Blastoise

Blastoise (カメックス Kamex in Japanese, Turtok in Germany and Tortank in France) is a fictional character from the Pokémon franchise. It is a Stage 2 Water-type Pokémon that evolves from Wartortle at level 36.

Blastoise's name is a combination of "Blast" and "Tortoise." Its Japanese name, Kamex, is a play on the word 亀 kame ("turtle). "Tortank" (Blastoise's French name) is a pormanteau of "tortoise" and "tank" (after the pair of cannons it has on its back).

Biology
Blastoise possesses cannon-like spouts extending from the top of its shell; these are used to fire blasts of water at enemies, hard enough to pierce concrete walls and thick steel. Blastoise has been described as a brutal Pokémon. Blastoise looks like a giant blue turtle mixed with an army tank. The huge shell on its back is not only used for offense with Hydro Pump; it also serves for defense when it withdraws. It looks like a very large and very heavy Squirtle (it's about three times Squirtle's height and nine-and-a-half times its weight).

In the video games
In Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow and Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal, Blastoise can be obtained by evolving Wartortle at Level 36. In Pokémon Sapphire/Ruby, Blastoise cannot be obtained ingame, but can be traded from Leaf Green or Fire Red.

Blastoise is well-suited for use as a staller or sponge Pokémon when used in battle. It can learn many attacks such as Yawn, Confusion, Haze, Mirror Coat, Counter, Refresh, "Roar", "Rest", Seismic Toss and Rapid Spin, all of which are typical attacks for stallers and sponges. Blastoise is often seen by most as the definitive water type Pokémon.

In FireRed and LeafGreen, Blastoise has the opportunity to learn the unique Hydro Cannon attack. Blastoise's counterparts, Venusaur and Charizard, can learn the unique Frenzy Plant and Blast Burn attacks respectively.

Having Blastoise in your team is good in preparing for the Elite Four, especially because it is good against the last two gyms and can easily beat the first three members of the Four (Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha and Lance) with Bite, any Water-type move, Ice Beam and Counter for all of Lance's Hyper Beams.

In the anime
Blastoise was first seen on the Island of Giant Pokémon, although it later turned out to be a robot. Therefore, the first real Blastoise was seen in "Beach Blankout Blastoise". There, a Blastoise that ruled over a group of Squirtle and Wartortle mysteriously fell asleep, and Ash tried to find out why.

Blastoise appears as Gary Oak's first Pokémon (in the sense that it was given to him when it was a Squirtle as his starter Pokémon) during the Johto League championships.

A Blastoise is also owned by Sissy, one of the Orange Island Gym Leaders, and Brock's mother, who turned the Pewter City Gym into a Water Gym until Brock turned it back into a Rock Gym. Another Blastoise was cloned by Mewtwo. In Hoenn, Blastoise was seen in the Verdanturf Town Pokémon Contest, and on an island just off Lilycove City.

In the card game
Blastoise has made appearances in the Base Set, Team Rocket (as Dark Blastoise), Pokémon *VS (as Clair's Blastoise, a basic Pokémon), The 7th Movie Half Deck (as Shota's Blastoise, a basic Pokémon), Expedition and EX Firered and Leafgreen (as Blastoise EX) in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Blastoise comes close to Charizard as one of the most prolific Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. His first appearance in the Base Set was a staple in all Water-themed decks because he had an extremely strong Pokémon Power, Rain Dance, which allowed the player to attach as much energy as he or she wanted out of his or her hand to his or her Pokémon in any turn. (Normally, you are restricted to attaching one Energy card, basic or special, per turn.)

If Blastoise made the Water-element a torrential force in the TCG, then Dark Blastoise made it a crushingly powerful one at that. Dark Blastoise's Hydro Cannon attack allowed for 70 damage per turn with four water energy attached, making up for his mere 70 HP.

What is interesting to note about Blastoise EX, aside from it being similar in structure to the original, is that even though it is an EX Pokémon, its Energy Rain Poke-Power has a slight catch to it compared to its original Rain Dance Pokémon Power ancestor; Each water energy card attached also does 10 damage to whoever receives the energy. Of course, with disadvantages come advantages too, and unlike the original, Blastoise EX can use his ability to attach water energy on any type of Pokémon.

In other media
Blastoise is the fully-evolved form of the Squirtle that Blue stole from Professor Oak in Pokémon Adventures. As Blue is terrified of bird Pokémon, she must use other methods of travel; one of these methods involves Blastoise propelling itself upward by aiming a Hydro Pump attack from the cannons on its back toward the ground.

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