Big thanks again to Raycon for sponsoring! 🎧 Use my link to get 15% off: buyraycon.com/lockstin Dont think I could risk videos about Relicanth without 'em!
I was wondering if you could maybe do a slasher or horror villains with Pokemon types video or something like that it just came to me thinking what type the Predator, Jason Voorhees, Micheal Myers, or the Terminator would be along with maybe a Kaiju with Pokemon types
Relicanth has been around since 2002 and this is the first time I've noticed that its scale pattern looks like continents. I love how this channel points out even the most obscure parts of Pokemon designs.
Relicanth is one of those mons that I kinda love a lot but never actually use often, if ever. They're just neat lil guys, and they're borderline fossil-mons which is a + in my book!
@@Jormyyy Yeah there is a puzzle (in braille ) that is used to unlock the areas where Regis are, and you need a Wailord in the first slot, a Relicanth in the last slot. There are also a lot of other steps which can be found online now adays.
I'm surprised you didn't address how the prehistoric armored fish's skull looks identical including the teeth to the "Vish" part of Dracovish and Arctovish. Like it's the same head. Meaning there is possibly a connection between Relicanth and the original un-genetically spliced Galar Vish Pokemon
Relicanth’s scale pattern is hoenn with the red being the location of the sealed chamber. If you flip it upside down you should be able to see the main landmass and dewford as the light brown areas
It's a bit of a stretch considering the islands dont fit the pattern too well and there's no confirmation from pokemon officially. More so just a 4chan rumor, it also wouldnt explain Wailmer either. It seems more so they were chosen since one represents a fish that went to land while the other was a wolf that took to the sea and became a whale as it matches with the themes of the games
@@isaiahmonroig2262 ah, friend, but that's where continental drift comes in! I'm here for the discourse though. Perhaps it's nothing more than an interesting idea, but perhaps it actually is more than meets the eye. I really like the thematic point you mentioned: The Pokémon switching between the realms of Groudon and Kyoga!
@@isaiahmonroig2262 if Relicanth is many centuries old, then the land masses around Hoenn may have changed in all those years. So it was once accurate, but no longer appears to be.
Of course I've thought about the coelacanth, for at least three reasons. One, there's a Pokémon based on it. Two, there's a Digimon based on it. Three, a pair were in a tank belonging to Preston Whitmore, that crazy, old rich guy in the Disney Atlantis movie, even though it takes place in 1914 when they were still thought to be extinct, just to show how awesome he was.
Oh right, always forget that the movie isn't taking place in the late 19th century. Will be quite an interesting time for them returning from Atlantis.
I went through a cryptid phase around the time RSE came out, and the Coelocanth, as a sort of actually real cryptid, was a favorite of mine. Definitely got a special place in my heart for Relicanth as a result.
It makes sense for the first fight. But then she uses almost exclusively Gen 1 Pokemon for her Emerald Rematches (and a Steelix that isn't even Rock Typed while Aggron is just there). Steven Stone could have also used Relicanth actually, since he's a huge fossil buff and all. Roxanne uses Relicanth and the other Hoenn Rock Types in her PWT match though.
8:22 Another fact: The -vish part of the Galarian Fossilmons was also inpired by the Dunkleosteus, and partially by the Coelacanth ( the flippers ), basically, a reversal Relicanth, and possibly a close relative to it.
@@Gnoggin I loved the video a lot, same as I do any of your videos, Lockstin, but I wish you showed some actual object that was 8 meters long next to the fish instead of an 8 inch ruler. It better puts into perspective the size of an animal when it is next to a school bus or something. Keep up the good work!
As a fish biologist, I LOVE that you’re finally covering Relicanth. Coelacanths are some of my favorite fish, and the placoderm history is always so cool to revisit. Thank you!
Relicanth was one of the first pokemon that made me really fall in love with the franchise when I found out it was inspired by a real life animal with an interesting history
It's funny that in one of Relicanth's Ultra Moon dex entry, it is considered to be a perfect life-form due to being a living fossil that hasn't changed much.
I think Relicanth is actually kinda underrated. It’s not a top favorite of mine but I love it quite a bit and not many people talk about it. I mean it is just a simple little fish, but it’s decent in combat, has a nice shiny and interesting design inspirations.
My favorite fact about Relicanth is its Ultra Moon Dex entry, where it states: "The reason it hasn’t changed at all in a hundred million years is that it’s apparently already a perfect life-form." Perfect just the way you are, Grandpa Fish
If/when there's a Canada-region maybe, but I don't see any reason S&V would feature that. Even ignoring how they tie into the overall design theme of the Fossilmons, they, specifically, are a reference to the Crystal Palace Park, a place *in England* which has early paleo art statues of dinosaurs. If S&V are going to have new Fossilmons, they're going to be based on something from Spain and Portugal, not England
I would be pleased with any Pokemon game going forward if that was to happen. Heck, just seeing the newer fossil mons in their actual forms without being mismatched. ~Aerodactyl for the win~
Seeing the picture at 8:39 reminded me of when I was in front of this exact exhibit of dunkleosteus last year in Vienna's musem of nature history, pretty intimidating when you see how big even the head alone is in person
Yes, I have thought about Relicanth and Coelacanth before, a fair bit in fact. I always love looking into the natural world, especially the ancient natural world. And I love it whenever we have Pokémon inspired from those times.
