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Gastodon (567.98cm) and Kestodon (524.41cm) being quite smaller than Aptonoth, both in length and shoulder height, is something I did not realize. Arzuros (558.1cm), Lagombi (525.11cm), and Volvidon (768.29cm), and Goss Harag (730.97cm) all being smaller than Aptonoth (though I am very confident that Goss has more mass than one) is a major wtf to me. In every game I've played, the early-game Fanged Beasts seemed to be massive in comparison to the local megaherbivore. This could just be my own memory playing tricks on me. Volvidon being the largest did not track with my memory either, though it may be able to simply by how plentiful the Bnahbra and Altaroth are (not to mention all of the insect endemic life). - Side Note: I am interested to know if Goss, which is an 'Apex-level' Monster on pair with Barioth as far as how the equipment tiers go and star-ratings are concerned, suffers from the steep competition akin to how Nargacuga may. We see it hunt the Anteka in its intro cutscene, but it *seems* large and agile enough to take Popo quite readily. It may be forced to hunt less profitable prey due to the likes of Barioth, Lunagaron, and the occasional Tigrex running around. However, it clearly seems willing to take Tetranadon, and physically dominate the large Amphibian, so perhaps it is much more of a 'If it bleeds, I can kill it" attitude towards predation. The Rachnoids (135.06cm) and Rakna-Kaadaki (857.93cm) showcase why body length is not a great measure of actual body mass. In no world is a Rakna-Kadaki, the mature brooding female, less massive than an Aptonoth. While I admit that I cannot estimate the mass of a scaled-up spider well Rajang (829.11cm in World, 845.91cm in Rise) is an example of a Monster that should never have been scaled down in size. I do not understand why they shrunk the monkey. Tetranadon (964.99cm) and Bishaten (924.79cm) are further examples of length not being a good measure of mass. The former is clearly bulky well beyond what an Aptonoth would be, while Bishten is clearly lithely built.

Dark Types are those which have evolved Void Glands, specialized tissues which secrete an incredibly light-absorbing substance called Void Fluid. It is thought that the unique properties of this fluid are a side in an evolutionary arms-race against Psychic types, given how it functionally makes Shadows types immune to their psychomagnetic perception.

Void glands are primarily found in the integument of the animal, coating the body in a thin film of the dark fluid. The void fluid itself is pitch-black and adhesive, though degrades quickly when exposed to the UV rays of direct sunlight. In some species, glands are also found in the mouth, the fluids often mixed into the animal’s saliva, or as anal glands. Void fluid is not toxic inside the body, such as when applied via bites, but is when applied to the external surfaces of species that aren’t Dark type. This makes it neither a poison nor venom, but toxungen; a biological toxin that is toxic is that is transferred by one animal to another via, spitting, spraying, or smearing without physical contact.

As toxungenous animals, their primary means of prey capture involves ambush. Giving chase is not uncommon, for short distances, but most Dark type predators are not specialized for cursorial hunting. The apparent lethality of their toxins are mild, with numbing being the most common effect, but it is unique in the fact that it is a non-newtonian fluid. Such substances have a variable viscosity dependent on stress, in this case becoming more solid whenever kinetic energy is applied. This means that, once sprayed or spat at, quickly retreating prey often have their movements locked and sluggish due to the adhesive properties of the toxungen.

It has generally been assumed that Dark types are primarily nocturnal, but research into their integuments has made such a statement less clear. While their integuments are often quite well melanized, the hairs, scales, features, setae, or other coverings bear bear microstructures whose refractive index for electromagnetic waves, such as those of visible light, have a negative value over some frequency range. In the daylight, as their void fluid is broken down, these provide the animal with limited form of biological cloaking. This is accomplished by manipulating the paths traversed by light through the novel optical material of their exteriors. Directing and controlling the propagation and transmission of specified wavelengths of light within the visible spectrum of their prey enables Dark-types to be functionally invisible when waiting in ambush during the twilight periods.

The photolysis of void fluid also serves several other functions. One of them is thermoregulation in warmer daytime temperatures via evaporative cooling. Another is that it helps to remove any unwanted bacteria or microbes from the exterior via its toxicity upon decomposition. Further, the degradation process releases odors that signal territory to conspecifics and act as billboards of the health and fitness of individuals during the mating season. Lastly, pursuing prey after an attack is made easier by how prey that initially escapes after being toxungenated can be tracked from the odors produced and further sickened if they inhale the vaporizing toxin. To get the most out of ambush strategies, Dark types tend to prefer densely forested habitats, providing ample cover and shade. Caves are also not uncommon for them to frequent, whether to escape harsh sunlight or forage for other resting prey species.

The development of void glands and their secretions has made Dark-types the premier threats to Psychic types. With such a reliance on psychoreception, the lurking predators unseen to them are extremely difficult for Psychics to overcome. Further, Dark types tend to consume the fat and metallic particles of the psychic organ, having specifically evolved to incorporate metals contained in the tissues into their refractive microstructures. 

Outside of the explicit relationships between Dark and Psychic, the former still has a slew of advantages in interspecific interactions. Electric types have their electroreceptive abilities and swift reactions compromised by void fluid’s non-newtonian properties. Attempts to break free of the adhesive tires them out further, enabling easier killing once exhausted. Water types are very vulnerable to the Dark type’s toxungen due to it corrupting the secretions of salt glands or mucal linings. When exposed to void fluid, the mucus thickens, becoming a cloudy emulsion that is toxic to the Water type and difficult to get out.

Ghost types are at a distinct disadvantage in conflicts with Dark types because the symbiotic microbes the former cultivates suffer when exposed to the latter's antimicrobial secretions. The effects include inhibiting growth, altering metabolism, or even inducing cell death via disrupting cell membrane permeability in bacteria or causing structural damage to the microbes themselves. This also makes the scavengers of the Dark type particularly effective, as they can fend off otherwise lethal ghost types and kill off pathogens in slightly-rotten carcasses with the void fluid in their saliva. Processing the dead is made easier by often employing robust dental adaptations to crack bone and eat the marrow. Bone-cracking structural features also make Dark types successful in frigid habitats, with frozen carcasses forming a decent portion of their diet in winter. Their melanin-rich integuments also aid them in warming themselves with what little sunlight there is during the coldest winter months in northern latitudes. The void fluid they secret also helps as an insulator, trapping even more heat. With such cold-tolerance, they are decent predators of Ice-types where the boundaries of tundra and forest meet.

