I see lots of people give absolutely REDICULOUS reasoning on why pokemon could/should be a psychic type. Namely, Hikozaru's possible second type after evolution, but also other pokemon that have been speculated such as a Peacock that would be Psychic/Flying.
The thought of a starter monkey to use psychic attacks is plain stupid. "Errr, MUNK3YS r sM4rtzorz so tey kan use kUnFooZION!!!".
Really, almost all real life animals that ARE considered smart HAVEN'T been used as Psychic pokemon. Why? IQ has NOTHING to do with the ability to use telekinesis or other forms paranormal actions with the use of the mind. Want proof? Albert Einstein is smart, with an IQ IIRC of over 300. Yet, he was never able to bend a spoon with his mind. Why? SMART =/= PSYCHIC.
What probably causes this misleading thought is that some Psychic pokemon ARE smart, namely Alakazam. LeafGreen's info - Its brain can outperform a supercomputer. Its IQ (intellegence quotient) is said to be around 5,000.
Looking on the internet, I looked for a list of intellegent animals and found this interesting.
-----
Besides humans, the ten most intelligent animals are: chimpanzees,
gorillas, orangutans, baboons, gibbons, monkeys (many species,
especially macaques), smaller toothed whales (especially killer whales
or Orcas), dolphins, elephants, and pigs."
source: Wildly Weird Facts, hosted by rarespecies.org
http://www.rarespecies.org/kids/weird.htm
According a web log, a recent televsion program on the Travel Channel
ranked the 10 smartest animals (in order of increasing intelligence):
"squirrel, squid, raven, dog, pig, parrot, elephant, monkey, dolphin,
ape"
source: iamtonyang.com cached by Google:
http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cach...yang.com/index.php?month=0304+&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Obviously, this second list differs from the first list because of the
way it lumps certain types of animals together (e.g., gorillas, chimps
and orangutans are all apes). Another reason, though, is that it's
difficult to compare intelligence across different species. Thus,
rankings are somewhat subjective.
"Q What are the 10 most intelligent animals?
A It's difficult to gauge intelligence because of all the factors
involved. While monkeys and apes exhibit the most humanlike
intelligence, studies of ravens and parrots reveal an aptitude for
problem solving and octopuses show an amazing capacity for
memorization. Biologists suggest that overall, mammals are the
smartest. Apes and monkeys are followed in intelligence by large
aquatic mammals like dolphins and whales that are capable of learning
symbolic communication. Cats and dogs match or surpass all animals
except for apes, some monkeys, and large aquatic mammals."
source: "The Readers Ask" hosted by csmonitor.com
http://search.csmonitor.com/durable/1997/11/05/feat/feat.2.html
Here are a couple articles that discuss animal intelligence:
"Animal intelligence: how brainy are they? Scientist are learning how
animals talk, think, and feel."
Karen De Seve; Science World, Nov 26, 2001
Available from findarticles.com:
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1590/6_58/80748082/p1/article.jhtml
"Do Animals Think?"
Clive Wynne; Psychology Today, Nov, 1999
Available from findarticles.com:
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1175/6_32/56883557/p1/article.jhtml
-----
Obviously, GameFreak isn't getting inspiration for Psychic types on looking at the smartest animals in the world. Well, let's look at the basis for all Psychic Pokemon creations. (Quoting parts of the GPD Forum's sticky.)
-----
Abra/Kadabra/Alakazam: ? (Abra looks slightly like a possom to me, and stromdusk suggests coyote). Abra is based on Edgar Cayce, the "Sleeping Prophet"; Kadabra is based on Uri Geller, the Israeli spoonbender; Alakazam's Japanese name is based on Houdini, but it the creature appears to be merely an exaggeration of Kadabra.
Slowpoke/Slowbro: Perhaps pygmy hippos!
Drowzee/Hypno: Tapir baku and hypnotist
Exeggcute/Exeggutor: Eggs and coconut tree
Staryu, Starmie: Starfish and sunstar
Mr. Mime: Mime
Jynx: Yuki-Onna/? (There was an argument on the old thread on whether or not she was based on ganguro or Yamanba. It starts here, goes on to page 9, skips a few pages, then there's a rebuttal here on page 13.)
Mewtwo: Cat-human, some think that it's a more developed embryo (see below)
Mew: Kitten/gerbil/embryo
Natu/Xatu: Based off Native American totem poles. (Xatu resembles the Thunderbird)
Espeon: Nekomata
Unown: Living alphabet letters
Wobbuffet: Full-sized punching bag? and Sanpei Hayashiya
Girafarig: Giraffe
Smoochum: Baby Jynx
Lugia: Gray heron (there's one that looks like Lugia on the cover of Across the Nightingale Floor)/dragon partner to the phoenix
Celebi: A forest fairy?
