Thread: The Name Paradox

We all know that most Pokemon species speak their names, which would imply that each species was named after the sound they make (like some real-world species). However, if that is the case, then how come they are all clever portmanteaus of human words? Bit of a strange coincidence, isn't it?

There are some known cases of Pokemon being named by humans (like Mewtwo and Deoxys), but as for the rest, will we ever really know? Do Pokemon really speak their names, or are they named after the sound of their cries?

Well, it depends on what canon you go on. You cannot possibly say the games go with the name cries, whereas the anime does. I personally think they're just clever names people came up with and they really just say their cries.

Originally Posted by Taromon777

Do Pokemon really speak their names, or are they named after the sound of their cries?

I'd say the last one.
Majes more sense.

(Though in that case anime Meowths name would change all the time and would be freking long.)
:P

Originally Posted by ~ Z ~

I'd say the last one.
Majes more sense.

(Though in that case anime Meowths name would change all the time and would be freking long.)
:P

"A wild Meowth That's Right appeared!"

Isn't it anime-only that Pokémon cry their names? It's kinda pointless to make theories over the anime since in this case it doesn't follow the games' way: in the games they have animal-like cries as we hear in the beginning of every battle.

I noticed that some of the game cries sound like the Japanese names, like Quagsire (Nuoh) and Misdreavus (Muma). Not sure if that's just a coincidence though.

And some pokemon are named after their cries, like Pikachu and Nyasu.

Originally Posted by Ryuutakeshi

And some pokemon are named after their cries, like Pikachu and Nyasu.

"Nyarth"/"Meowth" I could probably let slide. But I don't see how you get "Pikachu" out of "Kshirrphww!"[/bad approximation of in-game cry]

Unless you're referencing the meaning of the name rather than the sound?

This is about their anime cries, right?

Then...maybe it's possible that the Pokemon World's People weren't the ones that named them, but instead their human words were derived from the Pokemon's cries?

Interestingly, when you interact with Pokémon in the overworld in the games (except for walking Pokémon), the message that appears is sometimes a mangling of their name ("Zuba Zu!" for Zubat or "Freeh!" for Butterfree), sometimes a mangling of their Japanese name (Clefairy almost always say some variation of "Pipipi", and I think there's a Kangaskhan somewhere that says "Garu"), and sometimes just some sort of noise (Ho-Oh in HeartGold says "Shaoooh!"). Whether these are supposed to be transcriptions of or to the tune of their cries (which play at the same time) seems uncertain.

I think it's that the people have these sounds, and interpret it in these different ways. Like people all over the world go like woof woof (English), oah oah (French) etc. for the same dog sound.

i think some have to do with their cries, but not all, and they saying their names is an Anime thing.

I HAZ THEORY.

If you listen to some of gen iv's cries, they sort of sound like they're saying their own names. For instance...

Shellos: Shellwoh!
Infernape: Infer-NAPE!
Empoleon: Empowaaah!

Others, not so much.

Monferno: KRABBY KRABBY PATTY.

Do youy think that they are making the cries more like the animes every gen?

I think the bigger the Pokemon gets, evolve, the name it calls get smothered. This is the case with Charmander, we can understand its name by it saying the name. By the time it reach CHarizard, it is more of a roar then a name. It is the same of most of the evolved Pokemon.

Originally Posted by Ryuutakeshi

Well, it depends on what canon you go on. You cannot possibly say the games go with the name cries, whereas the anime does. I personally think they're just clever names people came up with and they really just say their cries.

In the old games, when you talk to a Clefairy it says its Japanese name.