Bug types, of which arthropods and other chitinous invertebrates are a vast majority, can often perceive Dark types when they are invisible to most animals. This is thought to occur through a wide range of chemical and mechanical sensors, mostly based on modifications of the many bristles that project through their cuticles. Further, robust chemoreceptors often pick up on when void fluid undergoes photolysis, enabling Bug types to reliably parasitize Dark types and even predate them when size is in their favor.

Fairy types, being able to readily photodegrade emit flashes of UV radiation, are a serious threat to Dark types. The flashes themselves can damage the void glands inhibiting production of the fluid. Phototoxins produced by Fairy types can also force crepuscular foes to hide until the next night, the sunlight becoming too painful for them to tolerate and potentially ruining a good feeding day for them. 

Psychic types are those which have developed a pair of specialized tissues that work in tandem to produce psychic phenomena. The combination of both organs in a species is required for the animal to be categorized as a Psychic type, though multiple instances of developing only a single one or losing one over the course of evolution have been recorded.

The first of these organs is called a Mesmer's Organ. It is a specialized mass of adipose tissue, similar to the Melon of some cetaceans, which contains a saline medium. Metallic particles from the animal’s diet are suspended in the medium and isolated from the rest of the body to protect the owner from potential damage via the surrounding layer of dense fat. This organ functions as a biological battery which can produce a magnetic field at will and, depending on the strength of the field generated, the user can affect the senses and physiology of other organisms.

The second of these organs is called an Esper's Organ. It is a specialized cluster of nerves that are directly connected to the visual system and act as a ‘mind lens’ for the animal. This enables the user to focus and modulate the magnetic fields produced via the Mesmer’s Organ, enhancing their ability to generate and manipulate psychic phenomena. Preadaptations to fully utilize this organ include superb visual acuity, spatial reasoning, and an impressive suite of photoreceptor neurons to enable the species to readily perceive electromagnetic fields.

Uses of Psychic organs are myriad. Inducing confusion in others enables easier prey capture and provides time to escape from predators. Incredible vision allows one to spot ripe fruits to eat and to judge distances across terrain. Magnetic forces can be used to manipulate obstacles out of the way and assist in rooting for small invertebrate prey. It is a key tool involved in communication between conspecifics, from signaling territoriality to finding potential mates, as well as sending alarm calls or other information to Psychics, even of other species.

A novel innovation of the Psychic type is that of Psycholocation, the use of psychically active electromagnetic waves, called Psychomagnetic Waves, as a form of environmental navigation. These waves are emitted into their habitats and disturbances caused by their interactions with the electromagnetic waves of other animals convey information about their location, health, size, and often type. This radar-like ability is undetectable by most non-Psychic types, with exceptions in those of clades which largely have a natural means of perceiving a wide spectrum of light.

Because of the significant specialization required for such abilities, psychic types tend to be far less physically powerful than others. Similarly, their senses of smell tend to be worse than what is typical of others of closely-related species due to such reliance on vision. Diurnality is also the norm among Psychic types, as they work best with abundant natural light and colors that can be used to more easily distinguish objects, resources, and others from one another.

Bug Types are those which have evolved a specialized derivative of chitin, made possible by an as of yet poorly studied mutation, known as Teratochitin. This class of complex polysaccharides is much stronger than the more typical chitin, more akin to lignin in its physical properties and its degradation resistance. 

A hallmark feature of animals that utilize teratochitin is the endogenous production itself. This is most common in creatures with a chitinous cuticle, primarily being the arthropods, but there are other phyla within the clade Ecdysozoa (Velvet Worms, Tardigrades, Nematodes, etc.) which all rely upon such integuments. Animals that synthesize chitin without using it as an exterior, such as many mollusks, some fish, and a few amphibians, have been found to develop teratochitin as well. Further, species with that are obligate symbiotes of filamentous and/or mushroom-forming fungi whose cell walls have evolved teratochitin independently have been considered this type, though that is a contentious decision among researchers. 

In its pure, unmodified form, chitin is translucent, pliable, resilient, and quite tough. Teratochitin is similarly translucent, but significantly more reliant and tough than its less derived polymer. It is able to better support weight and enable greater sizes in countless invertebrates, but its greater rigidity makes their bodies inflexible in comparison to their smaller counterparts. In arthropods, teratochitin is often modified, occurring as a component of composite materials which form a tanned proteinaceous matrix, acting as much of the exoskeleton of terrestrial ecdysozoans, such as insects, arachnids, and velvet worms. This matrix, called Teratosclerotin, and is particularly prominent in the armoured parts of their integument. Biting mouthparts are especially hardened and tend to be the strongest parts of the animal’s body.

Teratosclerotin is biochemically variable; different species incorporate various different proteins in various different proportions, and the same Bug Type will use different protein compositions in forming the different components of its body. For example, a caterpillar may have sclerotized jaws, head capsule, and legs, with the rest of the body soft and membranous.

When combined with calcium carbonate, as occurs in the shells of crustaceans and molluscs, teratochitin produces a much stronger composite. This composite material is much harder and stiffer than pure teratochitin, and is tougher and less brittle than pure calcium carbonate. Aquatic ecdysozoans and mollusks, especially marine ones, tend to make use of such mineral stiffening components (as opposed to teratosclerotin). Such adaptations aid them in defense and also enable them, especially mollusks, to use their specialized mouthparts to engage in drilling predation via boring precise holes into the shells of others to consume the soft tissue inside.

