The Great Bulk Character and Lore Guide

The Good:

Team Yin-Yang

"Makuhita", AKA "Makky":
Sex: Male
Ability: Thick Fat
A strange Pokemon who woke up in the middle of the Thirsty Desert, with no supplies to him. He is rather evasive about his origins. He claims to have lost his memory in a concussion, the circumstances of which changing with each retelling, and that he is from the Mist Continent. He has a loud and energetic personality, which makes him both many friends and enemies. Beneath his exterior, however, lies a stubborn, determined, and reckless core. He has an extreme level of pain tolerance and durability, fighting through injuries and agony that lesser Pokemon would wilt under.

Some Pokemon might think he's an idiot due to his loud, reckless demeanour, but there's more going on inside his head than most pick up on. He's capable of being philosophical at times, such as the endings of Parts 2 and 4, and when he's pushed, he can come up with solid tactics, such as in the fight with Foi.

Makuhita is also implied to have anger issues a couple of times, although he has so much control over them most of the time, it appears he has none at all. The only time he became truly irate was when he confronted the Shah – there is nothing Makky hates more than those who abuse their power, and that Pokemon was the personification of all he stood against.

Makuhita is a slow, yet sturdy brawler whose style relies on a mixture of Arm Thrusts and wrestling moves, relying heavily on grappling. His body is highly resilient against blunt-force attacks such as punches and kicks. However, not only is his head less protected, but he can still be stabbed or cut open. He also struggles against speedier opponents, and his defenses are not as strong against those who utilize non-physical attacks. Lombre would be the perfect example of a foe that is a hard counter to him, being a fast special attacker.

Aura Abilities:
Crude Sensing: Makuhita is technically able to sense Aura, although only at about an arm's length away from himself and at a very poor quality. This is due to his overly active mind and inability to focus. He used to be unable to use this consistently, but as of Part 8, he's managed it.

Crude Expression: Makuhita tapped into Aura Expression during his fight with Ash-Dancer in Part 8, although he hardly understood it at the time. He controlled it rather well for it being his first time, alluding to Expression being his future area of expertise, in contrast to Asana's Sensing prowess. However, he cannot manifest it with any consistency as of yet.

Asana (Meditite):
Sex: Female
Ability: Pure Power
Held Item: Power Band (worn around the neck)
A harsh and haughty, yet competitive and driven Meditite who is a gifted Aura Sensor. She had a desire to focus on her aura mastery and skill in fighting full-time, but due to needing to pay her bills, she was shackled with caravan guard duty, a job she hated. She only quit and moved to the bounty hunting business at Makuhita's urging, and took quickly to it.

Her relationship with Makuhita started as being tense, bordering on outright antagonistic, due to how their personalities conflicted. She saw him as a boorish, oafish dolt who almost ate her out of house and home and regarded his attempts at concealing his origin with suspicion, but she slowly warmed up to him. Nowadays, he's more like a brother in her eyes.

Due to being a Sensor at birth, she grew up with a sense of pride and superiority to others around her. However, due to the realities of adult life, she had to take caravan work to make ends meet, and there, her pride morphed into arrogance. It's only due to Makuhita that it melted away, allowing her to make genuine friends in Roserade and Sonora.

Her fighting style is a skilled mixture of both psychic and physical combat. She can dish out tons of damage, but she can't take it in return.

Aura Abilities:
Long-Ranged Sensing (Can sense for quite a long distance. She started out being unable to sense the more intricate details of Auras, but has overcome this issue as of Part 3.)

Basic Expression (Can aura-boost limbs and moves)

The Bad:

Team Verdant:

"Cacturne the Unbreakable":
Bounty: 30,000 Poke
Rank: ★
Wanted for: Murder, Caravan Robbery, Assault
Sex: Male
Ability: Water Absorb
Distinctive Features: Wears a worn, brown poncho, and has scars all over his body. He speaks in an accent typical of the Saguaro Tribe, a nomadic group of Cacturne native to the Thirsty Desert.
Location: Sand Continent

Cacturne is the most infamous caravan bandit known on the Sand Continent, and was one of the few daring enough to target those come to and from the North during the Shah's reign. He has been reported captured or killed on at least seven different occasions, but he always finds a way to survive or escape. To put it in his own words - “The Great Thirsty doesn't raise quitters.”

He ran away from home with Merry/Sonora due to their romance being considered unacceptable among the two tribes they came from. They quickly made a name for themselves as bandits, and were a stellar team. They even considered themselves married, in spite of being unable to do so “properly”. However, his wife left due to her guilt and dislike of murder, and thus he was left alone for years until he recruited Lombre.

Cacturne also has two different sides to him, depending on who someone is. He couldn't care less about “outsiders” or his victims, owing to the mentality his tribe imparted onto him in his childhood – to him, it's only himself and his kin that matter. He's unfaultingly loyal to those he considers “kin”, and if any of them betray him, it cuts into his soul deeply. He's also known for lacking a filter in social situations.

Cacturne has no professional “education” in fighting, but he has over a decade and a half of experience, and he's known for using dirty tricks in his fights. The most notable of these is a Pin Missile to the eyes, although he also likes to shoot Bullet Seeds when his opponents least expect it.

He turned himself in after Sonora and Team Yin-Yang convinced him to surrender, with them citing how badly his isolation hurt him. However, this was only after a prolonged fight between the latter, where he came face to face with Makuhita. After he used Bulk Up, Makuhita slowly pushed back against Cacturne, using a Force Palm to disable his arm and disarming him of his bag to prevent item use. However, as he locked Cacturne's remaining arm, Lombre fired upon him, saving his boss from yet another tight spot in his career.

