Check out the origins behind the two new puppy Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet!
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is spoiling the dog lovers out there by introducing not one but two new dog Pokémon thus far! Fidough and Greavard have taken the Internet by storm with their cuteness and we here at PXR have to agree that they’re some of the goodest doggos we’ve ever seen! But did you know they’re both clever allusions to Spanish culture as well? They might not look it at first glance, since unlike some of the other new Pokémon introduced thus far, their names aren’t Spanish puns. But there’s more to these Paldean pups than meets the eye so grab your favorite chew toy and get your throwing arm ready, because we’re about to fetch up some origins behind the new puppy dogs of the Paldea region!
Fidough
Let’s start with Fidough, the first of the two new dogs to be revealed. This fairy-type puppy’s design gimmick is pretty clear to any English speaker. It’s a pun on the term “purebred”, a term used to recognise dogs of consistent genetic lineage. It’s pronounced like “pure bread”, hence a dog made purely of bread. Further, it’s name is an English pun, combining the word “dough” with the stereotypical dog name, “Fido”, getting us “Fidough”. But that isn’t the full extent of the design. Nay, Fidough actually does have some Spanish flavoring to its design, which you can spot by taking a closer look at its ears. The rounded ears resemble that of a bread bun, but anyone familiar with Spanish cuisine will likely recognize the resemblance to the pastry, Ensaïmada! Originating from Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, the Ensaïmada is a Spanish pastry that’s shaped in a spiral, hence the spiral shape in the interior of the round ear. It’s a subtle but clever mash up that really ties the design all together!
Ensaïmada
Greavard
The newest hot dog on the block, now let’s take a look into Greavard since it’s actually got a much more folklore based inspiration for its design. Greavard is a ghost-type Pokémon with a candle on its head that bears a striking resemblance to sheepdogs, the Catalan Sheepdog specifically. Its name is a pun on “graveyard” and “greaves,” the residue from melting animal fat historically used to make candles and typically used as dog food. It has a habit of burying itself in the ground, referencing not only dogs’ habit of digging, but also depictions of the undead rising from their graves. While underground, its candles still protrudes above ground, likely referencing grave candles. Grave candles are used in a lot of cultures around the world, but are fairly well associated with Spanish cultures due to their high use during Dia de los Muertos. But the association with grave candles and visual resemblance with the Catalan Sheepdog are not the full extent of Greavard’s Spanish origins. Nay, there’s actually a folklore story that seems to be a direct parallel both for Greavard’s appearance and lore.
Allow me to introduce you to the tale of “El Cadejo”. Originating from indigenous Central American folklore, el Cadejo is a shaggy dog-like spirit that appears to travelers on their way home at night. El Cadejo comes in two colors, white with blue eyes and black with red eyes. If it was a white cadejo that appeared to you, it would guard you on your journey homeward, ensuring no harm would come to the traveler from man or other cadejos. But if it was a black cadejo, they would lead the traveler to the death. There’s a particularly popular version of this story that comes from El Salvador that tells of two brothers who crossed a black magician, and ultimately were turned into the two candejo as a result, forced to wander as spirits for the rest of eternity.
So what does this have to do with Greavard? Well, on top of the obvious ghost-typing, Greavard is a fairly friendly fella and with that white coat, it’s visually and personality wise meant to reference the white cadejo. But its ability to steal life force is likely a reference to how the black cadejo ultimately kills its victims. There’s other legends that mention the white cadejos attaching themselves to children, but as far as I can remember or find, nothing about stealing their life force unintentionally, so I think that likely comes from the black cadejo side. If this is correct though, I’d love for the shiny to be black just for that reason!
Grevard visually and lorewise also bears a resemblance to Litwick, which makes me hope that they’re somehow connected. Litwick also has the ability to steal life-force, albeit intentionally unlike Greavard, so perhaps the candles on Greavard’s head breaks off and becomes a Litwick? That’d be a really neat lore connection! But that’s purely speculation. Regardless, it’s a fun detail I thought I’d make mention of.
All in all, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has really knocked it out of the park with these designs so far, so we hope you enjoy them, because I sure do! Until next time, adios amigos!
