The Pokémon speak in Pokémon Pokopia. Usually, they’re really cute and nice. Sometimes, they betray their very nature, or they’re a little bit creepy or really quite sad. And sometimes, they’re just silly and downright weird. If you’ve been waiting for years to hear what the Pocket Monsters have to say for themselves, now’s your lucky moment. While some of it’s exactly what you’d expect, other Pokémon are full of surprises. Read on to get filled in on some of the oddest dialogue we’ve stumbled across in Pokopia so far.
5
Kyogre (rural edition)
It’s not so much what Kyogre says, but how they say it. When you think “demigod-like Pokémon that controls major parts of an ecosystem,” the mind doesn’t automatically jump to “your corn-fed neighbor on the farm ‘just down the road’ (50 miles away, across state lines).” The “y’alls” and dropped word endings are a cute way to make a mighty titan seem friendly and approachable. There are other Pokémon, like Blastoise and Hitmonlee, who speak in a similar dialect. But it does make me wonder: If Pokopia Kyogre got angry and blessed someone’s heart, would it drown the world?
4
“Let’s make it humid!”
One of your first big tasks in Pokopia is re-humidifying the Withered Wastes so things can grow there and Pokémon don’t turn into dust. You’re making the region moist, in other words, which is amusing in itself. But even more amusing is when Pokémon in the region help out and shout “Let’s get this place humid!” They’re considerate enough to know the word “moist” makes people uncomfortable, and shouting “let’s make this place moist” would be awkward for everyone, not a helpful teambuilding exercise. It’s sweet of them. Yet it’s also a bit odd since none of them have seen a PC and, presumably, have never been on social media to learn this detail.
3
Pinsir and Heracross’ horn envy
Pokémon are almost universally nice in Pokopia, except Heracross and Pinsir when they see each other. The two have a lengthy argument about whose horn is better, and it gets a bit nasty. Heracross calls Pinsir’s horns pathetic; Pinsir feels sorry for Heracross only having one horn (and a “sorry excuse” for a horn, at that). It’s an unexpected riff on the Pokémon anime, where Goh’s Pinsir falls madly in love with Heracross. People are, unsurprisingly, responding to this by creating enemies-to-lovers scenarios and forcing the two to be roommates.
2
Oddish’s unusual relationship to dirt
If Oddish meets Bellsprout, there’s a good chance the two will end up in an odd (ha) conversation about dirt. Oddish says they love yummy dirt, and Bellsprout (a literal plant with roots for feet) is surprised that Oddish eats dirt. Oddish, confused, tries to explain they don’t eat dirt and just know, somehow, that soil is yummy. Bellsprout is completely fixated on the idea of eating dirt, much to Oddish’s chagrin, and hopes to one day try it.
It’s a cute, weird little exchange, but also a fun nod to Oddish’s fluid history with dirt. Over the years, Oddish’ Pokédex entries have said they grow from absorbing moonlight (Pokémon Crystal); absorb nutrients in the soil through their body without actually consuming or interacting with dirt (Pokémon Ruby); and that it lives underground for protection, but only grows thanks to moonlight (Pokémon Emerald). Alpha Sapphire‘s ‘dex entry tries to clarify and says it plants itself using root-like feet to absorb nutrients, not its whole body, but only during the day. Later Pokémon games essentially gave up and just said, to paraphrase, “yeah, it’s a little weed guy who wanders around at night.”
1
Volbeat’s butt fixation
Illumise and Volbeat are pretty proud of their rear ends. And I guess it makes sense. If fireflies were higher up on the evolutionary chain — and could, y’know, talk — I imagine they’d boast about how bright their butts are and how much nicer they are than everyone else’s.
Anyway, Volbeat can talk, and they’re very happy with their butt, so much so that they ask you to please look at it. Then they wonder what a human butt might look like, since Ditto’s in human form and all. Maybe it’s just an academic interest in human butts. Or maybe that feeling of wondering if someone’s staring at you in a way you don’t like is just payback for all the times Gardevoir suffered (and continues to) under the objectifying gazes of trainers.