There are only a few Pokémon one could really call evil or wicked. Not surprisingly, most of these are Dark types, which when translated from Japanese are technically evil types. However, it’s actually a bit more complicated.

A lot of Dark types are just night-stalking predators like Umbreon. That’s not evil, honestly. But then, there are others like Malamar, who had been straight out portrayed as a villain, even in the anime. Others of this character include Spiritomb and Hydreigon.

In a nutshell, you can kind of categorize Dark types are more or less evil. One messed up Pokémon that fits into the ‘more evil’ end of this spectrum is Houndoom.

Is Houndoom one of the darkest of all Dark types and a true representative of this unhinged, ‘evil’ class of Pokémon? Let’s find out!

 
Houndoom is a monstrous dog that is so devoid of empathy that it causes torturous pain of a high degree… burn!
 
Its Gold ‘dex entry literally goes:
 
If you are burned by the flames it shoots from its mouth, the pain will never go away
 

 
But, this is pretty fitting for a Houndoom because it’s based on a hellhound  
 

Source: Monster Wiki

Hellhounds are the guardians and hunters of the underworld, or, hell. The main inspiration comes from Cerberus from Greek mythology.
Source: Ancient Origins

Cerberus is the guard dog of the underworld and has been widely described in media and pop culture. Remember Fluffy from the Harry Potter series?

Originally, Cerberus didn’t even have anything to do with fire, that is more of a modern interpretation thanks to the Biblical burning hell concept.

Fire and brimstone references found their way to many Cerberus and Hellhound lore, and thus, Fire. The idea of hell being a fiery place of infinite pain and torture syncs perfectly with Houndoom.

While Hellhound and Cerberus references fit thematically into Houndoom’s lore, there’s a well-known dog breed that is an inspiration for this Pokémon – the Dobermann. In fact, this breed even looks like Houndoom!
Source: dogtime.com

The association of Dobermanns with Cerberus is actually ripped off a stereotype. This dog is one of the breeds that people think are more naturally vicious… one the same page as Pitbulls, Rottweilers, and Chihuahuas. 

And this stereotype comes from why this breed exists in the first place. Dobermann didn’t exist before the 1800s and this time period was wild when it came to breeding dogs!

When new breeds were bred for hunting game, being fashionable, or being scary. The Dobermann was created by a German tax collector who wanted an intimidating guard dog with him at all times. 

It would need to be high on stamina, strength, and intelligence. And, he also wished the dog to have a really threatening snarl. With time, Dobermann also became the official breed of war dogs for the US Marine Corps, particularly during World War 2.
Source: Alluring Creations

So, Dobermann were bred and trained to be dogs of war, even having their poor ears cut to make them look more evil, giving them their scary and formidable reputation.

Now, let’s tackle Houndoom’s infinite, torturous pain scientifically. Is it really possible?  

Yes, indeed! Enter Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), a horrible but manageable syndrome to end up with.

The pain varies from person to person but most describe it as feeling like a burn that doesn’t go away. It’s hypothesized by doctors to be caused by extensive nerve damage. In this case, the nerves are so broken that they are unable to stop sending pain signals to the brain.
Source: The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction

Also, umm, the pain from CRPS is marked at the highest point of the McGill Pain Scale!
Source: Burning Nights CRPS Support

Yes, it’s that bad  

Moreover, many people suffering from CRPS tend to stay immobile, as moving hurts them more. By staying still, some of the pain appears to be alleviated. That said, pain, in essence, is a signal to move away from, well, a painful situation before more damage can happen.

Now, once the source of pain is gone away, one tends to feel sore or have an ‘after pain,’ if you will. Well, this is a healing response.

Say one has a broken arm or a big gash in the arm. That arm is technically not supposed to be used much obviously. So, the pain lingers to teach you to not mess with it until healing is achieved.

Eventually, the body heals and the feeling of pain is gone. So with CRPS, the mishap is due to nerves that nerve stop firing off pain. Well, most CRPS is caused by damage to injured peripheral sensory neurons which then has secondary effects on the spinal cord and brain. 

Basically, the nerves get messed up really bad because of the trauma caused and a deep enough burn tends to feature extreme nerve and skin death. And hellfire is depicted as being worse than any possible earthly fire. 

Since Houndoom’s Platinum dex entry says, “The flames it breathes when angry contain toxins. If they cause a burn, it will hurt forever,” it’s possible that these toxins latch onto the skin and so the pain goes haywire with decay. That’s why it remains unhealed forever.

So basically, Houndoom is just handing out CRPS to anyone it deems worthy of it. Thankfully in the real world, CPRS can go away with extensive therapy although there’s no cure for it as such. It can be manageable… but Houndoom? Not so much  

Non-stop burning pain is grounded in reality and that’s scary! Beware the Houndoom!

So, there you have it! This is all about Houndoom’s origins, lore, and details that very well syncs with a real medical condition. 

If you’re interested in reading more intriguing lore, design, and science articles for some popular Pokémon, be sure to check these out:

Dragapult | Morpeko | Cresselia | Mega Salamence | Dialga & Palkia Origin | Garchomp | Baxcalibur | Hydreigon | Zygarde| Druddigon | Naganadel | Drampa | Enamorus | Wooloo & Dubwool

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