Lombre:
Bounty: 3,500 5,000 7,000 Poke
Rank: B A S
Wanted for: Murder, Caravan Robbery, Assault, Fraud
Sex: Male
Ability: Swift Swim
Distinctive Features: Wears a worn, brown poncho. Speaks in a slow, tired voice, and has a distinctive scar running down most of his left arm. He's also lankier and a bit taller than most of his species, giving him a distinct, reedy-looking appearance.
Held Item: Depends on the situation. He wears a Mach Ribbon when he knows he has to fight out in the open, wears a Sneak Scarf when he needs to be stealthy, and uses a Scope Lens whenever he needs to snipe from particularly long distances.
Location: Sand Continent

Lombre immigrated from the Mist Continent to the Sand Continent in his teenage years for as of yet unrevealed reasons, and quickly got a start as a conman. He'd sell all sorts of counterfeit goods, but the most notable were his fake evolutionary stones – he chiseled and painted each of them by hand. However, as time went on, word got around about his merchandise, and he had a harder and harder time selling it.

One day, as he was being chased out of another town, he bumped into Cacturne, who helped him fend off the irate villagers. Even though he was unskilled at the time, he still possessed a remarkable aim and an ability to operate under the worst pressure, having ran around and evaded a Copperajah until they were exhausted.

His defeat by Asana in Part 1 unveiled a few more character traits of his – his self-judgmental nature, his ability to retain grudges, and his loyalty towards the few Pokemon he trusts. Motivated by his humiliation, he trained himself up and became just as much of a force to be feared as Cacturne, all within the span of three months.

When Team Yin-Yang confronted Team Verdant, he fought Asana. The conflict shown him as a tactical, adaptive battler, shifting his strategies as the battle went on. When Sonora convinced Cacturne to stand down, he warned him not to believe her, as he thought her and her companions were tricking him – in his mind, this was a conspiracy to claim the thirty grand on his head, that they'd then split three ways. This opinion of his is only further reinforced by his background as a scammer, which made him jaded and prone to second-guessing the intentions of others. The whole reason why he bonded with Cacturne in the first place was because he was filterless and had no need to lie. If he said something, Lombre knew he meant it.

Cacturne didn't listen, and furthermore, he gave orders to Lombre not to shoot Sonora. He hesitantly complied, although he warned Makuhita and Asana that he wouldn't forget what they did – he stated he'd murder them both the next time they seen him, angered by what he saw as them psychologically manipulating someone that was so close to him, he saw them as a brother.

Lombre possesses two sides to his demeanour. Around most people, he's adverse to causing needless violence and at times is even apologetic if he's pushed into fighting. For example, he had the opportunity to kill Empoleon of Team Masquerade, but he refrained from doing so, instead telling him not to throw his life away, and that he'd be of no use to Roserade as a corpse.

However, when it comes to Makuhita and Asana, he's very cold, merciless, and practical. He will use any means necessary to attempt to kill them, no matter how underhanded they may be. If innocents get wrapped up in it, he blames it on Team Yin-Yang for "forcing" him to do what he does, showing a hypocritical and slightly delusional side to him – he has to constantly convince himself that these actions are necessary and that they're merely for the greater good in capturing what he sees as monsters. In time, he might become the very thing he thinks he's fighting.

In battle, Lombre is very dangerous if his opponents are unprepared. His aim with his Bubble Beams is top-notch, whether from a distance or up close. His Giga Drain roots can be used to keep opponents away from him, he can use Energy Ball on groups or stronger Pokemon, and his Ice Beam can shoot Flying-types right out of the sky. His Mach Ribbon and Swift Swim make him an extremely speedy opponent, and his ability to stay cool under pressure renders him dangerous no matter how badly hurt, angry, or demoralized he is.

However, he has quite a few distinct weaknesses. He doesn't have Rain Dance, as its activation time is too slow for his tastes, so he has to rely on Rainy Orbs to utilize his Ability. They're in limited supply, and as Asana demonstrated in her second battle against him, he can be disarmed of them or have them destroyed. Utilizing both Swift Swim and his Mach Ribbon does speed him up to absurd levels, but this tires him out much faster than normally.

Lombre is also a very frail fighter, having to rely on evasion and Giga Drain in order to keep himself going in longer battles. His unarmed combat skills are also lackluster, at least for the moment – a more experienced fighter who can keep up with his increased speed could easily overwhelm him.

Lombre can alter the properties of his Bubble Beams, such as their velocity, shape, and penetration power, and can also use the roots he expels for Giga Drain as whips or grappling tools.

In any case, he's pretty tough for a middle-aged salesman.

Abilities:
Enhanced Smell: Lombre has a sense of smell on par with canine Pokemon, gained from eating Gummis. This is based off the IQ Skill Acute Sniffer, which his evolutionary family can learn in Sky.

“Intuition”: This is the other main skill Lombre picked up from Gummi consumption. He instinctively knows the layout of the land surrounding him, even if he's never been to an area before, and he can also sense when those with hostile intent towards him within close range. He can't sense their strength or numbers, but it makes him hard to jump regardless. This is pretty much the IQ Skills Map Surveyor, Stair Sensor, and Trap Seer bundled together, with some extra stuff thrown in.

Master of Deception: Lombre is good at acting and lying, due to his many years swindling other Pokemon. He has practically no tells for when he's fibbing, and he can be very persuasive when he wants to be.

