Salamence

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Salamence (暴蝾螈)
Species/Race	Pokémon; a pseudo-legendary Pokémon 51
Gender	Male 56 699
Type	Dragon/Flying 56 699
Affiliation	Liu Qing’s Pokémon team; listed among his Kanto partners 56
Occupation/Role	Liu Qing’s strongest partner, aerial mount, and protector 66 448 696
Ability	Intimidate; previously possessed Rock Head before evolving 331 699
Evolution Line	Bagon → Shelgon → Salamence 56
Origin	Stolen as an Egg; no longer remembers his birthplace 178
First Appearance	As Bagon: Chapter 1; as Salamence: Chapter 18 1 18

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Bagon	1	Rescued from poachers by four-year-old Liu Qing and remained with him afterward.
Shelgon	14	Already evolved by the Safari Zone visit; the supplied account does not show the Bagon-to-Shelgon evolution.
Salamence	18	Evolved while falling toward magma at Cinnabar Gym after Liu Qing rekindled his desire to fly. Gained wings and independently learned Giga Impact.
Champion-level	434	Named alongside Latios and Lucario as one of Liu Qing’s Champion-level mainstays.
Pinnacle of Champion-level strength	696	His deciding confrontation with Lance’s strongest Dragonite is explicitly recognized as a battle at this level.

Background / History

Salamence was stolen while still an Egg. By the time Liu Qing encountered him in Hoenn, he had hatched into Bagon and was being held by poachers. Four-year-old Liu Qing secretly followed the poachers and freed him, but a Crobat’s Poison Fang damaged Liu Qing’s brain, leaving him in a vegetative state for six years. Bagon remained with Liu Qing during that period 1 178.

After awakening, Liu Qing reunited with Bagon at the clan’s breeding grounds, where Bagon eagerly jumped into his arms. Lorelei suggested him as a possible first partner because his final evolution would possess the Flying type 1. Early in their travels, Liu Qing identified Hydro Pump control as a priority for his training 3.

As Shelgon, he had been close to evolution for some time. Liu Qing deliberately delayed that step so he could first master Draco Meteor. At Cinnabar Gym, Rhydon’s attack broke the battlefield and sent Shelgon toward the magma. Liu Qing’s encouragement revived his lifelong wish to fly, triggering evolution just before he fell in. The newly evolved Salamence returned to the field and defeated Rhydon without waiting for another command 18.

Years later, Liu Yuan asked why Salamence had not revisited his birthplace. Liu Qing explained that being stolen before hatching had severed that connection: Salamence no longer remembered where he came from 178.

Appearance

• Blue body and scales, which gleam in sunlight 18 224.
• Enormous blood-red wings, capable of raising a whirlwind with a single beat 18.
• White belly and chest armor, retained from his Shelgon shell 18 225 331.
• Pointed forehead horns and scarlet brow ridges, where Dragon Rush’s blue energy begins gathering 331.
• A thick tail, used to knock airborne opponents back toward the ground 275.

Personality

Salamence is deeply affectionate toward Liu Qing. His eager reunion as Bagon develops into an enduring closeness: even after forming a relationship with the female Salamence, he still nestles his head into Liu Qing’s arms and enjoys being patted 1 614.

He combines battle initiative with trust in his Trainer. Immediately after evolving, he independently dodged Stone Edge and finished Rhydon with Giga Impact. Against Lance’s ace, he remained calm when unable to dodge and responded instantly to Liu Qing’s Thunder Fang command 18 696.

His patience is selective. He reluctantly accepted Absol’s first challenge, defeated it again when it returned, and eventually flew away rather than entertain another mismatch 410. By contrast, he tirelessly comforted Hunter J’s former Salamence when she believed she had been abandoned, then helped her adjust to life and training with Liu Qing 614 616 619.

Abilities & Skills

Intimidate

His draconic roar releases an oppressive presence, visibly demonstrated when he entered the Indigo League final against Drake’s Charizard 42.

• The pressure surrounding him also unsettled Meyer’s family before their battle began 275.
• Intimidate replaced his earlier Rock Head ability after evolution 331 699.

