English

トランセル
Transel

Kokoon

So named because it looks more like a cocoon or chrysalis than Cocoon does.

Metapod is better.

Kokoon

So named because it looks more like a cocoon or chrysalis than Cocoon does. [copy/pasted from Metapod's rejected name]

Kakuna is better.

ピジョン
Pigeon

Pidgeot

(None given)

Pidgeotto is better.

コラッタ
Koratta

Rattatak

"Mouse" is a household mouse, while "rat" is an outdoor mouse. "Rat" has a small, weak image; other Pokémon have a certain level of strength, so the name was extended to make it seem tougher and appeal more to its strength. It's easy to remember because it sounds rhythmic.

The "attack" part of the name is too blatant.

Arbo

It sounds like the name of something and is easy to pronounce. It has two syllables and sounds like an English word, but it's not clear what it refers to. It could be a new species of animal, or the name of a virus. On the other hand, there shouldn't be a problem if "Arbo" appeared at the same time as the Pokémon sprite. Since the name and graphic are always displayed simultaneously in the game, there shouldn't be any confusion, but the name itself doesn't sound snakelike.

(None given)

サンド
Sand

Sand

(None given; literal translation)

It's too bland and literal in meaning.

Sandpan

(None given; literal translation)

"Sandpan" comes across as "sand frying pan", which is nonsensical and difficult to understand.

Fay

"Fay" is a small version of a fairy.

Pixy

No change from the Japanese name.

Foxfire

"Foxfire" is a kind of glowing tree spirit in a fantastical forest (or lichen). The inclusion of "fox" makes it easy to imagine. We think this is a better choice.

Screampuff

Derived from "cream puff". Like in Japan, cream puffs are circular in shape, which is the inspiration behind the name. Adding an "s" to the beginning turns it into "scream" (shout), which can be used to represent a move. Adding "scream" makes it sound more monstrous. The head part is reminiscent of whipped cream, a food eaten by children. It's a more complex name than "Pudding". Based on the feel of the design.

Eeklair

Derived from "eclair". Like in Japan, eclairs are long and thin in shape, which is the inspiration behind the name. By adding an "e" to the beginning of the name, it turns into "eek", the sound of a small animal. Adding "eek" makes it sound more monstrous. The head part is reminiscent of whipped cream, a food eaten by children. It's a more complex name than "Custard". Based on the feel of the design.

パラス
Paras

Parasyte

The Japanese name for the evolved form, Parasect ("parasite" + "insect") is great, so we wanted something along those lines. We wanted to keep the original feel of the name -- that it's the pre-evolution of Parasect -- but we wanted something more specific and easy to understand, so we changed the spelling to "Prasyte" [sic].

Rejected by legal.

ガーディ
Gardie

Flamie

The name is easy to understand: It combines "flame", giving the impression of being wrapped in flames, with the suffix "die", which makes it seem younger.

(None given)

Howlope

Taken from the words "howl" and "lope", a verb referring to the gait of a large animal (horses, etc.)

ニョロゾ
Nyorozo

Aquanaut

ケーシィ
Casey

Hocus

The name was chosen with the intention of being a "mysterious word" that is familiar to children (similar to chichinpuipui in Japan).

Has the same name as a computer game; rejected due to trademark concerns.

ユンゲラー
Yungerer

Pocus

The name was chosen with the intention of being a "mysterious word" that is familiar to children (similar to chichinpuipui in Japan).

Has the same name as a computer game; rejected due to trademark conflicts.

ワンリキー
Wanriky

Kara-Tea

The selling point of these Pokémon is their strength, so these names are all plays on martial art styles that are generally considered strong in the United States. In the U.S., there's a deep-rooted misunderstanding of Japan, and these names were chosen to exploit that stereotype. The ranking was determined based on the perception that karate is usually seen as cheap, while judo, which is less familiar, is seen as the strongest (Actual strength was excluded in this case). The spellings have been modified slightly to give the names a twist.

(None given)

カイリキー
Kairiky

Ju-Doh

ドククラゲ
Dokukurage

Man O War

Trotta

"Trotta" because it's a galloping horse. The "ta" was added to match the pronunciation of its pre-evolution, Ponyta.

Sloth

"Sloth" as in laziness.

It has the same meaning as a Christian commandment and there's no twist to it.

レアコイル
Rarecoil

Recoil

We named it "Recoil" because it's not cool to call it rare (regardless of whether it's actually rare or not) because this is a game about collectibles. The addition of "Re" to the name conveys the following: One, the act of pulling back a Choro-Q (to make it run / recharge); Two, returning or coming back [i.e. recoiling]; Three, the name includes the meaning of "three", etc.

(None given)

ドードー
Dodo

Dodo

No change. If a mythical bird with 1 head is called "Do", then 2 heads is "Dodo", and 3 heads is "Do" trio. It's very easy to understand.

Rejected by legal.

ゴース
Ghos

Spirit

The name Ghost wasn't used because there's no other way to describe an obake Pokémon other than Ghost. "Spirit", as in the body of a ghost. Commonly used in everyday life (e.g. father and son spirit, etc.)

Rejected due to trademark concerns.

ゲンガー
Gangar

Phantom

The name Ghost wasn't used because there's no other way to describe an obake Pokémon other than Ghost. "Phantom" is seen as larger than a spectre or spirit, and is seen as something harmful. (e.g. Phantom of the Opera). When it comes to "Phantm" [sic], there's the sense that it has some kind of substance.

Changed because "Spirit" and "Spectre" were rejected.

スリープ
Sleepe

Sleeper

"Sleeper" means "one who sleeps" or "one who makes things sleepy". It looks sleepy and makes others sleepy too.

(None given)

ナッシー
Nassy

Eggscution

From "excution" [sic], the act of executing someone. A name that inherits the unbalanced nature of the pre-evolution's name. In Japan, this would translate to something like "killer eggs" [satsujin tamago], in the sense of "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes". "Excution" [sic] is a stronger word.

(None given)

ガラガラ
Garagara

Guardia

"Guardia" is a name that reflects its guardianship of Orphon. Rather, the "ia" at the end makes it sound more feminine (Like "Ladia" or "Nadia"). Orphon evolves into the stronger Guardia, hence the name.

(None given)

Marrowmind

The name gives the impression of something that's bone-crazed.

