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Description
Carkol (the Coal Pokémon) is an uncommon Rock/Fire-type Pokémon found in coal-laden caverns and mines within Galar and Paldea regions. Surprisingly nimble on their wheels and able to get around town, Carkol are interesting little wheelies that can more than use their burning fuel to scorch and bury opponents at the same time. They might look a little weird to some, but these living mine carts can still more than make your life a living heck if you can’t get past the hunks of burning love…and coal…they will gladly throw at those they don’t like!

First discovered 400 years ago in a coal mine, the members of the Rolycoly family are unique among Pokémon in that, like the members of the Roggenrola family, they contain no organic material in their bodies at all, instead being almost entirely comprised of coal and coal by-products in their case (which make them useful as energy sources themselves, as parts of their bodies that flake off can be used as an alternate fuel source to coal). This strange existence is made possible by a special energy core that lies at the heart of their forms, and while not as energetic as that found in the Roggenrola family, they are still able to use it to animate their bodies and operate in a fairly intelligent state. However, in order to fuel their bodies and keep themselves moving, these creatures must burn fuel as a primary energy source, which not surprisingly makes them very common to see in the coal-laden mines of the Galar region as well as grassy fields, since they can burn other sources of fuel like grass that might get caught in their bodies while moving around. Because of this, these creatures are almost completely limited to these sorts of environments, and only otherwise appear in very rocky terrain where there may be coal deposits still just beneath the surface. As they grow and develop, these creatures will become more capable of using their forms to harness fire as a power alongside their normal Rock-type attributes, but as they are, they can still make themselves into formidable beasts with impressive offenses and defenses, and are harder to tackle than most other Rock-types with Water-type assaults as a consequence of their signature Steam Engine Ability. This special Ability boosts their Speed stat to its maximum possible value if they are hit by a Fire or Water-type attack, making it possible for these stony beasts to accelerate far past the movement speeds of opponents in many cases and in turn deliver devastating strikes before anything can readily stop them.

When Rolycoly evolve into Carkol, their bodies become much more efficient at burning coal as they can burn it at a much higher temperatures, and because of this, their control over fire becomes much greater, allowing them to learn the Flame Charge attack as soon as they evolve and effectively become partial Fire-types, their body temperature further increasing when they feel strong emptions. While this does render them more vulnerable to certain types of attacks, it does allow them to make good use of the few Fire-type attacks they can get naturally, plus they lose their Heatproof Ability in favor of Flame Body and can learn the Burn Up attack late in life. These beasts are able to spew flames from their bodies at temperatures of over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and can thus make themselves a noticeable threat in close quarters where their flames can reach, and getting near them is an unwise decision as well as they are hot to the touch and can cause searing burns if direct contact is made. Moreover, they are far more mobile than their pre-evolved form on account of traveling on four wheels instead of just one, adding stability to their motions alongside the coal tar they generate in their upper bodies that allows them to keep their form coherent and in one piece even when rolling around at high speeds. While still not extremely fast, they can dash up to 18 miles an hour and thus have some decent speed at their side for a Pokémon of their type, and given that their bodies are made out of burning coal, this can make it very difficult to stop them once they get started; the only real weakness they have is that they are extremely weak to water and ground-based attacks, but they can still be a nuisance to deal with if their fiery powers cannot be completely suppressed.

Living the dream truly as a set of hot wheels, Carkol are helpful coal sources that can more than keep a home nice and toasty for those in need of some warmth on a cold night. They might be a little hard to catch as they wheel around, but these animated piles of coal can still make a mark in and out of a fight if given the chance. Just don’t get too used to their speed, as it will drop once they become adults…though at that point, you’re more likely to be fearful of the hot tar that is likely to come your way at that point!

Professor Wormwood