POTW Pokémon of the Week #55: Numel and Camerupt

SirOni · Aug 5, 2017

In the World of Pokémon, there lives a vast number and variety of amazing creatures to befriend and collect. Every week, we will be focusing on a single one of these Pokémon or evolutionary line and talking about what makes it special. This week's Pokémon of choice is the Camerupt line!

Introduced in Generation III Numel and Camerupt are Fire/Ground-type Pokémon that are well known residents of sunny Hoenn. These Pokémon are based on the dromedary and bactrian camels respectively with the humps replaced with magma chambers and mini-volcanoes. In real life camels these humps consist of fatty deposits but for Numel and Camerupt these humps are actually made of bone. In addition to Hoenn these Pokémon can also be found around volcanic mountains of Sinnoh and Unova. Numel have also been seen in the Viridian and Ilex Forests possibly as an allusion to or in use by the charcoal production industry in the region. Due to their heated nature though Camerupt prefer to make their homes in or near volcanic craters. Numel are extremely dull witted Pokémon that, like Slowpoke are famous for, often don’t notice when they have been harmed. They become even slower when they get wet since their magma cools and hardens making them heavy and sluggish. Despite this slow disposition Numel cannot stand the pains of hunger for even an instant. Numel magma cauldrons have been observed to contract when they use Fire-type moves. These magma cauldrons are said to reach extreme temperatures with Camerupt having 18000 degree Fahrenheit magma coursing through their bodies. Camerupt are known to violently erupt every 10 years, or more frequently whenever they are enraged. They can also erupt from excessive magma build up. Just like camels in real life these Pokémon have been in the service of humans for probably hundreds of years. With their great strength and stamina they can transport heavy loads across long distances over deserts, mountains, and other rough terrain.

To many players Numel and Camerupt are most well known for being the signature Pokémon of Team Magma with practically every single member using one of the two. In their efforts to revitalize Groudon and expand the landmass Team Magma would have seen great use out of these Pokémon for their adaptability to volcanic extremes. In ORAS this bid for Groudon also encompassed research into infinity energy which would naturally lead them to them to utilize, and possibly have discovered, Mega Camerupt. As Mega Camerupt this Pokémon’s humps have fused into one large bubbling volcano. Its fur grows long draping over its feet and it gains a grey “M” marking on its forehead which is a nod to Team Magma. It possesses powerful Fire, Ground, and Rock-type moves that are boosted even further with the Sheer Force ability. When it comes to stats Mega Camerupt’s Speed is cut to the lowest of all Fire-types and its offenses and defenses increase with the biggest going to its Special Attack. Many would conclude that with these stats Mega Camerupt was just made to abuse Trick Room, but it has other tools at its disposal that should not be discounted. With its souped up bulk Mega Camerupt can also make use of defensive and support strategies with moves like Stealth Rock, Yawn, and Will-O-Wisp. Its type combo allows it to take on popular types like Fairy, Electric, Poison, and Steel rather well. As long as it stays away from Water moves, which is something one would say for any Pokémon and its weaknesses, Mega Camerupt can stay strong and go far.

Here are some questions to consider to get conversation rolling. You don't have to answer all of them or any of them in your post as long as you're staying on topic and within global forum rules.
-Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
-How is this Pokémon in-game?
-How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
-Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
-How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
-If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
-How do you think this Pokémon compares to others of its type?
-What do you think about the extreme temperature this and other Fire-type Pokémon are said to generate?
-What do you think about Mega Camerupt?
-Which team do you prefer: Magma or Aqua?
Also which of their signature Pokémon do you prefer: Camerupt or Sharpedo?
If you have any suggestions for Pokémon you'd like to discuss in the future just leave your ideas at the bottom of your post. Make sure you give your thoughts about the current Pokémon first!

Thanks to @CynthiaLover for suggesting this Pokémon of the Week!

Previous Pokémon of the Week:

ocelotlrama jaguar · Aug 5, 2017

I adore Numel! He is part of my top ten list of favorite Pokemon. I love Camerupt, too, but not as much as Numel. For me, Numel is great because of his cute, clueless expression and his coloring. For both of their charms, they're both volcanic camels that happen to have a type combination of my two favorite types: Fire and Ground. This Pokemon is perfectly competent in-game. Unfortunately, even in-game, their Speed stats are really lacking. They're not built for speed, but for being powerhouses. That type combination that I love makes them very weak to Water-types, which in turn makes them difficult to use in either case. I'd imagine they'd be perfectly causing havoc in a Trick Room team. With that kind of power and the ability to go first with Drought in effect? That's the kind of Trick Room team I'd love to make. A Drought/Sand Stream and Trick Room combo full of slow powerhouses like Camerupt to blow everything in its path.

