I make it a priority to name every Pokemon I get. Sometimes I'm specific with a certain species in that I have to catch a specific gender and sometimes I'll have names for both. I actually have a list of all fully evolved Pokemon and nicknames I have given them. Most of them are references from popular culture and things I like. I'll name a few of them here.
Natsu (Charizard) - A reference to the dragonslayer Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail. Natsu means summer, perfect for Charizard Y in that it summons sun into battle but also perfect for Charizard X, being that Natsu is a dragonslayer.
Toast (Butterfree) - Now this one came to me in an epiphany. As I was having my toast one morning, I realized I ran out of butter and made the connection.
Jafar (Arbok) - A reference to the Disney movie Aladdin. Also fitting that it be a Poison-type, since Jafar was poisoning the Sultan's mind throughout the movie.
Gaara (Sandslash) - This one may seem bland to Naruto fans but I think this nickname fits perfectly with Sandslash because it's found in the desert and its shiny sprite replaces its brown quills with red ones, similar to Gaara's red hair. For those who do not know, this character is the leader of the Hidden Sand Village in the series.
Cleopatra (Persian) - Formerly named "Nefertiti" in honor of the Egyptian queen but renamed because Cleopatra sounded better to me. Persian is the Pokemon of people living in the lap of luxury, something I associate with Cleopatra the Pharaoh.
Taiga (Arcanine) - Now this is one of those gender-exclusive nicknames specifically reserved for females. This being a reference to Aisaka Taiga of the Toradora!! anime series and her nickname being the "Palmtop Tiger".
Cloyster (Cloyster) - Must be male, reference to the ice magic user Gray Fullbuster of the anime Fairy Tail. Could've picked any other Ice-type to use this name on but it felt right because Cloyster looks badass imo and the name Fullbuster has a certain "oomf" to it, a strong presence if you will.
Ricochet (Electrode) - I like this one because it references one of my fave cartoons growing up, Mucha Lucha. The main character is named Ricochet, and his signature move is turning into a pinball, something I think Electrode relates to well, because it can use Volt Switch to sort of bounce back from opponents. Also, regular Electrode is red and white, while shiny Electrode is blue and white, making yet another connection since these are the colors found on Ricochet's wrestling costume.
Atlas (Pinsir) - Taken very literally after the design of this Pokemon, Atlas carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. Mega Pinsir decimates with impressive strength. Not much else to say other than I love how the name sounds.
Riptide (Feraligatr) - A tribute to the sword used by Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Also fits Feraligatr well since the definition of a rip tide is "strong tidal flow of water within estuaries"
source here and estuaries being the natural habitat of Caimans.
Carlisle (Crobat) - Not a big fan, but reference to Carlisle Cullen from Twilight. Thought it sounded sophisticated.
Cobalt (Azumarill) - Battle B-Daman reference where marbles are shot as projectiles from small mechas. I can picture Azumarill looking like a cannonball being fired as it uses Aqua Jet.
Banzai (Sudowoodo) - A play on "bonsai" as well as reference to Sudowoodo's skill Rock Head, allowing it to use some otherwise very self-harming moves like Double-Edge and Wood Hammer. This self-sacrificing nature is like that of the Japanese fighter pilots who bombed Pearl Harbor, known as the banzai attacks.
Hercules (Heracross) - Again, like its brother Pinsir, named for obvious reasons. Standing alone or with a Mega Stone, Heracross deserves the name for its fantastic wallbreaking capabilities.
Cerberus (Houndoom)
- The hellhound, one of Heracles' 12 trials. Houndoom fits the bill well with its overall physical appearance which is further enhanced in its Mega Evolution. Also, I think it fitting that a guardian of the Underworld be part Fire-type.
Tsunami (Swampert) - With its signature move being Muddy Water, I thought it fit well with Swampert. It's the nickname I always use on him every time I replay Emerald.
Nigel (Pelipper) - Nice little reference to the pelican from Finding Nemo.
Honda/Ganryu (Hariyama) - Taken from Street Fighter and Tekken, respectively. Hariyama is the sumo slammer of the Pokemon world and these two character's names fit perfectly.
Pandora (Sableye) - This was not an original thought of mine, rather, a name I took from a YT user named octaneblue. He also used the name Pandora but this was back in Pokemon Battle Revolution days, when Sableye didn't have access to Prankster yet. Once it got the aforementioned ability, it truly started to live up to its name, being the Pandora's Box of Pokemon, causing disarray amongst physical attackers with Will-o-Wisp and Foul Play.
Pepper (Mawile) - I originally named Mawile Pepper because I thought it's jaw-like horns looked like a giant pepper from far away.
Gajeel (Aggron) - Reference to the iron dragonslayer Gajeel Redfox of Fairy Tail. The character Gajeel is brazen and brute, something Aggron shares in common. Not the most agile of Pokemon, but capable of taking hits like a sir.
