Pokémon

The Pokémon franchise has made references to the Godzilla franchise and other kaiju and yokai since it first began.

Generation I

In the TV series

• In "Mystery at the Lighthouse", a giant Dragonite is drawn to a lighthouse, recalling the short story "The Fog Horn" by Ray Bradbury, which also influenced The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms and Howl from Beyond the Fog.
• "Tentacool & Tentacruel" features another oversized Pokémon: a giant Tentacruel who smashes Hutber Port in protest of a hotel being built over a coral reef.
• In "Ditto's Mysterious Mansion", Jessie yells at Ditto with Godzilla's roar.
• In "Misty Meets Her Match", Ash's Squirtle first uses Hydro Pump, shooting water from the four leg holes in his shell in a manner reminiscent of Gamera.

The Pokémon

• Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and Rhydon strongly resemble Baragon.
• Aerodactyl is a pterosaur-like creature that is similar to Rodan.
• Butterfree and Venomoth set a precedent for butterfly and moth-like Pokémon to have psychic abilities and powder attacks with debilitating status effects, recalling Mothra. Additionally, Butterfree's first stage, Caterpie, bears a very strong resemblance to Mothra's larval form. Butterfree's Gigantamax form also strongly resembles Mothra. Plus, the move String Shot is very similar to the Mothra Larva's thread spitting attack.
• Like King Caesar, Growlithe and Arcanine are based on the shisa.
• Grimer and Muk are sludge-like creatures resembling Hedorah.
• One piece of concept art for Capsule Monsters, which evolved into Pokémon Red and Green, shows a fire-breathing reptile named Godzillante, combining Godzilla and Biollante's names, and an ape named Gorillaimo. These are a clear reference to Godzilla and King Kong. However, these creatures were only sample characters and not actual Pokémon.
• The initial Capsule Monsters pitch to Nintendo included a Pokémon named Omega who resembled Mechagodzilla, even possessing finger guns. This creature ended up getting scrapped from the final game.
• There was another early Pokémon called Gyaon, which bore a very strong resemblance to Godzilla, and its name was a play on the onomatopoeia for Godzilla's roar. It also had a pre-evolution that could have possibly been based on Minilla. Both creatures were scrapped from the final game, but it is believed that Gyaon may have either influenced or been reworked into the Pokémon Tyranitar.

Generation II

The Pokémon

• Feraligatr and the powerful Tyranitar resemble Godzilla. Also, Tyranitar's Japanese name is Bangiras (バンギラス,   Bangirasu), similar to Anguirus' Japanese name Angirasu (アンギラス).
• Heracross and Megalon were both influenced by the Japanese rhinoceros beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma).

Generation III

In the TV series

• "Caterpie's Big Dilemma" pays homage to Mothra, with a giant Caterpie rampaging through a city. After knocking over a tower, it evolves into Metapod, then Butterfree.

The Pokémon

• The Lotad line is based on the Kappa.

Generation IV

In the films

• The legendary Pokémon Giratina's roar is actually Mothra's chirps, screeches and cries.
• The legendary Pokémon Palkia's roar is a mix of the roars of Boga the varactyl from the Star Wars franchise, King Ghidorah's roar, and Godzilla's roar.
• In the 11th film, Giratina and the Sky Warrior, the villain's ship (when using its beam) produces the same sound as Megaguirus' roar.

The Pokémon

• The Pokémon Yanmega is a dragonfly that evolves from Yanma by learning Ancient Power and is directly based off the Meganeura genus of ancient dragonflies, just like Megaguirus and the Meganula.

In the games

• Palkia's roar from the films is also used in Super Smash Bros. Brawl whenever it appears in the Spear Pillar stage, and in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U whenever it appears from a Poké Ball.
• Dialga's roar in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is Manda's roar from Godzilla: Final Wars mixed with it's cry from the anime.

Generation V

The Pokémon

• The Pokémon Hydreigon is similar to King Ghidorah in appearance, as they are both winged, flying three-headed dragons with no real "arms." However, head Pokémon designer Ken Sugimori stated in a Nintendo Dream interview that the species was actually based on Yamata no Orochi. It wound up with three heads instead of eight because the latter was "actually a bit off-putting."
• The Pokémon Volcarona is similar to Mothra in appearance, as both are moth-like creatures with orange and brown wings and white fur around their faces and bodies. It is found inside a temple in Relic Castle in Generation V games, and its Pokédex entry in Pokémon Shield states that it was once worshiped as a god.
  • Volcarona's connections to Mothra extend to its German name, Ramoth.

In the games

• In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, there is a feature called the "Pokéstar Studios", in which you can make short films. The feature has a giant, Steel-type mechanical Tyranitar that can be used in the films, that goes by the name of "Mecha Tyranitar" and shortened to "MT" in-battle. This character is similar to the Heisei Mechagodzilla and the late Heisei Godzilla, because of its appearance and role in the film. Mecha Tyranitar is at level 73, has the ability Analytic and has the moves Iron Head, Surf, Spark, and Earthquake.

