Pokemon Fan Gives Torchic a Dragon-Type Regional Variant

A Pokemon fan has designed an impressive regional variant of Torchic to turn the cute starter into a dragon chick. This fan art joins a host of other submissions within the popular Fakemon community, which gathers fans’ mock-ups of original creature designs, and many ideas are good enough to be considered for Pokemon's next generation of pocket monsters for their striking qualities.

Spanning a collection of video games from Nintendo and Game Freak, a popular trading card game, and an animated series, the Pokemon franchise has become a behemoth IP since it arrived in the 90s. The series' next main video game entry Pokemon Legends: Z-A may not arrive until the second half of 2025, but fans are excited to dive into the Pokemon Legends: Arceus sequel nonetheless.

Posted on Reddit by PokeMixelecti, the artist shared their concept art of Torchic the Dragon Chick, which flaunted red plumage with green wings, a blue crest, and threatening claws. It was noted that this regional variant stands taller than its Hoennian counterparts and hails from the harsh terrain of the mountainous regions that contributed to the Pokemon’s size, strength, and bulky legs. The once adorable chick seems to be a fan favorite among the community, which also prompted another Pokemon fan to create a realistic Torchic animation. However, the starter Pokemon’s makeover has left some Redditors uneasy. One member said that they had never been scared of a Torchic until now, and another user believed this variant would have a much deeper voice.

Pokemon Fan Turns Torchic Into a Dragon Chick

There’s no limit to fans’ artistic creations regarding replicating old monster designs or creating new ones, including one Pokemon fan’s impressive clay sculpture of Annihilape, and the Torchic artist has even packed detailed lore behind this variant to bring it to life. Additionally, the artist noted that the regional Torchic design was based on a Dong Tao Chicken, or Dragon Chicken, which is a rare Vietnamese chicken breed that also has stocky legs.

Added to the roster in Generation 3, Torchic joins Treecko and Mudkip as one of Hoenn's first partner Pokemon in Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire. Torchic is a necessary catch in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to complete the Blueberry Pokedex in the Indigo Disk DLC, and the chick is a worthy fire companion to have in battle thanks to its Blaze and Speed Boost abilities. Starting at level 16, Torchic will evolve into Combusken and complete its evolution into Blaziken at level 36.

Source: Pokemon Fan Gives Torchic a Dragon-Type Regional Variant