Pucker up, 2024! Beyond the Ball is back and we're ready to be perplexed yet again as we talk about Karrablast's natural enemy Shelmet! Follow along with the entries below: Black: When attacked, it defends itself by closing the lid of its shell. It can spit a sticky, poisonous liquid. White: It evolves when bathed in an electric-like energy along with Karrablast. The reason is still unknown. Black & White 2: When it and Karrablast are together, and both receive electrical stimulation, they both evolve. Sword: When attacked, it tightly shuts the lid of its shell. This reaction fails to protect it from Karrablast, however, because they can still get into the shell. Shield: It has a strange physiology that responds to electricity. When together with Karrablast, Shelmet evolves for some reason. Ash's Pokedex: Shelmet can spit a sticky poisonous acid when attacking, and it can defend itself by closing its shell. BTB: Litte poison-spittin' helmet guy. The helmet does not protect this little punching bag for Karrablast. Cover design by Kwesi Phillips Music by Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose Leave us a tip at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/beyondtheball

With its dark deed completed, Karrablast has evolved into its final stage, Escavalier! This one's got lances for arms and we, uh, don't love it? Follow along with the entries below: Black: They fly around at high speed, striking with their pointed spears. Even when in trouble, they face opponents bravely. White: These Pokémon evolve by wearing the shell covering of a Shelmet. The steel armor protects their whole body. Black & White 2: Wearing the shell covering they stole from Shelmet, they defend themselves and attack with two lances. Sword: They use shells they’ve stolen from Shelmet to arm and protect themselves. They’re very popular Pokémon in the Galar region. Shield: It charges its enemies, lances at the ready. An image of one of its duels is captured in a famous painting of Escavalier clashing with Sirfetch’d. Ash's Pokedex: Escavalier, the Cavalry Pokémon and the evolved form of Karrablast. Escavalier's body is protected by steel armor. BTB: The mysteriously levitating bug knight may look noble but is actually a thief and a scoundrel. Goofy helmet. Cover design by Kwesi Phillips Music by Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose Leave us a tip at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/beyondtheball

It's blasting! It's clamping! That's right, it's Karrablast! Hold on. I'm hearing that it perhaps does not blast OR clamp? Let's get to the bottom of this. Follow along with the entries below: Black: These mysterious Pokémon evolve when they receive electrical stimulation while they are in the same place as Shelmet. White: When they feel threatened, they spit an acidic liquid to drive attackers away. This Pokémon targets Shelmet. Black & White 2: For some reason they evolve when they receive electrical energy while they are attacking Shelmet. Sword: Its strange physiology reacts to electrical energy in interesting ways. The presence of a Shelmet will cause this Pokémon to evolve. Shield: It spits a liquid from its mouth to melt through Shelmet’s shell. Karrablast doesn’t eat the shell— it eats only the contents. Ash's Pokedex: Karrablast live in forests and fields, and often hide in trees or grass when threatened. They can also defend themselves by spitting acid. BTB: There are rumours of Karrablast's mighty clamping capabilites, but it mostly gets by with just the acid. Evolves weird. https://blastoids.bandcamp.com/album/since-forever https://youtu.be/f7KSfjv4Oq0?si=BHjbhWXkc-2M571J Cover design by Kwesi Phillips Music by Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose Leave us a tip at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/beyondtheball

