Castform

Castform (Powalen in original Japanese language versions) is a fictional character of the Pokémon franchise.

Its name is a combination of "forecast" and "transform", being its body changes with the weather. The name could also derive from "overcast", as rain is a type of weather Castform can bring about. It may also be that its name derives from reversing the syllables in the word "forecast".

Biological characteristics
Castform's appearance is a small, grey, cloud-like creature with a rounded body that can transform. It has an odd antenna on its head used for an unknown purpose. Castform is also appearing to be wearing goggles, or a print to resemble. It might be used like a satellite dish to sense upcoming weather changes. Castform has a distinction from other Pokémon in the fact that depending on the weather, it can transform into different shapes, described below.

Like Porygon, Castform is one of few human-made "artificial" Pokémon. It was created on purpose by the researchers of the fictional Weather Institute in Hoenn region as an experiment in weather forecast and manipulation. However, in an Arceus legend, a story states that it created a single speck of time and space, and then left it on Earth for future living things to create yet another thing that controls climate.

Castform's cellular structure is closely related to the weather conditions, meaning that Castform can both affect and be affected by the weather. Depending on the current weather and climate, Castform's emotions and even body are altered. In this way, Castform tries to adapt itself to multiple environments.

This extraordinary trait is referenced in the video games through the Forecast ability, which changes Castform's type and appearance depending on the weather. In weather not particularly extreme, Castform's type is normal and its appearance is as described above.


 * In intense sunlight (induced by the Sunny Day move or Groudon's Drought ability) Castform becomes a Fire type. Its head turns red, its eye markings become yellow and its head is enclosed in a translucent orange orb adorned with smaller orange orbs, giving the impression of a stylized sun. Its lower body becomes larger and paler, like a puffy white cloud.


 * In torrential[rain (caused by the Rain Dance move or Kyogre's Drizzle ability) Castform becomes a Water type. Its head turns dark blue, its eye markings become a lighter blue and its head is enclosed in a blue raindrop shaped structure. Its lower body grows and darkens, reminiscent of a storm cloud.


 * In hail fall (brought about by the Hail move or by the new ability Snow Warning from Diamond and Pearl) Castform changes into an Ice type. Its head turns violet, its eye markings become a lighter violet and its head is enclosed in a complex emerald-colored structure that is meant to represent a snow cloud.


 * In a Sandstorm, Castform doesn't change, but its Weather Ball attack becomes rock-type.


 * In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, if Shadow Sky is used, Castform doesn't change, but its Weather Ball attack becomes the Shadow type, a strategy used by Snattle.

In the video games
Castform is available in Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, and Pearl. Only one Castform can be acquired in pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald (although additional copies can be bred normally with Ditto), and it is awarded to the player after he or she successfully defends the Weather Institute against Team Aqua or Team Magma, depending on game version. In Diamond and Pearl, wild castform can be found in the Trophy Garden.

Castform's man-made nature is reflected in its uniform stats, all of which have the average value of 70. Its natural moveset is entirely geared towards manipulating the weather conditions. Castform's knowledge of the weather changing techniques Sunny Day, Hail and Rain Dance, together with the Weather Ball attack and the Forecast ability (both traits unique to Castform) encourage a very particular strategy in battle:

The Weather Ball attack has a mediocre base power of 50, but it becomes much more powerful under a weather condition, receiving the following bonuses:


 * Weather Ball's power doubles under a weather condition (Sunny Day, Rain Dance or Hail but not Sandstorm).
 * Weather Ball's elemental type changes to Fire for Sunny Day, Water for Rain Dance and Ice for Hail. Since Castform's type changes accordingly, this results in a 50% same-type attack bonus. (Weather Ball will become Rock type if Sandstorm is used, and in Pokémon XD Shadow type if Shadow Sky is used, but Castform's type will not change.)
 * Sunny Day and Rain Dance increase the power of Fire and Water-type attacks respectively by 50%.

This results in a power as high as 225 (for Fire and Water) or 150 (for Ice). So, the most obvious strategy is to use the weather changing move whose type has an advantage against the opponent and then use Weather Ball.

Weather Ball also becomes even more powerful in Diamond & Pearl because of the new attack changes. Weather Ball now becomes a special attack so it depends on the Special Attack rating rather than the relying on the original Attack rating. Also, fog is a new factor in weather.

Although Weather Ball was exclusive to Castform in the third generation Pokemon games, Roserade, the evolved form of Roselia is the only other Pokemon capable of learning Weather Ball, although it can only do so by bringing it to the Move Relearner in Pastoria Town in Diamond and Pearl.

In the Pokémon anime
Castform was featured in episode #359, titled Unfair Weather Friends, in which operatives from both Team Aqua and Team Magma attacked the Weather Institute trying to steal data on Kyogre or Groudon, as well as weather-changing technology. It also appeared in another episode as a victim to be mistaken as Spoink's pearl.

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game
Though Castform has made nine Basic-class appearances in card format, it is only considered to have made three official appearances, for each set except the last version has four prints of the Pokémon, representing each of Castform's four forms.
 * EX Hidden Legends (As Castform, Colorless)
 * EX Hidden Legends (As Rain Castform, Water)
 * EX Hidden Legends (As Snow-Cloud Castform, Water)
 * EX Hidden Legends (As Sunny Castform, Fire)
 * EX Delta Species (As Castform, Colorless)
 * EX Delta Species (As Rain Castform, Water)
 * EX Delta Species (As Snow-Cloud Castform, Water)
 * EX Delta Species (As Sunny Castform, Fire)
 * EX Holon Phantoms (As Holon's Castform, Colorless)

Any Castform can be switched out for any other Castform card on the field with its Poke-Power, Temperamental Weather.