サワムラー
Sawamular

Lee

In the United States, people see things more stereotypical than they do in Japan, which is why we chose these names. Asians are good at bare-handed martial arts -> Typical Asian names -> Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Even without knowing those two names, "Lee" and "Chan" are still typical Asian names in the United States.

These feel too much like people's names.

ベロリンガ
Beroringa

Tonguetyd

From "tongue tide" [sic], meaning something like "can't move their tongue around well" or "has trouble speaking clearly". Named for its humorous appearance.

Rejected due to trademark concerns.

Enwhy

Alphabetical reading of Ny: "En why".

Koffing is better.

Elay

Alphabetical reading of La: "El ay".

Weezing is better.

Enchansey

From the words "enchant" and "chance". It has an enchanting appearance.

(None given)

モンジャラ
Monjara

Medusa

Its shaggy appearance and use of moves like "Constrict" and "Bind" are reminiscent of the monster Medusa.

Meddosa is better.

トサキント
Tosakinto

Goldy

From the word "goldfish". There are no other creatures associated with the word "gold", so that isn't a problem. "Goldy" is a childish way to say goldfish in America (Like calling a dog wanchan or a cat nyannyan in Japan).

Rejected due to trademark concerns.

ヒトデマン
Hitodeman

Starmie

As a joke, Americans say, "We Americans think of ourselves first before we think of others." This is the reason why Starmie, "me", should appear before Staryu, "you". Also, adding "mie" to Starmie expresses childishness (Like children calling pajamas "jammie" or caterpillars "wormie").

Changed because the evolution's name changed.

ストライク
Strike

Stryke

No change. Its appearance brings to mind the word "strike" (Meaning hit or blow). Only the spelling was changed, because the "Y" makes it sounds cooler than it does with an "I".

Rejected due to trademark concerns.

ラプラス
Laplace

Ness

The name is similar to the Loch Ness Monster, but if we called it "Nessie", the name turns feminine. However, "Ness" is gender-neutral, so the image of the monster is left up to the player.

(None given)

イーブイ
Eievui

Eon

From the word "eon", meaning years. We named it as such because it grows using stones, but it takes time and effort, and we want players to imagine the various ways it can evolve.

Rejected by legal.

Evee

オムナイト
Omnite

Ess

Before being revived, Omnite and Kabuto are displayed as kai no kaseki and koura no kaseki, respectively. In English, these would translate to "shellfish" and "shell", both of which are hard to fit on the DMG [Game Boy] screen. Therefore, the names of Omnite and Kabuto were shortened, and their fossil states were named "Old ___" to make them more meaningful.
Named "Ess" and "Kargo" because they look like the food escargot.

(None given)

Amanyte

オムスター
Omstar

Kargo

Before being revived, Omnite and Kabuto are displayed as kai no kaseki and koura no kaseki, respectively. In English, these would translate to "shellfish" and "shell", both of which are hard to fit on the DMG [Game Boy] screen. Therefore, the names of Omnite and Kabuto were shortened, and their fossil states were named "Old ___" to make them more meaningful.
Named "Ess" and "Kargo" because they look like the food escargot. Also taken from the word "cargo", meaning luggage, because it gives the impression of carrying something on its back.

(None given)

Amastar

カブト
Kabuto

Att

Before being revived, Omnite and Kabuto are displayed as kai no kaseki and koura no kaseki, respectively. In English, these would translate to "shellfish" and "shell", both of which are hard to fit on the DMG [Game Boy] screen. Therefore, the names of Omnite and Kabuto were shortened, and their fossil states were named "Old ___" to make them more meaningful.
From a sea-related word, "Atlantis".

(None given)

Shelfacian

From "shell" and "face".

Crushacian

From "crustacean" and "crush", as in smashing or breaking something.

プテラ
Ptera

Ptera

No change. The spelling was not changed because it's easy to understand that it's named after the Pteranodon.

Rejected by legal.

Dinoswoop

From "dino", as in dinosaur, and "swoop", a verb for when something flying in the sky (birds, etc.) quickly descends.

ハクリュー
Hakuryu

Dragyn

From "gin", an alcoholic drink with a somewhat strong image. The actual spelling is "g-i-n", but we've changed it to "g-y-n", which gives a stronger impression. By playing around with the word "dragon", a draconic image is maintained even if it's small.

(None given)

Dragallant

From "dragon" and "gallant", meaning great / prosperous.

フシギダネ
Fushigidane

Bulbasaur

バルバゾァ

From "bulb", as in a plant bulb. It looks like a frog, but it also looks like a four-legged creature, which gives it a lumbering appearance. Also, the fact that it's carrying a bulb-like object on its back gives the impression that it's less mature than Ivysaur and Venusaur, and the two words rhyme as well.

フシギバナ
Fushigibana

Venusaur

ヴィーナゾァ

"Venus" as in venus fry trap [sic], not the planet Venus. Gives the impression that it's stronger than Bulbasaur and Ivysaur.

リザード
Lizardo

Charmeleon

チャーミリオン

From "char", meaning to burn something until blackened. The name closely resembles "chameleon", so they're consistent in all being reptiles.

ゼニガメ
Zenigame

Squirtle

スクァートル

A combination of "squirt", a cute but popular water gun that children play with, and "turtle". In the United States, kids think that water guns are cool.

カメックス
Kamex

Blastoise

ブラストイス

From the word "tortoise", another name for turtles. The visual impression of firing water from its cannons got us "blast", then we combined them to get "Blastoise". Adding "tortoise" made it easier to pronounce than it would adding "turtle".

トランセル
Transel

Metapod

メタポッド

Many people stated that in the process of evolving from a larval form to the adult stage, the insect's appearance reminds them of both cocoons and armor. So, if we combine this with "pod", meaning shell, we get "Metapod", or a pod that goes through metamorphosis. The "meta" can also represent that it's as hard as "metal".

ビードル
Beedle

Weedle

ウィードル

While Beedle comes from "beetle", the English name comes from its closer resemblance to a "weevil". Also, it eats "weeds" and has "needles" on its body.

スピアー
Spear

Beedrill

ビードリル

From "bee" and "drill". It also rhymes with Weedle.

ピジョン
Pigeon

Pidgeotto

ピジョットォ

"Pigeotto" [sic] is the strongest stage, and the suffix "tto" makes the player think of an older person, like old man Gepetto in Pinocchio. [This description originated from a time before Pidgeotto and Pidgeot's names were swapped.]