We're on to the biggest gator of the Totodile line and perhaps the most underwhelming. Feraligatr is big, mean and pretty fast I guess? Follow along with the entries below: Gold: When it bites with its massive and powerful jaws, it shakes its head and savagely tears its victim up. Silver: It is hard for it to support its own weight out of water, so it gets down on all fours. But it moves fast. Crystal: Although it has a massive body, its powerful hind legs enable it to move quickly, even on the ground. Ruby & Sapphire: FERALIGATR intimidates its foes by opening its huge mouth. In battle, it will kick the ground hard with its thick and powerful hind legs to charge at the foe at an incredible speed. Diamond, Pearl & Platinum: It usually moves slowly, but it goes at blinding speed when it attacks and bites prey. Dark Feraligatr card: Its powerful muscles allow it to move at a speed that belies its bulk. Sleep Style Dex: Feraligatr, too, is known to sleep by resting one brain hemisphere at a time. Be warned-it always keeps a vigilant eye on its surroundings and will rush at enemies as soon as it senses their presence. Photodex: Feraligatr has a heavy body, but when it kicks off the ground with its powerful hind legs, it’s incredibly fast! It surprised us by jumping out of the water at Mightywide River. BTB: The big gatr. So fast. So sharp. So strong. So powerful. So don't mess with it! A messy eater. Soulful eyes. Cover design by Kwesi Phillips Music by Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose Leave us a tip at ⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/beyondtheball

Totodile had the jaw strength and now Croconaw is here to provide the tooth power! Apologies for Braden's bad audio on this one! Follow along with the entries below: Gold: If it loses a fang, a new one grows back in its place. There are always 48 fangs lining its mouth. Silver: It opens its huge jaws wide when attacking. If it loses any fangs while biting, they grow back in. Crystal: The tips of its fangs are slanted backward. Once those fangs clamp down, the prey has no hope of escape. Ruby & Sapphire: Once CROCONAW has clamped its jaws on its foe, it will absolutely not let go. Because the tips of its fangs are forked back like barbed fishhooks, they become impossible to remove when they have sunk in. Diamond, Pearl & Platinum: Once it bites down, it won’t let go until it loses its fangs. New fangs quickly grow into place. Dark Croconaw card: It has 49 teeth in its mouth that are constantly replacing themselves. Pull one out, and a new one grows in. Sleep Style Dex: It's known to rest one brain hemisphere at a time, with the eye on the opposite side closed. Perhaps this method of sleeping with alternating halves of its brain is a defense against enemy attacks. BTB: An endless supply of vicious teeth line this primal rapscallion's big ol' mouth. Croconaw bites are forever. One-eyed sleep Croconaw Cover design by Kwesi Phillips Music by Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose Leave us a tip at ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/beyondtheball

We're back to talk about a little croc who is near and dear to both our hearts, Totodile! Surely this little cutie will be a ton of fun and perfectly safe for novice Pokemon trainers. Follow along with the entries below: Gold: Its well-developed jaws are powerful and capable of crushing anything. Even its trainer must be careful. Silver: It is small but rough and tough. It won’t hesitate to take a bite out of anything that moves. Crystal: This rough critter chomps at any moving object it sees. Turning your back on it is not recommended. Ruby & Sapphire: Despite the smallness of its body, TOTODILE’s jaws are very powerful. While the POKéMON may think it is just playfully nipping, its bite has enough power to cause serious injury. Diamond, Pearl & Platinum: It has the habit of biting anything with its developed jaws. Even its Trainer needs to be careful. Neo Destiny Card: Its highly developed jaws are powerful enough to crush anything. Even experienced adult trainers must handle it with great caution. Sleep Style Dex: This Pokémon is known to close one eye and rest just half its brain at a time, a practice called unihemispheric sleep. Perhaps it's keeping watch against an enemy attack. BTB: This lovable scamp really doesn't know its own strength, and should be raised with the utmost caution. Cover design by Kwesi Phillips Music by Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose Leave us a tip at ⁠https://ko-fi.com/beyondtheball

