In this recurring series, I’ll analyze the origins of Pokémon designs and their allusions to Mediterranean culture from Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.
This colorful bird’s name is a combination of “squawk” and “rockabilly“, a musical genre that was the precursor to rock-and-roll.
Squawkabilly is a parrot based on the rockers, also known as greasers, of the 1950s. These were young people growing up in the post-war era in both the United States and Europe. Many wore pompadours and rode motorcycles or “hot rods”.
Although rock-and-roll is more associated with the UK than Spain, Squawkabilly does fit in with the ride Pokemon you encounter in Paldea. Trainers you find across the region, riding on Cyclizar, are similar to the greasers found historically.
Biologically they are based on the monk parakeet, a bird native to the southern part of South America. However, this parakeet has traveled around the world thanks to global trade. They are very good at surviving in a variety of ecosystems and have become invasive species around the world. Madrid has one of the largest populations of these wild parakeets. In their shiny form, the pompadour is pink instead of black, making it more similar to the pink-gray forehead found on the real birds.
Some governments are working to remove these birds from the wild, due to fears they’ll hurt local wildlife and crops. Additionally, they survive in colder climates by building nests near electrical equipment. This can create a fire hazard, leading to more potential problems.
The monk parakeet natively has green plumage. This helps them to camouflage into the canopies of trees in the wild. However, when raised as pets they can be bred to have plumage in white, yellow, and blue. These are the same four colors that Squawkabilly can have when you encounter them.
These Pokémon prefer to live in cities. They form flocks based on the color of their feathers, and they fight over territory.
Green-feathered flocks hold the most sway. When they’re out searching for food in the mornings and evenings, it gets very noisy.
Green Plumage Pokédex entry
The largest of their flocks can contain more than 50 individuals. They fly around towns and forests, searching for food and making a racket.
Blue-feathered Squawkabilly view their green-feathered counterparts as rivals, since the latter make up the largest, most powerful groups.
Blue Plumage Pokédex entry
These Squawkabilly are hotheaded, and their fighting style is vicious. They’ll leap within reach of their foes to engage in close combat.
The yellow Squawkabilly are especially fierce. They’ve even been known to drive other bird Pokémon out of town.
Yellow Plumage Pokédex entry
This Pokémon dislikes being alone. It has a strong sense of community and survives by cooperating with allies.
Though these Squawkabilly are the fewest in number, they have no trouble living in towns since they blend in with the white buildings.
White Plumage Pokédex entry
There are four kinds of Squawkabilly, each with different colors of plumage. The Pokedex describes each as having slightly different personalities, but what they all have in common is their tendency to cause trouble and fight with those of other colors. This is reminiscent of the street gangs that were common in many cities. They often differentiated themselves by wearing particular colors and harassing those who wore rival colors.
Fletchling, a Pokémon with a reddish tint, has also been involved in territorial conflicts. This is probably a reference to the Bloods gang, known for identifying themselves in red clothing. Its Pokédex entry states:
Fletchling can be found in both rural and urban areas. They once had a huge territorial dispute with Squawkabilly. Fights broke out all over town.
Fletchling’s Pokédex entry
At the same time, Squawkabilly are able to cooperate under the guidance of a skilled trainer. Four of them, one of each plumage, work together as part of Paldea’s flying taxi service.
Conclusion
At first glance, Squawkabilly rocks. But the antics it causes for the people of Paldea are very similar to the problems that monk parakeets cause for people in Spain and other countries. These annoyances are also very similar to the excitement of biker gangs from cities decades ago, and the Cyclizar gangs that ride around Paldea.
Perhaps there’s a lesson here? There’ll always be subcultures full of people who don’t fit in. Maybe we won’t always understand it, but every community is full of subcultures that find ways to work together to form a richer society.
Share your thoughts about Squawkabilly in the comments, in the Mt. Moon Community forums or in the PokéJungle Discord server.
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