Jindrax (Zangoose) &
Toxica (Seviper) - References to my fave villainous duo from Power Rangers Wild Force. Jindrax, being a master of blades, fits well with Zangoose's sharp claws and Toxica, a user of poison, fits well with Seviper. The two Pokemon being set as a pair further justifies the reference.
Kankuro (Banette) - Another reference to Naruto. Kankuro is Gaara of the Sand's brother and a user of puppets. Banette itself being a marionette, I feel it is akin to Kankuro. Using toxins in combination with attacks, Kankuro shares some traits with Mega Banette in that they both rely on weakening the opponents first with status ailments before taking them down.
Adamantium (Metagross) - The fictional metal virtually impervious to damage from the Marvel universe. A fitting name for Metagross, a Pokemon that once oozed raw power, now given new life in the form of a Mega. I also think Mega Metagross' claws look like Wolverine's.
Altair (Lucario) - Lucario swift movements and epic nature reminded me of Assassin's Creed and its protagonist Altair Ibn-La'ahad.
Polaroid (Magnezone) - It looks like a camera to me. Trapping Steel-types and disposing of them with ease, like a picture-perfect moment right before their demise.
Azazel (Giratina) - One of the Fallen Angels. Also an act of complete removal or casting out. Perfect for Giratina, who resides in the Distortion World, removed from contact with the outside.
Vesuvius (Heatran) - Named after the volcano that caused the destruction of Pompeii.
Amidamaru (Samurott) - Reference to Amidamaru from the anime series Shaman King. Samurott is based on a samurai warrior and Amidamaru is the ghost of a legendary Samurai.
Beethoven (Stoutland) - Reference to the titular St. Bernard in the movie Beethoven.
Son Goku (Darmanitan) - Mainly a reference to the 4-tailed beast from the anime series Naruto. Also a reference to the main protagonist of Dragon Ball Z, paying homage to the character's raw physical power.
Ramses (Cofagrigus) - Reference to the deceased pharaoh, I like to think of Cofagrigus as the coffin they put him in.
Wednesday (Gothitelle) - A reference to Wednesday Addams of the Addams Family, being that they look alike and I feel that being able to torment stalls with Trick and Shadow Tag is something reminiscent of Wednesday's personality.
Pringles (Jellicent male) - It looks like the Pringles man.
Skellington (Chandelure) - So glad they raised the character limit for nicknames so I could add the extra "L" in its name. Reference to Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas. Regular sprite represents Christmas while shin sprite represents Halloween, being orange.
Colossus (Golurk) - Formerly nicknamed "Iron Giant" I decided to rename it Colossus in reference to the game Shadow of the Colossus. The main enemies of the game are colossi coming in different forms but having one thing in common: they were all made of stone. While Golurk may not be made of stone, he does share the dilapidated look of a weathered warrior.
Cardinal (Bisharp) - Here to cleanse the impurities of the world, Cardinal has come forth to pass judgement on all who come. Being a top threat in the OU metagame and a play on the "bishop" etymology of the Pokemon.
Tyrone (Bouffalant) - Thought I'd have a bit of a laugh with this one. Head Charge is
Afro Break in Japanese and I must say, that IS an impressive afro.
Earthbound (Landorus-Therian) - A reference to the game EarthBound a.k.a. Mother 2 in Japan. The game doesn't have much to do with the Pokemon, but having the word "earth" in the name does connect with Landorus' Ground-type.
Epona (Keldeo) - Haven't officially named one yet since the OT's name can't be changed, but if I could, I'd name Keldeo Epona in reference to Link's steed from Legend of Zelda.
Excalibur (Aegislash) - My favorite nickname to date. Referencing the old legend of King Arthur and the sword Excalibur. Indeed, being banished to Ubers makes Aegislash worthy of the name.
Hamtaro (Dedenne) - If you didn't know any better, you'd swear Dedenne was a character from Hamtaro.
Stahlrim (Avalugg) - An extremely tough form of ore/ice found on the island of Solstheim, a Skyrim reference.
Mononoke (Xerneas) - Reference to the Studio Ghibli film Princess Mononoke. While the mystical deer in the movie wasn't named Mononoke itself, I feel Xerneas fits the name since it does look a bit more feminine.
And that's that. The names I've given aren't very deep per se, but they do hold significance for me. Old memories living on in my Pokemon. Gonna mention that I'd like to name every Arceus form after an angel, i.e. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, etc. with Normal Arceus being Deus. All Eevee-lutions' names end with an "A" Corona, Volta, Marina, Eterna, Glacia, Titania, with Espeon and Umbreon being the exceptions, "Dawn" & "Midnight". Unown have been named after the
phonetic alphabet. Also, all frog Pokemon have been named after summoning toads from the Naruto anime series.
Poliwrath = Gamabunta
Politoed = Gamariki
Toxicroak = Gamakichi
Seismitoad = Gamatatsu
Greninja = Gamahiro
Credits to
CodeNamePlayer on Deviantart for the mini sprites.