Gardevoir

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Gardevoir
Pokémon character
A Gardevoir.
Gardevoir artwork by Ken Sugimori
First appearancePokémon Ruby and Sapphire (2002)
Designed byKen Sugimori (finalized)[1]
Voiced byEN: Michele Knotz[2]
JA: Tomoko Kawakami[2]
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon
TypePsychic/Fairy

Gardevoir, known in Japan as Sirnight (Japanese: サーナイト, Hepburn: Sānaito), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. It is an evolved form of Kirlia and the final evolution of Ralts. Gardevoir was designed by Game Freak for the video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire as part of a new creative philosophy to test the waters of what a Pokémon was expected to look like. Its design was finalized by Ken Sugimori. Introduced in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Gallade, a male Pokémon, accompanies Gardevoir as another Pokémon that evolves from Kirlia. Since Gardevoir's introduction, it has appeared in other media and titles related to the Pokémon franchise, such as the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Unite. It has been generally well-received, with critics praising its design and being regarded as one of the best Pokémon. It has gained notoriety for how often it is depicted in pornographic imagery.

Conception and design[edit]

Gardevoir is a fictional species of Pokémon created for the Pokémon franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the series began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video games Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy.[3] 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, and some can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution.[4]

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 this 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, Sugimori said "screw it" and focused on more complex and fleshed out designs with these games. As the art team developed the Pokémon species, Sugimori would finalize their work and draw the promotional art, altering details as he felt necessary.[1]

Introduced in Ruby and Sapphire, Gardevoir is the third and final part of the species' evolution line.[5] Originally classified as a Psychic-type Pokémon in Ruby and Sapphire, with the release of Pokémon X and Y it received a secondary typing of Fairy.[6] Despite its feminine features, Gardevoir are not exclusively female,[7] with a 50/50 split of gender ratio when encountered in-game.[8] 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 its eyes. Two round red horns protrude from the front and back of its head angled upward, which allow them to sense people's emotions.[9] After acquiring enough experience, it evolves into Kirlia, gaining slight height while its hair now extends down the sides of its head, exposing its red eyes. Its legs are now green from the waist downward, while a white skirt shape extends from its waist horizontally, and its horns now protrude from the sides of its head instead.[10] After acquiring enough experience, Kirlia can evolve into Gardevoir, though as of the Diamond and Pearl games male Kirlia may instead evolve into Gallade if exposed to a "Dawn Stone" item.[11]

Appearances[edit]

Gardevoir first appeared in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire as the evolution of Kirlia. Gardevoir 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 Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Gardevoir is not a naturally occurring Pokémon but can be obtained by trading it from Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald. In the paired games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Kirlia gained a new evolution, Gallade. In those games, Kirlia may either evolve into Gardevoir or Gallade, though the latter only possible under specific conditions. Gardevoir also appeared in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver and Pokémon Black and White. Gardevoir was given a Mega Evolution in Pokémon X and Y, which allow it to temporarily become more powerful. Mega Gardevoir appeared as the signature Pokémon of the game's Champion, Diantha. In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, a new Pokémon, called Iron Valiant, was introduced. This Pokémon is known as a Paradox Pokémon: a Pokémon from another time period which resembles a combination of Gardevoir and Gallade.[citation needed]

Gardevoir also appeared as a major character in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team, as a minor character in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky. It can be released from a Poké Ball item in the Super Smash Bros. series beginning in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Gardevoir is also a playable character in the spinoff games Pokkén Tournament and Pokémon Unite.

The Ralts line (excluding Gallade) was added into Pokémon Go alongside various other Hoenn region species in December 2017. Its Mega Evolution became obtainable during a Valentine's Day event in February 2023.

A Gardevoir appeared in the Pokémon episode, Do I Hear a Ralts? as a parent of a Ralts, one of the species on Gardevoir's evolutionary line.[12] Additionally, in Mutiny in the Bounty!, a Gardevoir belonging to Pokémon trainer Melodi was stolen, but the psychic connection was too strong.[13]

Critical reception[edit]

Since its introduction Gardevoir has been well received, placing 9th on The Pokémon Company's 2020 Pokémon of the Year poll which featured all Pokémon from throughout the franchise.[14] 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.[15] The addition of its 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 its moves and design.[16][17]

Paste writers Kevin Slackie and Moises Taveras named them one of the best Pokémon in the franchise in its eyes, praising its "beauty and grace" while citing its popularity with players across all game appearances.[18] 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 it exudes "the exact kind of mysterious energy that all Fairies should", as well as "widely revered as one of Gen 3’s best Pokémon today."[19][20] 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".[21] In 2015, Destructoid named Gardevoir the website's "favorite Pocket Monster", with Kyle MacGregor Burleson writing a poem praising the species' design and abilities.[22]

