The perfect blend of cute and creepy, this drooling, poisonous, horrible-smelling weed is actually based on the bud of the Rafflesia or "Corpse Flower", and can evolve into one of two other Rafflesia-sprouting monsters; neither of which I find quite as interesting.
This is because Gloom reminds me very much of the monsters I used to draw around kindergarten age, when I went through an entire phase of drawing only spongy, puffy fungus creatures. What's more, I actually used the word "gloom" in the names of several such monsters, along with dreary, dismal, dank, foul and other names befitting of spongy, puffy fungus creatures. Gloom brought these memories flooding back the moment I laid eyes on him, and I only wish I had some more examples to scan - I could have sworn I drew at least one monster almost identical to Gloom.
Gloom is classified as a "dual type" Pokemon: Grass and Poison. It evolves from Oddish, and can evolve into either Vileplume when exposed to a leaf stone or Bellossom when exposed to a solar stone.
Gloom is most famous in the Pokemon world for its incredibly disgusting and powerful odor, but the scent carries economic value as an additive to perfume much like ambergris (whale vomit) in our own world.
The creature's dripping saliva is described in every game as "a nectar that lures prey", but precisely what Gloom preys upon has yet to be explained.
Like many grass types, Gloom learns a wide range of status-altering attacks, allowing it to inflict enemies with debilitating conditions such as poison, paralysis and sleep.
