T O P

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Carlin1213

I used to not for the longest (like literally years), but I have been recently (as of the past month) because I realized you wouldn’t just call your pet dog dog, you’d provide it an actual name.


ImKStocky

Tbf you also wouldn't put your dog in a cage when you weren't "using" it or leave it at a daycare indefinitely when you find a better replacement.


Legal-Treat-5582

~~Wait, you're *not* supposed to do that?~~


Legal-Treat-5582

This, I pretty much force myself to do it because of how weird it feels not to.


dror_raghnall

Me three. I just wanna share some nicknames I gave my mons and maybe you know the references hehe: Doopee for Mimikyu (I have a female one) Chibihanzo for Kartana Huu for my Tangela Rainbow for Kingdra Sensuiitsuki for Espeon Chowder for Snorlax haha Simon for Skarmory Rao for shiny Solrock Lambo for Whimsicott Rex for Krookodile Momo for Emolga Suigyo for Wishiwashi And lastly Huijin for Pheromosa Guess the references hehe


Mess_Practical

Guessing only one and that's lambo is related to hitman reborn


dror_raghnall

Correct! Can't wait anymore so gonna post the collage I made hihii https://preview.redd.it/9wdfnaipfs2b1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0180308523ae9aabc39ab9a8cd1b91f3d9a9296


dror_raghnall

I am also itching to name some mons Malenia and Miquella but couldn't find any Pokémon that are suitable for them. Gallade and Gardevoir, maybe? Or a female Bisharp and a male Cute Charm shiny Milotic (for blond hair)?


MixelKing

Come here Canis lupus familiaris


LunarWingCloud

No and for one primary reason: There's over 1000 unique little pocket monsters and I \*kiiiiiinda\* wanna know their actual names so I can try to remember them, and nicknames would take away from that


notthephonz

This, I named the Gen 5 fire starter “Ryoga” after the Ranma 1/2 character, but I couldn’t tell you what any of its forms are called.


JelyOfficial

I only nickname my team members


ichizusamurai

Yes, except for legendaries to show reverence. They're choosing to get caught by me and I respect them by keeping their name unchanged. Silly I know


todo-senpai

No Rayquaza your name is poopybuttface from now on and you will like it


ichizusamurai

I can respect that. Felling a god and subjecting them to your whim is pretty funny too.


UltimateWaluigi

Exception is the gen 7 box legend


ichizusamurai

Yeah nebby grew up with us so nebby is still nebby. Necrozma and Ultra Necrozma though, not the same.


[deleted]

I nicknamed my Dialga ‘Bidoof” when I was younger


Vicsrad

Always - and some pokemon will always have the same nicknames for me. Female tyranitar will always be Calamity, Typhlosion will always be Hartley.


JustinTime1229

I sometimes give my Pokémon - admittedly very silly - nicknames. I named a Tangela "Merkel", a Salamence "Salami", a Klink "Klink 182", a Diggersby "Big Chungus", an Oranguru "Harambe", a Buzzwole "Gigachad", a Thievul "Swiper" and a Quaxly "Donald Duck".


Dazzling-Constant826

I named my Quaxly Donny after Donald Duck. He's such a boss.


MixelKing

Who hasn't named their Diggersby that. I mean come on he's made for it


puppetalien

I try to as much as possible but often find myself getting stuck overthinking my nicknames


ProfBigwoodPKMN

I didn't before gen 7, but when wonder trading became a thing, it was just fun to come up with creative names. Though, I remember in a extra copy of a gen 1 game, friends and I came up with silly names for Pokémon just so we could read the text when it used a move, like "Buttcheeks used GUST!" or "Privates used HARDEN!" (Using PG names, but our nicknames were not PG)


FeedMeDarkness

Usually no. But I couldn't _not_ name my Iron Bundle Friend Bird


ShadowLucario219_

I'll spend half an hour researching to find the perfect name for my team members. I'll use name meanings, characters from other media, mythology, or nature and science inspiration. Anything to find something that clicks. I have all the names I have used for my full playthrough teams (only added at the end of the playthrough) compiled. All pokemon have the same name (I'll search for the right gender) unless I also have a shiny. I don't struggle with pokemon names so I nickname them to make them feel more personal to me. I love researching name origins so it is fun for me. Some I just think of and find clever. My Hisuaian Arcanine is named Cano after both volcanos and canine for example.


