Pokémon And....Mythology? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Japanese Mythology

Whiscash is a Water/Ground-type Pokémon. It is dark blue and catfish-like with a yellow underbelly and long yellow whiskers. It is based on the Japanese myth of the giant catfish Namazu, which causes earthquakes.

According to the myth, the Namazu lives in the mud beneath the islands of Japan. This creature is restrained beneath the earth by the god Takemikazuchi, who uses a large "foundation stone" to pin its head down. When the god Takemikazuchi lets his guard down, gets tired, or is away (such as during the annual gathering of gods), the Namazu thrashes about, causing violent earthquakes.

Whiscash also has poor eyesight and relies on its sensitive whiskers to sense vibrations and navigate its environment, sometimes causing tremors itself to defend its territory.

Answer: Japanese Mythology

Froslass is a unique Ice/Ghost-type "Snow Land Pokémon". It has a white, hollow body that resembles a kimono, and its overall appearance suggests a floating, elegant spirit. Froslass is inspired by the Yuki-onna, a Japanese spirit of a woman who died in the snow-covered mountains.

Yuki-onna is a ghost/spirit in Japanese mythology. She is unearthly beautiful with skin as white as snow and long hair. Her lips are often blue, and her eyes can strike terror into the hearts of mortals. She embodies the dual nature of winter: a beautiful, serene appearance coupled with a ruthless, deadly power. She can conjure and control blizzards and snowstorms, using them to trap travelers.

Froslass's unique dual typing of Ice/Ghost directly translates the nature of the Yuki-onna as a ghost/spirit associated with snow and cold. Also, Froslass is a female-only Pokémon, reflecting the "woman" aspect of the Yuki-onna legend.

Answer: Japanese Mythology

Drowzee is a Psychic-type Pokémon that resembles a tapir. It has a round belly, short legs, and a short trunk-like nose above its mouth. The upper half of its body is yellow and the lower half is brown, separated by a wavy line. It is based on the myth of the Baku, a tapir-like creature that eats bad dreams.

Traditionally, the Baku is a hybrid creature assembled from the leftover parts when the gods finished creating all other animals. The Baku has an elephant's trunk and tusks, a rhino's eyes, an ox's tail, a tiger's paws, and a bear's body. A person who wakes from a nightmare can summon the Baku to eat the bad dream by repeating the phrase, "Baku-san, come eat my dream" three times.

In modern Japan, the mythical Baku is often depicted as a tapir and that is what Drowzee also resembles. Both the mythical Baku and Drowzee are known for eating dreams. Drowzee also uses hypnosis to put people or other Pokémon to sleep before consuming their dreams, mirroring the Baku's interaction with sleeping people.

Answer: Japanese Mythology

Shiftry is a dual Grass/Dark-type Pokémon known as the "Wicked Pokémon". It looks like it is made from wood and has a largely brown, portly body with round shoulders and a long, white mane. Its hands consist of three green leaves and it has long pointed ears and a pointed beak-like nose. Its design is primarily inspired by the Japanese mythical creature, the Tengu.

The Tengu, or "Heavenly Dog", is a legendary creature in Japanese folklore and is revered as a Shinto god or spirit. It is primarily associated with Japan's mountains and forests, where it acts as a powerful, though sometimes dangerous, guardian and trickster. The more traditional Tengu is called the Crow Tengu and has a beaked face, resembling a crow or other bird of prey, surrounded by long, white hair. It is a protector of the mountains and forests and possesses abilities such as shapeshifting, telepathy, mind manipulation, and the ability to cause natural disasters.

Besides sharing physical traits such as the white mane and beaked nose, the Shiftry's ability to create powerful windstorms by flapping its leafy hands directly mirrors the Tengu's use of its magical fans to stir great winds. Also, the "Wicked Pokemon" reflects the tengu's mischievous, deceitful tricks.

Answer: Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Mythology

Zapdos is a dual-type Electric/Flying legendary Pokémon. It is a large bird with its body covered in yellow plumage and black feathers on the back of its wings and inner tail feathers. The feathers are spiky and jagged, designed to look like a burst of electrical energy or lightning bolts. It has taloned feet and black rings around its eyes. The original Zapdos is primarily inspired by the Thunderbird, a powerful and spiritual figure in the folklore of Native Americans.

