- [Narrator] With its ever
growing collection of creatures, it's hard not to want to step inside the wonderful world of Pokémon. But you'd be surprised
to know just how many of these lovable pocket monsters have astounding similarities
to very real life forms in our own world. From dragons made of leaves
to a real life Ditto, grab your Pokéballs young
trainer, you're gonna need 'em. Here are the most amazing
Pokémon characters caught in real life. A veteran of Pokémon's first generation, Pidgey is one of the earliest Pokémon many new players come
across on their introduction to the franchise. Despite its name, Pidgey doesn't
look anything like a pigeon and more closely resembles other birds in the passerine family, including pipits, larks, and sparrows. Pidgey also looks a lot like a
female rose breasted grosbeak as shown in this impressive
side by side snap shared by a Pokémon Go player in 2019. While it may not look like a pigeon, the bird type does display
a lot of similar behaviors. Most notably, it's homing senses which are utilized in Pokémon's
national Pidgey Mail Service where the bird-types
carry mail and parcels around the Pokémon world. While there isn't an exact real life match for Pidgey's spiked
feather hairdo out there, there's plenty of very real
looking Pokémon artwork and photoshops online
for us to daydream over, certainly enough to keep
us happy while we wait for genetic engineering to reach a point where Pokémon can become a real thing. While piggy is undeniably cute, there's some Pokémon out there that are a lot less welcoming. Arbok for example is a
serpentine poison type Pokémon that instills fear into any
trainer it comes up against. While Arbok's distinctively
bright purple scales make it stand out in the Pokémon universe, its design takes inspiration
from very real snakes specifically the Indian Cobra. While Arbok is a slightly
modified version of Cobra spelled backwards, unlike Arbok, the Indian Cobra is usually
tan, brown, or green in color to help camouflage it
from unsuspecting prey. However, there are still
many physical similarities between these two slippery fellows. The most notable parallel
is the menacing looking hood that juts out from the
side of their heads, each displaying bold
patterns to stun enemies. Both Arbok and the Indian
Cobra are very territorial, lashing out at intruders with long fangs enriched with venom. Arbok doesn't merely
possess the venomous nature of a cobra however, it also has the ability
to defeat opponents by crushing them in the
same way a real life python or boa constrictor would. While much of the inspiration
behind Arbok's design can be found in real life, another of its abilities comes
from the world of legend. This cobra Pokémon's glare ability which frightens foes into paralysis is inspired by the legendary Basilisk, said to have the ability
to freeze or kill people with its deadly stare. Thanks to the power of Photoshop we can get a glimpse of
what a real life Arbok would really look like. Just like this one shared on
image manipulation contest site worth 1000 back in the early 2000s. And while there are some
pretty gorgeous looking snakes in our real world, I can't help wishing we had
a purple monster like this available as a pet. From one ravenous reptilian to another, you only have to look at Krookodile to see that this ground
dark type is inspired by none other than the crocodile. Unlike any crocodilians in real life, Krookodile has a thick maroon colored body black back, and white stomach. But while it's outlandish
colors are certainly unusual, it has a very close link to one particular real life crocodilian you may never have heard of. Krookodile's narrow snout
isn't common in most crocodiles but it is very similar
to that of the gharial, a rare type of fish eating crocodile found in India and Nepal. These elongated snouts allow
the real world reptiles to maneuver through water
and snap down on fish with deadly speed and precision. What's more? Male gharials also bear a lumpy growth at the end of the snout, which they use to help loudly
resonate a hissing sound to capture the attention
of potential mates. Because of habitat loss
due to human encroachment, hunting and overfishing, the gharial species is
currently considered critically endangered. It's estimated that
there are approximately 650 adult gharials remaining in the wild with a shocking population decrease of 98% in less than a century. While Krookodile will live forever inside the Pokémon franchise, let's hope that the great gharial wins its fight for survival. One of the most popular
starter Pokémon out there, many fans have a special place
in their heart for Bulbasaur. In terms of its body, the real world inspiration for Bulbasaur is difficult to pin down as
it's design is clearly inspired by a mix of different animals. Bulbasaur's broad mouth and wide set eyes are common characteristics
among the Anuran family, which includes frogs and toads, while it's shell like
bulb is more reminiscent of tortoises and turtles. Looking rather like
cute angry little turtle that shell on Bulbasaur's
back raises the question. Are there any real animals that can grow plants on their bodies? Outside of the world of Photoshopped frog-garlic-clove combos? Well, surprisingly the answer is yes. The adorable Costasiella kuroshimae, more commonly known as the
leaf sheep is a species of sea slug found in waters
near Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia. While Bulbasaur sports just
one iconic bulb on its bag, the leaf sheep has a
whole coat of greenery covering its little body. In fact, the leaf sheep is one of very few multicellular organisms
