Talk:Pawmi (Pokémon)

i think its name may be combination of paw and me - unsigned comment from Helperman (talk • contribs)

Pawmi appears to take some inspiration from the chinchilla

The website description says "Not only is the fur that covers its body good insulation against the cold, but it also serves the purpose of storing electricity", which is a characteristic of the chinchilla, a rodent that lives in the Andes mountains. Additionally, the ears, tail, and the bulging fur around its legs greatly resembles the chinchilla. ShedinjaEnjoyer (talk) 15:01, 1 June 2022 (UTC)

Pawmi's page on Pokewiki.de suggests that it may be based on a genus of voles known as Microtus (they also suggested that's where the "mi" in Pawmi's name came from). personally i'm not too sure about this inspiration, though (Microtus literally means "small ears" and are named such because they have small ears, while Pawmi's ears are pretty big for its size). Anzasquiddles (talk) 15:29, 1 June 2022 (UTC)

Agreed, I don't think it's reasonable to assume Microtus from "mi", especially since Pokémon names tend to make portmanteaus apparent. I'd expect it to be Pawmicro or something if that was the intention. Also I suspect that Pawmi will be pronounced Pawmee (mē) rather than Pawmai (mī).ShedinjaEnjoyer (talk) 15:45, 1 June 2022 (UTC)

Hello, Zoologist here!

Chinchilla may be possible, but there are already known chinchilla Pokemon (Minccino and Cinccino).

With the more elongated ears, it may actually be based on the vizcacha! Vizcachas are in the same family as chinchillas, also have chunky arms, and live in the exact same rocky/snowy areas as chinchillas & have the same sort of cold-insulating needs. They primarily differ in that vizcachas are often brightly colored, with a mix of orange or red & grey or brown coloration, as well as a distinct round marking covering the snout -- just like Pawmi!

Vizcachas have specialized pads on their hands and feet (just like Pawmi), and have uniquely-shaped tails (vizcachas are often spiralled but, since it's a pikaclone, obviously Pawmi has a zigzag!)

Since both animals (chinchillas & vizcachas) are so closely related that they're literally the only rodents in the Chinchillidae family, it's extremely clear that Pawmi is based on one of the two animals! But given the matching orange fur, longer & slimmer ears, and presence of distinct markings, I think it may be moreso based on the Vizcacha than in its greyer chinchilla cousin! Zahzumafoo (talk) 02:10, 2 June 2022 (UTC)

Thank you so much for the tip! Anzasquiddles (talk) 02:56, 2 June 2022 (UTC)

Thanks for the professional breakdown. The fluffiness/thickness of the fur around the forelimbs and the overall body shape reminded me more of the chinchilla than the viscacha, but excellent point on the coloration.ShedinjaEnjoyer (talk) 18:54, 7 June 2022 (UTC)