In the February issue of Nintendo Dream, the editors from the Japanese magazine got the chance to sit down with some of staff members from GAME FREAK to discuss about the inspirations and story behind some of the new Pokemon from Pokemon Black and White.
This interview also confirms that the fan-named “Musketeer Trio” were in fact inspired by The Three Musketeers.
■The Fighting Trio is based on The Three Musketeers
■Cobalion is based on Athos and is meant to have a thorny look
■Terrakion is based off of Porthos and has some angles reminiscent of a hatchet. It’s supposed to look like a formidable opponent who can stop a Pokemon in its tracks.
■Virizion is based on Aramis and was modeled to be nimble and have sharp angles
■Larvesta is partially based on Taiyou No Tou (specifically the red adornments jutting out of its head)
■Volcarona originally had only 4 wings and the black spots represent dark spots on the sun
■Cottonee and Whimsicott were based on sheep
■Petilil and Lilligant were actually slated to have another Pokemon in their evolutionary family, but that plan was scrapped. Lilligant is like a pretty daughter who’s always late.
■Haxorus was one of the first designs to be finished and they were fairly proud of it. It can attack simply by shaking its head.
■Darumaka and Darmanitan were inspired after the designer saw dharma dolls being burned at a festival. They kind of resembled a gorilla so that’s how the fire/monkey parts came into the Pokemon.
■Stunfisk was originally designed with an Angler Fish in mind, but obviously turned out a bit different. It was also a water/electric type but they ended up making it a ground/electric to balance out the type spread of Pokemon.
■Frillish and Jellicent had the ghost type added on at the end for the sake of adjusting what types Unova had which disappointed the designer.
■Sawsbuck was already an idea for a Pokemon before seasons had been added into the game
■Litwick, Lampent, and Chandelure were originally designed when they wanted an evolutionary line based on an open flame -> candle -> lanturn, but obviously it ended up out of order.
■Seismitoad was designed before Tympole and Palpitoad. The protrusions are one of this evolutionary line’s features
■Klink, Klang, Klinklang were sort of inspired by Dugtrio
■Dwebble and Krustle were sort of inspired by kiln-fired pottery
■Scraggy and Scrafty obviously owe their existence to the low and baggy jean trend and also are reminiscent of a snake with its shed skin
■Yamask and Cofagrigus were meant to look scary, but also have a certain charm
■Pawniard and Bisharp are urban Pokemon. Bisharp commands Pawniard who clings to its foes and cuts them with the blades on its stomach
Thanks to Shellspider for the info. I can’t remember who translated this. Please contact us if you did so we can properly credit you. 
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A lot of these were really neat to know! :3 (Although if you ask me, Cottonee looks nothing like a sheep compared to Whimsicott, but Whimsicott looks more like a very cute little devil than a ram/sheep. x3 *can’t imagine either of them going “Baaa!”* )
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This is really interesting. It’s cool to know more about the designs and here from the staff.
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Sorry guys, but this is kinda old. Still nice to have all the information in one place rather than have to see it spread throughout the internet(as I personally first saw most of this information individually) so thanks.
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Ya, I should have posted that this is about 1 month old. ^^;; I kept on pushing it back for other news.
Cool! I love to read this kind of stuff! I knew they were the three musketeers!
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I was surprised to learn that Petilil was supposed to have a middle evolution before evolving into Lilligant. If so, Cottonee should have one too since they’re basically counterparts of one another.
Looks like Frillish and Jellicent may have originally been designed to be pure water types. I’m happy that they are water/ghost though. We already have way too many pure water types.
Klink, Klang, Klinklang inspired by Dugtrio? I wonder if that’s a mistranslation…
I was hoping they’d discuss about Kyurem…
Well to me, it seems Kyurem is a zombie-dragon corpse (just look at how he moves in game) of Reshiram/Zekrom`s old body that constantly kills itself with its own ice only to come back to life again and again. A suicidal zombie-dragon corpse that just won`t die. I`m sure that`s EXACTLY how the 3rd game will explain it.
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I actually wanted to know what it was based off of…My guess is T-rex. The body; the short, stubby arms; and the head sort of resembles a T-rex. Tyranitar looks nothing like T-rex. If anything, it was inspired after Godzilla.
Yeah, I can see that in him, too. But whenever you get to him, you will definantly see where I was coming from before. What I want to know is why he can learn Fly. The other two dragons can as well and I know he has wings, but Kyurem looks like it would have a really hard time getting off the ground. I bet he would look really weird using Fly in a 3D Pokemon title.
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I don’t see how you can classify Frillish and Jelicent as ghost. Wy?
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I dunno either, but you gotta admit Water/Ghost is a pretty good typing. Also, I bet whoever designed the male Jellicent must have been eating a can of Pringles at the time, and when he/she was designing his face they saw the picture on the can and said `Perfect!` and the story ends there.
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i wish americans didnt create new pokemon because they made them look too american cartoon looking like the karate dudes, ice cream pokemon, robots, cryogonal, and the toads what they should had done was draw a sketch of the new pokemon before they were released and let ken sugimori improve them with his drawing technique so they wouldnt look so different from the old ones and whoever drew stunfisk should be fired i cant find anyway to accept it >.<
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Uh, Americans didnt create these Pokemon.
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I’m glad the pic. was put up so u can see details of Cobalion Terrekion and Virizion. terrekion as a hatchet at ceartan angles
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*i nver thought terrekion would b like a hatchet* (maybe i should proof read my comments)
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If you defeat Virizon, Terrakion or Cobalion can you meet them after you beat the game?
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Yes.
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These pokemon are like the three dogs
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yup yup yup yupthe 3 main dog
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Well, yes, but they look more like horses don`t you think? Also, they don`t roam like the dogs do (Suicune the exception in the majority of the games you can get them in). But I still don`t see how their half-Fighting typing makes sense. Sacred Sword could have been any other move type (or maybe not, idk). /rant
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are they all legendary because everybody says there not
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i tried capturing the green one but it keeps failing so i just gave up
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theylook o COOL am going to cachyhem A L L!!!!
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I personally don’t think one evolution is enough for Petilil. He just seems like a Pokemon that would have three.
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NO! i think that whimiscott needs 3 evolutions. he looks too plain.
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Where do you catch the three “horses” if you’ve already knocked them out????????
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I catch Terrakion and Verizion, but Cobalion, is dead, as I catch cobalion again??
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grass is better than water and all others….
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hey guys..where is zorua hideout??
btw, kyurem ROCK!!.,hehe
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You can find Zorua in the Game Freak building by the entrance in Castelia City. It is the young child standing silently by the woman who talks about Zorua to you. You need the Event Celebi to get it to reveal itself to you, though.
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bring Celebi with you and go to Castelia City
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what do i going to do with the trio after i catch’em all ?
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huh ?
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You don’t need wifi for catching Cobalion, Virizion and Terrakion except Keldeo
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It’s the Time of the Rise!
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I catchet the tree in Pokemon Black Shiny;-)
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Awwesommme
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you R.I.P
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I caught all three Cobalion , Virizion , Terrakion on my first try
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It really wasn’t that hard at first it started to be hard but I was able to catch them I also have mespirit and uxie and azelf to -
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pokemon is super!!!!!!!!!
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white kyurem is super
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I Love Pokemon <3
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