that has the ability to photosynthesize just like plants. The microscopic leaf sheep
grazes on green algae in the water and retains
special plant cells known as chloroplasts. It then stores these
chloroplasts in its big green leaf lake appendages
to photosynthesize energy from sunlight, allowing the little slug to live for months on end
without any need for food. This process is known as kleptoplasty, a literal translation from
the Greek word, klepto meaning thief and plasty
as in chloroplasts. While they may look visually
different like the leaf sheep, Bulbasaur's back bulb is the
source of many of its powers. With its move set including synthesis, Pokémon's equivalent of photosynthesis, it seems Bulbasaur might
have even more in common with our sea slug friend than it seems. While Bulbasaur might be the first Pokémon listed in the Pokédex, there are other Pokémon
out there that are thought to have wandered the Pokéworld
for millions of years. In the Pokémon world, fossils
of prehistoric Pokémon are items players can use to
revive into living Pokémon. One such fossil Pokémon is Kabuto, a rock water type that can be
revived from a Dome fossil. In-game lore states Kabuto
is technically extinct aside from resurrected versions, having originally thrived
300 million years ago. If you're thinking that a pass like that is solely reserved for
fiction, then think again. As Kabuto's ancient origins are drawn from very real natural history. The only difference is that
our real world equivalent has never gone extincted. Kabuto's real world relative
is the Horseshoe crab which are also classified
as living fossils and have existed nearly
completely unchanged for at least 445 million years, long before even dinosaurs existed. Sporting a nearly identical
appearance to that of Kabuto, the Horseshoe crab is encased
in a hard helmet-like shell which conceals a multitude of spindly legs and pincers beneath. Strangely, the Horseshoe
crab isn't actually a crab and is more closely related
to spiders and scorpions. And speaking of prehistoric
looking critters, Kabuto also bears a striking resemblance to the giant isopod, a colossal crustacean found in cold deep waters the world over. Kabuto's red eyes are one of
its most prominent features and the isopod follow suit, sporting some seriously
creepy looking large eyes, which thankfully aren't red. Onto more creepy crawlies now, and you'll need some strong
Pokémon to face this next one. The fighting bug-type Heracross
bears many similarities to the Japanese rhinoceros beetle which are known for their
incredible strength. Rhinoceros beetles are one
of the strongest animals on the planet relative to their size. With the ability to
lift more than 100 times their own body weight, that'd be like a human lifting
around seven refrigerators. Living up to its name, the
male rhinoceros beetles sports a distinctive horn on its head just like Heracross
which it uses the flank sexual competitors off of mating sites, which are usually in trees. I usually challenge my
romantic competitors to a battle of wits
but to teach their own. When kicked into mega evolution mode where stats are temporarily boosted, mega Heracross takes on an appearance that looks to be based
on the Hercules beetle. This Herculean insect also
served as the inspiration for this fighting type's name as Heracles is the Greek
God equivalent of Hercules. And now you are in possession
of some truly godly knowledge. You're welcome. One of the secondary character
Brock's most trusted Pokémon in the anime, Croagunk,
bears a striking resemblance to a not so friendly real world creature, the poison dart frog. This colorful character
of the animal kingdom has evolved a bold exterior
as a great big warning sign to predators to keep away in a
phenomenon known aposematism. While real poison dart frogs only grow to around one to two inches in length, they secrete enough potent
toxins in their skin to cause great harm to humans. The golden poison dart frog for example produces enough toxin
to kill 10 adult men. As the only poison fighting
type Pokémon in existence, as of early 2022, Croagunk
isn't one of the best defensive Pokémon out there but it can pack a real punch
when it comes to attacks. While the real world blue poison dart frog doesn't actually shoot any
darts or have any stingers, Croagunk makes up for that
slightly disappointing reality with its own poison sting move in which a poison barb is
stabbed at its opponent. Honestly, I don't know if it'd be cool or just plain terrifying
for real poison dart frogs to be able to snipe foes
with poisonous projectiles from a distance but I'd certainly
watch an anime about that. While a team including Croagunk
is sure to see trainers hop to new heights, this next critter puts
the poke in Pokémon. By just its appearance alone you can probably guess that Pikipek is based on a woodpecker, but wait until you see just
how similar this Pokémon really looks to a specific
real life species. The pileated woodpecker
is the largest woodpecker in all of North America, and its coloration is
larger than life too. Both the pileated woodpecker and Pikipek possess a flaming red crest, white markings around
their face and breast as well as being mostly
covered in black plumage. Pikipek can peck at a
rate of 16 times a second to drill holes in trees, but surprisingly, most
real life wood peckers can do better than this. Woodpeckers have incredibly
strong neck muscles that power up to 20 pecks per second and a focused pileated
woodpecker can excavate two holes reaching six inches deep
