Written by Jonathan Wojcik

   With its menacing glare, alien cranium, myriad stinging tendrils and huge, bony mandibles, Tentacruel is one of the most intimidating creatures in the first generation. I always found its bulging, red nodules especially interesting; could those be extra eyes? Maybe its true eyes? I've actually seen many fans mistakenly believe Tentacruel is a "squid" of some sort, but its overall shape, poison typing, and "Man O' War" title make its Cnidarian affiliation very clear. All that really throws this off are the mandibles, but they're really just another case of gamefreak delving deep into the most obscure biological trivia for inspiration.

   If you've ever failed a gel swap in the seething, you've probably felt the vibrations of sifters dipping their strands in your membrane to collect the stray particles of conscious gel, and from late Autumn to mid Shmonk, Sifters go through a brief, rejuvenating Cnidarian stage, retaining only their chitinous tusks to repel hungry Furlers. This is actually why they're in need of so much gel, as the Seething lacks the conventional matter necessary to build a Cnidarian vessel.

In Pokemon: DNA & ZNA, Tentacruel's affiliation to the Sifters is further illustrated by its new move, "Deverberation Wail."

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