コラッタ
Koratta

Rattata

ラタタ

A "rat" is a word for a type of rodent ("Mouse" is a household mouse, while "rat" is an outdoor mouse), and adding "attack" gave us the name above. "Rat" has a small, weak image; other Pokémon have a certain level of strength, so the name was extended to make it seem tougher and appeal more to its strength. Also, when pronounced, it has a rhythmic sound (rattatta) that makes it easy to remember. The "k" was removed from "attack" to avoid being too obvious.

オニスズメ
Onisuzume

Spearow

スピアロウ

From the words "spear" and "sparrow". Its use of "Peck" and "Drill Beak" brings to mind a spear. The way it's pronounced makes it seem like a new bird species.

アーボ
Arbo

Ekans

イーカンズ

If you phonetically reverse Arbok you get "cobra", which expresses that it's a snake. Taking the same approach, we reversed the spelling of "snake" to get "Ekans". In Japan, the way to write a snake sound is shaaa, but in America it's expressed with an "s", so the "s" in "Ekans" emphasizes a snake-like sound.

ピカチュウ
Pikachu

Pikachu

ピカチュウ

It's become so well-known that it seems inadvisable to change it, so we left it as-is.

サンド
Sand

Sandshrew

サンドシュリュウ

We left the name Sand as it was and added "shrew", a small animal with a pointy nose, based on its cute appearance. Animals with flat noses (like pugs) are not called "shrews".

ニドラン♀
Nidoran♀

Nidoran♀

ニドランフィメール

No changes because the names are understood in English. "Nido" comes from needle, and "ran" is used to emphasize its monstrous nature. Gender is also clearly understood.

ニドクイン
Nidoqueen

Nidoqueen

ニドクイン

ニドリーノ
Nidorino

Nidorino

ニドリノ

ピッピ
Pippi

Clefairy

クレフェアリー

The two words that comprise its name were chosen based on its musical association through the moves "Sing" and "Metronome" and because it looks like a fairy. From "clef", as in "C clef" and "F clef" (toonkigou and heonkigou in Japanese), and "Fairy". The approach we took was music-loving fairies living in a secluded place.

ロコン
Rokon

Vulpix

ヴァルピックス

We searched for a way to somehow include the number six from Rokon and the fox's kon [a barking sound] and got "Vulpix". This name combines the English words "vulpine" and "six".
"Vulpine" is another name for a fox in English. Usually we just use the word "fox", but we decided to use a less common word here. It's a difficult word for children, but they'll understand what the word means as they get older. The combination of "vulpine" and "six" sounds good, so "vulp" + "six" = "Vulpix".

プリン
Purin

Jigglypuff

ジグリィパフ

Another way to say "bounce" in English is "jiggle" or "wiggle". These words describe jelly shaking around, or something that's squishy or plump. "Wiggglle" [sic] has a slightly stronger bounce than "jiggle".
"Puff" is the name of a spherical plant (The full name is "common puffball", but Americans might perceive that differently) and has the image of smoke coming out of something. Also from the word "cream puff".
"Jiggly" rhymes with "wiggly", and "puff" and "tuff" make these names easy to remember. The key concept here is "bouncing".

ズバット
Zubat

Zubat

ズバット

The original name is quite monster-like. Some people could think of it as a Pokémon ("bat") that escaped from a "zoo". "Zoobat" would be too obvious, and "Zobat" would be prounounced "zoh bat", so we kept the Japanese name.

ナゾノクサ
Nazonokusa

Oddish

オディッシュ

Its shape closely resembles a garden radish (A small, red, stalk-like vegetable), and it's a pre-evolved Pokémon, so we combined "radish" and "odd", meaning strange or bizarre.

ラフレシア
Ruffresia

Vileplume

ヴァイルプルーン

From "vile", meaning nasty or vulgar, and "plume", a feather ornament on a luxurious hat. It rhymes with Gloom and is easy to remember.

パラセクト
Parasect

Parasect

パラセクト

The Japanese name for the evolved form, Parasect, is great ("parasite" + "insect"), so we stuck with it.

モルフォン
Morphon

Venomoth

ヴェノモス

From "venom", meaning poison, and "moth". The bug's shape changes into a moth, so we added "moth", but there's no change in the type of moves it uses, so "venom" remains the same.

ダグトリオ
Dugtrio

Dugtrio

ダグトリオ

The Japanese name is wonderful and makes sense: After you "dig" (present tense) something, it has been "dug" (past tense), and then it forms a "trio" (three). We didn't want to make it worse, so we left it as-is.

ペルシアン
Persian

Persian

ぺルシアン

Based on the impression of the Bond villain cat (Team Rocket's boss' cat) in the anime, we decided that there was no need to change the name.

ゴルダック
Golduck

Golduck

ゴルダック

The combination of luxurious "gold" and the word "duck" expresses that it has evolved, even though it's not actually gold. As such, we've kept it the same as the Japanese name.

オコリザル
Okorizaru

Primeape

プライメイプ

ウインディ
Windie

Arcanine

アルケーナイン

This is a different approach from the Japanese name, but a different way to say dog in English is "canine". This is often written as K-9 and broadly refers to a police dog, but originally it just meant a dog. It's slightly more elaborate than just saying "dog". The word before "canine" comes from the word "arcane", which means mysterious. We combined the two words because we thought it would make a fitting name for a "legendary Pokémon".

ニョロゾ
Nyorozo

Poliwhirl

ポリワール

From word "polliwog", meaning tadpole, and "whirl", as in a whirlpool or spinning around, like in a washing machine. Refers to the whirling pattern on its belly. The name seems less powerful than "Aqua" and is a better fit with other Pokémon names.

ケーシィ
Casey

Abra

アブラ

The names were chosen with the intention of being "mysterious words" familiar to children. In Japanese, this would be chichinpuipui. We divided it in two, with the last one, "Alakazam", being used in the magic words "Hocus pocus alakazam!", a phrase often used by American magicians. Alakazam in particular is a signature word when performing magic tricks, so it matches well with Abra and Kadabra. It's easy to say "Abra, Kadabra, Alakazam".

フーディン
Foodin

Alakazam

アラカザム

The names that were chosen originally had to be changed due to a trademark infringement with Disney. Since using a real person's name is not permitted in the United States due to trademark restrictions, the new names were chosen with the intention of being "mysterious words" familiar to children (similar to chichinpuipui in Japan). "Alakazam" is a word used in the magic phrase "Hocus pocus alakazam!", a phrase often used by American magicians. Alakazam in particular is a signature word when performing magic tricks, so we applied it to Foodin.