Beyond physical properties, teratochitin is much more difficult to digest than chitin. While not as resistant to degradation as lignin, it is more-so than plant cellulose and still demands specialized enzymes for microbes to break it down. These enzymes, called teratochitinases, are produced by fungi and bacteria that catalyze such breakdowns and can often be found in the digestive tract of primarily insectivorous species. Fungi which are entomopathogenic (specialized to infect and seriously disable or kill insects) and/or nematophagous (specialized in trapping and digesting nematodes) are especially important to ecosystems as a means of regulating their populations.

Similar to how rotting wood is home to a wide variety of invertebrates, the decaying teratochitin exoskeletons of megafaunal arthropods provide similar microhabitats. The indigestibility of the polymers means that, for most predators, consumption of the internal organs and muscles is the more efficient means of feeding on the Bug Types. The carcasses are  mostly left to degradation via fungi and/or bacteria, which benefits small invertebrates which feed on the partially digested exoskeletal matter or the fungi/bacteria themselves. With the increased presence of detritivorous, fungivorous, and bacterivorous invertebrates, the larger insectivores and other invertebrate eaters follow to feed on them.

A particular characteristic of the Bug Type are their advantages against the Dragon Type, being mostly unfazed by draconic breath weapons and the specialized blood that otherwise prevents a great swathe of endoparasites from taking root. Dragons tend to use their chemical defenses as a means of olfactory signaling, deterring most other animals from their dens and kills. Insects and other invertebrates may readily consume or otherwise utilize the dragon-touched carrion. Some of them use such corpses as places to lay their eggs, provisioning their young. Particularly robust and teratosclerotinous animals, such as terrestrial megafaunal crustaceans, have been reported to combat similarly-sized draconic carnivores to feed on their kills and potentially outlast them due to their heavily fortified exoskeletons and resistance to breath attacks.

Predators of teratochitinous animals tend towards durophagy in order to crush their shells, often bearing specialized dental plates for efficient feeding. Such species tend to be able to consume all of the animal, leaving little scraps for others. Venomous and/or toxungenous carnivores also find great success in taking down said prey, but tend to leave a lot of meat left on the carcass. A large array of Ghost Types employ pathogenic symbiotes for killing chitinous prey en masse, as do many electric types when they come across swarms or hives.

While Bug Types have many advantages from the evolution of teratochitin, they tend not to be the largest animals in their habitats. Vertebrates, especially draconic ones, still remain larger and bear more robust bodies by virtue of their endoskeleton providing much more structural support to reach such sizes. By taking up most megafaunal niches when they are present, this pushes Bug Types to evolve more cautious strategies. Most large bugs are nocturnal, to avoid their daytime predators, and often target Dark Types, with many specializing in them. This works well for the invertebrates due to how Dark types are typically unable to obscure a wide enough breath of the optical spectrum for their crypsis to be effective against bugs. Similarly, the Psychic type is a not uncommon target for bugs, given that many of them can perceive the magnetic field that the psychics generate and can modulate their behavior accordingly. Of course there also remains no shortage of bugs that eat other bugs; in most cases, that ends up their primary diet simply due to their own abundance.

It is in subterranean habitats that the greatest diversity of teratochitinous invertebrates take on the otherwise highly competitive megafaunal niches. The perpetual darkness and limited resources tend to force the larger, more metabolically taxed vertebrates out to find more productive locales. Microbial mats fueled by guaniferous nesting species or chemosynthetic bacteria are ripe for the bugs to move into, often with the rotting chitinous parts they leave behind acting as breeding and feeding grounds for other invertebrates.

Fairy Types are those which have evolved to weaponize their bioluminescence via biominerals known as Fairy Phosphors. These substances are poorly understood and research suggests that they stem from ancient impactors due to containing notable rare-earth elements within them. As a resource, they are identifiable as lustrous, silvery-white, heavy metals that can be found in fairy bioluminescent organs. 

The weaponization of light used by these animals relies upon two foundations. The first is the production of biological photosensitizers, light absorbers that act as catalysts for photochemical reactions. The second is the development of Fairy Phosphors, robust bioluminescent structures that can emit a wide spectrum of light wavelengths, including ultraviolet radiation.

Photosensitizers can come in many forms, though usually as oils secreted from the fairy type which, when a target is exposed to them, induces photosensitivity. Volatile oils can make sunlight exposure painful, causing redness, swelling, and burning sensations. Non-volatile oils secreted onto the target's body readily cause urticaria (hives) when exposed to any human-visible light. These oils can also  be harmful to living organisms by generating reactive oxygen species and other free radicals, leading to tales of fairies causing people to age rapidly when disrespected.

Bioluminescence is ubiquitous among fairy types, acting as a means of communication, defense, and subduing prey. As well as typical reactions between a substrate (usually) luciferin and the enzyme (usually luciferase), fairy phosphors are able to both generate bright flashes of light and absorb light for later emission. On photosensitized targets, these can cause seizures and, if UV light is emitted, radiation burns. The source of the oils that fairy types wield come from the elaiophores, oil-secreting organs, of plants. For smaller animals, these oils can be their primary nutrient source as well as a means of gaining photosensitizing chemicals. Mutualistic relationships between flowers and fairies are quite common, with the flowers having pollen transferred throughout a habitat by the foraging of the animal. Some plants bear seeds which are also a source of the necessary oils, though fairies rarely engage in granivory due to being unable to handle the variety of toxins the plants use for their defense. Nectarivory, however, is quite common among fairy types and tends to go along with their elaiophagy. A frequent difficulty fairy types must face in getting their daily bread is their great diversity of toxins and pathogens they are exposed to in their feeding. Many plants wield toxins as chemical defenses against herbivory. Further, many plants are host to pathogenic microorganisms whose secondary metabolites are near-invariably toxic; In some cases, they can be as severe as inducing gas gangrene. These factors are distinctly more perilous for fairy types due to how, compared to their non-fairy counterparts of closely-related species, their immune systems are quite weak. The cause for such convergent immune weakness is unknown, but it is thought to be associated with their reliance upon fairy phosphors.

