Prokatik

The is a monster first introduced in the Clinical Trials expansion in Monster Hunter - A New Age.

This monster is known for its incredibly unique, never-before-seen attack style and life cycle. When attacking, the fungus-like bacteria moves into a host, which is usually a weak or dying monster (it can also bring to life certain dead monsters). After it has moved in, it mimics certain attack patterns of the beast. While the threat is distracted, however, the nucleus of the infection moves on to another host to grow larger. In this way, it is incredibly hard to kill and spreads incredibly easily.

Guild Description
Name: Prokatik Type:??? Stars:6 A species of terrifyingly productive bacterial fungi. This species reproduces incredibly quickly, making it very, very difficult to kill. Its life cycle begins in a host monster, and ends in exposed waters; the locations it visits and behaviors it exhibits on the way lead it to be spread very easily. Horrifying.

Attacks
Prokatik mimics whatever attacks its host has, except when out of the body. When out of the body, it can cause infections through contaminated water as well as a form of acid it spits, as well as outright disease if it can infect an open wound. However, if attacked, it cannot defend itself outside of a body and is wholly helpless to arrow-and-gun type weapons. Gunners, be advised!

Poison Spit
After being in a monster for roughly one minute, Prokatik will be able to spit poison from the inside of the monster or when outside. This causes Poison, and works like any other poison-spitting attack.

Paralysis Spit
After being in an elemental or ailment-equipped monster for five minutes, Prokatik will be able to spit mind-numbing acids from the inside of the monster or when outside. This causes Paralysis, and works like any other Paralysis-spitting attack.

Fungal Infection & Disease
Unique elements/ailments which effect the nervous and immune systems, causing the infected to feel woozy and lose their balance and their bearings. In addition, it makes the infected more likely to get other infections. Fungal Disease can be cured by using a First-Aid Kit; otherwise, it lasts for three minutes and will cause steady stamina depletion and healable health depletion.

Taxonomy
Thought to be related in some way to viruses like the Frenzy, this bacterial infection does not have any true monster relatives. It is a bacterial fungi that has transcended all nightmares and relationships and has entered a realm of horrible myth.

Research was began to see if prokatik infections were linked to incredibly aggressive behavior in an isolated tribe, but ironically, the investigation was postponed when one of the scientists was stricken with human prokatikia, the disease that Prokatik causes, even if the infection does not take root.

Life Cycle & Ecology
If left alone, its life cycle will begin in the water. It begins as a few-celled egg floating freely in the ocean with a very hard, withstanding shell, where it is then devoured by a larger beast. If that creature is then eaten by an amphibious monster or bird, its life cycle continues. Ideally, the infectious egg is then dropped with the bird's droppings; if not, this part will repeat until the egg dies after a month, or the egg is dropped within droppings--whichever occurs first. After that, the egg begins growing at a steady rate, until it is consumed by either an insect or worm. At this point, it begins its transformation into a mind-control expert: it will take over the mind of the insect or worm and drive them towards the surface, to a high point, where it will be digested once again by a bird. The organism can then begin what is ideally the final step of the process.

It will take over the mind of the bird, causing it to behave strangely and aggressively. The behavior only worsens as the creature mass-reproduces, riddling the doomed host's body with its eggs. During this process, the bacteria develops a noticeable nucleus on the top of the host's head, and it can leave this at any time and find another suitable host if needed for any reason. When the bird is at the end of its life or has grown too heavy with egg sacs, the zombified animal will then rush blindly towards the water, where it is then eaten by a water creature or drowned and begins the cycle over again.

However, right before this step, the life cycle is interrupted in its normal flow, as humans' movements have caused the natural orders of things to become out-of-whack. Usually, the bird is eaten by a land-based creature, and as soon as the digestive acids dissolve the shell, the monster can then grow inside of its larger-than-usual digestive system. By then, however, it may be too large to be eaten by an insect, and is more likely to be confused for one by another, less fortunate bird. Either way, due to the land creature before it, it is destined to become land-based, and it does so. It takes control of the mind of the creature it has been eaten by, and in the next creature -- usually a very large monster -- Prokatik reproduces at a steady rate, and develops its fungi/bacteria colony.

It is at this point that it develops a nucleus and can move onto another, ideally more water-suited monster, one with which it can finish its life cycle.

Due to the remaining brain functions of the host, it can identify and respond to a threat easily, though somewhat strangely.

As it is a bacteria, it does not need to feed; however, if the helpless, leathery-shelled nucleus comes out of a host, it will need to find another host soon, or it will die.

Monsters possessed by the monster are usually three times as durable and pain-resistant as their normal counterparts, due to chemical inbalances caused by the infection.