Requested by @mindsnotAppletun may look sweet, but according to it’s pokédex entry, it&

Requested by @mindsnotAppletun may look sweet, but according to it’s pokédex entry, it’s actually a ruthless predator. Appletun secretes a sweet-smelling nectar through its skin, attracting bug Pokémon for Appletun to then snack on. That’s a pretty brutal, yet effective, strategy for finding lunch. Just ask the pitcher plant:Pitcher plants are a family of carnivorous plants - similar to the Venus Fly Trap -  that get their nutrients from eating insects rather than absorbing them from the soil. They typically live in areas where the soil is thin or acidic, and due to the poor soil conditions they can’t get the nutrients they need from their roots like other plants. Instead, they adapted another method of getting what they need: consuming insects! Pitcher plants in particular are characterized by their cup-shaped leaves, which are filled with a puddle of flower-scented nectar at the bottom. Unsuspecting bugs follow the sweet scent looking for a snack of their own, but end up becoming the snack. Once the insect falls into the cup, the waxy, smooth walls of the leaves make it so the bug can’t climb out again, and it ends up drowning in the pool of nectar. The nectar pool also contains digestive enzymes which helps break down the nutrients for the pitcher plant to absorb, kind of like the acid in your stomach. Appletun’s signature move, Apple Acid, makes a lot of sense in this context: its nectar attracts bug pokémon by the sweet scent, but the nectar is actually acidic, which helps it digest the bug pokémon to eat.Appletun is part Grass-type, so the pitcher plant is a fair comparison, but it doesn’t explain the fact that Appletun looks more like a dragon than a plant, and the pokédex tells us that its nectar comes from everywhere on its skin, not only in its leaves.To explain this we can look towards amphibians, like frogs and salamanders, who are known for having slimy skin!Amphibian skin needs to be wet to properly function: they “drink” through their skin to stay hydrated, and they absorb oxygen through their skin to breathe. It also helps them regulate their body temperature. The “slime” on an amphibians skin is actually a mucous, secreted by many glands throughout their skin, keeping them hydrated. Some salamanders also have beneficial microbes in their slimy coating to boost their immune system. Tree me frogs commonly use their mucous to help stick to leaves and rocks, enabling them to climb, and others have even adapted to secrete poison in it to deter predators.Appletun’s skin must contain many mucous glands like an amphibian, which constantly secretes the sweet-smelling liquid all over its body. I like to think it has a similar texture, scent, and appearance to apple pie filling. The slime probably has multiple purposes, like a frogs, to help Appletun stay hydrated and regulate its body temperature. But most importantly, the sweet scent attracts bug pokémon, which Appletun can then turn into a tasty snack.Appletun’s skin contains glands that secret a mucous that smells like sweet plant nectar.  This slimy coating helps Appletun stay hydrated, boosts its immune system, and lures in prey for Appletun to eat. -- source link

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