SHADETAURA, the Speedy Spirit Pokegirl

SHADETAURA, the Speedy Spirit Pokegirl

Type: Near Human - Inhumanoid Metamorph (Animorph Tauric Serval)
Element: Ghost/Steel
Frequency: Very Rare
Diet: Carnivore
Role: Courier, High-speed mount, Combat
Libido: Average
Strong Vs: Bug, Ghost, Poison, Psychic, Rock, Ice
Weak Vs: Electric, Fire, Ground, Dark
Attacks: Tail Slap, Iron Tail, Hard Drive, Needle Rain, Metal Claw, Pneumatic Drill, Night Shade, Invis, Fear Aura, Phase, Spirit Slash, Exhausting Venom, Antitoxin
Enhancements: Enhanced Speed (x10), Enhanced Agility (x10) Enhanced Endurance (x3), Enhanced Senses (Hearing, Olfactory, and Vision) (x3), Nightvision, Natural Weapons (Claws, Tail), Metamorph (Alternate Form)
Evolves: None
Evolves From: Cheetaura (Dusk Stone)
Revised: Sept 2012

Unknown until the first Cheetaura was evolved with a Dusk Stone under laboratory conditions, the Shadetaura is the Ghost type evolution to this steely feline line. Sought after by tamers and collectors, these serval pokegirls have been bred not only for their speed and capability as mounts, but also for their propensity as guards.

Like the Cheetaura, these spirit pokegirls have the ability to morph between a tauric battle/racing form and a bipedal taming form. The taming form varies in height from 6 - 7.5 feet (1.82 - 2.29 meters) and has a range of appearance from simply ears, tail, and claws, or dipping into the Not Very Near Human body type with full body fur, full muzzle, and digigrade feet with an altered gait for quadrupedal movement. A large change in the breed is the animal base, being a serval instead of a cheetah. This is often very hard to tell, as both are spotted felines, but the Shadetaura typically have longer bones in the lower legs (or feet, depending on if the individual in question is plantigrade or digigrade), larger ears, and fewer spots.

The breed's fur color (noted only on the ears and tail of the more human side of the breed's taming form) of this ghostly feline is now a range of matte black to midnight blue replacing the gold, with a lighter steel grey to off white spots replacing the black spots. Any white on the breed has been replaced by a dark steel to a light grey, most the breed seems to be a study in greyscale with the only exception being the eyes. This feline's irises are often in violets, deep blues, and reds, and the sclera is black. Their battle forms are quite large, usually between 12-15 feet (3.66-4.57 m) long and 5-7 feet (1.52-2.13 m) at the back. Their heads tend to tower over most people, at 8-10 feet (2.44-3.05 m). As mentioned previously, they are tauric in this form, with a human torso attached to the body of a very large serval.

This ghostly breed of pokegirl has the ability to manifest a full suit of armor, down to even form fitted steel gloves and boots with special tread spikes. The breed can alter this armor slightly, mostly cosmetic changes, though a saddle/seat can be added to allow a rider to safely use the pokegirl as a mount. Though the breed loses a lot of speed, they gain a lot of endurance, and are capable of travel at around 60mph (96.5 kph) for around 16-18 hours. At their top speed of 180 mph (289.6 kph), the breed can travel for an impressive 2 hours before needing to rest.

Considered by many tamers to be a juggernaut in battle, the Shadetaura is no where near as fast as previous evolutions, though they do have an increased endurance and durability. This allows the breed to battle more in melee than their previous forms, with the addition that most damage that gets through their armor can be phased to minimal injury. The breed is also capable of condensing ethereal energies onto her claws in the form of a poison that mimics the Exhausting Venom technique in addition to being stubborn to heal by mundane methods. It seems that the saliva of the pokegirl is the counter agent, allowing any slashes to be healed and removing the effects. Unfortunately, the Shadetaura's version of Antitoxin only cures their own breed's poison.

No longer selfish, Shadetaura are commonly identified as being quiet pokegirls, though this nature is partially introspective and observant. Many tamers enjoy having this breed as an Alpha or Beta, as the breed is known to do well in either position. Most are protective in some form or other, typically by acting as a shield either figuratively or physically to those in trouble. Some members are known to become timid, however, so tamers are urged to take this breed on an individual basis.

As with personality, taming preferences are variable within the breed. However, Shadetaura are no longer known to be heterosexual in choice. Most have shifted their preferences to be bisexual in nature, though this preference does create a bell curve between heterosexuality and homosexuality. Some female tamers note that the breed enjoys being dominant in the taming room to them. Overall, this breed still enjoys their fur being stroked, much like their two prior evolutions.

Ferals utilize their ability to blend in with the shadows to aid in stalking prey, though they are still fast enough to run down many types of prey. This breed tends to be solitary, barring mothers with young, but they are a bit easier to deal with as ferals cannot summon their armor. Types that are strong to this pokegirl are recommended if a tamer wishes to capture one, though given the breed's rarity, they are very difficult to encounter.

Thresholders that have heavy feline ancestry often find themselves thresholding into another feline type instead of this breed. In fact, threshold directly into a Shadetaura has only been noted a handful of times throughout history, and only recorded partially. Spotty records indicate that in the recorded threshold cases, the soon to be pokegirl becomes encased in their new armor. The transformation then takes place, and interviews of thresholded Shadetaura indicate that the thresholder is unconscious for the transformation, the armor acting something like a chrysalis.