Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Lechonk is Taking Over Twitter

Lechonk, the Hog Pokemon that made its debut in the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer, is making waves on social media.
Lechonk, the Hog Pokemon that made its debut in the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer, is making waves on social media. / The Pokemon Company

Lechonk, the Hog Pokemon that made its debut in the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer, is making waves on social media.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's new trailer dropped earlier today, June 1, and while trainers were excited to see the features the game had in store, nothing made a bigger splash than the new Pokemon. One species, in particular, has captured the hearts of nearly every fan who tuned in to watch: Lechonk, the Hog Pokemon.

Trainers simply cannot get over this Pokemon's extraordinary name.

Is Lechonk the New Hisuian Growlithe?

While Lechonk has inspired appreciation of the "chonk" meme — commonly used to describe thicc, absolute units of creatures — its real namesake comes from a Spanish word for piglet: "lechon." The word is also typically used to describe a roasted pork dish from the Iberian peninsula.

That hasn't stopped fans from becoming obsessed with it, however. Fanart has already started pouring in with artists eagerly looking to capture its appearance. Others have sworn digital oaths to the pig or professed their profound loyalty to it. Some have even suggested it might do well in competitive play.

Obviously, no one species can dethrone the goodest boi, Hisuian Growlithe, but Lechonk will certainly try. Anyone looking for a pick-me-up this week should spend some time browsing its search results.

Lechonk's actual in-game use outside its meme-potential remains to be seen. According to its description, its "chonkiness" is actually solid muscle built from all the time it spends wandering around looking for food. It uses its massive nose and superior sense of smell to find the best grasses and berries to graze on. Due to its diet, it gives off an aroma that acts as a natural bug deterrent.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will release in November 2022 — leaving trainers plenty of time to plot what they plan to do with their own Lechonk.