Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
Of all the franchises we cover at Source Gaming, Pokémon is the biggest. It’s probably the most imaginative one, too—there are over one thousand Pokémon, many of whom are household names. With such a massive pool of vibrant, fantastical animals, though, comes the unfortunate consequence that many will fly under the radar. That’s a shame, since plenty of those unsung Pocket Monsters have fun or interesting designs. Let’s celebrate Pokémon Day this year by unearthing one of the series’ greatest, most obscure creatures:
Tropius, seen in an episode of Pokémon Journeys (Image: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company)
When I discussed Wally last year, I admitted that I didn’t particularly enjoy 2002’s Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire upon their release. Their predecessors, 1999’s sterling Gold & Silver, were the perfect sequels to my young self; they brought back Red & Blue’s region and cast and even let you import your Pokémon from them. Then Ruby & Sapphire marked a clean break; none of your old companions can be brought into them, and you’re stuck in Hoenn. That was important for the longevity of the franchise, but Ruby & Sapphire’s innovations and improved internal architecture aren’t something you really contemplate when you’re eleven, y’know? Regardless, I still spent a lot of time roaming Hoenn, discovering things to like…
Tropius’ History
When designing Pokémon for Gold & Silver, Game Freak’s artists avoided making them too complicated. Once they began working on the stronger Game Boy Advance hardware, however, they abandoned that inhibition. Since complaints arose that Johto’s roster was “too babyish,” emphasizing the coolness factor of the Hoenn Pokémon became a priority. Japan’s Kyushu region inspired the tropical, comparatively foreign setting of Ruby & Sapphire, because series steward Junichi Masuda sought to “recatch” his childhood summer vacations there. Friendliness and bonding with others, then, became a central theme. “We designed the region with the importance of human relationships and the warm heart of the Kyushu people in mind,” Masuda explains.
Seeing a Tropius for the first time after evading herds of Zigzagoon and Oddish was refreshing. As a fan of the Chikorita family tree, seeing another quadruped, Grass-type dinosaur was pleasing. (Image: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company)
Tropius was among the 135 Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire. Wild ones reside along Route 119, a dense jungle that’s also home to Hoenn’s Weather Institute. Ruby & Sapphire’s enhanced “third version,” 2004’s Emerald, and their 2014 remakes Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire preserve Tropius’ presence therein (the latter also dot wild Tropius across Route 120, too).
Since then, Tropius has been available to capture in Pokémon Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver via their Pokéwalker peripheral, Black & White, Black 2 & White 2, X & Y, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, and Scarlet & Violet. Notably, Tropius can be transferred or traded into every core Pokémon game from Ruby & Sapphire to Ultra Sun & Moon (the following pair of games, Sword & Shield, infamously started the whole “Dexit” controversy). GameCube side game Pokémon Colosseum also features a corrupted Shadow Tropius you can catch, purify, and finally trade over to the Game Boy Advance titles. Oh, and two items are based on the brachiosaurus: the Fruit Bunch and Tropius Leaf.
Have any of you ever been playing a game, having a decent time, but then you get to one transcendent sequence and you realize you’re playing one of the all-time greats? #Tropius #DetectivePikachu pic.twitter.com/AlHWe2CcLX
— Tropius Fan Club (@TropiusFanClub) March 18, 2019
A handful of Pokémon spin-offs incorporate Tropius. It’s obtainable in Pinball: R&S, Trozei!, Shuffle, GO, and three Rumble titles. You can befriend one in PokéPark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure and recruit another in Mystery Dungeon: Red & Blue Rescue Team, their remakes, and immediate sequels. A stray Tropius gives the titular star of Detective Pikachu a fruit in an optional conversation. New Pokémon Snap’s downloadable expansion highlights the sweet soul, showing Tropius playing with other fauna. Outside the games, the protagonists of two manga publications, Pokémon Adventures and Battle Frontier, have a Tropius, and anime hero Ash Ketchum has encountered a few (one of whom shared a short-lived rivalry with his Sceptile, his Ruby & Sapphire ace).
So, what’re my thoughts on Tropius?
Pokémon Gold & Silver’s release was an event. In the lead-up to it, my friends and I rewatched episodes of the anime, The First Movie, and The Power of One, eager to catch glimpses of their “newly discovered” Pokémon. We checked every magazine on stores shelves, desperate for information (a friend exclaimed one day that Kanto would appear in the Johto games, though he also erroneously reported that anime-exclusive locations, like Dark City, would be included and that Gym Leaders Misty and Brock would tail you). Of course, we nabbed a few details from various websites, but not too much. The internet was still in its infancy, a far cry from the omnipresent nexus it now is.
A number of toys and trading cards honoring Tropius have been made over the decades. I rarely buy merchandise, but I proudly own the Tropius Sitting Cutie plush. (Image: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company)
But the internet was a little closer to its current state in 2002, when Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire hit. Yes, movie scripts weren’t getting leaked online years in advance, but websites were growing larger and more reliable, and communities began forming. Naturally, a juggernaut like Pokémon inspired both, and people who scored early copies of the Hoenn games did something previously unimaginable: they uploaded sprites, “learnsets,” ability and breeding details, and the location and rarity of all 386 Pokémon programmed within Ruby & Sapphire, including those that were unobtainable. Everything about every Pokémon, new and old, was public knowledge long before I obtained a copy of Ruby.
