Summary
APokemonfan has shared an interesting anecdote about the origin of the Hoenn starter Torchic and its evolutions Combusken and Blaziken. ThePokemonfranchise has currently produced nine generations of pocket monsters, and several of the creatures' designs are inspired by real-life animals. Torchic is one of many cute Pokemon, but the surprising inspiration behind the chick’s evolution adds an expected layer.
Spanning several video games, a popular trading card game, and an ongoing anime, thePokemonIP has grown rapidly since the 90s and shows no signs of slowing down. Presently, trainers are soaking upPokemon GO’s Halloween Event Part 1, which is brimming with free, timed, and field research tasks that reap big rewards. Fans also have the upcomingPokemon Legends: Z-Ato look forward to in 2025, which may coincide with the arrival of the Generation 10 roster.
Posted on Reddit by daemon86, a screenshot from a Japanese magazine was shared with thePokemoncommunity, providing details about the origin of Torchic’s design by renowned artist Ken Sugimori. Translated from Japanese, Sugimori revealed Torchic was inspired by painted chicks sporting garish colors. The artist explained, “[Torchic] starts out cute then grows into something fierce and hard to look at…we wanted people raising them to feel that sense of disappointment.“There’s a catch to obtain Torchic inPokemon Scarlet and Violet’sIndigo DiskDLC, but the Hoenn starter is a fan-favorite despite its cuteness developing into more aggressive evolutions. Torchic’s design history was also included in the post, showing seven concepts with ear-like feathers and brown plumage that came before the final design.
Pokemon Fan Shares Surprising Inspiration Behind Torchic’s Design and Evolutions
Torchic had a lengthy design history with several concepts left on the bench, similar toPokemon’s leaked unused Water-type starter Warabbit. However, fans found Sugimori’s plan to disappoint fans through Torchic’s evolution jarring. Redditors believed this may have been a translation error, and instead, the artist wanted to showcase the juxtaposition between Torchic’s cute aesthetic and Blaziken’s fiercer design. Other users thought the devs were trying to evoke sympathy fromPokemonplayers towards the now frowned-upon craze of painted chicks.
Torchic is a Generation 3 Fire-type Pokemon and it evolves into Combusken from level 16 and Blaziken from level 36. The chick joins other Hoenn starters Treecko and Mudkip and boasts the Blaze and Speed Boost abilities. Flaunting the adorable qualities of an Easter chick, Torchic also has a shiny variant with a prominent yellow colorway instead of orange, and onePokemonfan designed Torchic a Dragon-type regional variantrecently. In light of Sugimori’s insight, players may now feel differently about raising their in-game chick.
Pokemon
Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