The Thunderbird is a powerful, supernatural spirit depicted as a massive bird of prey. Its huge size and power are directly linked to the weather. It is believed to create the sound of thunder by flapping its wings and to produce lightning flashes from its eyes or beak. Although it could create huge storms, it could also can protect humans from evil.

Zapdos reflects the Thunderbird by physically resembling a large bird as well as being very powerful. They both live in the sky realm. They also have a shared association with weather phenomena. Both can control lightning bolts and are tied to thunderstorms.

Answer: Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Mythology

Sigilyph is a dual Psychic/Flying-type Pokémon known as the Avianoid Pokémon and is often described as a guardian of ancient ruins. It is a multicolored, spherical Pokémon with an unusual zigzag design. It resembles an ancient, floating totem. It has a pair of wings that are bright yellow with blue and red stripes on each of the feathers. Its design is based on the Peruvian Nazca Lines created by the ancient Nazca culture.

The Nazca people worshipped powerful nature gods of the earth, sea, sky, water, and wind. The lines, in the form of animals and plants and shapes, were likely offerings or messages intended for these gods. Because they lived in a very dry environment, the messages were probably asking for rain. The shapes also served as sacred paths or processional routes.

Sigilyph strongly resembles some of the animal figures etched into the desert floor, particularly the Hummingbird geoglyph. The long, forked tail and overall shape of Sigilyph mirror those of the real-world ground drawings. Sigilyph is also found in desert areas. Finally, its very name is a combination of "sigil" and "glyph," both terms for symbols or carvings, reinforcing the connection to the Nazca drawings.

Answer: Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Mythology

Xatu is a dual-type Psychic/Flying Pokémon, known as the Mystic Pokémon. It is green and bird-like with a design inspired by a combination of a Quetzal and a totem pole. It has long, white wings with red and black tips. When folded, the wings cover most of its front. It has a slightly hooked beak and two long, red feather crests on its head.

A Resplendent Quetzal is a bird species known for its stunning shiny green and red plumage. The quetzal holds profound spiritual and symbolic importance for Mesoamerican cultures. It is associated with the major Mesoamerican god Quetzalcoatl, the "feathered serpent" deity of the air, creation, knowledge, and wind. Totem poles hold significant mythological importance as visual narratives of tribal histories, ancestral connections, and cultural beliefs.

Xatu's green colorimg, long body, and overall shape resemble the male Resplendent Quetzal and the fact Xatu is a "Mystic Pokémon" with psychic, sacred abilities mirrors the sacredness of the bird. Xatu's rigid form looks carved like a totem pole and its name is a variation of "xat", a term for a carved totem pole from the tribes of the Pacific Northwest.

Answer: Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Mythology

Torterra is a Grass/Ground-type Pokémon, known as the "Continent Pokémon". It looks like a cross between a tortoise and an ankylosaur, with a large tree on its back. It has a dark-green upper body, a brown lower body and legs, and a dark green shell with a white rim. A large, oak-like tree grows from the top of its shell, accompanied by three stone extensions resembling mountain peaks. The primary inspiration is the World Turtle found in Indigenous cultures, where a great turtle supports the world on its back.

The World Turtle is a myth across various cultures and describes a huge turtle that supports or contains the world on its back. This turtle appears in Hindu, Chinese, and many Native American mythologies. Several Native American tribes of the Northeastern Woodlands share creation stories featuring a Great Turtle. In these stories, soil placed on the turtle's back expands to form the land or continent, often referred to as "Turtle Island".

Torterra evolves from Turtwig and Grotle, with the plant on its head growing from a sprout to a shrub and finally to a large tree on Torterra's back. The creature's shell is also covered in dirt, moss, and rock, creating a miniature environment that supports life. Torterra ends up looking like the mythical World Turtle!

Answer: Norse Mythology

Applin is a small, dual Grass/Dragon-type Pokémon that resembles a worm living in an apple. If separated from its apple, its main body is a small, light green, worm-like creature with a dark green underside. When inside the apple only its eyestalks and a small part of its tail are visible. The Pokémon Applin is believed to be based on the Norse myth of the goddess Iđunn (Idun) and her golden apples of immortality.

