#minnesotan pokedex

[prof-hemlock]

The Minnesotan Pokedex

Let’s jump right in! As explained in my last entry, Pokemon distribution relies mostly on habitat. For my home state of Minnesota, I based my Pokedex off the following habitat types and pulled from the linked sources:

Temperate and Deciduous Forests

Woodlands

Grasslands/Plains/Prairies

Ponds

Streams and Rivers

Fields and Meadows

Cities

Lakes

Lakesides and Riversides

Swamps, Bogs, and Marshes

I also added Pokemon that I imagined could be found in areas such as cemeteries or power plants, but since these aren’t natural or large environments, I didn’t consider them habitats.

After selecting for and removing Pokemon that I thought would be odd to include in my state, such as the Luxray line, I was left with the following Pokedex! I did not include legendary or mythical Pokemon because I wouldn’t consider them “species” that could be found, but rather individuals that I’d like to cover in a separate essay. So, for those of you who may find interest in the topic, I present:

The Minnesotan Pokedex

Bulbasaur/Ivysaur/Venusaur

Squirtle/Wartortle/Blastoise

Caterpie/Metapod/Butterfree

Weedle/Kakuna/Beedrill

Pidgey/Pidgeotto/Pidgeot

Rattata/Raticate (Kantonian)

Ekans/Arbok

Pichu/Pikachu/Raichu (Kantonian)

Nidoran/Nidorina/Nidoqueen

Nidoran/Nidorino/Nidoking

Vulpix/Ninetales (Kantonian)

Igglybuff/Jigglypuff/Wigglytuff

Zubat/Golbat/Crobat

Oddish/Gloom/Vileplume/Bellossom

Paras/Parasect

Venonat/Venomoth

Meowth/Persian (Kantonian)

Psyduck/Golduck

Growlithe/Arcanine

Poliwag/Poliwhirl/Poliwrath/Politoed

Abra/Kadabra/Alakazam

Bellsprout/Weepinbell/Victreebel

Ponyta/Rapidash (Kantonian)

Slowpoke/Slowbro/Slowking (Kantonian)

Farfetch’d (Kantonian)

Grimer/Muk (Kantonian)

Gastly/Haunter/Gengar

Lickitung

Happiny/Chansey/Blissey

Goldeen/Seaking

Scyther/Scizor

Pinsir

Tauros

Magikarp/Gyarados

Lapras

Ditto

Eevee/Vaporeon/Jolteon/Flareon/Espeon/Umbreon/Leafeon/Glaceon/Sylveon

Munchlax/Snorlax

Dratini/Dragonair/Dragonite

Chikorita/Bayleef/Meganium

Cyndaquil/Quilava/Typhlosion

Totodile/Croconaw/Feraligatr

Sentret/Furret

Hoothoot/Noctowl

Ledyba/Ledian

Spinarak/Ariados

Togepi/Togetic/Togekiss

Mareep/Flaafy/Ampharos

Azurill/Marill/Azumarill

Bonsly/Sudowoodo

Hoppip/Skiploom/Jumpluff

Sunkern/Sunflora

Yanma/Yanmega

Wooper/Quagsire

Murkrow/Honchkrow

Misdreavus/Mismagius

Pineco/Forretress

Snubbull/Granbull

Heracross

Sneasel/Weavile

Teddiursa/Ursaring

Houndour/Houndoom

Stantler

Smeargle

Miltank

Treecko/Grovyle/Sceptile

Torchic/Combusken/Blaziken

Mudkip/Marshtomp/Swampert

Poochyena/Mightyena

Zigzagoon/Linoone (Hoennian)

