DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON DRAGON. Ahem. Yes. First dragon of the Tahook region. I may be a bit excited here.
Fire/Flying Embird is a great start to the line, mixing red and purple with the flames coming from it’s head and wings. I especially like how it’s head has that flaming crest coming down to look like a beak. The lack of feet is a little strange, but as the next two stages have them I assume they’re hidden in the feathers.
Flambént is a great middle stage, taking the wings and making them bigger, along with making the crest of fire trail off the back of it’s head. It’s even got a rather long tail now, which Embird had, but was less impressive. Like many Fire types the tail is on fire, but unlike other Fire types Flambént has the whole thing ablaze.
Phenusc becomes a Fire/Dragon, and for the first Dragon type is kind of disappointing. It tones down the flaming tail and the crest, it’s body looks oddly smooth, and the Dragon typing itself doesn’t really fit. There’s no reason a phoenix should be a Dragon type, at least not this one. There’s nothing linking a phoenix with a dragon here, and it doesn’t even have any draconic characteristics. Something like Altaria gets a pass because it’s based on a mythical bird with a dragon’s head, while Phenusc just has the Dragon type because.
Despite the disappointing final evolution, Embird and Flambént look great, and Phenusc isn’t anywhere near my dislike for the bad Teddiursa clone a couple reviews back. With that in mind, the Embird line gets three ridiculously buff Pikachu out of five.