I did a school project on this fish in 5th grade and thought it was the COOLEST animal I'd ever heard of. it's story was wild to me. I still find it to be a beautiful fish, and I love seeing other people cover it.
LOVE seeing videos on relicanth! I love that hes practically an unofficial fossil by the fan and art communities, being that I love the fossils of course relicanth can sit with them :) great video!
I think for most people, Relicanth is one of those Pokémon that's just sort of inherently neat. The fact that they were tied to the kind of convoluted process of obtaining the Regi trio back in the day meant that, oddly enough, most people actually had one, and probably used it, if only for a bit. It's also one of those Pokémon that, really, I think is perfect. Giving it anything new would feel like a slight betrayal to the concept and the real world animals that inspired it. Never change, my little Rock friend.
On my first playthrough of Pokemon Emerald, I had my first encounter with a wild Relicanth, having never encountered it during my playthrough of Sapphire. I recognized it's coelacanthic origins immediately, even before I read its name, and added it to my team. This turned out to be a good thing, as it was in Emerald where I decided to go after the Regis for the first time, and after translating the braille, I learned I needed both my Relicanth (whom I'd named Dunkle, cuz its face reminded me of Dunkleostis) and a Wailord, which I'd yet to evolve. In the end, that ancient fish became such a strong battler on my team that it was one of the six I used to first clear the Elite Four. It was actually Dunkle who finished off Drake, getting a lucky crit against Salamence. Every single Gen 3 playthrough since (and many others where Relicanth appears as catchable), I've gone out of my way to catch one.
As a kid, I got into Animal Crossing and Pokemon around the same time. So seeing Relicanth after catching the Coelcanth from my little beach, I immediately made the connection. Thank you Nintendo for making me care about this ancient and rare fish that I had no reason to know about otherwise.
The largest among the coelacanths was called Mawsonia, a suction feeder that grew up to 17 feet long. It lived during the Late Jurassic to Mid Cretaceous of what is now Africa, South America, and Eastern North America. In much of its African range, it was very likely on the menu of everyone’s favorite sailed duck-croc, Spinosaurus.
I remember an episode on the Octonauts about Coelacanths and its surprisingly recent discovery. I quickly linked Relicanth to Coelacanths because this episode stuck out to me so much!
As a kid I was deeply obsessed with cryptids, and in particular the idea of surviving Dinos like Nessie. The Coelacanth came up a lot as evidence of supposedly extinct animals surviving to modern day unnoticed by humans. I understand now that Coelacanth has vastly different circumstances than any plesiosaur.
Considering the angle and shapes of Relicanth's scales, it looks like it could lead off the coast of Europe. The top scale looks like Britain, the bottom looks like Spain, and France is off to the right. We've had games in Britain and France, and S/V is taking in Spain. Maybe it is a map?
I knew about coelacanths (is that how you write it??) being relicanth's inspiration, but I had no idea just how many different things were also thrown in the mix! I'm amazed that Nintendo thinks this DEEP about their creatures.... Or hey, perhaps it's all just a coincidence and your findings only make them look cool. But it would be too much of a coincidence, so I'll choose to believe they put in the effort. That is so cool
I didn’t know that the patterns on Relicanth are supposed to represent a map until I watched this video today thanks for all the effort and research you do lockstin 😃
Surprised you didn't bring up the even more dunkleosteus-like 'vish from gen 8. Which apparently also has a bit of coelacanth in it, having coelacanth-esque fins. Also, I'd love for there to be a lungfish pokémon, those things are pretty awesome. So are their ray-finned echo creatures the bichirs, those guys almost look like a pokémon-designer came up with them already.
I don't know about a treasure map design, but according to Bulbapedia, the anime episode The Relicanth Really Can was about following Relicanth to treasure.
Relicanth has been one of my favourite water type Pokémon ever since I first saw it way back on the GBA. Really like this odd fish for some reason. It's cool.
Wow, so I always thought that real coelacanth still had armored faces because of this Pokémon until, uh, 10 minutes ago…. You learn something new everyday.
I remember the "Relicanth's scales are a map"! I think it's from those Scholastic pokemon handbooks? I used to own a bunch during the Hoenn/Sinnoh era before I got the games
Going to a science museum tomorrow, will keep my eyes peeled for a coelacanth fossil of some sort! Relicanth is chill, no matter what sort of changes occur in this crazy world Relicanth is always just… Relicanth. It’s nice.
That placoderm skull you flashed on screen kinda looks like the -vish part of the Galar fossils. It has the fangs in about the right place and the elongated head, so maybe the 2 are related?
My Mesozoic drawings as a kid always included at least one coelacanth, and it was always about to be eaten by a marine reptile. Ironic, now that I think about it.