Wurmple/Silcoon/Beautifly/Cascoon/Dustox

Lotad/Lombre/Ludicolo

Seedot/Nuzleaf/Shiftry

Taillow/Swellow

Ralts/Kirlia/Gardevoir

Surskit/Masquerain

Shroomish/Breloom

Nincada/Ninjask/Shedinja

Skitty/Delcatty

Electrike/Manectric

Plusle

Minun

Volbeat

Illumise

Budew/Roselia/Roserade

Gulpin/Swalot

Swablu/Altaria

Zangoose

Seviper

Barboach/Whiscash

Corphish/Crawdaunt

Feebas/Milotic

Castform

Shuppet/Banette

Duskull/Dusclops/Dusknoir

Absol

Turtwig/Grotle/Torterra

Starly/Staravia/Staraptor

Bidoof/Bibarel

Kricketot/Kricketune

Burmy/Wormadam/Mothim

Combee/Vespiquen

Pachirisu

Buizel/Floatzel

Cherubi/Cherrim

Buneary/Lopunny

Glameow/Purugly

Stunky/Skuntank

Spiritomb

Croagunk/Toxicroak

Carnivine

Snover/Abomasnow

Rotom

Snivy/Servine/Serperior

Tepig/Pignite/Emboar

Oshawott/Dewott/Samurott

Patrat/Watchog

Lillipup/Herdier/Stoutland

Purrloin/Liepard

Pidove/Tranquill/Unfezant

Woobat/Swoobat

Audino

Timburr/Gurdurr/Conkeldurr

Tympole/Palpitoad/Seismitoad

Sewaddle/Swadloon/Leavanny

Venipede/Whirlipede/Scolipede

Cottonee/Whimsicott

Petilil/Lilligant

Basculin

Sigilyph

Trubbish/Garbodor

Zorua/Zoroark

Ducklett/Swanna

Deerling/Sawsbuck

Emolga

Karrablast/Escavalier

Foongus/Amoonguss

Joltik/Galvantula

Shelmet/Accelgor

Stunfisk

Bouffalant

Rufflet/Braviary

Vullaby/Mandibuzz

Chespin/Quilladin/Chesnaught

Fennekin/Braixen/Delphox

Froakie/Frogadier/Greninja

Bunnelby/Diggersby

Fletchling/Fletchinder/Talonflame

Scatterbug/Swewpa/Vivillon

Flabebe/Floette/Florges

Skiddo/Gogoat

Furfrou

Espurr/Meowstic

Spritzee/Aromatisse

Swirlix/Slurpuff

Dedenne

Goomy/Sliggoo/Goodra

Klefki

Phantump/Trevenant

Pumpkaboo/Gourgeist

Noibat/Noivern

Rowlet/Dartrix/Decidueye

Litten/Torracat/Incineroar

Yungoos/Gumshoos

Grubbin/Charjabug/Vikavolt

Cutiefly/Ribombee

Rockruff/Lycanroc

Mudbray/Mudsdale

Dewpider/Aranquid

Morelull/Shiinotic

Togedemaru

Mimikyu

Scorbunny/Raboot/Cinderace

Sobble/Drizzile/Inteleon

Skwovet/Greedent

Rookiedee/Corvisquire/Corviknight

Blipbug/Dottler/Orbeetle

Nickit/Thievul

Gossifleur/Eldegoss

Wooloo/Dubwool

Chewtle/Drednaw

Yamper/Boltund

Applin/Flapple/Appletun

Cramorant

Arrokuda/Barraskewda

Sinistea/Polteageist

Hatenna/Hattrem/Hatterene

Impidimp/Morgem/Grimmsnarl

Milcery/Alcremie

Indeedee

Morpeko

Dreepy/Drakloak/Dragapult

[prof-hemlock]

Pokemon Distribution and Habitats

Hello again! We last left off on the topic of influencing factors on one’s Pokemon team with our last subject relating to Pokemon near said trainer. Today, we’ll be exploring how we could determine what variety of Pokemon would be available, and for interested parties, steps that you can take towards building your own local Pokedex based on your town, state, or country.

The most important subject to cover would first be that Pokemon would live in biomes that correspond to their in-game locations, where they can be seen on occasion in the anime, and Pokedex entries. Not yet taking into account which real-life areas Pokemon regions are based on, we must assume that if a certain Pokemon is found in forests and routes with lots of grasses and trees, then that species implemented in our world would fill a similar niche. For example, Pidgey are found in game on routes near rural settlements, so we can assume that we could find them in forests or perhaps the suburbs. While you cannot catch Pidgey in urban areas in-game, we can see in the anime how Pidgey have integrated into these types of environments. Thus, we can further assume that we’d be able to place Pidgey also into the urban environment category. I also believe that the commonness of each type would be affected by seasons, so for my Midwestern home, we may see migrations of ice-types in the winter and bug- and grass-types returning in the summer. I’ve used this technique of sorting by biome to build my own Pokedex for my home state, of which I will elaborate on in another essay.

I’ll take a quick break here to give credit to The World of Pokemon. This website has been the most helpful tool in this process of sorting by biome, and I owe my life to it. If you’re going to build your own Pokedex, please use this site! I can’t endorse it enough!

