A few years ago, I wrote about why I thought the Alolan forms, regional variants of existing Pokemon, were a great addition. Fast forward to now, and I can’t help but feel like one particular new Pokemon variant has been specifically aimed at me. Of course, it hasn’t, but I’m still chuffed nonetheless. That Pokemon variant is Galarian Weezing.
Back in 2016, I specifically cited Alolan Exeggutor as being fantastic simply because it’s so ridiculous. Galarian Weezing isn’t entirely different. The fact that it now proudly sports two gigantic smokestacks on top of its heads, or I guess its entire being, does look undoubtedly silly. But it’s also brilliant for that exact reason.
But whilst Alolan Exeggutor’s design is pretty much palm trees are tall, let’s add some serious length to Exeggutor. Job done. There’s an awful lot more to Galarian Weezing than making it significantly taller.
As you may know, the new region in Pokemon Shield and Sword is based on England, and with this variant of Weezing, they’ve made numerous references to Industrial Revolution England. They’re not hard to spot, so I don’t think I’m a genius for noticing, but I think they are geniuses for making them.
Firstly, the most noticeable thing is the smokestacks. Obviously, factories were big back in the 1800s, so they’re a clear nod to that. But, to make them double up as top hats, something the rich would frequently wear back then, is a very cute detail.
Then you’ve got the pollution facial ‘hair’. Again, it was very common during the Industrial Revolution for blokes to have a moustache whilst the impact on the environment from the smoke that billowed from the factories was severe. So once again, they’ve paired the style of the period with the living conditions expertly.
Lastly, the Industrial Revolution was a pretty grim-looking period. The working conditions were often dangerous and unclean. Understandably, people, particularly the poor, probably weren’t all that high on morale. And Weezing has always been one of the more fiercely unhappy-looking Pokemon.
Couple all of this with the fact that Weezing has always been one of my top Pokemon. James was always my favourite character in the anime, so I also developed an affinity for his original partner in Weezing. So to see it get a makeover that, in my opinion, is incredibly clever from a theme standpoint is amazing.
I don’t know why this design makes it a poison/fairy Pokemon, though. My brain is still working on that.
Stephen Gregson-Wood 