I love coelacanths, my favorite fish They look really cool (Though they’re pretty stupid in the intelligence department) I named my shiny Relicanth Treasure Map because she looked like a treasure map with an X marks the spot, so I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed that. It’s also weird how they have no spine instead they have a notochord
I always hope that Gamefreak show some love to Relicanth. Dunkleosteus is a great base for its new evolution. Maybe it will evolve when trade while holding "Metal Coat" like Stellix or Scirzor. And change its typing from Rock/Water to Steel/Water. (and yeah I know there's already Dunkleosteus inspired pokemon, "the Vish" fossil pokemon in swsh)
i love how often this channel does full deep dives into often forgotten pokemon! any channel that covers my niche interest in qwilfish, dunsparce, AND relicanth is automatically S+ tier. Also love the boris meme at the beginning that's a very timely reference given the current race for a new tory leader lol
Since I was little, I've seen Relicanth as the Aerodactyl of Gen 3. Also, see Genesect as that for Gen 5 given it's a fossil that was revived and made stronger. The map thing might've been a fan theory. I know I had theorized that as a kid. Especially as one of the land masses reminded me of Hoenn and the whole Regi undersea chamber needing one to open it.
It's so weird being a nerd and having to constantly remind myself most Pokemon players don't already intimately know the history of the fossil based Pokemon. I was a teenager when the newer coelacanth was discovered. Well, when the local people proved to non-local people they were telling the truth about it, at least, and the rest of the world found out about it. To me, most of the appeal of Pokemon is being a nerd who loves animals and nature, and seeing that adapted into the games. Which is what makes these videos of your so dang awesome.
I was in my first playthrough of Omega Ruby and when I was diving for some part of the story I encountered a shiny relicanth. I think it was my 2nd shiny I have gotten since my first playthrough of Platinum (which I also got a shiny Zubat on my very first playthrough back in 2010 when I was five).
wasnt the story when they caught it that when they fished up the coecanth, they send drawings of it to the researcher, only be replied with a messgae of why she sends drawings of an extinct fish, only to be replied with that it was recently caught
Relicanth is one of my favorite pokemon and Coelacanth is one of my favorite fish. On a side note, I'm super glad that Coelacanth is greasy and nasty enough for people to leave em alone. I'd hate to see them go extinct for real.
This, definitely! Water might be an over-saturated type (pun intended), but our world is full of deep-sea monstrosities, just waiting for the Pokémon treatment. Frilled sharks, vampy squids, ratfish... The sheer amount of inspiration that can be taken from extinct species, like Helicoprion and leviathan whales, kind of makes me wish for more water exploration in the series.
I remember the myth that Relicanths were like 10% more likely to show up in the grass blocks closest to the rock walls underwater. Seems fake but it kinda checks out with coelacanths being close to land.
I’ve always loved Relicanth, if it was available in a game I would always save a spot for it on my team even if it’s post game, Another Thing is in one of its Pokédex entry’s (I can’t remember it exactly but) “This fish has never evolved over 10,000 years it has supposedly reached its perfect life form”
I have a soft spot for Relicanth since I had one I named "el Añejo" (which means 'the old one') and carried one of my earliest nuzlockes. Also Coelacanths are fooking cool.
It just occurred to me how presumptuous it is to assume ancient Coelacanth laid eggs instead of incubating them inside their bodies, and hatching them inside before birthing them live outside like modern Coelacanth do. It's called ovoviviparity.
I'm surprised there's no sections of why this pokemon was needed to get the Regis Thought the red mark on its body that looks like treasure map is like a naturally made map to find where the regis are hiding
Relicanth needs some kind of evolution that is the Head half of Dracovish... because they're both Fossil mon based slightly on Dunkleosteus I think this would fit in some kind of region with Regional Fossil Pokémon but I think that kind of stuff will never happen
My cousin actually caught a coelicanth when we were on vacation. We were all terrified by it and immediately assumed the sliminess on it was probably poison. It wasn't until much later that I saw the Pokemon equivalent and realized what it was we were dealing with.
Excellent explanation Lockstin! Relicanth has always made me curious when playing Hoenn. Like why this particular Pokémon is needed for the Regi puzzle. I now know a little more of the reason thanks to you. ✨✨
Relicanth and Wailord were chosen as keys on purpose-Relicanth was a fish that was based partly on the fish that crawled out onto dry land and Wailord was based on the origin of the cetacean, which was a prehistoric equid that took to life in the sea to get away from its natural predators of the time back in the early-mid Paleogene Period.
I loved this video so much, especially after having Ichthology in my final semester of college back in the spring, but my professor would have a fit that you keep saying swim bladder instead of gas bladder XD
I actually personally think Relicanth is a cool pokemon and I have used it in playthroughs before. I am can be a big nerd when it comes to prehistoric creatures and I also love aquatic creatures so when I saw Relicanth I immediately thought it was so odd yet interesting. Then caught it after that I grew to like it more than I thought I would. It honestly into my top 10 favorite water types despite its many weaknesses and its 4x weakness to grass moves.