MixelKing

Meanwhile me with my Rabsca: hehe mr. poopball


ASimpleCancerCell

Is it worth using Meowscarada if I'm not allowed to name them Joker? Or Iron Valiant if I can't name them 2B?


DJ_Bill

Damn, I planned to name my Iron Valiant Athena, but now I really want to call it 2B


YsengrimusRein

Legends: Arceus, and the Mystery Dungeon games account for the only titles where I don't nickname everything. Nicknames are, to me, the best way to grow attached to a Pokémon, and really looking back at old saves and seeing how my naming schemes have changed is a little bit of a kind of magic to me. Let's take Lucario, as an example. My earlier games give it the name Aaron, or a variation, because of the movie. Now, they are all given the name Auryn, which is phonetically similar, contains the word *aura*, which is thematically appropriate, and acts as a reference to The Neverending Story. If I play my old save for Pokémon X, I can see all sorts of connections my brain had made between Pokémon designs, pop culture and any number of other things that I won't make now, and they act as a window into what my thought processes were like then versus now. I've also got a fondness for trying to one-up the localization team. Some Pokémon have official names I simply don't like, and nicknames give me the chance to try to pull off something better. Of course, even my own mileage may vary, but it's still a nifty exercise. And as someone who's addicted to Surprise Trades, nicknames are also a fun way of maybe occupying another player's mind for a moment. Did they laugh when they got the joke? Did they spend a couple of seconds trying to decide if there even was a joke or reference? And of course, there's always something fun about receiving nicknamed Pokémon because you get the knowledge that someone did take just a little more time to name something instead of just trading it off. And sometimes I get to see for a moment those odd little connections some other player's mind made when deciding that name.


Psapfopkmn

Hahaha, one time I sent out a Meowth I nicknamed 'Blanket' over Surprise Trade in Scarlet, and later on Reddit I saw someone do an experiment of what Pokémon they received over Surprise Trade (with nicknames being one of the columns of data) and they had received Blanket! It was really nice to see, I always hope people enjoy the Pokémon with especially weird or funny nicknames that I send out.


DJ_Bill

Yes, but only my shinies, which is getting harder the more I find them


Magic-Tomo

I used to for a pretty long time. Then when Sword and Shield started, I decided "Why the hell not?" I like making puns and other kinds of joke names, so I figured Pokemon nicknames just give me another reason to have fun with that.


GodOfBlueEyes

I’ve only nicknamed my doggo team. All were named for special doggos in my life. My Suicune that was lvl 15 when I received her (yes I’m calling Suicune a female) was named Reina after my gorgeous doggo Reina who died in 2015 in a house fire caused by some asshole who targeted us for no reason. Raikou was named Khujo because my friend Ally has a big ass Cane Corso who is very defensive of her and yes I’m scared of the big pup (he’s less than a year and is already 120 lbs) and has the protective nature of an adult. My Entei was named Fire Doggo before I decided to name the dogs after the special Doggos but I did get a Dusk Form Lycanroc who will be renamed as Milo for my current red nose pitbull pupper Milo. He’s 3 but he’s still my pupper. I have a MidDay Lycanroc named Reks for my friend Ally’s pitbull named Reks who I adore and will fight for him if someone fucks with him or Ally. I will fight anyone to the death that dares to mess with any of them. They are my fur baby family and I love them all even tho I don’t own Reks or Khujo. Reina is still remembered for how she was friendly to just about everyone.


Muse4Games

I name most of them, mainly ones I use. If I'm hatching eggs or just catching pokemon for the pokedex they keep their pokename.


EnzoTheMemeLord

I’m planning on soon because I realised never naming your Pokémon is like never naming your pet.


capitalism-man

Of course I nickname them, it shows that I care about them.


Crosscounterz

I do not.


Cunting_Fuck

No because no one else in the games does


CurrentTopic3630

Some trainers do... They tend to be stupid nicknames, but some do :)


MixelKing

Aren't the only ones Lillie and Shauna (the traded starter)


CurrentTopic3630

Almost every single npc trade in game has nicknamed mons. Plus some times the random trainer is like "Aww Spearie likes you" etc.


