Pokemon Field Guide: Dusknoir Report

#477: Dusknoir
The Gripper Pokemon
Ghost

Height: 7-9 ft

Weight: 235-300 lbs

Sound: They make a variety of unearthly noises. They may make a banshee-like cry heard by people and spirits who’ve remained in the Material World for too long. They may emit low, ghostly moans from inside them when they’re retaining spirits in their body. They may make a ringing noise from the antenna on their head. Either that, or if you come too close to its core, they make you temporarily lose your sense of hearing--along with every one of your other senses, until you back away.

Occasionally, if they’re intelligent enough, they can use telepathy to talk to people, in echoing syllables that sound like words at least.

Gender: 50% male, 50% female. Females have slightly smaller “tooth-collars” than males. Other than that, there is currently no other reliable way to determine the gender of a Dusknoir unless; you knew from when it was a Duskull, which is more distinguishable, or you simply ask it.

I’m not sure how they reproduce because I never saw an instance of it. But here’s my theory: the female is most likely only considered a female if she can cultivates a male’s spiritual energy inside her body, separated some of its own from its core, and mixed these energies together to release it later as a Duskull. I’d imagine the birth process is like pouring hot liquid into a mold to cool off, as the Duskull’s body, cloak and skull, is made by their hands.

HP: 45
Attack: 100
Defense: 135
Sp. Attack: 65
Sp. Defense: 135
Speed: 45
Total: 525

Effective Moves Against It:
Normal (0x), Fighting (0x)
Poison (1/2x), Dark (1/2x)
Ghost (2x), Dark (2x)

Location: You can be guaranteed to find them somewhere in the Ghost World. However, the only way to actually go there is to die, or be taken away by a Ghost Pokemon or actual ghost. Otherwise, a person simply walking towards its portals will presumably have every last bit of spiritual energy in him/her sucked out and pulled in--AKA, you die. As reapers, Dusknoir could literally be anywhere in the world at any given time.

( A ) General: On one hand, people see Dusknoir as beyond menacing, a creature so terrifying, and formidable, that few ever live to see one not owned by a trainer. This reputation is, to an extent, well-deserved because they are among the most powerful Ghost-type Pokemon currently known in existence, perhaps only second to legendary Pokemon. (Also, the dead are more likely to see them, if they perchance escape from the Ghost World)

On the other hand, they are some of the most misunderstood Pokemon currently known, because many do not know just how auspicious their existence really is. In fact, were it not for them, our world would be a much more hazardous place, as they maintain a delicate balance between the realm of the living and the deceased. Read on, as I attempt to uncover some of the great mysteries surrounding this Pokemon.

Because of the special circumstances surrounding their evolution, I’ve decided to move the Evolution article into its own segment.

( B ) Evolution: (DISCLAIMER: Any bits of info on wild evolution are speculative, but based on sights of Dusclops I’ve seen in the wild, because I have never seen how a wild Dusclops evolves into a Dusknoir before. I’ve only seen them in their evolved forms already. HOWEVER...I claim the ways they’ve changed to be solid facts.)

In order to evolve into a Dusknoir, a Dusclops first needs to acquire a Reaper Cloth. They seem to be placed at somewhat random places, or even found within the grasp of people. But it would be safe to assume they are found nearby portals to the Ghost World, which may explain why they have such enormous concentrations of spiritual energy.

Either way, it may be claimed by Dusclops who are powerful and well-knowledgeable enough to handle the sheer amount of spiritual energy contained by the cloth. Instead of evolving them outright, like an evolutionary stone, they need to let the energy build up to very hefty amounts.

It can do this in two ways; either it can be traded, where the energy radiated inside a trading machine will make the spiritual energy instantly available to it, or it trains itself. They can keep getting stronger and let the Reaper Cloth’s energy seep down, adding onto it and changing it very gradually until it becomes a Dusknoir. This procedure, a rite of passage in a way, is necessary to evolve into a Dusknoir without using the radiating energy, but most Dusclops aside from the one trying to evolve don’t see the point in it. While they will simply keep going about their lives without having to change, the one attempting to evolve may take their strength and intellect to the next level and surpass their fellow Dusclops.

(Why they want to evolve into a Dusknoir to begin with is still unknown to me, but I’m sure it’s mostly for personal reasons of their own. Some could also say they’re specially chosen, but again, I’m not going to claim facts on this matter.)

