Focusing on a Few Pokémon a Day

Dunsparce (ノコッチ Nokocchi)

The Land Snake Pokémon

Normal Type

It does not evolve into or from any other Pokémon.

Length: 4’11” (1.5 m)  Weight: 30.9 lbs (14.0 kg)

• Dunsparce are pale yellow, serpentine Pokémon. On their backs are a pair of small, white wings that are capable of lifting it a few inches off of the ground. Dunsparce’s tail also ends in a drill resembling a rattlesnake’s rattle, which it uses to dig into the ground. Other than the main pale yellow, Dunsparce also have accents of blue, found in a ring around the eyes, stripes across its back, and its underside, and beige, on its eyelids and alternating with the blue stripes across its back. Dunsparce’s eyes seem to be perpetually closed, and there are two pointed prongs on the underside of its chin.
• Dunsparce is a combination of dun, either a grayish-brown color or gloomy, and sparse, referring to its rarity. Nokocchi is an anagram of つちのこ tsuchinoko, a fabled snakelike creature from Japan.
• Dunsparce is based on the mythical tsuchinoko. Similar to Bigfoot or the Chupacabra, sightings and reports appear in the Japanese media, however, there is always a lack in hard evidence. Tsuchinoko are reported to be anywhere form 30 cm to 80 cm long, with a large head and poisonous fangs. Its body is said to be thicker than its head or tail. It makes noises resembling squeaks, chirps, and snores. Unlike real snakes, which use a side-to-side motion for locomotion, the tsuchinoko can wriggle ahead is a straight line, along with the ability to curl its body and jump into the air. Another serpent Dunsparce represents is the Feathered Serpent from Mesoamerican religions due to its wings. Dunparce also shares some traits with bumblebees, including their stripes, tiny wings, stinger-like tail, and the ability to dig into the ground.

Forretress (フォレトス Foretos)

The Bagworm Pokémon

Bug/Steel Type

It evolves from Pineco starting at level 31.

Height: 3’11” (1.2 m)  Weight: 277.3 lbs (125.8 kg)

• Forretress are large, round clam-like Pokémon. They have two metallic, pink-hued steel plates covering the top and bottom hemispheres of their bodies. The steel plates cover most of Forretress’s body and fit together in each others’ zipper-like grooves. The steel plates form the outermost shell of a Forretress. Along the equator of their bodies is a gap which exposes the second layer: a red shell with another gap running along its equator. This second gap provides a way for Forretress’s eyes to see out. Also jutting out from the red shell are four tube-like spikes spaced equidistantly along Forretress’s circumference. Except for the eyes and the tubes, no one knows what a Forretress looks like under its second shell.
• Both Forretress and Foretos are corruptions of the word fortress. They could also contain turret, referring to the tubes on its body that it uses to launch Spikes.
• Forretress is based on a bagworm, one that could be living in the husk of a Horse chestnut or a walnut. Because of its shell and the fact that its tubes resemble cannons, it could have taken inspiration from a giant clam or some other mussels or shellfish with functioning siphons.

A giant clam, Tridacna gigas, and one of its two valves resembling Forretress and its four tubes.

Pineco (クヌギダマ Kunugidama)

The Bagworm Pokémon

Bug Type

It evolves into Forretress starting at level 31.

Height: 2’00” (0.6 m)  Weight: 15.9 lbs (7.2 kg)

• Pineco are short, teal, pinecone-like Pokémon possessing red eyes underneath their first row of scales. Atop Pineco’s head is a single spiked horn, which appears to be its stem.
• Pineco is a shortening of the word pine cone, reflecting upon its appearance. Its Japanese name Kunugidama may be a combination of クヌギ kunugi, sawtooth oak, and 玉 tama, ball.
• Pineco is based on a bagworm living inside of a pine cone. Its “metallic” appearance and ability to explode are reminiscent of a hand grenade. Due to its relation to weaponry, the ability for Pineco to learn Spikes could be a reference to caltrops.