Idun is the Norse goddess of youth, spring, and rejuvenation, known primarily as the keeper of the magical golden apples. She is the wife of the god of poetry and she has an important job. She guards a basket of special apples and gives them to the gods when they begin to feel old. The apples help the gods maintain their eternal youth and vitality. Her story is often linked to the changing seasons, since she leaves in winter and returns in spring.

The specific design of Applin as a Pokémon living inside an apple reinforces its dependence on and link to this fruit. The fact that the apple is the first thing seen when viewing Applin mirrors the power of the fruit and the symbolic importance it was to Idun and the Norse gods.

Answer: Norse Mythology

Perrserker is a Steel-type Pokémon known as the "Viking Pokémon". It is a cat-like Pokémon with hair on its head and limbs that has has hardened into armor. Its hardened hair on its head was formed into a Viking-style horned helmet. It has black fur on its face with two half-closed red eyes.
Its design was based on a Viking warrior.

The myth of the Viking warrior is centered on bravery in battle and the pursuit of a glorious afterlife in Valhalla. According to Norse mythology, Odin, the god of war, sent his female spirit guides to the battlefield. There, they chose half of the fallen warriors to be taken to Valhalla, the realm of the gods. In Valhalla, the warriors do an endless cycle of partying and fighting. This idea encouraged a fearless attitude in battle.

Perrserker's physical look ties directly to a Viking warrior with its helmet, its beard, its weapons, and its armor. Even its name "Perrserker" is a combimation of "purr" (a cat sound) and the term "berserker," referring to the fierce and uncontrollable Norse warriors. Plus, it is valued for its strength and fierce nature in combat which earned him the title "Viking Pokémon".

Answer: Norse Mythology

Yveltal is a dual-type Dark/Flying Legendary Pokémon known as the "Destruction Pokémon". It is a large Pokémon that looks like a bird and dragon combination. Its body, when in flight with its wings and tail spread, forms the shape of the letter "Y". It has a pointed, beak-like snout, bright green eyes, and black horns that curve forward. When its wings and tail feathers spread wide and glow red, it absorbs the life force of living creatures around it. Yveltal is based on the giant bird Hrćsvelgr.

Hrćsvelgr is a gigantic eagle. He is the Norse mythological source of the wind, which is created when he beats his enormous wings. Hrćsvelgr sits at the end of the heavens (often described as the northern edge of the world). When he spreads or beats his massive wings in flight or motion, the wind blows over all people.

Like Hrćsvelgr, Yveltal is a giant bird-like creature. Hrćsvelgr can end the world by creating massive wind storms with its wings. Yveltal is known as the "Destruction Pokémon" and can absorb the life energy of everything around it, a power that could lead to the end of the world.

Answer: Norse Mythology

Zygarde is a Legendary Dragon/Ground-type Pokémon known as the "Order Pokémon" or the "guardian of the ecosystem". It can change into different forms from a cell-like creature to a large serpentine form. It's 50% form is a snake-like creature, with a green and black coloration and various hexagonal patterns. This form is thought to represent Níđhöggr, the dragon that gnaws on the roots of the world tree. In Zygarde's complete form it is a huge humanoid form with serpentine protrusions, claws on its hands, and colored shapes on its body. This form's inspiration is believed to be Hel, the ruler of the underworld.

In Norse mythology, Níđhöggr is a serpent that resides at the roots of the immense cosmic ash tree, Yggdrasil. Its main activity is the perpetual gnawing on one of Yggdrasil's roots, a continuous act of destruction that symbolizes the inherent decay within the universe. Hel is the Norse ruler of the underworld, a cold and shadowy place designated for the majority of the dead who do not die in battle.

Zygarde's role as an underground guardian and as a monitor of the ecosystem's balance is very much like Níđhöggr who is connected to the world tree. Zygarde's Complete Form has a design which features both blue (representing life) and red (representing destruction/death). This is in reference to Hel's appearance, often described as half beautiful woman and half rotting corpse, embodying the duality of life and death.