Here's What The AI Pokemon Maker Does With Real Pokemon Names
You might have seen recently that an AI that turns any word or phrase into a Pokemon has taken the world by storm. Well, it's popular on the internet right now, and will be for around another 26 minutes, which is as good as it gets these days. I'm on the fence about these AI art trends - I don't think this one specific app is going to put artists out of work, but when AI art is winning art contests and being touted as a cheap and efficient way to have art created for you at a fraction of the price, these cutesy projects can sometimes feel like manufacturing consent. That's why I decided to set this app the least creative challenge I could think of - create Pokemon based on the names of actual Pokemon.
I set out to do all 151 Kanto Pokemon, but then realised it would take too long, so I did the nine starters, Pikachu, Eevee and the Eeveelutions, then asked TheGamer staff for suggestions to make the top 30. If your favourite isn't here it's not my fault. Don't ask me buddy, I just work here.
Related: Revisiting Kanto - Pokemon's Power Plant Gave Me An Existential Crisis
First off, we have the Bulbasaur line. Strangely, Bulbasaur is the least Bulbasaury of the group, with the distinctive Gen 1 eyes present in Ivysaur and Venusaur. Bulby is cute but also endearingly ugly in a way the charming real Bulbasaur does not rely on. It also wears a cape for some reason. Venusaur meanwhile looks a little odd with that fifth limb, and its face is too mischievous. Ivysaur, with the splayed palm tree, is a decent shot.
Next is the Squirtle line, which fares less well. Squirtle is my least favourite of the Kanto starters, and this doesn't help its case. The first one is just Squirtle without a shell but, seemingly, with MDMA. Wartortle
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