In this subseries, I will analyze the potential origins of the Pokemon in order to discover hidden details and potential. As part of a recently revealed trailer, we saw several Pokemon revealed including Duraludon.

Duraludon has a very interesting design, and is only the second Steel/Dragon-type Pokemon. As far as we know, it is also the only Pokemon with the powerful Steel-type move Exhaustive Beam, which halves the user’s HP.

Duraludon performing Exhaustive Beam

Duraludon is typically bipedal, but its forelegs seem to go down when it uses a move, raising its tail in the air.

The metal composing its body is incredibly durable but also surprisingly light. It only weighs about 88 lbs. in total. Thanks to this, Duraludon can move quite quickly in spite of its appearance. Its body is weak to corrosion, however, and is known to rust easily. Duraludon live in caves and mountainous areas. Their two arms have slightly different shapes from each other, and they use these to grind down rock surfaces for food. They share their habitat with Tyranitar, and these two Pokémon are often seen battling each other in the mountains of the Galar region.

Mentioning it as a competitor to Tyranitar may mean it is this region’s pseudo-legendary, in the same vein as Dragonite, Tyranitar, and many more. It is comparatively light, at only 88 pounds. It has two abilities: Light Metal and Heavy Metal, which half or double its weight respectively.

This is an analogy to Duralumin, an early aluminium-based alloy. It is one of many metals that have been creating using aluminium as the main component. By mixing in other metals or components, the resulting metal can have greater strength without being any heavier.

Duralumin also has copper, manganese, and magnesium as base components. The presence of copper makes the composite material vulnerable to corrosion.

Duralumin was invented in the early twentieth century by German metallurgist Alfred Wilm. This technology was used by the Germans to develop strong aircraft, and it continues to be used primarily for that. Great Britain began to use it to build their own aircraft following the first World War.

It has two asymmetrical hands, with a design that resembles and alludes to drill bits. Duralumin has a Brinell Hardness score of between 90 and 104. For context, Aluminium and Copper are roughly the same. This means it may not be very easy for it to grind down rocks. While possible, it may not have the strength of something like a diamond.

If Duraludon is the final evolution, what may its pre-evolutions look like? Will they too be bipedal creatures? Will they be based on other types of alloys like Magnalium or Silumin? Will they additionally have some relationship to the aerospace industry?

Additionally, the mention of corrosion in its description is interesting. What does it mean for a Pokemon to rust? In the games, Steel-type Pokemon resist Poison-type moves, except for Salazzle’s Corrosion ability. It would be interesting if this was a game mechanic, but it might just be flavor text.

Duraludon has an interesting design, based on a metallic alloy instead of a pure element. Alloys are a relatively new invention, although the implications of it being a naturally occurring metal may have inspired a different type of history. Was Duraludon used for war, shooting attacks from aircraft or ships? Regardless, its a neat modern interpretation of what a Steel-type could mean.