I didn't really watch the anime during the Advanced Generation, so I never got to see them in action.

If these Pokemon were in our world, I'd imagine they would be doing manual labor and doing things real camels do like riding them across deserts and stuff. Camerupt would probably be a little too dangerous to use due to its anger issues and that superheated magma it tends to erupt from time to time. Numel would be more suitable for humans to partner with since they are too oblvious and in their own little world to get angry at anything. I myself would probably have one as a pet.

There isn't much I would change. Maybe instead of having Mega Camerupt having Sheer Force, I would give it Drought. Their slow speed can be utilized for Trick Room, so that doesn't bug me too much.

There is no other Pokemon with the type combination as Numel and Camerupt other than Primal Groudon, and that thing is beefed up to the max and one of the most popular Ubers. I won't even compare the two since it's pointless. When it comes to Pokemon with its other two types separately, when they aren't used for a Trick Room team, these volcano camels are simply not the best. There are better, faster Fire-types that wouldn't go down in one hit due to a 4x weakness to water (Solid Rock does jack to prevent Camerupt from taking too much damage from water moves). There are also better Ground types to use that don't have 4x weaknesses to anything and are much faster, along with making better use of physical moves like Earthquake.

Whenever I read about some Fire-type Pokemon able to generate heat that is hotter than the earth's core or even the sun, I just roll my eyes at the Pokedex entries and chalk it up to the writers just wanting to throw a mighty Pokedex entry in without having to think too much about it. I doubt the people themselves who write those things know the actual temperature of the earth's core or the sun. I'm not just dissing the Pokemon writers with this, either. I see this in a lot of fiction when it comes to something that has to do with a creature or even a robot that generates fire. 10,000 C and people are able to get near it? Give me a break. Then again, I guess you can say it suppresses its heat output and allow people to get near it without bursting into flames. It's fiction, so I guess anything is possible.

I like Mega Camerupt. It's brutally powerful in a team that I am producing with it at the helm. The only thing I am not too crazy about it is its ability, Sheer Force. It makes no use of its most powerful move (Eruption) and, at most, gives a boost to Earth Power. As mentioned before, I'd rather it have something a lot more useful like Drought. Well, Sheer Force isn't the worst. It could have been worse. That's just my little peeve.

I'm going to go with Team Magma as my favorite. I love the characters, the Pokemon they use, the Pokemon they are after (Groudon). They're just my favorite team of the two. Of course I prefer Camerupt over Sharpedo. I love Sharpedo, but the volcanic camel wins me over.

Zeb · Aug 5, 2017

Camerupt is one of my favourite Pokemon. It's a great design, amazing typing and I love the Mega even more than the regular form. People give the typing a lot of flack due to the 4x Water weakness, but having one 4x weakness isn't a massive deal (although it is stressed more on something so slow and with no recovery options) and offensively the typing is a complete beast, especially when combined with Rock coverage. It also has nice support options in Stealth Rock, Wisp and Roar.

I remember being worried what they were going to do with the Mega design, but it turned out great, I couldn't be happier. Longer shaggy coat, more expression, single giant volcano with basalt rocks. It just looks good, it's a top 3 Mega for me. I do wish the Mega had kept its base 40 Speed rather than getting slower because then a Rock Polish set would be semi-viable rather than completely unviable to give it a bit more options to work with. Also kinda hope that one day they give it Slack Off so it can put its typing and bulk to a bit more use. It seems like the Mega is picking up popularity in Smogon's OU this gen and it's a beast under Trick Room in doubles, so I can't really complain when it did improve Camerupt.

It seems like a mish mash of ideas, obviously takes from camels, but has bits of bovines like yak and cows in there too. Even a bit of the akabeko maybe with the rings on the side?