The Flock:

Foi (Galarian Farfetch'd):
Bounty:
4,000 6,000 Poke, plus 1,000 for each accomplice brought in
Rank: A S
Wanted For: Extortion, Theft, Assault, Caravan Robbery
Sex: Male
Ability: Steadfast
Distinctive Features: Plumage is darker than normal. The leek he wields is longer than his own body, and he wears a necklace of smaller stalks taken from his rivals.
Location: Sand Continent

This Pokemon was the leader of a gang of Flying-types known colloquially as “The Flock”, totalling five individuals. Their usual M.O was to force caravans on southern routes to pay a toll for “protection”. Those that pay were protected from any lesser robbers, but those that didn't were promptly assaulted and frisked for all their valuables. He's also known for his peculiar habit of wearing a necklace of leeks taken from rival Farfetch'd; praying and asking for them to lend their strength to him each time he enters a battle.

Foi is an anomaly among his species not only due to his different physical features, but his prowess in combat. His oversized leek was able to send lighter combatants flying with a single swing, and if Makuhita didn't work with Mawile to disarm him, he would have won against them both, in spite of the damage Jolteon inflicted on him before that fight.

Even after he was disarmed, however, he ripped off two leeks from his necklace and continued fighting, making quick work of the latter and fighting the former, a Pokemon with durability as his strongest trait, to a draw.

Knuckle and Sandwich (Doduo):
The two heads comprising this Doduo fight amongst themselves constantly when not in battle, and their nicknames result from an incident surrounding this – Foi threatened to give them a knuckle sandwich if they didn't stop trying to maim each other, and he followed through on his threat. They possess a great degree of speed that they could amplify even further with Agility, which forced Asana on the defensive.

Pidgeotto:
He wasn't featured much, but he finds Knuckle and Sandwich's antics amusing. Makuhita defeated him in a surprising showing of technique, using an Arm Thrust to disable his wing and then rain attacks on him while he was open.

Swellow:
He's a masochist who revels in the pain battles inflict upon him, growing stronger the more he hurts due to both that and his ability, Guts. He was able to outmatch Asana easily, but like a fool, he left himself wide open to gloat. This was promptly exploited, leading to his downfall.

Staravia:
She's the only girl in the gang. Not much is known about her, but Makky and Mawile worked together to defeat her.

The Twins of Terror

Electabuzz:
Bounty: 7,500 Poke
Rank: S
Wanted For: Assault, Theft, Looting
Sex: Male
Ability: Static
Location: Sand Continent
He's the elder brother of the Twins, by a few minutes. He and Magmar terrorized multiple villages in the frigid Southwestern part of the Sand Continent, only to be stopped by Team Yin-Yang and Team Masquerade at Snowdrift. He's a bit smarter than Magmar is, having remembered to pack a Reviver Seed for each of them, and focusing on conserving his power while outnumbered. The two brothers also get into frequent arguments and shouting matches; combat being one of the few times they don't butt heads.

Magmar:
Bounty: 7,500 Poke
Rank: S
Wanted For: Assault, Theft, Looting
Sex: Male
Ability: Flame Body
Location: Sand Continent
He's the younger brother of the Twins, known for his dimwittedness, poor aim, and tendency to start fires inside of buildings. He often makes statements that are easily misinterpreted by others.

Heatran's Kitchen

Gula (Alolan Raticate):
Bounty: 700 Poke
Rank: C
Wanted For: Conspiracy to commit assault and robbery, Leading a criminal organization
Sex: Male
Ability: Hustle
Location: Grass Continent
He was the leader of Heatran's Kitchen, known for his gluttony and overworking those under him. After the Platinum Syndicate launched a raid in retaliation for their business partner being robbed, all of his gang members were siphoned away from him, leaving both him and Hilo powerless.

Hilo (Morpeko):
Bounty: 900 Poke
Rank: C
Wanted For: Assault, Robbery
Sex: Male
Ability: Hunger Switch
Location: Grass Continent
He was Gula's lieutenant, handling the day to day operations of Heatran's Kitchen and punishing those who slowed down in their work or went out of line. He is known for radical mood swings, being friendly one minute and hostile the next. However, he has the heart of a coward – when Shanks brutalized him, his first instinct was to plead for mercy.

The Platinum Syndicate & Over the Moon Brewery

Nickel (Roaming Gimmighoul):
Bounty: 3,000 Poke
Rank: D B
Wanted For: Conspiracy to commit assault, theft, and robbery, Leading a criminal organization
Sex: N/A
Ability: Run Away
Location: Sand Continent Grass Continent
Distinctive Features: Wears a pair of teashade glasses, tinted silver. Tends to hide in the storage of his "talent", such as in backpacks, bags, etc.
This outlaw may seem dimunitive and harmless, but do not be fooled. He has a high degree of battle acumen and intellect, and typically "manages" other outlaws and coaches them in combat. He bounces around from accomplice to accomplice as they succumb to injury or capture, his dimunitive size allowing him to escape with ease. He has a higher bounty than other outlaws of his rank, due to both his role as a mastermind and his numerous escapes.

He believes himself to be an intelligent puppetmaster, although that is far from the truth. One merely has to witness his two-faced behavior to see behind his mask – he tries to be polite to Pokemon he wants things from and attempts to butter them up, but he's also infamous for the verbal abuse he hurls towards “talent” and subordinates who he thinks are underperforming. However, he is legitimately smart when it comes to tactics and combat, and has turned even the worst battlers into competent threats.

His motive, above all else, is greed. He wants to become as rich as possible, and this avarice is only quadrupled whenever Gimmighoul Coins are involved. This defining character flaw of his often causes him to throw out sound logic and judgement whenever money is involved.

