If you've ever watched the Pokemon anime, you'll be familiar with Pokedex labels; every time Ash or one of his companions sees a new Pokemon, they whip out their Pokedex and it dictates to them: "Onix - The Rock Snake Pokemon". These labels are in the games, too — if you open up your Pokedex you'll see them right under the species' name.
While these labels are usually a helpful way to get an idea of what the Pokemon is, they're not always perfect. Especially in the older generations of Pokemon, it's common to see 'Dex entries with confusing, incorrect, or downright nonsensical labels. Here are ten such labels that, for one reason or another, don't quite fit the Pokemon they're attached to.
10 Arca💎nine - The Legendary Pokemon
Perhaps the most famous example of the mislabelling phenomenon, Arcanine's Pokedex entry states that it's "legendary." In the Pokemon world, this word carries a specific meaning: Legendary Pokemon are one-of-a-kind, powerful creatures, the kind that 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:adorn the games' boxes.
Arcanine most definitely does not fit this definition. You need a Fire Stone to evolve it, but that's hardly a unique requirement. Growlithe is readily available on routes in many regions, and Arcanine's stats are nothing overly remarkable. There's really nothing "legendary" about Arcanine, leaving its 'Dex label a mystery.
9 🎃 Totodile - The Big Jaw Pokemon
A common trait with Pokedex labels is for every member of an evolutionary line to share a label. In some cases, this makes a lot of sense. It's fitting to call both Slugma and Magcargo "The Lava Pokemon", for example. In Totodile's case, however, it's a questionable decision.
"The Big Jaw Pokemon" is definitely a fitting title for Feraligatr, but Totodile is a tiny baby crocodile. Its jaws certainly don't look particularly strong. Whatever the reason the label was carried down to Totodile, it doesn't make the cute little croc any worse of a Starter.
8 ♚ Blastoise - The Sh🃏ellfish Pokemon
From one water Starter to another, and this label is absolutely absurd. The rest of the Blastoise line's labels make sense: Squirtle is the Tiny Turtle Pokemon, and Wartortle is just the Turtle Pokemon. Why, then, does the labelling derail completely with Blastoise?
It's still a turtle; there's nothing shellfish about it. Generation 1 had plenty of shellfish — the Krabby and Shellder lines — but Blastoise certainly isn't one of them. It has a shell, but it is by no means a fish. Whatever𒅌 led to this𝓰 bizarre label, players will simply have to speculate.
7 Caterpie - The Worm Pokemon ﷺ 👍
Continuing the trend of calling one animal a completely different animal, we have Caterpie. Caterpie, as the name suggests, is very clearly a caterpillar. It's green, hairy, has a lot of legs, and spins a cocoon before turning into a butterfly.
Yet, according to the Pokedex, Caterpie is a worm. Translation errors might be to blame for these strange misnomers, given that the globally-available Red & Blue were based on the Japanese games, Red & Green, but it doesn't make such labels any less confusing.
6 𝔍 Weedle - Tꦡhe Hairy Bug Pokemon
Caterpie and Weedle are counterparts in many ways, and their Pokedex labels keep to that trend. It's less clear with Weedle what exact real-world bug was the inspiration, but one look at a Weedle is enough to see it has no hair.
Looking at the labels for Weedle and Caterpie together, it's possible a mix-up occurred — Caterpie is a hairy bug, and Weedle resembles a worm far more than it does anything hairy, so perhaps the labels got swapped ꦯat some point during production.
5 Poliwrath - The T♓a𒁃dpole Pokemon
Like Totodile, this is another example of a label being kept for a whole line where it doesn't really fit. Unlike Totodile, however, Poliwrath's problem is that it doesn't suit the label of its unevolved form. Poliwag is the Tadpole Pokemon, and that's clear from looking at it.
Poliwrath, though? It's a muscly, bipidal fighter with no discernable tail or fins. All it shares with Poliwag is a colour scheme and the swirl on its stomach. It seems as though for Poliwrath (and its middle stage, Poliwhirl), a new label might have been a good idea, because there's really nothing "tadpole" about them.
4 ꧅ Ledian - The Five Star Pokemon 🥀
Bug-type Pokemon are pretty underwhelming across the boꦡard, and that remains true in the case of Ledian and its pre-evolution Ledyba. Anyone who's ever had the misfortune of using this Pokemon will know how underwhelming it is: the forgettable design, slim movepool, and dire stats make ꦆLedian an objectively rather poor Pokemon.
Why, then, does the Pokedex tout it as being "Five Star"? It's suggested that the stars play a role in Ledian's power (or lack thereof), and that it uses them to navigate, but why five? Whatever the reason behind this label, the "Five Star" moniker gives the impression of an outstanding Pokemon, when, in reality, poor Ledian is anything but.
3 Forret🧸ress - The Bagworm Pokemon
Pineco is labelled as the Bagworm Pokemon. This is questionable to begin with, especially when compared to Burmy, considering Pineco's inspiration is very clearly not a bagworm, but a pine cone. Where things get ridiculous, though, is when this label carries over to Pineco's evolution, Forretress.
Forretress is a metal ball with cannons protruding from the sides — not typical traits of bagworms. One of the most confusing labels in the Pokedex, "The Bagworm Pokemon" is silly when applied to Pineco, and goes to the next level on Forretress.
2 🎐 Mantine - The Kite Pokemon
"Kite" can mean a few things. It can be a mathematical shape, the fabric on a string you can fly in the wind, or a bird of prey. Noticeably missing from that list — a manta ray. Mantine is a gentl𝓡e giant of a sea creature, with paternal instincts that cause it to protect lonely Remoraid.
It is not, however, a kite. It does have a Flying-typing, but it isn't on a string or anything of the sort, so whatever was meant by calling Mantine "The Kite Pokemon," the end result is one of the most bizarre, random labels in all of the Pokedex.
1 𝓰 Slowbro - The Hermit Crab Pokemon
Slowbro has one thing in common with hermit crabs — it has a shell covering the rear of its body. Unlike hermit crabs, though — and this is a pretty crucial difference — Slowbro is not a crab. This label is one of the most nonsensical in the Dex; unlike Weedlꦅe and Caterpie, the animal Sl🀅owbro is labelled as has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Furthermore, hermit crabs acquire empty shells to use as their homes. Slowbro's shell is a living, separate entity — a Shellder that's latched onto Slowbro's tail and won't let go. Looking at how little♈ sense it makes, "The Hermit Crab Pokemon" might just be the most egregiousl🍒y misleading label in the entire Dex.