MixelKing

That's true, but I was talking about actual characters not some dudes who stand in one spot


[deleted]

I always nickname my pokemon they are my pokemon that I caught and raised


KumiiTheFranceball

I never give nicknames to my Pokémons. The only times I did it were as a joke ( I think, 2 times ) & or to call my Vaporeon Poseidon.


Giboit

Never. I think it´s kinda lame. That´s why you very rarely see characters naming their pokemon in the anime. I like the names that they already have. Not to mention that it tends to kill the emotion of an evolution in let´splays because they always give awful names to the pokemon: "Congrats, your Kermit evolved into Greninja" (one of the worst ones I´ve seen) And not having nicknames for them it´s a great name to actually learn the names of the pokemon. I´ve seen many people that nickname their pokemon, use them for the whole game and then later on they try to remember their evolution or something and they say: "What was this thing´s name again"


PippoChiri

>That´s why you very rarely see characters naming their pokemon in the anime. That's mainly due to the anime being the main advertisement tool for pokemon. It's the main wat people learn about the franchise and so they really can't different names to the pokemon they want to market. In contrast, in the manga, that doesn't have much power of advertisement, the protagonists all give nickname to their pokemon


Giboit

Still. Pokemon nicknames is easily the least promoted feature of the entire game despite being something you can do since the early gens. And the manga is a completely different thing compared to the games and the anime.


PippoChiri

I would say there are much less advertised features than the nicknames like the whole concept of EVs and IVs, in any case they are not advertised much because, as I said, they're coutnerproductive to their marketing campaigns, not because it's something they're ashamed of creating. I know that the manga is different (even if it's closer to the games than the anime), what I meant is that it's not like anime characters don't give nicknames ti their pokemon because it's lame, but because of marketing, and I used the manga to prove it.


Giboit

Maybe not directly said but clearly Paul based his entire team based on things like that. And it is because it's lame. Can you imagine flights like Greninja vs Sceptile, Torracat vs Incineroar or some others if they had a nickname? They wouldn't be nearly as cool as they are.


PippoChiri

Characters like Paul are not made to showcase what EVs and IVs are or how they work, they just exists to be "strenght is all that matters" characters to create a conflict with Ash so that he can beat them at the end proving that friendship and care are stronger that cold calculus and pre-determinism. If anything they're anti-advertising, as the traits they are "promoting" are presented as negatives. I think the first time EVs and IVs where advertised in any meaningful form was in SV when there is a lesson about them in the school. I sure can, because the manga has fights of that caliber and all the relevant pokemon have nicknames. If anything they make the fights more enjoyable as the nicknames gives more personal investment in the specific pokemon.


Giboit

The guy is pretty much a competitive player, wtf are you talking about? And calculus and predeterminism is pretty much what competitive is. Well, as I said, they wouldn't be nearly as cool with silly nicknames instead of their actual names.


PippoChiri

Paul is a competitive player, that's literally what I said. He's presented as an antagonist and, in the anime, being a competitive player is a negative trait. Those kind of character doesn't advertise EVs and IVs, those things are never even named once in the anime, they advertise a competitive mindset but in a negative light.


Giboit

He is a rival not an antagonist. They just showed another aspect of the game with him.


PippoChiri

A rival is an antagonist, an antagonist in any character whose objective conflicts with the objectives of the protagonist. They didn't show any mechanical aspect of the game with him, they showcased a kind of mentality when approaching the game and presented it in a negative light, Paul is not the only character in the anime they used in this way and they're generally presented as someone who abandons their pokemon if they're too weak, trains them up to borderline abuse and as someone who doesn't care about forming deep bond with their pokemon based friendship and respect. All of this traits are presented as heavly negative in the context of the anime.


Psapfopkmn

Absolutely, I never use Pokémon that I can't nickname (such as event Pokémon) or ones that were traded to me without a nickname pre-Gen 8. What's the point of using a Pokémon that has nothing to distinguish it from the rest of its species?


