In this recurring series, I’ll analyze the origins of Pokémon designs and their allusions to Mediterranean culture from Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.
Lechonk
Lechonk was one of the first new Pokemon revealed for the Paldea region. Its name is a combination of “Lechon”, the Spanish word for a cooked piglet, and “Chonk”, a slang word used to describe a chunky animal.
Classified as the “Hog Pokemon”, its design is straightforward. It is based on the Black Iberian pig, a breed of pig that came from east Mediterranean and bred with the wild boars of Spain and Portugal. This breed has a strong appetite, commonly leading them to obesity. This also makes their ham especially tasty.
It searches for food all day. It possesses a keen sense of smell but doesn’t use it for anything other than foraging.
This Pokémon spurns all but the finest of foods. Its body gives off an herblike scent that bug Pokémon detest.
Pokedex
Lechonk is a bit of a food gourmand and has a habit of foraging using its strong sense of smell. It follows in the Mediterranean tradition of truffle hunting, which has been an Italian tradition for centuries. Pigs are able to find these rare mushrooms better than any other animal, and the taste of truffles is highly valued in many top-tier restaurants.
Although truffles are not in Paldea, there are other kinds of treats that Lechonk seek out. The Pokedex entry for Crabominable states:
The detached pincers of these Pokémon are delicious. Some Trainers bring Lechonk into the mountains just to search for them.
Pokedex
Although trainers may like to eat pincers, Lechonk seems to have other tastes. The Pokedex entry for Appletun states:
When some Lechonk come along to lick the sweet nectar on Appletun’s back, Appletun will spew sticky nectar at them to drive them away.
Pokedex
Oinkologne
Lechonk quickly evolves into its final evolution, Oinkologne, whose appearance depends on its gender. Its name combines “Oink” and “Cologne“, a kind of perfume from the region of Cologne, Germany.
Oinkologne is proud of its fine, glossy skin. It emits a concentrated scent from the tip of its tail.
It entrances female Pokémon with the sweet, alluring scent that wafts from all over its body.
Pokedex entry for male Oinkologne
Male Oinkologne have the signature ability Lingering Aroma, which changes the opposing Pokémon’s ability to Lingering Aroma if it was struck by a contact move. This is an allusion to truffle hogs and why they are able to find truffles so easily.
Androstenol is a chemical compound that has a musky aroma and is naturally produced by male truffle pigs. Androstenol is also found in truffles. Female truffle hogs may have a predisposition to finding truffles as it smells like a mate.
This Pokémon sends a flowerlike scent wafting about. Well-developed muscles in its legs allow it to leap more than 16 feet with no trouble at all.
This is a meticulous Pokémon that likes to keep things tidy. It shrouds itself in a floral aroma that soothes the Pokémon around it.
Pokedex entry for female Oinkologne
Although its male counterpart is based on an adult Black Iberian pig, female Oinkologne resemble a Celtic pig. This rare pig breed is native to the region of Galica in northwest Spain.
Female Oinkologne also have an odor, but one that is closer to a floral perfume. Perfumes are a broad category with a lot of history, but generally date back thousands of years in Mediterranean culture. It was an amenity common in the Roman Empire until its collapse. Perfumes had a renaissance hundreds of years later in Spain after political conquest and the creation of new trade routes.
The specific chemistry chosen for perfume depends on personal preference, as they are on a broad spectrum between a sharp musk to a soft floral scent.
The pleasant aroma theme of Oinkologne is probably an intentional juxtaposition with the concept of a pigsty and the common assumption that pigs are dirty.
Conclusion
Like in every Pokémon game, players encounter a new Normal-type mammal at the start of their journey. Lechonk and Oinkologne appear like cute partners to join your journey, but their designs have deep allusions to Spanish animals and history.
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