Rellor and Rabsca — Origin of Species

In this recurring series, I’ll analyze the origins of Pokémon designs and their allusions to Mediterranean culture from Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.

Rellor

Rellor is a Bug-type Pokémon whose name is “Roller” backwards. This name lends itself well to its basis on a dung beetle.

There are many kinds of dung beetle species but the Scarabaeinae is considered the true dung beetle. They can be found around the world, including Spain, in various kinds of environments. They are natural recyclers, collecting dung from larger animals to use as food. They may also eat decaying plants.

Dung beetles can be classified into three subgroups: rollers, tunnelers, and dwellers. A roller will collect dung and push it around, forming a ball. It is often found standing on its head and using its hind legs to help shape it into a smooth sphere. These balls will be used as a food source. When they find a mate, they will roll the ball together until they are ready to lay eggs. They’ll bury their sphere and lay the eggs inside it.

This Pokémon creates a mud ball by mixing sand and dirt with psychic energy. It treasures its mud ball more than its own life.

It rolls its mud ball around while the energy it needs for evolution matures. Eventually the time comes for it to evolve.

Pokédex

Rellor looks like a brown beetle and is always accompanied by a brown mud ball that will push around. In its shiny form, it actually is rolling around a golden nugget instead of mud.

The Pokédex does not explain why it is enamored by mud, whether it is for food or some other reason. It does refer to its latent psychic powers. It also suggests that you should let Rellor roll around with the mud ball for a while before it is ready to evolve.

Rabsca

After walking with Rellor as your buddy, it will suddenly be ready to evolve into Rabsca. When it evolves, it will gain a secondary Psychic-typing. Its name comes from a rearrangement of the word “scarab”.

The scarab is a subspecies of beetle that can be found across the Mediterranean and the Sacred Scarab is one that is particularly associated with ancient Egypt mythology. They saw the scarab’s rolling of dung as similar to how the Egyptian god Ra would move the sun across the sky.

Egyptians were inspired to create artifacts based on scarabs. They were often amulets and sometimes rings, which would have the beetle depicted in some way. In some media, these scarab amulets are depicted as having magical or protective powers.

In Egyptian hieroglyphics, the scarab beetle was used to indicate “to become” or “to transform”.

The body that supports the ball barely moves. Therefore, it is thought that the true body of this Pokémon is actually inside the ball.

An infant sleeps inside the ball. Rabsca rolls the ball soothingly with its legs to ensure the infant sleeps comfortably.

Pokédex

The idea of life emerging from the ball is based on the historical observation of baby beetles emerging from the dung ball. The Egyptian god Khepri has a Scarab as a head and represented by morning sun. As the sun would come out in the morning after a night, Khepri also represented rebirth.

Rabsca has long white eyebrows and legs, making it look like it has white hair and a beard. It resembles a grandparent and that ties into the infant it is raising. If the true Pokémon is actually in the ball, then perhaps the scarab body is actually a protective amulet? That might explain why its shiny resembles a golden scarab amulet.

As Khepri represents rebirth, that is why Rabsca is one of the few Pokémon to learn the move Revival Blessing.

Conclusion

Dung beetles are a common creature that can be found everywhere, including the Mediterranean. They’ve been so common that ancient Egyptians had some reverence for them. Rolling dung around is not easy work, but they do fill a strong ecological niche by aiding in taking decomposing organic matter and making new use out of it.

Rellor and Rabsca are quite memorable Paldean Pokémon. From their buddy-based evolutionary method to getting the move Revival Blessing, it stands out as great designs for Bug-type Pokémon. Let us know what you think about these Pokémon in the comments, on the Mt. Moon Community forums or in the PokéJungle Discord server!