Absol is a quadrupedal mammal-like Pokémon. Its dark blue to gray body is covered in white fur, with a ruff around its neck and chest, and a tuft on the top of its head adorned with a single blue-black oval. It has a cat-like face, a scythe-like tail and a sickle-shaped growth on the side of its head. Its broad, circular feet are equipped with three claws each, and spikes protrude from the heels of its hind legs and the elbows of its anterior legs.
Gender differences
None
Special abilities
Absol is able to predict when a natural disaster will occur, and tries to warn people when one is approaching. This often has the unfortunate effect of Absol itself being blamed for the disaster.
Behavior
It sharply senses even subtle changes in the sky and the land to predict natural disasters. Although Absol rarely venture down into areas inhabited by humans, when they do it is to warn people of the impending catastrophe.
Absol first appeared in Jirachi: Wish Maker. The Disaster Pokémon showed up to take Jirachi back to Forina. However, Absol wasn't the true villain of the movie. It was Butler, because he wanted to forcibly extract Jirachi's power to create a Groudon.
The Disaster Pokémon also appeared in Absol-ute Disaster. The people of a town were blaming Absol for all the bad things that were happening to their town during the past month. Ash and friends (along with a boy named Nicky) went out to search whether or not the accusations were true. They found out that the Absol were actually warning the town about a flood.
Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. Absol live in steep mountainous regions, and rarely venture down into areas inhabited by humans, but should an Absol be seen by humans, it is said that catastrophe is soon to follow.
In the manga
An Absol appears in the Ruby & Sapphire arc of the Pokémon Adventures manga. It first appears to Ruby, who shudders in fear immediately. Absol is also present in the feud between Kyogre and Groudon. Like in the anime, Absol is accused of bringing disaster.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: An Absol trails the rescue team around the Frosty Forest and confronts them after the defeat of Articuno. Absol is initially suspicious of the Pokémon but eventually decides to join the rescue team and helps in the journey up Mt. Freeze.
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation III.
Every time Absol appears before people, it is followed by a disaster such as an earthquake or a tidal wave. As a result, it came to be known as the disaster Pokémon.
Absol has the ability to foretell the coming of natural disasters. It lives in a harsh, rugged mountain environment. This Pokémon very rarely ventures down from the mountains.
It sharply senses even subtle changes in the sky and the land to predict natural disasters. It is a long-lived Pokémon that has a life-span of 100 years.
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NOTE: Absol's Shiny Emerald sprite has a different animation than the normal-colored one. If this is supposed to be this way, please delete this. If they are supposed to have the same animation, please replace the sprite with a correct one and then delete this.
Trivia
Despite Pokédex entries which state it can sense calamities, it cannot have the ability Anticipation, nor can it have the ability Forewarn.
Absol has the highest Attack of any non-legendary Pokémon that is not a part of an evolutionary family.
Absol is the only Pokémon that can learn Psycho Cut by level that is not a Template:Type2 itself.
It is interesting to note that Absol appears on Mount Coronet in places that one can first access when heading to Spear Pillar for Platinum's climax, where a disaster is about to happen.
Absol may be based on the Barghest, a monstrous black dog in English folklore. Seeing one was believed to portend imminent death or misfortune, but unlike the Barghest, Absol warns people about disasters. It may be also be based on the black cat superstition. Its independence, habitat, and body seem to be reminiscent of a cougar. Absol's head is modeled after a Taijitu ("yin-yang"). Also, Absol may resemble the kutabe, a white beast that predicted that a plague would sweep through the Toyama Prefecture of Japan.
Name origin
Absol's name may be derived from 物騒 bussō, dangerous, but much debate exists over the true origin of its name. One common theory is that it is a combination of ab-, a prefix meaning away/from, and sol, meaning sun, referring to its Template:Type2 nature. It could also be a shortened form of "absolution" or "absolve", referring to the fact that while Absol foretells disasters, it does not cause them, thereby absolving it of guilt.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
For other sprites and images, please see Absol images on Bulbagarden Archives.
