POTW Pokémon of the Week #58: Diglett and Dugtrio

SirOni · Aug 26, 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 Dugtrio line!

Diglett and Dugtrio are Ground-type Pokémon from Generation I which received new regional variants in Generation VII. These Pokémon are based on burrowing animals such as moles, gophers, and worms with their appearance taking greatly from the Whac-A-Mole arcade game moles. They are respected by people and Pokémon alike as exceptional cultivators for their innate ability to till and enrich the land as they bore through it. Diglett usually dwell within the shallow earth while Dugtrio can go as deep as 60 miles below sea level. Huge groups of these Pokémon naturally congregate in expansive tunnels of their own making. When these tunnels breach the surface they become established routes for travelers with Diglett’s Cave in Kanto and Diglett’s Tunnel in Alola being notable examples. Diglett have thin skin and are often shy to surface as exposure to light heats up their blood causing them to grow weak. Dugtrio are three Diglett heads that share an individual body. These heads think the same thoughts and act in cooperation rhythmically bobbing each after the other to loosen soil. Their deep subterranean excavations are the common cause of most tremors and earthquakes. The full bodies of Diglett and Dugtrio have always been mysterious as no one has ever seen these Pokémon completely removed from the earth. At the very least it is apparent that they use claws for attacking, and likely for digging as well, with moves like Slash, Shadow Claw, and Aerial Ace in its repertoire. This mystery is one that has puzzled many non-player characters and fans alike even having been proclaimed as one of the greatest secrets of the Pokémon world!

In many regions Diglett and Dugtrio are rare sights only ever seen in their constructed passages or very dry areas, but in Alola the local variant are found in a wide variety of areas on every island from the Lush Jungle in Akala to the Vast Poni Canyon on Poni. Alolan Diglett and Dugtrio differ from their established counterparts in that they have darker skin, have blonde hair, and are now part Steel-type. The blonde hair is an interesting change with an explanation all too familiar to island living. Volcanic islands often experience a phenomenon known as Pele’s hair where thin strands of volcanic glass that resemble blonde hair or straw are formed near lava and are blown away by the wind. These strands are brittle and sharp which contribute to the local legends of both Hawaii and Alola stating that touching these hairs will bring bad luck. This connection to Hawaiian goddess Pele is also extended to Alolan Dugtrio as they are also regarded as feminine deities of the land incarnate. These hairs are used as sensory organs to communicate with each other and to monitor volcanic activity. Regional variants have taken great strides to really acclimate older Pokémon to the culture of new regions. With flowing blonde hair and seemingly tanned skin Alolan Dugtrio also play up the stereotypical surfer look and have really taken to the islands.

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?
-What do you think about the great mystery that is Diglett and Dugtrio’s true form?
-How do you like the Alolan variant of this Pokémon? Do you think it does a good job at showcasing what regional variations can be?
-Diglett and Dugtrio are known to have strange interactions with certain moves, their animations, and other in-game mechanics. Have you seen any of these and what do you think about them?
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!

Previous Pokémon of the Week:

Nicolas721 · Aug 26, 2017

Until 2 years ago, they were inoffensive Pokemon to me. But when I made my rankings project I discovered that they were quite bad, I mean...It's a weiner with a nose that evolves into three weiners with angry faces. There are a thousand ways to show their inspirations of Whack-a-mole better. They wouldn't be on my Bottom 10 through, as their personality is fun sometimes. Their Alolan forms are lazy as hell too, I would be more forgiving if there would be more Alolan forms so there is more room for siliness, but no, somehow a Digglet with hairs is more interesting than a ghost Cubone.

In the games, I liked seeing Dugtrio in XY, despite their Arena trap ability I welcomed them after their very long absense. But in SM, I hated how they were everywhere, it doesn't make sense that they have a cave named after them if they are found in other places.

They are iconic within the fandom, and cute in some form, but I don't know if they are worth their popularity.

I'd like to see a post-gen I legendary or mythical.

Gengarzilla · Aug 26, 2017

-Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
It's not a Pokémon I pay overt attention to in most cases, I don't really like or dislike it. Why? That's just me.

-How is this Pokémon in-game?
Handy, but I've never used one. I always choose Bulbasaur in the Gen I games so I didn't need Diglett or Dugtrio to bail me out against Lt. Surge.

-How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
I've never used it here either but I heard the usual Dugtrio is doing pretty good for itself. Alolan Dugtrio... not so much.

-Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
The anime does next to nothing with them. Heck, I think PMD Rescuers and Explorers gives them more attention.

-If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
Give back Arena Trap to Alolan Dugtrio. I appreciate the basis behind its hair but that Gooey clone isn't a good tradeoff.

-What do you think about the great mystery that is Diglett and Dugtrio’s true form?
I'm more interested in what Forretress hides from us, frankly.

-How do you like the Alolan variant of this Pokémon? Do you think it does a good job at showcasing what regional variations can be?
I give it high marks for the inspiration but you should be using Excadrill if you want a Ground/Steel type in your competitive battling team. Dugtrio is one of those Pokémon that lends a lot of its common usage to an ability which its Alolan variety lacks.