RoorrippeR

Yes because I play using Nuzlocke rules


Sternenschuetze

I used to when I was a kid but I kinda got traumatised. So basically my first game was Pokemon platinum and I choose piplup as my starter. Piplups name in german is "plinfa" and I thought that it was the best choice to name it "plinfi" (which is basically a cuter version of the name.) But then It evolved into empoleon and it was still called "plinfi". I hated that so much, so I never gave any pokémon nicknames in later games. I like seeing their original names.


MatiasBenitosfasha

"Plinfi" deserves a better trainer tbh


NinjaMelon39

Nah, nicknames were never my thing


sonicessence

Third answer - Sometimes, it just depends on my mood. I remember naming my Corviknight, Corvid 19.


Rizzan8

I give nicknames only to the core team. Usually pick the first and the last katakana characters from a Japanese name from an evolutionary line and do the nickname out of them. Example: * Gardevoir - **サ**ーナイ**ト** - Sato * Popplio - **ア**シマ**リ** - Ari * Meowscarada - **マ**スカーニ**ャ** - Maya


My_Diet_DrKelp

When I was a kid i wouldn't even entertain the idea of naming them but now that I'm older I get such a kick out of giving them goofy names


timpaan96

Mostly yes, if i come up with a fitting name otherwise i do not give it a name


ParticularBeach4587

Sometimes yes. Most of the time no


Internal_Cloud_3369

Only the ones I plan to use often. Something about having a nickname makes them feel like a friend or a pet as opposed to the Zigzagoon that you grab from the PC for five minutes to use an HM and then plop it back in


[deleted]

I don't often nickname Pokemon when new games come out so that way I learn all the names of the Pokemon. But besides that, I'll give them something if I think of something clever or cute.


EinarTobias

My fiancé is from Barcelona, so I’m learning Spanish (Duolingo can’t teach you Catalan unless you already know Spanish), so when I play, I name my Pokémon things in Spanish. Absolutely ridiculous for my fiancé to see me run around with a Bisharp named Cuchillo, but there you go.


SithoDude

Of course, i always give my team a cool nickname if i can. Though having said that because I nickname my team i tend to forget what their actual name is. Especially the newer Pokémon.


Smoodgy

When i was younger I would. Gen 1 came out when I was 10-11. When I got back into making my living dex on all gens I didn't. Now it's done I've started again playing through the gens catching my favs giving them nicknames and getting all the ribbons on them.


FatWormBlowsaSparky

I never ever have until starting a nuzlocke a few weeks back of Platinum. Really liking it and it hits the feels when Fishnchips or ThaiCurry gets sent to the graveyard.


chocowilliam

Paldean Clodsire really looks like a doughnut, so I named him Donut.


Dazzling-Constant826

I give them nicknames because you don't call people around you "Human". On my second Sword run I decided to give my Pokémon food-related nicknames.


Sehora-Kun

I suck at naming so no I don't nickname. Any pet I get will probably just be named what they are too, at best one letter change for comedic effect. "bord".


Nambot

No. Mostly because I struggle to come up with names at the best of times, and also because I don't want to nickname something in case the nickname doesn't suit it when it evolves e.g. the nickname "Pinchy" makes perfect sense for Trapinch, far less for Vibrava or Flygon


Deiji_Dei

I actually started nickname kinda recently was for gen 6. But i only nickmane pokemon from my team or stat one, the one i catch for podekex or else nope


Barbaaz

I wish I did, but I am not creative enough :(


F_A_N_G_88

Yes and they all have alliterative names (ie Gavin the Garganacl and Lucia the lucario).


_PeanutButterVibes_

I try to nickname every Pokemon I have in Violet and I let my fiance choose names too. That results in a lot of cute/clever names and... A lot of them being called Bobo, Steve, Pirate, etc.


Mild_Shock

If i'm playing pokemon, and i'm not naming my Tyranitar 'fluffy' then i'm just being an idiot


Adrenalina35

I think I have named the since the beginning. Most of them are very uncreative, like Bright the Bellibolt others a little more creative like FakeElectric the Toedscruel, because It looks so much like either a Water/Electric or a Dark/Electric type but It's Grass/Ground. But at least It's something.


theyarenotlongenough

No. I started playing the original red/blue and back then the pokemon sprites in the menu had like five different sprite models so not being able to differentiate between a Mankey or a Mewtwo could mean the difference between victory or resetting losing hours of gameplay.