Phosphorescent fungi are the source of fairy phosphors. They live alongside hyperaccumulators, plants adapted to highly metalliferous soils or waters, and store absorbed metals in their foliage. Mycorrhizal fungal mutualists produce proteins that bind the phosphors and thereby decrease their bioavailability, enabling fairies and other species vulnerable to metallic poisoning to eat the foliage and gain access to the metals themselves with minimal deleterious health impacts. From the consumption of the phosphors, rarity types gain not only greater bioluminescent ability, but are able to produce germicidal radiation. Such ultraviolet light is able to inactivate microbes by damaging their genetic material, thereby inhibiting their capacity to carry out vital functions. By irradiating pathogens, they can significantly minimize the amount of diseases they are at risk for when foraging.

A secondary benefit of increasing their radiant ability is that some fairy type species are able to emit photosynthetically active radiation. While more limited in scope than a glow light, species co-evolving with nectariferous plants often specialized in producing a range of wavelengths that aid the plant in their own growth and longevity. As most fairies are primarily nocturnal, perhaps as a result of their luminescent specializations, they can provide additional energy to their plant mutualists at times of day when energy availability is restricted.

Because of their reliance on luminescence, these fairy types are commonly nocturnal. However, they tend to have fine eyesight and are most active on moonlit nights. Predatory fairies tend to keep their bioluminescence hidden so as to ambush prey, while the preyed-upon fairies are much more likely to display their light as a warning signal. Due to the greater visibility when the moon is at its brightest, Dark types are especially vulnerable and often become a main source of food for carnivorous Fairy types.

Oleaginous microorganisms are another frequent mutualist of fairy types. They are microbes that accumulate lipids as a normal part of their metabolism, oftentimes a wide array of different lipid compounds, including polyhydroxyalkanoates, triacylglycerols, and wax esters. These microbes are typically bacterial or fungal endosymbiotes that provide lipid byproducts in exchange for the nutrients ingested and a mobile host. 

Dragon Types are those which have developed a unique blood that fuels their potent abilities. It is colloquially called Dragon Blood and has convergently evolved multiple times across several taxa. This special blood is produced by the immune system of the animal. It contains highly adaptable metalloproteins, formally known as Dracoglobins, which are incredibly effective at transporting oxygen from the respiratory organs to other tissues in the body. It is because of these proteins that Dragon types are able to have such stamina and the lung capacity to wield breath weapons.

A consequence of producing this blood is both a higher mineral cost in synthesizing the necessary metalloprotein and the greater amount of water needed per day to maintain hydration. Many Dragon types supplement their diets with exposed ores to gain sufficient metals for the upkeep of their abilities. They also tend to have some manner of drinking water that most can't, such as robust salt glands to drink seawater or similar features to handle very acidic waters.

Through foraging, the animals gain greater quantities of minerals which can be used to reinforce the body, from stronger skeletons to greater resistance to the elements, as well as granting them elongated lifespans by controlling oxidative stress. This often requires living in or around volcanoes or caverns to find exposed sources of such metals. Because of this reliance on eating minerals, durophagy has convergently evolved in Dragon types many times to aid in processing of stones and bones alike.

A common trait amount Dragon types is a breath weapon, which is an aerosolized cocktail of the animal’s saliva, odoriferous digestive enzymes, and bioluminescent bacteria which aid in threat display when the breath is used as a deterrent. These bioaerosols can cause allergic reactions in those exposed, including symptoms like pruritus, urticaria, inflammation, and thermoregulatory difficulties. Breath weapons are especially potent against other Dragon types, with some form of  transient anaphylaxis occurring. Bug types are staunchly resistant to the breath due to how foreign their bodily systems are. Both Ice and Fairy types wield abilities that can deactivate the metalloproteins before their full effect can be reached. Meanwhile, Fire and Electric types are very vulnerable to the breath weapons due to how their allergic responses interfere with specialized structures or organs enabling their respective elements. Dark types may have their cloaking abilities ruined by the bioluminescent bacteria clinging to them after being attacked, making them quite vulnerable. Fighting types are a significant threat to Dragon types due to their precise and powerful strikes, as a hard hit to the respiratory organs can be debilitating. Given how expensive Dracoglobin is to maintain, Dragon types tend to run hot in order for them to sustain the activity levels necessary for accumulating enough resources to survive. However, they also tend to have convergently evolved some manner of mesothermy in which they rely on a mixture of environmental and external factors for thermoregulation. Many species also make use of Gigantothermy (maintaining a stable body temperature by virtue of greater mass) and some form of Bradymetabolism (having a significantly lower resting metabolism to conserve energy) The combinations of such factors allow Dragon types to survive in seasonally resource-poor habitats.

To aid in their thermoregulation, many Dragon types have highly vascularized surface structures to help regulate heat exchange with their environment. Shedding excess body heat through them is crucial for their maintenance of a stable and sustainable body temperature in volcanic regions and tropical habitats. Further, many Dracoglobins are vasodilators, lowering blood pressure and also helping cool the body. However, this also makes Dragon types less cold-tolerant than their non-draconic counterparts.

The vasodilatory effects of their specialized metalloproteins have an additional benefit in their respiration. Being able to bring more oxygen to essential tissues enables them to have endurance that is exceptional among all types. When well fed, they can travel for days at a time in search for new foraging patches or to follow fleeing prey. When in periods of high activity, tachyaerobic muscles are fueled by a heart that beats quickly, produces more oxygen, and distributes blood at a fast rate.

Ghost Types are those which wield **Ectoplasms**, endogenously produced biosurfactant substances that act as a moist and nutritive medium for symbiotic microbes. The use of this substance enables the animal to cultivate microbial mats, often coating their bodies to make them appear undead or even alien. Most often, microbial symbiotes are bacteria, with the bioluminescence of many symbiotes of these animals causing them to glow eerily as a warning signal.