Their physical appearance hasn’t changed very radically, as it simply takes on characteristics necessary for its new role when it evolves. Perhaps most importantly, the wisp on top of its head hardens into an antenna to receive the electrical signals coming from the spiritual world. This means it can know, when a trace of the spiritual world’s energy leaves, a spirit escaped, beckoning the Dusknoir to go catch it.

Other than that, the physical changes from Dusclops to Dusknoir aren’t major. The Reaper Cloth covers the bandages that made up their bodies as Dusclops, giving it a darker color. . It gains “arms” so it can extend its hands out to greater lengths than before, rather than having them stuck close to its body. Its lost its feet because it doesn't need them anymore. It retains its ability to read living nervous/energy signals up close thanks to its single eye.

Instead of differing much physically, their disposition changes. Dramatically. From the time they’ve spent with their Reaper Cloth, most Dusknoir you find tend to be wisened up. They’ve gained a considerable intelligence boost, and can use this to comprehend the minds of living things far better than they ever could as Duskull or Dusclops. In fact, I think they may be on par with some of the most intelligent non-legendary Pokemon in existence!

They know people’s flaws, strengths, aptitudes, how they might tend to react to being exposed to new situations...they can all be worked out within a Dusknoir’s mind. In some cases, they may even be kind of heart--that is if not a bit grumpy if a spirit escapes into the material world. But perhaps, this ability to openly care for living organisms, rather than simply see them as food, may be why they even bother with taking up the task as Grim Reapers. They do it to protect the living from the dead.

Needless to say, I’m sure anyone reading this will appreciate their services just about as much as I do.

( C ) Composition: An interesting note I’ve gathered is that the Reaper Cloth is actually fairly light. So are the bandages making up the Dusclops’ body. So it can’t explain why they gain such a massive weight boost from 66 to 235 lbs.

So, the only other thing to give it any weight is the spectral “fire” burning inside. Its not so much a fire as it is a massive concentration of spiritual energy which is so charged and so utterly condensed that it might appear as a giant, electrically charged fireball. This gives its relatively light bandages weight as a Dusclops, but this fireball grows even more massive and bright as a Dusknoir.

As a Dusclops, this fireball is what held it together, as it had to keep spinning its core rapidly to keep its bandages together without unravelling, therefore being able to suck in anything else that came into the core’s vicinity if it’s not hidden by its bandages. Now, it can control whether their core absorbs or ejects matter because it doesn’t need to keep itself together using its core only. That’s why it can have a mouth on its stomach and open it without sucking in anything involuntarily.

( D ) As a Grim Reaper: The main duty they’ve taken up is not to guide everyone who dies to the Ghost World. Most likely, the recently deceased are able to get there themselves.

Rather, they help keep the mortal world safe by searching for spirits who still exist in the material world. This can range from the lost, distressed spirit doomed to wander the Earth for some reason, or the deranged, malicious spirit aiming to make someone’s life miserable via haunting them. Regardless of the reason, Dusknoir use their antenna to sense a difference in the Ghost World’s energy signatures, pick up the signal of an escaped ghost from far away, go up to the mortal world to track the spirit down, carry the spirit within their body, and go back down to the Ghost World to drop it off. What happens next, I don’t know exactly, because it’s incredibly metaphysical in nature. However, most religious people are inclined to say it drops them off to the afterlife, wherever it may be.

What supports the existence of this procedure is that occasionally people have reported going to a haunted house, and saw a Dusknoir enter the house. However much time it may take, it almost always exits the house, causing the house to fall calm once again. Those select people are some of the few who actively believe Dusknoir are not malicious creatures by nature, but just the opposite.

(NOTE: There likely do exist some apparitions to this day who haven't been taken back by Dusknoir, but oftentimes, this is because they hide their energy signatures, causing them to hide from Dusknoir right under their faces. They really don't appreciate it when they find out someone's been hiding from them.)

( E ) Other Ghost Pokemon: Dusknoir are seen as a bane, or a blessing to the existence of Ghost Pokemon who exist in the Material world. While again, this is a variable case, the most notable cases existing are often very involved with human beings.

In the case of Banette, Dusknoir are Pokemon to run and hide from. As one would know, Banettes are formed by spiritual energy that happens to accumulates inside of a plush doll, so it can act as a container. As the energy keeps gathering and becomes a self-aware core, it may get torn and dirtied, leading to its disposal. Eventually it realizes its been left behind by someone who now thought it was worthless. Therefore, they cultivate a grudge against the one who left it behind, and feed on the negative emotions of people.