A trio of bagworm bags. Bagworms usually create their cases out of plant detritus. Two other Pokémon are known as Bagworm Pokémon and both have different “coats” depending on where they are, Burmy and Wormadam.

A Port of Crashing Waves

Cianwood City is a city located in the far west area of Johto, so far that it seems to be on a completely separate landmass from the rest of the country. To its east is the water route, Route 41 and, starting in Generation IV, to its east is the Cliff Edge Gate which leads to the Safari Zone.

Cianwood has a medium sized population of 27. Not many people come to or move to Cianwood due to its isolated position in relation to the rest of Johto and the city Cianwood is most closely tied to is Olivine, due to the one route to Cianwood is between the two cities. Of the places of interest in Cianwood, the one that is of most importance would be the Cianwood City Pharmacy. The pharmacy is over 500 years old and sells exclusive remedies. Jasmine, the Olivine Gym leader requires the player to go to the pharmacy to get some special medicine for her Ampharos. Also of interest is the Cianwood City Gym, leader of which is the Fighting-Type specialist Chuck. To the north of the city is a clearing where, in Crystal, one will find both the Pokémon Seer and, in Crystal and the Generation IV games, Suicune and consequently Eusine. The Pokémon Seer is an old woman who has the ability to tell you where you caught a certain Pokémon, as long as it was the player who caught it. Her power will not work on either in-game traded Pokémon or Pokémon from another game. To the right of her house, the player will find Suicune, who will promptly run away, after which the Mystery Man Eusine appears to battle the player. In the city limits, there are two houses which are of importance: Kirk’s house, and Cameron’s house. When you talk to him, Kirk tells you how a red-haired boy (Silver) had stolen his rare Pokémon—Sneasel. In order to keep his other Pokémon safe, he gives you his Shuckle, nicknamed Shuckie (ネッシー Nessie), for a while for safekeeping. Later he will ask for Shuckie back. If you agree, Kirk will let you keep Shuckie if it has high friendship but if not, he will take Shuckie back but give you the Berry Juice first. The player can opt to keep Shuckie regardless although Kirk will accuse you of stealing his Pokémon. With respect to the Photo Studio (Cameron’s House), in Generation II, you could go to the Photo Studio and take print out your Pokédex, the stats of one Pokémon, or mail by using the Game Boy Printer peripheral. In Generation IV however, Cameron will take pictures of your party for the player’s Photo Album, which is viewable on the PC. Finally, to the west of Cianwood City is the entrance to the Cliff Edge Gate, a small cave which is located between Cianwood and Route 47, which leads to the Safari Zone. The cave is blocked until the player heals Jasmine’s Amphy in Olivine City.

Cianwood’s name is a combination of the corrupted word cyan and wood. Its Japanese name, Tanba, comes from 胆礬 tanban, chalcanthite. It could also be from 淡泊 tanpaku, light color, and 波 ha, wave. In relation to the real world, Cianwood City would correspond to Naruto City in the Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. Naruto is where the Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company was founded.

Girafarig (キリンリキ Kiriniki)

The Long Neck Pokémon

Normal/Psychic Type

It does not evolve into or from anything.

Height: 4’11” (1.5 m)  Weight: 91.5 lbs (41.5 kg)

• Girafarig is an unusual Pokémon. It is similar to a four legged horse-like animal, but its front half is colored yellow and has black spots, while its back half is colored black and sports yellow spots. It has a long neck which it uses to browse and there are pink spikes running down the length of its back. Perhaps the most unusual feature, Girafarig’s tail end possesses a head of its own, although this head is not capable of independent thought. Instead, it relies on outside stimuli, such as its smell or sight, to guide its actions. The tail often mimics actions that Girafarig’s front half is doing, chiefly feeding, and it is even able to warn Girafarig if it is in danger while the main brain sleeps.
• Girafarig’s name is a palindrome based on the word giraffe, due to its two-headed and reversible appearance. Its Japanese name is a palindrome based on the word 麒麟 kirin, giraffe, although it is only a palindrome when written in Katakana. Kirin is also the name of the Qílín, a Chinese chimerical mythological beast.
• Girafarig’s design is based on a mixture of the okapi and the giraffe. It also likely derives inspiration from the Chimera, a mythological creature with mixed animal characteristics.

