In Pokémon’s third generation games, Ruby & Sapphire, trainers explore the Hoenn Region in another journey to becoming the Pokémon Champion. Like every new generation, the Hoenn Region brought along its own set of unique Pokémon to befriend and catch. And as an added bonus, the remakes, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, also tacked on Mega Evolution to Generation III’s most beloved Pokémon, including the starters.
Treecko, Mudkip, Torchic, and their evolutions are not only part of an ongoing tradition of starter Pokémon but also representatives of the Hoenn Region as a whole. Similarly, the love for Generation III can be represented through gorgeous fan art of the Hoenn starters.
10 Silly Mudkips By @jo-scollo
Though Mudkip carries many qualities of a cold-blooded amphibian, it also behaves like a warm and affectionate critter. And of the three Hoenn starters, the Water-type seems to be exceptionally adored for its silly and playful appearance.
In this bright and wholesome fan art by @jo-scollo, two happy Mudkip are living their best lives while acting as adorable as ever. They are noticeably chunky little guys with fluffier orange cheeks that act as gills. While one sits like a puppy waiting for treats, the other hangs upside-down with its tongue sticking out.
9 Torchic In A Basket By @pegushi
Torchic is a baby chicken Pokémon with a very circular head. Its head is so round that it might even be accidentally mistaken for other spherical objects such as balls of yarn.
The sweet Torchic drawn by @pegushi casually plops itself in a basket of yarn as it gazes up at the sky. Although the yarn comes in different colors, the overall softness and circular shapes allow Torchic to blend right in. In addition, the gentle breeze of cherry blossom petals gives the artwork the feel of a lazy spring afternoon for the little chick.
8 Dinosaur Sceptile By @ommanyte
Many Pokémon are known to be based on certain real-life animals, and Sceptile appears to be inspired by a reptile of some sort. However, it’s debatable on which reptile it is intended to look like. Some think it’s a gecko, while others say it’s a dinosaur.
Based on this debate, artist @ommanyte drew Sceptile as a bright green dilophosaurus. The realistic Sceptile maintains its most distinct features with its feathery leaves sprouting from both its arms and voluminous tail, red markings on its chin and belly, and the yellow round patches on its back. Seeing how Sceptile’s Mega Evolution is part Dragon-type, the dilophosaurus theory is not too far off.
7 Starter Refreshments By @super-zac-chen
Like all first evolution starters, Torchic, Treecko, and Mudkip are pint-sized Pokémon around the size of small pets. That being said, if they were shrunk down even further, they could fit into tiny and unexpected places such as beverage containers.
@super-zac-chen drew all three starters in three different drink containers based on their color palette. A herd of Torchic are relaxing in a carton of citrus juice milk, while several are stuck at the opening. Treecko can be found in an opened can of green soda, and excited Mudkip are splashing around in their bottle of water.
6 Treecko Terrarium By @kafel88
Based on its name, Treecko is assumed to be based on gecko lizards. While Treecko is roughly the size of a cat, pet geckos are much tinier and tend to live in terrariums.
If Treecko were approximately the size of a real gecko, they too could fit in a terrarium of their own, as seen in this cute fan art by @kafel88. While one Treecko climbs on the wooden branch, the other is hanging on the glass wall with its sticky pads. A Pokéball is pictured off to the side for a good size comparison with the miniature Treecko.
5 Swampert’s Swamp By @skyneverthelimit
Although Mudkip is a pure Water-type Pokémon, its final evolution, Swampert, is also part Ground-type. This plays into the fact that Mudkip and all its evolutions live in swampy areas with plenty of water and mud.
Artist @skyneverthelimit depicts Swampert and a group of Mudkip playing in their natural habitat. While the Mudkip are swimming, relaxing, or exploring, the Swampert is watching over them, carrying one on its whiskery gills and another in its mouth. With the strong Swampert around, the Mudkip are free to enjoy themselves without worrying about any intruders.
4 Mega Sceptile By @hysterianimalia
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, the three Hoenn starters received a huge power boost with the help of Mega Evolution. Mega Sceptile went from being a pure Grass-type Pokémon to a dual Grass/Dragon-type with a fancier design.
Putting their own unique twist on the Mega Evolution, @hysterianimalia transformed the circular seeds on Mega Sceptile’s back into blossomed flowers, and scaly detailing was also added for more of a Dragon effect. Its wide eyes, wild tongue, and threatening pose show that it’s ready for battle in its powerful Mega form.
3 Mega Swampert & May By @kawacy
When Swampert Mega Evolves, it becomes much more muscular and larger in size to accommodate the huge increase in its Attack stat. Its upper body becomes big beefy enough for someone to sit comfortably on top of it.
Artist @kawacy utilizes Mega Swampert’s muscular build by adding a familiar face, May, to the top of its shoulder. Together, Mega Swampert and May pose with glory in front of bright lights on what could possibly be the stage of a Pokémon Contest. Coincidentally, Generation III was when Pokémon Contests were first introduced.
2 Mega Blaziken By @kudaman
One of the most threatening Mega Evolutions of its time was Mega Blaziken thanks to its high Attack stat and Ability, Speed Boost, which increases its Speed stat at the end of each turn. And like all the other Mega Evolutions, Mega Blaziken’s design also got an upgrade worthy of some fan art.
In this beautiful artwork by @kudaman, Blaziken is not only Mega Evolved but also depicted in a more sculpted manner. The flames at its wrists are more so weapons to be lashed out toward its opponent, and its talons appear sharper than ever. As an added bonus, the regular Blaziken poses just as fiercely in the background.
1 Archie, Maxie, & Friends By @ssalrobyul
In Ruby & Sapphire, Maxie and Archie lead the two opposing villainous organizations, Team Magma and Team Aqua. While Maxie and Team Magma sought to claim Groudon’s power, Archie and Team Aqua went after Kyogre.
Because Groudon’s Ability works around the sun, Team Magma naturally uses a lot of Fire-type Pokémon like Torchic. In contrast, Team Aqua and Kyogre are all about Water-types like Mudkip. And despite their criminal ways, Maxie and Archie are drawn with playful bunches of Torchic and Mudkip in a truly wholesome fan art by artist @ssalrobyul.
NEXT: Pokémon: Ranking The 10 Most Adorable Pokémon From Ruby & Sapphire
