Chien-Pao (パオジアン)

Biology: Chien-Pao is a feline Pokémon with an elongated body composed of snow. Ice crystals run down its back and legs, and also forms its claws, eyes, and whiskers. Its large fangs, tipped with ice, comprise two pieces of a broken, ornately patterned sword. The sword's blade, which narrows slightly near the tip, forms its left fang; while the sword's hilt forms its right fang. The broken ends of the sword halves jut through Chien-Pao's upper jaw.

Like the other treasures of ruin, Chien-Pao's true form is that of the broken sword forming its fangs, having been given life by the hatred of people slain by those who wielded it long ago — while its body is a form it has constructed using its control over ice and snow. Chien-Pao is described as being able to control 100 tons of fallen snow, causing avalanches and playing around in them innocently. It is known as the Sword of Ruin.

Chien-Pao and the other treasures of ruin are the only known Pokémon capable of learning the move Ruination. Chien-Pao is also the only known Pokémon that can have Sword of Ruin as an Ability.

Size: 6'03" tall, 335.5 lbs.

Evolution: Chien-Pao has no evolutionary relatives.

Facts/Origin: Chien-Pao has the highest base Speed stat of all Dark-type Pokémon. Chien-Pao and the other treasures of ruin are the first Pokémon whose base stats were adjusted via a patch to the game. Chien-Pao is one of the only Ice-type Pokémon, the other ones being Snom and Frost Rotom, to not be able to learn Ice Beam. Chien-Pao may be based on the snow leopard and the prehistoric Smilodon, one of the most well-known true saber-toothed cats. It also may be inspired by nimravids such as Dinictis and Hoplophoneus, saber-toothed predators with elongated bodies closely related to felids. The pieces of a sword that it uses as fangs may have been inspired by bronze swords, particularly the jian (double-edged straight sword); and they may make Chien-Pao a literal interpretation of a "saber-toothed cat".

The weasel- or linsang-like shape of its form likely alludes to the tiger tally (虎符 hǔfú), the proof of imperial authorization in ancient China for implementation of troop orders. Most examples of the tiger tally depict a stylized tiger long and crouching.

Chien-Pao and the other treasures of ruin may be based on the Four Perils of Chinese mythology. Specifically, Chien-Pao may be based on 窮奇 / 穷奇 Qióngqí, a vicious tiger-like creature that was later identified as the prototype of kamaitachi in Japanese folklore, hence Chien-Pao's similar stats and typing to Weavile. It may also be partly inspired by the 檮杌 / 梼杌 Táowù, another of the Four Perils known for its large tusks as well as having a genus of saber-toothed cats named after it.

Chien-Pao's shiny coloring might allude to how the fur coat in some mammals living in icy areas, such as the arctic fox, changes from white to brownish in warmer seasons.

Chien-Pao and Paojian may be a combination of 劍 / 剑 jiàn (Chinese for sword) or 寶劍 / 宝剑 bǎojiàn (Chinese for treasure sword) and 豹 bào (Chinese for leopard). The English name is formatted in Wade–Giles, a romanization system used in the Anglosphere for most of the 20th century.