The okapi, an animal very closely related to the giraffe. Visually, it looks as if it were a combination of donkey and zebra, which could have inspired the two-tone look for Girafarig.

Wobbuffet (ソーナンス Sonans)

The Patient Pokémon

Psychic Type

It evolves from Wynaut starting at level 15.

Height: 4’03” (1.3 m)  Weight: 62.8 lbs (28.5 kg)

• Wobbuffet is a tall, cyan, blob-like Pokémon that possesses a black tail with two eye-spots on it. Wobbuffet’s arms are similar to flippers and it has four legs attached at the very base of its body. It’s mouth is perpetually in a crooked, zig-zag line, opposing the smile that its pre-evolution is always sporting. Wobbuffet’s face, like its pre-evolution’s, is always in an expression similar to the east Asian emoticon (>_<).
• Wobbuffet’s name is a combination of wobble and buffet, meaning to strike repeatedly, referring to its punching-bag shape. Wobbuffet’s Japanese name is homophonous with the interjection そうなんす sō na-n-su, which roughly translates to “That’s the way it is.” This is played off of its pre-evolution Wynaut, whose Japanese name of Sohnano is nearly homophonous with the phrase そうなの sō na no, meaning “Really?” These two phrases together make for a potential perpetual conversation of “Really?,” followed by “That’s the way it is.,” and so on, as seen in the short Camp Pikachu. Due to this family being introduced in separate generations, other languages do not follow this pun.
• Wobbuffet may have drawn some inspiration from the late Jpanaese comedian Sanpei Hayashiya, who was famous for repeatedly touching his hand to his forehead while saying one of his trademark lines, そうなんす、奥さん sō nansu, okusan, “That’s the way it is, ma’am.” Additionally, its shape and available moves may be based on a punching bag as when it is hit, it bounces and strikes back. It could also be based on Karma, as it can only cause damage if it is attacked first. Wobbuffet may also be based on an Okiagari-koboshi doll, a traditional Japanese doll with squinted eyes that stands back upright when it is pushed over.

Unown (アンノーン Unkown)

The Symbol Pokémon

Psychic Type

It does not evolve into or from any other Pokémon, but as of Generation III, it has 28 derivative shapes. There are 26 Latin Alphabet characters and two punctuation marks: ? and !.

Height: 1’08” (0.5 m)  Weight: 11.0 lbs (5.0 kg)

• Unown are flat, floating, eye-shaped Pokémon with appendages that make them resemble letters. They are black in coloration, except for the are of the eye’s “sclera,” which is white. All of the alphabetic Unown have fully opened eyes, whereas the two punctuation Unown have their eyes only half open.
• Unown is a corruption of the word unkown, whereas its Japanese name, Unknown, is literally the word itself.
• Unown’s appearances are corruptions of the modern Latin alphabet, as well as the exclamation point and the question mark. Unown’s G Form is based on the double-story lower case G. The shapes of the Unown are used as runes in the Pokémon World with the exception of Hoenn and the Sevii Islands, which use Braille instead.

Misdreavus (ムウマ Muma)

The Screech Pokémon

Ghost Type

It evolves into Mismagius when exposed to a Dusk Stone.

