MOTU-Themed Pokemon Teams - Part 4
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4
It's the finale! Last time, I posted the Pokemon teams of Eternia's mightiest heroes! Now we return to evil with some (mostly) independent villains!
Credit to ExoticPoke for official art recolored to match Shiny Delphox: https://www.deviantart.com/exoticpoke/art/655-Shiny-Delphox-873352299
Batros's Team!
CROBAT (Poison/Flying): Bat!
NOIVERN (Flying/Dragon): I think this is the only case I re-use a pokemon without swapping colors around, but I had to! Because bat!
SWOOBAT (Psychic/Flying): A magical bat, just like Batros!
GLISCOR (Ground/Flying): Bat ears and wings make Gliscor close enough to a bat!
GALARIAN SLOWKING (Poison/Psychic): Batros is an intelligent evil wizard who plotted to become king of Eternia by stealing all their books. Galarian Slowking is also an intelligent, sinister-looking wizard.
SHINY DELPHOX (Fire/Psychic): Both of these wizards share much of their color schemes, and there is a type of bat called a flying fox!
Credit to Rachel Briggs for official-style art of beta Noctowl, check out more of her art here: https://x.com/RacieBeep/status/1301892632667398144
Credit to Anarlaurendil for official art recolored to match Shiny Hoothoot: https://www.deviantart.com/anarlaurendil/art/Hoothoot-shiny-993796280
Credit to ExoticPoke for official art recolored to match Shiny Poliwrath: https://www.deviantart.com/exoticpoke/art/062-Shiny-Poliwrath-872644591
Enchantress's Team!
BETA NOCTOWL (Psychic/Flying): I think of all owl pokemon, this one most closely resembles Enchantress. I made it flying/psychic because of Noctowl's association with time and to match its trainer's abilities.
NOCTOWL (Normal/Flying): Enchantress is shown to be able to spy through the eyes of ordinary owls!
SHINY HOOTHOOT (Normal/Flying): Many of her scenes show her peering into a glowing golden orb, including while she is spying through owl eyes!
DECIDUEYE (Grass/Ghost): Enchantress dresses like an owl!
MUK (Poison): When do-gooders storm her fortress, Enchantress sends out her 'sludge creatures' to stop them. Muk is known as the 'Sludge Pokemon' and resembles the squished form of these creatures.
SHINY POLIWRATH (Water/Fighting): Poliwrath represents her green, frog-like henchman Drude who betrays her at the end of the episode!
Credit to zhao10192009 for official art recolored to match Shiny Vileplume: https://www.deviantart.com/zhao10192009/art/0045-Vileplume-Male-Shiny-1061589302
Evilseed's Team!
CACTURNE (Grass/Dark): Cacturne's nature as a villainous plant man with a triangular head makes him similar to Evilseed.
CARNIVINE (Grass): Carnivine's bulbous green head and tangling vines fit Evilseed.
VICTREEBEL (Grass/Poison): Victreebel is connected to villainy through the Victreebel of James of Team Rocket.
TREVENANT (Ghost/Grass): Trevenant traps people in the woods, just like how Evilseed tied up many of Eternia's heroes and villains to a tree with vines.
FERROTHORN (Grass/Steel): Ferrothorn's bulbous head, yellow eyes, and powerful vines are a good match for Evilseed.
SHINY VILEPLUME (Grass/Poison): According to the Pokedex, "Its big head is heavy and hard to hold up."
Credit to ExoticPoke for official art recolored to match Shiny Feraligatr: https://www.deviantart.com/exoticpoke/art/160-Shiny-Feraligatr-872772844
Fang Man's Team!
AERODACTYL (Rock/Flying): The purple color, wings, head shape, and pointed tail are similar to the dragosaurs Fang Man can control.
ARCHEOPS (Rock/Flying): Archeops is another ancient flying creature with a color scheme very similar to Fang Man's.
SHINY FERALIGATR (Water): Feraligatr's blue head fins are the closest match I could find to Fang Man's.
DRACOZOLT (Electric/Dragon): Fang Man's MOTU Classics action figure came with a taser-looking device called a 'force field rod' which supposedly comes from his original model sheets (which I cannot confirm or find ANYWHERE!). The color schemes are also decently similar, and it matches the ancient/fossil theme.
DRUDDIGON (Dragon): This dragon has a remarkably similar color scheme to Fang Man, who is related to dragons!
