Pokemon fans who've been with the series since Red and Blue can all attest that at this pointwe're getting tired ofPokemon's ubiquitous cave dwellers, Geodude and Zubat.Black andWhite's Dangoro and Koromori,who aregeode and bat Pokemon respectively,are clearly updated versions of the original cave duo, but are they upgrades or downgrades? Let's take a closer look.
Dangoro
#030 Isshu / #524 National
Type: Rock
Species classification: Mantle Pokemon
Abilities: Sturdy – Leaves 1 HP when Pokemon would otherwise be one-hit KOed
Dream World abilities: Sand Power – Rock, Ground and Steel-type attacks get 30% power boost during sandstorms and gives user immunity to sandstorm damage
Location found (Black/White): Cave to the north of Route 3 (west of Day Care)
Wild hold items: Everstone (common), Hard Stone (rare)
Egg groups: Mineral
Capture rate: 255
Gender ratio: 50/50
Effort values: 1 Defense
Evolution family: To Gantoru at level 25, and then to Gigaiath via trade
Gantoru
#031 Isshu / #525 National
Type: Rock
Species classification: Ore Pokemon
Abilities: Sturdy – Leaves 1 HP when Pokemon would otherwise be one-hit KOed
Dream World abilities: Sand Power – Rock, Ground and Steel-type attacks get 30% power boost during sandstorms and gives user immunity to sandstorm damage
Location found (Black/White): Many caves. Electric Rock Cave, Fukiyose Cave, Victory Road
Wild hold items: Everstone (common), Hard Stone (rare)
Egg groups: Mineral
Capture rate: 120
Gender ratio: 50/50
Effort values: 1 Attack, 1 Defense
Evolution family: From Dangoro at level 25, to Gigaiath via trade
Gigaiath
#032 Isshu / #526 National
Type: Rock
Species classification: High Pressure Pokemon
Abilities: Sturdy – Leaves 1 HP when Pokemon would otherwise be one-hit KOed
Dream World abilities: Sand Power – Rock, Ground and Steel-type attacks get 30% power boost during sandstorms and gives user immunity to sandstorm damage
Location found (Black/White): Evolve Gantoru
Egg groups: Mineral
Gender ratio: 50/50
Experience at lvl 100: 1,059,860
Base stats: 85 HP / 135 Atk / 130 Def / 60 SAtk / 70 SDef / 25 Spd / 505 Total
Effort values: 3 Attack
Evolution family: From Gantoru via trade, from Dangoro to Gantoru at level 25
Dangoro is pretty much the new Geodude, which is funny because it actually looks more like a Geode than Geodude himself. Its Sturdy ability makes it easy to catch, but becomes annoying when you're trying to get through a cave and you have to waste a ton of PP because it always takes at least two hits to KO.
With Dangoro's evolution into Gantoru, we're starting to see even more similarities with its predecessor, the Geodude/Graveler/Golem family. Both families are triple-stage Rock types, with the first evolution at level 25 and the second evolution via trade. Gantoru is probably the coolest-looking geode of the bunch, although you'll want to find a friend to trade immediately to take full advantage of Gigaiath's stats.
Unlike Golem, who gains a secondary Ground type, Gigaiath maintains its pure Rock type, making it the only pure Rock third evolution to date. Whether that makes Gigaiath more interesting or less interesting is debatable. Its STAB move options are limited because of its Rock type and completely dismal special attack stat, and your best bet is Stone Edge, TM71 (Gigaiath also learns it at level 48). Sandstorm (TM37) is also a must, especially if you have a Gigaiath with the Dream World ability Sand Power. The combination of its dismally low speed and low special defense are going to make it difficult to use in battle though.
Note: Wild Dangoro and Gantoru both have a 50% chance of holding an Everstone, so when you're ready to evolve Gantoru into Gigaiath, make sure you check for and remove the Everstone before trading, otherwise it won't evolve.
Next page: Zubat family 2.0, Koromori and Kokoromori
