5 Punniest Pokémon Names, Ranked (& 5 Worst)
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Pokémon names usually go hand in hand with their design & concept, and some are quite punny.
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Among the hundreds of different Pokémon, there are some very inventive and catchy names, but with that many, there are also going to be some stinkers, too (literally, in one case).
Having a good name doesn’t necessarily mean a Pokémon is good, nor does having a bad one mean a Pokémon is bad. Some of the best-named Pokémon are, in fact, rather inferior compared to others. But bad names often go hand-in-hand with bad design, as those tasked with naming Pokémon can only go off what they’re given. There do exist some truly inspired pun-filled names, however, that work on several levels.
10 GOOD: Roggenrola Is Literally A Rock That Can Roll
Roggenrola has to be one of the coolest Pokémon names out there. The name comes from “rock ‘n’ roller,” someone who plays rock ‘n’ roll music. The Pokémon itself doesn’t look too rock ‘n’ roll—it’s small, kind of cute, and doesn’t even have arms—but it is a Rock-Type, and it is round, so it literally is a rock that can roll. It evolves into Boldore, which evolves into Gigalith, which looks a lot more of a rocker than its evolutionary predecessors.
9 BAD: Shelmet Just Uses Its Shell As A Helmet
Shelmet is a Bug-Type Pokémon that resembles a snail and uses its shell as a helmet. It’s fair to say that the designers didn’t have to think too long and hard about naming this particular Pokémon. Predictably, with the helmet being its defining feature, its defense is its best stat. Shelmet evolves into Accelgor when traded for a Karrablast, which simultaneously evolves into Escavalier.
8 GOOD: Serperior Is A Superior Serpent
Serperior is a Grass-Type, Regal Pokémon whose name is a combination of “serpent” and “superior.” This is an example of a name that can make designing the look of Pokémon a lot easier. The name gives the Pokémon a personality without even having to look at it.
Serperior had a memorable appearance in the anime when it came up against Ash and Pikachu. Trip’s Serperior had Pikachu in its Wrap but Pikachu was able to break free and use a combined Iron Tail and Electro Ball attack to claim the victory.
7 BAD: Chandelure Is Just A Chandelier That Lures Victims In
A lot of Pokémon names are simply words that already exist but that have been slightly altered to incorporate a pun. Sometimes it’s a bit of a stretch, and this is the case with Chandelure. It’s as if one of the designers saw a chandelier and thought it would good idea to make a Pokémon out of one. Searching for words they could fit into “chandelier,” they found “lure” and made it a Ghost-Type Pokémon that could “lure” Pokémon towards its flame.
6 GOOD: Kangaskhan Is A Kangaroo Named After Genghis Khan
One might think “Kangaskhan” is just a made-up name, but it’s actually a play on Genghis Khan, the Mongol emperor, and the word “kangaroo.” Kangaskhan is a large, strong, female-only Pokémon that has a pouch on its belly where it holds its child, like a kangaroo. Its helmet-like plate is resemblant of Mongolian laminar armor, and it bears more of a resemblance to tree-kangaroos than the terrestrial species. It’s an odd pairing but a unique name.
5 BAD: Trubbish Is A Sad Combination Of Trash & Rubbish
Trubbish’s name is a combination of the words “trash” and “rubbish.” It’s surmisable that the Pokémon designers reached the bottom of the barrel, and Trubbish is what they found. Physically, Trubbish is a dark green plastic bag filled with rubbish that’s tied at the top, creating what looks like ears.
The Trash Bag Pokémon is a Poison-type whose stench fades away when it’s with people it trusts, as happened in “Here Comes The Trubbish Squad,” the 12th episode of Pokémon the Series: Black & White.
4 GOOD: Charmander Is A Charming Salamander That Chars Things With Its Fire
This is a good name for a Pokémon because it works on three levels: Charmander is a fire Pokémon, and therefore “chars” things; it is a salamander; and it is charming (less so when it evolves into Charmeleon and subsequently Charizard). The salamander that Charmander is based on is not the real-world amphibian, but the mythical beast that had an affinity with fire, and his name is the longest of all unevolved starter Pokémon.
3 BAD: Binacle Consists Of Two Barnacles
When going through the list of things to turn into a Pokémon, perhaps the designers stumbled upon barnacles, specifically the goose barnacle. But thinking that barnacles may not be that interesting to the majority of people, let alone kids, they tried to jazz them up a bit. And so what they did was put two goose barnacles on a rock and called it “Binacle,” combining the prefix “bi,” meaning two, with “barnacle.”
2 GOOD: Magikarp Is A Carp With A Magical Evolution
Magikarp’s name is made up of the words “magic” and “carp.” Even though all it does is splash around to no effect most of the time, it does have a certain magic, and not just because it evolves into Gyarados, one of the biggest evolutionary jumps of any Pokémon. Whether it was intentional or not, the name is also a syllable away from “magic carpet.” It’s a name that just perfectly fits the Pokémon.
1 BAD: Spoink Is A Oinking Pig On A Spring
Spoink is a pig on a spring. Put “spring” and “oink” together and you get “Spoink.” The Bounce Pokémon is a Psychic-type, and it has a pearl made by Clamperl on its head which amplifies its psychic powers. The shock of its bouncing keeps its heart beating, and if it loses its pearl, it gets very tired. Spoink evolves into Grumpig, which doesn’t fare much better in the naming stakes.
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