By Jo
It’s small, green, and prefers to take its time when carrying out tasks. Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokemon, is the Sinnoh region’s grass-type starter. Turtwig is based off from turtles, more specifically the snapping turtle, as its yellow colored lower jaw would illustrate.
Turtwig starts out as being small, though heavy, weighing the most out of any of the starters. Its pokedex entries state that the shell on its back is actually made from soil, which hardens when it drinks water. On a healthy Turtwig, that soil-shell should feel a bit moist. When in the sun, Turtwig undergo photosynthesis with its body and make oxygen. Though if the leaves on its head wilt, it is most-likely thirsty. Turtwig’s name most-likely comes from the words ‘turtle’ and ‘twig’.
Once it reaches level 18, Turtwig will evolve into Grotle. Turtwig, along with Totodile, are the only starters who evolve at level 18, which is the highest level in which a starter Pokemon evolves via leveling up. Grotle is the heaviest of any of the middle evolutions of the starters, and even outweighs most of the final evolutions for the starters, with the exceptions of Venusaur, Meganium, and Torterra. Ironically, all of the exceptions are grass-types. Grotle’s pokedex entries say that it normally knows where fresh water is. It also states that some Pokemon like to eat the berries that grow on the tree on its shell, and that it will carry those Pokemon to its source of fresh water. Grotle is most-likely based off from a snapping turtle, though could also be based on a world turtle as world turtles are said to carry worlds and universes on their backs. Grotle’s name probably comes from the words ‘ground’ and ‘turtle’, though also – as it is the Grove Pokemon – it may also come from the word ‘grove’ as well.
After Grotle reaches level 32 it evolves into Torterra and gains the secondary type of Ground. Torterra is considered to be the Continent Pokemon, having a large, thriving tree growing upon its shell, though its pokédex states that Pokemon and humans have mistaken migrating Torterra for moving forests and that sometimes Pokemon are born on a Torterra’s back and dwell there their entire life. Torterra is the heaviest of all fully evolved starter Pokemon and also has the highest defense (as well as lowest speed stats) of all final evolution starter Pokemon. Torterra is the only grass-type starter Pokemon that gain a type through evolution, and is also unique in its type combination as no other Pokemon has the same combination. Torterra appears to be based off from both a snapping turtle, and an ankylosaurus (a type of armored dinosaur). Though, like its pre-evolution, Torterra may be based off from a world turtle or perhaps the Black Tortoise of Asian myth. Torterra’s name probably comes from the words ‘tortoise’ as well as ‘terra’ with is Latin for the word “ground”. Its name is also very familiar to the words ‘tuatara’, which is a type of lizard, and ‘totara’ which is a type of tree.
The Turtwig evolutionary line is known for being calm and avoiding confrontations unless need be. Though it (and its evolutions) lack in speed, they make up for it in defense.
Tags: Grotle, Sinnoh Region, Torterra, Turtwig