3rd Gen Pokemon Origins Tier 2 and 1

[Cynic Kaka]

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+IV. Tier 2 Names+
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Now we're getting somewhere! Much less obvious word fragments make their
appearances in these names, and they therefore required a greater amount of
knowledge and/or research to figure out.


Aerodactyl- (aero-dactylous) This Pokemon which must be resurected from a
fossil has a name with parts meaning "air," and "having fingers," which both
describe the flying, clawed, and dinosaur-like Aerodactyl. Dactyl could also
refer to the suffix used with flying dinosaurs such as "Pterodactyl."

Aggron- (aggressive-iron) Aggron the steel-type (get it, iron/steel) is said to
be very aggressive, claiming a whole mountain as its territory.

Aipom- (ape-palm) I would be inclined to say that Aipom is in fact a monkey,
and not an ape, seeing as how it has a long tail, which coincidentally, is the
source for the other part of its name. The tail is shaped like a hand that is
used to grab things.

Altaria- (altitude/alto-aria) Said to have a beautiful voice, Altaria sings its
heart out among the clouds, and has singing-associated words in its name. (Alto
is a range of singers between soprano and tenor, and an aria is "an air or
melody"). "Alt" could also mean "altitude," because Altaria lives very high
up, in the clouds.

Arcanine- (arcane/arson-canine) The big dog Pokemon apparently has a rather
arcane(mysterious and secret) legacy, as seen in one of the early episodes in
the anime when it is seen in a rock carving with the legendary birds. Canine,
of course, refers to the dog aspect. Also, it's a fire dog, hence- arson.

Armaldo- (armor-armadillo) Wasn't Armordillo a Beast War's Transformer? Anyway,
Armaldo doesn't really look like an armadillo, but it is heavily armored, so we
get the point.

Aron- (armor-iron) The first of the popular steel/rock line is definitely
associated with iron, and it just so happens to be covered in iron "armor."

Azumarill/Azurill/Marill- (azure-marine-rill) These guys are all in a line of
blue, aqua rabbits, and all the parts of their names portray them as such.
Azure is a shade of blue, marine means, "of the water," and a rill is "a small
river or brook."

Banette- (bane-marionette) In the Pokedex, Banette is described as doll that
was thrown away, and that evil forces (banes of humanity possibly) have been
sealed in its mouth. The evil inside now uses the doll as puppet (in the
"higher power controlling the pawn" sense).

Bayleef- (bayleaf) A bayleaf is defined as "the dried leaf of the laurel plant,
used in seasoning," going well with the whole "soothing and sweet aroma" that
this grass Pokemon emits.

Beldum- (dumb-bell) Beldum is a heavy piece of metal, just like a dumb-bell.

Bellossom- (bella/bell-blossom) Bellossom is a beautiful (bella is Italian for
beautiful) flower Pokemon with two pretty red blossoms on its head. It also has
a "bell" shaped skirt.

Blastoise- (blast-tortoise) What makes Blastoise more of a tortoise than a
turtle, like its pre-evolutions? I don't know. Anyway, Blastoise's signature
thing is its hydro cannons (which appear to be very mechanical) from which it
"blasts" strong jets of water.

Breloom- (umbrella-mushroom) Breloom's mushroom cap does form a bit of an
umbrella over its head. I'm surprised that there's nothing in its name to
indicate the addition of the fighting-type to this line of Pokemon.

Bulbasaur/Ivysaur/Venusaur- (bulb/ivy/venus flytrap-[dino]saurian) The
Bulbasaur family really does look a bit like they could be dinosaurs, but the
intended meaning was probably "saurian," an adjective used to describe
lizard-like creatures, and not dinosaurs specifically. The "bulb" would refer
to the vegetation on Bulbasaur's back, and "ivy" and "venus flytrap" are just
other plant-associated words.

Cacturne- (cactus-nocturnal) Like its pre-evolved form, Cacturne is surely a
cactus, and is also nocturnal, according to the Pokedex. The "turn" was hidden
a lot better than the "noct" was in "Noctowl," if you ask me.

Carvanha- (carve/carnivorous-piranha) Piranhas are "carnivorous" animals
which have a tendency to "carve" things up with their sharp teeth, and Carvanha
fits the bill exactly.

Chikorita- (chicory-ita) The chicory is a good plant that makes for a good
plant-based prefix for the G/S/C grass starter. Ita is a suffix indicating
"littleness."

Cloyster- (cloister-oyster) Although the word usually has religious
connotations, in this case it means, "to seclude or shelter oneself," much like
Cloyster does with its large bivalve shell. The oyster part is obvious. You
also find "CLam" in the name.

Cradily- (cradle/crag-lily) Like Lileep, Cradily is definitely a lily (possibly
a sea lily). One suggestion given to me for "cra" that really made sense was
"crag," which in this case means "a rough, broken, projecting piece of a rock;"
besides being a lily, Cradily is also an ancient rocky Pokemon. "Cradle" would
be because of the "cradling" support given to Cradily's massive head, by its
anchored body and neck.

Crawdaunt- (crawfish-daunt) This crustacean which really does look like a
beefed-up crawfish is described as being "daunting," or intimidating to other
Pokemon and humans alike.

Deoxys- (deoxyribo-nucleic-acid) Said to be the DNA of a space virus that was
mutated by a laser, Deoxys and its name represent the "D" of DNA.

Dusclops- (dusk-cyclops) With its one intimidating eye, Dusclops is, by
definition, a cyclops. The "dusk" just stuck from Duskull.

Eevee- (evolution) Eevee is surely the "evolution Pokemon," with five different
possible evolved forms. I don't think that there's more to it than that. (Get
it: Eevee=EV ----> EVolution).

Geodude- (geo-dude) The whole "dude" part shows Geodude as a creature, and the
"geo" means "of or relating to the earth," which goes along with the rockiness
of Geodude.