Creatures of this type can release hormones and/or pheromones that excite their symbiotes into swarming motility, rapid and coordinated translocation of them towards a food resource. For carnivores, this typically occurs after an ambush attempt, also enabling the animal to follow the chemical trail of their symbiotes. Many ghost type species have reduced the complexity of their own digestive systems, having grown so dependent on the pre-digestion of their symbiotes.

The ability to 'recall' symbiotes via pheromonal action is also common. Predators whose prey have run miles away or have entered inaccessible habitats to the attacker, such as is common for flying or burrowing prey, can retrieve some nutrients whilst waiting for their microbes to return. Because of how long waits may be, from days to weeks, most ghostly carnivores have quite slow metabolisms. Even in more detritivorous animals, slower metabolisms and long periods without extensive exertion are common.

Distance travel for the symbiotes relies on the moistness and/or humidity (when terrestrial) of the habitat to be possible. Aquatic locales can have very quick-moving microbes, but currents and planktivores make such travels much riskier. Biofilms act as high speed rails for recalled symbiotes, as they can eat whilst moving and the mats tend to provide their own biosurfactant to travel upon. Further, some microbial mats can form floating bubbles via a hydrophobic microlayer to travel through the air towards their host. With beneficial atmospheric conditions and terrain, the recalling pheromones can travel many miles for the swarm to detect and begin their journey back.

In defense, releasing shadowy bubbles-biofilms of symbiotes, or simply spitting microbe-laden saliva or mucus, is quite common. Beyond the simple discomfort of the deterrent, the fluids can spread numerous ailments to the target. Caustic or necrotic effects are extremely common, often resulting in the death of the target and the Ghost type opportunistically feeding on their attacker. If the defending animal would rather not use and potentially lose some symbiotes in the process of protecting itself, bioluminescence provides a visible signal to keep attackers at bay. Commensal interactions between ghost types and other animals is not uncommon. Many species of symbiotes use quorum sensing to coordinate gene expression according to the density of their local population. Pathogenic microbes that do so activate host immune signaling and prolong the survival of said host by limiting their own intake of nutrients, such as tryptophan, which further is converted to serotonin. The non-ghost hosts of such symbiotes are often called ‘haunted’ due to how other Ghost types are able to sense their presence  from the chemical signals released in the body and often excreted. Many ghostly species can follow said chemical trails for miles. While infection with ghostly symbiotes is a means of consumption for most species of this type, it is very common for commensal interactions to never involve direct killing or injury. Necromeny is a symbiotic relationship in which the host, in this case being the ‘haunted’, is unharmed during life and the infecting animal feeds on the cadaver. It is extremely prolific among Ghost types, to a degree where some species are culturally lauded as judges of the dead or guardians of life and death due to their frequent presence around the dying without taking any violent action against them. Quorum sensing is also useful for cancer cell communications, discovered due research into how some Ghost types have evolved to wield transmissible cancer cells as symbiotes. Further, some animals are hypothesized to have speciated from the cancer cells of an ancestor and now live as obligate parasites of other, often unrelated, free-living animals. This is known as the SCANDAL (Speciated by CANcer Development AnimaL) hypothesis. Communication via quorum sensing plays a role in the regulation of luminescence in minute invertebrates, as well as many species of bacteria. Small extracellularly secreted molecules stimulate the symbiotes to turn on genes for light production when cell density, measured by concentration of the secreted molecules, is high. Because ectoplasms are synthesized by the animal, creatures of this type tend to lack stores of body fat, some of which appear almost skeletal. In some cases, animals may absorb nutrients directly from exposed semi-permeable skin, akin to how many intestinal parasites do when inside a host. This is especially common in species which reside in carrion, feces, or other decaying organic matter.

While different species of this type may produce ectoplasm with unique chemical or nutritive properties compared to others, most can contain and promote the growth of a wide array of symbiotes. Superpredation and/or kleptoparasitism between Ghost types is very common, with the attacker increasing the biodiversity of their microbiomes afterwards. Such additions are often passed down through reproduction. Bacteria readily exchange genes whilst in the ectoplasm, making defense against the Ghost type requiring similarly extreme adaptability.

Psychics types are very vulnerable to Ghost types because masses of microbes easily overwhelm their electromagnetic senses. Meanwhile, Dark types are quite effective against them because they can disrupt the organization of the microbes with their abilities. Fighting types in general try to avoid Ghost types due to the risk of infection during a physical confrontation. Fairy types are quite dangerous to ghosts due to their germicidal light killing symbiotes.

Psychic Types are those which have developed an Esper's Organs, specialized adipose tissue similar to the Melon of cetaceans. Such an organ contains metallic particles ingested by the animal, a saline medium within which said particles are suspended, and a layer of dense fat that isolates the organ from the rest of the body to avoid potential damage to the user.

An Esper's Organ acts as a biological battery which can produce a magnetic field at will. This field can then be focused and modulated by the animal, typically requiring a mixture of superb visual acuity and an impressive suite of photoreceptor neurons to enable one to readily see magnetic fields. Depending on the strength of the field generated, the user can affect the senses and physiology of other organisms.

Because of the broad array of potential applications of magnetic fields, it is a key organ involved in defense, foraging, and communication in many species. Most clades in which these organs have evolved tend towards robust parental care to teach their offspring how to use their abilities efficiently. Some long-lived and experienced individuals have even been known to reliably predict the behaviors of others or make foraging easier via luring or immobilizing large groups of small prey.

Highly developed cognitive abilities, such as working memory, spatial reasoning, and tool-use are quite common in this category. Note: The melon-like organ idea came from Speculative Wildlife Research Center on Youtube, Please check them out here if you are also into the speculative evolution of fictional creatures: https://www.youtube.com/@speculativewildlife

Dark Types are those which have developed Cloaker's Organs, specialized neural tissues capable of causing transient, short-range electromagnetic disturbances in their surroundings, typically done so to combat the presence of Psychic Types. Such pulses are especially dangerous for psychics due to the effects they can have on their Esper's Organs, though mundane species and humans can also be subjected to migraines or mild pain if exposed.