Ralts/Kirlia/Gardevoir: A tomboy, a ballerina, and a fairy tale princess/adult graceful woman dancer
Meditite/Medicham: Yogis
Spoink/Grumpig: Pigs (maybe somebody saw this website! XD), perhaps the biblical "neither cast ye your pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6) was snuck in there as well
Lunatone: Moon
Solrock: Sun
Baltoy: Shakou/spinning top
Claydol: Shakou
Chimecho: One of those wind chimes that look like an upside-down cup with a tassel/paper hanging out of it (something like this, but different)
Wynaut: Small punching bag?
Beldum/Metang/Metagross: Sci-fi invader robots? Beldum, at least according to its name, may be based on a dumbbell; ◘Ins0mnIac◘ has pointed out that Metang looks like this thing from Gundam (what's it called?) and Metagross looks like a Tektite from one of the Zelda games
Latias/Latios: Dragons/jet planes?
Jirachi: Tanabata festival/genie (Jirachi has three green tanzaku on it)
Deoxys: Humanoid alien/mutated virus->DNA.... My brother thinks it looks like an orbital frame from Zone of the Enders.
-----
AH! So only Espeon (Which is somewhat a "Cat") and the Grumpig line (Pigs) actually have a real life ANIMAL counterpart which would be considered smart. (Mr. Mime has no "Animal" counterpart. Yes, Mimes are smarter than any animal, but technically it's a lifestyle/hobby/job/whatever. Same with Deoxys, but I wouldn't consider an alien an "animal")
So, what reasoning is left to make Hikozaru or any other animals, like a dolphin Water/Psychic type, etc.? NONE.
While I'm at this, I see lots of people just sticking dark as a secondary type to a lot of possible animal Pokemon incarnations. Don't. It doesn't make sense to stick the type Dark to a Pokemon because it looks scary or is black. That's just plain stupid.
EDIT: The purpose of this topic is - 1. Reasoning for a Pokemon to be a Psychic CANNOT be because it's smart. Almost each of the made Psychic Pokemon don't have a smart animal counterpart, so this reasoning is TRASH.
The thought of a starter monkey to use psychic attacks is plain stupid. "Errr, MUNK3YS r sM4rtzorz so tey kan use kUnFooZION!!!".
Really, almost all real life animals that ARE considered smart HAVEN'T been used as Psychic pokemon. Why? IQ has NOTHING to do with the ability to use telekinesis or other forms paranormal actions with the use of the mind. Want proof? Albert Einstein is smart, with an IQ IIRC of over 300. Yet, he was never able to bend a spoon with his mind. Why? SMART =/= PSYCHIC.
What probably causes this misleading thought is that some Psychic pokemon ARE smart, namely Alakazam. LeafGreen's info - Its brain can outperform a supercomputer. Its IQ (intellegence quotient) is said to be around 5,000.
Looking on the internet, I looked for a list of intellegent animals and found this interesting.
-----
Besides humans, the ten most intelligent animals are: chimpanzees,
gorillas, orangutans, baboons, gibbons, monkeys (many species,
especially macaques), smaller toothed whales (especially killer whales
or Orcas), dolphins, elephants, and pigs."
source: Wildly Weird Facts, hosted by rarespecies.org
http://www.rarespecies.org/kids/weird.htm
According a web log, a recent televsion program on the Travel Channel
ranked the 10 smartest animals (in order of increasing intelligence):
"squirrel, squid, raven, dog, pig, parrot, elephant, monkey, dolphin,
ape"
source: iamtonyang.com cached by Google:
http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cach...yang.com/index.php?month=0304+&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
Obviously, this second list differs from the first list because of the
way it lumps certain types of animals together (e.g., gorillas, chimps
and orangutans are all apes). Another reason, though, is that it's
difficult to compare intelligence across different species. Thus,
rankings are somewhat subjective.
"Q What are the 10 most intelligent animals?