 Height: 2’04” (0.7 m)  Weight: 2.2 lbs (1 kg)

• Misdreavus is a dark, green-blue ghost-like Pokémon. Around its “neck,” it wears a red necklace which it uses to absorb the fear of others as a form of nourishment. Flowing from Misdreavus’ “head” is lilac-tipped “hair” which it is capable of manipulating. Misdreavus’ large eyes have yellow sclera and red irises.
• Misdreavus’ name is a corruption of the word mischievous. It may also be a combination of any of the following words: mistress, due to its feminine appearance; miscreant, due to the way it goes around scaring people; dread; dreary; or reave, meaning to rob. Its Japanese name Muma may have been taken from 夢魔 muma, meaning a nightmare or a demon in a dream.
• Misdreavus’ habits of frightening people in the night and its similarity to a disembodied head are shared by many mythological creatures, one of the most similar is the nukekubi. It is also likely inspired by the banshee, a female spirit from Gaelic folklore who was known for its screaming and wailing. Another candidate is the langsuir, a type of vampire in Malaysian mythology appearing as a hideous, flying woman.

Slowking (ヤドキング Yadoking)

The Royal Pokémon

Water/Psychic Type

It evolves from Slowpoke when traded while holding a King’s Rock.

Height: 6’07” (2.0 m)  Weight: 175.3 lbs (79.5 kg)

• Slowking are just Slowpoke who were bitten on the head by a Shellder, instead of the tail. Usually this happens when a Slowpoke is holding a King’s Rock, due to Shellder being attracted to the rock. Once attached to the head, the Shellder secretes a poison which seeps into the Slowpoke’s brain, exponentially increasing its intelligence. This increased intelligence starts the evolution process. Once it evolves into the Slowking, the white tip of its tail disappears and it gains a scaled underbelly. Appearance-wise, Slowking is a bipedal Slowpoke with the Shellder on its head resembling a crown. The shape of Slowking’s eyes have changed with the evolution and, as stated earlier, it gains the scaled underbelly. On the upper part of the Shellder crown there is a red jewel. Once evolved, Slowking also gains a red and white ruff around its neck to enhance its regality.
• Slowking is a combination of the words slow and king. Its Japanese name is a combination of 宿借り yadokari, hermit crab, and king. Additionally, it could also be derived from 宿主 yadonushi, (parasitic) host, alluding to the Slowpoke line’s relationship with Shellder.
• Slowking’s crown is similar to hermit crabs’ shells, but Slowking’s actual body is similar to giant otters, giant salamanders, and hippopotamuses. The shell crown could be a reference to the mythical sazae-oni, a magical sea demon from Japanese folklore that is distinguished by its “sazae” or turban shaped snail shell. Slowking is also based on a king, shown with the crown on its head and the collar around its neck being based on a king’s ruff.

Murkrow (ヤミカラス Yamikarasu)

The Darkness Pokémon

Dark/Flying Type

It evolves into Honchkrow when it is exposed to a Dusk Stone.

Height: 1’08” (0.5 m)  Weight: 4.6 lbs (2.1 kg)

• Murkrow is a small bird-like Pokémon with black feathering.  Murkrow’s shaggy feathered tail bears resemblance to the end of a broom, especially so with the short, red colored rod-like segment that connects its tail to the rest of its body. It has a crooked, yellow beak resembling a witch’s nose and a feathered crest atop its head that looks similar to a witch’s hat. Murkrow’s eyes are semi-circular and red with white pupils. Its neck is thin when compared to the size of Murkow’s head, and where it connects to the body, there is an extension of feathers akin to a collar. Murkrow’s yellow feet have four toes each: three pointing forward, one backward.
• Murkrow’s name is a combination of murky and crow, although it could possibly be based off of murder, a group of crows. Its Japanese name is a combination of 闇 yami, dark, and 烏 karasu, crow.
• Murkrow’s design is mainly based off of the crow, specifically the carrion crow. It has the ability to mimic voices and sounds, referencing crows’ and ravens’ similar abilities. Its crest resembles a pointed hat and its tail is similar to the bristles of a broom, giving Murkrow a resemblance to a witch in flight. With the introduction of its evolution, it has taken on the characteristic of a gang member under the head Honchkrow.

The Carrion Crow, Corvus corone, one of the main sources of inspiration for Murkrow, can be found in Western Europe and all over Asia.