Recently, a manga aboutPokemoncreator Satoshi Tajiri has been released in Japan, and an image from the manga reveals earlyPokemondesigns, including for ones that never made it into the video game and anime series. James Turner, who designed Buzzwole, Poipole, and Vanilite, among others, and who is the first Westerner to design Pokemon for Game Freak, has posted a picture on Twitter of a page from the manga that shows off some of the original second generationPokemondesigns.
ThePokemonin the image are fromPokemonRedandPokemon Greenreleased more than 20 years ago in 1996. A translation by PokeBeach reveals the names of the 4Pokemon that “didn’t make the cut”. They are: #56 Diaa, which means “Deer,” #62 Kurokki, which translates to “Crocky” (as in crocodile), #67 Kakutasu, which means “Cactus,” and #68 Jaggu, as in “jag,” like the jagged spear protruding from a shark’s head.
The designs of the four unusedPokemonnevertheless look similar toPokemonthat were later included in the video game and cartoon franchise. The deerPokemon, Diaa, looks a lot like Stantler, the Normal-type second generation Pokemon from the Johto Region. Kurokki also has some similarities to Krookodile, the fifth generation Pokemon from the Unova Region, and Jaggu resembles Sharpedo, the third generation Pokemon from the Hoenn Region.
Some fans have posted their ownre-imaginationsof the 4 unusedPokemonin the comments section of the tweet, and a reply tweet by a fan even shows another panel from the mange that may reveal another 2Pokemonthat did not make it into the series.
It is nevertheless fascinating to be able to see a glimpse into the creative process surrounding the creation of a world-famous anime andvideo game franchisesuch asPokemon. The accuracy of the manga about Satoshi Tajiri is also astounding, and it would be great for die-hardPokemonfans to be able to see more originalPokemondesigns in the future.
The manga is titledSatoshi Tajiri:The Man Who Created Pokemon,and is available only in Japanese for now.
