Basculegion is a large, green, fish-like Pokémon. It has a jagged mouth with pointed teeth. Its spine is aligned with a dark gray line, with colored stripes that flank it on either side and extend around its gills, in addition to having spots along its torso and plumes of smoke around its tail. These accents are red in male Basculegion, and pale blue in female Basculegion. Their eyes also match the appropriate color, looking fierce on males and drowsy or sad on females. It has a pair of white pectoral fins, a three-spiked dorsal fin, and a two-spiked ventral fin. Additional smoke covers its face in a manner resembling barbels; female Basculegion sport shorter ones and lack the two small fins that the males have on their chin, instead having more blue markings around their lips and eyes.
Basculegion's evolution is achieved by a White-Striped Basculin being possessed by the souls of other Basculin in its school who did not survive their harsh journey swimming upstream. When it senses danger, Basculegion will turn hostile and attack along with its souls until the enemy is defeated. The souls within Basculegion are said to have a will of their own and provide Basculegion with the power needed to swim on without tiring.[1] Basculegion is said to have no equal in the rivers of the Hisui region.
A special male Basculegion is worshiped in Hisui due to him being a descendant of one of the 10 ancient Pokémon who received a blessing from Arceus. In particular, he is one of the Ride Pokémon who resides in Cobalt Coastlands and assists humans. This ride Basculegion can dash and can leap over anything by jumping up twice.
Clads itself in the souls of comrades that perished before fulfilling their goals of journeying upstream. No other species throughout all Hisui's rivers is Basculegion's equal.
White-StripedBasculin evolves into Basculegion after losing at least 294 HP from recoil damage. This can be spread across multiple battles and is not affected by the use of recovery items.
Fainting does not reset progress; however, if Basculin faints via recoil damage, that damage is not counted towards the amount needed to evolve.
In Generation IX, White-Striped Basculin must level up after losing at least 294 HP from recoil damage in order to evolve.
Is the only Pokémon with gender differences whose pre-evolved form is a regional form of a Pokémon.
Is the only Pokémon with all five vowels in its English name.
Is tied with Slither Wing for the greatest number of unique characters in its English name, with 11 (including spaces).
Has the longest English Pokémon name that is an isogram.
The amount of recoil damage required for White-Striped Basculin to take to evolve into Basculegion, 294 HP, could be goroawase for 憎しnikushi, archaic Japanese for hatred.
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, White-Striped Basculin and Basculegion are not classified as regional forms for the purposes of breeding, meaning that neither species would be required to hold an Everstone to produce White-Striped Basculin offspring.
Origin
Basculegion's appearance and evolutionary background may be based on salmon, as some species are found in Hokkaidō (where Hisui is based on) and its surrounding waters, and many of them don't survive when they migrate upstream. Specifically, it may be based on the itou or the Sakhalin taimen (also nicknamed the "phantom fish" in Japan), a large, critically endangered species that likewise belongs in the Salmonidae family and lives in rivers in Hokkaidō. It also appears in Ainu folklore as a giant, powerful creature named Ciray that could devour deers or boars. Like its pre-evolution, Basculegion also shares some similarities with the largemouth bass, as well as other predatory fish such as the snakehead and the goliath tiger fish.
The male and female colorations of Basculegion may be inspired by the nuptial coloration of some salmon species, such as the sockeye or the coho, during mating season. While both male and female salmon change colors during this period, the males usually become redder and more vibrant, while the females are paler in comparison. The colorations are also reminiscent of Basculin's Red- and Blue-Striped Forms.
Basculegion's lower jaw and pectoral fins may also be inspired by an Itaomacip, an enlarged boat with side plates built by the Ainu people for seafaring and trading purposes. In real life, the Ainu created an extensive maritime network surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk with this vessel. This could also have inspired Basculegion's role as a Ride Pokémon on water in Hisui.
Name origin
Basculegion may be a combination of Basculin and legion (an army or a vast amount of people) or Legion (a Biblical demon or group of demons).
Idaitou may be a combination of 偉大idai (great), 哀悼aitou (mourning), and イトウitou (Sakhalin taimen).
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For other sprites and images, please see Basculegion images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
