Gardevoir
Pokémon character
A Gardevoir.
National Pokédex
Kirlia - Gardevoir (#0282) - Surskit
First appearancePokémon Ruby and Sapphire (2002)
Designed byKen Sugimori (finalized)[1]
Voiced byEN: Michele Knotz[2]
JP: Tomoko Kawakami[2]
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon
TypePsychic/Fairy

Gardevoir, known in Japan as Sirnight (サーナイト, Sānaito), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Designed by Game Freak for Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire as part of a new creative philosophy to test the waters of what a Pokémon was expected to look like, their design was finalized by Ken Sugimori and is an evolved form of Kirlia and the final evolution of Ralts. Since Gardevoir's introduction, they have appeared in other media and titles related to the Pokémon franchise, such as the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Unite.

Conception and design

Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Pokémon series began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the Pokémon Red and Blue video games for the Game Boy. In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon,[3]: 6–7, 11  and some can transform into stronger species, or evolve, once they gain enough experience.[3]: 31, 35  The ultimate goal of the games is to complete the entries in the Pokémon index (Pokédex), a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading to obtain creatures from all Pokémon species.[3]: 6–7 

When designing the 2002 sequels Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Game Freak initially wanted to not include any of the Pokémon from the previous games, with lead artist Ken Sugimori using it as an opportunity push the concept of what a Pokémon could look like. To this end he wanted to try more "humanoid" designs, but also wanted to emphasize "cooler" designs, due to feedback the team had received that Pokémon was seen as too "babyish". Additionally, while the previous Pokémon Gold and Silver were bound to simplistic designs for the sake of the related anime and toy manufacturing, with Ruby and Sapphire Sugimori was cited as saying "Screw it," and focused on more complex and fleshed out designs. As the art team developed the Pokémon species, Sugimori would finalize them, altering their details as he felt necessary.[1]

Introduced in Ruby and Sapphire, Gardevoir stands 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) tall, and is the is the third and final part of the species' evolution line.[4] Originally classified as a "Psychic" type Pokémon in Ruby and Sapphire, with the release of Pokémon X and Y they received a secondary typing of "Fairy".[5] Despite their feminine features, Gardevoir are not exclusively female,[6] with a 50/50 split of gender ratio when encountered in-game.[7] Gardevoir start life as Ralts, a small bipedal with a white body, legs that drape outward and behind it, and green hair in the shape of a bowlcut that covers their eyes. Two round red horns protrude from the front and back of their head angled upward, which allow them to sense people's emotions.[8] After acquiring enough experience, they evolve into Kirlia, gaining slight height while their hair now extends down the sides of their head, exposing their red eyes. Their legs are now green from the waist downward, while a white skirt shape extends from their waist horizontally, while their horns now protrude from the sides of their head instead.[9] After acquiring enough experience, Kirlia can evolve into Gardevoir, though as of the Diamond and Pearl games male Kirlia may evolve into Gallade if exposed to a "Dawn Stone" item.[10]

Appearances

Gardevoir first appeared in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire as the evolution of Kirlia that does not occur naturally in the wild (the player must evolve Kirlia in order to obtain it). It later appeared in the games' remake, Pokémon Emerald. In the paired games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Kirlia gained a new evolution which meant that Kirlia may either evolve into Gardevoir or Gallade, the latter only possible under specific conditions. In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Gardevoir is not a naturally occurring Pokémon. It also appeared in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver and Pokémon Black and White. Gardevoir also appears as a major character in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team and can be released from a Poké Ball item in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

A Gardevoir appeared in the Pokémon episode, Rescue Ralts! Hurry Max! as a parent of a Ralts, one of the species on Gardevoir's evolutionary line.[11] Additionally, in Mutiny in the Bounty!, a Gardevoir belong to Pokemon trainer Melodi was stolen, but the psychic connection was too strong.[12]

Critical reception

Since their introduction Gardevoir has been well received, placing 9th on The Pokémon Company's Pokémon of the Year poll which featured all Pokémon from throughout the franchise.[13] In 2023, Centennial Media's The Ultimate Guide to Pokémon noted that after compiling monthly search histories of Google, Yahoo and Microsoft Bing, Gardevoir was the second highest searched Pokémon among internet users with an approximate total of 158,400 average searches per month.[14] The addition of their Fairy-type as of Pokémon X and Y has also been praised, with Malik Umair of Dualshockers calling them the poster child of the typing due to their moves and design.[15][16]

