Does it seriously matter? Honestly, try looking at the entire list. I highly doubt a seven year old can understand the etymology of some of these things.

Pokemon still is a kid’s game after all, so they have to come up with things kids can understand. Though it makes me wonder what they’ll translate “Purgatory” as.

Pigeon chested means the same thing in English :\ I love silly puns but this one just doesn’t sound right to me.

That’s a thing I don’t understand. The games up the target demographics with a year of two in comparison to the older ones but they give them names that every seven year old can understand.
The respellings are seriously retarded, it’s like the translation team had no inspiration.

Swanna- Same as in Japanese.

Basculin- “Bass” + “Masculine.” I thought Basslao have an equal gender ratio? Female Basculin must be called something else now.

Healer- I don’t care either way. Both this and Healing Heart reflect a type of ability. Granted this ability name is more generic, but this is the way we roll with abilities and moves.

Victory Star- Same as in Japanese, which is always a good thing.

Sap Sipper- Why am I thinking of Ash’s Heracross? Of course, silly me; these localizations are for the kiddies who won’t know what “herbivorous” means. There is definitely “sap” in moves like Energy Ball and Solarbeam. I can tell the localization struggled coming up with a “kiddy” name for this ability. To tell the truth, I didn’t know what the word “intimidate” meant until I started playing Pokemon Ruby. Nintendo of America, let a kid learn a new word from your video gaming.

Hurricane- Windstorm/Gale… One of those translations that really did not make a difference whatsoever. The localization was consistent with the move’s 100% accuracy during a rainstorm.

Acrobatics- Another one of those names that really does not make too much of a difference whatsoever.

Watchog- “Watch” + “Groundhog,” or “Watch” (translation of “Miru” which is “to observe”) + “Groundhog.” Almost perfect translation from the original name. I begin to wonder why we have stupid puns or generic names like “Deerling?”

Oh, no, there we go again. A sequel doesn’t change enough and it’s called bad. When it introduces something new, that’s also bad because it isn’t like the game before it.
If you want to play the old style, play the older game. Don’t keep bashing the others.
I think this discussion comes up over 9000 times a day.

Yes. It has to do with the Japanese name, really.
はとむね, Pigeon Chest (not Pigeon Heart) is a term referring to someone with a broad chest like a pigeon, so giving the ability to a bird Pokemon was a fun little gag.
But just translating it as Pigeon Chest would make it lose its double meaning, so that the reworded name retains this gag is impressive, if not clever.

I think it’s more a case that they’re uptight about anything not 100% confirmed, even if it’s painfully obviously the real deal.

They believe it all right…

wait a second…you’re saying Pigeon Heart needed a “witty” rewording…like….Big Pecks….?…..

But it matches it exactly. Thus confirming the leaked list was accurate. Or someone is really good guesser.