Demystifying Morpeko: A "Hangry" Form Changing Pokémon
When Morpeko is in “full belly mode,” it‘s yellow, brown, and black, but when it turns into “hangry mode,” it has a black, purple, and red color-scheme. As a passionate Pokémon gamer and content creator, I want to provide some deeper insights into this unique "hangry" form changing rodent.
Key Differences Between Morpeko‘s Two "Hangry" Modes
Let‘s analyze some key variations between Morpeko‘s Full Belly and Hangry modes:
Appearance and Energy
| Mode | Appearance | Energy Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Full Belly | Yellow, brown and black color scheme | Electric type energy |
| Hangry | Black, purple and red color scheme | Dark type energy |
Stats and Movepool
While in either form, Morpeko has a solid 95 base attack stat and small but decent movepool including key coverage options like Seed Bomb, Fire Fang, and Psychic Fangs. I‘ll discuss tactics for utilizing these below.
Behavior and Impact on Battle
In Hangry Mode, Morpeko becomes much more aggressive and volatile. Its signature move Aura Wheel also transforms from Electric to Dark type (more details next).
What Triggers This "Hangry" Transformation?
Morpeko‘s special ability Hunger Switch causes this dramatic form change each turn depending on its hunger level.
I love how this seems inspired by real world psychological research showing that hunger makes people irritable and angry (aka “hangry”). When very hungry, Morpeko essentially becomes “hangry” as well!
Battle Impact of the Mode Change
Now let‘s analyze how Morpeko‘s form impacts Aura Wheel in battle:
| Form | Aura Wheel Type | Best Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Full Belly | Electric | Flying, Water: 4x damage |
| Hangry | Dark | Psychic, Ghost: 2x damage |
So in Full Belly Mode, Aura Wheel strikes Flying and Water types for super effective damage.
But in Hangry Mode, it morphs into an ideal counter against Psychic and Ghost types instead.
This medic ability forces opponents to continually adapt tactics based on Morpeko‘s current form. Top players like Wolfe Glick often switch their Morpeko counter multiple times in a single battle as a result!
Competitive Viability and Usage
Despite faded early hype, Morpeko has maintained a niche in higher level play for adept players. It peaked at #29 most used Pokémon in Series 6 (1.4% usage), but dropped to 1% usage most recently in Series 13 per Pikalytics statistics.
Its best bet is using niche strategies:
- Z-Parting Shot Support – Uses status moves and stat lowering effects well
- All-Out Attacking – Take advantage of coverage moves off that base 95 attack
- Electric Seed – Boosts speed and defense to better utilize Full Belly Mode
While risky, in the right hands, Morpeko still packs a "hangry" punch!
The Anime Brings This Concept to Life
We‘ve seen Morpeko‘s hunger hijinks come to life in Pokémon Journeys as well. It frequently causes chaos trying to eat all the food in sight!
We got to see it angrily battling Ash‘s dragonite with Aura Wheel and later Goh fail to catch it when it slipped away.
It even formed a rivalry with Goh‘s fellow foodie Greedent! Their comedic food feuds help showcase Morpeko’s defining design element – the impact of hunger!
Hope you enjoyed this “deep dive” into Morpeko – one of the most unique form changing designs we’ve seen in recent years! Let me know if you have any other questions on this or other Pokémon topics!