Paste writers Kevin Slackie and Moises Taveras named them one of the best Pokémon in the franchise in their eyes, praising their "beauty and grace" while citing their popularity with players across all game appearances.[17] Cian Maher and Ryan Woodrow of USA Today named them both one of the franchise's best Psychic and Fairy type Pokémon, specifically stating that they exude "the exact kind of mysterious energy that all Fairies should", as well as "widely revered as one of Gen 3’s best Pokémon today."[18][19] Woodrow repeated these sentiments in an article for Sports Illustrated, stating that Gardevoir has "a simple humanoid body that makes it look graceful, but the design of the head and arms bring in those weird elements that you want from a good Psychic-type".[20] In 2015, Destructoid named Gardevoir the website's "favorite Pocket Monster", with Kyle MacGregor Burleson writing a poem praising the species' design and abilities.[21]

However, some outlets were critical of Gardevoir's design and characteristics. GamesRadar's Carolyn Gudmundson noted that humanoid designs were some of the most overused amongst Pokémon in the franchise, but in particular "things go wrong when a Pokémon design goes from 'bipedal version of an animal that's usually a quadruped' to anything that resembles a sexy woman".[22] The staff of Fanbyte also described Gardevoir as one of the more "off putting" designs due to its gendered appearance, comparing it to a princess or ballerina.[23] Graduate School of International Studies Assistant Professor Sukhee Han was also critical of this aspect in their study of gender across the series, feeling that it undermined their equal gender ratio in the games due to being indeterminate at a glance without the need of external information.[7]

Cian Maher in an article for TheGamer was critical of Game Freak for a different reason. Calling them "one of the best Pokémon ever designed" and praising the method in which the player is introduced to their evolution line, he felt they were hampered by their gameplay and while still a strong contender, did not achieve the same level the game commonly afforded similar Pokémon. He acknowledged however that the species was routinely featured by Game Freak in subsequent games, and closed by stating "Gardevoir isn’t short on love from the people who work on Pokémon - it just isn’t being used to its full potential."[24]

As a sex symbol

Fan made erotica often depicts Gardevoir with human sexual aspects, such as breasts and/or fetish attire[25]

Gardevoir's feminine humanoid design has also led the fandom to heavily sexualize the species through fan works and discussions,[26] while third-party companies have utilized their design in erotic-themed Adobe Flash games.[25] Searches for pornography of the species have been prominent on sites such as Pornhub,[27] while a June 2023 study of such content on Rule 34 websites such as Rule 34.xxx and Sankaku Channel noted a high volume of material compared to characters from other franchises, and the second highest of characters from the Pokémon franchise as a whole.[28] An interviewee for Vice attributed this particular popularity to their more "human" and "pretty" feminine design, something they felt Pokémon titles prior to Ruby and Sapphire lacked.[29] The high volume has resulted in multiple media outlets to comment on the reaction with disdain, or outright suggest one avoid searching for images of the species on Google,[30][17][18] with USA Today in particular arguing that such presented a good argument for Game Freak to "stop designing humanoid Pokémon."[19]

