By Emily
Axew, Fraxure, and Haxorus are the first of two Dragon-type evolutionary sets in the fifth generation. All are pure Dragon type, and have a very high attack stat in comparison to their other stats. Axew also has a major role in the Pokemon Black and White anime. The two possible in-game abilities of these Pokemon are Rivalry or Mold Breaker, but if one is obtained through the Dream World, it will have the new ability Unnerve. With Unnerve, opponent Pokemon will not be able to use their berries in battle. This might prove useful if the opponent develops a status condition or is hit by a super-effective attack, as they will not be able to recover or reduce the damage they take.
However, none of them have been available in the Dream World yet. Due to the high attack stat, they will benefit from having physical attacks, and many strong physical attacks can be learned through level-up in the games. Dragon claw and Outrage are two of the possible attacks, and with the Same Type attack Bonus, their power will be even greater.
In case you wanted to use one in your party, all these characters can learn False Swipe, which will help when you want to capture a wild Pokemon since it will have at least 1 HP left. The only downside to the stats is the somewhat low special defense stat. The final evolution, Haxorus, may not be able to last a long time if it is hit with a lot of special attacks. Of the three, Haxorus was officially revealed first.
A toy of Axew was leaked a few months before it was confirmed to be real, and Fraxure was the last of the three to be unveiled. Even though Fraxure was revealed first, it has had a minimal role in the anime. Instead, Axew has a prominent role since one is owned by Iris. In the anime, Axew likes to stay within Iris’ hair and knows about plants that can be turned into herbal remedies.
In the games, both Axew and Fraxure can be found in the wild. Through regular game play, you are more likely to find a Fraxure first since it lives in Victory Road, outside of the caves. Kibago only lives within Mistralton Cave, which requires surf to access. Kibago will be around level 30, while Fraxure will be closer to level 40, so a Fraxure might be a better choice if you want to get a Haxorus quickly. Since two of the three Pokemon can be found in the wild, it is possible to find either of them as wild shiny Pokemon.
However, breeding will also work, as using the Masuda Method will increase the odds of getting a shiny egg if two international parents are used. Currently Axew has had one event. To tie in with the anime, mystery Eggs were given out via Wi-Fi to players with a Japanese version of Black or White. One of the three possible Pokemon was Axew, and it was guaranteed to have one perfect-IV stat.
No official events for either of the other two Pokemon has been announced, nor has another event for Axew. Thanks to the strength and versatility, especially Haxorus, they have the potential to be powerhouses in any team. Very little can compete with a high-level Haxorus, so making it a member of your party during the game or post-game is a great choice, especially if you can trade for an Axew early in the game.
Tags: Axew, Fraxure, Generation V, Haxorus, Nintendo DS, Pokemon Black & White