Quaquaval is a humanoid Pokémon resembling a waterfowl. Its plumage is mostly dark blue, except for the light blue on its shoulders and tail, along with the white on its head, neck, chest, and individual tail feathers. Its face has blue eyes and a pointed yellow beak. Atop its head is a large, flowing, slick, dark blue crest, with long light blue and orange-red feathers at the front, separating the crest from the head. Its forearms have three sets of feathers, each tipped with light blue; and it has what resembles hands with three "fingers" each. Additional light blue accents decorate its waist and legs. Its yellow feet have bulbous segments with three toes each; the front-most segments are orange in color. It has a defined rump and an elaborate-looking tail, with a circular base and three teardrop-shaped feathers decorating it at the top, along with two chains consisting of three feathers flanking it on either side.
In battle, Quaquaval is accompanied with a series of teardrop-shaped decorative water feathers, which are ejected from the organs on its tail feathers and fanned out behind its back. When attacking, these water feathers move forward and spin around Quaquaval's body, making a buzzsaw-like arrangement that it uses to slice into its enemies. Quaquaval's legs are well-trained and have incredible strength, being able to launch a truck away with a single kick. It uses its legs to perform dance moves, some of which appear to be based on dances from faraway lands.[1] Quaquaval is viewed by Tsareena as its rival.
Quaquaval has a cheerful and energetic disposition, dancing away no matter what situation it faces. However, it is also stoic and very serious, especially when it comes to consistently polishing its skills. It can become very focused during critical situations.[1]
Quaquaval is the only known Pokémon capable of learning the move Aqua Step.
Evolution
Quaquaval evolves from Quaxwell and is the final form of Quaxly.
Origin
Quaquaval may be primarily based on a crested duck or Roman goose. Its lobed feet and red head ornamentation suggest it could also take inspiration from the red-knobbed coot. The water feathers around its tail are visually and functionally based on the train of a peacock. The association between ducks or geese and peacocks could date to ancient Rome, where both the crested goose and the peacock were sacred animals of the goddess Juno.
Quaquaval may also took inspiration on carnivalesque performers, such as those from the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Considering its dancelike movements and exuberant plumage, Quaquaval particularly resembles the rainha de bateria dancer allegory from the Rio Carnival of Brazil; this is notable with the mentions to far-away lands in Quaquaval's Pokédex entries. The carnival dance it performs could be inspired by samba, an Afro-Brazilian dance that became part of the national identity of Brazil. Its Fighting type and signature move, Aqua Step, may be based on capoeira, a martial art that combines elements of dance which also originated in Brazil.
Quaquaval could also be inspired by the Basque Lamia, a duck-footed woman-like cryptid known for living around rivers, where they would often comb their hair.
Name origin
Quaquaval may be a combination of quá-quá (Portuguese onomatopoeia for duck sounds), aqua, and carnaval (Spanish and Portuguese for carnival). The name also appears to draw from the adjective quaquaversal, referring to a pattern that radiates in all directions from a common center; such is the case for the water feathers that fan out from Quaquaval's tail during battle.
Wanival may be a combination of wave and carnival.