In competition with Sharpedo I prefer Camerupt by a long shot. Haven't cared for Sharpedo in years (and its Mega looks a bit of a mess too). Not sure about Aqua vs Magma, both sides are idiotic, but I do like the Aqua grunts' pirate designs in ORAS, so maybe those.

Zexy · Aug 7, 2017

-Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
Like. Nice type combination, concept and design, relevance in Hoenn games.
-How is this Pokémon in-game?
Strong but slow, better than average but still not my favourite kind of thing for in-game runs, even though I've given it a try. If you do want a Fire-type but haven't picked Torchic it's the only great option.
-How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Haven't tried it, but if I remember correctly Mega Camerupt has its niche in that low-tier metagame it's in since there aren't many Megas to select from.
-Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
I remember the episodes Candid Camerupt and Lights, Camerupt, Action. Mostly filler episodes but somewhat memerable, Camerupt's place in the anime is just movie-related puns lol
-How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
Some people would be fascinated by it, it is a camel and a volcano two-in-one after all.
-If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
Have it focus in Special Attack and drop the Attack, especially not wasting a boost there as a Mega. Typing and Ability are already pretty good, moveset is OK.
-How do you think this Pokémon compares to others of its type?
It is unique, fitting a tank role with this type combination. Compared to other Fire-types it is much more bulky while still packing a punch, but it's also quite slower. Same could be said for some Ground-types, even though there are more defensive Pokemon in this type (mostly the Rock/Ground and Steel/Ground ones).
-What do you think about the extreme temperature this and other Fire-type Pokémon are said to generate?
I have some willing suspension of disbelief when it comes to Pokedex entries; or perhaps I think some of them lie. Either way I'm not looking too much into it.
-What do you think about Mega Camerupt?
Great concept, if only it wouldn't get a pointless Attack boost that could be given to another stat...
-Which team do you prefer: Magma or Aqua?
Aqua. I prefer S/AS over R/OR on almost everything and this is no exception. Team Aqua has better outfits too, I prefer looking like a pirate over a scientist or wearing a hoodie, 'arr

Sablaireau · Aug 8, 2017

Mega Camerupt is pretty great right now. It destroys the insanely common Toxapex/Celesteela/Clefable balance core, as well as dealing with other common Pokémon like Magearna and Tapu Koko. It has seen a bit of high level tournament play recently, most notably by the US East player John. Few Pokémon apreciate switching in on a Sheer Force boosted Earth Power or Fire Blast, and it can run Rock Slide to deal with Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y, two Pokémon that are becoming increasingly harder and harder to check. With the omnipresence of the Tapus, Nature Power is a good option as well.

I think it's a really good Pokémon with a neat design. I'm glad it's getting more usage, because that Pex/Steela/Clef core is really hard to break through.

Maniacal Engineer · Aug 8, 2017

SirOni said:
-What do you think about the extreme temperature this and other Fire-type Pokémon are said to generate?

I think that Global Warming would be the least of the Pokémon World's issues if these entries are to be believed. I'm pretty sure that, literally, no scientific thought was considered when coming up with these types of Pokédex entries, which is a shame because, at times, the Pokédex can be an interesting treasure trove of helpful or random information.
My best example for this, off the top of my head, would be the Porygon family dex entries, which I have referenced in a previous PotW and the accompanying blog. Those show an actual progression of the evolution from a simple program to a full fledged artificial intelligence, to an AI infected with malware.

As far as Aqua vs. Magma, I'll go with Magma everytime. Maxie's voice in the anime has won the day. ~~Not to mention chuggaaconroy's imitation of said voice.~~

Regarding Camerupt itself, I feel like it truly is the perfect embodiment of a Fire/Ground type. It's ability to use Rock moves makes sense, too, since it can erupt, causing the lava to harden into new rocks. I do like the unique type combination, and I would like to see more Fire/Ground types in the future.

Gengarzilla · Aug 8, 2017

-Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
Another Pokémon I'm pretty neutral towards. There's a lot of those.

-How is this Pokémon in-game?
Can't judge, haven't tried it enough.

-How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
Beast of burden, just as in the Pokémon world. If it could control that temper anyway.

-What do you think about the extreme temperature this and other Fire-type Pokémon are said to generate?
It beggars belief, pretty much. Magcargo's a worse offender than Camerupt if you ask me though.

-What do you think about Mega Camerupt?
About seven or eight times out of ten, I suck with slow Pokémon. It's not my style. I prefer faster hitting ones.

