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User:Cukie Gherkin/Shedinja

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Concept and creation

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Shedinja is a Bug and Ghost-type Pokémon, the only Pokémon to have this type.[1] Its name is a portmanteau of "shed" and "ninja."[2] In Japanese, its name, Nukenin, is a word meaning a ninja without a master or clan.[2] It has no gender.[3] Shedinja cannot be found in the wild in the mainline Pokémon games, only able to be obtained via Nincada evolving into Ninjask.[2] If Nincada is evolved without all of the conditions to obtain Shedinja fulfilled, Shedinja will not be added to the party.[4] Shedinja has the lowest combined base stats of any fully-evolved Pokémon, lower than Ninjask's, having only one HP. It has an ability that makes it impervious to certain types of damage called Wonder Guard, which prevents damage unless done by an attack that it is weak to. Being Bug and Ghost, Shedinja is only susceptible to Fire, Flying, Rock, Ghost, and Dark attacks. Additionally, Shedinja may be knocked out by certain other types of damage, including weather effects and status conditions.[2]

Design

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Entomologists R A Schmidt-Jeffris and J C Nelson discussed how cicadas represented rebirth in many cultures and how Shedinja demonstrates that through its evolutionary process. They believed that Shedinja's Wonder Guard ability and low HP created a sense of both fragility and strength, associating it with the Pokémon's "association with death and rebirth."[5]

Appearances

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In Pokémon Go, despite Pokémon from the fourth generation of the series being added, Shedinja was one of a remaining few Pokémon from the third generation still not available.[6] It was later revealed to appear by developer Niantic, Inc., who revealed it before either Nincada or Ninjask.[7] When the Trainer Battle feature was added to Pokémon Go, Shedinja was one of two Pokémon banned for use, alongside Ditto.[8] Unlike the main Pokémon games, evolving Nincada does not create a Ninjask, and it must be obtained via the field research feature.[9]

Shedinja is featured in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, first introduced in the "EX Dragon" set of cards. In this set, its Wonder Guard ability differs, making it immune to attacks from evolved Pokémon and EX Pokémon. It has since been featured as part of future sets with new cards.[2]

Shedinja appears as a Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a type of collectible that can be used to power-up the user. In the game's story mode, the character Mr. Game & Watch has Shedinja's "spirit."[10]

Shedinja appeared in a two-parter pair of episodes of the Pokémon anime, used by an opposing trainer to steal Misty's Togepi. It was eventually defeated by Misty's Gyarados.[2]

Reception

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Noted as a particularly strange and unique Pokémon by multiple critics,[11][12][13][14][15] with Kotaku writer Kenneth Shepard stating that the lore behind it was one of the first times the series' "scary Ghost lore" resonated with him, finding the concept behind it only being able to battle "horrifying."[16] USA Today writer Cian Maher found its Wonder Guard ability and "angelic" aesthetic compelling, though feeling that the most intriguing element was the evolution method. He felt that it was among the best and strangest design concepts in the series.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Gudmundson, Carolyn (October 25, 2011). "A tribute to Ghost-type Pokemon". GamesRadar+. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lucard, Alex (June 2009). "Beckett's Ultimate Guide to... Shedinja!". Becked Pokémon Unofficial Collector. No. 115. Beckett Media. pp. 18, 19.
  3. ^ Mulkerin, Tim (January 19, 2017). "'Pokémon Go' Update: The definitive guide to gender politics in the new Pokémon universe". Mic. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  4. ^ Hakushu, Takeuchi (January 13, 2020). "デスバーンやネギガナイトなど、特殊な進化条件を持つポケモン紹介第2弾【ポケモン剣盾】". Famitsu. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  5. ^ Schmidt-Jeffries, R A; Nelson, J C (September 15, 2018). "Gotta Catch 'Em All! Communicating Entomology with Pokémon". American Entomologist. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  6. ^ Goldfarb, Andrew (October 16, 2018). "First Pokemon from Diamond and Pearl Are Now Available in Pokemon Go". IGN. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  7. ^ Martinez, Phillip (October 26, 2018). "'Pokémon Go' November Update Brings Shedinja and Shiny Caterpie to the Game". Newsweek. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  8. ^ Hoffer, Christian (December 4, 2018). "'Pokemon Go' Bans Two Pokemon From New Trainer Battles". Comic Book. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  9. ^ Dwyer, Theo (October 5, 2020). "The Strange Tale Of Shedinja: A Pokémon GO Catch Like No Other". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  10. ^ Friedman, Daniel (December 12, 2018). "How to power up in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's World of Light campaign as quickly as possible". Polygon. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  11. ^ "The craziest and coolest characters from any anime game". GameSpot. February 29, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  12. ^ Harmon, O'Dell (November 21, 2012). "Top 50 Pokémon Of All Time". Game Informer. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  13. ^ Rougeau, Michael (October 12, 2013). "The 20 Best Pokémon Evolutions". Complex. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  14. ^ Zwiezen, Zach (September 14, 2019). "Shedinja Is Just A Dead Corpse That Steals Souls". Kotaku. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  15. ^ "Pokemon of the Day: Shedinja (#292)". IGN. April 9, 2003. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  16. ^ Shepard, Kenneth (October 30, 2023). "It's Halloween, Let's Rank The Best Ghost-Type Pokémon". Kotaku. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  17. ^ Maher, Cian (January 21, 2022). "The top ten Ghost Pokémon, ranked". USA Today. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
List
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