The eight new Pokémon confirmed for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet all have distinct meanings to their names. Pokémon names generally vary from language to language but feature similar inspirations in line with their design. Sometimes Pokémon names hint at the direction their evolution will go, while other times they’re especially contained. 

Pokémon names can range from multilayered and relatively complex to very simplistic. Among the Seels and Dewgongs are the likes of Lampent and Gardevoir, names that can be deceptively simple or especially distinct. No matter the complexity, each Pokémon’s name is carefully chosen with some sort of meaning - or meanings - in mind. 

Related: Every Pokémon Confirmed For Pokémon Scarlet & Violet

Many of the English Pokémon names in Scarlet and Violet take some sort of inspiration from Spanish words, emphasizing the Spanish inspirations present in Scarlet and Violet’s region, which is currently still unnamed. Traditionally, the Spanish - and Italian - versions of the Pokémon games use the same Pokémon names as the English versions, and the same holds true for Scarlet and Violet. The overlap is especially fitting this time around, though, thanks to the region’s influences. 

What Scarlet & Violet's Starter Pokémon Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly's Names Mean

The three Starter Pokémon from Scarlet and Violet, Sprigatito, Quaxly, and Fuecoco, standing together.

Scarlet and Violet’s starter Pokémon all have rather straightforward names. Sprigatito’s name combines the English word sprig with the Spanish word gatito, which means kitten. Like its fellow feline starter Litten, the name emphasizes the cat’s diminutive nature and may utilize other, “bigger” cat-related words in its names as it evolves. 

Fuecoco’s name comes from two Spanish words: fuego - fire - and cocodrilo - crocodile. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the Pokémon series has used the word fuego in an English language work. Sinnoh’s Fuego Ironworks - location of the helpful Rock Incense - featured in Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, and their remakes, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, uses the exact same word. This was “Tatara Ironworks” in Japanese, coming from the traditional Japanese furnace, tatara.

Quaxly’s name comes from the onomatopoeia “quack.” The Spanish equivalent is cuac and is pronounced similarly to quack, giving Quaxly’s name an indirect Spanish inspiration. The use of the letter “x” in Quaxly can be seen as a way to make it seem fancier, or perhaps to even reference the prolific Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes’ iconic literary figure Don Quixote. Depending on the inspirations behind Quaxly’s evolutions, its name may turn out to have an even deeper meaning. While a number of Pokémon are based on real people, Quaxly wouldn’t be the first Pokémon to be based on a character from fiction if it does turn out to be inspired by Don Quixote: Unova’s Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Keldeo are based on Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers, and fellow starter Serperior draws some inspiration from Lady Oscar from The Rose of Versailles

What Scarlet & Violet's Legendary Pokémon Koraidon And Miraidon's Names Mean

Koraidon and Miraidon in the video that revealed them as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's box Legendaries. stood back to back on separate cliffs

Koraidon and Miraidon, along with the two new regional professors, Prof. Sada and Prof. Turo, begin to shape at least one of Scarlet and Violet’s underlying themes, that being the juxtaposition of the past and the future. Scarlet’s legendary mascot Pokémon Koraidon’s name comes from the Japanese word korai, which means ancient, while Violet’s mascot Miraidon comes from mirai, meaning future. The “don” in their names comes from the Ancient Greek word for tooth, which is where the suffix for many dinosaur names originates. It’s been noted that Koraidon and Miraidon’s bodies somewhat resemble motorcycles, giving extra meaning to the “raido” part in both of their names, since raido is the Japanese loan word for “ride.” 

Related: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Variants Can Be Based On Time & Not Just Region

Legendary Pokémon almost always have the same name across all languages; if they differ, it will usually only be minutely. This gives them a universality which proves very effective for fans - no matter what language players speak, they’ll be able to recognize the mascot legendary Pokémon by name, which can serve as a common ground between them. Koraidon and Miraidon are no exceptions, having the same predominantly Japanese-inspired names across all languages in contrast to the typically more Spanish-inspired names of the other Scarlet and Violet Pokémon thus far. 

What Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's Pawmi And Smoliv's Names Mean

Pokemon Scarlet And Violet Pawmi Smoliv

Revealed in Scarlet and Violet’s second trailer, Pawmi and Smoliv are additional Pokémon with simplistic names. Pawmi comes from paw and nezumi, the Japanese word for mouse. Smoliv combines the English words small and olive, taking the prime opportunity to incorporate the cutesy spelling “smol,” which is usually used in memes or other highly informal settings. The Spanish word for olive varies from country to country, ranging from aceituna to oliva, making Smoliv’s name somewhat based on Spanish. But there’s no Spanish word being used in Pawmi’s name, since the Spanish word for mouse is consistently ratón, and the Spanish word for paw is pata. If anything, Pawmi’s Japanese name Pamo may be the one taking inspiration from Spanish, where “pa” may come from pata in addition to the Japanese onomatopoeia pachipachi, or the sound to represent electric crackling, befitting its role as Scarlet and Violet’s obligatory generational Pikachu clone

The Meaning Behind Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's Lechonk's Name

All New Pokemon Shown In Scarlet And Violet Trailer New Gen 9 Pokemon Lechonk

In the Spanish language, there are actually a lot of different words for “pig.” Full-grown pigs can be referred to as cerdo, puerco, cochino, chancho, and even marrano. There are diminutive versions of all these words to describe piglets, too: cerdito, puerquito, cochinito, chanchito, and marranito. But none of these words are used to describe cooked, edible pig - and none of these were chosen for use in Lechonk’s name. Unlike other pig Pokémon, such as Tepig, Emboar, and Grumpig, which are named after the living animal rather than the edible ham, Lechonk takes a different, and somewhat darker, approach. 

Although the meme-inspired word “chonk” stands out in Lechonk’s well-loved and somewhat silly name, what it’s mostly built upon is actually lechón, which refers to piglets still nursing on their mother’s milk. The word lechón is used to describe both the live piglet and the cooked piglet, but the meal is so popular that searching the term on Google Images results exclusively in the latter. Lechón is traditionally made as a gourmet Christmas dish not only in Spain and Portugal but in many Latin American countries, too. As such, Lechonk’s name in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet specifically draws attention to the irony of its gourmet taste in food and its potential use in gourmet food, not just to reference how it’s a piglet.

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