Flight and Aerial Combat

Salamence combines high speed with sharp turns, rapid climbs, and precise control of his momentum 42 275 332.

• Long-distance transport: Carried Liu Qing home from Cinnabar Island and later to Professor Oak’s laboratory 19 57.
• Storm traversal: Flew through the storm around New Island and overtook the other departing Trainers 20.
• Emergency rescue: Extracted Liu Qing from an Ursaring mob and caught him, Lucario, Claydol, and Xatu after a misplaced Teleport left them falling from over a hundred meters up 66 448.
• Wind control: Escaped Registeel’s tornado by flying against its rotation; later spiraled around a Sandstorm column to attack from above 331 332.
• Limit: Coordinated Supersonic, Haze, Air Slash, and Shadow Ball attacks from Team Magma’s Golbat overwhelmed his evasion and knocked him off balance 178.

Reinforced Defenses

His strongest defensive areas are his retained Shelgon armor and the head he trained extensively as Bagon 331.

• Turned his armored belly into Weavile’s Blizzard, enduring a move spectators noted should deal quadruple damage 225.
• Withstood Lance’s Dragonite striking his abdomen and chest with Hyper Beam, then recovered to counterattack 696 697.
• Retained his trained forehead durability despite losing Rock Head upon evolution 331.

Giga Impact

Salamence learned Giga Impact independently during his evolution battle. Its spinning purple aura provides protection as well as offensive force 18 43.

• Defeated Blaine’s Rhydon, Cynthia’s Gastrodon, and Meyer’s Aerial Eagle with the move 18 51 275.
• Liu Qing trained him to shorten its immobilization period and climb away immediately after impact 19.
• The recovery remained exploitable: Drake’s Charizard attacked him during it, Paul’s Torterra struck with Stone Edge, and Meyer’s Haxorus landed Dragon Pulse 43 226 276.

Dragon Rush Defense

Dragon Rush’s surrounding aura can shield Salamence while he charges 332.

• Kept Registeel’s Zap Cannon electricity outside the aura, allowing him to continue attacking without paralysis 332.
• Professor Oak explained that the captured electricity could also be transferred to an opponent through physical contact 332.

Elemental Fusion

Against Registeel, Salamence helped build a vortex from Heat Wave and Sandstorm, then fired Hydro Pump into it at the decisive moment 332.

• The resulting combination of water, fire, and sand overwhelmed Registeel 332.
• Scott identified Liu Qing as the originator of the earlier fusion concept later adapted at the Battle Dome 332.

Known Moves

First roster documenting the moves	Moves
Volume One roster	Hydro Pump, Dragon Rush, Zen Headbutt, DragonBreath, Dragon Claw, Giga Impact, Draco Meteor 56
Volume Three additions	Heat Wave, Brick Break 340
Volume Six addition	Thunder Fang 699

Story Role / Major Arcs

Training and Team Support

• League preparation: Worked with Gyarados on reducing Giga Impact’s recovery risks 19.
• Johto coastal training: Practiced flight speed and attack power above the sea, with the goal of blasting water away from an area in a single attack 69.
• Celebi crisis: Broke through an energy wave with Hydro Pump, then joined Gyarados and Yukinari’s Dragonite against the monster formed by Celebi 86.
• Latios’s development: Helped train Latios’s speed and aerial agility; their continued practice accompanied Latios’s substantial improvement in Lilycove 167 195.
• Team Magma confrontation: Used Draco Meteor after Slowking immobilized the ambushing Golbat, then helped recover Liu Qing’s missing Egg from the lava-vent operation 179.
• Hunter J encounter: Answered Liu Qing’s aura summons and dove at J’s mounted Salamence with Dragon Rush 408.
• Fossil Pokémon outbreak: Coordinated with Latios and Cynthia’s Garchomp to subdue roughly twenty Aerodactyl in under ten minutes 543 544.