ワンリキー
Goriky

Machoke

マチョーク

マダツボミ
Madatsubomi

Bellsprout

ベルスプラウト

People around here feel that the shape of Madatsubomi resembles a bell rather than a bud. The name "Bellsprout" comes from the fact that the bell has sprouted.

ウツボット
Utsubot

Victreebel

ヴィクトリーベル

Victreebel is an evolution of Weepinbell. It's easy for children to remember because it resembles the Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell is a symbolic, real-life bell that was rung to mark the start of autumn at the time of the United States' Declaration of Independence.

ドククラゲ
Dokukurage

Tentacruel

テンタクルール

From "tentacle" and "cruel", as in brutal or fiendish (strength after evolution).

ゴローン
Golone

Graveler

グラベラー

Geodude is a single unit, while "gravel" is small fragments of rock. It was named as such due to its earthy nature and the fact that it's larger than a "geode".

ポニータ
Ponyta

Ponyta

ポニータ

No changes because its appearance makes the name easy to understand.

ヤドン
Yadon

Slowpoke

スロウポウク

"Slowpoke", as in dullard (not used often in daily life). Also, taken from the words "slow" and "poke", which has a pork-like image due to its similar pronounciation. Additionally, "poke" = Pokémon. We picked the name because it can be interpreted many different ways.

コイル
Coil

Magnemite

マグネマイト

From "magnet" and "mite", meaning small.

カモネギ
Kamonegi

Farfetch'd

ファーフェッチド

The U.S. version is based on [JP] Blue, so the graphic shows Kamonegi with a leek in its mouth. When we conducted an internal survey to find out what the "leek" looks like, most people said that the leek looked like a stick. In the United States, "fetch" means going to get something. This includes throwing a stick and the like for something to bring it back. While a four-legged animal would be able to quickly fetch something thrown in its vicinity, if it could fly it would be able to go even farther ("far"), so we combined the words to get "farfetched".
It can pick up sticks from a long distance. We combined this with a word from the dictionary, "farfetched", meaning something is forced or a stretch. The name further comes to life if someone knows the origin of the Japanese name, Kamonegi. "Farfetched" didn't have a twist to it, so we added an apostrophe to make it more unique. The pronunciation didn't change, and this made Farfetch'd the only Pokémon with an apostrophe in its name.

ドードリオ
Dodrio

Dodrio

ドードリオ

No change. If a mythical bird with 1 head is called "Do", then 2 heads is Dodo, and 3 heads is "Do" trio. It's very easy to understand.

ジュゴン
Jugon

Dewgong

デュゴン

Going back to the Japanese name, we've used the original spelling: Jugon = "jugong". It's not a well-known species, but this is a good opportunity to get people to learn about it. "Dew" comes from water dew, since it's a water Pokémon.

ベトベトン
Betbeton

Muk

マック★

From the word "muck", as in dung, filth. Emphasizes that it's dirtier than "grime". There was no twist to the name, so we dropped the "c" to get "Muk"; the pronounciation is the same. The idea is that you wouldn't want to touch it.

パルシェン
Parshen

Cloyster

クロイスター

From "cluster", meaning a bunch of something, and "oyster". Parshen is protected by two shells and the protruding surface looks like an oyster, hence the name.

ゴースト
Ghost

Haunter

ハウンター

Due to the change in Gengar's name [originally changed to "Phantom"], the names of Ghos and Ghost were also changed.
Unfortunately, we couldn't keep the name Ghost because it's a ubiquitous word. We picked the word "haunt", which seems stronger than "Gastly". It means "visit by ghost" or "curse". One example of its use would be The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. Adding "er" to this word denotes that it's something that haunts.

イワーク
Iwark

Onix

オニキス

Based on the mineral "onyx". It's a shiny black stone Pokémon, so the name is easy to remember.

スリーパー
Sleeper

Hypno

ヒプノ

From "hypnosis", the action of making someone hypnotized. "Sleep" means "to sleep" or "being asleep", but we instead used the first few letters create the name "Hypno", which leaves a strong impression.

キングラー
Kingler

Kingler

キングラー

The name immediately makes one think of a king crab, so we left it as-is.

マルマイン
Marumine

Electrode

エレクトロード

From "electorode" [sic], "electric", and "ode" (A word that is prounounced similarly to "globe"). Gives the impression that it's bigger than Voltorb.

ナッシー
Nassy

Exeggutor

エグゼグター

The origin of the name is the word "execute". We added "egg" because they're shaped like eggs, so it became "Exeggcute". We aimed to make a mismatch by adding the word "execute" to eggs, a common food. If we had to translate it to Japanese, it would be something like "ranbou tamago [violent eggs]". By adding "tor" to "execute", it turns into "one who --- [JP: ○×者]". "Egg" is in the name "Exeggutor".

ガラガラ
Garagara

Marowak

マロワック

We heard that the origin of the name karakara is the sound of bones rattling, so we chose a name that emphasizes both bones and that it's a pre-evolution of Garagara. The name is made of two words.
Like Karakara, this name is based on bones. It's a combination of "marrow" and "wak": "Marrow" is from bone marrow, and "wak" is a play on "whack". "Whack" means to hit or smack something with a stick, etc. It brings to mind words like "BANG!" or "WHAM!" from American comics. So, we mixed "marrow" and "whack" together, then altered the spelling slightly, to get "Marowak".

エビワラー
Ebiwalar

Hitmonchan

ヒットモンチャン

ドガース
Dogars

Koffing

コッフィング

From "coughing", the sound you make when you cough. The spelling was changed.

サイホーン
Saihorn

Rhyhorn

ライホーン

Basically, there were no changes. Sai is "rhinoceros" (commonly known as "rhino"), so "sai" becomes "rhy". "Horn" and "don" also bring out the monstrous nature of these names. "Rhydon" is also "ride on", 景気が良くなる。

ラッキー
Lucky

Chansey

チャンスィ

From the word "chance".

ガルーラ
Garura

Kangaskhan

カンガスカーン

At first glance, it looks like a kangaroo, but it has an intense expression, so the name is a play on Genghis Khan. From another angle, these could be the name of the two creatures, with "Kanga" the parent and "Khan" the child. We leave it up to the player's imagination to decide.

シードラ
Seadra

Seadra

スィードラ

No changes needed.