-Which team do you prefer: Magma or Aqua? Also which of their signature Pokémon do you prefer: Camerupt or Sharpedo?
I don't like pirates very much but I like faster Pokémon as mentioned above, so it's Magma and Sharpedo for me.

noworry · Aug 8, 2017

-Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
I adore Camerupt, and Numel is in my opinion one of the cutest pokémon out there. I played through Omega Sapphire with one (named Carmen, lol), and got kinda attached to her, which is why I like Camerupt so much (especially the mega).

-How is this Pokémon in-game?
Camerupt is slow, but in gameplay it should be able to take some damage, and it hits hard, so that's not really a problem. It's not like it's hanging behind the others on the team or anything.

-How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
I haven't played to much competetive with Camerupt, because it's kinda slow, and realllly allergic to water.

-Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
I haven't watched too much anime lately. I remember an episode from Advanced I think? I don't remember too much about it, though.

-How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
I don't think it would be a very good pet, but I could see them living close to volcanos?

-If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
It COULD use some more bulk? but not really

-How do you think this Pokémon compares to others of its type?
Primal Groundon is really annoying on showdown at least, but then again it's a legendary with a form, so I'd say that Camerupt has some unfair competition.

-What do you think about the extreme temperature this and other Fire-type Pokémon are said to generate?
IT'S SO COOL. or hot. I guess. Fire is my all time favorite typing.

-What do you think about Mega Camerupt?
I LOVE IT TO BITS. It's grin is adorable, and the volcanos on it's back, sdfwsagh

-Which team do you prefer: Magma or Aqua?
Aqua, actually. Archie and his team is just more... chill? Team Magma is so serious?

CynthiaLover · Aug 9, 2017

Do you like or dislike this Pokemon? Why?
During my initial runs in RSE, I didn't really bother with this Pokemon much. Probably because it couldn't really play its strengths too well at the time. But thanks to later gens being more kind to it, I decided to give it a whirl. Despite that I'm always doing runs with Blaziken, Camerupt has won a spot on my team. My girl Volca has pushed through a lot of tough battles, and with a much-better usable movepool and a shiny new Mega form, it won my heart. Still not top Fire Mon to me (Blaziken still holds that title), but it's in my Top 5 Fire Mons now. Plus my new Hoenn babe, Courtney, uses one, so that became an added perk to me.

How is this Pokemon in-game?
Camerupt's bulk and nice selection of moves allow it to really shine, especially after the Physical/Special split. Sure it's slow as a Metapod in molasses, but it's bulk allows it to tank a lot of punishment, and can dish out even more punishment. Shame it's so vulnerable to Water, but at least Solid Rock helps it a little bit there. Plus it's the only user of Solid Rock that doesn't have a 4X weakness to Grass, so that makes it more unique.

How is this Pokemon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
I avoid the competitive field like the plague due to getting brutalized so often, so I wouldn't have any "real" experience to justify these questions. However, I have heard from others that Camerupt has gained a interesting niche in lower tiers, and a user on this very page mentioned that it crushes certain defensive walls (which often give me grief in online play), so that's pleasing for me to see. So I'm glad Camerupt, a largely minor Mon, is getting some viable use in competitive fields.

Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
It didn't get a lot of screentime, sadly, only in like, what, 2 episodes, so I can't really say it got a lot of good representation in the anime. Maybe if it was in the league or used by anime Team Magma more than Houndoom was I might get a better idea of how it was represented. So I can't say much about it from the anime's perspective.

How do you think this Pokemon would interact with our world?
Mostly a beast of burden, like in one of its anime episodes, especially since its temper might not make it a good pet. But, hey, there have been stranger pets before, so anything is possible.

If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
Probably give it more bulk and maybe a tad more Speed, since it's Mega drops a sizable amount of speed for power. And maybe give it some other move options, like say Energy Ball and such to deal with Water Mons. But overall it's pretty solid.

How do you think this Pokémon compares to others of its type?
Considering that Primal Groudon is the only other Mon with the same type, that's kinda hard, and rather unfair, to compare it with, so I can't give a good answer there.

