The Galar region brought fans another bumper crop of new Pokémon. Some are super cute, some are downright frightening, and, as always, some are a whole lot more competitively viable than others.

When it comes to unique Pokémon, Galarian Yamask and its all-new evolution, Runerigus, are right up there. There’s so much more to this quirky evolution line than meets the eye. Let’s take a look at its utterly obscure evolution method, as well as some other interesting trivia that fans are sure to appreciate.

10 It Has Very Specific Evolution Conditions

As promised, the player has to jump through certain hoops to evolve their Galarian Yamask. Firstly, it has to take 49 HP points of damage or more, without fainting. From there, take the injured critter to the Wild Area’s Dusty Bowl, and look for the very specific area shown here. Walk under that arch and your critter will spontaneously evolve into Runerigus (regardless of level or any other factors)!

Now, the Pokémon series has never shied away from implementing ‘how-the-heck-would-we-have-known-to-do-that-without-the-Internet’ methods of evolution, but this could be the strangest yet.

9 It Has A Very Unique Typing

Alolan and Galarian Pokémon are often fairly different to their original designs. Alolan Ninetales, for instance, is an Ice/Fairy critter with the Ability Snow Warning, a night and day contrast from the standard sun-setting fiery Ninetales.

Ice/Fairy is a completely new typing, but Galarian Yamask and Runerigus’s Ghost/Ground is an unusual one too. Only the Sandygast line (freshly added to Pokémon Sword & Shield with the Isle of Armor expansion) and Golett & Golurk share this type combination. It adds some interesting STAB options and ties in well with Galarian Yamask’s origins.

8 Its Ability Is New… But Also Isn’t

Game Freak has a curious tendency to release identical Abilities under different names. Why do both Huge Power and Pure Power exist when both double the Pokémon’s Attack stat? How about Protean and Cinderace’s brand-new Libero, super powerful Abilities that change the Pokémon’s type to match the move it’s about to use?

It’s just a thematic thing, yes, but it still rankles when the Pokémon concerned could’ve had a more interesting Ability. Galarian Yamask and Runerigus have Wandering Spirit, which mostly works just like Yamask and Cogagrigus’ Mummy (which spreads the Mummy Ability to the attacker). In this case, though, Wandering Spirit is given to the attacking Pokémon and Galarian Yamask/Runerigus takes theirs in exchange. These effects only work with contact moves though.

7 Its Origins Are Just As Eerie As Unovan Yamask’s

Famously, Unovan Yamask’s mask is the face it once had as a human. This Pokémon remembers its former life, often weeping when it reminisces about it. This is perhaps one of the darkest pieces of Pokémon lore of all, which is really saying something when it comes to Ghost-type Pokémon.

Meanwhile, Galarian Yamask has its own sinister origin story to tell. “It’s said that this Pokémon was formed when an ancient clay tablet was drawn to a vengeful spirit,” per Pokémon Shield. Sword adds that the tablet is supposedly “absorbing the Yamask’s dark power.” Ominous stuff all around.

6 Its Stats Mirror Those Of Unovan Yamask

That is to say, offense-wise. Both forms of Yamask have almost identical base stats, with a pitiful base 30 Speed, 38 HP, 65 Special Defense, and 85 Defense. That HP lets it down, but both are clearly defensively inclined.

The only difference between the two forms’ stats is that their Attack and Special Attack are switched. Unovan Yamask has base 30 Attack and 55 Special Attack, while the opposite is true of its Galar variant. This is also the case with Runerigus and Cofagrigus, which have 95 Attack/50 Special Attack and 50 Attack/95 Special Attack respectively.

5 It Has Some Of The Worst Stats Among Ghost-Types

If you’ve seen Runerigus or Cofagrigus in a competitive battle, it might well have surprised you. While they’re not outspeeding anything outside of Trick Room, they can output some decent damage while difficult to take down due to their bulk.

You wouldn’t think it to look at Yamask, though. While both of these critters are better at delivering a different type of damage, they’re woefully bad at the other. Unova’s Yamask has the lowest Attack of any Ghost-type (an ‘honor’ it shares with Litwick), while Galarian Yamask has the lowest Special Attack (shared with Duskull and Shedinja).

4 Runerigus Lives Up To Its Title Of ‘Grudge Pokémon’

You might think that Banette deserves this Pokédex designation, what with its relentless hunt for the owner who once threw it away and all (now that would make for a horrifying dark Toy Story movie). Instead, this is Runerigus’ title. It’s certainly got the creepy justification for that.

“A powerful curse was woven into an ancient painting. After absorbing the spirit of a Yamask, the painting began to move,” Sword reports. Shield, not to be outdone in the creepiness stakes, adds, “never touch its shadowlike body, or you’ll be shown the horrific memories behind the picture carved into it.” Dang. This sounds more like a creature from an Edgar Allan Poe story than a Pokémon.

3 Its Only Card In The Pokémon TCG So Far Is Fighting-Type

As we’ve mentioned in previous Pokémon rundowns, the Pokémon TCG has to improvise a little with the types of various Pokémon. Galarian Yamask was added to the game with the Rebel Clash set, and its card is something a little surprising.

Apart from boasting the fantastic card art you see here, Galarian Yamask is actually a Fighting-type in the TCG. There’s an interesting sense of irony here, considering the way that the Fighting and Ghost type interact with each other in the mainline games. Still, Marshadow exists, so who are we to question any of this? The card’s attack, Reckless Charge, costs Normal Energy, but that’s totally fine too.

2 It Can Learn One Of The Most Obscure Moves In The Series, Previously Exclusive To Klefki

If you’re a competitive Pokémon player, you’ve probably battled your share of Klefkis. This little trickster was a real menace when it was first introduced in Generation VI, spreading darn Swaggers, Thunder Waves, and Foul Plays wherever it pleased thanks to its Prankster Ability. Being a Steel/Fairy Pokémon, it was also quite difficult to take down.

One thing you probably didn’t see was Crafty Shield, originally one of Klefki’s signature moves. This priority move protects Kleki and allies from status moves for that turn, a niche application that caused it to be completely overlooked. The only Pokémon that could learn this move in Sword and Shield’s main game? That’s right, Galarian Yamask, Cofagrigus, and Runerigus. However, Klefki itself has now been added to the game via the Isle of Armor expansion.

1 Runerigus Shouldn’t Be Underestimated

While Runerigus doesn’t exactly stand out as one of the best Generation VIII Pokémon, it can be a surprising threat. Where Cofagrigus had to rely on Hidden Power Fighting to boast any kind of coverage, Runerigus has the new Body Press, a Fighting move that scales with its impressive Defense stat and solid Attack.

Dynamax Runerigus firing off a Max Knuckle or two can be a huge headache for opponents, especially where Trick Room is concerned. Maybe it’ll be setting up Trick Room itself, simply serving as a tank, spreading burns, or even scoring a surprise knockout with Destiny Bond. If you can work around its laughable Speed, it really is possible to make Runerigus a force to be reckoned with.

NEXT: Pokémon: 10 Unanswered Questions We Still Have About Ghost Pokémon