An artist and Pokemon fan reimagined Cyndaquil as a Grass-type Pokemon in a viral TikTok. The Generation II starter, also known as the "Fire Mouse Pokemon," is well-loved by players and fans of the anime because it resembles an echidna with flame quills. It also has two evolutions: Quilava and Typhlosion.
Pokemon has a vast character lineup spanning multiple games and anime seasons. With the arrival of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the total number of Pokemon will reach over 1,000 with the introduction of Gen 9. Because of this, fans often come up with creative art based on the franchise's characters. A lot of times, it involves imagining the Pokemon in different forms. One example was when a fan used an AI tool to predict the evolutionary lines of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's starters Fuecoco, Sprigatito, and Quaxly.
For artist villiamboom, they set their sights on turning Cyndaquil from a Fire-type into a Grass-type. They posted a TikTok showing them scratching out the Pokemon's original blue and orange design on their tablet to reveal a green colorway. Instead of flame quills coming out of its back, villiamboom's Grass Cyndaquil had green spikes, which resembled Bowser's spiky shell. It also has a yellowish-green belly, making it look like an avocado.
The artist also did Grass-type versions of Quilava and Typhlosion on separate TikTok videos. Both evolutions also have spikes, but with the addition of green fur. The artist has other reimagined Pokemon, and even Digimon, designs posted on their TikTok and Instagram pages. Apart from swapping elements, they would also fuse two Pokemon to create a new creature. This execution is common among the Pokemon community. In the past, one fan created an Electric-type Cyndaquil that looked like an electric plug.
Fans in the comments seem to love Cyndaquil as a Grass-type Pokemon, with some suggesting that it should have the same abilities as Bulbasaur. There are also various names pertaining to Grass Cyndaquil, such as "Seedaquil," "Chiaquil," "Cactaquil," and "Bowser Jr," among many others. Meanwhile, others pointed out that it looked like a variation of Snivy, a Gen 5 Grass-type Pokemon.
The incoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are further reinvigorating fans' interest in original Pokemon content. The new installment already had multiple leaks, like all Gen 9 Pokemon and their evolutions, and a Titan Pokemon list, but the hype didn't seem to diminish as players wait patiently to experience the game for themselves. Pokemon fans could definitely expect more element-swapping and original fusion with Gen IX monsters.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will release on November 18 for the Nintendo Switch.