By Jo
The creators of the fifth generation Pokemon coming from the Unova region seemed to make a point of introducing unique type combinations. Larvesta and its evolution, Volcarona, have the type combination of Bug/Fire that hasn’t ever been matched.
Larvesta is known as the Torch Pokemon and quite large for being the first stage of a bug-type evolutionary line. It has a furry, white head, five reddish orange horns, and a body that appears to be wrapped in some sort to tan colored cocoon. Out of all of the Pokemon that evolve by level, Larvesta evolves later than any other Pokemon that hasn’t yet evolved at least once. In the National Pokedex, Larvesta is the last Pokemon listed that eventually evolves. According to its Pokemon Black and White pokedex entries, Larvesta was believed to have been born from the sun. When it evolves, its entire body is engulfed in flames. It’s said that they make their homes at the base of volcanoes. They apparently shoot fire from their horns to repel attacking enemies. Larvesta may be based off from myths of firefly-like insects that were known to torch whatever they came in contact with and holds similarities to moth larva. Its name may come from the words ‘larva’ (a term for young insects that haven’t fully developed yet) and ‘Vesta’ (the Roman goddess for the hearth and home, who is symbolized by an eternally burning fire that is kept in her temple).
Once it reaches level 59, Larvesta finally evolves into Volcarona. Volcarona is known as the Sun Pokemon, and its wings do look very similar to depictions of the sun’s rays. Volcarona has a white and silver, furry body of a moth and vibrant orange wings that are speckled with black. It has the highest Special Attack of any bug-type Pokemon, and the highest base stat total of any non-legendary bug-type.
Volcarona is the last pokemon listed in the National Pokedex to evolve from another Pokemon, and it is also the last one listed to not be a legendary Pokemon. Volcarona appears to be based off from the Atlas moth and possibly the tiger lily as they have the same number of petals as it has wings, and the same amount of black dots adorning its petals. It may also be a literal interpretation of a firefly. Volcarona’s pokedex entries state that when volcanic ash darkened the atmosphere, it is said that Volcarona’s fire provided a replacement for the sun. They also state that a sea of fire engulfs the surroundings of their battles, since they use their six wings to scatter their ember scales. Volcarona’s name seems to be a combination of the words ‘volcano’ and ‘corona’ (the extending rays that reach out millions of miles into space surrounding the sun). It may also have ‘Vulcan’ in it too, as Vulcan is the Roman god of fire.
Tags: Larvesta, Nintendo DS, Pokemon Black & White, Volcarona