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".[23] 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.[24] 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 its equal gender ratio in the games due to being indeterminate at a glance without the need of external information.[8]

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 its evolution line, he felt it was hampered by its 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."[25]

As a sex symbol[edit]

Fan made erotica often depicts Gardevoir with human sexual aspects, such as breasts and/or fetish attire[26]

Gardevoir's feminine humanoid design has also led the fandom to heavily sexualize the species through fan works and discussions,[27] while third-party companies have utilized its design in erotic-themed Adobe Flash games.[26] Searches for pornography of the species have been prominent on sites such as Pornhub,[28] 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.[29] An interviewee for Vice attributed this particular popularity to its more "human" and "pretty" feminine design, something they felt Pokémon titles prior to Ruby and Sapphire lacked.[30] 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,[31][18][19] with USA Today in particular arguing that such presented a good argument for Game Freak to "stop designing humanoid Pokémon."[20]

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.[21] 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."[32]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "Gardevoir Voices (Pokemon)". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  3. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (December 25, 2016). "Pokémon Red & Blue – A Look Back At The 20-Year Journey To Catch 'Em All". Game Informer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  4. ^ Allison, Anne (May 2006). Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. University of California Press. pp. 192–197. ISBN 9780520938991.
  5. ^ "Gardevoir - Pokédex". Pokemon.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  6. ^ Corriea, Alexa Ray (June 11, 2013). "Pokemon X and Y coming Oct. 12, will feature new Fairy type". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ a b Han, Sukhee (2017). "Glass ceiling in video games: Unequal gender status in Pokémon Series". 한국게임학회 논문지. 17 (6): 173–188.
  9. ^ "Ralts - Pokédex". Pokemon.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  10. ^ "Kirlia - Pokédex". Pokemon.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  11. ^ Roffe, Christina (September 14, 2023). "Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: How To Evolve Ralts Into Kirlia, Gallade, & Gardevoir". Dualshockers. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  12. ^ Takeshi Shudō (January 6, 2005). "Do I Hear a Ralts?". Pokémon. Season Advanced Generation series (6-9). Episode 109. TV Tokyo.
  13. ^ Takeshi Shudō (February 22, 2007). "Mutiny in the Bounty!!". Pokémon. Season Diamond and Pearl series. Episode 20. TV Tokyo.
  14. ^ Hernandez, Patricia (February 27, 2020). "Google's Pokémon of the Year contest is a humiliating defeat for Pikachu". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  15. ^ "The 5 Most Famous Pokemon". The Ultimate Guide to Pokémon. Centennial Media. August 2023. pp. 19–20.
  16. ^ Nair, Yasir (June 17, 2022). "The best Fairy-type Pokémon of all time, ranked". Dot Esports. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  17. ^ Malik, Umair (September 23, 2023). "Pokemon: 10 Best Non-Legendary Fairy Types In The Series, Ranked". Dualshockers. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Slackie, Kevin; Taveras, Moises (June 6, 2023). "The 150 Best Pokémon". Paste. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Maher, Cian; Woodrow, Ryan (December 15, 2022). "The top ten Fairy Pokémon, ranked". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Maher, Cian (January 19, 2022). "The top ten Psychic Pokémon, ranked". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  21. ^ a b Woodrow, Ryan (July 1, 2023). "The 10 best Psychic Pokemon of all time". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  22. ^ Burleson, Kyle MacGregor (February 5, 2015). "Pokemon: A poem for Gardevoir". Destructoid. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  23. ^ Carolyn Gudmundson (July 23, 2010). "The most overused Pokemon designs". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
  24. ^ "Wobbuffet Doesn't Care if You Live or Die". Fanbyte. June 29, 2022. Archived from the original on November 22, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  25. ^ Maher, Cian (August 23, 2021). "Pokemon: Gardevoir Was Robbed Of Pseudo-Legendary Status". TheGamer. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  26. ^ a b 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.
  27. ^ Shephard, Kenneth (July 5, 2023). "New Official Pokémon Forums Are A Disaster You Can't Look Away From". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  28. ^ Phillips, Tom (January 10, 2018). "Overwatch, Pokémon dominated Pornhub's most popular game characters of 2017". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  29. ^ V, Amber (July 7, 2023). "Japanese users rattled by results of "The top 100 most "pornified" media franchises" ranking". Automaton. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  30. ^ Greenhill, Richard (December 19, 2018). "Pokémon Porn Exists If You Gotta Smash 'Em All". Vice. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  31. ^ Ligman, Kris (September 16, 2022). "Pokemon Sun and Moon's new Alola forms get psychedelic". Fanbyte. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  32. ^ Henley, Stacey (May 7, 2021). "New Pokemon Snap Reminded Me Why I Love Gardevoir". TheGamer. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2023.

External links[edit]

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