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All hail Lechonk, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s new round king

[Summoning circle] please evolve into Lethicc

A screenshot from Pokémon Scarlet and Violent, with a forward facing pig Pokémon named Lechonk Image: Game Freak, The Pokémon Company/Nintendo
Nicole Clark (she/her) is a culture editor at Polygon, and a critic covering internet culture, video games, books, and TV, with work in the NY Times, Vice, and Catapult.

The new trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which debuted Wednesday, showed off the game’s adorable new Pokémon. We got a peek into this generation’s starters in action (even if we still don’t have much information about their evolutions.) The trailer also introduced three new pocket monsters: Smoliv, Pawmi, and Lechonk. And fans are already going hog wild over this new Pigémon, erm, Pokémon.

Lechonk!! Welcome to the round boi pantheon. Wooloo, Spheal, and Rowlet hive assemble. We have a new round one in our midst. Look at that rotund lad — with knobby little legs, tiny hooves, sleepy eyes, floppy ears, and a noble, pronounced snout.

Lechonk is objectively the perfect name for this hefty lil guy. I mean, have you looked at him? “Lechon” also means suckling pig in Spanish — to get more specific, it’s a particular pork preparation — but don’t worry about that coming to fruition: Lechonk is a truffle hog, here to use his sniffer! This new Pokémon “uses its sense of smell to find and eat only the most fragrant wild grasses,” according to a release. Also, critically, though he chonk he stronk. Lechonk’s “body is mostly muscle.”

Despite this tank strength, Lechonk is a timid fella. When an opponent attacks, or when startled, Lechonk will “charge forward in a panic.” Judging by the trailer, this means this hefty boi spends some time on the ground, dazed and confused. Extremely relatable. I too fall over when intimidated.

I’ll only ask once: LOOK AT THIS TINY TANK. LOOK AT HIM.

I think it’s safe to say Lechonk is already a fan favorite.

We don’t have any information on Lechonk’s evolution, yet, but fans have some good suggestions.

Lechonk rounds out to a cute homage to Scarlet and Violet’s new region, which appears to have Spanish — as well as other European — influences. (And Smoliv, the smol olive, really fits in here too.)

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will be released on Nov. 18 on Nintendo Switch. We recommend catching as many Lechonks as humanly possible.

The next level of puzzles.

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