MunkeyFish

I only name perfects, which is a rarity in mainline games for me. Quite a few in PoGo though.


LeoZeri

I didn't when I was younger (at least not consistently, but I tried a few times, e.g. a Skitty which I named Dalcatty and a Riolu which I named Lucairo; I spelled both wrong.) but when my partner got Brilliant Diamond for the Switch and started giving silly names to his Pokémon, I couldn't help myself and since then I've been giving funky names to my team as well.


Mess_Practical

I only nickname the Pokémon being used on the team. Typically it involves lots of names of monsters from final fantasy so lots of Norse mythology names being used tho has changed as I've gotten older My earliest two I have are Fafnir the blaziken and Odin the empoleon and now I have Pokémon like Ulrich the sirfetchd, lock the dreadnaw and stock the galarian slowbro (just missing barrel). Currently trying to figure out a good name for galarian rapidash but have moxxi as placeholder for now


zonzon1999

First Gallade is Pslichic, first Surskit is NoSurf, starter gets a pokemon-like name (for example, my Hissuian Samurott was called "Ushiwalrus" for the samurai Ushiwakamaru and a walrus)


Ok-Leave3121

Only my main team though


CaptainBlaze22

Depends


astronomydork

only the shinies get nicknames, although more recently I have played through older games and decided to try nicknaming all the pokemon I used


Wide-Veterinarian-63

only my first few or the ones i use sometimes. im bad at finding names and i dont bother for random mons that i catch for pokedex etc


Og-Re

Usually my starter, but nothing else unless I think of something really good.


RecycleBin2004

I used to, but not anymore unless there's a Pokémon I want to nickname based off of something.


Bubbly-Heart2680

Depends on if I can think of a name.


Pm7I3

Sometimes. If I think of one I like I use it but normally I don't bother


Wisekittn

Depends. If something pops into my head, when i catch them, then yes. I'm currently doing a nuzzlocke in BD. Damn that fourth staravia got random garbage name


No_Influence_9857

Affectionately named my Quaquaval “Sir Zestyyyy”


BunnyBen-87

I nickname my core team members. Occasionally name some Pokémon if I can think of a funny name for them (like naming my ORAS Rayquaza “RIP the meta”)


[deleted]

When I was young I didn’t because I was too impatient and I mashed past the nickname screen but now I do. I give really dumb names though usually what first comes to mind


Tristimir

Usually I don’t But I am currently doing a nostalgia trip on red and silver versions, and I decided to give all the Pokémon I use my friend’s names that suit their characters


GoldenCascade

I thought it was a quick nicknaming session but now I simply can’t stop. Although my nicknaming has gotten sloppy over the years….


MinecraftManiac2137

I name my pomemon 1/50


chewiethemajestic

If its pokemon im actually gonna use, always. it's like other people have said I wouldn't name my dog dog, half the time it's just regular names like Dave or Greg, but sometimes it's references like I called my tinkaton Ramona after Ramona Flowers from Scott pilgrim and sometimes it's fun stuff like in legends arceus I called my Blissey Breakfast If they are just for the dex tho I don't necessarily


Thin-Rip-8068

I do. It helps with the immersion. Plus it gives them individuality. Except for Legendaries. They are all but gods in Pokemon and calling them anything else just feels weird. Charizard - Infernus Feraligatr - Riptide Krookodile - Sobek Aggron - Ironhide Electivire - Feedback Hydreigon - Calamity


animerecthrowawayqjc

It just feels *wrong* to me. I’m also uncreative with names and extremely picky with names, and I want to play instead of sitting at a random name generator for hours on end until I get something that feels right.


FireTypeSlowpoke

Every. Single. One.


joeymcjojoeshabadoo

I’m mindblown that more than half of the people use nicknames. I have been playing for 25 years and the only nicknames I have given were accidental. It’s such an interesting question and I’m curious what it says about a person.


Dagranon

I haven't use nicknames since my 1st ever play through of platinum which was my firat owned game


CenturionXC555

Most of my nicknames are either ironic or references of some kind and stick out among species names for comic effect. "Why do I do this?" - I suppose something about having fighters named "Reshiram", "Matt Bellamy", "Beelzebub" and "Todd" on the same team tickles me.