Magcargo is a limbless, gastropodmolluskPokémon consisting almost entirely of bright red magma. Its oval eyes are large and yellow with small pupils and extend upward from its head. It has a bulbous snout and a wide mouth, with two drops of magma dangling from each side of its upper jaw. Magcargo's back is protected by a gray, spherical shell composed of hardened, but brittle magma, forming irregular lumps and plates. Marcargo can store fire energy in its shell. A streak of fire leaks from the side of its shell. Magcargo's lower body is amorphous and covered in bubbles of magma.
Magcargo's internal body temperature can reach over 18,000 °F (10,000 °C), causing it to evaporate water on contact. Flames circulate throughout its body, occasionally spouting through cracks in its shell. While its shell is brittle enough to be shattered with a slight touch, Magcargo can reform its body by dipping itself in magma. It can be found in mountainous regions and has been living in volcano craters for tens of thousands of years. According to one folklore, when the wild Marcargo population suddenly increases, it's a sign that a volcano eruption is coming.
In Poetry Commotion!, Flannery's Slugma, nicknamed Mag, evolved into a Magcargo. It was the first Pokémon used in Flannery's Gymbattle against Ash. It faced off against his Corphish, but eventually lost despite a hard-fought match.
Magcargo's shell is actually its skin that hardened as a result of cooling. Its shell is very brittle and fragile - just touching it causes it to crumble apart. This Pokémon returns to its original size by dipping itself in magma.
Magcargo's body temperature is approximately 18,000 degrees F. Water is vaporized on contact. If this Pokémon is caught in the rain, the raindrops instantly turn into steam, cloaking the area in a thick fog.
Magcargo's shell is actually its skin that hardened as a result of cooling. Its shell is very brittle and fragile - just touching it causes it to crumble apart. This Pokémon returns to its original size by dipping itself in magma.
Magcargo's body temperature is approximately 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Water is vaporized on contact. If this Pokémon is caught in the rain, the raindrops instantly turn into steam, cloaking the area in a thick fog.
Magcargo has its sprite changed in Crystal from Gold and Silver; in this case, its shell is edited slightly, making it one of few Pokémon to have three different sprites in Generation II.
Magcargo is based on a snail, likely the Victaphanta atramentaria or the Platymma tweediei, with a body of lava and a shell of rock. It may also be based on the Cherufe, mythical evil creatures of rock and magma that inhabit the magma pools found deep within Chilean volcanoes. In legends, they are the main sources of earthquakes in Chile.
Name origin
Magcargo and Magcargot may be a combination of magma, escargot (French for snail), and cargo.