Farfetch'd (far-fetched) I bet they thought they were being clever with this
one. Far-fetched means "improbable, not naturally pertinent," which would
apply to Farfetch'd and its makeshift weapon. Its unlikely that any other wild
ducks would decide to pick up a stick to beat enemies with. Here's another
explanation; there's a Japanese legend about a duck bringing leeks to people
lost in the woods so they can eat. A far-fetched story indeed.

Feraligatr- (feral-alligator) Like most starter lines, the Totodile one keeps
the theme of a certain type of animal throughout it, in this case, alligators
and crocodiles. "Feral" means "wild, savage, untamed," which the brutish
Feraligatr seems to be.

Flaafy- (fluffy-baa) Although Flaafy is currently shedding its wool, what's
left is very fluffy. The double-a in the name is surely from "baa": the sound
a sheep makes.

Forretress- (turret-fortress) The fortress part is clear, (he's a steel shell
that can seal shut), and so is the "turret" if you look at him. There are
several protrusions around the edge of this Pokemon which are no doubt the
"turrets" from which Forretress' trademark move, (no, not Rapid Spin) Spikes,
are fired.

Furret- (ferret) At first glance I thought this name had something to do with
fur, but it doesn't. It's just a play on "ferret," which is the animal that
Furret is probably modeled after.

Gligar- (glide-gargoyle) Gligar "glides" through the air and looks like a
"gargoyle." It all fits. (The entire name sounds a bit like "glider").

Golbat/Golduck- (gold-bat/duck) The "bat" and "duck" are the respective
animal types of these Pokemon. As for the "gol," I don't know what everyone is
smoking, but gol does not mean "blue" in Japanese. Maybe in another language,
but not Japanese. Anyway, the only good suggestion I've received is that it
means "gold," (meaning "great") as in when someone says, "Oh, that's gold!"
These guys are surely a "great" bat and duck.

Groudon- (ground-don) A common newbish mistake is to say "Groundon," which
probably rides on the logic of Groundon being a ground type. As for "don,"
that just signifies Groudon as the "lord of the ground."

Grovyle- (grove-reptile) Known for being an expert at navigating the forest,
this lizard-like Pokemon might be expected to make its home in "a small wood or
forested area," or a grove.

Growlithe- (growl-lithe) Growlithe the puppy Pokemon would be expected to
growl, and is also pretty lithe (limber, flexible, bending readily).

Hitmonchan/Hitmonlee/Hitmontop- (hit-monster-Chan/Lee/top) These three fighters
are surely "hit monsters." Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee are both famous Hollywood
martial artists, and "top" refers to the movements of a toy top, which
Hitmontop mimics in its attacks.

Hoppip- (hop-pip) "Hop" is part of "hop, skip, and a jump," which is how this
line of Pokemon travels, along with floating (in the breeze). A pip is a small
seed, especially of fleshy fruit, and Hoppip is, of course, a grass-type.

Houndour- (hound-dour) The G/S/C dark-type dog could surely be dour, or "sullen
gloomy, severe or stern."

Jumpluff- (jump-fluff/luff) "Jump" is part of "hop, skip, and a jump," which is
how this line of Pokemon travels, along with floating (in the breeze). The
"fluff" is from the dandelion fluff balls on Jumpluff's head. It could also be
"luff," which has something to do with positioning sails so they catch the
wind.

Jynx- (jinx) I'll go ahead with the only explanations I ever received for why
Jynx is a "jinx." And I quote from Feeple, "A jinx is a curse, usually to screw
up your good fortune (or to reverse it). Since Jinx is a Psychic pokemon with
the kiss attack, she ruins your pokemon's loyalty. Hence, "jinxing" your
pokemon." Or it could be because of the status conditions that Jinx inflicts
(freeze, sleep). I'm still not positive on this one...

Kabuto/Kabutops- (kabuto) A common origami model, the kabuto is a helmet, and
coincidentally, kabuto also means "helmet" in Japanese. Kabuto's round, hard
shell could be seen as resembling a helmet. The "tops" doesn't seem to mean
anything, but I suppose that it could tell you that Kabutops is the "top"
evolution in his line.

Kecleon- (keck/Jekyll-chameleon) Kecleon is clearly a chameleon with attacks
like "Lick" and the ability "Color Change." Apparently, keck means "to show
dislike," which many people probably did, when they beat the crap out of
Kecleon for blocking their way in the game. It could be "Jekyll" as well
because Kecleon changes types just like Dr. Jekyll changed personalities.

Kingler- (king-fiddler) Although there is a type of crab called "king crab,"
Kingler more closely resembles a fiddler crab, with its single extra large
claw.

Lairon- (lair-iron) Like its family members, Lairon shares the "iron" suffix,
and I suspect that "lair" just means, "an animal den." Not really that special.

Lapras- (lap/la-prase/erase) Oh boy. Lap could be because of its extreme
swimming abilities, or the musical note, because it "sings," and I'm informed
that prase is a type of chalcedony, a gray or milky quartz, sort of like
Lapras' shell. Also, Lapras are near extinction, (being erased).

Larvitar/Pupitar/Tyranitar-(larva/pupa/tyran(osaurus)ny-monitor) Larvitar is
clearly the "larva" stage, progressing to the pupa status (Pupitar) and finally
evolving into the mighty Tyranitar, which rules over a whole mountain to make
its nest, exercising tyrant-like authority like the mighty king of dinosaurs.
The "itar" part is much less clear, but one explanation provided to me was that
this line of Pokemon looks like "monitor" lizards (well, not Pupitar). Or it
could be because of the "tar" that many prehistoric creatures became trapped
and preserved in.

Lileep-(lily-sleep/deep) Lileep is an ancient sea lily that has been "sleeping"
as a fossil for millions of years. "Eep" could also be "deep," because as a
sea lily, it would live deep in the ocean.