Because of their usually malicious and unnecessary habits, Dusknoir develop very hard feelings toward Banette knowing most of them are only out to harm others. In most cases, they’ll attempt to forcefully unzip their mouths on sight and drag the spirit inside, kicking and screaming, back into the Ghost World. Any trainer owning a Banette they truly trust should stop them beforehand, and plead their case to the Dusknoir.

In the case of Yamask, the situation is quite opposite. Sometimes they spend their whole existences in the material world looking for Dusknoir, because they’re essentially ghosts of people. The history behind Yamask is distant, but for most cases, almost all Yamask (except for the first existing) formed when human beings get devoured by Cofagrigus, leading to their Mummy ability spreading, and “reproducing” by turning the human’s spirit into a Yamask.
Because of their previous existence as people, Yamask are at first unaware of Dusknoir’s role as a Grim Reaper. However, it’s relatively easy for them to find out at this point, and will relentlessly pursue any such individual in hopes that they’ll rejoin with their familiars once again. Any trainer owning a Yamask should let them go back with the Dusknoir if that’s what they really want. It’s their decision if they want to stay with your or not.

As for Spiritomb, Dusknoir hate them with a passion. They know they can’t bring them into the Spirit world because they have dark energy infused into them; the only thing letting them from leaving their keystones. So, when they encounter a Spiritomb, they do their best to beat it back down into dormancy, no matter the cost. To them, that’s all they can do about it.

Trainer Tips:
- GET TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOUR DUSKNOIR IS TAKING A POSITION AS A GRIM REAPER. While for the most part they’ll stay with you, there are rare times where it feels it has to do its duty as a Dusknoir. So don’t deny them this duty, as they’re the only ones who can do it to good effect.
- If you encounter a Grim-Reaping Dusknoir, and it attempts to grab one of your Ghost Pokemon, PLEAD ITS CASE. In other words, try to convince it that you want it to remain in the material world. If you convince it, it will let you go, grudgingly. In most cases it will threaten to return if it senses it’s doing something bad.
- DON’T BE SCARED OF THEM, WILD OR NOT. Most Dusknoir tend to be offended if they’re seen as simply another “spirit-sucker”, because they see themselves as being much more capable and knowing than other Ghost Pokemon. This especially applies to Grim-Reaping Dusknoir.
- If your Dusknoir has an opinion, HEAR IT OUT. It will convey its opinion as best as it can to you, but knowing how intelligent they are, their knowledge can be VERY handy. This can also help you warn you if you’re making a bad decision, since they’re good at foresight.
- When a Dusknoir takes away a spirit that threatened your life, THANK IT. Because it's polite.

Personal Experiences:
I have seen instances of wild Dusclops wearing a Reaper Cloth, no doubt training itself in mind and abilities to evolve. I’ve heard of some people owning Yamasks face a Dusknoir, and having to let it go with it to the Ghost World. I’ve also seen them in tournaments, even though they’re considerably smarter and more strategic than their opponent. Sometimes I’ve even seen their opposition get angry because Dusknoir are good at outwitting others. However, these experiences don’t match up to my witness of one that saved my life, along with my friend’s.

An old friend of mine used to have a doll as a child, but unintentionally left it in his attic, forgetting to take it back down. As luck would have it, this doll became a Banette, and stalked him while he was unwittingly targeted by it for assassination.

I was with him at the time, when the lights in his house suddenly went out. The Banette had cut off the power supply in his house, and after locking the doors, it appeared in front of us to finish us off. Until it came...

A Dusknoir became our deus ex machina, as it came from behind the Banette, grabbed it by the neck and eyed it angrily. The Marionette Pokemon suddenly lost the menacing glare in its eyes, and was instead replaced by a hysterically fearful attempt to escape, as it kicked and flailed in the Dusknoir’s grasp. The Gripper Pokemon finally opened its mouth and...it ate the Banette. Keeping itself closed for a moment before shortly regurgitating the empty and torn remains of the old doll.

While the Dusknoir looked at us, and my friend was trembling on the floor, begging it not to eat us...it simply pat him on the head. And it telepathically let off a series of ringing syllables to say “My work here is done.” And then it left.

My friend became almost deathly afraid of Ghost Pokemon, especially Dusknoir. That was when I told him, don’t be afraid. Dusknoir’s a guardian. And I thank it for its services.