A It's difficult to gauge intelligence because of all the factors
involved. While monkeys and apes exhibit the most humanlike
intelligence, studies of ravens and parrots reveal an aptitude for
problem solving and octopuses show an amazing capacity for
memorization. Biologists suggest that overall, mammals are the
smartest. Apes and monkeys are followed in intelligence by large
aquatic mammals like dolphins and whales that are capable of learning
symbolic communication. Cats and dogs match or surpass all animals
except for apes, some monkeys, and large aquatic mammals."
source: "The Readers Ask" hosted by csmonitor.com
http://search.csmonitor.com/durable/1997/11/05/feat/feat.2.html
Here are a couple articles that discuss animal intelligence:
"Animal intelligence: how brainy are they? Scientist are learning how
animals talk, think, and feel."
Karen De Seve; Science World, Nov 26, 2001
Available from findarticles.com:
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1590/6_58/80748082/p1/article.jhtml
"Do Animals Think?"
Clive Wynne; Psychology Today, Nov, 1999
Available from findarticles.com:
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1175/6_32/56883557/p1/article.jhtml
-----
Obviously, GameFreak isn't getting inspiration for Psychic types on looking at the smartest animals in the world. Well, let's look at the basis for all Psychic Pokemon creations. (Quoting parts of the GPD Forum's sticky.)
-----
Abra/Kadabra/Alakazam: ? (Abra looks slightly like a possom to me, and stromdusk suggests coyote). Abra is based on Edgar Cayce, the "Sleeping Prophet"; Kadabra is based on Uri Geller, the Israeli spoonbender; Alakazam's Japanese name is based on Houdini, but it the creature appears to be merely an exaggeration of Kadabra.
Slowpoke/Slowbro: Perhaps pygmy hippos!
Drowzee/Hypno: Tapir baku and hypnotist
Exeggcute/Exeggutor: Eggs and coconut tree
Staryu, Starmie: Starfish and sunstar
Mr. Mime: Mime
Jynx: Yuki-Onna/? (There was an argument on the old thread on whether or not she was based on ganguro or Yamanba. It starts here, goes on to page 9, skips a few pages, then there's a rebuttal here on page 13.)
Mewtwo: Cat-human, some think that it's a more developed embryo (see below)
Mew: Kitten/gerbil/embryo
Natu/Xatu: Based off Native American totem poles. (Xatu resembles the Thunderbird)
Espeon: Nekomata
Unown: Living alphabet letters
Wobbuffet: Full-sized punching bag? and Sanpei Hayashiya
Girafarig: Giraffe
Smoochum: Baby Jynx
Lugia: Gray heron (there's one that looks like Lugia on the cover of Across the Nightingale Floor)/dragon partner to the phoenix
Celebi: A forest fairy?
Ralts/Kirlia/Gardevoir: A tomboy, a ballerina, and a fairy tale princess/adult graceful woman dancer
Meditite/Medicham: Yogis
Spoink/Grumpig: Pigs (maybe somebody saw this website! XD), perhaps the biblical "neither cast ye your pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6) was snuck in there as well
Lunatone: Moon
Solrock: Sun
Baltoy: Shakou/spinning top
Claydol: Shakou
Chimecho: One of those wind chimes that look like an upside-down cup with a tassel/paper hanging out of it (something like this, but different)
Wynaut: Small punching bag?
Beldum/Metang/Metagross: Sci-fi invader robots? Beldum, at least according to its name, may be based on a dumbbell; ◘Ins0mnIac◘ has pointed out that Metang looks like this thing from Gundam (what's it called?) and Metagross looks like a Tektite from one of the Zelda games
Latias/Latios: Dragons/jet planes?
Jirachi: Tanabata festival/genie (Jirachi has three green tanzaku on it)
Deoxys: Humanoid alien/mutated virus->DNA.... My brother thinks it looks like an orbital frame from Zone of the Enders.
-----
AH! So only Espeon (Which is somewhat a "Cat") and the Grumpig line (Pigs) actually have a real life ANIMAL counterpart which would be considered smart. (Mr. Mime has no "Animal" counterpart. Yes, Mimes are smarter than any animal, but technically it's a lifestyle/hobby/job/whatever. Same with Deoxys, but I wouldn't consider an alien an "animal")
So, what reasoning is left to make Hikozaru or any other animals, like a dolphin Water/Psychic type, etc.? NONE.
While I'm at this, I see lots of people just sticking dark as a secondary type to a lot of possible animal Pokemon incarnations. Don't. It doesn't make sense to stick the type Dark to a Pokemon because it looks scary or is black. That's just plain stupid.
EDIT: The purpose of this topic is - 1. Reasoning for a Pokemon to be a Psychic CANNOT be because it's smart. Almost each of the made Psychic Pokemon don't have a smart animal counterpart, so this reasoning is TRASH.
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