Linoone- (line-raccoon) The once zigzag bands have turned into sleek lines
running parallel with this Pokemon's body. The Pokedex entries also have a lot
of information concerning how Linoone runs very fast, but only in perfectly
straight lines, because curved ones confuse it. The raccoon part just stuck
from Zigzagoon.

Lombre- (lotus-hombre) Essentially, this name is "plant man," which is what
Lombre is. He could be described as a humanoid creature with a lotus leaf on
his head. ("Hombre" means "man," BTW).

Lotad- (lotus-pad) Compared to a "lily pad," a lotus plant is very similar,
forming large, flat, circular leaves that float on top of the water, just like
Lotad's head-leaf.

Magneton- (magneton) Seeing as how magneton is an actual word, and not just a
pathetic play on "magnet," Magneton made it to the Tier 2 section. A magneton
is a unit of magnetic movement. Whatever. We get the point; that the Magnemite
line is associated with magnets.

Mantine- (manta-tine/marine) Mantine is clearly a manta-ray, and the "ine"
could either represent "marine" or "tine," (which means "a projecting point or
tong," like the protrusions on Mantine's head).

Mareep- (Mary/mare-sheep) Mareep the electric sheep has part of the name of the
herder of nursery-rhyme fame in it. I find it odd that the "mar" has nothing
to do with electricity, as the "eep" covers the sheep aspect, so it seems a bit
redundant. Alternatively, I'm told that a mare is a sheep, but that brings up
the same question.

Marill- see Azumarill

Marowak- (marrow-whack) The bone-filling marrow within its skull mask and bone
club is probably long gone, and they must've just added "wak" to show that
Marowak "whacks" things with its club, but the name still works.

Masquerain- (masquerade) Masquerain's name comes from a word meaning "to
represent oneself falsely," which it surely does with the eye patterns on its
wings. Had Masquerain kept the ability of Surskit, Swift Swim, then I would
venture to say that "rain" actually meant something, but it gets the ability
Intimidate (which it does with its eye patterns), so I say that "rain" means
nothing.

Mawile- (maw-wile) Mawile uses its steel maw (the mouth of a voracious
carnivore) to devour prey, once it has fooled them with its wile, (a trick used
to ensnare) which is its cute and innocent face. The "ile" could also come
from crocodile, because of the shape of Mawile's jaws.

Medicham-(meditate-champion) Medicham's types are represented in its name, with
"meditate" being the psychic aspect, and "champion" being the fighting one.

Meganium- (mega-geranium) Meganium has a large pink flower-collar around its
neck and is also said to give off fragrant aromas, just like the Geranium
plant. "Mega" is just because Meganium is a big, fully evolved Pokemon.

Metang- (metal-angstrom) Metang is surely metal, being a steel type, and an
angstrom is a unit of length used to express the width of electromagnetic
wavelengths. This is part of Metang's name because it is essentially two
Beldum fused together "magnetically." Also going along with the magnetism is
the fact that Metang is an anagram of "magnet."

Mudkip- (mud-skip/kip/mudskipper) This one was actually sort of tricky. The
"mud" is obviously because Mudkip and its line live in swampy, muddy areas, but
the "kip" is a bit more mysterious. If it stands for "skip," as in "skipping
across the mud," then this name really belongs in the Tier 3 section. However,
there are about 6 definitions of kip, and 2 that make sense are: the hide of a
young or small beast, and a male fish (especially salmon). Mudkip is
definitely a small beast, and could easily be compared to a fish. As it turns
out, a mudskipper is a real, fish-like animal which can travel on land.

Nincada- (ninja-cicada) Nincada shares the prefix of its evolved form, and is a
cicada because it starts out as a flightless bug in the ground, and becomes a
winged insect after a hibernation period.

Ninjask- (ninja-mask) Ninjask is named after warriors known for their stealth
and speed, which it excels in. I guess that the "ask" could refer to "mask,"
because Ninjask's face sort of looks like a mask.

Noctowl- (nocturnal-owl) Most owls tend to come out solely at night, and
Noctowl is no exception.

Numel- (numb-camel) A camel-look-alike member of the "numb" species who is also
described as being very slow and dull-witted would warrant a name such as
"Numel."

Nuzleaf- (nuzzle-leaf) The "leaf" part is from the leaf on Nuzleaf's head, and
the "nuzzle" should be associated with one of the definitions meaning, "to
thrust with the nose," as opposed to, "to cuddle affectionately." Nuzleaf's
nose is, of course, very prominent.

Octillery- (octopus-artillery) The octopus Pokemon's name makes sense when you
think of its signature move, Octazooka, coming of course from
"octopus-bazooka."

Oddish- (odd-radish) I bet if you'd find it odd to pull a radish from the
ground and see that it was blue, and had eyes, feet, and a mouth.

Onix- (onyx) Onix is comprised of many large stones that are described as
becoming extremely hard over time, and onyx is a type of shiny black stone used
in jewelry. It all fits.

Paras- (parasite) This little bug is covered in mushrooms, which suck nutrients
from it, in a parasitic fashion.

Parasect- (parasite-insect) What makes Parasect any more of an insect than
Paras? If anything, it's less of an insect, with the parasite mushroom having
taken over the entire host's body.

Pidgeot/Pidgeotto/Pidgey- (pidgeon-otto/jet) These birds are clearly pidgeons,
and the "ot" and "otto" endings probably come from "Otto" (as in the Ottoman
empire) meaning "the great." (Pidgeotto and Pidgeot are "great pidgeons).
Considering how Pidgeot is pronounced, the "geot" could also be "jet,"
indicating that Pidgeot is a big, fast, flying thing.

