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Typhlosion

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Typhlosion
Pokémon character
First gamePokémon Gold and Silver (1999)
Designed byKen Sugimori (finalized)[1]
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon
TypeFire
Fire and Ghost (Hisuian)

Typhlosion (/taɪˈfloʊʒən/), known in Japan as Bakphoon (Japanese: バクフーン) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise, and the final evolved form of starter Pokémon Cyndaquil. First introduced in the video games Pokémon Gold and Silver, it was designed by Ken Sugimori and is featured in Pokémon Go and the Pokémon Trading Card Game, as well as various merchandise.

Classified as a Fire-type Pokémon, it has yellow and blue fur, and is able to generate flames from its back. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Typhlosion receives a new regional variant called Hisuian Typhlosion, with Cyndaquil being one of three starter Pokémon in that game. In addition to its Fire typing, it also gains a Ghost typing.

The Hisuian variant of Typhlosion has generally been well received, with praise given to its design and discussion had over the gender presentation of this form. Typhlosion became the subject of discussion due to a leak of details of various Pokémon games, including one that explored lore about Typhlosion. Due to a machine translation of this document, it was believed that this folklore depicted Typhlosion gaslighting and impregnating a girl, though this was disputed by people claiming that the machine translation changed details.

Conception and development

Typhlosion is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the Pokémon media franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy, which were later released in North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998.[2] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.[3] Each Pokémon have one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.[4] A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[3]

Typhlosion was first introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. When developing the games, around 300 individual Pokémon designs were drafted by various members of the development team, with each deciding their names and features, revising the drafts as needed. During this process the team actively tried to avoid vague design concepts, as they felt this had caused difficulty in creating completed Pokémon during Red and Blue development. As the team selected which Pokémon would be included, they were drawn and finalized by lead artist Ken Sugimori.[1] To maintain balance however, many of the newer species did not appear in the early stages of the game. Additionally, many of the Pokémon were designed with merchandise in mind, taking into account the related Pokémon toy line and anime series. As a result designs often had to be kept simplistic, something that caused strain for Sugimori and affected his approach to the next Pokémon franchise titles, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.[5]

Typhlosion is the final form of the Cyndaquil evolutionary line, evolving from the second stage, Quilava. Like its previous stages, it is a Fire-type Pokémon featuring yellow and blue fur and flames that come from its neck.[citation needed]

Pokémon Legends: Arceus features a new version of Typhlosion as part of regional forms called "Hisuian," while Cyndaquil and Quilava retain their normal forms. It remains a Fire-type Pokémon, but gains the secondary typing of Ghost.[citation needed] It has a similar body shape to Typhlosion with similar coloration, as well as a flame around its neck, though with different colors.[citation needed]

Appearances

Typhlosion made its debut in the games Pokémon Gold and Silver as the evolved form of Cyndaquil.[6] Cyndaquil is made available to the player near the beginning of the game as their starter Pokémon alongside the Grass-type Chikorita and Water-type Totodile.[citation needed] It appears in the same role in the later version Pokémon Crystal[6] and remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver.[citation needed] Cyndaquil is also made available in Pokémon Emerald for players if they complete the game's Hoenn Pokedex. It is featured in multiple Pokémon games after, but was not included in Pokémon Sword and Shield.[citation needed] It was later featured alongside Cyndaquil and Quilava in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, given a new form called a Hisuian form, where Cyndaquil is one of the three starter Pokémon available. The original Typhlosion form is not available in this game.[citation needed] It can be traded to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet from Arceus,[citation needed] and the original Typhlosion form can be obtained in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, the downloadable content for Scarlet and Violet.[citation needed] Typhlosion appears in spinoffs of the Pokémon games, including the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series,[citation needed] Pokémon Ranger,[citation needed] Pokémon Go,[citation needed] and the physical Pokémon Trading Card Game.[citation needed]

Critical reception

Typhlosion was covered in IGN's "Pokémon of the Day" series, with the author arguing that it had a difficult time living up to Charizard due to Charizard being among the most popular Pokémon. She believed that it was the strongest of the gen 2 starter Pokémon, stating that this as well as its "explosive" personality helped elevate its popularity.[6] IGN writer Lucas M. Thomas felt that Typhlosion succeeded at following up Charizard as a Fire-type starter Pokémon.[7] ITMedia staff praised Typhlosion's design, particularly the flames that emit from its neck, and expressed their disappointment with it not having its flames out at all times, making it look worse.[8]

Hisuian Typhlosion's "feminine" design was the subject of commentary by critics

Following an information leak, Typhlosion became the subject of discussion due to a document detailing the folklore of its relationship with a human, as well as a meme.[9] This document was machine translated into English, where it appeared that Typhlosion married a human girl, presumed by some to be a child,[10] and had a child with her. This led to Typhlosion to receive negative reactions on social media.[11] After this document was leaked, it was reported that the machine translation was inaccurate, with claims made that the machine-translated version lacked context, particularly regarding the real-world folklore inspirations. GamesRadar+ writer Catherine Lewis stated that Typhlosion in this story may be based on the shapeshifting yokai Mujina. Lewis noted that whether the translation was accurate or not, being an internal document suggested it was not canon.[10] Polygon writer Ana Diaz felt that it was similar to one of Grimms' Fairy Tales or mythology, and added that it was often compared to Pokémon like Gardevoir and Vaporeon due to the sexual nature of the story.[12] Vice writer Luis Prada felt that people overreacted to the leaked story, arguing that these kinds of stories are present in mythology both in and outside of Japan, as well as arguing that Pokémon has always dabbled in mythological inspiration.[13] Daily Dot writer Lindsey Weedston agreed, adding that feelings on consent differed in the time these kinds of stories appeared than they do now.[9]