He has left the Sand Continent for the Grass Continent, and is building up a gang there. His group is growing fast, and his actions are quickly causing eyes to fall upon them.

Cobalt (Clobbopus):
Bounty: 1,000 Poke
Rank: E C
Wanted For: Theft, Assault
Sex: Male
Ability: Limber
Location: Grass Continent
He's a common thug who was unexpectedly recruited into Nickel's burgeoning gang. He's gruff and aggressive but simultaneously cautious, being untrusting of his boss at first, alongside expressing concerns about the perceived sketchiness of a mission Thicket sent them on which wound up being a house bombing.

His fighting style is simple, yet effective. He uses his thick tentacles to block incoming attacks, then counters them with everything he's got.

Thicket (Floette):
Bounty: 100 Poke
Rank: E
Wanted For: Bootlegging, Selling Alcohol Without a License
Sex: Female
Ability: Flower Veil
Location: Grass Continent
Having been kicked out from a long family line of vintners, she had a home constructed and geared up to sell her goods in Capim, only to find out she needed a license to do so. Outrage over the price, perceiving the requirement as an insult to her craft, and her belief that brewing booze is an Arceus given right led her to become a bootlegger instead. She brews both conventional alcohol alongside more "unique" items, the most notable of which being the Cheri Bomb - by fermenting Blast Seeds and Cheri Berries together, and filling a hollowed out apricorn with the juice, she created an explosive more powerful than the former. Just shake it, throw it, and watch a whole room of enemies fly away from the blast!

Thicket also has a deep love for flora, especially flowers, and any mistreatment of the latter makes her upset. She tends to trip up offenders with vines or spray them with hallucinogenic gas the first few times, but those who repeatedly attract her ire have been known to have their houses spontaneously explode or catch on fire while they're gone. She joined up with Nickel after he and Cobalt transported a barrel full of Cheri Bomb juice to the house of a Mudbray who had been grazing on Capim Town's flowers.

Dewalt (Drilbur):
Bounty: 1,000 Poke
Rank: D C
Wanted For: Theft, Breaking and Entering
Sex: Male
Ability: Sand Rush
Location: Grass Continent
He started out as a customer of Thicket's, but when Team Corvidae crashed her business in an attempt to arrest Cobalt and Nickel he stepped into action. He joined their gang after the fact, pledging to use his strength to act as a bodyguard. He's oddly polite for an outlaw and thief, having scolded Team Corvidae for "causing a fuss" with their antics.

He hits harder than Cobalt, but is more frail in return.

Ampere (Wattrel):
Bounty: 700 Poke
Rank: D C
Wanted For: Theft, Breaking and Entering, Assault
Sex: Female
Ability: Wind Power
Location: Grass Continent
Ampere is an easily excitable daredevil who joined Nickel's gang in order to go on high-stake robberies. She's rather fragile, but she can rain down electricity from the sky and can be rather creative when the mood strikes her. She can't fight very well in closed spaces.

Shanks, AKA "Shellbreaker the Thirteenth" (Galarian Slowbro):
Bounty: 5,000 Poke
Rank: S
Wanted For: Theft, Assault, Breaking and Entering, Property Destruction, Murder, Littering
Sex: Male
Ability: Quick Draw
Location: Grass Continent
Distinctive Features: Has a purple marking on his head, and a Shellder on his arm. He also has a broader frame than the average Slowbro, and is a bit pudgy.
No one on the Grass Continent knows where Shanks came from, but back on the Water Continent, he was well-known as the youngest in a long-spanning family of strong, brutish criminals. "Shanks" is just the name he used before he "earned" the right to use the family name, which he uses as an alias. He forced himself into Nickel's gang after admiring how violent they were. He looks goofy and innocuous to many first-time observers, but behind that lies a very unstable, unpredictable individual. He tends to go off and do his own thing when there's nothing of interest for him to do, usually snacking or napping, but if one interrupts him while he's doing such activities, he'll assault them until they're barely hanging on. He's an unreliable ally and nearly uncontrollable, only sticking around in the Platinum Syndicate due to thinking he'll find an heir there, and them fearing him.

In combat, he's a juggernaut that can take and dish out extreme amounts of damage, but in return, he's very slow on his feet. However, this doesn't mean he's helpless – his Ability, Quick Draw, allows him to move and fire his Shellder arm extremely quickly, far outpacing the rest of his body.

The effect of this is most easily demonstrated in his debut in Interlude 5. He blocked a kick Tsareena made towards his front nearly instantly with his shell, but when she started side-stepping him in order to strike out of his guard, he had trouble with her and was forced to wait until she slipped up.

Shanks is easily the strongest out of the current members of the Platinum Syndicate, and could beat the entire group with ease. Only experienced or especially skilled Pokemon can take him down, and even then, it's near suicide to overpower him with raw force. He can be easily outwitted or outmaneuvered, however, due to being slow on his feet, his lack of skill, and over-reliance on overwhelming brutality.

Makau (Alolan Rattata)
Bounty: 600 Poke
Rank: E D
Wanted For: Theft, Assault
Sex: Male
Ability: Gluttony
Location: Grass Continent
Distinctive Features: He's a few inches smaller than a normal Rattata. He's very much a runt.
Makau was a largely unremarkable thief that was part of a gang that focused their operations on food theft. Almost all of the stolen goods would be cooked and fed to their leader, Gula, and their lieutenant, Hilo, and they were largely overworked. He was caught by Thicket after she was a victim of one such robbery, and through her cleverness, recruited him.