Politoed/Poliwag/Poliwhirl/Poliwrath- (poliwog-toad/toed/wag/whirl/wrath)- All
in the Poliwag family share the "poli" prefix; a poliwog is another word for
tadpole, (perhaps an indication in the Red/Blue days, that a Poliwag
family-member would eventually become a frog). As for the suffixes, "toad"
means that the creature evolved into a toad, after being a tadpole (and now has
multiple toes); "wag" is either an altered "wog," or there to show that Poliwag
has a tail which it can wag; "whirl" represents the "whorl" pattern on
Poliwhirl's stomach; and "wrath" simply indicates that Poliwrath is an angry
fighting type.

Porygon- (polygon) Being a virtual Pokemon, Porygon's body is indeed composed
of parts covered in "multi-sided shapes," like that of a character from an
early attempt at a 3-D video game.

Primeape- (prime-ape) Primeape is certainly the most important primate Pokemon,
seeing as how it's the evolved form in the only ape line of Pokemon. However,
the reason Primeape made the Tier 2 section is because its name could possibly
have a double meaning, the other being a play on "primate," describing this
ape/monkey-like Pokemon.

Pupitar- see Larvitar

Quagsire- (quagmire-sire) The literal translation of this name would be, "the
lord or master of a bog or swamp," which is just what Quagsire is.

Raticate/Rattata- (rat-eradicate/rat-a-tat/attack) These Pokemon are clearly
rats, but the suffixes are a bit harder. Raticate has "eradicate" because
people are always trying to eradicate (or exterminate) rats. Rattata could be
a play on "rat-a-tat," which is the sound of knocking or rapping (on a door).
Another suggestion that I received is that "rat-a-tat" is the sound of a
machine or tommy gun, both of which are very fast (shooters), and Rattata is
also fast. A third explanation would be that rats leave clothes in "tatters"
when they chew on them. A final explanation (and most likely) would be "attack"
because Rattata's name was originally "Rattatak," and it is indeed, a rat, that
attacks.

Relicanth- (relic-coelacanth) This ancient rock fish could certainly be
considered an ancient artifact and living fossil, just like the real fish
found off the South African coast.

Rhydon/Rhyhorn- (rhino-don/horn) These guys are definitely rhinos, and "horn"
is there to emphasize that. "Don", like in many other cases, just means "very
important," or "lord."

Sableye- (sable-eye) At first guess, you might think that "sable" is some kind
of precious, white gemstone (what Sableye has for eyes, and the most prominent
part of its body), however, it's not. Of the eight definitions I've found, I'm
going with "very dark," considering Sableye's type (dark... duh).

Salamence- (salamander-menace/immense) This dragon Pokemon doesn't seem
menacing at all really; it's never described as being evil or destructive,
although its ability is "Intimidate." It could also be "immense," although it
really is one of the smaller dragons.

Scyther- (scythe) The two long curving blades wielded by Scyther are perfect
examples of scythes. The "er" part of the name is simply stating that Scyther
is "someone who scythes."

Sealeo- (sea/seal-lion) Complete with the common "Leo" which obviously means
lion, Sealeo does look a lot like a sealion, albeit a cartoony one. And of
course, he's also a seal.

Sentret- (sentry/sentinel-ferret) Both of this guy's name interpretation mean
some sort of guard who is on the alert, further defining Sentret as very
watchful for danger, as stated in the Pokedex. He is also, of course, a ferret.

Seadra- (sea-dragon) Certainly an improvement on Horsea, Seadra's name is
actually a bit of foreshadowing from Red/Blue days, indicating that perhaps it
would one day become a dragon type. (That's the only reason that it made the
Tier 2 section).

Shedinja- (shed-ninja) Shedinja doesn't retain the incredible speed had by
Ninjask, but it does keep the "ninja" part in its name. The "shed" is there
because Shedinja is the shed skin or shell of its pre-evolved form.

Shiftry- (shifty-tree) Shiftry is a mysterious and ancient tree-Pokemon which
is said to be very shifty, or "evasive and crafty."

Shuckle- (shuck) "Shuck" means "to remove the husk or pod from," which is
probably the way that Shuckle makes its patented "Berry Juice" from the
traditional Berries (which restores 20 HP instead of 10, woo-hoo).

Skarmory- (sky-armor) The "sky" part comes from the fact that Skarmory is a
flying-type bird Pokemon, and the "armor" is because it is a steel-type too,
and covered in metal armor. The "armory" might also refer to an armory, a
place where weapons and armor are made, when you take into account the
sword-like blades of Skarmory's wings.

Skiploom- (skip-bloom/loom) "Skip" is part of "hop, skip, and a jump," which is
how this line of Pokemon travels, along with floating (in the breeze).
Skiploom is surprisingly, the only in this line of grass-types, to have a
"blooming" flower on its head. Another common theme is the cotton (which
reveals itself in Jumpluff), and a loom is a device used to spin cotton.

Snorlax- (snore-[re]lax) Snorlax is known for sleeping a lot, and its "loose or
unrestrictive" ideals which consist of eating and sleeping, not caring whose
way it's blocking, account for the "lax" part of its name. It could also
indicate "relax," which goes along the same lines.

Snubbull- (snub-bulldog) This guy's face clearly makes him out to be a bulldog,
and "snub" means, "to treat with disdain or contempt, esp. by ignoring." Just
like the way Snubbull and its posh friends treated Ash's Pokemon in the short
before the fist movie.

Spheal- (sphere-seal) This guy's name is far more creative than Seel's. The
"sphere" part clearly comes from Spheal's very round shape.

Spinarak- (spin-arachnid) Both parts of Spinarak the spider's name have to do
with spiders. Spiders are known for "spinning" webs, and are more
scientifically referred to as "arachnids."

Spinda- (spin-panda) Spinda's markings may vary on its face, but the body ones
are always the same, and resemble those on a panda bear. The "spin" comes from
Spinda's signature move, Teeter Dance, and the spirals on its eyes and ears.

Surskit- (surface-skit) Surskit greatly resembles a water bug, which is known
for its ability to "skit" across the water's "surface" using its light weight
and oil-tipped feet. (Remember the green insect enemies in Mario 64's Wet-Dry
World level?)