within around two hours. Never before has a six inch
pecker seems so impressive. Hmm, I see no way that
sentence can be misconstrued. A lot of the time, a Pokémon's
name can give you a big clue as to its real world inspiration and Zigzagoon is no exception. Zigzagoon's name and
bandito masked appearance suggest that it is based on a raccoon but that's not all, as it also shares several similarities with the Japanese raccoon dog. Intriguingly, despite their shared names and similar appearances, raccoons aren't related
to raccoon dogs at all. The latter from the canid
family, alongside foxes, dogs, and wolves. While raccoons themselves
belong to the procyonid family, which is native to North and South America and includes such fun named animals as the kinkjou and olinguito. Also known as the tanuki, the Japanese raccoon dog has
played a significant role in folklore since ancient times. While tanukis are very much real, they have a reputation for
magic just like certain Pokémon. Legends say that if you wander through the Japanese forest
lands and hear music, you might just be hearing a tanuki beating on his magic belly drum, which he uses to lure
people off the beaten path until they're lost. Zigzagoon also has its very
own belly bashing ability in the form of the risky belly drum move which maximizes a user's
attack while sacrificing HP. If only beating our bellies like a drum could make us human stronger too, wars would look a whole lot different. More furry friends now, let's say hello to one of
the newer pups on the block. Yamper was officially revealed
as the 835th Pokémon in 2019 and quickly won trainer's hearts with its truly adorable appearance. Unsurprisingly, Yamper was
inspired by man's best friend, a puppy, a Welsh Corgi to be specific. Yamper's connection to the real world is quite the royal affair
saying as Welsh Corgis are the favorite dog breed of none other than Queen Elizabeth II. Yamper's British connections
don't stop there though. As it's a very popular herding Pokémon in Sword and Shield's Galar region, which itself was inspired by none other than the United Kingdom, regal indeed. A ground type Pokémon
introduced in generation one, Sandshrew is known to have poisonous claws similar to how some
species of real world shrew can deliver a neurotoxic bite. However, despite its shrew-focused name, anatomically, Sandshrew's
real life mirror image comes in the form of the Sunda pangolin. These peculiar creatures can be found throughout Southeast Asia
and shares Sandshrew's tough yellow hide, which in our real world
counterparts consist of as many as a thousand tough keratin scales that protect them from
dangerous predators. When in danger, both
Sandshrew and the pangolin will curl up into a ball
to defend themselves, showing only the hard scale back, which as you can imagine
isn't the easiest thing to tuck into. Out of all the various categories that Pokémon can fall into,
ice type is the rarest. And while the Alolan variant of Sandshrew might look like an igloo, this next Pokémon will have you walking in a winter wonderland. Introduced in generation two,
Delibird is a dual type ice and flying Pokémon. And a lot of players fail to notice the little fellows look
a lot like penguins, albeit sunburn penguins. Specifically, the overall
appearance inspiration of Delibird comes from
the rockhopper penguin. A species whose distinctive head feathers can be spotted on shorelines
across the Southern hemisphere. However, in a surprising twist, Delibird's red and white
coloring and beard-like chest plumage is drawn
from the North Pole's best kept secret, Santa Claus. Delibird is a combination
of delivery and bird on account of its sack-like
tail that it holds in its hands and its ability to give presents. Just like Santa, it looks like Delibird has its very own naughty and nice list as its signature move present
has a set percentage chance of either dealing damage
against an opponent or healing it for a
quarter of its maximum HP. From snow to sea now,
and water type Pokémon make up around 20% of
entries in the Pokédex, making them the most common type of all. It's not surprising really, given that our real
world oceans are filled with a whole host of
bizarre looking critters, the inspiration for Pokémon are boundless. For example, with a name
combining dragon and algae the pocket monster Dragalge
bears a close resemblance to a bizarre real world creature known as the weedy sea dragon. Related to seahorses, not
only does the weedy sea dragon match up to Dragalge's fantastical
pink and purple coloring but it also bears leaf-like appendages shooting out of its body. Weedy sea dragons are also connected to the leafy sea dragon, an even more ornately camouflage creature that uses its grassy appearance
to hide from predators by blending in with algae,
just like Dragalge does. Somewhat like the stick
insects and leaf insects found on land, it's all about blending in with the surrounding habitat. And I can't help wondering what happen if future humans evolve
to blend in with theirs. Yeah, let's hope that
never happens, shall we? Just like real life animals, there are Pokémon that have
vastly different variations depending on their geographical location. Shellos is one example, and while both iterations
of this water type Pokémon might look fantastical, there's actually a very real creature that looks just like it. Nudibranchia, more
commonly known as sea slugs is the group term for the
soft bodied marine creatures famed for their often
extraordinary colors and patterns. Like sea slugs, Shellos
