Crocalor is a bipedal, crocodilian Pokémon. Its stout, melon-shaped body is primarily red, but its face and chest are white simulating a mask; its hands and feet are black with three digits each. It has yellow rectangular scales covering its back and tail, and a pattern of black and yellow stripes on its chest. Its face has a long snout, red square cheeks, a pattern of two red triangles resembling nostrils, and a hook-like upper jaw. When Crocalor opens its mouth, three pairs of sharp teeth can be seen lining its lower jaw.
Atop Crocalor's head is an orange mass of fire energy shaped like a nest, with yellow squares patterning it. This "nest" contains a yellow, glowing, egg-shaped fireball on top, borne out of Crocalor's fire energy and overflowing vitality. Crocalor can control the fireball, sending it out and using it for its moves.[1] As shown in Pokémon Sleep, Crocalor and its evolutionary relatives are known to sometimes sleep with one eye open. The fireball on Crocalor's head never falls off even as the Pokémon sways rhythmically in its sleep.
Crocalor's internal flame sac has a valve that connects to its vocal cords. As a result, Crocalor lets out guttural cries as it releases fire from its mouth. Its voice can hardly be described as beautiful; moreover, its voice becomes more destructive as it breathes more powerful fire.[1]
It loves to sing and sometimes moves as though singing while it sleeps. Even when Crocalor's body sways rhythmically in its sleep, the egg-shaped fireball on the Pokémon's head never falls.
Crocalor resembles a crocodile with a calavera pattern. In Pokémon Sleep, Crocalor and its evolutionary relatives are revealed to sleep with one eye open, just like real-life crocodiles. Its Fire type may be inspired by the fact that crocodiles release excess heat through their mouths.
The fire decorations on Crocalor's head resembles a nest for the egg-shaped fireball. This may reference certain crocodilian behaviors such as them balancing sticks and branches on their heads to lure nest-building birds; or how some bird species benefit from nearby crocodilians predating ovivores, thus protecting their nests. Additionally, it may be based on trochilus, a legendary bird (speculated to be a Egyptian plover or a Spur-winged lapwing) depicted as having a cleaning symbiosis relationship with a Nile crocodile. The decorations also resemble a sombrero or a Easter mona, a Spanish Easter cake served with a hard-boiled egg or egg-shaped confectionery on top.
The white calavera pattern on Crocalor's may suggest it being based on certain hat-wearing calacas associated with the Mexican holiday of the Day of the Dead, such as a stereotypical skeleton mariachi or La Calavera Catrina. The former could also explain Crocalor's association with singing. Additionally, the "nest" atop its head vaguely resembles a bouquet of Mexican marigold, put on display to honor the dead. Its body shape and variegated body markings may be loosely inspired by a piñata.
Crocalor may also be a reference to some crocodile legends in the Iberian Peninsula, such as the Drac de Na Coca, whose preserved body with an exposed skull may have inspired Crocalor's skeletal appearance, and whose presence in pyrotechnical correfoc festivities may have inspired Crocalor's Fire type. It may also be based on Cucafera, depicted as a crocodilian dragon creature with round body.
Name origin
Crocalor may be a combination of crocodile and calor (Spanish and Portuguese for heat). It may also involve vocal or coloratura (an ornamentation of vocal melody).
Achigator may be a combination of あちち achichi ("hot!"), mariachi, and alligator.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Crocalor singing
Crocalor sleeps with one eye open
Crocalor runs on all fours
For other sprites and images, please see Crocalor images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