Swablu- (swab-blue) Swablu the blue bird has wings of cotton, bringing to mind
a "cotton-swab."

Swampert- (swamp-expert) The swamp/marsh/mud theme has stuck, no pun intended,
throughout the Mudkip line. Being the highest evolution, Swampert is
definitely an "expert" at swamps.

Swinub- (swine-nub) I guess that the "nub" is referring to this little pig's
nub of a nose. A swine is, of course, a pig.

Tauros- (toro/Taurus) It's easy to see why they would give this Pokemon the
name Tauros, once you realize that toro is Spanish for bull, or that the
constellation Taurus is also a bull.

Treecko- (tree-gecko) Treecko is reported to be great at scaling trees with
its suction-cupped feet, just like a gecko.

Tyranitar- see Larvitar

Tyrogue- (tyke-rogue) Tyrogue is surely the "tyke" of fighting Pokemon, being
the baby of the Hitmons. Rogue just means "a playful creature."

Victreebel- (vicious-tree-bell) "Tree" indicates that Victreebel is a
grass-type, and "bell" is present in all of the Bellsprout line. "Vicious" is
because, well, Victreebel is vicious, as seen when it consistently attacks
James of Team Rocket on the anime.

Vileplume- (vile-plume) Like Gloom, Vileplume has a disgusting (or vile) odor
coming from its flowery head. "Plume" indicates a type of flower, such as the
Brazilian Plume (a tropical plant with large blossoms).

Walrein- (walrus-reign) Complete with flippers and some imposing tusks, Walrein
the walrus could be considered a "dominating power or influence," at least
among Pokemon.

Weepinbell- (weeping-bell) Weepinbell does look sad, (and its shaped like a
bell). The "weeping" could also indicate that it's a plant, as in "weeping
fig," or "weeping willow," (which has bell-shaped blossoms).

Whiscash- (whisker-catfish) Whiscash does indeed have two long, prominent
whiskers, and also looks a lot like a catfish. I could be wrong on this (cat+
fish = cash), but I doubt it.



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*****************
*V. Tier 1 Names*
*****************

Here we go! These names have more subliminal meanings, convoluted
word-fragments, and even Latin, French, and Japanese roots then you can
shake a stick at! In addition, I have also included in this section, the
Pokemon names that have some clever play on words, even if they aren't
particularly "intellectual."

Abra/Kadabra/Alakazam- (abracadabra-alakazam!) These guys (who are all in the
same evolutionary line), when put together, form a set of "magic" words, going
along with their type (psychic). Actually, alakazam is not found in the
dictionary along with its counterparts, but the phrase is familiar enough that
it is a sure thing that they all go together.

Absol- (absence-sol/absolute) One of the few pure dark-types, Absol would be
expected to prefer places without much sunlight. An alternate meaning would be
"absolute," ("free from any imperfection or lack; complete; whole,"). Absol's
ying-yang resemblance plays on this, representing light and dark, etc.
(opposites), which come together to make an "absolute" creature.

Ampharos- (amp-Pharos/amphora) "Amp" clearly means "ampere" (also known as
plain "amp") which is an SI unit of measuring electricity (Ampharos is an
electric type). The "Pharos" part required more research. Apparently, Pharos
is a peninsula in Northern Egypt, upon which sits an ancient lighthouse of the
same name. As described in the Pokedex and seen in the anime, Ampharos
commonly uses its tail light for a lighthouse-like effect; helping lost ships
at sea. Alternatively, an amphora is a Greek vase shaped a lot like Ampharos'
oblong body.

Anorith- (anamalocaris-rith) I'll just go ahead and improvise with Mega Cell's
explanation for Anorith. I'm assuming that the anamalocaris was some kind of
ancient brine shrimp, and from what I'm told, rith is Greek for stone, making
Anorith a fossilized shrimp/bug thing, which is just what it is.

Arbok- (arboc/cobra) Going along with the "backwards" trick of its pre-evolved
form Ekans, Arbok the hooded snake's real life animal equivalent is found by
reversing the letter order of its name.

Ariados- (Ariadne-dos) Ariadne is a character found in Greek mythology, who
helped Theseus to conquer the Minotaur and its labyrinth, by giving him a ball
of string to leave his trail behind him. Ariados is a spider, who can produce
silk string, and it is the second in its evolution line, hence the Spanish
"number two"- dos.

Articuno- (arctic-uno) Being the legendary ice bird, "artic," complete with its
common spelling mistake, is not so amazingly clever, but the Spanish numbers
which were cleverly slipped into the birds names are. The "uno" could denote
that Articuno is the first legendary bird you are supposed to catch.

Barboach- (barb-loach) Both a barb and a loach are types of fish (remember the
Hylian loach from LoZ: Oot?), as is Barboach. Barb could also refer to this
Pokemon's beard or "sharp pointed whiskers" (both of which are other
roots/definitions of "barb").

Celebi- (celestial/celandine-being) This grass-type legendary could have a few
different meanings to its name. "Celestial" would be because it is "pertaining
to the spiritual, invisible, or heavenly," and "celandine" is "an Old World
plant." It could be "celery" but that's a bit too corny. (A Pokemon so rare,
that the only way of obtaining it without cheating is to get it from Nintendo,
would surely be considered "heavenly" to Pokemon fanboys).

Chinchou- (Chouchin) Apparently, there's a town in China made famous by its
paper laterns(called chouchins). Of course, Chinchou has 2 little lights, and
evolves into "Lanturn."

