Highlights
- The artist JJonnie created a new concept for a Water-type Garchomp called Sharchomp, inspired by hammerhead sharks.
- Sharchomp has a unique move called Shark Bite, which has a high chance of paralyzing opposing Pokemon.
- While Sharchomp is a strong addition to a player’s party, it is weak against Electric and Grass-type moves, as well as the Freeze-Dry Ice-type move.
An artist completes a new Pokemon concept for a reimagining of Dragon and Ground-type Pokemon Garchomp as a Water-type Pokemon. Ever since its introduction in 2007’s Pokemon Diamond and Pearl for Nintendo DS, Garchomp has returned for every subsequent mainline Pokemon game, including Pokemon Scarlet and Violet for Nintendo Switch.
Garchomp is the third and final form of Gible in the long-running Pokemon series. Players must first capture Gible and raise the Pokemon to level 24 in order for it to evolve into Gabite. Afterward, Gabite will evolve into the mighty Garchomp after reaching level 48. Like its predecessors, Garchomp retains its Dragon and Ground nature, which makes it effective against Electric-type Pokemon. In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, players may find Garchomp flying around the Great Crater of Paldea. A climbing upgrade for Koraidon or Miraidon is required to reach Garchomp at such a high altitude, however.
Pokemon fan and artist JJonnie recently completed an original concept for Sharchomp, a Dragon and Water-type Garchomp inspired by real-world hammerhead sharks. Unlike the original Garchomp, the Sharchomp Pokemon was designed with a light blue body instead of its signature purple shade. The shiny variant of Sharchomp features a magenta and light purple body just like the shiny Mega Garchomp from the Pokemon Sun and Moon games. In addition, Sharchomp has a vastly different move-set compared to its bipedal counterpart. For example, Sharchomp is equipped with the Strong Jaw ability, which increases the Pokemon’s biting moves by 50%.
JJonnie created a new move for Sharchomp called Shark Bite, and its damage is greatly amplified by the Strong Jaw ability. Shark Bite is a 70 BP physical attack that has a 20% chance of paralyzing the opposing Pokemon in fear. Once a Pokemon is inflicted with paralysis, it has a 25% chance of not being able to perform a move, allowing Sharchomp to prepare for another move. The Paralysis status effect is typically associated with Electric moves, so Sharchomp’s ability to paralyze Pokemon makes it highly unique among existing Water-type Pokemon in the series.
The new Sharchomp design is faithful to the original Garchomp design and could work as a regional variant in a future Pokemon game. Although Sharchomp only has one move, the use of the Strong Jaw ability with the Shark Bite move makes the Water-type Pokemon a formidable addition to a player’s party. However, Sharchomp will be weak against Electric and Grass-type moves, and Pokemon with the Freeze-Dry Ice-type move will also hold the advantage against it.