Bulbasaur
| Bulbasaur | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon series character | |
|
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| First game | Pokémon Red and Blue |
| Designed by | Ken Sugimori |
| Voiced by (English) |
Tara Jayne (1st season – 8th season) Michele Knotz (9th season – present) |
| Voiced by (Japanese) |
Megumi Hayashibara (Ash Ketchum's) Miyako Itō (May's) |
Bulbasaur (/ˈbʌlbəˌsɔːr/), known as Fushigidane (フシギダネ?) in Japan, is the first Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by Ken Sugimori, their name is a combination of the words "bulb" and "dinosaur." First appearing in Pokémon Red and Green as a Starter Pokémon, they later appeared in subsequent sequels, spin-off games, related merchandise, and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.
Known as the Seed Pokémon, Bulbasaur can survive for days solely on sunlight. It is a central character in the anime, being one of Ash's main Pokémon for the first season, and a different one later being obtained by May. It is featured in various manga, and is owned by protagonist Red in the Pokémon Adventures manga. Bulbasaur has been featured in myriad pieces of merchandise, including toys, key chains, and plush dolls.
The design and art direction for Bulbasaur was provided by Ken Sugimori, a friend of the creator of the Pokémon games, Satoshi Tajiri. The species first appeared as one of three starter Pokémon the player could choose from at the beginning of the initial Game Boy games, Pokémon Red and Blue, released in Japan in 1996. Its Japanese name, Fushigidane, is a combination of the Japanese words for mystery or miracle (fushigi) and seed (tane). In translating the game for English speaking audiences, Nintendo gave the Pokémon "cleverly descriptive names" related to their appearance or features as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children; thus Bulbasaur, relating to both its dinosaur appearance and the large garlic-shaped bulb on its back. The idea to feature Bulbasaur and the other Red and Green starters in a significant role in Pokémon X and Y came about a year and a half into the development of the games. The Mega Evolutions for the three Pokémon's final forms were created, and the designers decided that they should give players an opportunity to receive one of these Pokémon from Professor Sycamore, the games professor, to see their Mega Evolved form.
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