In a world containing over 1000 fictional creatures, there’s no way that designers could avoid using real animals as their inspiration. Some are very obvious to spot – Growlithe is a dog, Vulpix is a fox, Mr. Mime is a demon, and so on. However, some of the weird and wild creatures of this world are so out there that you may think they have to be entirely original creations, but not so.
There’s a handful of Pokémon that pull from such obscure or strange creatures that you may not have ever realized they had roots in reality. We’ve got five such Pokémon and the animals they’re based on.
If you’re looking for some of the best Pokémon out there, then check out our lists of the best Dark Pokémon, and the best Fairy Pokémon.
Charmander – Salamander
This is perhaps the most obvious, as it’s not exactly subtle in the name, but the reasoning behind it is fascinating.
Salamanders are amphibians that typically like to live in wet places. In fact, their favorite spot for a rest is any kind of damp object that retains moisture – this most often means wooden logs. Since salamanders are quite small creatures, it was fairly common for people to pick up sticks or logs for firewood without realizing there was something on it. Then, when they set the log ablaze, the salamander would come running out of the fire in a panic, often with flames coming off it.
As you can imagine in the days before Wikipedia, people who saw this phenomenon would often mistake it for some sort of mythical creature that is born of fire, and thus Charmander was born.
Nincada, Ninjask, and Shedinja – Cicada
If you evolve a Nincada with a free slot in your party, as well as the resulting Ninjask, you’ll also get a Shedinja. This is a strange Bug/Ghost-type Pokémon that can never have more than 1 HP, and is immune to any non-super effective attack via its Wonder Guard ability. Unbelievably, this has a basis in real-life.
Cicadas are bugs that typically live underground, only emerging in the summer months, bursting out of their shells with wings, forming a bug that resembles Ninjask. The shell usually retains the shape of the bug quite well, and it’s common for kids in Japan to collect them once the cicadas have malted. Shedinja is that shell, hence the hollow opening in its back and Ghost-typing.
Poliwag, Poliwhirl, and Poliwrath – Glass frog
While Poliwhirl and Poliwrath don’t retain the body shape of a frog, it’s not a hard connection to make given Poliwag’s resemblance to a tadpole. Still, despite their strange appearance, there is a specific breed of frog called the glass frog that this line is based on.
The thing about glass frogs is that their skin is transparent, meaning you can easily see all of their internal organs. That’s right, the iconic swirl on their chest isn’t some kind of mouth or defense mechanism, it’s their guts and…waste. We’re sorry, but you’ll never be able to see them in the same way again.
Drowzee – Tapir
Ok, so based on the snout alone you may have already guessed Drowzee was a tapir, but to find out where the inspiration for its psychic powers came from, we have a strange tale for you.
When the tapir was first discovered, those that saw it believed it to be a mystical creature of some sort, as – much like the duck-billed platypus – it appeared to be made up of other animal parts. As these things do, it eventually grew into an overblown myth of an animal that would seek out sleeping people and feed on their dreams.
It’s still a popular legend in Japan, which is where Drowzee and Hypno’s sleep/hypnosis theming came from.
Slowpoke and Slowbro – Geoduck
Slowpoke and Slowbro’s origins can be a little hard to pin down at first. There are elements you can draw from hippos, salamanders, or even jaguars based on the way they fish. However, to find its true origin we must look into its lore, specifically the well-known fact that Slowpoke tail is a delicious delicacy in the Pokémon world.
This brings us to the geoduck, which despite what the name might lead you to believe, is actually a type of mollusk, that takes the form of a long and slimy tail growing out of a clam. It’s a little gross to look at. Still, it is a delicious delicacy in Asia, giving us a clear connection to Slowpoke.
Written by Georgina Young and Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