アズマオウ
Azumaou

Seaking

シーキング

A dignified name among Water Pokémon. Taken from "sea", as in oceans, and "king". Also from "seeking", as in searching: This could be interpreted as it searching for a place to spawn.

スターミー
Starmie

Starmie

スターミー

ストライク
Strike

Scyther

サイサー

From "scythe", a large agricultural tool used to cut grass. "Scyther" would mean someone who uses a scythe. The name sound similar to "slicer", which means cutter, so it fits well.

エレブー
Eleboo

Electabuzz

エレクタバズ

Taking advantage of the nuances of the Japanese name, we've changed "Ele" (which can be mistaken for elephant) to "Elect", and "boo" to "buzz" (an electric or low humming sound). Leaves a strong impression.

カイロス
Kairos

Pinsir

ピンサー

It's a Bug-type, two-horned Pokémon. The name comes from the word "pincers", which could mean either gripping tools, like tongs and pliers, or the claws of crabs & shrimp. The word is different from tweezers [pinsetto in Japan]. By adding the word "sir" to the end, players could imagine that it's actually polite.

コイキング
Koiking

Magikarp

マジカープ

We went in the same style as the Japanese name: It's called Koiking even though it's not kingly, so we named it "Magikapp" [sic] even though it's not magical. "Koi" has the same name in English, but since most people don't know that word, we used "carp" instead. It didn't sound cool as it was, so we changed the "c" to a "k".

ラプラス
Laplace

Lapras

ラプラス

Same as the Japanese name. If you think of the "sound" and "meaning" of the name in English, the "plus" gives the image of something big. If you think of it in French, it becomes "la place", which in English means "the place" (a large place). We thought that both of these emphasize Lapras' unique trait of being a Pokémon large enough for people to ride on.

イーヴィー
Eievui

Eevee

イーヴィー

We were told that the origin of the Japanese name was "EV", as in "evolution". Combining that etymology with the image of a serial number, we came up with "Eevee". The name is symmetrical with a "v" in the center to emphasize the serial number feel.

サンダース
Thunders

Jolteon

ジョルティオン

Each of the three Eevee evolutions represents a type, making them easy to understand. The "eon" at the end of their names makes it clear that they're evolutions of Eevee.
From "jolt", as in shock and vibrations caused by electricity; this is associated with the Electric type.

ポリゴン
Porygon

Porygon

ポリゴン

No change. From the word "polygon", with the spelling changed from "l" to "r".

オムスター
Omstar

Omastar

オマスター

"Star" is spelled the same way.

カブトプス
Kabutops

Kabutops

カブトプス

カビゴン
Kabigon

Snorlax

スノアラックス

From "snore" and "lax", as in slack or slovenly. The name is from the snoring that comes from sleeping all the time, and from its charming but sloppy body and countenance.

サンダー
Thunder

Zapdos

ザプドス

The Japanese name just means "thunder", so we changed it.
From "zap", as in the sound effect for lightning used in American comics. This is the basis for how these names were created: The type is easy to understand, and it saying it out loud feels natural. The words used are simple, so even children can understand.
We added "uno", "dos", and "tres" to the ends of Freezer, Thunder, and Fire; this is the Spanish equivalent to the English "one, two, three". I tried to make it obvious to people would understand.

ミニリュウ
Miniryu

Dratini

ドラティニ

The name was chosen based on the idea that it's a small dragon before evolution. "Dramini" would make it seem too small, so we combined "dragon" with "tiny", meaning small. The spelling was changed to "tini" to avoid being too direct.

カイリュー
Kairyu

Dragonite

ドラゴナイト

From "dragon" and "knight" The concept isn't that of a human dressed as a dragon; rather, the dragon itself is the knight.

ミュウ
Mew

Mew

ミュウ★

あくまのキッス
Demon's Kiss

Devil's Kiss

(None given; direct translation)

"Devil" has religious connotations and can't be used in the United States.

いあいぎり
Iai Cut

Cutting

(None given)

Rejected due to grammar issues.

がまん
Perservere

Hyper Bide

(None given)

Due to the above change, calling it just "Bide" is fine.

きあいだめ
Gather kiai

Death Trap

(None given)

Doesn't convey the accumulation of energy.

じごくぐるま
Hell Wheel

Sacrifice

(None given)

The name comes from a judo technique, and it's hard to imagine a humanoid Pokémon using such a move.

スプーンまげ
Spoon Bend

Dodge

(None given)

The name needs to be associated with Psychic-type Pokémon.

たきのぼり
Waterfall Climb

Geyser

(None given)

Rejected in consideration of the next game.

ちきゅうなげ
Earth Throw

Level Damage

(None given)

The name doesn't imply that it's intended for Pokémon that can throw.

どくどく
Excessive Poison

Poison

(None given)

The name should imply that it's "deadly poison"; there are other moves that inflict normal poisoning.

ドわすれ
Memory Lapse

Hyper Boost

(None given)

The name doesn't match the "?" graphic that appears in the animation.

はかいこうせん
Destruction Beam

Destruct Beam

(None given)

Doesn't feel strong and doesn't emphasize the "destruction" part.

ピヨピヨパンチ
Chirpchirp Punch

Super Punch

(None given)

(None given)

まるくなる
Curl Up

Shield

(None given)

It'd be better if the name had a connection to round Pokémon like Chansey and Jigglypuff.

あくまのキッス
Demon's Kiss

Lovely Kiss

ラブリーキッス

Has a sweet feeling.

きあいだめ
Gather Kiai

Focus Energy

フォーカスエナジー

As in concentrating one's energy.

ゴッドバード
God Bird

Sky Attack

スカイアタック

"Sky" gives a connection to bird Pokémon.

しびれごな
Numbing Powder

Stun Spore

スタンスポア

From "spore", as in pollen, and "stun", as in causing something to be shocked / disoriented. The name has a powdery feel to it.

スプーンまげ
Spoon Bend

Kinesis

キネシス

Psychic powers like telekinesis or psychokinesis could be used, but since both words exceed the character limit, we decided to use the suffix "kinesis" to give it a certain atmosphere. It wouldn't be out of place when a spoon appears during the animation.

タマゴうみ
Egg Lay

Softboiled

ソフトボイルド

"Hardboiled" could mean either hard-boiled egg or callous, but this isn't either of those, so we chose "softboiled", meaning half-boiled. It's a word associated with eggs.

どくどく
Excessive Poison

Toxic

タクシク

From "toxic", meaning deadly poisonous.

