Maelestes

Maelestes is a cat-type enemy found in the Jurassic chapter that specializes in stripping your party's gear. It steals equipment directly from cats during combat and actively picks up dropped items on the battlefield, potentially denying loot while also making itself harder to fight by equipping what it has stolen. Against well-geared parties it becomes more dangerous the longer it survives.

The equipment theft mechanic makes Maelestes exceptionally punishing for cats relying on specific item interactions. A thieved weapon or key piece of gear mid-fight can completely disable a build that depended on it. Unlike enemies that simply deal damage, Maelestes can degrade your party's capabilities over time rather than just depleting HP. It also picks up floor items, meaning valuable drops from other enemies may be stolen before you can collect them.

Maelestes should be killed as the top priority in any Jurassic encounter it appears in. Every turn it remains alive is a chance to steal more gear. Prevent it from reaching your cats by using knockback abilities or engaging it immediately at the start of the fight. If it does steal equipment, kill it quickly — the stolen item should drop back to the ground when Maelestes dies.