Lechonk, the new Normal-type Pokemon introduced in Scarlet & Violet’s most recent trailer, is the most adorable ‘Mon Game Freak has ever produced. It’s a tiny pig with small yellow markings underneath its eyes that makes it look like it’s constantly crying. Lechonk has already captured the hearts of Pokemon fans the world over, which makes hearing about Lechonk’s real-life inspiration a little difficult.
Why? Because in Spain, the region of the world that’s widely rumored to have inspired Scarlet & Violet, wild hogs are not cute. They’re a menace.
Reddit user 3Deity wanted to make sure that Pokemon fans don’t get the wrong idea about Lechonk. "I live in Spain, which is where scarlet and violet is based on," wrote 3Deity, "and I’m 90% sure that Lechonk is based on the wild boars that live in the forests. These boars are super aggressive and are really dangerous in reality."
They’re not kidding! Publications in Spain and Europe have been warning for years about how aggressive Spanish wild boars are, terrorizing both residents and tourists alike. Just last year, singer Shakira lost her purse and her cell phone in a wild boar attack while she was walking in a Barcelona park.
And with those expectations set, 3Deity reminded us of Game Freak’s typical design philosophy when it comes to Pokemon based on pigs. "I don’t think Lechonk is dangerous but I do think that his evolution will be similar to Emboar, more… chonky."
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet gave us a new trailer earlier this week that introduced two sexy new professors that might be from two different time periods. We also found out that Scarlet & Violet will feature four-player co-operative play for the first time in Pokemon history, and the two new Legendary Pokemon.
Perhaps most surprising of all was how Game Freak seems to be opening up mainline Pokemon development to outside its own studio. Toby Fox contributed Scarlet & Violet's field music, according to the Undertale creator, which Game Freak arranged "into many versions that you'll hear throughout the game."