appearances changes drastically depending on which underwater
environment it calls home. While they are just two types of Shellos, there are around 3000 species
of sea slug on record. So it seems only natural that there are some twining varieties that match up with this multicolored Pokémon. West Sea Shellos shares a lot
of physical characteristics with Hypselodoris bullockii, including its pink and yellow coloring as well as similarly shaped
protrusions from its body. Easy Sea Shellos' blue body
meanwhile is very similar to that of Chromodoris lochi. Like Shellos, this species of sea slug has a distinctive striped
frill separating its upper body form its under belly, as well as being blue
with too little antenna. Who've thought a slug
could be so oddly charming? While we're adrift, let's
take a quick deep dive to find the inspiration for
this next outlandish Pokémon. While not a water type itself, the closest real world equivalent we have for the shapeshifting pocket monster Ditto is found in the deep ocean. While Ditto's transformative abilities are one of its most useful weapons, the same can't be said for its
real life twin, the blobfish. You see, while this
gelatinous mold of gunk may look exactly like Ditto, it turns out it doesn't
even really look like an all natural blobfish either. You see the blobfish only looks this way above the water. In it's normal habitat which
is around 2000 to 4,000 feet below the oceans surface, the higher pressure down
there makes the blobfish almost look more like a
regular uninflated pufferfish. Ditto shapeshifting
skills can also be linked to a type of microorganism
called an amoeba. Amoebas are single-celled organisms commonly found in water, and like Ditto, amoeba has the ability to alter its shape by extending and retracting itself. That said, these organisms
can't quite match the amorphous Ditto's ability to transform into an exact replica of any
object or living creature. While no organism on Earth
possesses Ditto's cute, gormless appearance and abilities exactly, fans have created silicon
models of the Pokémon that come pretty close. Seems it's a fine line between
adorable and repulsive. One last stop at the water surface now, Alomomola was introduced in
Pokémon's fifth generation living in the open seas. Unlike most fish, Alomomola
lacks a proper tail fin and its unique shape means
that the water type has to swim using its very large dorsal fins. While a fish without a
tail may seem unbelievable, Alomomola's appearance
is based on Mola Mola, also known as the giant ocean sunfish, which grows around six feet long. As per their name, sunfish
spend a lot of their time at the ocean surface, basking in the rays to
regulate their body temperature after diving deeply looking for delicious jellyfish to devour. More a lover than a fighter, Alomomola has its own way of
bringing a bit of sunshine to life with its ability to
heal weaker, injured Pokémon and deliver them back to shore, living up to its heart-shaped appearance. The first Pokémon in the beloved
Charizard's evolution line, few starter Pokémon are
as popular as Charmander. Atomically, Charmander shares
a lot of characteristics with the red spotted newt, an amphibian found
throughout North America. On account of its bright orange coloring, the red spotted newt is a
dead ringer for Charmander, but appearances are where
the similarities end. Unlike newts, who prefer damp
foliage rich environments, Charmander thrives in
hot mountainous areas. While Charmander shares
its appearance with newts, its namesake comes from
the vaguely similar lizard-like amphibian, the salamander. A creature with a rich
background in folklore like mythical versions of salamander spoken of an ancient
Eurasian and Arabian legends, Charmander has a strong
elemental affinity with fire and can actually live within flames. That being said, despite its name, if you try to activate a real salamander's latent ancestral flame powers, you'll just end up with an extra crispy, extra dead ex-amphibian. So leave that stuff to Charmander. Onto another fire starter now, Fennekin was first introduced
as part of generation six. And while you might assume
those disproportionately large ears and bushy tail are reserve for the world of cartoons, you'd be wrong. This is a fennec fox,
the true life inspiration for the adorable little Fennekin. Just like their Pokémon counterpart, fennec foxes have an affinity for heat. They can be found in the Arava,
Negev, and Sahara Deserts where they stay cool by sleeping
in burrows during the day and emerge to hunt and forge
under cover of darkness. But unlike its big-eared
real world counterpart, the flaming Fennekin Pokémon also draws inspiration
from Japanese folklore and the legend of the fox spirit, kitsune. Like Fennekin, kitsune
is a fox-like creature that possesses paranormal skills including the ability to breathe fire. This parallels the fire
type Pokémon's blaze ability which boosts fire moves,
as well as its aptitude for puffing 390 degree Fahrenheit
hot air out of its ears to intimidate opponents. The real world fennec fox meanwhile uses its ears for the opposite purpose, to dissipate body heat
over a large surface area to cool it down in the desert. And while it may still
be scary to the insects and small lizards it hunts, I don't think the fennec
fox is going to be matching its Pokémon counterparts
intimidation abilities anytime soon. Just look at that wittle face. Do you know of any more real life animals that inspired Pokémon, or any animals that you
think should be Pokémon? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for watching. (bright music)
