Carvanha

Carvanha
Carvanha National Pokédex Swalot - Carvanha (#318) - Sharpedo Hoenn Pokédex Swalot - Carvanha (#97) - Sharpedo
Japanese name	Kibanha
Evolves from	None
Evolves into	Sharpedo
Generation	Third
Species	Savage Pokémon
Type	Dark / Water
Height	2 ft 7 in (0.81 m)
Weight	46.0 pounds (20.9 kg)
Ability	Rough Skin

Carvanha (キバニア, Kibania, Kibanha in original Japanese language versions) are one of the Template:Pokenum fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion-dollar Pokémon media franchise – a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. The purpose of Carvanha in the games, anime and manga, as with all other Pokémon, is to battle both wild Pokémon, untamed creatures encountered while the player passes through various environments, and tamed Pokémon owned by Pokémon trainers.

Carvanha's name originates from the words "carve" and "piranha". Its Japanese name is a portmanteau of 牙 (kiba), fang, and the English word "piranha". Another possible origin is "carnivore" which means meat or flesh eater. Referring to its evolution, Sharpedo, the name Carcharias (a genus of sharks) is possibly an influence to carvanha's name.

Biological characteristics

Carvanha is a moderately large, colorful fish with a blue upper-half, a red lower half with a star-shaped mark, and striking dorsal and pectoral structures in the same coloration as its side and tail fins. It has a huge mouth with teeth arranged to give the impression of a body gripping trap.

Carvanha is a fish with the behavioral characteristics of the piranha fish and an anatomy well-suited for it. It primarily lives in massive rivers that course through jungles and are connected to the ocean, rivers large enough for ships to pass through. As Carvanha live in schools, and they instinctively swarm whatever comes in their territory (prey or ship), these rivers are considered deathtraps to the ships that enter them, as Carvanha will rip out the hulls of these boats with their strongly developed jaws and sharply pointed fangs, which has been the cause of the fate of many boats.

Though Carvanha indeed has physical strength in numbers, and is a vicious commodity in the jungle rivers it patrolls, it seems to have psychological dependence on being with others of its own kind; When it is caught alone, Carvanha suddenly acts very timid, fleeing whenever it is in the presence of something else.

In the video games

Carvanha are featured in the Advanced generation Pokémon video games, RPG strategy games created by Satoshi Tajiri for the Nintendo Game Boy. They were originally in Japanese, but later translated into many other languages. Worldwide, the games and their sequels have sold over 143 million copies, making them one of Nintendo's most popular game franchises, second only to Mario.

In Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, Carvanha are found quite commonly when fishing at routes 118 and 119 with a Super Rod.

In Pokemon Sapphire, Carvanha is the signature Pokemon of Team Aqua, the antagonists, and the player faces many Carvanha in the feud against Aqua.

In Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl, Carvanha can be found in the Safari Game when you fish with the Super Rod.

Additionally, a Carvanha can be snagged from Cipher Peon Cabol in the Cipher Lab in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.

With a rather good attack rating and an above-average special attack and speed rating, in addition to the Rough Skin ability that automatically damages attacking opponents in battle by 1/16 of the damage when physical attacks are used, Carvanha is relatively easy to train while awaiting evolution into Sharpedo at level 30. But caution is advised when bringing it out into battle, for its mediocre HP and bad defense and special defense mean that it might rarely last more than one hit from an opponent.

Carvanha are able to learn Take Down at level 31, an attack that Sharpedo cannot learn, however, Carvanha can learn the similar but stronger Double-Edge attack as an egg move, so this may seem a better alternative based on the player’s point of view. In Pokémon XD, when purified, the snagged Carvanha learns the move Refresh for the first time.

In the Pokémon anime

Carvanha appears in several episodes where they are used by Team Aqua. Carvanha was featured in Episode 300 - A Corpish Out of Water, where a large pool of them jumped out at Ash. It has also made a one-time appearance in Episode 303 - A Three Scheme Team, where it blocked out another Pokémon's attacks. It has also been the shape of Team Rocket's cork launcher in episode Episode 342 - Exploud and Clear, and in Episode 315 - Whiscash and Ash - Ash managed to catch a Carvanha which then escaped a few seconds later

In other media

Carvanha's first appearance in the manga was in Chapter 188 just as the chapter ends when it leaps out of a pool. Following on is Chapter 189 where it makes a surprise ambush from the same fountain pool. Carvanha's next appearance was in Chapter 212 where it suddenly came charging towards the Gym leader Flannery. And finally in Chapter 215, Carvanha created an underground escape route using Secret Power

Carvanha has appeared several times in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, in EX Ruby and Sapphire, EX Team Magma vs. Team Aqua (three times as Team Aqua’s Carvanha), EX Deoxys (dark-type), and EX Power Keepers.

References

• The following games and their instruction manuals: Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue; Pokémon Yellow; Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2; Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal; Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald; Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen; Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

Publications

• Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-439-15404-9.
• Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-930206-15-1.
• Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 1-930206-50-X
• Mylonas, Eric. Pokémon Pokédex Collector’s Edition: Prima’s Official Pokémon Guide. Prima Games, September 21 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4761-4
• Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Emerald Version Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., April 2005. ISBN 1-930206-58-5

External links

• Official Pokémon website
• Bulbapedia (a Pokémon-centric Wiki) ’s article about Carvanha as a species
• Template:Serebiidex
• PsyPoke - Carvanha Pokédex entry and Usage Overview
• Smogon.com - Carvanha Tactical Data
• Template:WikiKnowledge