He's one of the main chefs for the group, and has taken quickly to the usage of Cheri Bombs, proving to be adept with them. He's nervous and has a bit of a cowardly streak to him, and when Nickel tries to push him to help with an operation he perceives as too dangerous, he tends to remind him that he is technically Thicket's employee, and not his.

Dria and Fornix (Solosis and Elgyem)
Bounty: 700 Poke
Rank: D
Wanted For: Robbery, Theft, Assault
Sex: Female (Dria), Male (Fornix)
Ability: Magic Guard (Dria), Synchronize (Fornix)
Location: Grass Continent
Dria and Fornix were members of a small gang that made the mistake of trying to rob the Blue Claw Inn a few months before the events of their debut. Crabrawler beat and single-handedly captured all but the two of them, and they joined the Platinum Syndicate to find work. They serve as ranged attackers, but it's their telepathy that convinced Nickel to let them join – the two are capable of communicating across vast distances, and he could see the tactical uses for such an ability.

Caerwyn (Honedge)
Bounty: 2,500 Poke
Rank: A
Wanted For: Too many things to list. He's had hundreds of years of time to add to his criminal record.
Sex: Male
Ability: No Guard
Caerwyn is a Honedge that's drifted from group to group. He's been a hero, a villain, and everything in-between, and joined Nickel after the Gimmighoul impressed him while he was helping his gang fend off a group of explorers wanting their bounties. He considers Nickel to nearly be an equal to himself in terms of tactical knowledge.

Misc Pokemon:
Thicket has a couple dozen Alolan Rattata working for her, helping her produce her goods. They were recruited from Heatran's Kitchen like Makau was, and he played an instrumental goal in swaying them to her side.

Independent Outlaws:

“Ash-Dancer” (Alolan Marowak):
Bounty: ???
Rank: ???
Wanted For: ???
Sex: Male
Ability: Rock Head
Location: Last seen in the Sand Continent
Distinctive Features: Has darker skin and a skinnier build compared to other Marowak. He's also known for being able to control fire.
Not much is known about this Pokemon, other than the fact that he works for a shadowy criminal organization – even the name he gave Makuhita was nothing more than an alias. Due to his skill with his weapon and the properties of his signature move, Shadow Bone, he was able to dominate Makuhita until he first tapped into Aura Expression, breaking his bone in half and pressuring him badly enough to force him to retreat.

Purugly:
Bounty: 1,000 Poke
Rank: A
Wanted For: Theft, Assault
Sex: Female
Ability: Defiant
Location: Sand Continent
She's an older outlaw that Makuhita and Asana faced while helping Fee, a client of theirs they worked for during the events of Part 8. Her stubborn, defiant demeanour is the only trait of note that she possesses.

"Iron Wing" (Hawlucha):
Bounty: 300 1,500 Poke
Rank: E C
Wanted For: Assault, Theft, Caravan Robbery
Sex: Male
Ability: Limber
Distinctive Features: None
Location: Sand Continent

Originally nothing more than a petty crook, this bird of prey started climbing the ranks with the help of an accomplice - his "manager", Nickel. With their insight and tactical knowledge, he graduated from picking pockets to engaging in the competitive "industry" of caravan robbing. The sheer frequency and increasing effeciency of his attacks sparked discussion of moving him straight to A Rank before Makuhita and Asana captured him, and his partner abandoned him.

Tauros the Firebrand (Paldean Tauros):
Bounty: 12,000 Poke
Rank: S
Wanted For: Assault, Theft, Property Destruction
Ability: Anger Point
Distinctive Features: He has black fur, unlike most Tauros, and is also able to shoot flame from his horns.
Location: Sand Continent
This Pokemon got his moniker not only from his pyrokinetic abilities, but also from his extremely violent and aggressive temperment – he has been known to start fights over the slightest of issues. Makuhita and Asana tried pursuing him once, following him into what was formerly the Shah's lands. He was captured by Shamshir's men the day before Team Yin-Yang arrived and was sent to the capital for judgement, although the political upheaval in the region has left his fate uncertain.

Thievul the Shadow:
Bounty: 8,000 Poke
Wanted For: Breaking and Entering, Theft
Rank: A
Sex: Male
Ability: Run Away
Distinctive Features: None
Held Item: Sneak Scarf Ripped off by Asana.
Location: Sand Continent
Thievul may not be a rough fighter who can survive anything like Cacturne, but his stealth and ability to make clean getaways have resulted in a career even longer than his. For 23 years, Thievul has been stealing from rich and affluent Pokemon. He takes great care to remain hidden, even concealing his scent, and only leaves one article of evidence behind to show his mark - a card with his pawprint on it. Due to the sheer length of his career, his bounty is much higher than others around his Rank.

He was only captured through the efforts of Asana and her skill at sensing Aura - what she saw was a slightly timid thief who, in spite of his poor battling skills, was unpredictable in a fight, owing to a bag of items and tricks.

Hitmontop:
Bounty: 3,500 Poke:
Rank: A
Wanted For: Assault, Theft
Sex: Male
Ability: Technician
Distinctive Features: Wore a Power Band around his mouth.
Held Item: Power Band Given to Asana.
Location: Sand Continent

A stylish outlaw who used a mixture of skill and flashiness to attack numerous exploration and outlaw hunting teams as both a means of thrill-seeking and gaining notoriety. He gave Makky his first loss, although Asana beat him thanks to a combination of her Aura Sensing skills and preparedness. Due to Asana unintentionally reminding him of his mortality and some words from Makky, he might change his ways once he's done serving his time.

