Article: Let's discuss the new Pokémon: Iwanko and Nekkoala

[Rivvon]

That koala's color scheme is seriously messing with me. It reminds me a lot of Pachirisu's or Shinx's so I keep thinking it's an Electric-type... It even looks like it has cheek pouches.

 

[Hikamaru]

They're looking nice. Both of them have a pre-Gen V look to them. I guess they are going to a simpler design route like Sugimori wanted.

I agree with this. While I liked 5th Gen I understood why it had its haters and it was because it started complicated designs, so to go back to the older simple style two generations later is proving that 7th Gen will be a very accessible generation to both the younger and older fans.

 

[Caaethil]

I really hope they're real! Iwanko is so cute, and I wanna keep it on my team 5ever.

Unless it's evo line is super weird, but I doubt.

They are 100% real.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

I agree with this. While I liked 5th Gen I understood why it had its haters and it was because it started complicated designs, so to go back to the older simple style two generations later is proving that 7th Gen will be a very accessible generation to both the younger and older fans.

Some would argue that it was actually 4 or even 3, but to me it was 5 (mostly because Gen III was my Gen I, and Gen IV was my Gen II) xD. Eitherway I'm loving the designs.

About the pouches...irc real life Koala's have cheek pouches.

 

[Rivvon]

NAME ORIGIN ALERT!
nekkoala: neko is japanese for cat, and koala is, well, a koala.

It doesn't seem to have cat-like qualities. I believe the name comes from "neru," which is the verb "to sleep," in addition to "koala."

About the pouches...irc real life Koala's have cheek pouches.

It's not the cheek pouches in and of themselves that bother me. It's the color scheme that makes it look like an Electric-type. Couple that with the cheek pouches that are present on all of them so far, and it almost looks like it would be this gen's electric rodent. Except it's not a rodent, it's a marsupial; and it's not Electric, it's Normal. It just throws me off.

 

[Caaethil]

It doesn't seem to have cat-like qualities. I believe the name comes from "neru," which is the verb "to sleep," in addition to "koala."

A more likely name origin:

ne (sleep) + ko (young animal) + koala

Neko is also the word for root, which could make sense if it evolves into a grass type, or if it just has more of a grass-like theme that we're not getting yet with the lack of information (The Flabebe line had the flower naming theme even though it wasn't grass).

I'm also struggling to see the electric type resemblance. I'm pretty sure it's more grey than blue, just slightly tinted. It looks nothing link Shinx's colour scheme to me. Sure, there's yellow, but the blue is far too grey for me to buy it. It just doesn't look like an electric Pokemon at all to me, I would instantly assume it was a normal type.

 

[Akriloth92]

Not gonna lie: they're REALLY freakin' cute. I definitely see space in my party for at least one of these.

 

[blue]

I really like both of the Pokemon revealed today, but I'm just hoping that their evolutions don't ruin them for me. Bunnelby was one of the Pokemon from X/Y that I initially loved but didn't end up using because of how its evolution turned out. Right now though I'm digging the designs and typings, a Rock-type for Iwanko is much better than making it Normal-type.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

If it were normal it would be seen as a Lillipup clone.

 

[Mawa]

I really like them! But... Nekoala is a bit too... normal. For me. I mean, it's only a Koala. Nothing special. A koala who sleep. I can't wait to see the evolution!
Iwanko is really cute :3 A rock type, I am surprise!

 

[MarinoKadame]

Nekkoala feels like Snorlax.

 

[Hikamaru]

If it were normal it would be seen as a Lillipup clone.

I agree, its design looked like a Normal-type but I like how Game Freak didn't make it Normal because we already had Lillipup for our Normal-type puppy and making Iwanko into something similar would have made it less enjoyable.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

Some have suggested that Nekkoala could become a Normal/Fighting. I think it could evolve into a Normal/Grass. Maybe if it has a third evolution it could become Grass/Fighting. I could also see it become Normal/Psychic.

 

[Kurosaki]

They are 100% real.

Yeees, I saw that earlier. I'm glad!

Also loving how they're based on endangered species.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

With the sucker punches Game Freak has been throwing, I wouldn't be surprised if it just retained its typing throughout all of its evolutions.

Perhaps, but lately they have been giving us more interesting Normal type combos. A Normal/Psychic combo for Nekkoala's final evolution would mean the first Normal/Psychic that isn't a legendary since Girafarig.

 

[Hikamaru]

With the sucker punches Game Freak has been throwing, I wouldn't be surprised if it just retained its typing throughout all of its evolutions.

I think it could gain a secondary Fighting-type (to remind me of that Fighting-type koala Fakemon I once saw years ago) or even Grass-type for something a bit more interesting, especially because that stump makes me believe it will learn Wood Hammer or a related move.

 

[blue]

I think Fighting would make it a little too similar to Pangoro? Normal/Grass seems more likely imo or even Normal/Fairy at a push.

 

[Hikamaru]

I think Fighting would make it a little too similar to Pangoro? Normal/Grass seems more likely imo or even Normal/Fairy at a push.

We haven't had any natural Normal/Fighting-types yet. The only ones that currently exist are a Mega and an alternate forme of a legendary.

 

[Fen-Fen]

I'm really digging Iwanko. Out of all the canine Pokemon of the last few generations, this is definitely the one I like the most, albeit only based on design at this point. Though, I really hope it becomes a decent one for battling as well as being a good design for the following evolutions.

 

[Drake22ice]

A lot of sleep attacks are psychic, grass, or fairy..... So what if the evolution of nekoala is Normal\Dark