The Strange Reason For Quilava & Xatu’s Names

Pokemon Gold Quilava Xatu Cover

Pokémon Gold and Silver introduced Quilava and Xatu to the series and their weird names were a deliberate choice on the part of the localization team.

Pokemon Gold Quilava Xatu Cover

The names of the Pokémon series are often language puns that vary from region to region, such as how Zubat’s French name in Pokémon Red and Blue is Nosferapti. There are some Pokémon names that are just the same as the Japanese names, like Pikachu. There were some Pokémon in Gen 2 that only received their names due to a strange request regarding a theme that needed to be completed in Pokémon Gold and Silver.

It’s known that the original 151 Pokémon underwent a number of name changes during the localization phase of Pokémon Red and Blue. This is because promotional materials featuring different names have made their way into the hands of the public, proving that some of the names got quite far along in the development process, before being changed. The Pokémon beta names that were cut include Rattata almost being called Rattatak, Vulpix almost being called Foxfire, Paras almost being called Parasyte, and Gyarados almost being called Skullkraken.

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By the time Pokémon Gold and Silver came along, the localizers had a template to work from when naming the new Pokémon. Jeff Kalles discussed on Twitter how he helped rename the Pokémon in Pokémon Gold and Silver for the English language versions of the game. Kalles helped name Pokémon like Girafarig and Wobbufet. He also gave some other Pokémon names due to a directive given regarding how the new Gen 2 Pokémon should be named. A Pokémon with a bad name will find itself with few fans, so a choice of name is vitally important when crowing a new ‘mon.

The Pokémon Alphabet Needed To Be Completed In Gen 2

Zapdos flies in front of dark clouds in the Pokemon anime

According to Jeff Kalles, the decision had been made for there to be at least one Pokémon for each letter of the alphabet, due to merchandising reasons. This is the reason why Quilava was given its name, as there were no Pokémon beginning with the letter Q, so the name was chosen for Cyndaquil’s evolution, with the name being a combination of quill and lava. Jeff Kalles also said that this was the reason for Xatu’s name, as there were no Pokémon beginning with X. The explanation for Xatu’s name is a little more complicated, but it refers to a Xat, which is a type of pole used as a memorial marker by Native Americans, which ties into Xatu’s totem pole design. It would be a long time before a new Pokémon beginning with X appeared, as Xerneas in Pokémon X and Y was the next X Pokémon.

Pokémon Gold and Silver also introduced several Pokémon beginning with U (Umbreon, Unown, and Ursaring) and a Pokémon beginning with Y (Yanma). This meant that the whole English alphabet was covered for Pokémon names by Gen 2, not even counting the fact that there were Unown variants for each letter. The localizers did a good job finding Pokémon names that fit the last few missing letters, while still fitting their theme.

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Source: Jeff Kalles/Twitter, (2), (3)

Author: Deann Hawkins