Cloaker's Organs both require far less isolation than Esper's Organs and users often have multiple of said nerves instead of a single mass. These tissues work via obscuring objects from a wavelength of EM emissions, typically portions of the optical spectrum. In some cases, this is combined with bioluminescence., such as the production of red light, that is already invisible to many animals; this enables some predators to hunt with what is essentially an invisible flashlight to aid them.

Many Dark prey animals rely on the obscuration of ultraviolet light to hide from Psychic predators, preventing them from focusing their abilities to influence the by removing themselves from their vision. At night, when all colors are more muted, camouflage in this way becomes far more effective. For similar reasons, deep sea creatures and cavern fauna are also more prone to evolving Cloaker's Organs.

Outside of the relationships between Darks and Psychics, many nocturnal mammals are fully Red-Green colorblind, such as most bats, making them a common prey item of volant Dark predators. Meanwhile, many birds ostensibly are able to see into the Ultraviolet range, some even able to visually perceive Earth's magnetic field, making any disturbance of that vision quite disorienting. Further, most Dark species can only obscure a portion of the Optical spectrum, targeting within the visible spectrum range of their target prey or predators and influenced by what countershading or other camouflage is also at play. It is thought that the Cloaker's Organs originate from past psychic type ancestors that evolved to predate or hide from other psychics. Some specialized neural tissues are common in psychics due to the diverse array of new stimuli their abilities may enable them to perceive, from which reduced Esper's Organs and increased reliance of said nerves may have led to convergently evolved Dark lineages across many taxa.

Fighting Types are those which have evolved extremely high densities of fast-twitch muscle fibers alongside specialized nerve tissues that enable the conscious activation of hysterical strength. The means by which such animals manage such physical feats is through the use of piezoelectricity, the electric charge that accumulates in response to applied mechanical stress.

Many of such animals ingest conductive ores, such as copper, which are partly stored in their muscle fibers. These metals transfer the immense electrical energy they produce to different parts of the animal's body, regulated thanks to derived nerve tissues called ganglia. Stretching and compressing the body, such as what occurs when fighting or via threat display, provides bursts of energy which can be exploited for the defense of the animal.

The muscles which identify this type are quite expensive and often result in said species having comparatively little body fat. So as not to necessarily use their costly strength every time a threat arises, they often have a suite of quite small muscles dedicated solely to repetitive movements that help generate both an electric charge and luminescent threat displays. Some of said displays can run the length of width of the body, presenting as an 'Aura' to a potential threat that makes the user look larger.

Proficient use of hysterical strength without harming the self requires training, so species of this type often depend on extensive parental care to teach their young how to achieve such enhanced athleticism. Young are almost always altricial, totally dependent for their survival on parental care, with biparental and/or alloparental care being more common in species of this type than any other type.

Water Skeeters – Flying Type. Name: Nimbuzz (Nimble + Nimbus + Buzz)

These minute insects have a cosmopolitan distribution, existing across the clouds above oceans as aeroplankton that feed off of bacteria, protists, and algae suspended in the air. Much of their food comes from sea spray containing marine microorganisms swept high into the atmosphere. Such spray may travel the globe before falling back to earth, with the insects swarming each influx of nutrients that enter the airspace. However, cannibalism is extremely common and helps control population sizes and restrict conflicting territories. During the non-mating season when they live in cooperative groups, individuals will openly share large kills with others around them and their cannibalism rates are lower. 

While existing at high densities in the clouds, their populations are regulated by how often they suffer predation. Seafaring birds are a constant threat, with some specializing as aeroplanktivores that may consume thousands of the insects per day. Many of such birds nest in colonies that are largely fed by the bugs or undertake long annual migrations in which the aeroplankton act as a key food and water source. Bats which nest in marine caves in the littoral zone are known to take night flights to feed upon the bounty of insects as well, providing the caves they colonially nest in an essential energy resource in their guano. Such bats  can deposit tens of thousands of kgs of guano into said caves every year.

Like their surface-skating counterparts, these bugs are able to move on top of water. This species does so with clouds, typically moving only enough to further feed or escape being eaten. Clouds moving across the sky provide much of their transportation, though they are capable of (clumsy) flight when needed to find other clouds. Their wings are slender and possess long bristles, giving them a hairy or feathery appearance. These unusual-looking wings utilize air resistance—which at their minuscule size is equivalent to moving through honey—so they function like miniature paddles that swim through the air. Further, small, hydrophobic microhairs known as hydrofuge hairpiles exist all across the bodies of these insects. These hairpiles provide the skeeter resistance to water, preventing the body from being weighed down by it. This is especially helpful for when swarms become especially large, which can result in rain due to the cloud seeding impact having many of the bugs in one area, and enables more of said bugs to potentially escape the rain and find new clouds to graze upon.

As predators, even of typically minute prey, they are quite opportunistic. Anything small enough, such as ballooning spiders, that disturbs their clouds is considered fair game to attack. The bugs are attracted to food sources by ripples produced when contact is made with the cloud. They use their front legs as sensors for the vibrations produced by the ripples and puncture the prey item's body with its proboscis, injecting salivary enzymes that break down the prey's internal structures, and then suck out the resulting fluid. In particular farly flies, minute parasitoid wasps that can be found throughout the world and target a wide array of insects, are a rather frequent prey item of theirs. This species predating such wasps has both a regulating effect on the parasitoids and also has been a source of concern for islands and coastal regions which use said parasitoids as natural pest control agents of beetles, thrips, and other common crop vermin.

Females generally lay their eggs on high-flying animals, usually soaring birds, using a gelatinous substance as a glue. Gravid females carry between twenty and two-hundred eggs, the amount laid depending upon the quantity and quality of food available. It is notable that their populations are correlated with the robustness of seabird populations, akin to how krill densities and that of the whales which eat them en masse are correlated. 

