Pokémon Fans Horrified by New Version of Classic Gold and Silver Legendary [IGN]

Pokémon fans were treated to a new trailer for Scarlet and Violet’s The Teal Mask expansion in August’s Pokémon Presents but not every reveal has gone over well.

A new version of Raikou — the legendary electric dog from Pokémon Gold and Silver — is currently at the centre of the Pokémon community and for all the wrong reasons. Fans hate it.

Raikou’s Paradox form, a version of Pokémon introduced in Scarlet and Violet that makes the pocket monster either prehistoric or futuristic, is seemingly based on a brachiosaurus. Given its yellow and black patterns, however, it’s currently being likened more to a giraffe.

⚡️⚡️⚡️ #pokemonpresents #raikou https://t.co/7nAZM7CuON pic.twitter.com/PIxIctquEB

— DO9BELLBESSA 🔔 (@DO9Bessa) August 8, 2023

“They can’t keep getting away with this,” replied Neetheos in a Reddit post titled “What did they do to you..?” Another post, which uses a Spongebob meme to make fun of the redesign, saw one user comment: “Look how they butchered my boy.”

Other memes are already appearing on Twitter, comparing Raikou to Melman from the Madagascar animated film or a Tallneck from Horizon: Zero Dawn.

BRUH I CANT UNSEE pic.twitter.com/tTkT1mCUaK

— Vee @ Japan 🇯🇵 (@AjentVee) August 8, 2023

Pokémon fans can enjoy the new Pokémon (or not) in Scarlet and Violet’s The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero expansion. The first part, The Teal Mask, launches in September, while the latter half doesn’t release until December.

Plenty of other Pokémon news was announced during August’s Pokémon Presents event including two Pokémon animated series, the addition of Scarlet and Violet Pokémon to Pokémon Go, two Pokémon games coming to Nintendo Switch Online, and more. Read about every announcement in IGN’s Everything Announced article.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.