In the studios, there is a series of films called "Big Monster" (大怪獣,   Daikaijū) that can be done at any point after the player has defeated the Champion, in which Mecha Tyranitar appears. These are the films' titles:

• The Titanic Tyranitar - A giant organism appears, and the UDF goes into action!
• The Mechanical Menace - The UDF rushes into action when an odd scream is heard during patrol!
• Mysterious Beach - The Titanic Tyranitar reappears! The mysterious light's true identity!
• Return of Mecha Tyranitar - MT reappears. It's time for the final battle with the UDF!

In the film Return of Mecha Tyranitar, the player battles a "Strange Man" called Serizawa, who uses a Steel and Electric-type Black Mecha Tyranitar called MT2. Mecha Tyranitar 2 is at level 72, has the ability "Flash Fire", has a "Scope Lens" held item, and has the moves "Flamethrower", "Thunderbolt", "Metal Burst", and "Dragon Pulse."

In the TV series

• In the first episode of the Generation V anime, "In The Shadow of Zekrom!", the Legendary Pokémon Zekrom has the same roar as Megaguirus, while it has Baragon's GMK roar in the 14th Pokémon film. The Legendary Pokémon Reshiram has Megaguirus' roar mixed with one of Keizer Ghidorah's roars in the film as well.
• In Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem VS. The Sword of Justice, Kyurem has the roars of Zilla and Monster X.
• A giant robot that goes by the name "Mecha Tyranitar" appears in the anime episode "An Epic Defense Force!" In the episode, a giant Tyranitar is shown swimming across the sea. Ash fires at it, removing some of its fake skin. Mecha Tyranitar then reveals its true self as a robot. This is a direct reference to Fake Godzilla and the film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Mecha Tyranitar has Heisei King Ghidorah's roar and is controlled by an alien, played by Cilan. Ash is a member of the "Unova Defense Force" and lands on an island where two twins, one played by Iris and another played by a Zorua, talk about restoring a sleeping titan of legend, a giant Golurk, which is a reference to the Shobijin. The aliens capture some Pokémon and the twins plead for the giant to awaken, but Mecha Tyranitar destroys the sleeping Golurk and fires a beam at the twins, only for Golett to sacrifice itself. The twins shed two single tears, which revive Golett and make it evolve into a giant Golurk. Golurk and Mecha Tyranitar fight, and Golurk uses Mega Punch to destroy the mecha and uses Psychic to save the Pokémon. The aliens try to beam Mecha Tyranitar back into their ship, but Golurk blocks the beam and later damages the alien ship, making it explode. Golurk lands in front of the main characters and the twins thank Golurk for saving Earth and all living on it. Golurk restores the Golurk statue and devolves back into Golett. This entire sequence is a direct parody of kaiju films, mainly Godzilla films.
• The part where Cameron's Hydreigon uses its Tri Attack from its mouth is a reference to King Ghidorah's Gravity Beams.

• 

  Mecha Tyranitar

• 

  The giant Golurk fighting Mecha Tyranitar

• 

  Iris and her twin played by a Zorua as the Shobijin

Generation VI

The Pokémon

• Tyranitar gained a mega evolution in this Generation, and rather fittingly resembles Super Godzilla or SpaceGodzilla (whose design was inspired by the former), complete with an exaggerated version of Super Godzilla's 'crown' and large Template:Scutes erupting out of its back.

In the TV series

• In the film Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, Yveltal has Megaguirus' roars.
• In Mega Evolution Special III, both Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre have Godzilla's roar, mixed with Mothra and King Ghidorah's roars.

• 

  Mega Tyranitar

Generation VII

In the games

• In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Lunala utilizes one of Mothra's chirps, and Solgaleo uses a short Baragon roar.

Generation VIII

The Pokémon

• While it bears only a passing resemblance to Mechagodzilla, the Steel/Dragon-type Duraludon has a rivalry with the Godzilla analogue Tyranitar.

Trivia

Godzillante vs. Gorillaimo

• Toho holds the distribution rights for the Pokémon films in Japan, and also plays a significant role in the production of the films. Thus, the use of kaiju roars for legendary Pokémon is a result of Toho allowing the use of their extensive sound effects library.

The Skullcrawlers were partially inspired by Cubone

• Originally, the Pokémon series was to be called Capsule Monsters. It has since been revealed by Satoshi Tajiri that one of his inspirations for the concept of people summoning monsters to help them battle or surmount obstacles was taken from Eiji Tsuburaya's hit tokusatsu television show Ultraseven. In Ultraseven, Dan Moroboshi can summon one of a trio of monsters when he is unable to transform into Seven, so that they can fight for him.
• According to an interview with Shogo Tomiyama during the U.S. premiere of Godzilla Final Wars, Godzilla's most dangerous adversary is Pikachu and that hopefully, "Godzilla's new film will finally win the hearts of children back from his most dangerous advisory ever: Pokémon".
• One of the inspirations for the Kong: Skull Island monsters, the Skullcrawlers, was the Pokémon Cubone.

References

This is a list of references for Pokémon. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: ^[1]

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