Buizel (ブイゼル, Buizeru?, Buoysel in original Japanese language versions) are one of the 493 fictional species of Pokémon from the multi-billion-dollar[1] Pokémon media franchise – a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media, created by Satoshi Tajiri. Released in March 2006 alongside Mantyke and Chatot, it scheduled to appear in the 9th Pokémon movie Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, as well as Pokémon Diamond and Pearl on the Nintendo DS. Buizel is also in a short film called Pokémon Mischievous Island along with Chatot. The purpose of Buizel in the games, anime and manga, as with all other Pokémon, is to battle both wild Pokémon, untamed creatures encountered while the player passes through various environments, and tamed Pokémon owned by Pokémon trainers.[2]
Its name is apparently a portmanteau of the English words "buoy", and "weasel" . Buizel's actual appearance is similar to that of an otter, which is in the same family (Mustelidae) as weasels.
The English name for Buizel was originally reported[3] by Serebii.net, a noted fansite, as Buizel. The name was later confirmed when it was shown on a toy produced by Jakks Pacific,[4] then officially confirmed on Pokémon.com.