Some of the most iconic Pokémon are the ones you receive from the Professor at the beginning of the game. Known as “Starter Pokémon”, they are a beginning Trainer’s first partner that often sticks with them throughout their journey. Each generation’s starters are marketed intensely during that generation’s life span, but most fans would argue that Kanto’s starters – Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle – are the most well-known of all (outside of Pikachu, anyways).

For 2021’s Pokémon Day, the series’ 25th anniversary, we’ll take a look at the very first Pokémon listed in the National Pokédex. Some would say this guy’s the most underrated Kanto Starter, but for Bulbagarden, Bulbasaur is always number one.

After almost exactly seven years, Bulbagarden's "On the Origin of Species" has returned! In this series, I will be diving deep into the real life inspirations the concept and design of a different Pokémon or evolutionary line with each installment. Today, I wanted to start off this revival with one of the newest additions to our starter lineup, the Sobble family.

I've always been fascinated by reptiles. It's a fantastically diverse group of animals, coming in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Many even change colors based on environmental factors or their life stage. The most famous example of this is of course the chameleon, which is actually an entire family of lizards scientifically known as Chamaeleonidae. Sobble and its relatives clearly take inspiration from these lizards...