Major Battles

Opponent	Result and significance
Blaine’s Rhydon	Evolved during the battle and won with his newly learned Giga Impact 18.
Charizard at New Island	Split Flamethrower with Dragon Claw, landed Hydro Pump, and drove Charizard to the ground with another claw strike 21.
Drake’s shiny Charizard	Revealed as Liu Qing’s previously hidden sixth Pokémon in the Indigo League final. After their Giga Impact–Outrage clash, Draco Meteor left both unable to battle 42 43.
Cynthia’s Gastrodon and Garchomp	Defeated Gastrodon, but Garchomp initially outmatched him. Liu Qing recalled him and attempted a Blissey-based recovery strategy; Salamence subsequently returned to exchange attacks with the fatigued Garchomp 51 52.
Paul’s team	Opened with victories over Froslass, Ninjask, and Weavile. A later recollection confirms that he defeated all six of Paul’s Pokémon at the Ever Grande Conference 224 225 563.
Meyer’s team	Defeated Lanturn, Donphan, and Aerial Eagle consecutively. Damaged Haxorus with Draco Meteor before Liu Qing recalled him due to fatigue 275 276.
Brandon’s Registeel	Won the deciding battle by combining Hydro Pump, Heat Wave, and Registeel’s Sandstorm into an elemental vortex 331 332.
Lance’s strongest Dragonite	Won the final matchup of Liu Qing’s Champion challenge. Dragonite collapsed first after their final Dragon Rush collision; Salamence was declared the winner before also falling from exhaustion 696 697.

Relationships

• Liu Qing — Rescuer, Trainer, and closest human companion. Their partnership began with Bagon’s release from poachers and culminated in the victory over Lance; they shared a wordless smile before Salamence collapsed after the final battle 1 697.
• Female Salamence — Romantic partner and fellow teammate. He comforted her after her separation from Hunter J, brought her fruit, guided her training, and served as her practice opponent while she learned to coordinate with Liu Qing 614 616 619.
• Gyarados — Longtime teammate and shared flight-training partner; they also trained together to reduce Giga Impact’s drawbacks 19 66.
• Latios — Aerial training partner whom Salamence helped develop flight speed and agility 167 195.
• Liu Yuan — Frequently carried him alongside Liu Qing during their Hoenn journey, including their visit to Meteor Falls and flight toward Mt. Chimney 178.
• Absol — Repeatedly challenged Salamence after witnessing his strength. Those encounters contributed to Absol’s decision to leave Mt. Coronet and join Liu Qing 410 624.

Other Salamence: Hunter J’s Former Partner

Liu Qing also owns a female Salamence, distinct from the male he raised from Bagon. She first appears carrying Hunter J during the Mt. Coronet confrontation; the Volume Six roster lists her separately 408 699.

Feature	Female Salamence
Former Trainer	Hunter J 408 614
Current Trainer	Liu Qing 689
Type / Ability	Dragon/Flying; Intimidate 699
Listed Moves	Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower, Twister, Hyper Beam, Hidden Power (Ice) 699
Specialty	Aerial evasion, developed through intensive training under Hunter J 689

Adjustment to Liu Qing’s Team

Initially, she believed Hunter J had abandoned her and became listless. The male Salamence’s daily companionship helped restore her spirits, though she remained wary of Liu Qing 614.

During Liu Qing’s memory journey, she witnessed the warmth of his relationships with his Pokémon and began training under the male Salamence’s guidance. At the World Tree, she came to believe that strength should protect the weak rather than bully them, and truly opened her heart to Liu Qing. He later brought her to Lake Valor specifically to help her escape Hunter J’s lingering shadow 616 619 620 623.

Battles

• Iris’s Axew: Intimidate frightened Axew into retreating, and its subsequent Dragon Rage failed to move her 639.
• Lance’s first Dragonite: Made her first official-match appearance in Latios’s place. She defeated the already-fatigued Dragonite with Hyper Beam after a demanding aerial battle 689 690.
• Lance’s Kingdra: Ice Beam damaged and froze her wings, preventing flight. Her final Hyper Beam lost to Kingdra’s Outrage 691.

The female fought earlier in the Champion challenge; the male Salamence was Liu Qing’s final, strongest partner against Lance’s ace Dragonite 689 696.