Opossum – Grass Type. Name: Imposshrub (Impossible, Imposter, Possum, Shrub)

Lives in a variety of wooded habitats, including forests and shrubland, but has increasingly been found in urban settings.

Its diet is truly omnivorous, able and willing to eat arthropods, rodents, birds, eggs, frogs, leaves, fruits, grain, and carrion. However, it has a notable proclivity towards mushrooms, especially the poisonous ones, and is resistant to many fungal toxins. After eating such fungi, which coats the animal’s face in spores, the opossum rubs and licks its body to spread the toxins on its fur. This acts as a chemical defense against predation and only further spreads the spores across the body. The species naturally has a coat of reddish-brown fur for camouflage, which helps when hiding in the trees or shrubbery from mammalian predators which cannot distinguish red and green. However, the fungi it prefers are biofluorescent; the spores it covers itself with act as a warning display to animals that can see into the ultraviolet range, such as owls and other avian predators. If neither camouflage nor warning is sufficient to prevent an attack, the opossum is able to feign death when startled. This physiological response is involuntary, akin to fainting, and can last for hours to days. While the animal's metabolism slows to better sell the act, their saliva begins to foam around the mouth and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands. The latter acts as a chemical trigger for the opossum’s fungal symbiote to grow rapidly, forming dust-like mats of greenish mold that both help in deterring predators and mimic a shrub’s general shape. Where the opossum lay is covered by wood-like sclerotia that acts as a stem from which the greenery is formed. Further, the foul odors of both the opossum and fungus attract detritivorous bugs that get trapped in the mold. When the beast finally wakes, a process that begins with a slight twitching of the ears, it quickly feasts on the plate of invertebrates drawn to the false shrub before fleeing the area before another predator appears. The fungus, after feeding off enough insects and any waste of the opossum, begins to grow brightly colored mushrooms that attract future opossums to begin the cycle again. It has been found that the fungus will begin its moldy shrub-like growth in response to the death of the marsupial, not just the feigned death, perhaps responding to the emptying of the bowels in death the same way as the foul anal secretions. As largely solitary and nomadic animals, they do not associate often unless for the purpose of reproduction or a simple abundance of food and water is available in a safe location. Mating is a swift endeavor, with the males partaking in no parental care. Females can have up to three dozen offspring at a time, of which most do not survive to sexual maturity. Once born, the offspring must find their way into the marsupium to hold on to and nurse from a teat. The young are weaned for several months, after which they detach from the teat and leave the pouch. A mother will carry her young on her back, where they will cling tightly even when she is climbing or running. When separated or distressed, baby opossums will make a sneezing noise to signal their mother. The mother in return makes a clicking sound and waits for the baby to find her. While on the mother’s back the youths are covered in and feed off of the fungal spores and molds of the mother, gaining some exposure to the toxins to help them recognize them in the future. When they leave the mother, the young have a preference for the mushrooms grown from their mother’s (apparent) death. The lifespan of this species is unusually short for a mammal of its size, usually only one to two years. Senescence is rapid, perhaps as a result of their fungal symbiotes, but those kept in captivity and who are not forced to engage in feigned deaths can live up to thrice as long. 

Axolotl – Psychic Type. Name: Laxolung (Lax + Lacks + Axolotl + Lung (Respiratory Organ, Chinese for Dragon) + “Lacks a Lung” (to breathe with))

Lives in underground lakes and rivers. Uses its psychic abilities to sense its surroundings, as they are truly blind and have other reduced senses beyond scent and touch. A majority of its diet consists of bugs, which it uses its psychic powers on to lure into cave mouths and confuse them enough while they crawl on walls and ceilings for them to fall into the water for easy pickings. It is soft-skinned and quite vulnerable to the bites or stings of thrashing prey, so it has incredible regenerative abilities that can be actively enhanced with its psychic powers to heal from injuries. This species has a long lifespan, with healthy adults living for decades. Much of this time is spent unmoving while surveying its cavernous habitats with its psychic abilities. A rarity among amphibians, this species is neotenous; they retain the fully aquatic lifestyle of their juvenile stage throughout their lifespan. It seems to be a survival mechanism, as cave habitats, in general, hold little food beyond what falls in and most of the food remains submerged. In these circumstances, the salamanders can reproduce and survive in the form of a smaller larval stage, which is aquatic and requires a lower quality and quantity of food compared to the big adult, which is terrestrial. However, if the axolotl is able to ingest enough other psychic animals, such as through some falling in or via cannibalism, they are known to transform into terrestrial beasts with higher dietary requirements, but an ability to disperse across dry land. Folklore from village peoples in the species’ habitat range speak of them as the spawn of dragons, biding their time until they can ambush competitors and rise from their earthly cradles. The salamanders seem to never truly interact with one another, even when mating; reproduction occurs via spawning, as males produce sperm packets that they levitate towards females, containing proteins that help to sustain the young. Most males simply have their packets eaten, as food is food, but when  one or more of the males seems enticing to the female, she will collect it to fertilize her eggs internally beyond laying clusters of them away from hungry eyes.

Tarantula – Fire Type. Name: Encrispsizz (Encrypt + Crisp + Crypsis + Sizzle)

This species, descended from abandoned pet tarantulas, lives in urban sewers and is specialized for preying upon the abundant Encrastud. Such predation often occurs via ambush, as the spider uses silken traps it lays on the ground and waits, camouflaged nearby, for prey to walk into them. A line of silk from said traps connects to the spider’s legs, from which they determine if captured prey is large enough to be worth striking or too large to safely take down. Most traps are laid in areas of abundant solid waste buildup, which are attractive to the Encrustad which seek minerals for building their metallic carapaces. The traps themselves are hidden underneath or within said buildups, with the vibrations produced by Encrastud or other struggling prey signaling that it is captured. The predator then strikes with venomous effect, injecting a hyperthermic toxin which cooks the prey from the inside, and wraps it in the normal spider fashion with silk from the spinnerets. With the task done, the spider will attempt to move the prey to its den, often a secluded hole or crevice lined with silk for easier climbing in/out. The hyperthermic bite helps to heat up the dying prey, causing the silken cage to harden and become easier to move, as well as begin the process of degrading the metallic carapace of Encrastud. Once in the den, the species is able to eat the prey at its leisure.

