[X] My Assistant

[Ganguro]

Ladies and gentlemen; please grant me your undivided attention as I shed some light on something that I've noticed. First off, let me start with some pictures.

Now, this is just the Caterpie-Metapod-Butterfree evolution line sprites from Pokémon Green - the first and original Pokémon game released in Japan. I chose to use to Green sprites for this because this is as close as you can get to the original designs. Anyway, take a good look at them.

Now take a look at this:

Here's the Venonat-Venomoth line. Notice anything yet?


Now, here's where I need you to disregard color schemes and names. So now I'll set the sprites to greyscale and switch them around.

Is it just me or does that seem to be the correct evolution lines?

Observations:
Take a look at the poses of Caterpie-Metapod-Venomoth. All three appear to be slightly turned to the left. Not to mention all three have the same V/W shapes on their heads. They even have the same eyes.

And if you're thinking to yourself 'But Venomoth is a MOTH!' then let me bring this up: Venomoth has colored wings that are shaped like those of a swallowtail butterfly. And names right now are irrelevant since if this was indeed a coding mistake, there were no English names at the time. And I believe sprites were designed before names, therefore their names didn't reference to their bug-counterpart species.

Let's look again at Venonat and Butterfree.

The resemblance here is uncanny. Butterfree shares Venonat's feet, hands, mouth, eyes, and antennae. This is extremely notable considering the fact that Venonat is nothing more than a purple puffball with said features. If you think about it... Butterfree is kind of ugly. Plus, if you get technical with it - Butterfree looks more like a moth than a butterfly. See here.


My Theory:
Perhaps the game designers made a slight programming mistake, switching around the two sprites unintentionally. Maybe it was too big of a hassle to go back and correct and that the new evolution arrangement worked out anyways. So due to inconvenience and possible laziness, the sprites stayed and the designers simply covered up their mistake recolored all official art to reflect the change in Pokémon canon.

Now though, the resemblance isn't as obvious.


So kudos to the Pokémon game designers and Game Freak. They have successfully fooled me for 10 years. BUT I'M ON TO YOU NOW!



So what do you guys think?

[Chu Chu]

Wow. I never noticed that before. o.O It DOES look like they were switched around a bit. Hmm

[xxkaylabby]

that's interesting..they should be switched around!

[LtNite]

I've heard and seen this before but not with those sprites, it's quite amazing looking at it and seeing the resemblance between them.

[Yamper]

thats actually really, really starnge.

I've never noticed that before o.O

[Wastelander]

I vote that Venomoth be part of a three evolution, thus it should be switched with Butterfree and recoloured accordingly. But yeah, the designers did 'bug up' on that one early on in the series, aheh.

[Ganguro]

But yeah, the designers did 'bug up' on that one early on in the series, aheh.

ROFLwaffle. It took me a few seconds to get that.

[Wastelander]

Heheh, I thought it was bit of a dry joke though.

[Emmagurd]

Lmao! I never noticed that... but now that you've pointed it out, it does seem really obvious.

But even with the coloured versions at the bottom, you can definitely see the resemblance. I can, at least.

Though, I'm kind of glad that both 'families' stayed as they were XD

[SoraAK]

Wow! That is... very convincing! I'm amazed no one else has ever noticed it.

Although they don't look too similar nowadays, especially Caterpie/Metapod & Venomoth, there's no hiding the fact that Venonat & Butterfree share core features. Very cool...

[Elegant Flare]

Interesting... very interesting. I've never seen those sprites before, but nintendo just might keep a sharper eye on their sprite art from now on.

Great obseravtions!

[Zero Gravity]

WOAH! O-o!
Someone else noticed! XD

[Cyz]

You are one good observer.

I never noticed that, probably because I never used those pokemon or payed much attention to them.

[Nasra]

Yikes. What a mistake. xP

[Xal]

My mind, it is blown.

I'm not entirely convinced that Venomoth was originally meant to evolve from Metapod, though. Maybe they made the evolution for Venonat (Butterfree), then mistakenly applied that to Metapod and made another one for Venonat? I don't know, Venomoth just doesn't seem to flow from Caterpie and Metapod. The similarities between Butterfree and Venonat, however, are incredible. I can't believe I never noticed!

[wenganator]

Wow.

That sums up all that I'm about to say. Wow.

First of all, I have to congratulate you on your sharp eye and wit with this mixed-up Pokemon situation.

Personally, I totally agree with you on this. Especially since the Butterfree looks so much like the Venonat. My only doubt is that Venomoth doesn't exactly have as much resemblence to Metapod than Butterfree has to Venonat. But the resemblence of the eyes between Venonat and Butterfree just scored my support over your theory.

Haha, I think it would probably be pretty funny if we brought this to the Pokemon Company's attention...if what you say is true, they would freak.

This is fantastic. Great work!

[Radoka Kaname]

this is crazy... they should have made it like this... if only venonat was a caterpiller shape then it would be perfect

[Ness]

Oh yeah, I remember seeing this on /po/ a long while ago, haha. It took me SO long to see it since I'm kinda slow.
Mind was indeed blown when I finally realized it.

[Tiamat]

Amazing how I read the IJBM on TV Tropes, then i come here and it's like "Oh hey, I remember this!"

While the resemblence is striking, I don't think it indicates anything. They probably just didn't notice how alike the two lines were--that, and Venomoth doesn't really look like Metapod to me. You've got a point with Butterfree however. They do look a lot alike.

[The Letter W]

Ah ha a friend of mine pointed this out to me awhile back. My mind was blown away like a leaf in a tornado.