とっしん
Rush In

Take Down

テイクダウン

The image is of lunging towards the enemy like a projectile to take them out.

ナイトヘッド
Night Head

Night Shade

ナイトシェード

"Night shade" as in evening curtains.

ねんりき
Willpower

Confusion

コンフュージョン

Since it's the head that's confuses, we can tell that it's a Psychic-type attack and not a physical attack.

はなびらのまい
Petal Dance

Petal Dance

ペタルダンス

Has a good sound to it.

まるくなる
Curl Up

Defense Curl

ディフェンスカール

"Defense Curl" means curling up to protect oneself. It's like crouching down when watching a scary movie.

モンスターボール
Monster Ball

Monster Ball

(None given; direct translation)

Rejected due to trademark concerns.

Super Ball

(None given; direct translation)

Rejected due to trademark concerns.

いいキズぐすり
Good Wound Medicine

Good Potion

(None given)

"Super Potion" is better.

かいふくのくすり
Recovery Medicine

Restore Potion

(None given)

Name exceeds the character limit.

ピーピーエイド
PP Aid

PP Aid

(None given; direct translations)

These items could get confused with Point Up, which is "PP Up" in English.

ピーピーエイダー
PP Aider

PP Aider

タウリン
Taurine

Attack Up

(None given)

It'd be more interesting if we came up with names that could be points of discussion among players.

インドメタシン
Indomethacin

Spped Up [sic]

リゾチウム
Lysozyme

Special Up

(None given)

It'd be more interesting if we came up with names that could be points of discussion among players.

ピッピにんぎょう
Pippi Doll

Aria Doll

(None given)

Gives off strong opera vibes, like it's a music-related doll.

ゴールドスプレー
Gold Spray

Mid Spray

(None given)

The "Spray" items were changed to "Repel" items.

あなぬけのヒモ
Hole-Escape Cord

Escape Cord

(None given)

Escape Rope is better.

ほのおのいし
Fire Stone

Fire Rock

We want all these items to be named in the style of the Moon Stone.

リーフのいし
Leaf Stone

Leaf Rock

きんのたま
Gold Ball

Gold Nugget

(None given)

The name "Gold Nugget" brings gold bars to mind.

Oak's Box

Oak's Parcel is better.

Pokepedia

Derived from "encyclopedia", a comprehensive reference book.

Name exceeds the character limit [of the main menu].

Old Ess

The "Old" prefix would cause confusion with the Old Rod.

Old Att

The "Old" prefix would cause confusion with the Old Rod.

Ticket

(None given)

ポケモンのふえ
Pokémon Flute

Flute

(None given)

Poké Flute is better.

グレーバッジ
Gray Badge

Stone Badge

Names were chosen based on each badge's type and shape.

(None given)

オレンジバッジ
Orange Badge

Shock Badge

ゴールドバッジ
Gold Badge

Toxic Badge

モンスターボール
Monster Ball

Poké Ball

ポケボール

The terms Monster Ball, Super Ball, and Hyper Ball can no longer be used due to trademark restrictions. As an alternative, we've renamed it "Poké Ball", since it's a ball for catching Pokémon. The equivalent name for the Super Ball is "Great Ball", and the next is "Ultra Ball". "Master Ball" remains unchanged.

ハイパーボール
Hyper Ball

Ultra Ball

ウルトラボール

The terms Monster Ball, Super Ball, and Hyper Ball can no longer be used due to trademark restrictions. As an alternative, we've renamed it "Poké Ball", since it's a ball for catching Pokémon. We've renamed the Hyper Ball to the equivalent "Ultra Ball", a name proportional to the ball's strength.

キズぐすり
Wound Medicine

Potion

ポーション

Wound Medicine has the image of [the liquid medicines] Makiron and Akachin, so we chose the name "Potion", which has the same liquid medicine image. Basically, it's a literal translation.

すごいキズぐすり
Amazing Wound Medicine

Hyper Potion

ハイパー　ポーション

かいふくのくすり
Recovery Medicine

Full Restore

フル　リストア

We changed the wording a little [from the rejected "Restore Potion"].

やけどなおし
Burn Repair

Burn Heal

バーンヒール

なんでもなおし
Repair All

Full Heal

フルヒール

げんきのかたまり
Vitality Lump

Max Revive

マックス　リバイヴ

サイコソーダ
Psycho Soda

Soda Pop

ソーダポップ

ピーピーエイド
PP Aid

Ether

イーサー

"Ether" means good medicine, so it's expected to bring good results, which means players will use it with confidence.
People here seem uncomfortable with saying "aid" or "aider" [because they sound similar to AIDS].

ピーピーエイダー
PP Aider

Elixer

エリクサー

"Elixer" means good medicine, so it's expected to bring good results, which means players will use it with confidence. Elixir [JP: エリクサー] means panacea.
People here seem uncomfortable saying "aid" or "aider" [because they sound similar to AIDS].

マックスアップ
Max Up

HP Up

エイチピーアップ

They have the functions of "Increasing maximum PP" and "increasing the base HP of Pokémon". Since it was difficult to tell what their function was from just max and point, we added PP and HP to their names.

タウリン
Taurine

Protein

プロテイン

From the nutrients "protein", "iron", and "calcium". "Carbos" is short for "carbohydrates".
We thought it would be more interesting to use names that could be points of discussion among players. so we deliberately used proper nouns. These words are often written on the back of food bags to indicate the percentage of each one. Children may know these words, but they won't necessarily know what they mean. It makes sense that protein is offensive, iron is defensive, etc. Similar in meaning to the Japanese names, these evoke the thought "I've heard these words a lot, but I don't really know what they mean."

インドメタシン
Indomethacin

Carbos

カーボス

ふしぎなアメ
Mysterious Candy

Rare Candy

レアキャンディ

"Mysterious" candy; it's an item that raises a Pokémon's level by one. When we tried translating fushigi (ふしぎ) to English, we couldn't find a word that would fit [the character limit], so we instead chose a name based on its rarity.

ディフェンダー
Defender

X Defend

エックスデフェンド

スペシャルアップ
Special Up

X Special

エックススペシャル

クリティカッター
Criticutter

Dire Hit

ダイアー　ヒット

"Criticutter" would be hard to understand, and "Critical Cutter" was too long. Since the item makes it easier to get critical hits during combat, we combined "dire" (extreme / frightening) and "hit".