ROARING MOON (Dragon/Dark): This dragon has both a similar color scheme to Fang Man and a head/body shape similar to the dragosaurs he rides.
Icer's Team!
GALARIAN DARMANITAN (Ice): A Pokedex entry for Galarian Darmanitan's zen mode form reveals it can melt its own body, similar to how Icer can melt down into a puddle and reform. Also, Icer was called 'Snow Man' during his design phase.
CRYOGONAL (Ice): Cryogonal has the ability to 'vanish' into steam and restrain prey using ice.
ABOMASNOW (Grass/Ice): Icer takes over a weather control station to freeze Eternia, and Abomasnow has the ability to control the weather to cause blizzards/hailstorms. Abomasnow's inspiration in the abominable snowman also matches Icer's production name.
BEARTIC (Ice): The weather station Icer takes control of is located at the 'top of the world', which would be the arctic of Earth. Beartic's white fur also matches Icer's white fur accessories.
BAXCALIBUR (Dragon/Ice): Ice
REGICE (Ice): Regice's carved ice-sculpture appearance matches Icer's face.
Credit to ExoticPoke for official art recolored to match Shiny Muk and Shiny Mega Sableye: https://www.deviantart.com/exoticpoke/art/089-Shiny-Muk-872676238 / https://www.deviantart.com/exoticpoke/art/302-Shiny-Sableye-Mega-875487115
Credit to TonOfDirt726 for official art recolored to match Shiny Stakataka and Shiny Hoopa Unbound: https://www.deviantart.com/tonofdirt726/art/805-Stakataka-824883423 / https://www.deviantart.com/tonofdirt726/art/720-Hoopa-Unbound-822637308
Plundor's Team!
DIGGERSBY (Normal/Ground): Both a rabbit and a construction worker who could assist in building Plundor's factories!
SHINY MUK (Poison): Muk represents the pollution that Plundor's factories have dumped into the waters of planet Trannis as well as the green liquefied life force of the planet which Plundor plans to sell off in exchange for incredible wealth and treasures.
GALARIAN WEEZING (Poison/Fairy): Galarian Weezing represent Plundor's evil factories.
SHINY MEGA SABLEYE (Dark/Ghost): Sableye's hunger for gems and appearance of being made of gold and emeralds represents Plundor's greed. The elongated ears of the mega form also make it vaguely resemble a rabbit.
SHINY STAKATAKA (Rock/Steel): Shiny Stakataka resembles a pile of gold bars, representing Plundor's need to endlessly hoard wealth. I also considered shiny Probopass, a partially golden 'easter' island head, but ended up deciding this better fit the theme of destructive greed.
SHINY HOOPA UNBOUND (Psychic/Dark): Possibly the greediest pokemon, Hoopa Unbound is said to have once stolen an entire castle in order to gain the treasure within. This suits Plundor's extreme greed well, and also helps explain how he could conquer an entire planet.
Credit to JorMxDos for official art recolored to match Shiny Raticate: https://www.deviantart.com/jormxdos/art/0020-Raticate-Female-Valencia-Shiny-Edit-987553132
Credit to TonOfDirt726 for official art recolored to match Shiny Tangrowth: https://www.deviantart.com/tonofdirt726/art/465-Tangrowth-Female-883530990
Credit to TrainerParshen for global link art recolored to match Shiny Yamask: https://www.deviantart.com/trainerparshen/art/Shiny-Yamask-Global-Link-Art-424945782
Shokoti's Team!
SHINY RATICATE (Normal): Shiny Raticate represents the giant red rat monster Shokoti keeps in her dungeon.
CRADILY (Rock/Grass): Cradily represents one of Shokoti's many green tentacle monsters called Darklings.
SHINY TANGROWTH (Grass): Shiny Tangrowth represents another of Shokoti's many Darklings (she has a lot of them!) SHINY YAMASK (Ghost): Shiny Yamask represents Lord Masque, an evil shadow wearing a white mask who serves Shokoti.
FROSLASS (Ice/Ghost): A cold witch-like pokemon focused on restraining and devouring the souls of humans, Froslass is similar in her strategy and disposition to Shokoti.
GUZZLORD (Dark/Dragon): Guzzlord represents the sleeping beast which Shokoti awakens, an eldritch abomination capable of devouring even stone.
And that's all the MOTU Pokemon teams I could think up! Let me know if you have any favorite teams, disagreements, or ideas for new teams! Or just comment whatever you are thinking about! And until next time... Good Journey!
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4
