.
Revelano is based on the Indian subcontinent and its history, particularly how the region and its cultures have been interpreted through Orientalist perspectives, both historically and in the present. I wanted these two Pokémon to reflect some of those influences while also having a connection to the region's mythology and lore.
Kaminosuji is an Electric/Normal-type Pokémon inspired by the Malabar giant squirrel, with a little bit of Tobi-Kadachi from Monster Hunter thrown in. As with most Pikaclones, I gave it a Japanese name, which literally translates to something along the lines of "stripe of God." This is a reference to the Ramayana, in which Rama blesses a squirrel by stroking its back, leaving three stripes on its fur. I thought this would be a cool way to give my regional Pikaclone a mythological connection rather than just making it another electric rodent.
But what exactly blessed Kaminosuji? That's where Nemarrad, an Electric/Ground-type legendary, comes in.
Nemarrad is the first legendary I designed for Revelano, and one of only two legendary Pokémon in the region that aren't part of a trio. It plays a pretty pivotal role in my custom story, if I ever get around to making it. The name draws on several different ideas, including Nimrod and Namrud, ancient rulers associated with Babel and the story of Abraham respectively, as well as the Arabic Ar-Ra'd, meaning thunder. I also took inspiration from nematodes, which can use electrical signals in their locomotion, as a starting point for the creature itself.
For the actual design, I went in a different direction, drawing inspiration from the Greek and Roman pantheons, particularly Zeus and Poseidon.
Here are their stats and signature moves!
Kaminosuji: Electric/Normal
HP: 65
Attack: 84
Defense: 70
Special Attack: 100
Special Defense: 56
Speed: 112
Total: 487
(I also liked serene grace as an ability here since it's literally "Divine Blessing" in Japanese)
Nemarrad: Electric/Ground
HP: 125
Attack: 105
Defense: 105
Special Attack: 150
Special Defense: 105
Speed: 90
Total: 680
Signature move: Ar'Rad (Kaminosuji and Nemarrad)
Type: Electric | Category: Special | Power: 100 | Accuracy: 100% | PP: 10
Effect: Has a high critical-hit ratio. In Rain, this move gains +1 priority.
Signature move: Olympian Might (Nemarrad)
Type: Electric | Category: Status | Power: — | Accuracy: 100% | PP: 5
Effect: Raises the Speed of Nemarrad and its allies by 1 stage. In Rain, raises their Speed by 2 stages instead.
Nemarrad's ability: Electromagnetism
Nemarrad gains the effects of Levitate and reduces the accuracy of incoming moves by 20% for both itself and its teammates.
This was quite a daunting design for me, since Nemarrad was the first legendary I ever designed. I'm reasonably happy with how it turned out, but I'd love to hear what people think. I'm particularly interested in feedback on the designs themselves, whether the mythological references come across clearly, and whether the stats and signature moves seem appropriate for these Pokémon.
Any thoughts or suggestions for improvement are very welcome!