Several outlets have noted, however, that the heavy focus on sex appeal within the fandom has led to fans of the species being reluctant to say so to avoid negative connotations.[20] In particular, TheGamer's Editor in Chief Stacey Henley voiced her displeasure, having taken a liking to the species due to seeing her own transgender identity reflected in Gardevoir's evolutionary line, which culminated in "the most beautiful Pokemon I had ever seen". She added that while she understood the sexual appeal of the species for some due to its humanoid shape and "motherly vibe", it had become "impossible to have a conversation about Gardevoir, or to try and look them up online, because everything else is drowned out in a sea of [...] questionable depictions of Garde." Regardless of this she was grateful that the games had leaned away from the fan reaction, presenting a "pure [...] caring and nurturing" aspect of Gardevoir. She felt Gardevoir as portrayed in titles such as New Pokémon Snap represented its real characterization, and "not the one from the DeviantArt 18+ sections or the body pillows. Gardevoir is one of Pokemon's brightest stars, and it's a shame that they’ve been tarnished like this."[31]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "ポケットモンスター ルビー・サファイア 大ヒット記念 ロングインタビュー". Nintendo Dream (in Japanese). No. 84. February 2003. pp. 117–126.
  2. 1 2 "Gardevoir Voices (Pokemon)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Game Freak (September 30, 1998). Pokémon Red and Blue, Instruction manual. Nintendo.
  4. ↑ "Gardevoir - Pokédex". Pokemon.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  5. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (June 11, 2013). "Pokemon X and Y coming Oct. 12, will feature new Fairy type". Polygon. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  6. ↑ Nintendo (January 31, 2008). Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii). An Embrace Pokémon. Despite its elegant and feminine features, there can be male and female Gardevoir. A Psychic-type, it has the ability to see the future and levitate. It's a brave Pokémon who will risk its own life to protect its trainer. It uses the ability Synchronize to pass on status problems like paralysis, poison, and burns to the foe.
  7. 1 2 Han, Sukhee (2017). "Glass ceiling in video games: Unequal gender status in Pokémon Series". 한국게임학회 논문지. 17 (6): 173–188.
  8. ↑ "Ralts - Pokédex". Pokemon.com. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Kirlia - Pokédex". Pokemon.com. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  10. ↑ Roffe, Christina (September 14, 2023). "Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: How To Evolve Ralts Into Kirlia, Gallade, & Gardevoir". Dualshockers. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ Takeshi Shudō (January 6, 2005). "Do I Hear a Ralts?". Pokémon. Season Advanced Generation series (6-9). Episode 109. TV Tokyo.
  12. ↑ Takeshi Shudō (February 22, 2007). "Mutiny in the Bounty!!". Pokémon. Season Diamond and Pearl series. Episode 20. TV Tokyo.
  13. ↑ Hernandez, Patricia (February 27, 2020). "Google's Pokémon of the Year contest is a humiliating defeat for Pikachu". Polygon. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  14. ↑ "The 5 Most Famous Pokemon". The Ultimate Guide to Pokémon. Centennial Media. August 2023. pp. 19–20.
  15. ↑ Nair, Yasir (June 17, 2022). "The best Fairy-type Pokémon of all time, ranked". Dot Esports. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  16. ↑ Malik, Umair (September 23, 2023). "Pokemon: 10 Best Non-Legendary Fairy Types In The Series, Ranked". Dualshockers. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Slackie, Kevin; Taveras, Moises (June 6, 2023). "The 150 Best Pokémon". Paste. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  18. 1 2 Maher, Cian; Woodrow, Ryan (December 15, 2022). "The top ten Fairy Pokémon, ranked". USA Today. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Maher, Cian (January 19, 2022). "The top ten Psychic Pokémon, ranked". USA Today. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  20. 1 2 Woodrow, Ryan (July 1, 2023). "The 10 best Psychic Pokemon of all time". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  21. ↑ Burleson, Kyle MacGregor (February 5, 2015). "Pokemon: A poem for Gardevoir". Destructoid. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  22. ↑ Carolyn Gudmundson (July 23, 2010). "The most overused Pokemon designs". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Wobbuffet Doesn't Care if You Live or Die". Fanbyte. June 29, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  24. ↑ Maher, Cian (August 23, 2021). "Pokemon: Gardevoir Was Robbed Of Pseudo-Legendary Status". TheGamer. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  25. 1 2 Passmore, Cale; Harrer, Sabine; Spiel, Katta (2020). "Between Pleasure and Power: Game Design Patterns In Clickbait Ludoporn". DiGRA 2020: The 13th Digital Games Research Association Conference: Play Everywhere.
  26. ↑ Shephard, Kenneth (July 5, 2023). "New Official Pokémon Forums Are A Disaster You Can't Look Away From". Kotaku. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  27. ↑ Phillips, Tom (January 10, 2018). "Overwatch, Pokémon dominated Pornhub's most popular game characters of 2017". Eurogamer. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  28. ↑ V, Amber (July 7, 2023). "Japanese users rattled by results of "The top 100 most "pornified" media franchises" ranking". Automaton. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  29. ↑ Greenhill, Richard (December 19, 2018). "Pokémon Porn Exists If You Gotta Smash 'Em All". Vice. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  30. ↑ Ligman, Kris (September 16, 2022). "Pokemon Sun and Moon's new Alola forms get psychedelic". Fanbyte. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  31. ↑ Henley, Stacey (May 7, 2021). "New Pokemon Snap Reminded Me Why I Love Gardevoir". TheGamer. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
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