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#REDIRECT ]
:''For the nuclear reactor, see ]. For the comic strip, see ].''
{{Pokémon species |
image= ]|
name= Slowpoke|
number=079|
preceding= ]|
following= ]|
johtonumber= 080|
johtopreceding= ]|
johtofollowing= ]|
japanname=Yadon|
evolvesfrom=''None''|
evolvesto=]<br />] <small>(from ] onwards)</small>|
generation=First|
species=] Pokémon|
stage=Basic|
type=Water|
type2=Psychic|
height=3 ] 11 ]|
metricheight=1.2|
weight=79.0|
metricweight=36.0|
ability=Oblivious / Own Tempo|
}}
{{nihongo|'''Slowpoke'''|ヤドン||'''Yadon''' in original ] versions}} (1995-2007) is one of {{pokenum}} fictional species from the '']'' franchise. The name is derived from the word "slowpoke", an insult directed at a lazy or sluggish person. This usage has then been reversed, using the Pokémon as a metaphor for such a person in the real world.<ref>{{citation|title=Proceedings of the 29th annual ACM SIGUCCS conference on User services - The pokemon of user support: "gotta catch 'em all!"|author=Michael Quiner and Rich Hinz|publisher=ACM|pages=150-152|year=2001}}</ref> "Slowpoke" could also be interpreted as a combination of ''slow'' and ''Pokémon'' (or poke, as in poking its tail into the water). In the ]s of ''Red''/''Blue'', Slowpoke was originally going to be called ''Slowmo'' (presumably short for "]"). Its Japanese name is likely derived from 宿借り ''yadokari'' (hermit crab). Slowpoke is famous for being unbelievably slow at moving and thinking<ref>{{citation|publisher=Scrye|first=Jonathan|last=Linneman|title=Slow and dopey wins the race The history of Pokémon's Slowpoke family|date=October 2002|pages=73}}</ref>, and for having two separate evolution options.

==Biological characteristics==

They are moderately large, pink, quadrupedal animals vaguely reminiscent of a cartoonlike ] with bright pink flesh. Their vacant facial appearance and strikingly sluggish behavior have earned them the none-too-flattering Pokédex classification as the “Dopey Pokémon”, and they do not perform anything in their natural life cycle to counteract this popular image. Tradition holds that Slowpoke are able to bring nigh-immeasurable rain merely by ]. Slowpoke can be thought of as yawning whenever they say their own name. This could act as a way for them to sharpen their senses (which yawning is supposed to do), though it obviously doesn't help.

Most of the time Slowpoke are seen standing in a daze and apparently lost in thought, though no one knows whatever they could be thinking about. Slowpoke are not necessarily sluggish by choice; their nervous systems appear to be unfit for reacting to an external stimuli in under five full seconds, even if that stimulus is a physical attack by another Pokémon such as a predator. And even when they do move and react, their alacrity is not impressive at all.

The primary activity of Slowpoke is to dip their apparently pain-resistant tails into rivers and use them as fishing rods when it is time to look for food. A Slowpoke's tail excretes a sweet sap-like substance on its end, which is appealing to fish for them to bite on the tail. Provided the fish wasn’t strong enough to literally bite the tail off (which is something that happens occasionally if Slowpoke catches a ]), the Slowpoke lifts its tail back up and feeds on the fish. Even when fishing, a Slowpoke can forget its original purpose and remain on the same spot for days at a time, never noticing its catch, and suggesting that it is not vital for Slowpoke to consume food at a constant rate. Also, if its tail was bit off, it can regrow it much like how ] can regrow a missing limb. The easily regrowable nature of a Slowpoke’s tail, as well as its pleasant taste (though it lacks nutritional value), made it a popular enough delicacy that an underground Slowpoke tail trade flourished briefly among groups like the criminal ], where items were often sold at astoundingly high prices.

The most perplexing quality of a Slowpoke is a slight transformational phenomenon that occurs when the Slowpoke comes into direct contact with a ]. Whenever a Shellder bites onto a Slowpoke’s tail while fishing in a river, which is a rather common occurrence, the body composition of both the Slowpoke and the Shellder change and reconfigure themselves so that one entity known as a ] A similar transformation occurs when a Shellder clamps onto the head of a Slowpoke which is wearing a King's Rock, which is a much rarer occurrence, and a slight transmutation turns the two into a single ]. In both cases this can be reversed by removing the tightly clamped Shellder from the Slowpoke’s body, which will revert back into the body composition of a standard Slowpoke (this is not possible in any of the video games).

==In the Pokémon anime==
Slowpoke is prominently featured in two episodes in the anime. The first one, #68 (The Evolution Solution), features a Slowpoke belonging to Pokémon researcher Professor Westwood V of the Seafoam Islands, which evolves into Slowbro thanks to Team Rocket agents Jessie, James and Meowth. Professor Westwood subsequently figures out the details of Slowpoke's evolution.