むしよけスプレー
Repellent Spray

Repel

リペル

"Repel" means repellent. We thought it would be better to express the effectiveness of the repellent in stages, so we picked "super" and "max".

ゴールドスプレー
Gold Spray

Max Repel

マックス　リペル

かみなりのいし
Lightning Stone

Thunderstone

サンダーストーン

These were initially going to be "rocks", but in terms of size, "stone" seems smaller than "rock".
"Thunderstone" is the only name without a space due to the 12 character limit.
"Stone" has a more enigmatic image, which is why it's used in various RPGs.
In Japan, the stones were named as if they were sacred objects. The names were all derived from the Moon Stone [つきのいし], so they all follow the same format. Since they're sacred objects, They're "stones" rather than "rocks". The naming was also inspired by Disney's Touchstone Pictures.

みずのいし
Water Stone

Water Stone

ウォーターストーン

つきのいし
Moon Stone

Moon Stone

ムーンストーン

ダウジングマシン
Dowsing Machine

Itemfinder

アイテムファインダー

The word "dowsing" would be too advanced for kids, so we picked a name that would be easy for American children to understand.

おとどけもの
Parcel

Oak's Parcel

オークス　パーセル

The word "parcel" doesn't have a strong connection with the post office. Sounds natural since the item is held with the intention of being delivered.

かいのかせき
Shellfish Fossil

Helix Fossil

ヘリックス　フォシル

The English translation for kai [かい] would be "shellfish", which in terms of character count is quite lengthy. We thought about how to approach naming these items, and decided to choose names based on their shapes. "Helix" comes from its spiral-like appearance (since it's an Omanyte).
Kaseki [カセキ], in terms of image, is more like a remnant or vestige than a fossil. It's restored in an event after the player obtains it.

ひきかえけん
Voucher

Bike Voucher

バイクバウチャー

A "voucher" is an exchange ticket or coupon. The name can be used in-game without issue.

ボロのつりざお
Good Fishing Rod

Good Rod

グッド　ラド

We use the word "rod" to refer to all of the fishing rods.

ふねのチケット
Ship Ticket

S.S. Ticket

エスエスチケット

In Japan, ships are named __-maru [丸] or __-gou [号], but in the United States, the prefix "S.S." is often used. This is an artifact from the era of steamships, but it's still used today.

ポケモンのふえ
Pokémon Flute

Poké Flute

ポケフルート

Tatebue [literally "vertical flute" or "recorder"] is also "flute". Literal translation.

グレーバッジ
Gray Badge

Boulder Badge

ボウルダーバッジ

From "boulder", a large round stone found in riverbanks, etc.

オレンジバッジ
Orange Badge

Thunder Badge

サンダーバッジ

From "thunder", as in lightning & thunder.

ピンクバッジ
Pink Badge

Soul Badge

ソウルバッジ

From "soul".

クリムゾンバッジ
Crimson Badge

Volcano Badge

ボルケーノバッジ

From "volcano".

マサラタウン
Masara Town

Crystal

As in a crystal, since it's completely spotless / transparent.

トキワシティ
Tokiwa City

Emerald

From the emerald gemstone.

ハナダシティ
Hanada City

Opal

From the opal gemstone.

シオンタウン
Shion Town

Garnet

From the garnet gemstone.

ヤマブキシティ
Yamabuki City

Jade

From the jade gemstone.

ふたご島
Twin Islands

Pearl Islands

From the pearl gemstone.

セキエイ高原
Seikei Plateau

Peridot

From the peridot gemstone.

色を基調にした案。米国では日本より色の表現が乏しく、真正面から変わった色名を付けると、逆にチープに鳴ってしまう為、色を重視しつつ人々の印象に残る宝石をベースに、ゲーム内容とSGB(ｽｰﾊﾟｰｹﾞｰﾑﾎﾞｰｲ)のカラーリングとマッチするように宝石の色を選んだ。イメージを崩さず格好良く命名できた。

A color-based proposal. In the United States, color expression is poorer than it is in Japan. If we gave them strange color names, they would sound lame. Instead, we chose gemstones that matched the color of the original names, and which would also leave a strong impression on the player. These names match the color of the towns in the SGB (Super Game Boy). We were able to come up with cool names that also didn't destroy the impression of the original names.

宝石の色は、水晶やエメラルド等であればある程度色は分かるが、それ以外はアバウトにしか憶えていないものなのでNG。

Rejected, because while some gemstones, like quartz, emeralds, etc., have clearly associated colors, the color profile for other gemstones is harder to remember.

ダイヤではゴールのイメージがあり（旅の始まりの印象がない）事や、他の宝石とのバランスが取れないのでNG。

Rejected because diamonds give the image of a goal to reach, not the start of a journey, and it's out-of-balance with the other gemstones.

マサラタウン
Masara Town

Pallet Town

パレット　シティ[sic]

The start of the adventure. A town that, unlike the rest of the towns in the game, has yet to be dyed any particular color. If interpreted that way, the player get the impression of a tray with art materials (or "palette") instead of it being white. If the first game package someone picks up is Pokémon Red, then they'll have a red image as they progress through the game. For those who buy multiple versions of the game, the meaning of "palette" will be even stronger. It's also easy to pronounce Pallet Town.

ニビシティ
Nibi City

Pewter City

ピューター　シティ

"Pewter" is lead gray. It also means an object made of tin or lead. The color of stone.

クチバシティ
Kuchiba City

Vermilion City

バーミリャン　シティ

"Vermilion" is the color of sunsets. Has a cool image because it's used infrequently.

タマムシシティ
Tamamushi City

Celadon City

セラドン　シティ

"Celadon" is a vibrant mixture of blue and green; a color used in oil paintings.

セキチクシティ
Sekichiku City

Fuchsia City

フーシャ　シティ

"Fuchsia" is a beautiful pink color derived from the fuchsia plant (A shrub found in tropical regions).

グレン島
Guren Island

Cinnabar Island

シナバー　アイランド

"Cinnabar" is a red used in oil paintings (A standard red), or mercury sulfide. The name was chosen because it sounds similar to "cinnamon", which in the United States has a strong association with red (One reason is that there's a famous cinnamon gum called "Big Red" that comes in a bright red package).