Similarly to Encrastud, this species suffers from predation by large rodents, sewer alligators, and other larger carnivorous animals. As a defense, its abdomen is covered in urticating setae that are coated in a substance that is flammable, mildly caustic, and vaporizes quickly. It can ignite them by quickly rubbing their hind legs along the setae, causing a bright, though fleeting, sparkle and hissing that enables potential predators to learn quickly to not attack them again. If that display is not enough of a deterrent, the spider can also flick the setae at an attacker, causing irritation in larger animals and capable of killing or grievously wounding smaller ones.

While they have an array of defensive adaptations and a potent venom, they are not the most active animals. A single mature Encrastud can sustain one of these spiders for weeks at a time, and the robust amount of insects and other small invertebrates wandering the sewers makes the small prey abundant enough for light snacks in between big ambushes. 

These tarantulas exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphisms, with males being quite smaller and not partaking in the comparatively large prey that females do. Males tend to travel further, coming into contact with humans more often due to being more capable of leaving the sewers through a number of cracks and crevices. It is not uncommon for females to eat males after copulation, as their mates contain the same chemical compounds needed for their self-defense mechanisms; the mineral supplement they provide tends to improve female life expectancy.

Coconut Crab – Steel Type. Lives in urban sewers, descended from an ancestor which was kept as an exotic novelty pet and often released by irresponsible owners. Adapted to consume waste and incorporate a wide variety of metallic elements into its carapace for defense against their predators, such as large rodents and sewer alligators. Natural detritivores, they readily will eat anything organic, which had led to them providing an unexpected service to sewage management in cities. Workers are instructed to leave them be, though confrontations sometimes occur when a call is made to rescue a citizen’s personal item or lost pet that happened to fall in. These animals reproduce via spawning, requiring water less tainted than typical of sewage. Males will compete with one another via making small pools of water which have been strained through a specialized set of small, setae-covered mandibles in their mouth. Research into the microstructures of their setae has been done to better refine the production of household water purifiers. Various colors of this species exist, both due to the exotic pet ancestor being bred for varying hues and the use of metals in their shells influencing their tone. Metals that are less prone to corrosion are generally more attractive to females, as rusting or tarnishing is viewed negatively, but many of them are comparatively poor defenses against predators due their lesser hardness and/or toughness.

Name: Encrastud (Encrusted + Crass + Crust + Stud)

Fox – Electric. Lives in wetlands and rainforests which experience seasonal flooding. Uses an electrical sense to detect the presence of prey, particularly fish that make up its primary diet. As a piscivore, it has evolved a long mouth with teeth suited to handle squirming and slippery prey. A significant amount of its time is spent either swimming or wading, often camouflaged with murk from the silty waters it prefers to hide from predators. While a canid, it lacks the powerful bite of its relatives due to its specialized method of hunting and defense. A significant portion of muscle in its jaw and esophagus has been repurposed as electrogenic organs, akin to how the electric eel has lost significant mobility to maintain its electrical abilities. The saliva of this fox is both able to readily conduct electricity and is constantly produced, giving the animal drool that zaps prey and renders it unable to flee and tires out its muscles before the beast swallows it whole. It also has a long tongue that connects to its electrical organs which it can use to lick saliva onto its fur to enhance their coat’s ability to maintain and transmit static charges. When charged, it appears much larger to potential predators and competitors for territory. While normally skittish and more gracile than most other canids, it has a bite that can paralyze foes much larger than itself to enable its escape. The species rarely interacts with humans, though some fishermen in rural areas often take sightings as an omen of good luck and a full belly. However, during mating season, the males are known to be more active in the defense of their territories and the use of their saliva as an additional presence marker to signal to females and competitors.

A friend over Discord gave me 3 animals of their choice and a selection of Types to match with them to make a Pokémon out of each. Types: Bug, Ghost, Fighting Animals: Box Jelly, Superb Lyrebird, Stoat

Box Jelly - Ghost Type. Lives akin to the Myxosporea, a group of Cnidarians which are microscopic obligate parasites whose origins, by latest research ,indicates that they speciated from cancer cells on an ancestral cnidarian long ago (the SCANDAL hypothesis). Possession of hosts is their main form of nutrition, sapping their vital energy whilst forcible keeping them awake with hunger pangs. While they do have a toxin in their nematocysts, it is comparatively weak compared to other box jellies and mainly serves to immobilized a host long enough for the jelly to use its tentacles to possess them. Their bodies produce a pale glow, growing brighter depending on how well-fed the parasite is. Unlike other jellies, they have true eyes and are able to actively chase down their hosts, appearing as ghastly wisps in the waters to outside observers.

Name: Tumalight (Tumor + Malign + Malice + Light)

Superb Lyrebird - Bug Type. Has little symbiotic bugs in its feathers. The males have ones that gleam in iridescent colors, so many that it can be hard for them to fly, while the females have less less in general and less colorful ones. The symbiotes copy the birdsongs that are sung as though they are backup singers, having the song resound further and fuller than without. As Lyrebirds are good vocal mimics, they can also do this to copy the sounds of predators to scare rivals away or smaller predators that are scared of larger predators.

Name: Lyrichorus (Lyric + Chorus + Icarus)

Stoat - Fighting Type. Because of their small size, they go on the offensive very quickly to intimidate and deter predators and rivals alike. They have a kind of Aura ability, like Lucario, but their is a killing intent; it can be projected to intimidate or hidden to stealthily ambush prey. While they are not large, they have much larger territories than one would expect due to how their auras act akin to how scent markers do and younger/weaker individuals steer clear of the violence of their elders. Surprisingly, they are very good parents and actively teach their kids how to hunt and fight, spending several years on a single pup and some female missing breeding seasons to continue care if the pup is not yet ready to go.