Let's Talk About Pokemon - Sandshrew and Sandslash

027 - Sandshrew

Everyone talks about how Clefairy was almost Ash's companion Pokemon, and thus was apparently considered as a candidate for central mascot of the franchise, but has there ever been any support for the idea that Sandshrew was meant to be kind of a rival counterpart to Pikachu? With it being similar in proportions, a two-stage evo line, and also being Ground type and all.

Though for my money I actually find Sandshrew just a wee bit cuter than Pikachu, especially since it's managed to retain more of its animalistic proportions vs Pikachu's gradual mascotification, as well as it just having a bit more naturally-shaped eyes. It's clearly taking inspiration after an armadillo, but rather than having a segmented hardy hide like armadillos do, it has a bit of a brick pattern to its back. Plus as tends to be the case with armadillo creatures in video games, its thing is that it can roll up into a ball and bounce around like a living wheel. In that sense, maybe it isn't extraordinary, but I've had a bit of a soft spot for it.

028 - Sandslash

Sandslash, though, picks up a lot more traits from a pangolin, with the more scale-covered hide and big claws strong enough to cut through hard slabs of sand. It also brings echidnas to mind a bit, with its similarly rough backside and long snout. Perhaps also the snout and claws bringing in some features of an anteater. And I think the overall "DANGER" silhouette this guy has works really well for it, with it having all of the features of a mid-size mammal you really don't want to mess with. It's certainly the one of the outright meanest-looking Pokemon here in Gen 1, which definitely lends it points. Especially considering some of its far more fantastical competition.

It's also neat how much Sandslash almost feels like a mascot of the "Ground" type, with it being the first Ground type in the dex. It kind of embodies that element the best, as condensed into a single, animal design. The combination of animal features, along with it just in general looking like a burrowing creature, just really click together as something you could say is THE quintessential Ground type, the base of the vibe all future Ground types are kind of borrowing from, even if just a little bit.

Personal Score: 8/10

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