Did you know that some Pokemon have different names in Japan? That’s right! Pokemon were created in Japan, so they had Japanese names first. When the games came to other countries, the names were changed to help them make sense in English.
Let’s look at some cool examples!
- Ditto = Metamon (メタモン)
In English, this squishy pink Pokémon is called
Ditto. Why? Because "ditto" means “the same” — and Ditto can copy any other Pokémon!
In Japanese, it's called
Metamon. That name comes from “meta,” meaning change or transform. Pretty cool, right?
- Charizard = Lizardon (リザードン)
Charizard is the big, fire-breathing dragon we all love. In Japan, his name is
Lizardon — a mix of “lizard” and a monster-like ending “-don”.
In English, he’s called
Charizard. That’s a mix of “char” (which means to burn) and “lizard.” So both names show off his fire and dragon vibes!
- Pikachu = Pikachu (ピカチュウ)
Surprise! This one stays the same in both English and Japanese —
Pikachu!
His name comes from sounds: “pika” is a sound for electricity in Japan ⚡, and “chu” is the sound a mouse makes 🐭.
So Pikachu is like “electric mouse” — super cute and powerful!
- Gengar = Gengar (ゲンガー)
Here’s another name that stayed the same — but it has a spooky meaning!
Gengar comes from the word “doppelgänger,” which means a ghostly twin. Gengar hides in shadows and plays tricks, so the name fits perfectly in any language 👻.
So, Why Do Names Change?
Sometimes, names change to make more sense to kids in different countries. Other times, they sound cooler in another language. But whether it’s Ditto or Metamon, Charizard or Lizardon — they’re all awesome Pokémon!
Gotta name ’em all! 😄🎮