Clefable/Clefairy/Cleffa- (cle/clef-fable/fairy) This was a toughie. The fable
(legendary, mystical) and fairy (a cute little magical creature) made sense,
and "fa" just seems like a meaningless suffix, but "cle" gave me trouble. I've
come to believe that it refers to the French word for "key," (after adding an
accent over the e in "cle") and in this case symbolizes the fact that the
Clefairy line is linked to outer-space, and may be the "key," or secret to all
Pokemon on Earth, as brought up in the anime. "Clef" could also be "clef"
because this line of Pokemon knows the move "sing," (but isn't Jigglypuff more
known for singing than Clefairy). If this is the case, the "fa" in Cleffa could
be the musical note, "fa," (also known as F natural).

Crobat- (crony/cross-bat) While the "bat" part is obvious, "cro" had me
stumped, until I looked for words with "cro" in the dictionary. I've settled
on "crony" seeing as how that is defined as "a close friend or companion,"
which fits the bill for Crobat exactly, seeing as how it is one of the few
Pokemon that will only evolve after a loving relationship is established. If
you want a less amazing explanation, just see how Crobat's body is "cross"-
shaped. For an out-of-the-box explanation, we can take the Japanese name,
"Kurobatto," see how "Kuro" could become "Cro," and realize that "Kuro" means
black. But wait, Crobat's purple, right?

Dewgong- (dew-dugong) This evolved seal's name compares it to a dugong, more
commonly known as a manatee. I don't really see the similarity, but at least
they are both aquatic mammals. The "dew" just shows it to be a water/ice
Pokemon.

Donphan- (don/dont-mastodon-elephant) Donphan is certainly an elephant,
although a small one, but the "don" provides more of a mystery. It could mean
"don" (someone of great importance: "the most important elephant"); dont/dent,
a root meaning "teeth," such as Donphan's tusks, which are very prominent; or
"mastodon," a prehistoric elephant.

Dunsparce- (dun-sparse) Quite a tricky one. "Sparse" (rare, thinly
distributed) makes perfect sense, considering the rarity of Dunsparce, only
appearing during swarming times. "Dun" means "grayish yellow," and "dark and
gloomy," both of which describe Dunsparce's appearance (grayish-yellow) and
habitat (caves), respectively.

Entei- (enten) Enten is Japanese for what? Very hot weather, of course, going
perfectly with the legendary dog of fire.
*Or, "en" means "fire" and "tei" means "emperor."*

Espeon- (ESP-eon) ESP stands for "extra-sensory-perception," somewhat of a
sixth sense had by people who claim to be psychics. Espeon is indeed a psychic
type, so that works perfectly. Once again, the "eon" ending just indicates
that it evolves from Eevee and has the whole evolution thing going on.

Exeggcute/Exeggutor- (ex-egg-cute/execute/executor) I'll just go ahead and put
mark cubillas' explanation:
"Exeggcute- Ex(former or fake), egg, cute(ingenious)
Ex- it looks like an egg, but it's actually a seed/seeds (you can tell since
it's a grass type)
Egg- it looks like an egg....
cute- if you look in a dictionary or thesaurus it has three meanings, and has
ingenious meaning smart(maybe that's why it's a psychic type). Now I'm very
sure of this!"
Naturally, both names also clearly represent "execute" and "executor," because
the evolved form's coconut heads occasionally fall off to become Exeggcute.

Gardevoir- ([re]garde-voir) Old Gardi's 100% French. The roots mean, "a
guard," and, "to see," respectively. Psychics are known for their abilities to
"see" the unseen (or the future) and Gardevoir is said to protect its trainer
from any threat with its powers, like a guard. The "garde" could also be from
"regarde," which further emphasizes the "looking" and "seeing" that psychics
do.

Gengar- (doppelganger) A doppelganger is described as "a ghostly counterpart of
a person," paralleling the way that Gengar will pretend to be your shadow until
you become very frightened by it.

Girafarig- (giraffe/effarig) Yet another clever play on words, Girafarig is a
perfect palindrome, that is, the same spelled forwards or backwards.
Considering that Girafarig has a "head" at each end of its body, it's a fine
name.

Golem- (golem) Castlevania fans should recognize this name... Anyway, a golem
is a figure in the shape of humanoid, modeled from clay or rock, particularly
in Jewish folklore. The large rock Pokemon doesn't really look human, but we
get the point.

Gorebyss- (gore-abyss) The trick with this guy is not identifying the parts in
the name, but explaining them. By reading the Pokedex entries for Gorebyss, one
can find out that it can survive intense water pressure, and can therefore go
far down into a deep ocean abyss. It also says that it will stab (or gore) its
prey with its thin mouth and suck out the nutrients. (Chibi Soma, I think it
was you who dismissed the idea of using public knowledge to make this guide,
stating a stereotypic example like "LOL, Gorebyss, that's GORE and ABYSS, hah,
hah, hah!" However, this seems to be the only explanation, unless someone
provides a better one). Gorebyss could also be a play on "gorgeous" because it
is the prettier of Clamperl's two evolutions. The whole name could also be a
play on porpoise.

Gyarados- (gyakusatu/gyakkyo-dos) Those two Japanese words mean "massacre,
slaughter," and "hardship, adversity," respectively, both pertaining to the
violent Gyarados and the trouble it has gone through (as a pathetic Magikarp).
Like with Ariados, the "dos" just shows that it is the second (Spanish for two)
in its evolution line. Just a fun fact: the giant fish boss in LoZ: MM was
called Gyorg, (notice the "GY").

Hariyama- (hariau/haritaosu-yamamori/yama) Hariau and haritaosu mean "to
compete with" and "to knock down," respectively. Both make sense with the
fighter, Hariyama. Yama is less clear. I suspect that it is "yamamori,"
meaning abundant or heaping, like the muscles of Hariyama's body, or yama,
meaning mountain.
*Hariyama is also a rank in sumo wrestling.*

Heracross- (Heracles-cross/claws) Heracross looks enough like a Hercules
(or Heracles) beetle for that to be obvious enough, but the "cross" presents
more of a puzzle. It could just signify the horn on its head, which could be
considered to be cross-shaped, or it could come from the Japanese name,
"Heraclaws," which, with the whole Japanese indistinguishability between l and
r, lead to "Heracross." Not that Heracross' claws are really that prominent.

