A number of Pokémon are based on real-life animals, and a curiosity of Pokémon when they evolve is that certain creatures not only change in appearance and type but also in species. This means that in the Pokémon universe, reptiles and amphibians, for example, can belong to the same evolution family.
The reasons a Pokémon changes species when it evolves may not be immediately obvious in certain cases, while in others it appears to be down to nothing more than a design choice. There is a Pokémon that evolves into a different species because of a Chinese legend, and even one that evolves into two different species. Pokémon evolutions can be mysterious, unusual, and intriguing.
10 Sealeo Goes From Seal To Walrus When It Evolves Into Walrein
As their names imply, the Gen 3 Pokémon Sealeo is based on earless seals, while Walrein is based on walruses. Seals and walruses are both pinnipeds, of which there are 33 extant species. Walrein has larger tusks and is a lot heavier than Sealeo, who evolves from Spheal (which is also based on seals). Not only do the Pokémon change species when they evolve, they also change category, going from Clap Pokémon to Ball Roll Pokémon to Ice Break Pokémon.
9 Carvanha Goes From Piranha To Shark In Becoming Sharpedo
Carvanha is based on piranhas, and when it evolves it becomes Sharpedo, which is based on sharks. While Carvanha is a fairly straightforward reinterpretation of a piranha, Sharpedo is a shark mixed with a torpedo. While not as dangerous as sharks, piranhas are said to be the most ferocious fish in the world, and while they are smaller than sharks, which usually attack things that are smaller than they are, piranhas will attack things much bigger than themselves.
8 Sentret The Squirrel Becomes Furret The Ferret
Even though its name is a combination of 'sentry', which comes from its scouting of its surroundings on the lookout for danger, and 'ferret', Sentret looks to be based on a mixture of squirrels and tanuki, the Japanese raccoon, while also having similarities to meerkats. Furret, on the other hand, is based on ferrets. Furret's body is longer and therefore has the category of Long Body Pokémon, with Sentret being the Scout Pokémon.
7 Charmander The Salamander Evolves Into Charmeleon The Lizard
The clues are in the names when it comes to Charmander and Charmeleon. The former is based on salamanders, while the latter is based on lizards. Salamanders are easy to confuse for lizards because they look somewhat like them, but they are in fact amphibians while lizards are reptiles.
The biggest change in appearance between Charmander and Charmeleon is that Charmander's round head grows a horn when it becomes Charmeleon. Charizard, the final form of Charmander, is also based on lizards, albeit a very large one.
6 Wingull The Seagull Evolves Into Pelipper The Pelican
Wingull is quite clearly based on seagulls, as implied by its name and category of Seagull Pokémon, while Pelipper, the Water Bird Pokémon, is based on pelicans. There may be a reason why Wingull evolves into a different species as Pelipper, which is that seagulls follow pelicans in the hope that when they're scooping up fish with their large beaks, some will fall out for the seagull to swoop down and grab.
5 Clamperl Evolves Into 2 Different Species Of Eel
When Clamperl evolves, it can evolve into two Pokémon that are of different species to the both the Bivalve Pokémon and each other. Clamperl is a based on giant clams, and it can evolve into either Huntail, which is based on gulper eels, or Gorebyss, which is based on snipe eels. With the other members of its evolution family being so different, Clamperl looks a little out of place. A possible explanation for its evolving into two different eels is that eels eat the meat of giant clams.
4 Seel The Seal Becomes Dewgong The Dugong
The names of these two Pokémon are the same as their real-life counterparts, only with different spelling. While Seel and Dewgong are based on seals and dugongs respectively, they share the category of Sea Lion Pokémon.
Dugongs are not related to seals, but are related to manatees and belong to the order of sea cows. Strangely, despite its name, Dewgong looks more like a seal than it does a dugong.
3 Magikarp Changes Species When It Becomes Gyarados Because Of A Chinese Legend
Magikarp is based on the Asian carp, which can jump up to 10 feet into the air, as can be seen in New Pokémon Snap. When it evolves into Gyarados, it becomes a dragon. Magikarp's evolution is based on a Chinese legend about a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate (a waterfall) and transforming into a dragon as a reward for its perseverance. In the original Pokémon Snap on the N64, Magikarp evolves into Gyarados when it splashes up a waterfall.
2 Remoraid Becomes An Octopus When It Evolves Into Octillery
Remoraid is based on the remora, otherwise known as the suckerfish, which attach themselves to small boats in the same way Remoraid attaches itself to Mantyke and Mantine. When it evolves, it becomes Octillery, an octopus. Remoraid is also based on a handgun while Octillery is based on a howitzer or tank, so not only do the two change species upon evolution, they also change the kinds of weaponry they represent.
1 Croconaw Goes From Crocodile To Alligator When Evolving Into Feraligatr
Croconaw, which is based on crocodiles, evolves into Feraligatr, based on alligators. Crocodiles and alligators may look very similar, but there are a number of differences between the two, including belonging to separate species - crocodyloidea and alligatoroidea - and the fact that crocodiles can be found the world over whereas alligators are only found in China and the U.S. Furthermore, crocodiles prefer salt water while alligators like freshwater habitats, and adult crocodiles are typically larger than adult alligators.