Summary
- A talented Pokemon fan is reimagining classic pocket monsters as Normal-type versions, a unique twist on the iconic characters.
- The artist's creations draw inspiration from everyday objects and people, resulting in creative and unexpected designs.
- The artist made Normal-type versions for Koffing, Weezing, Magnemite, Magneton, Magnezone, Machop, Machoke, Machamp, Ghastly, Haunter, Grimer, and Muk.
One talented Pokemon fan is creating Normal-type versions of classic pocket monsters. First-generation Pokemon are among some of the most iconic in the series largely because they've been around since the beginning. This artist is turning those memorable creatures from the Pokemon series on their head by reimagining them as Normal types.
Changing a Pokemon's type is a common practice for artists, like the imaginative fan who turned Garchomp into a Water-type shark-like creature. That being said, it's not often that Pokemon are reimagined as Normal types. For whatever reason, the practice of using the Normal typing isn't quite as common as others. One fan decided to buck the trend, however, by going all in on the often-overlooked type.
Reddit user xmkbest created Normal-type variants of several classic Pokemon. The artist took creatures Koffing, Weezing, Magnemite, Magneton, Magnezone, Machop, Machoke, Machamp, Ghastly, Haunter, Grimer, and Muk, reimagining them as Normal-type Pokemon inspired by everyday objects and people. Everything from soccer players to mattresses and even circus tents were used in the ideation of these unique designs.
Part of the fun is simply trying to figure out the inspiration behind each creation. The artist turned Koffing and Weezing into the much more cuddly creatures named Breezing and Skweezing; the Magnemite line looks to be inspired by spiders and the circus; xmkbest imagines the Machop family as Poke Mart helpers; Ghastly and Haunter become soccer-inspired Pokemon with pun names Ghoalsty and Ghoulkreeper; Grimer and Muk are turned into Blankster and Mattrest. Of all the recreations, the Magnemite line appears to be one of the favorites in the comment section, with many suggesting that it would make a cool regional variant Pokemon.
Imaging existing Pokemon as regional variants is another common practice among artists. For example, one fan designed regional variants of Gen 1 Pokemon Grimer and Muk. With regional variants, it is not just changing the type either. Regional variants often require an in-world explanation as to why a particular Pokemon evolved in such a way. This became an official term in the franchise, with the Alolan region introducing fans to regional variant Pokemon like Alolan Meowth, Alolan Marowak, and Alolan Exeggutor, just to name a few. Artists have since taken the concept and created their own versions.
Whether it is a fan creating alternate forms of Meowscarada or transforming Haunter into a soccer goalie, art like this shines a new spotlight on various Pokemon. The great thing about the Pokemon franchise is that every creature is likely to be the favorite of at least one fan, and these thoughtful and creative pieces are ways to show off what makes each of these creatures special.