Gaiien Region: Birds and Griffins and Bears, Oh My: Nigriff, Caligryph, and Ursagriff

Nigriff → Caligryph (DNA splicers BLK)
Nigriff → Ursagriff (DNA splicers BRN)

Nigriff is a fully mature pokémon but it can also be induced to evolve to two other stages depending on environmental factors or with the appropriate DNA splicer setup. It is thought that the more generalist Nigriff is favored in most environments, but the more powerful and more fragile Caligryph or tougher but flightless Ursagriff may emerge under more unusual conditions. As opposed to the usual breeding rules, a mother of the evolved form will produce eggs that hatch into the same form, and incense is required to obtain a Nigriff egg from them.

#035 Nigriff
Griffin Pokémon
Dark/Fighting-type
They are proud and nest high on mountains, but they will fight among themselves for the best perches. They use darkvision to navigate at night.
Base Stats: 70/100/70/70/70/100 (480)
Ability: Moxie/Rivalry/[Anger Point]
Learnset: Scratch, Peck, Wing Attack, Slash, Night Slash, Revenge, Roost, Aerial Ace, Flying Press, Sky Attack, Sky Drop, Double Kick, Low Sweep, Swords Dance

#036 Caligryph
Scribe Pokémon
Dark/Flying-type
It carries a mystical scroll that it writes on to trigger its strongest attacks. In folklore, the quills from the left side of its body could only write truth, while those from the right could only write lies.
Base Stats: 70/120/50/70/50/120 (480)
Ability: Pressure/Super Luck/[Mighty Pen: Pokémon has a chance to be inspired and raise its attack during battle.]
Learnset: Razor Wing, Hurricane, Tempest, Deep Darkness, Night Call, Quill Storm, Mimic, Copycat, Double Team, Substitute, Replicate, Harsh Editor, Writer’s Block, Seal Speed, Seal Offense, Seal Defense

#037 Ursagriff
Sylvan Pokémon
Fighting-type
This pokémon has long been a byword for ferocity and belligerence. It will fight savagely to protect its young or to expel intruders from its territory.
Base Stats: 80/70/100/70/100/60 (480)
Ability: Fighting Spirit (Normal-type attacks become Fighting-type)/Intimidate/[Scrappy]
Learnset: Roar, Hammer Arm, Bear Hug, Superpower, Body Slam, Skull Bash, Thrash, Counter, Yawn, Fury Swipes, Belly Drum, Scary Face, [Loses Flying-type attacks upon evolution except for Peck]

Nigriff was one of those fakemon that was in line for being revised in terms of types, etc. for a while; I created it to, frankly, copy one of Iveechan’s fakemon a million years ago although I went with Dark/Fighting instead of Fighting/Flying. In the RSE-era days there was a feeling that Fighting was a much more useful type after being forgotten in RBY and a slightly better showing in GSC, and it would be cool to see quadrupedal Fighting-types.

After coming back to it, Dark/Fighting was a less interesting type combo (Scrafty did it) and we got the Musketeer legendaries, so I toyed with the idea of just making Nigriff Dark/Flying. However I saw a cool post during that surge in Pokemon Variations/Pokemon Fusions/Pokemon Breeds art a couple years ago, which was a de-fusion of Houndoom into two new pokemon, and the wheels started turning.

Caligryph is where I lost control of the puns and had to slap a giant Naruto ninja scroll on, so, sorry.

Nigriff and Caligryph appear in Chapter 7 of my fanfic, Gods and Demons.