通常生活の再使用頻度が高くないが、聞いた事のあるかもしれない色、音的にCOOLなもの。意味やイメージもできる限り重なり合うものを選択し、ぱっと見たら色の種類とすぐに分からないが、一覧表にすると納得できるようになっている。架空の地名。SGBで色確認済み。日本人と米国人ではイメージ・感覚が異なる。

These are colors that are not used frequently in everyday life, but that you might have heard of, and that sound cool. We selected colors that overlapped as much as possible with the originals in appearance and meaning. Though people might not recognize them as color shades at first, when compiled into a list, their meaning becomes clear. These are fictional names for locations. We've confirmed that the names match the colors used on the Super Game Boy. The image and sensibilities of Japanese people and Americans differ.

サトシ
Satoshi

Casey

The name can be used by both men and women, and the ending "ey" evokes a link between the hero and rival. The name gives the impression of someone who's confident, outdoorsy, and has some degree of intelligence.

The name is too close to the Pokémon Casey [EN: Abra].

Pat

Lacks impact and gives a weak impression. It's not unique.

Jacky

A name from the 70s. Doesn't seem like an American name; rather, it gives the impression of a name that a foreigner would come up with for an American.

Terry

A name from the 70s. Brings to mind the American fabric "terrycloth", leaving a cheap impression.

Ash Tosi

Satoshi has been split up and rearranged. The last name, "Tosi", has an Asian feel, giving it an exotic vibe. It's rather unusual, but not unheard of. The good thing is that if a name becomes mainstream, it won't seem as strange, like Han Solo or Luke Skywalker from Star Wars. Still, the name isn't recommended highly.

(None given)

Geri Shu

Shigeru has been split up and rearranged. The last name, "Shu", has an Asian feel, giving it an exotic vibe. It's rather unusual, but not unheard of. The good thing is that if a name becomes mainstream, it won't seem as strange, like Han Solo or Luke Skywalker from Star Wars. Still, the name isn't recommended highly.

Cypress

From the cypress tree. Evokes the image of someone who's reliable, and it matches his spiky hair. As in Japan, this is based on the name of a plant.

Brock is better.

マチス
Matisse

Crocuss

From the crocus plant. The word has a strong impression. As in Japan, this is based on the name of a plant.

Lt.Surge is better.

Holly

From the holly olive plant. We used the name of a tender flower to evoke a modest, sacred image. As in Japan, this is based on the name of a plant.

Bonsai

From the bonsai tree. Since he's a ninja, we picked a plant that reminds people of Japan. Bonsai [盆栽] is "Banzai Tree", but the official name is "Bonsai". As in Japan, this is based on the name of a plant.

Koga is better.

カツラ
Katsura

Coleman

"Coleman" gives the impression of a man of a certain age. "Coal"[sic] is pronounced similar to "coal", which can be used to describe a Fire-type user. The name is also used by a well-known camping equipment brand that mainly sells lamps and tents.

(None given, but likely rejected due to trademark concerns)

サカキ
Sakaki

Hemlock

From the hemlock plant. It's a small white flower but it's poisonous, giving an evil impression. We also chose it because it sounds similar to the word "Warlock". As in Japan, this is based on the name of a plant.

Giovanni is better.

シバ
Siba

Sqruce[sic]

From the spruce tree. Sounds similar to "Bruce", and brings to mind a muscular man. As in Japan, this is based on the name of a plant.

Bruno is better.

ワタル
Wataru

Leif

Derived from "leaf". It's an out-of-the-ordinary name for a man. We gave him a straightforward name because it's the boss of plant names. As in Japan, this is based on the name of a plant.

Lance is better.

Short Pants Boy

Name exceeds the character limit.

ボーイスカウト
Boy Scout

Boyscout

(None given; literal translation)

These are actual organizations. [In Gold and Silver, names of these Trainer types were changed in all languages.]

スキンヘッズ
Skinhead

Skinhead

(None given; literal translation)

This word has come to represent neo-Nazis.

サトシ
Satoshi

Ash Ketchum

アッシュ・ケッチャム

We split Satoshi into "s-a-t-o-s-h-i", and used those letters to get "Ash". Since he's an important character, we wanted to emphasize that even though his name has changed, the sound of the name will still remind you of Satoshi.

"Ketchum" has the same pronounciation as "Gotta Catch'em all!", and is also an actual name. "Cetchium"[sic] would be boring, so we changed the C to a K. (The last name was added for the anime.)

オーキドはかせ
Dr. Okido

Prof.Oak

プロフェッサー・オーク

An oak is a deciduous tree, similar in pronunciation to the Japanese name. In the United States, this name gives off an impression of being long-lived and wise / reliable, and it doesn't sound out of place as a person's name. It's also listed in the phone book.

カスミ
Kasumi

Misty

ミスティ

Literal translation: kasumi = mist. Adding a Y to the end makes it a girl's name. Fits the image of a Water-based gym leader.

エリカ
Erika

Erika

エリカ

No change; it can be used as an English name. Typical girl's name, but it gives off a dreamy and graceful impression. It feels natural.

ナツメ
Natsume

Sabrina

サブリナ

In the United States, the name "Sabrina" gives off the image of a witch-like girl (A girl who does mysterious things). Since she's a psychic girl, she was given a name that evokes a girl with mysterious powers (i.e. a magician). Also gives off the impression of a being a mischievous and cute girl.

サカキ
Sakaki

Giovanni

ジョヴァンニ

He's the boss of Team Rocket, so he has a dignified name. We wanted a name that wouldn't be used by a typical person, so we chose one that would give the impression of an Italian boss and would be acceptable in the United States. It gives the impression of a man who does evil deeds and lives a glamorous life.

シバ
Siba

Bruno

ビルーノ

In the United States, the name "Bruno" is associated with a macho tough guy. The name sounds similar to the word "Bruiser", someone who's good at fighting; he fights barehanded without weapons.

ワタル
Wataru

Lance

ラーンス

"Lancelot" is the name of a knight in the service of Arthur, King of the Round Table. The name evokes the scent of the Middle Ages, and evokes things like "swords", "magic", "knights", and "dragons". Also has the image of a brave warrior.

短パン小僧
Shorts Youngster

Youngster

ヤングスター

"Youngster" is a young boy, about 7-13 years old (before teenage years) in age. It's used by older people to refer to children and is very similar to kozou [小僧].

理科系の男
Science Guy

Super Nerd

スーパーネード

"Nerd", as in otaku. We used the word "super" to obfuscate what kind of nerd he is.

スキンヘッズ
Skinhead

Cue Ball

キューボール

Literal translation: "Cue Ball" = Bald head. Gives off a rather cool impression.