The Shah (Kingambit):
Bounty: 20,000 25,000 35,000 40,000 Poke
Rank: ~★~ ★★
Wanted For: Murder, Terrorism, Robbery, Theft, Unlawful Annexation of Land
Sex: Male
Ability: Supreme Overlord
Location: Sand Continent
The Shah started out as the chief of the Crossed Blades tribe living in the mountainous parts of the North. Twenty years ago, he conquered and unified the other two tribes, the Cloaked Daggers and the Axeheads, evolved into a Kingambit, and annexed much of the North, taking special care to target mining towns, as they were a lucrative source of Poke. He was a tyrant in every sense of the word, doling out harsh punishments ranging from forced labor to execution for slights or defiance against him.

He was able to keep “his” land through the power of his army and the absurd amount of raw strength he possessed, being able to cut through solid steel as if it were air. Many bounty hunting teams and organizations tried to take him down, but none could. The only one that got even close to it was the Smith's Rebellion, which he only survived through via underhanded means.

Ultimately, it was one of his own sons, Shamshir, who led to his downfall. With him being taught compassion by Bismuth and emboldened by Makuhita, he led Team Yin-Yang, Bismuth, and his troops into the capital to dethrone his father. Due to their greater unity, they performed far better than they had any right to. Seeing the disarray, the civilians of the capital realized that the Shah and his army weren't invulnerable and worked with Shamshir's men, storming the palace and defeating the Shah after Asana had faltered.

The Shah, in spite of his strength, was an extremely unskilled battler. To Asana, reading his movements was like looking into an open book, and due to her agility, she was the greatest obstacle between her team, Shamshir, and Bismuth, only being defeated due to her fatigue and a Quick Seed wearing off at an inopportune time. If he didn't think of himself as infallible and actually took time to refine his fighting style, the Shah could've wiped the floor with everyone effortlessly.

The Others:

Team Corvidae:

Dee (Rookidee):
Sex: Female
Ability: Keen Eye
She's the leader of the team, and is known for her recklessness. Her and Smoliv are bounty hunters, although they struggle a lot more compared to other, stronger groups.

Smoliv:
Sex: Male
Ability: Harvest
In contrast to Dee, Smoliv is shy and slightly cowardly, usually taking up a role as support. His usual tactics involve him spraying glue-like oil onto his enemies to restrict their mobility, although he's a surprisingly competent battler if he's backed into a corner.

Team Watchers:

Espathra:
Sex: Female
Ability: Speed Boost
She's a blind Sensor, and the team's leader. Her role was primarily to find hidden passages and details others would miss, via using her ability to detect changes in the environment. Her philosophy behind Aura is different compared to others due to her not being a fighter, focusing more on finding hidden meanings and revealing that which is concealed. She's quite old, being 87 years of age as of Part 3.

Indeedee:
Sex: Male
Ability: Psychic Surge
Espathra's husband. His role was in reading and navigation, since his wife is blind, alongside boosting the damage of Hatterene's moves. He's very concerned with etiquette, and is implied to get violent with those who breach it.

Hatterene:
Sex: Female
Ability: ???
The third member of Team Watchers, who never retired in spite of her advanced age. She was mentioned as being introverted, although very kindly to those she opened up to. She was the team's main battler.

Team Masquerade:

Roserade:
Sex: Male
Ability: Poison Point
He's the leader of Team Masquerade, alongside their eyes and ears. He and his partner have worked as bounty hunters for over seven years, yet he lacks any sort of arrogance, remaining cordial and friendly with Team Yin-Yang in spite of their lesser experience, although he was a bit skeptical of Makuhita taking down Foi at first. His fighting style revolves around heavy use of footwork and evasion, alongside pumping opponents full of toxins and Venoshocking them.

Roserade possesses some cleverness to him. When he was abducted by Lombre, he waited for Team Yin-Yang to show up and for Lombre to be absorbed in his interactions with them before setting himself free and attacking. He was also able to discern that Lombre only possessed killing intent towards the two of them. As Roserade predicted, Lombre let him live after he ensured Team Yin-Yang could run away.

Empoleon:
Sex: Male
Ability: Torrent
He's the muscle of Team Masquerade and was immensely prideful, to the point of blinding him to the good traits in those "lesser" than him. It was only after seeing the sheer amount of punishment Makuhita could take that these tendencies began to wane, with Empoleon admitting that he and Asana can "punch above their weight", and that brute strength doesn't solve everything - his utter lack of agility made him a sitting duck for the Twins.

In Part 8.5, it's shown that he picked up Aqua Jet in order to help address his agility issues. It's also revealed that he takes his duties and bond with Roserade very seriously, willing to risk his life in order to protect him. If Lombre didn't talk him out of making a suicidal last charge, he would've gotten himself killed in the line of duty.

Team Stakeout:

Gumshoos:
Sex: Male
Ability: Strong Jaw
He was the leader of Team Stakeout, and was known for being one of the best trackers of his day. He was very meticulous and analytical, always making sure to do his research before his team went to track down their targets. He was also known for his professionalism, and he was shown to care deeply for his fellow team members.

He was murdered by Cacturne in his rage over what he perceived to be his ex-wife's betrayal. Team Stakeout had arrived to his hideout a week after she left, and he believed she snitched and gave them his location. However, the truth was that they were tracking him and Merry/Sonora down before the latter had decided to abandon her life of crime.

Arcanine:
Sex: Male
Ability: Flash Fire
Not much is known about this member of Team Stakeout. However, he was the only Pokemon in their group to escape from Cacturne's wrath alive, and is how those in the present know of his hideout's location.