-Diglett and Dugtrio are known to have strange interactions with certain moves, their animations, and other in-game mechanics. Have you seen any of these and what do you think about them?
I've seen the Telekinesis immunity and the difference in Hurricane's animation... but not from watching these two guys. Mega Gengar, Sandygast, and Palossand share most of Diglett and Dugtrio's odd mechanics. I appreciate the realistic touch in a series like this.

Rainami · Aug 29, 2017

alolan dugtrio is one of my least favorite pokemon of all time. I laughed when I first saw it, yeah, but that doesn't mean it's a good design. It's just a bad joke, that's all it is. Though I'll admit the pele's hair inspiration is neat, it's a shame it couldn't have been implemented on a cooler pokemon.

regular dugtrio is fine, I guess. I somewhat like it, the whack a mole motif is a bit cute. Arena trap is always fun, too.

CynthiaLover · Aug 31, 2017

Not really a fan of Diglet and Dugtrio. I mean, there are dozens of ways to create a Whack-a-Mole idea, but they're just totally bland and rather mundane. Even giving them actual hands/paws and maybe even a helmet-like structure would've made a huge difference. Maybe back in Gen I they were pretty decent, as they were wicked fast and hit hard, heavily abusing the critical hit formula at the time, but not so much now. And once they gained an Alolan Form, it's the reason I can never take them seriously anymore. If there had been a few more silly-looking Alolan Forms then maybe I might not be so critical, but all they gained is hair, which makes them look even more ridiculous than before, even if they gained a Steel sub-type in the process. Diglet and Dugtrio could've be something a bit more interesting, but thanks to their Alolan Form, they've really been downgraded in my mind, and they weren't that high on my list to begin with.

Now that I've said that, I've got a few suggestions for future Pokemon of the Week. They are as followed:

Roggenrola, Boldore, Gigalith
Drillbur, Excadrill
Starly, Staravia, Staraptor
Snorunt, Glalie, Froslass
Joltik, Galvantula
Sewaddle, Swadloon, Leavanny
Rockruff, Lycanroc
Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir, Galade

That should cover it for now.

Camille · Sep 3, 2017

I don't particularly care for regular Diglett/Dugtrio, although they are quite good for EV training in Speed, especially for Flying Pokemon. Their Alolan variants, however, are easily my least favourite Ground-type Pokemon. I find their designs ridiculous, and on top of that, they can't even have Arena Trap, which is one of few things I like about their regular counterparts.

Zexy · Sep 4, 2017

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
Like. Nice concept and design.
-How is this Pokémon in-game?
Great for the Kanto games, obtainable as a high enough level Dugtrio just before the Electric gym.
Also great for Sun/Moon, with Alolan Dugtrio having some really nice offensive power all over the game and being easy to get since early enough.
-How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Arena Trap makes for great trapper sweeping.
-Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
The episode with the Diglett where Team Rocket's Pokemon evolved was nice.
-How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
Some people would like it, others would find it annoying as it would dig into their yards etc.
-If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
The Alolan form made lots of good changes for me. Can't think of much else that wouldn't make it lose its character.
-What do you think about the great mystery that is Diglett and Dugtrio’s true form?
I don't consider it that great of a mystery so I don't mind

-How do you like the Alolan variant of this Pokémon? Do you think it does a good job at showcasing what regional variations can be?
Definitely!
-Diglett and Dugtrio are known to have strange interactions with certain moves, their animations, and other in-game mechanics. Have you seen any of these and what do you think about them?
Not really, but I'm not the most observant person when it comes to these kinds of things.

Zeb · Sep 5, 2017

Regular Dugtrio is fine to me and in fact is one of my favourite Ground-types. Whack-a-moles with the ability to trap and remove things is great. They are simple but in a way that is completely fine and works. They also have the added nostalgia due to Diglett's Tunnel in Gen 1 and catching one as a kid to beat down Lt Surge.

Alolan Dugtrio, however, is one of the worst designs to have ever graced the franchise. And I say this as someone who ranks Pokemon like Diggersby, Mega Slowbro, Crabominable and Garbodor amongst my favourite Pokemon - those are Pokemon/designs that are often the subjects of lots of hate for being ugly or stupid looking. The idea and inspiration with Alolan Dugtrio is great, but the execution is horrible. I'm sure there are people that really enjoy it, but I'm not one of them.

Alolan Coconut · Sep 7, 2017

I still have moments where I think Alolan Diglett and Dugtrio aren't real and that they're just part of some weird joke. Seriously, they got the chance to do something really cool - redesign Gen I Pokemon to give them a modern upgrade - and this is the thing that makes it into the final game. A Dugtrio with long hair.

I'm fine with their regular formes.Diglett and Dugtrio's debut in the anime is still one of my favourite episodes.

POTW Pokémon of the Week #58: Diglett and Dugtrio

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SirOni

Driving You Batty

Nicolas721

Well-Known Member

Gengarzilla

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

Rainami

beseech the stars

CynthiaLover

Geek of the Games

Camille

Call of Fate

Zexy

Quaxly Boy

Zeb

what is your spaghetti policy here?

Alolan Coconut

Member

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