The Origins of 3 Chicken Pokemon & the Legends They Came From

Pokemon has one chicken, and it comes in three stages. Torchic starts out as a hatchling with a flame inside its body, and by level 36 it has grown into a kickboxing chicken that can clear a 30-story building in one leap. The idea behind it is the basan, a legendary fire-breathing chicken in Japanese folklore.

See all 3 chicken Pokemon in one list.

Here are the origins of the 3 chicken Pokemon:

All 3 Chicken Pokemon

#255

Torchic

Torchic, the Chick Pokemon, is based on a chicken hatchling. Its bright orange color comes from painted chicks, which are chicks whose feathers are dyed with paint and sold during festivals and fairs. It may also be based on the basan, a legendary fire-breathing chicken in Japanese folklore. Even its gender difference may come from vent sexing, a chick sexing technique that originated in Japan. We read how vent sexing works and wish we had not.

Torchic has a place inside its body where it keeps its flame, and if you give it a hug, it will be glowing with warmth. It is covered all over by a fluffy coat of down. It stands 0.4 m tall and weighs 2.5 kg. Its Blaze ability makes its Fire moves deal 1.5× damage once its HP drops to a third or less (an ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle). Its hidden ability, Speed Boost, raises its Speed one stage after each turn.

#256

Combusken

Combusken, the Young Fowl Pokemon, may be based on a cockfighting chicken, and like Torchic it may also come from the basan. It picks up the Fighting type when it evolves, which suits a bird bred for the ring. It battles with the intensely hot flames it spews from its beak and with outstandingly destructive kicks, and its cry is very loud and distracting. (Loud and distracting is what people have said about us, and we took it well.)

It measures 0.9 m and weighs 19.5 kg.

#257

Blaziken

Blaziken, the Blaze Pokemon, is based on a chicken, possibly the Shamo chicken, and its feathery legs resemble those of a Cochin chicken. It bears a resemblance to Horus and Ra, two ancient Egyptian deities with falcon heads, and it may also be based on the mythical phoenix, as its feathers burn off every few years. Its Fighting type and human-like body may come from Muay Thai fighters, since its official artwork depicts a typical flying knee.

It has incredibly strong legs and can easily clear a 30-story building in one leap, and its blazing punches leave its foes scorched and blackened. Thirty floors in one jump is more than we manage, since we take the lift to the second. At 1.9 m and 52 kg it is the biggest of the three. Speed Boost is its hidden ability too, and with its Speed rising one stage after each turn, Blaziken gets faster the longer a battle runs.

The Same Fire-Breathing Chicken Hatches Into a Kickboxer

Torchic, Combusken and Blaziken may all be based on the basan, a legendary fire-breathing chicken from Japanese folklore. The real birds behind them age along with the line. Torchic is a painted chick of the kind sold at fairs, Combusken a cockfighting chicken, and Blaziken a full-grown fighter whose official artwork throws a Muay Thai flying knee.

The kicks show up in the games too. Combusken fights with outstandingly destructive kicks, and Blaziken's legs can clear a 30-story building in one leap.