Ho-oh- (Houou) Ho-oh is a misspelling of "Houou," which is a mythical Chinese
phoenix. Ho-oh is indeed, a phoenix.

Jirachi- (jirachi) It all makes sense when you realize that the wish Pokemon's
name is "wish" in Russian (thanks to Roahm Mythril).

Kadabra- see Abra

Kangaskhan- (kangaroo-Ghengis Khan) Kangaskhan is clearly kangaroo-like,
carrying its baby in a pouch (like all marsupials). What does it have to do
with the Mongol conqueror though? I suspect that the plating/ridges on
Kangaskhan's body could resemble the armor of a warrior like Ghengis Khan.

Kirlia- (Kirlian photography) As strange as it sounds, Kirlian photography is
probably the root of Kirlia's name. Created by scientists Seymon D. and
Valentina K. Kirlian, this kind of picture-taking reveals unseen auras of
supposed energy around its subject. Other scientists claim that the aura is a
fake, created by electromagnetic technology. What does this have to do with
Kirlia? Well, its Pokedex entry reveals it as being able to created images
that aren't really there, so it all sort of fits.

Kyogre- (kai-orca) I'm told that "kai" has something to do with water, and the
general consensus is that the "ogre" is for "orca," which would make Kyogre the
"water-whale."

Latias/Latios- (lateo/latitude/latissimus-dorsi-tia/tio) Lateo supposedly means
"to be hidden" in Latin, much like the Lati@s you can't get without using the
Eon Ticket to reach the secluded southern island. Tia and tio are aunt and
uncle in Spanish respectively, pertaining to their genders. The "lat" could
also refer to latitude, because they fly all over the globe, or
latissimus-dorsi, which are muscles connecting the arms to the back, which
these Pokemons' wings appear to be extensions of.

Ludicolo- (ludic-colocynth) A really tough one if you don't know your vocab.
Ludic means "playful in an aimless way," much like the energetic Ludicolo, who
loves to dance. A colocynth is "a plant bearing a round, yellow and green
fruit." A perfect description of Ludicolo's appearance. Ludicolo's entire
name could also be a play off of "ridiculo," the Spanish word for ridiculous.

Lugia- (luteium-giant/lugeo) This large and powerful legendary is silverish in
color, much like the element luteium. Also, lugeo (It's time to duh,duh,duh,
duh,duh, duel! Latin style) means to lie dormant in mourning, much like Lugia,
when it rests at the bottom of the ocean for fear of destuction from it's
enormous power.

Magcargo- (magma-escargot) The lava slug has evolved into a magma snail,
complete with a rocky shell. Escargot is, of course, the French word for
snail.

Makuhita- (Makuhita) From what I'm told, "Makuhita" is a rank in the world of
sumo-wrestling. Makuhita does indeed look like a sumo.

Mew- (myo) Another stumper. At first glance one would simply think that Mew is
a cat-like Pokemon, albeit an extremely rare and legendary one with psychic
powers, and that "Mew" is a sound that a cat might make. This still may be the
case, but I'd like to believe that the root is "myo," a Japanese adjective
meaning "strange or unique." It would certainly make sense.

Milotic- (Venus de Milo-melodic) Milotic is known for its beautiful, "melodic"
singing, and for being very beautiful, (only the most beautiful Feebas will
even be able to evolve). The famous sculpture- Venus de Milo, is known for
being an example of beautious perfection, and like Milotic, it has no arms.

Misdreavus- (mischievous-reave) This ghost Pokemon is known to be mischievous,
scaring people with its scream. To "reave," is plunder or rob, something a
sneaky and mischievous ghost might do.

Moltres- (molten-tres) I doubt that the fire bird Moltres is losing its
feathers, so molten (as in rock, which equals lava) makes more sense than
"molting." Like the other birds, Moltres' Spanish number (3) probably
indicates that it is to be caught third, near the end of the game, in Victory
Road (or one of the new islands in FR/LG).

Natu- (Atu/natu) This is still not clear. Apparentley, Atu is some Aztec god,
however, I haven't found anything about him, so I don't even know what kind of
animal he is. If it helps, natu also means "born" in Latin.

Nidoking/Nidoqueen/Nidoran(M,F)/Nidorina/Nidorino- (nido-king/queen/ran/nina/
nino) Everyone insists that the "nido" is a play on "needle," but that just
seems too stupid. I suspect that it means "nido," or, after being translated
from Japanese, "twice, a second time." This would apply to the two (2) lines of
Nidorans (one for each gender). King and queen are obvious, and the "ina" and
"ino" are for "nina" and "nino," meaning girl and boy in Spanish, respectively.
I doubt that "ran" means anything at all.

Omanyte/Omastar- (omanite/-star) These little sea nautilus Pokemon are named
after a prehistoric creature which they looks remarkably like. It is/was a
blobby creature with tentacles, inside a snail-like shell. In terms of the
"star" in "Omastar," I suppose that you could make out some kind of star-shape
from all the tentacles and points on Omastar.

Pichu/Pikachu/Raichu- (pika/rai-chu) "Chu" is an onomatopoeia in Japanese, for
the sound a mouse makes. The "pika" is an actual animal which is actually a
lagomorph, related to rabbits. "Rai" means "thunder" in Japanese. So, put it
all together, and we have a little rabbit-mouse, a rabbit-mouse, and a thunder-
mouse. Pika could also mean "flash," or "sparkle" (in Japanese), relating to
the electricity of this line.

Raikou- (rai-kou) These Japanese words translate to "thunder" and "lord,"
respectively. Raikou is the big dog of lightning, so that works fine.