Thing is, that information was easily avoidable. The only way you’d see it is if you actively sought it out; no one was unabashedly spoiling details about Ruby & Sapphire on Facebook or Twitter because those platforms didn’t exist yet. That kindly let me control how much and what information I absorbed, so I looked up the games’ starter evolutions and Legendaries and stopped; my curiosity was satiated. And as unfairly down on the games as I was, this imbued Ruby with a thrilling sense of discovery—on every route, around every corner a new animal was waiting to be discovered. The fact Hoenn had over one hundred new Pokémon even meant that novelty would not die until after I became champion.
Kindly, Scarlet & Violet lost the awkward “Sky Battle” animations that have plagued Tropius (and other Flying-types, like Xatu) since X & Y. (Image: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company)
Stumbling upon a Tropius for the first time certainly left a strong impression. Now, look: dinosaurs are just cool. When you’re young, learning that enormous, prehistoric beasts once roamed the planet stirs your imagination. The Rock-type fossil Pokémon of Kanto and Hoenn flirted with this concept, but here’s the dual Grass/Flying-type sauropod Tropius, a fresher, more organic take, one whose design also flaunts these novel leaf wings. They defy science, but who cares? They raise not only Tropius, but my spirits.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say Game Freak deliberately designed Tropius to appeal to my tastes. While I’m historically not a fan of the color green, Tropius’ shade fits its earthly palette perfectly (actually, Tropius has even caused the color to grow on me). Its palette is capped off nicely with a dash of yellow, most prominently through the fruits growing on its chin. Oh, what a sweet touch that is: bananas are my favorite fruit! I appreciate tropical, naturalistic settings in games (I’m a massive Donkey Kong fan, after all), something this banana-guzzler brings to mind. Ignoring my biases, though, there’s just a majestic aura to Tropius, and I’m not alone in thinking that—I’ve seen several people claim they initially thought this serene soul was a Legendary Pokémon upon first laying eyes on it.
Tropius generously give away the produce they produce, cheerfully embodying Hoenn’s hospitable themes. (Image: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company)
Admittedly, Tropius isn’t nearly as strong as a Legendary; its stats and movepool are actually rather underwhelming. That is a letdown; one would think this bulky beast could tank a few hits. But honestly, I don’t mind too much. Tropius not being a natural fighter fits with the species’ caring personality, and not every animal in real life is a fighter, either. Simply by existing, this banana-bearing brachiosaurus elevates the Pokémon world, giving it more flavor. Besides, Tropius isn’t useless mechanically; it’s a viable “HM slave,” apparently carved a niche for itself within Pokémon GO’s competitive circuits, and has found some ground within Scarlet & Violet’s, which is nice.
Sadly, though, the sauropod isn’t a Pokémon staple. Tropius misses dozens of spin-offs (I’m hoping it joins UNITE), never had a major role in the anime (that Goh never caught one is disappointing—Tropius is the one Pokémon I actively wanted him to snag), and its presence in the mainline series is no longer guaranteed. Not being able to capture or import all our partners from prior games does sting (though I respect that including hundreds of Pokémon per game is a daunting task, and featuring a curated pool has its own advantages); it’s comparable to when your favorite character in a fighting game gets cut in a sequel. But Tropius is proof that if a Pokémon misses a title, it can and eventually will reemerge—every Pokémon is valuable and someone’s favorite, and Game Freak and The Pokémon Company respect that.
ここは ヒワマキ シティ
きの うえで しぜんと たわむれる まち pic.twitter.com/fByPVs6cbw— むとう (@mutou610_) February 23, 2023
You’ve noticed that a few posts from the Tropius Fan Club Twitter account are embedded in this article, right? Surprise: I run it. What began as a silly response to a silly running joke blossomed into a humble hub for all things Tropius. It’s been a pleasure mingling with like-minded Pokémon fans (some of whom have become friends), sharing fan tributes, and making bad jokes. And though the Club isn’t massive, that’s fine! Just having another creative outlet, one where I champion my favorite Hoenn Pokémon, is rewarding. Giving a platform to obscure favorites is something I also enjoy doing through “Character Chronicle,” but there’s a harsh finality once I finish an article in this series (though I plan to rewrite a few older entries someday). Thankfully, my Tropius shilling will continue perennially—the Fan Club is an evergreen means to sing its praises!
Every Pokémon “generation” introduces a big, new idea or two: new evolutions and pre-evolutions, Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, regional variants, Gigantamaxing and Dynamaxing, and now Terastallizing and Paradox Pokémon. Yes, Tropius has only gotten to savor a few of those, but its design is ripe for experimentation; different fruits could correspond to different types, for example! This dinosaur may be an underdog, but I’m optimistic Game Freak will recognize its potential eventually.
There are plenty of qualities to like about a Pokémon beyond its strength, and many Trainers cherish this one. (Image: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company)
If nothing else, its fans certainly do! Tropius isn’t just another Pokémon; it’s one of my favorites and the only one I engage with on a daily, bi-daily basis. Fellow Source Gaming writer Hamada is also fond of this hospitable herbivore and has plans to write about it, too. That Tropius isn’t the most popular Pokémon is irrelevant—it’s still charming, elevates the franchise, and is worth celebrating. Let’s join together and keep its flame burning brightly!
Congratulations, Tropius! Would you like a banana?
One banana? $120,000.
Tropius, a dear friend who’ll grow you as many bananas as you want? Priceless. https://t.co/z3AMbYAt58
— Tropius Fan Club (@TropiusFanClub) December 6, 2019
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