Delta Species (TCG) - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokmon encyclopedia

From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.

δ Delta Species (Japanese: δ-デルタ種 δ-Delta Species) are a type of Pokémon found in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The term is often shortened to δ, DS, Delta, or Delta Species. They first appeared in the EX Delta Species expansion, and were last released in the EX Dragon Frontiers expansion.

δ Delta Species are different from normal Pokémon in that their type is not the expected type for a Pokémon of their species; however, they still have the same weaknesses that a regular Pokémon of their species would have. For example, Charmander δ is a Lightning-type Pokémon, as opposed to a Fire-type, but remains weak to the Water-type rather than gaining a weakness to the Fighting-type.

According to the backstory offered in EX Delta Species, Pokémon in Holon became δ Delta Species upon exposure to the electromagnetic waves emitted by the Holon Research Tower.[1] The scientists that discovered them used the Greek letter δ, as δ Delta Species are the fourth discovered classification of Pokémon after normal Pokémon, Pokémon-ex, and Pokémon ☆.

Dual type Pokémon δ always have Metal as their secondary type, and it is nearly always fully evolved Pokémon or Legendary Pokémon that display this. However, with the release of EX Dragon Frontiers, no Pokémon δ displayed this Metal dual type, leading some to believe that these Pokémon became δ Delta Species naturally or the trait was outbred on the island habitats in which they live. Appearance-wise, δ Delta Species Pokémon do not differ from normal Pokémon other than an aura that denotes its type; some have a more distinct aura than others.

In EX Delta Species, if a δ Delta Species Pokémon had one of its types changed to something other than Metal, it was always either to Fire or Lightning. This is likely due to the fact that, since these two types are based upon one of the game types each, whereas others are based on more, all cards of those two types shared a single weakness among them: Water and Fighting, respectively. Thus, Fire Pokémon and Lightning Pokémon became more playable by diversifying their weaknesses. Later sets did not do this, however, and Delta Species Pokémon could be of any type.

Delta Species Pokémon have "δ Delta Species" between the name and HP, had double helix on the border of the artwork window, and the evolution box featured a δ design.

The designation of δ Delta Species does not affect the name of a Pokémon (e.g. a normal Dragonite can evolve from a Dragonair δ and vice versa). If a card wishes to reference δ Delta Species, it uses the text "Pokémon that has δ on its card". The card Ampharos δ has the Poké-Body Holon Veil, which causes the majority of Pokémon cards of its owner to be treated as though they have δ on their card. This has been described as making them Delta Species, although Holon Veil does not have a type changing effect.[2]

Pokémon found as δ Delta Species

References

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