Aku Researcher (Rare Cat)

:Not to be confused with Ms. Sign or Angel Fanboy.
Aku Researcher is a Rare Cat that can be unlocked at a 30% chance when clearing Wrath of Hell. True Form added in Version 12.4 improves his health, attack rate and movement speed.
==Evolution==
Evolves into Evil Aku Researcher at level 10.
Evolves into Cat Researcher when obtained from Fury of Hell (Merciless) (guaranteed to drop) and is level 20 or above.
==Performance==
+ 6% chance to perform a Critical Hit
+ 15% chance to instantly pierce Shields
===Pros===
*Fast attack rate
*Good range
*Many knockbacks
*High movement speed [True]
===Cons===
*Low stats 
*Long recharge time 
*Single Attack
==Strategy/Usage==
Aku Researcher's main usage is to destroy Aku enemies' Shields, some of which can be incredibly durable otherwise despite protecting a somewhat fragile enemy. Unlike most other Shield Piercers, he doesn't require gacha, Behemoth Stones or expensive NP upgrades. Against Metals, his damage, single target, and chances make him inefficient compared to other specialized Critters like Catasaurus and Catornado. This means that Aku Researcher's usage is mostly limited to occasionally piercing Shields, where damage matters none compared to proc rate. You will also have to protect and time him well since he dies quite easily, even with his many knockbacks. Due to his single target, he will also need to be supported by other attackers to clear peons from his path and give him a clear shot at Aku Shields. With proper support, he can even be a serviceable counter to Fallen Bear, able to outrange him consistently and eventually destroy his Shield.
===True Form===
Aside from moving much faster, Cat Researcher's improvements are an increase in health and more frequent attacks. The increase in speed allows him to serve as a rusher in timed levels. The former can be decently useful, exceeding 10k at level 30. While this isn't particularly high, it could potentially allow Cat Researcher to survive an attack that would have otherwise finished him, letting him reposition with his naturally high knockback count.
The latter is considerably more useful for increased chances to land Critical Hits and pierce Shields. More specifically, he attacks every 14f instead of every 35f, or 2.5 times as fast as before. While his Critical Hit niche does see a noticeable improvement, it is still done better by other units. The same, however can't be exactly said for Shield Piercing, which he now does even better since usually openings don't persist, and having more chances to destroy shields makes these threats much more manageable.
Finally, Cat Researcher gains an efficient Worker Start Up combo with Ragelan Pasalan. Considering how Aku stages do tend to be cash-tight at times and both units are specialized in countering enemy Shields, they can give you a great head start against tight start-offs. Although the two are much less useful in general, they are still worth bringing as these Combos can stack with the likes of Don't Mess With Me! and Itchy Riches for greater effect.
==Description==
==Cost==
*Chapter 1: 360¢
*Chapter 2: 540¢
*Chapter 3: 720¢
==Stats==
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==Appearance==
*Normal Form: A tiny stick figure with a sign. Appears nearly identical to Angel Fanboy, except his sign says Aku instead of Angel.
*Evolved Form: Aku Researcher's infernal insights have twisted him into a Aku himself! Now blue and with a small pair of horns. Spikes surround the text on his sign, which has changed to a different message that is pixelated and upside-down. 
*True Form: Having fully given into his newfound Aku nature, Evil Aku Researcher now flies on demon wings, with bigger horns and a devilish tail. The sign's message has changed again, while also gaining horns and the coloration of Wicked Cat.
==Trivia==
*The red text on Evil Aku Researcher's sign reads as upside-down katakana that translates to "Devil Information," while the black text translates to "Cat Queen opens the gates to the Devil World." Cat Queen is the Japanese name of Empress Cat, whose description reads "With her vast intellect (and forbidden spellbooks), she has guided the Cat Kingdom to a golden age."
**In the same way, the red text on Cat Researcher's sign translates to "Cat Information", while the black text translates to "Cats are lifeforms whose thoughts are shrouded in mystery."
*Evil Aku Researcher's Japanese description directly mentioned The Aku Realms before they were added to the game.
*The Vortex mentioned in Aku Researcher's description may be Aku Cyclone, whose own description reads "Souls it draws inside are sent to the Aku realms to join that land's wicked armies."
*Aku Researcher's sign says that "Akus" ignore anti-Floating attacks, but descriptions such as Aku Doge's and Lilin's have consistently used "Aku" as the plural of Aku.
*Unlike Ms. Sign and Angel Fanboy, Aku Researcher has the text on his sign translated between English and other languages that can be chosen, such as Spanish and French. This does not, however, apply to Evil Aku Researcher and Cat Researcher, whose signs are in Japanese regardless of version or language.
**As a result, Aku Researcher is the only unit whose appearance changes at all between these languages.
*Aku Researcher does a complete 180 as he evolves. He starts as an ally of the Cats who is researching the Aku, but eventually becomes corrupted during his research and serves the Aku by researching Cats instead.
==Reference==
*https://battlecats-db.com/unit/622.html
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Units Release Order:
<< Hevijak the Wicked | Jagando Jr. >>
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Category:Cat Units
Category:Rare Cats
Category:Item Drop Cats
Category:Single Attack Cats
Category:Critical Hit Cats
Category:Shield Piercing Cats
Category:Cats requiring Awakening for True Form