Pokemon Species

[Ditto B1tch]

Does anyone else in here also think that some name of Pokemon species should be altered? Some examples below:

Example 1 - Infernape and Flareon
Pokemons that are different should have different species name. How can two different Pokemons be classified which the same species name? This happens with Infernape and Flareon, which are known as Flame Pokemons, but there are a lot of other Pokemons that share the same species name and are very different from each other. A good way to fix that is adding another word to besides "flame", in the case of Infernape and Flareon, they could be known as Flame Monkey or Flame Fox Pokémon.

Example 2 - Ditto and Lapras
Ditto and Lapras are two examples which the species is related to what the Pokemon does instead to what it looks like. Ditto executes transformation, but it is not a transformation, actually it is a pink glue-like thing. But, it is classified by what it does, and not by what it is. The same goes for Lapras, which species seems to make people think that it was born be used as transport for others, like a transport slave. But Lapras isn't a transport, it is a sea creature. Ditto and Lapras could have been given species name that would fit better with them.

Example 3 - Arcanine
Species name that is not related to the Pokemon. Arcanine is the best example. It is known as the Legendary Pokemon, but it is not a legendary... paradox.

Discuss about these examples and/or others about Pokemon species that you have noticed.

 

[Elnava]

Arcanine was originally planned to be a legendary Pokémon in the first generation but was replaced with Moltres. Apart of why Moltres is my least favorite of the trio

*sshhh, don't cry Arcanine. I still love you*

 

[Enjolras]

I don't see why Ditto must be changed. Transforming is what it does. I don't think Pink Blob Pokemon has as nice aring to it.
I agree with you with Lapras and Arcanine, however.

 

[Endolise]

Example 1 - Infernape and Flareon
Pokemons that are different should have different species name. How can two different Pokemons be classified which the same species name? This happens with Infernape and Flareon, which are known as Flame Pokemons, but there are a lot of other Pokemons that share the same species name and are very different from each other. A good way to fix that is adding another word to besides "flame", in the case of Infernape and Flareon, they could be known as Flame Monkey or Flame Fox Pokémon.

Because as a whole, all Pokémon fall under the umbrella of a single species (Pokémon). Each individual evolutionary line is merely a subspecies. They're not literally "monkeys" or "foxes," just different kinds of Pokémon.

Example 3 - Arcanine
Species name that is not related to the Pokemon. Arcanine is the best example. It is known as the Legendary Pokemon, but it is not a legendary... paradox.

The term "legendary" is simply being used in a different context in Arcanine's case.

Arcanine was originally planned to be a legendary Pokémon in the first generation but was replaced with Moltres. Apart of why Moltres is my least favorite of the trio

I am quite certain that this claim is not accurate.

 

[randomspot555]

I am quite certain that this claim is not accurate.

Correct.

Arcanine is the "Legendary Pokemon" because it is literally the Pokemon version of the Chinese legend that it is based on. It even directly references China in it's dex entries.

 

[Rayze Darr]

"Species," in the case of Pokemon, is used in the same regard that "Evolution" is: its meaning isn't even close to the real-world definition. It's terminology used extremely loosely to point out vague similarities. As Pokemon can (almost) all create offspring, and (almost) all created offspring can create more, then "Pokemon" is, itself, a species, just one that has a huge level of variety.

Personally, I never understood why the "species" thin existed in the Pokedex. It doesn't affect gameplay in the least and, as has been pointed out, makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[randomspot555]

"Species," in the case of Pokemon, is used in the same regard that "Evolution" is: its meaning isn't even close to the real-world definition. It's terminology used extremely loosely to point out vague similarities. As Pokemon can (almost) all create offspring, and (almost) all created offspring can create more, then "Pokemon" is, itself, a species, just one that has a huge level of variety.

Personally, I never understood why the "species" thin existed in the Pokedex. It doesn't affect gameplay in the least and, as has been pointed out, makes no sense whatsoever.

Its basically one of those things found in encyclopedias, and that's what the PokeDex is. But you're right. We never hear NPC refer to their Pokemon by the Species Name.

 

[Dreamy]

You make some good points, but they way I look at it is they are just describing them the best they can, we of course would add what kind of animal they are based on to their description. As far as Arcanine and Lapras are concerned, Arcanine is a major figure in ancient Pokemon mythology and ancient art and was regarded as a legend, and Lapras' have been used for centuries to ferry people around the water ways.

 

[Mr Dragon]

You don't get it, Arcanine is a Legendary Pokemon due to the fact that it was based on a Chinese legend, therefore legendary Pokemon. Besides, I don't think that back when gen 1 was being produced Legendary Pokemon were called as such officially (Feel free to correct me on this).

The species names for Infernape and Rapidash are actually due to the fact that both are quite similar, they both actually have flames streaming off of their backs and 'flame Pokemon' makes sense for both, also, I don't think they're the only ones with the same classification and even then, their Japanese classifications may be completely different.

And Ditto and Lapras just make complete sense, Ditto transforms, and is therefore a transformation Pokemon and Lapras is used for transport, so yeah.

But to do with all, there really isn't really any point to them, so there shouldn't really be any rules on species and there isn't.

Also, they're more classifications than species, though they are called as such in the game. The species should be what the Pokemon is called like an Infernape's species is that it's an Infernape.

 

[randomspot555]

You don't get it, Arcanine is a Legendary Pokemon due to the fact that it was based on a Chinese legend, therefore legendary Pokemon. Besides, I don't think that back when gen 1 was being produced Legendary Pokemon weren't called as such officially (Feel free to correct me on this).

This is correct. Arcanine is the Legendary Pokemon in that it is the actual epitome of a Chinese mythological legend. Just like Pikachu is the Pokemon version of a mouse, and Rattata is the Pokemon version of a rat, Arcanine is the Pokemon version of a legendary dog in Chinese mythology. It is the Pokemon version of real-world (and, strangely, Poke-world!) Chinese mythology. This is distinct from Legendary Pokemon, the type of Pokemon deemed as such. At no point in time was Arcanine considered to be a Legendary Pokemon in the same sense as the Kanto Bird trio, Mewtwo, and Mew are.

 

[Ditto B1tch]

The species names for Infernape and Rapidash are actually due to the fact that both are quite similar, they both actually have flames streaming off of their backs and 'flame Pokemon' makes sense for both,

If you're based on my example, I think that you switched Flareon for Rapidash, because actually Rapidash is known as the Fire Horse Pokemon.

 

[Räven Velish]

Arcanine was originally planned to be a legendary Pokémon in the first generation but was replaced with Moltres. Apart of why Moltres is my least favorite of the trio

*sshhh, don't cry Arcanine. I still love you*

Its just a theory. But I think its true. Arcanine over Moltres any day!