PKMNA: Pet Meme - Astaroth The Aron

Jace didn't come to alone. He brought this cutie with him!

Name: Astaroth

Owner: Jace Hemlock

Gender: Male

Pokémon: Aron

Nature: Impish

Characteristic: Mischievous

Ability: Rock Head

Height: 1'3" (.38 m)

Weight: 61.5 lbs (27.9 kg)

Astaroth is rambunctious little aron who was specially bred by Jace's mother. She gave the baby aron to her son as a gift just before he went off to school at Armonia. Her hope was that the aron would be a friend and a comfort to Jace while he was far away from home. She also hoped that Jace would benefit from the responsibility of having a pet. Since Astaroth is a steel/rock type, he's immune to Jace's venom and safe from being stabbed by any of the nidoran's sharp edges. He would be a perfect pet for Jace... if he wasn't so hyperactive.

Although Jace does love his pet, despite originally protesting the idea, he's discovered just how difficult controlling an energetic baby aron can be. The little pokemon is very strong for his small size and he tends to get excited and tackle any other pokemon he sees, including his owner. Since he's just a baby, he doesn't understand much and just wants to play. He's also been known to eat or smash though his kennel in order to escape and look for Jace. Once free, he sometimes munches on things he shouldn't, like pipes and metal table legs. He's also been known to head off into the forest, which worries Jace to death. Because of this, Astaroth now has a titanium alloy kennel that's too strong for the little aron to bite or break through... at least so far.

Since Jace's mother is an expert in feral pokemon breeding, her arons were bred for their sparkling steel armor and lightweight bodies, weighing only about half as much as a typical feral aron. Even so, Jace has a hard time carrying Astaroth around for very long and would prefer to walk him on a leash. Unfortunately, Astaroth hates being on a leash and will dig his feet into the ground and become very hard to move if he has to be attached to one. The bottom line is that this aron is in desperate need of training and Jace isn't all that sure of how to go about it. He may just have to break down and ask him mom how to deal with this.

In spite of being a bit troublesome and mischievous, Astaroth is a very loyal pet. As long as he knows where Jace is, he will stay near his master and not run off on his own. He's not particularly brave or protective, but in his more calm moments he's been known to curl up next to Jace and sleep on his bed with him. Perhaps as he grows and learns, Astaroth will become more of a help and less of a hindrance.

Moveset:
Tackle
Harden
Iron Head
Stealth Rock

FUN FACTS:
Astaroth is named after a demon. The crown prince of Hell, in fact. Jace's parents are less than thrilled about this, which is exactly what Jace wanted.