Stoutland:
Sex: Male
Ability: Sand Rush
He's another member of Team Stakeout, known for his expertise in travelling through deserts and other extreme terrain. He, like Gumshoos, was killed by Cacturne's hands.

Independents and Civilians:

Jolteon:
Sex: Female
Ability: Volt Absorb
A novice caravan guard with a bit of a cowardly streak who works with her best friend, Mawile. She's a bit of an airhead, and after witnessing Makuhita's victory over Iron Wing, she fawned over him for a while. She took him on a date to The Saloon, a pub in Sahra Town, but her bubble was burst when she found out that he didn't even know it was one, and that she wasn't his type.

After the incident with Iron Wing, she got chewed out by Mawile and became far better at her job, giving even an S-Rank outlaw some trouble.

Mawile:
Sex: Female:
Ability: Hyper Cutter
A caravan guard who works with Jolteon, Houndoom, and Rhydon. She's a bit arrogant like Asana started out being, although she's more sarcastic, many of her words being veiled insults or back-handed compliments.

Rhydon:
Sex: Male:
Ability: ???
Works with Jolteon, Mawile, and Houndoom. Not much is revealed about him.

Houndoom:
Sex: Male
Ability: Flash Fire
The guard Captain of the caravan that Mawile, Rhydon, and Jolteon all work at. His reputation has suffered a hit lately, between Iron Wing besting his men and murdering one, and Foi squeezing his company for much of what they have.

Polteageist:
Sex: N/A
Ability: Cursed Body
He's a potter from Redkiln who was, at one point, a perfectionist. The pot he lives in is noticably shoddier than others of his kind - he was tricked by Lombre into buying a counterfeit to evolve into 20 years before the events of Part 3. He also describes himself as one of the few Pokemon on the Sand Continent who can make good porcelain.

Sonora, aka "Merry" (Maractus):
Sex: Female
Ability: Water Absorb
She's an ex-outlaw living in Redkiln, although you wouldn't be able to guess that by her usually cheery demeanour. The only hints to her past are the numerous scars across her body. She used to be Cacturne's wife and partner and crime, having ran away from home with him due to the fact that their tribes hated each other and wouldn't have accepted their relationship as legitimate.

She always had an aversion to bloodshed and killing, and was known for the means she went to in order to preserve the lives of her victims, including dipping into her own medical supplies to save them. However, she couldn't avoid it entirely. The few deaths that she did cause filled her with a great sense of guilt, prompting her to turn herself in. She tried to convince Cacturne to go along to her, but he was so set in the mentality he was raised with that he couldn't conceive of anything better than the life of crime he lived.

In spite of her mirthful exterior, she's weighed down by her remorse for her past, and feels guilty for leaving her ex-husband behind. She still keeps the Gold Ribbon he gave her as a sign of their union
– she's still unable to let go of him after all the years they've spent apart.

Sonora was known for having many different disguises and aliases in her time as a bandit. Opuntia and Cochemia were two such names she was known by, but the closest thing to a true name that she has is “Merry” - a nickname Cacturne gave her that only the two of them are supposed to know.

In Part 7 and the Cacturne Special, a bit of her fighting style was revealed – she used dance-like movements to evade her foes, and either used Petal Dance to wear down groups by attrition, or Solar Beams as a ranged attack. In spite of her cutesy looks, she relies on extreme firepower above all else.

Mienfoo, aka the Sourdough Supremacist:
Sex: Male
Ability: Reckless
A baker from Redkiln known for his constantly shifting mood, passion for his work, and insistence that sourdough is the superior form of bread. His family has been baking for generations, and the sourdough starter he nutures is old as, if not older than Redkiln itself. He views baker's yeast as "soulless" and has a particular disdain for bread leavened with the assistance of Fidough breath, hating it for being, in his eyes, unsanitary.

Bismuth (Tinkatuff):
Sex: Female
Ability: Mold Breaker
She is the local smith in Kimberton, and because of that, she wasn't pushed out of the Shah's territory or executed like the rest of her kind. She's kindly and patient, managing to wear down Shamshir's guard and make friends with him. She has a deep respect and admiration for her mother, and wishes to be like her one day. Her family line is considered eccentric by the rest of Tink-kind, as they're more even-tempered and forge their weapons, instead of building them from scrap. As a result, they've historically been seen as outcasts among their species.

Electrum (Tinkaton):
Sex: Female
Ability: Unknown
She was Bismuth's mother. She led the Smith's Rebellion five years before the events of Part 6 and was a fearsome warrior in her own right, able to take the Shah on by herself. The only reason she perished was due to him feigning surrender and hitting her with a Kowtow Cleave.

Shamshir (Bisharp):
Sex: Male
Ability: Defiant
He is one of the Shah's sons. His assignment was to command and oversee the Bisharp and Pawniard guarding Kimberton, and he was also tasked with keeping an eye on Bismuth to make sure she didn't follow her mother's footsteps. However, that failed, with her bringing out a sense of empathy within him that extended to not only the Northeners, but his own men. Unlike the rest of his family, he didn't treat those under him as expendable pawns or tools, thinking that anyone who has the courage to fight should be treated with respect and dignity.

He isn't very expressive with his emotions most of the time, although he does have problems with his anger. Said issues caused him to fight more recklessly against his father than he should have, and in fact, he almost decided to end his life – it was only by remembering his friends wouldn't want him to succumb to his rage and knowing it was what his father desired that stopped him from doing the deed.