Ralts- (relates) The Pokedex does indicate that Ralts is very good at telling
emotions and will only relate with kind trainers, and whatnot. Through the use
of a crazy anagram (ReLATeS) you can get "Ralts" from "relates." I'll go with
this for now, as there's nothing better for this guy. On a side note, look at
that, all in the Ralts line made it to Tier 1; pretty impressive!

Rayquaza- (ray/rax-quasar/Quetzacoatl) OMG. The final entry (in terms of order
of writing them). Ray has something to do with Rayquaza being in the
atmosphere, directly under RAYS of sunlight, or because of the particles that
it feeds on. Alternately, "rax" means "stretch," denoting Rayquaza's long
length. Quetzacoatl was an Aztec god represented by a feathered serpent, which
describes Rayquaza pretty well. Or, the "quaza" is for "quasar," which is a
heavenly body that produces large amounts of energy. Also a good description.

Regice/Regirock/Registeel- (regi-ice/rock/steel) Not as tricky as Mew, but
still a toughie. With the obvious part being the type-suffixes of ice, rock,
and steel, the Latin root "regi" means "of or pertaining to royalty," as in
"regicide" (the killing of a king). The prefix is equally fitting for each of
these three mysterious legendaries.

Remoraid- (remora-raid) The remora fish is known for attaching itself to the
underside of larger marine creatures, demonstrated perfectly by Remoraid and
its host, Mantine (look at a picture of Mantine and you can see Remora hanging
under its "wing"). The "raid" comes from Remoraid's talent for a "quick and
surprising attack" on insects, by shooting them with a stream of water.

Sceptile- (scepter/scenic-reptile) Sceptile completes the Treecko line with a
name fit for the highest evolution of a starter. Scepter can mean "imperial
power or authority," which Sceptile would have, being a high evolution. Also,
it likes to rule over a healthy, or "scenic" forest. Do I really have to
explain "reptile"?

Sudowoodo- (pseudo-wood) Sudowoodo does its best to impersonate a tree-like
grass Pokemon, but is actually a rock. "Pseudo" means "false or pretended," as
in pseudonym, which is a fake name used to cover a person's true identity.

Suicune- (sui-kun) The parts in the water dog's name mean "water" and "lord"
respectively. It all fits.

Teddiursa- (teddy-ursidae) While "teddy" refers to a "teddy bear," ursidae
indicates an animal as being in the bear family, as in the constellations Ursa
Minor and Major, the little and big bear.

Togepi/Togetic- (toge) "Toge" means "spike" in Japanese, and Togepi and Togetic
are "spike-eggs." I'm not sure about their suffixes.

Tropius- (tropical-saurus) Although the tropical part of Tropius is clearly
seen, both in its name and in its banana tree-like appearance, the "us" is a
bit more mysterious. Once again, I could be wrong, but seeing as how Tropius
looks remarkably like one of the very large, long-necked dinosaurs,
(Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus) the name ending makes sense.

Umbreon- (umbra-eon) No, Umbreon is not an umbrella Pokemon, but both come
from the root, umbra, meaning shade or shadow. Umbreon is the "dark" type
Eevee evolution, after all. For the final time, eon is a suffix used with all
the Eevee evolutions.

Ursaring- (ursidae-ring) Strangely enough, the "ring" is just the ring on
Ursaring's chest, while ursidae is the scientific classification for bears, on
the family level.

Vulpix- (vulpine-six/vixen) Vulpine is Latin for "fox" and Vulpix the fire-fox
has "six" tales, (which will eventually split into nine). Also, a vixen is a
female fox.

Wobbuffet- (wobble-buffet) A name that's easy to break up, harder to
understand. A short session playing Super Smash Brothers Melee makes it all
clear. When "buffeted" (hit) by a reckless fighter (after being released
from a Pokeball), the annoying Wobbuffet will "wobble" back and forth, like a
clown-punching bag that comes right back at you. This also personifies
Wobbuffet's special brand of attacks, which all involve returning the
opponent's attack back at them.

Wooper- (uupa) Uupa is a Japanese word for a "whooping noise," and whiskers
similar to Wooper's are found on the Digimon- Uupamon. It's all connected
somehow.

Wynaut- (why not?) It took a while to get a good reason for why it was "why
not?" It turns out that Wobbuffet's and Wynaut's Japanese names (Sonans and
Sohnano respectively) meant "That's right!" and "Really?" respectively, so
"why not" sort of follows that conversation.

Xatu- (X-Atu/xatu) Xatu (the real thing, not the Pokemon) is a Native American
totem pole, which makes sense, since the Pokemon Xatu does look a bit like a
totem pole. Another explanation is "X+Atu." As stated in Natu's little bit,
Atu is an Aztec god, (Xatu is described as being legendary in South America, or
something) and the X would come from X in algebra, meaning, "the unknown." With
its psychic mystic powers, Xatu can see into the future, and it is pretty
mysterious itself.

Yanma- (yanma) I'll just go ahead and take everyone's word that Yanma means
"dragonfly" in Japanese...but apparently it doesn't, so here's Matt Heard's
explanation: "Yanma means 'lamenting' which then means 'mourning.' However,
lament sounds similar to lamina, which is a thin bone or plate, like Yanma's
wings.

Zangoose- ([zig]zag-mongoose) Whew, this guy wasn't that tough, but he sure is
interesting. For one, I've reached the conclusion that the "za" is from "zig-
zag," a pattern which Zangoose has one of on its otherwise bare body. The
mongoose aspect is from Zangoose's "history" of battling Seviper, which
parallels the real-life "struggle" between cobras and mongooses, especially
in India. This also explains its ability- Immunity, seeing as how mongooses
build up an immunity to the poison of the cobra and can therefore live through
more battles. Zan also happens to mean "slash" in Japanese, or so I'm told.

Zapdos- (zap-dos) Legendary bird #2 (dos) is an electric type, and should be
caught second, in the Power Plant (although I always get him first, 'cause he
makes catching Articuno easier).