Psyduck
Encyclopedia
Psyduck, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo
and Game Freak
's Pokémon
franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori
, Psyduck first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
and later in subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Psyduck is voiced by Rikako Aikawa
in Japan, and Michael Haigney in English.
Known as the Duck
Pokémon, Psyduck is constantly stunned by its headache
, and usually just stands there vacantly, trying to calm it. In the anime
, Psyduck was a constant running gag
where Misty
would release Psyduck by accident instead of the Pokémon she wanted to use. Since appearing in the series, Psyduck has received generally mixed reception, described as "downright silly" by GameSpy
.
for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue
. Originally called "Koduck" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. As a result they were renamed "Psyduck", a combination of the words "Psychic" and "duck".
Known as the Duck
Pokémon, Psyduck resembles a yellow duck or platypus
with a vacant stare. It has a small tuft of black hair at the top of its head. It walks on its hind legs, and has arms rather than wings. Its arms are useful in using its powerful psychic abilities. Its appearance is meant to trick enemies into thinking it is weak. It has arms with three claws on each to deliver scratches if threatened. Psyduck live in freshwater lakes, small ponds, or rivers in tropical areas. When a Psyduck receives enough experience
from battles, it evolves into Golduck.
Psyduck is constantly stunned by its headache
, and usually just stands there vacantly, trying to calm its headache. When the headache gets too bad, its brain cells awaken, allowing it to use strong psychic powers. Some use their vacant look to their advantage, lulling the enemy and then using its psychokinetic powers. Psyduck don't remember using their powers, so they tilt their head in confusion. It is said to not remember using its powers because it uses them while in a deep sleep state.
a group of Psyduck can be found blocking the northern fork of Route 210. After the player obtains the badges in Veilstone City and Pastoria City, Cynthia will hand over a SecretPotion to cure their headaches. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team
, Psyduck is available Pokémon to be the main character. In Super Smash Bros. Melee
, Psyduck appears in the Poké Floats stage as the third Pokéfloat to appear. Fighting occurs on its head and beak, and it then floats up and off the top of the screen.
, Misty
has a Psyduck that she accidentally caught in Hypno's Naptime. It is a constant source of frustration for her, as it frequently emerges to attempt to battle the opponent in substitution of the Pokémon she intends to use. Despite this, she has been shown to deeply care for it. Despite being generally shown as dimwitted and oblivious, when its headache gets bad enough, it has been shown to use phenomenally powerful Psychic-type moves which far exceed its perceived potential. Nine Psyduck appeared in The Psyduck Stops Here!; six parents and three babies. Three of the parents were blocking the path that Ash and his friends tried to pass on their way to Celestic Town. The Psyduck weren't able to return to their real home, Lake Psyduck, because of three Muk.
In the Pokémon Adventures
manga, many Psyduck have appeared in the manga owned by other trainers. In the Red, Green & Blue chapter, an undead Psyduck, that had been brought back to life by a Koga's Gastly, appeared in the Pokémon Tower. It first appeared to Red like a normal Psyduck, until it attempted an assault on him: its eyeballs suddenly sunk into its eye sockets and some skin fell off, revealing its bones. Since it was just a mindless undead, it was easily destroyed by Red's Bulbasaur
.
, Psyduck has been well received by the media. The New York Times
compared it to a duck-billed platypus, adding that it "looks entertainingly silly". GameDaily
described it as "one of the more unique Pokémon characters", as well as weird, noting it has changed little in either aspect throughout the history of the franchise. IGN
described the character as a "cult favorite" amongst fans, attributing the reaction to its "bizarre, bewildered appearance", as well as citing it as a favorite character around their offices. GamesRadar
also called it one of the more popular from the original games, describing it as fun to use "if only to see the reaction of other players". The Coventry Evening Telegraph
also praised its design, stating the character was "more interesting" in comparison to more commonly seen Pokémon such as Squirtle
. Author Loredana Lipperini described Psyduck as the "comic talents" of Nintendo.
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Game Freak
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
's Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
, Psyduck first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
and later in subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Psyduck is voiced by Rikako Aikawa
Rikako Aikawa
is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Ōsawa Office. She was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She was originally a child actor.She is also known as a specialist of tongue-twister in the Japanese language....
in Japan, and Michael Haigney in English.
Known as the Duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
Pokémon, Psyduck is constantly stunned by its headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
, and usually just stands there vacantly, trying to calm it. In the anime
Pokémon (anime)
, abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series, which has since been adapted for the North and South American, Australian and European television markets...
, Psyduck was a constant running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
where Misty
Misty (Pokémon)
Misty, known as in Japanese versions, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise. She has appeared as a Gym Leader in the Pokémon video games, several seasons of the Pokémon anime, The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, the Ash & Pikachu manga, toys, books, and other media.-Design:Misty's...
would release Psyduck by accident instead of the Pokémon she wanted to use. Since appearing in the series, Psyduck has received generally mixed reception, described as "downright silly" by GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
.
Design and characteristics
Psyduck was one of several different designs conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken SugimoriKen Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, manga artist, and director. He is most famous as the character designer and art director for the Pokémon franchise. Sugimori is also credited with the art direction for other titles, including Pulseman. Sugimori drew all of the original 151 Pokémon...
for the first generation of Pocket Monsters games Red and Green, which were localized outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version, originally released in Japan as , are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. They are the first installments to the Pokémon series. They were first released in Japan in 1996 as Red and Green, with Blue being...
