Dondozo (Pokémon): Difference between revisions

{{PokémonPrevNext/Pokémon|type=Water|prevnum=0976|prev=Veluza|nextnum=0978|next=Tatsugiri}}

Dondozo is a giant piscine Pokémon. Its body has three colors: light blue at the top; dark blue in the middle; and white on its belly, upper lip, and fins. It has a pair of pectoral fins and its rear half is flanked on either side by elongated anal fins, ending at a large, fan-like tail fin. On top of its head is a ring of six frills arranged in a circle: the two rightmost frills are much longer and end in flat tips, while the other four are shorter and rounded. It has three gills on either side of its body. Its face has a short protrusion resembling a nose, along with dark blue lips, a blue tongue, a pair of long {{wp|Barbel (anatomy)|barbels}} above its upper lip, and five barbels on its lower jaw, with one of them being longer and curled, located just below its lower lip. Dondozo's tongue is long and rectangular with two blocky protrusions below it, altogether resembling a ''{{wp|ja:寿司下駄|sushi geta}}'' (wooden serving tray for sushi).

Dondozo is [[List of Pokémon by height|one of the biggest Pokémon]] ever discovered, and is a heavy eater. Although powerful, Dondozo is dull and not very good at hunting, so it teams up with {{p|Tatsugiri}} to catch prey. The Tatsugiri would bait their prey by playing dead, and then commands Dondozo to attack. Dondozo is loyal to Tatsugiri and acts as its subordinate, protecting it inside its mouth from enemies. {{p|Basculin}} is among the species Dondozo preys upon.

{{Dex/Gen/1|gen=IX|reg1=Paldea|num1=374}}

|style="{{roundy|0px}} border-radius: 5px; border:2px solid #{{water color light}}; background:#{{water color light}}| [[File:Pokedex Image Dondozo SV.png|x200px]]

{{Availability/Entry2|v=Scarlet|v2=Violet|t=FFF|t2=FFF|area=North Province: [[Casseroya Lake]]<br>[[Tera Raid Battle]]s (5★, 6★)}}

{{learnlist/breed9|{{bag/s|Mirror Herb|SV}}{{tt|*|The Pokémon must hold a Mirror Herb to copy this move from another Pokémon.}}|Curse|Ghost|Status|—|—|10}}

{{learnlist/breed9|{{MSP/9|0339|Barboach}}{{MSP/9|0340|Whiscash}}|Fissure|Ground|Physical|—|30|5}}

{{learnlist/breed9|{{MSP/9|0130|Gyarados}}{{MSP/9|0340|Whiscash}}{{MSP/9|0550|Basculin}}{{MSP/9|0550-White|Basculin}}{{MSP/9|0902|Basculegion}}|Thrash|Normal|Physical|120|100|10}}

{{learnlist/breed9|{{bag/s|Mirror Herb|SV}}{{tt|*|The Pokémon must hold a Mirror Herb to copy this move from another Pokémon.}}|Yawn|Normal|Status|—|—|10}}

===Evolution===

* Dondozo and its {{Shiny}} coloration were designed by [[James Turner]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/JamesTurner_42/status/1634814245027172352 James Turner on Twitter]</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/JamesTurner_42/status/1634841181858459648 James Turner on Twitter]</ref>

Dondozo seems to be based on the {{wp|wels catfish}}, a large species of {{wp|catfish}} that is native to Europe and was introduced to Spain. Its shiny coloration resembles an albino wels catfish. The presence of bird Pokémon in Dondozo's diet may be inspired by the wels catfish's hunting behavior, as some individuals have been known to successfully hunt terrestrial birds by beaching themselves. Dondozo may also be based on a {{wp|sushi}} chef, considering its relationship with {{p|Tatsugiri}}, the frills on its head which resemble a bandana or headband commonly worn as part of a sushi chef's uniform, and its tongue which resembles a ''{{wp|ja:寿司下駄|sushi geta}}''. Its face also somewhat resembles that of a {{wp|smooth-head blobfish}}.

Dondozo keeping Tatsugiri inside its mouth may be a reference to {{wp|Mouthbrooder|mouth-brooding}}, a parenting style performed by some species of catfish where the parent fish will keep their offspring safe by holding them inside their mouth. Dondozo's low smarts and larger size compared to Tatsugiri, combined with their synergy together, seem to reference the common [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BrainsAndBrawn "Brains and Brawn" team-up] trope in media. Tatsugiri acting as the boss supports this, as the "Brains" is most often the leader in these team-ups.

|de=Heerashai|demeaning=From ''{{tt|Herr|Sir}}'' and its Japanese name