I would also like to consider the occasional conflict between a Pokemon’s typing and the location of its real world animal inspiration. A classic example of this would be the Sandile line, Pokemon based off of water-based crocodiles, and yet shown in game to live in desert areas. If we were to assume “the Pokemon would exist where its real-life counterpart is,” then we’d be placing this line in areas like the Everglades in Florida, an area where a dry ground-type would probably suffer. Instead, I’d like to propose that typing trumps species where the conflict occurs, and typing becomes the more important factor when determining their home biome(s)/habitat(s).

Another conflict to consider would be that of type versus location. Let’s consider grass-type monkey Pokemon like Grookey and Pansage. They’re both implied to have forest habitats, and for Pansage, that habitat can be deciduous forests. I live in Minnesota, known for its wetland, grassland, lake, and deciduous forest biomes. If we only consider biomes in this case, we could place these species in Minnesota. However, I would say if there is probable enough doubt for that Pokemon being found in an area, such as the prospect of finding wild monkeys in Minnesota, then species can trump typing. This doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t find these Pokemon at all, but it would give enough reason to say that we probably wouldn’t find monkey grass-type Pokemon in Midwestern USA.

Another potential conflict to this rule of thumb would be Pokemon with variant typings, and areas where both variants could be found based on their respective biomes. Let’s look at the example of Kantonian and Alolan Vulpix. First, we wouldn’t be dealing in terms of regions, and instead we’re talking about our world with our respective countries. Instead of using these identifying terms, it’d be likely that we’d refer to Vulpix by its type, such as fire-variant Vulpix and ice-variant Vulpix. Fire-variant Vulpix are found in game in fields or near warm areas such as volcanoes. In a way, if these Vulpix aren’t grouped by type, they seem to be equivalent to real foxes in the areas they can be found, and I’d say that you’d be able to find Vulpix in wooded areas and plains as well. Ice-variant Vulpix are found in cold climates, and the Pokedex tells us that they are found primarily on snowy mountains. I would like to expand on this definition and assume that they fill the role of arctic foxes, and we could also find them in tundra biomes. I’ll use Minnesota again as my example in the following scenario because it’s the state I know best. 

Minnesota has a reputation for its cold, snowy, and harsh winters, and one might assume that because of this, we’d find ice-variant Vulpix in Minnesota. I’d argue the contrary because of species differentiation. The basis of the variant forms originally comes from the idea that species of certain Pokemon evolved to serve new niches in their respective regions. Ice-type Vulpix evolved because they retreated to the mountains to escape predators. Alolan Grimer is representative of an oil spill versus sewer sludge. No two forms are naturally found in the same area, and for that reason, I’d say that only fire-variant or ice-variant forms of Vulpix could be found in Minnesota. I’d lean towards fire-variant Vulpix being more likely based on our available grasslands and forests. (Also because there are no mountains in Minnesota, and I don’t take Vulpix for a species that would migrate.) If Minnesota did have tall, snowy enough mountains to find ice-variat Vulpix I’d concede to them living in the state, but I’d separate the two in that one would have to be far enough away from ice-variant territory to find the fire-variant Vulpix. For species such as Zigzagoon where the differences are less severe, or where it may be probable that one variant was recently introduced into the same biome as the other, then there may be more of a chance for them to cohabitate.

Lastly, when building these Pokedexes, it should also be considered what stages of each line would actually be common in one’s environment. Let’s look back to the example of Pidgey in the cities. For an area with limited food sources and area for the Pokemon to grow, it would then be improbable for said Pokemon to evolve past the Pidgey state. So, while a Pokedex may have to state each stage of an evolutionary line, we could assume that not every stage may be found in the wild. I imagine Eevee to be a species not only native to my state, but also one found in probably every corner of the world to varying degrees of rarity. Those Pokedexes may list every evolution. However, it would be improbable for an Eevee to naturally evolve into a Glaceon in states like Arizona. It can also be assumed that generally stronger one-stage Pokemon would be rarer than your Caterpies and Weedles. So, it may be possible for any trainer to find a Scyther or Heracross in the woodlands on the outskirts of their town, but more probable that every trainer has a mix of the more common Pokemon to their area: Spearows and Weedles.

That wraps up this essay. I hope to present my own version of a Minnesotan Pokedex in my next dissertation! Thank you for reading, and see you next time!