. Originally called "Koduck" in Japanese, Nintendo decided to give the various Pokémon species "clever and descriptive names" related to their appearance or features when translating the game for western audiences as a means to make the characters more relatable to American children. As a result they were renamed "Psyduck", a combination of the words "Psychic" and "duck".
Known as the Duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
Pokémon, Psyduck resembles a yellow duck or platypus
Platypus
The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...
with a vacant stare. It has a small tuft of black hair at the top of its head. It walks on its hind legs, and has arms rather than wings. Its arms are useful in using its powerful psychic abilities. Its appearance is meant to trick enemies into thinking it is weak. It has arms with three claws on each to deliver scratches if threatened. Psyduck live in freshwater lakes, small ponds, or rivers in tropical areas. When a Psyduck receives enough experience
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
from battles, it evolves into Golduck.
Psyduck is constantly stunned by its headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
, and usually just stands there vacantly, trying to calm its headache. When the headache gets too bad, its brain cells awaken, allowing it to use strong psychic powers. Some use their vacant look to their advantage, lulling the enemy and then using its psychokinetic powers. Psyduck don't remember using their powers, so they tilt their head in confusion. It is said to not remember using its powers because it uses them while in a deep sleep state.
In video games
Psyduck can be found in areas in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. In Pokémon Diamond and PearlPokémon Diamond and Pearl
are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs...
a group of Psyduck can be found blocking the northern fork of Route 210. After the player obtains the badges in Veilstone City and Pastoria City, Cynthia will hand over a SecretPotion to cure their headaches. In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team
and are a matched pair of Pokémon games for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, respectively. These two games were developed by Chunsoft and were published by Nintendo....
, Psyduck is available Pokémon to be the main character. In Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
, Psyduck appears in the Poké Floats stage as the third Pokéfloat to appear. Fighting occurs on its head and beak, and it then floats up and off the top of the screen.
In other media
In the animePokémon (anime)
, abbreviated from , is a children's TV anime series, which has since been adapted for the North and South American, Australian and European television markets...
, Misty
Misty (Pokémon)
Misty, known as in Japanese versions, is a fictional character in the Pokémon franchise. She has appeared as a Gym Leader in the Pokémon video games, several seasons of the Pokémon anime, The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, the Ash & Pikachu manga, toys, books, and other media.-Design:Misty's...
has a Psyduck that she accidentally caught in Hypno's Naptime. It is a constant source of frustration for her, as it frequently emerges to attempt to battle the opponent in substitution of the Pokémon she intends to use. Despite this, she has been shown to deeply care for it. Despite being generally shown as dimwitted and oblivious, when its headache gets bad enough, it has been shown to use phenomenally powerful Psychic-type moves which far exceed its perceived potential. Nine Psyduck appeared in The Psyduck Stops Here!; six parents and three babies. Three of the parents were blocking the path that Ash and his friends tried to pass on their way to Celestic Town. The Psyduck weren't able to return to their real home, Lake Psyduck, because of three Muk.
In the Pokémon Adventures
Pokémon Adventures
Pokémon Adventures, released in Japan as , is a Pokémon-related manga based on the video games. Satoshi Tajiri once stated that the Pocket Monsters Special series is closest to what he imagined the Pokémon world to be:...
manga, many Psyduck have appeared in the manga owned by other trainers. In the Red, Green & Blue chapter, an undead Psyduck, that had been brought back to life by a Koga's Gastly, appeared in the Pokémon Tower. It first appeared to Red like a normal Psyduck, until it attempted an assault on him: its eyeballs suddenly sunk into its eye sockets and some skin fell off, revealing its bones. Since it was just a mindless undead, it was easily destroyed by Red's Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Designed by Ken Sugimori, their name is a combination of the words "bulb" and "dinosaur." First appearing in Pokémon Red and Blue as a Starter Pokémon, they later appeared in subsequent sequels,...
.
Cultural impact
Described as "downright silly" by GameSpyGameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
, Psyduck has been well received by the media. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
compared it to a duck-billed platypus, adding that it "looks entertainingly silly". GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
described it as "one of the more unique Pokémon characters", as well as weird, noting it has changed little in either aspect throughout the history of the franchise. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
described the character as a "cult favorite" amongst fans, attributing the reaction to its "bizarre, bewildered appearance", as well as citing it as a favorite character around their offices. GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
also called it one of the more popular from the original games, describing it as fun to use "if only to see the reaction of other players". The Coventry Evening Telegraph
Coventry Evening Telegraph
The Coventry Telegraph is a local English tabloid newspaper. Originally called The Midland Daily Telegraph, it was founded in 1891 by William Isaac Iliffe as Coventry's first daily newspaper, a four-page broadsheet newspaper originally sold for a half penny...
also praised its design, stating the character was "more interesting" in comparison to more commonly seen Pokémon such as Squirtle
Squirtle
Squirtle, known as in Japan, is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. It was originally conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori...
. Author Loredana Lipperini described Psyduck as the "comic talents" of Nintendo.