Typhlosion's Hisuian form has received generally positive reception. According to Inside Games, Hisuian Typhlosion's design became popular among fans, though Screen Rant writer Austin King stated that initial impressions were mixed before people saw it with its flames on display, at which point reception became more positive.[14] Paste writer Hana Kim called its design "fantastic," and stated that its "very calm demeanor" and "gentle and pacifist" nature was a direct contrast to Typhlosion's "stoic, angry, and explosive" personality.[15] Game Rant writer Joseph Gobran expressed disappointment with Hisuian Typhlosion, stating that both it and its other form have abilities that are "circumstantial," with Hisuian Typhlosion's ability, Frisk, being useless in a competitive scene where opponents have access to info about their opponent's held item.[16]

The design differences between Hisuian and the original form were the subject of discussion by critics. Inside Games writer Sawadee Otsuka felt that it had a more feminine design compared to its regular form, citing "shadow-like eyelids" and a "listless appearance" that they felt made it look seductive. They also discussed how a male Hisuian Typhlosion would be seen as a "downer guy" while a female would be seen as a "seductive mature woman."[17] Fellow Inside Games writer Hachiwatawachi discussed Hisuian Typhlosion's appearance in Pokémon Cafe Mix, where it is seen wearing a kimono. She believed that male Typhlosions were seen as "cool, handsome men with long, sharp features" while females were perceived as "sexy older sisters." On this design, she believed it felt more "bright, cute, [and] innocent."[18] Author Norihito Kodota analyzed Hisuian Typhlosion through a queer lens, arguing that its hunched walking style, eyeshadow, and the flames around its neck defied the ability to define Typhlosion in a way that neatly fits into male or female.[19]

References

  1. ^ a b 『ポケモン金・銀』の 開発者に話を聞きました! [We Spoke to the Developers of Pokémon Gold and Silver!]. 64 Dream (in Japanese). February 2000. p. 73.
  2. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (December 25, 2016). "Pokémon Red & Blue – A Look Back At The 20-Year Journey To Catch 'Em All". Game Informer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Allison, Anne (May 2006). Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. University of California Press. pp. 192–197. ISBN 9780520938991.
  4. ^ Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook. Scholastic Inc. July 28, 2015. p. 5. ISBN 9780545795661.
  5. ^ ポケットモンスター ルビー・サファイア 大ヒット記念 ロングインタビュー [Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire: A Long Interview to Celebrate Their Huge Success]. Nintendo Dream (in Japanese). No. 84. February 2003. pp. 117–126.
  6. ^ a b c "Pokemon of the Day: Typhlosion (#157)". IGN. March 25, 2003. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  7. ^ Thomas, Lucas M. "Typhlosion". Archived from the original on March 2, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  8. ^ "新御三家で最レアのバクフーンに出会えた午後【みんなのポケGO写真】". ITMedia. April 4, 2017. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Weedston, Lindsay (October 16, 2024). "'WTF Game Freak': The Typhlosion allegations and meme, explained". Daily Dot. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Lewis, Catherine (October 18, 2024). "After last week's Pokemon leaks canceled Typhlosion, a new translation of the alleged lore paints the fire-type in a much more favorable light". GamesRadar+.
  11. ^ Lewis, Catherine (October 14, 2024). "Enormous Pokemon leak reportedly includes the JRPG series' entire origin myth, alongside a short story that may have ruined Typhlosion forever". GamesRadar+. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  12. ^ Diaz, Ana (October 16, 2024). "The Pokémon Typhlosion has become the pariah of the internet". Polygon. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  13. ^ Prada, Luis (October 15, 2024). "Leaked Pokémon Lore Includes Story of a Girl Who Has a Baby with a Pokémon". Vice. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  14. ^ King, Austin (February 25, 2022). "Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Real Reason For A Hisuian Typhlosion Form". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  15. ^ Kim, Hana (February 28, 2022). "The Best New Pokémon Forms in Pokémon Legends: Arceus". Paste. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  16. ^ Gobran, Joseph (January 8, 2024). "Why Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Hisuian Typhlosion Drops the Ball in Scarlet and Violet". Game Rant.
  17. ^ Otsuka, Sawadee (March 5, 2023). "『ポケモンレジェンズ アルセウス』ヒスイバクフーンが支持を集める意外な理由とは？「なんかクラブのママ感ある」". Inside Games. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  18. ^ Hachiwatawachi (April 22, 2024). "『ポケモン』色っぽすぎる…！看板娘「ヒスイバクフーン」が『ポケまぜ』に登場中―"茶屋のすがた"が可愛らしくて、思わずお店に行ってしまいそう". Inside Games. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  19. ^ Kodota, Norihito (August 8, 2024). "クィアゲーマー魂の1本：第3回は古怒田望人/いりやさんと「ポケモンSV」。規範を逸れた表象と，クィアな日常との関係". 4gamer. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
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