Pokmon Of The Week #11: Houndour and Houndoom
See, there's the thing about Houndour line: it totally falls in line with the "editorial" aspect of Pokémon concepts being "this or that creature, with strangeness and mysticism behind it". It's a nice approach to something that if you think about it would be reasonable people in the past would have called a "hell hound", without falling into the dark and edgy for the popularity points. They are not overdesigned, but not flat "my mom's dog" either, however that means they do lack something representative and iconic about it, the skull-like protrusion doesn't really cut it. The anime did a good work with it too, both with the introduction of Houndoom during the episode where Togepi gets lost, and with its appearances in such circumstances as Movie 8, where we see three of them working in tandem, faring very well for mooks that have at most a full minute of screentime. Really, it gave the impressoin that if you want order and calm in your team, a Houndoom is a good choice to have around.My character in a Pokémon RP that I'm part of used to have one, because why not? they're awesome. I've been thinking of picking one again, they should be fun to write about.
As for the questions:
* Do you like or dislike these Pokémon? Why?
* Do you like these Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
More or less already answered.
* How are these Pokémon in-game?
Like most Pokémon, in-game they are just fine, no big pros or downsides. Find and train one, or take the time to breed one specimen, and it'll take you long way. Its largest bonus is not needing a Stone to evolve like many Fire-types of its same kind of likability (Arcanine...).
* How do you think these Pokémon would interact with our world?
They'd be very much disliked by conservative retrogrades I'm guessing, in particular the religious kind ("hell hound", and all that). Because of their Fire typing and their pack behaviour, they also would tend to become an issue in city outskirts or around routes, attacking trainers or raiding places if they are left unchecked. But when they have company, when they have someone they can fill the role of a "guardian" dog for, like with most dogs they would be very effective at it, which is why we created dogs in real life. Its relatively simple form, without elements like fur manes that can weigh it down or get him stuck with stuff, would make Houndour and Houndoom great assets for both public and private search and rescue systems, and the idea of a Dick Tracy detective noir-like character with a tagalong kid and their accompanying Houndour wandering into the night is just the right kind of lovable.
* If given the power to, would you change anything about these Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
As with any and all Pokémon, they can always be better. I think the Mega is overdone, so I would tone its design back a bit, for one. It's hidden ability could use improvement, but that's an issue with the ability, not with Houndour. I don't really get into stats and competitive stuff so nothing to say from that angle, though I'm guessing extra Sp.Def. would get along with the concept of a "hell hound", difficult to rid of. IMO, it's one of the "normal" Pokémon that could very well use a signature move, so why not, let's give it one. Something something blue fire. Maybe a "countdown"-like form of burn, where you don't get the damage per-turn but instead you get an unshakable countdown, Perish Song style, where after that time you get accumulated Fire damage. Sticks past switches, too, so switching out your Pokémon only extends its awake time.
All in all a nice kind of Pokémon to follow with the concept of what a "Pokémon" means. Not too many bells and whistles, but just about the right combination of stuff to make it interesting and "lively" into a world of alike creatures.
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