Deputy Magneton:
Sex: N/A
Ability: Analytic
He's the one Makuhita and Asana typically turn in outlaws to, because his boss, Magnezone, is constantly busy with paperwork. He's been in his position for a long time and has seen both the best and the worst of the Sand Continent, on both sides of the law.

Geography:

Sand Continent:

The Midlands:

The Midlands are, as the name implies, the region comprising the middle of the Sand Continent. The conditions are far more hospitable here then in the North and South, and thus, much crops and produce is grown here, to be exported to the more extreme regions.

Oasis:

A town west of the Mystery Dungeon Holey Meadow. They're one of the agricultural towns in the Midlands that export their goods to the rest of the Sand Continent.

Redkiln:

Another town near Holey Meadow, located to its Northeast. It's known in particular for its ceramics, pottery in particular.

The North:

The North is, like much of the Sand Continent, rather mountainous, and its border is marked by the Thirsty Desert and its corresponding Mystery Dungeon, with the same name, at its southern border. The Thirsty Desert is the most inhospitable spot on the whole continent, its only permanent residents being hardy tribesmons and survivalists. Nonetheless, travellers and traders alike must pass through it in order to it to get to and from the region.

Past the Thirsty Desert, a large part of the North is comprised of mining towns and mountain-dwelling Pokemon, including tribes of Bisharp and, in the past, Tinkatuff and Tinkaton, although the latter were driven out after the former were conquered and unified by the Shah. He controlled many of the mining towns, although thanks to the efforts of Team Yin-Yang, their allies, and the citizenry of the North, he was deposed and arrested.

Kimberton:

Kimberton is one of many mining towns, and is the home of Bismuth, who's the local blacksmith. It was situated close to the southern border of the Shah's lands, back when he still controlled them.

Parched Gorge:

A location near the center of the Thirsty Desert known for being even hotter than the rest of the region. It's basically Death Valley levels of hot. Team Verdant's base is located in a cavern in one of its walls, where they are protected from the heat.

The South:

The South is split into two sub-regions, the Southeast and the Southwest. The Southwest, unlike the rest of the
Sand Continent, is rather frigid. Notable Mystery Dungeons include the Hall of Magic and Snowy Cave. The Southeast is primarily made up of deserts, mountains, and coastline, and is where Sahra Town is located.

Krabby Cave:

A small Mystery Dungeon to the south of Sahra Town. As the name implies, its entrance is in the shape of a Krabby. It's rather small, and mostly home to Water-types. Hitmontop used to use the bottom of this dungeon as a hideout.

Snowdrift:

Snowdrift is a town located in the frigid Southwestern area of the Sand Continent. The Twins of Terror were cornered and defeated here.

Events:

The Smith's Rebellion:
The Smith's Rebellion was an uprising against the Shah that happened five years before the events of Part 6, led by a Tinkaton named Electrum. Many flocked under her banner in the hopes of freeing the North from his tyranny, but they unfortunately failed.

Miscellaneous Notes and Lore Tidbits

The outlaw ranking system used on the Sand Continent is similar to the mission difficulty rankings in Explorers missions, with the ratings beyond five stars trimmed out, as I found them redundant. From
lowest to highest, the ranks are:
E, D, C, B, A, S, ★ (One Star), ★★ (Two Stars), ★★★ (Three Stars), ★★★★ (Four Stars), ★★★★★ (Five Stars)

E, D, C, and B are primarily used for criminals such as your typical petty crooks, muggers, and conmen. A-Ranked outlaws are a dangerous threat to the average civilian, but can be dealt with by most exploration and bounty hunter teams who know what they are doing. S-Ranked outlaws could easily defeat nearly any civilian, and your average team would have to prepare heavily to prevail.

The Star rankings are where things become far more dangerous. It's advised that only seasoned teams go after even One-Star outlaws, and things only become dicier as the number of stars go up. Five-Star outlaws are living legends; pillars of villainy that come only once every generation. It would take a large group of skilled fighters to take them down, whether due to raw strength, or the influence they possess among their fellow criminals.

The naming schemes of Bisharp and Pawniard that are a part of the tribes of the northern Sand Continent:

The Crossed Blades, the tribe that Shamshir and the Shah are a part of, are named after swords. The Axeheads, the tribe that Shamshir's ex-lieutenant Talwar was a part of, get their names from axes. The Cloaked Daggers, the tribe Scalpel came from, derive their names from knives of all sorts, from those meant to be weapons, to those that are tools.

Sneak Scarves can muffle a Pokemon's Aura signature, although it doesn't completely erase it. It makes it harder for Sensors to detect them, although the better they are at detecting environmental changes, the easier it is for them to detect Scarf users. For example, Asana's sensitivity in regards to the details of Aura wasn't the best circa Part 3, so the only reason she detected Thievul was because she was specifically looking for things that were out of the ordinary. In contrast, someone like KFC would've been able to detect Thievul easier, while Espathra would have been able to pick him out with ease due to her highly specialized skills as a Sensor.

Thirsty Desert Tribes:

There are multiple tribes living in the Thirsty Desert, the two of them being the Saguaro and the Cholla. The former is made up of entirely Cacturne, and they are foreign to the Sand Continent, only having arrived a couple hundred years ago. The Cholla, on the other hand, are a mixed population of Maractus and Cacturne, although the latter have shorter brims on their hats than those of the Saguaro.

The Platinum Syndicate and Over the Moon Brewery:
These are two criminal organizations ran by Nickel and Thicket respectively. They work closely together, although they are technically separate entities. Thicket's organization supplies Nickel's with a portion of their sales and wares alongside a place to live in, and in return, Nickel's group supplies Thicket's with manpower.