#387 TURTWIG, #388 GROTLE, #389 TORTERRA
Frickin' groovy! Today, we were talking about tons of turtle fun with the 4th Generation starter, Turtwig (my favorite grass starter) and it's evolutions, Grotle and Torterra.There are a lot of fun things to talk about with these guys designs that tie into why I like 4th Generation so much.
Let's talk turtles! Turtwig is similar to Bulbasaur and Chikorita in some respects; they're all quadrapedal grass Pokémon, they're all reptillian, and they're sporting plans on their back or head that seem to share a symbiotic relationship with their host. So, in many ways, it holds to those traditions of the past. The design comes ahead in maintain it's composition despite the number of details, from the broad color pallet to multiple sections to the design, Turtwig is a good example of how the fourth generation added a lot to the complexity of Pokémon design while still maintaining the standards set in the past.
Turtwig was my choice of starter in Platinum for a couple of reasons: 1. I wanted to try something different than my tradition of fire starters from Charmander to Chimchar and 2. I liked the idea of getting the unusual and useful combo of a Grass and Ground Pokémon with a good move pool, stats, and just an attitude that I could get behind.
The teenage years of his evolutionary cycle totally make me think of one of my favorite childhood films, The Land Before Time. Specifically, the dinosaur design of Grotle reminds me of Spike, the silent Apatosaurus. I really dig the dinodesign of Grotle, the addition of plating and the shrubbery hint at it's final form.
It's easy to see why, much like Bulbasaur, Grotle would become one of Ash's most reliable Pokémon of the Diamond/Pearl series. But Grotle is still not as cute as Turtwig and not as cool as Torterra.
Torterra takes the cake for my favorite Turtle Pokémon since Blastoise! He is a huge dinosaur turtle with spikes, a tree on his back and just look at him! He can learn Crunch, Earthquake, Woodhammer, Stone Edge, Leafstorm, and a lot of other diverse moves. Most grass Pokémon have a subpar movepool, but it was clear that, between his unique typing and design, they really wanted Torterra to be worthwhile.
I gotta admit that in the Rise of Darkrai movie, the tenth film of the Pokémon movie franchise, the best part was watching the Generation 4 starters show off how awesome they could be in the best animation that anime has to offer. Seriously, it's worth the price of admission.
Meanwhile, on the show, this adorable indignity took place and I began wondering if Mewtwo was right about destroying mankind to free Pokémon from the yoke of oppression.