The second one #144 (A Shadow of a Drought) features the rainmaking Slowpokes of Azalea Town and Kurt. The townspeople become angry at ] after he steps on a Slowpoke's tail.

==In other media==
]
Slowpoke, having existed since the first generation of Pokémon video games and other products, is featured on many individual cards in the ], in all cases as Psychic-type basic Pokémon unless otherwise noted: ''Fossil'', ''Team Rocket'', ''Gym Heroes'' (as Sabrina's Slowpoke), ''Neo Genesis'', ''Aquapolis'' (Water-type), ''EX Team Magma vs. Team Aqua'', ''EX FireRed & LeafGreen'', ''EX Team Rocket Returns'', ''EX Unseen Forces'', and ''EX Delta Species'' (Water-type).


==References==
{{reflist}}
*The following games and their instruction manuals: ]; '']''; '']'' and '']''; ], and '']''; ], and '']''; ]; '']'' and '']''
<!--;Notes
<references />
-->;Publications<!--
*Nintendo Power. ''Official Nintendo Pokémon Player’s Guide''. Nintendo of America Inc., 1998. ] B000CQP8FE
*Nintendo Power. ''Official Nintendo Pokémon Player’s Guide Special Edition for Yellow, Red and Blue''. Nintendo of America Inc., 1999. ] B000CQT878-->
*Barbo, Maria. ''The Official Pokémon Handbook''. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-439-15404-9.
*Loe, Casey, ed. ''Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide''. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-930206-15-1.<!--
*Nintendo Power. ''Official Nintendo Pokémon Snap Player’s Guide''. Nintendo of America Inc., 1999. ] B000CDZP9G
*Nintendo Power. ''Super Smash Bros. Melee Official Nintendo Player’s Guide''. Nintendo of America Inc., 2001. ISBN 1930206194
*Nintendo Power. ''Official Nintendo Pokémon Ruby Version & Sapphire Version Player’s Guide''. Nintendo of America Inc., 2003. ISBN 1930206313
*Nintendo Power. ''Official Nintendo Pokémon Colosseum Player’s Guide''. Nintendo of America Inc., March 2004. ISBN 193020647X-->
*Nintendo Power. ''Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen Player’s Guide''. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 1-930206-50-X
*Mylonas, Eric. ''Pokémon Pokédex Collector’s Edition: Prima’s Official Pokémon Guide''. Prima Games, September 21 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4761-4
*Nintendo Power. ''Official Nintendo Pokémon Emerald Version Player’s Guide''. Nintendo of America Inc., April 2005. ISBN 1-930206-58-5<!--
*Chiba, Akira et al. ''The Official Pokémon Emerald Version Strategy Guide''. Pokémon USA, Inc., 2005. ISBN 3937336060
*Nintendo Power. ''Official Nintendo Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness Player’s Guide''. Nintendo of America Inc., September 22 2005. ISBN 1598120026
;Manga volumes
*Ono, Toshihiro. ''Pokémon: The Electric Tale of Pikachu! Graphic Novel''. VIZ Media LLC, September 9 1999. ISBN 1569313784
*Ono, Toshihiro. ''Pokémon: Pikachu Shocks Back Graphic Novel''. VIZ Media LLC, December 6 1999. ISBN 156931411X
*Ono, Toshihiro. ''Pokémon: Electric Pikachu Boogaloo Graphic Novel''. VIZ Media LLC, April 5 2000. ISBN 1569314365
*Ono, Toshihiro. ''Pokémon: Surf’s Up, Pikachu Graphic Novel''. VIZ Media LLC, June 2000. ISBN 1569314942
*Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. ''Pokémon Adventures, Volume 1: Desperado Pikachu''. VIZ Media LLC, July 6 2000. ISBN 1569315078
*Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. ''Pokémon Adventures, Volume 2: Legendary Pokémon''. VIZ Media LLC, December 6 2000. ISBN 1569315086
*Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. ''Pokémon Adventures, Volume 3: Saffron City Siege''. VIZ Media LLC, August 5 2001. ISBN 1569315604
*Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. ''Pokémon Adventures, Volume 4: The Yellow Caballero: A Trainer in Yellow''. VIZ Media LLC, January 9 2002. ISBN 1569317100
*Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. ''Pokémon Adventures, Volume 5: The Yellow Caballero: Making Waves''. VIZ Media LLC, April 2002. ISBN 1591160278
*Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. ''Pokémon Adventures, Volume 6: The Yellow Caballero: The Cave Campaign''. VIZ Media LLC, September 5 2002. ISBN 1591160286
*Kusaka, Hidenori, & Mato. ''Pokémon Adventures, Volume 7: The Yellow Caballero: The Pokémon Elite''. VIZ Media LLC, January 2003. ISBN 1569318514-->

==External links==
*
* (a Pokémon-centric Wiki)’s article about Slowpoke as a species
*{{Serebiidex|079|Slowpoke}}
* Pokédex entry, full of statistics analysis
* - Slowpoke Pokédex entry and Usage Overview

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Revision as of 23:04, 27 January 2008

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