Here we are at the end of an incredible journey and Machamp's entries do not disappoint! Also there's a ton of them so buckle up for a long one! Follow along with the entries below: Red & Blue: Using its heavy muscles, it throws powerful punches that can send the victim clear over the horizon. Yellow: One arm alone can move mountains. Using all four arms, this POKéMON fires off awesome punches. Gold: It quickly swings its four arms to rock its opponents with ceaseless punches and chops from all angles. Silver: It uses its four powerful arms to pin the limbs of its foe, then throws the victim over the horizon. Crystal: With four arms that react more quickly than it can think, it can execute many punches at once. Ruby: MACHAMP has the power to hurl anything aside. However, trying to do any work requiring care and dexterity causes its arms to get tangled. This POKéMON tends to leap into action before it thinks. Sapphire: MACHAMP is known as the POKéMON that has mastered every kind of martial arts. If it grabs hold of the foe with its four arms, the battle is all but over. The hapless foe is thrown far over the horizon. FireRed: Its four ruggedly developed arms can launch a flurry of 1,000 punches in just two seconds. Emerald: It is impossible to defend against punches and chops doled out by its four arms. Its fighting spirit flares up when it faces a tough opponent. Diamond: It punches with its four arms at blinding speed. It can launch 1,000 punches in two seconds. Pearl: It can knock a train flying with a punch. However, it is terrible at delicate work using its fingers. Platinum: Its four muscled arms slam foes with powerful punches and chops at blinding speed. Sun: It unleashes megaton-level punches that send opponents flying clear over the horizon. Moon: It can lift heavy loads with the greatest of ease. It can even heft dump trucks. But its clumsy fingers prevent it from doing any precision work. Ultra Sun: It grasps its opponents with its four arms and twists them up in an intricate hold. People call it “the Machamp special.” Ultra Moon: With four arms, it can attack and defend simultaneously. It’s said to have mastered every martial art in the world. Legends: Arceus: In close combat, its four arms afford it offensive and defensive supremacy. In but a blink, this valiant Pokémon can overwhelm its foes with more than 1,000 blows from its fists. Dark Machamp: It is almost impossible to defend against a Machamp’s four powerful arms. Light Machamp: It uses its four arms in combat to unleash a ceaseless flurry of punches. Photodex: Machamp’s four muscular arms make it an excellent swimmer. It can move through the water as fast as any aquatic Pokémon. BTB: With it's power-save belt seemingly disabled, Machamp can now punch God. Horrible at arts and crafts though. Gigantamax Machamp Sword: The Gigantamax energy coursing through its arms makes its punches hit as hard as bomb blasts. Shield: One of these Pokémon once used its immeasurable strength to lift a large ship that was in trouble. It then carried the ship to port. Cover design by Kwesi Phillips Music by Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose Leave us a tip at https://ko-fi.com/beyondtheball

Well, Machop was already pretty incredible. One can only imagine how much more fantastic it's next form, Machoke, might be! Perhaps it will even come with a convenient device to ensure it's mighty feats remain strictly limited to our imagination! Follow along with the entries below: Red & Blue: Its muscular body is so powerful, it must wear a power save belt to be able to regulate its motions. Yellow: The belt around its waist holds back its energy. Without it, this POKéMON would be unstoppable. Gold: It always goes at its full power, but this very tough and durable POKéMON never gets tired. Silver: The muscles covering its body teem with power. Even when still, it exudes an amazing sense of strength. Crystal: This tough POKéMON always stays in the zone. Its muscles become thicker after every battle. Ruby: MACHOKE’s thoroughly toned muscles possess the hardness of steel. This POKéMON has so much strength, it can easily hold aloft a sumo wrestler on just one finger. Sapphire: MACHOKE undertakes bodybuilding every day even as it helps people with tough, physically demanding labor. On its days off, this POKéMON heads to the fields and mountains to exercise and train. FireRed: Its formidable body never gets tired. It helps people by doing work such as the moving of heavy goods. Emerald: A belt is worn by a MACHOKE to keep its overwhelming power under control. Because it is so dangerous, no one has ever removed the belt. Diamond: MACHOKE’s boundless power is very dangerous, so it wears a belt that suppresses its energy. Pearl: It can lift a dump truck with one hand. Using that power, it helps people with heavy jobs. Platinum: It happily carries heavy cargo to toughen up. It willingly does hard work for people. Sun: As a result of its continual workouts, it has developed tremendous power. It uses that power to help people with their work. Moon: It willingly assists with hard labor because it knows the work is good training for its muscles. Ultra Sun: When it encounters an enemy that’s truly mighty, this Pokémon removes the power-save belt from its waist and unleashes its full power. Ultra Moon: A popular motif for sculptures, its incredibly well-developed muscles have captured the imagination of many an artist. Legends: Arceus: A sturdy creature boasting a robust physique and boundless stamina. Loves training above all else and voluntarily assists with tasks such as construction and clearing land. Dark Machoke: While normally peaceful and friendly, the number of incidents involving cruel Machokes is rising. Light Machoke: This Pokémon never gets tired, no matter what it does or how hard it works. BTB: This beautiful beefster willingly restrains its boundless, cataclysmic power and we should all be thankful. Cover design by Kwesi Phillips Music by Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose Leave us a tip at ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/beyondtheball

