Birthsigns

**Birthsigns** are a mechanic of *Pokémon: Blossom of the Soul*. Each Pokémon has one of twelve constellations, or birthsigns, under which it was born. That sign grants a trait to that Pokémon.

Each birthsign corresponds to a month and has two partner constellations, with which the sign forms an equilateral triangle within the circle of the signs, and one rival, which lies directly across from it on the circle.

## List of Birthsigns

* **January**/**The Apprentice**: Pikachu constellation. Partner to the Scholar and the Phoenix and rival to the Aristocrat, this birthsign grants the Pokémon double EVs from battles. The description of the sign seems to indicate that it is embodied in Red and/or Ash Ketchum, given that the sign's prophecy speaks of one who has a Pikachu by his side and who will be "the very best, like no one ever was", a direct quote from the intro to the Pokémon cartoon. With both this and that the sign's rival is a Meowth, heavily associated with the cartoon's Team Rocket, Ash is the more likely embodiment.
* **February**/**The Companion**: Luvdisc constellation. Partner to the Cleric and the Bard and rival to the Assassin, this birthsign doubles the base happiness of wild Pokémon. The sign is said to be the cause of a tradition by which lovers would exchange Heart Scales as a symbol of eternal happiness.
* **March**/**The Thief**: Sneasel constellation. Partner to the Aristocrat and the Hunter and rival to the Phoenix, this birthsign causes wild Pokémon to sometimes hold treasures. It is a sign under which nearly all thieves guilds have been founded — something that Team Rocket is noted to have done, in fact.
* **April**/**The Glutton**: Munchlax constellation. Partner to the Assassin and the Wishmaker and rival to the Bard, this birthsign sets the Pokémon's Defense, Sp. Defense, and HP IVs to 31, but its Speed IV to 0. It is embodied in the myth of a gluttonous king whose kingdom went hungry for his appetite. His fat was sufficient to prevent blades from killing him. However, he could not move, so his people simply left to found a new kingdom without him.
* **May**/**The Scholar**: Slowking constellation. Partner to the Phoenix and the Apprentice and rival to the Hunter, this birthsign grants the Pokémon 20% boosted experience gain. It is said to be embodied in the first Slowpoke to evolve into Slowking; this Pokémon would then spend his days thinking on his new purpose while the Slowbro around him lounged.
* **June**/**The Cleric**: Audino constellation. Partner to the Bard and the Companion and rival to the Wishmaker, this birthsign grants the Pokémon the Cure skill, which lets it sacrifice HP to restore an ally's status. Those Pokémon born under this sign have, throughout history, acted as an area's healers, and were for that granted a great deal of respect.
* **July**/**The Aristocrat**: Meowth constellation. Partner to the Hunter and Thief and rival to the Apprentice, this birthsign enables the Pokémon to occasionally find additional money after the completion of a battle. The constellation seems to have been embodied in a nobleman who would order his Meowth to toss coins at passing peasants — the supposed origin of the Pay Day attack.
* **August**/**The Assassin**: Darkrai constellation. Partner to the Wishmaker and the Glutton and rival to the Companion, this birthsign occasionally causes the wild opponents that the empowered Pokémon encounters to be sleeping. The legend for which it is named, Darkrai, is said to be an assassin whose attack cannot be blocked — an attack in one's dreams.
* **September**/**The Phoenix**: Ho-Oh constellation. Partner to the Apprentice and Scholar and rival to the Thief, this birthsign grants the Rebirth skill, which enables the Pokémon to restore itself from fainting. Its legend is that of the Burned Tower of Ecruteak, the three beasts of which were restored to life by the eponymous Phoenix, Ho-Oh.
* **October**/**The Bard**: Kricketune constellation. Partner to the Companion and the Cleric and rival to the Glutton, this birthsign grants the Harmonize skill, which lets the Pokémon lure or repel wild Pokémon with song. The sign partakes of what is thought to be the innately musical nature of Pokémon.
* **November**/**The Hunter**: Houndoom constellation. Partner to the Thief and the Aristocrat and rival to the Scholar, this birthsign boost's one's capture rate by 20% while the Pokémon is leading the party. The sign was said to be embodied in a Pokémon who evaded all attempts to capture it, even against the most skilled of trackers.
* **December**/**The Wishmaker**: Jirachi constellation. Partner to the Glutton and the Assassin and rival to the Cleric, this birthsign grants those born under it an increased chance of being shiny. It is embodied in the legendary Jirachi itself, a granter of wishes very much willing to turn the nature of the wish against the cruel.