What do you think about the extreme temperature this and other Fire-type Pokémon are said to generate?
If I may borrow a quote from Ratchet & Clank: "It's so hot, it's cool!" But I believe that the dex entries are a bit exaggerated. Besides Magcargo really takes the cake in that department, so I don't really believe that it's THAT hot in terms of temp.

What do you think about Mega Camerupt?
Gotta hand it to GF, they really hit a home run on that one. After the more, ahem, spike-happy Megas like Houndoom and Manectric, M-Camerupt was much smoother and better designed. It has a lot going for it and it works well. Plus it gives it quite a bit more power, and Sheer Force can wreck things with the right moves. So I'd say M-Camerupt was one of the better Mega designs to date.

Which team do you prefer: Magma or Aqua?
Magma, hands down. Especially ORAS Magma, where Maxie and especially Courtney got much more unique designs and personalities. Aqua is a bit too... loose(?), not so organized and a bit... dumber, perhaps? Plus I don't like pirates much, as they tend to be overrated and overused in a lot of media (I owe that feeling to One Piece and Pirates of the Caribbean, two series that I don't like at all). And Magma's seriousness can be rather humorous at times, so I prefer Magma over Aqua. And, again, I absolutely adore Courtney now, as she's much more unique than both Shelly and her own past self. So Magma wins this round to me.

DoctorWhy · Aug 10, 2017

-Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?

I love Numel and Camerupt! They're very good. Well designed, strong, cool type combo. Numel was one of my original Pokemon back when I played Sapphire, my first Pokemon game. Its name was Nummy (I was a genius at nicknames, I know). I used one again in Alpha Sapphire and adored it even more. That time, I named him Pompeii.

-How is this Pokémon in-game?

Pretty good! Avoid Water and you're golden. It's very strong and bulky. Solid team member. Wrecks enemies with its Ground and Fire moves, and takes a hit well.

-How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?

Oh, boy. I worry that it might burn down a building if it sneezes. But it'd also be a good pal. Warm hearted, helpful...but potentially too powerful for its own good XD

-If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?

Hm... I don't think so. I like it as it is.

-How do you think this Pokémon compares to others of its type?

Definitely one of my favorite Fire types and one of my favorite Ground types.

-What do you think about Mega Camerupt?

I really like it! I was never super into Megas, but it was cool and good.

-Which team do you prefer: Magma or Aqua? Which signature Pokemon do you prefer, Camerupt or Sharpedo?

I actually prefer Team Aqua as I prefer Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire--as well as their pirate-y designs. As far as Camerupt vs. Sharpedo, I like both a lot. Two of my favorites in Hoenn.

Pyrax · Aug 11, 2017

Neither are my favourite, but I'm really fond of Numel and Camerupt. I picked one up out of curiousity in Emerald a few years ago, and not once did it ever let me down. Randomly finding a shiny Numel while level grinding (same file) did wonders for my opinion; I really like how the black fur resembles hardened lava. I've only ever used Camerupt in Gen III, and it was great from what I can remember. Mine was basically a slow tank, dishing out EQ and Eruptions with the occasional Rock Slide.
I would definitely give it more bulk for more survivability against Water-types. Maybe give it Wood Hammer too, just so it won't have to rely on Solarbeam. I'm not a fan of the fur around Mega Camerupt's legs though - its bottom half looks really awkward with all that fur reaching its feet.
Also I don't believe those claims one bit; Charizard melting boulders and Magcargo being hotter than the Sun were definitely made up by the protagonist. Lastly, Camerupt has a less awkward design than Sharpedo; I understand it's meant to be a torpedo, but I just can't unsee a severed fish head.

ocelotlrama jaguar said:
I didn't really watch the anime during the Advanced Generation, so I never got to see them in action.

Winstrate Vicky used it against Ash, it lost its temper and went on a rampage until it was calmed down. The other notable appearance was a movie filler. Everything else was Team Magma iirc.

POTW Pokémon of the Week #55: Numel and Camerupt

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SirOni

Driving You Batty

ocelotlrama jaguar

Fluffy with 80% more spots!

Zeb

what is your spaghetti policy here?

Zexy

Quaxly Boy

Sablaireau

New User?

Maniacal Engineer

Mushy Emotionalist

Gengarzilla

"What do you mean, my Gengarite is contraband?!"

noworry

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CynthiaLover

Geek of the Games

DoctorWhy

Long Lost Member

Pyrax

Midnight Guest

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