It's muscles time! Machop is here for those good, good gains and we're to tell you all about it's impossible regimen. Sorry, Graveler! Follow along with the entries below: Red & Blue: Loves to build its muscles. It trains in all styles of martial arts to become even stronger. Yellow: Very powerful in spite of its small size. Its mastery of many types of martial arts makes it very tough. Gold: Always brimming with power, it passes time by lifting boulders. Doing so makes it even stronger. Silver: It loves to work out and build its muscles. It is never satisfied, even if it trains hard all day long. Crystal: It trains by lifting rocks in the mountains. It can even pick up a GRAVELER with ease. Ruby: MACHOP’s muscles are special - they never get sore no matter how much they are used in exercise. This POKéMON has sufficient power to hurl a hundred adult humans. Sapphire: MACHOP exercises by hefting around a GRAVELER as if it were a barbell. There are some MACHOP that travel the world in a quest to master all kinds of martial arts. FireRed; Its whole body is composed of muscles. Even though it’s the size of a human child, it can hurl 100 grown-ups. Emerald: It continually undertakes strenuous training to master all forms of martial arts. Its strength lets it easily hoist a sumo wrestler onto its shoulders. Diamond: It hefts a GRAVELER repeatedly to strengthen its entire body. It uses every type of martial arts. Pearl: Its muscles never cramp however much it trains. It lives in the mountains away from humans. Platinum: Though small in stature, it is powerful enough to easily heft and throw a number of GEODUDE at once. Sun: It loves working out. As it gazes at its muscles, which continue to swell day by day, it becomes more and more dedicated to its training. Moon: With its superhuman strength, it’s able to throw a hundred people all at the same time. Its strength comes from lifting Graveler every day. Ultra Sun: Once this Pokémon has gained enough confidence and muscle from training with its friends, it challenges Makuhita to a battle. Ultra Moon: It likes food that’s highly nutritious because its instincts drive it to build muscle efficiently. Legends: Arceus: Though as small as a child, it has strength enough to easily throw a well-built adult. Striving to become ever stronger, Machop trains by carrying a Graveler on its shoulders. Team Rocket Card: It's said that not even pro wrestlers can take down a Machop. BTB: With its infinite capacity for muscle growth and tireless strength, it is throwing untold quantities of everyone everywhere. Cover design by Kwesi Phillips Music by Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose Leave us a tip at ⁠https://ko-fi.com/beyondtheball

Tandemaus has evolved into Maushold! Or at least we're pretty sure it did. And by "it" we mean four separate beings operating as one whole Pokemon. Perfectly natural. That's right, it's Family Night at Beyond the Ball and we won't let no stinkin' Pokedex entries tell us how to define love! Follow along with the entries below: Family of Four Scarlet: The two little ones just appeared one day. The group might be a family of related Pokémon, but nobody knows for sure. Violet: The larger pair protects the little ones during battles. When facing strong opponents, the whole group will join the fight. Family of Three Scarlet: They build huge nests with many rooms that are used for different purposes, such as eating and sleeping. Violet: The little one just appeared one day. They all live together like a family, but the relationship between the three is still unclear. BTB: The two mice had kid(s) and they're definitely 100% a family. They build a mean, roomy nest and slay together to stay together. Cover design by Kwesi Phillips Music by Junichi Masuda and Go Ichinose Leave us a tip at https://ko-fi.com/beyondtheball