Pidgeot - A Guardian of Grace
I have always loved Pidgeot. In the first Pokémon game I ever played (Yellow) I had a Pidgeot. I subconsciously adored it but back when I was a mere toddler I was more intrigued by brutally obvious cool Pokémon such as Charizard and Gyarados and Dragonite (as everyone was) so Pidgeot was just a team addition. It was only when I replayed the original games and played the most recent games that I realised there was a presence missing in my team.
Once I had figured out who it was, I started wondering what it was about Pidgeot that gave it superiority over other Pokémon. When I played Fire Red, Pidgeot was my saviour in the elite four, and single-handedly destroyed the opposition with its speed and special attack which is itself remarkable as it was against ice, rock, ghost and dragon types. Since then I have considered it a saviour and guardian of my team so that in the event of the rest of my team getting defeated, Pidgeot would come in and save the day. Every game I play now, I always looks to capture a Pidgey and evolve it all the way to Pidgeot.
So what was it about Pidgeot that gave me the sense that it was a guardian figure? Well unsurprisingly, the dictionary states that a Guardian is “someone who protects something”. Clearly the fact that it had to step up and obliterate the elite four in Fire Red gave me the impression first off but that feeling has never left. Its appearance could have something to do with it. The striking colours of its feathers on its head, stand out and are a sharp difference from the bland pallet its previous evolutions hold which is another reason for the constant desire to have one.
I started doing some research into the origins of Pidgeot to see if the Guardian profile I had given it was a personal affection or it was an intention of the creators. Quite frankly I was disappointed with the results I had found. Every single origin I came across referenced Pidgeot and its pre-evolutions as a pigeon. I have nothing against pigeons but they don’t scream honourable and fearful. Pigeons are more a symbol of prey and vermin and I was convinced that Pidgeot was closer to a Falcon or an Eagle. However I came across one origin that stated its eyes were designed in the shape of Ra and Horus, two important Ancient Egyptian Deities.
Horus was depicted as the God of Sky, War and Hunting. I like the idea that part of Pidgeot was created in the image of a God because that enhances my depiction of its guardianship over my team especially given the reference to the God of Sky (how apt). Its supreme hunting skills are mentioned in various ways throughout the regions in the Pokédex, whether it is “…skimming the surface at high speed” (Red); “…its large talons are feared as weapons” (Yellow) or “Its outstanding vision allows it to spot splashing Magikarp, even whilst flying at 3,300 feet.” (Crystal). These references are appropriate to its image of the God of hunting and prove that it is a fearsome hunter regardless of its depiction.
The eye of Horus, otherwise known as Wedjat, is meant to be a symbol of protection and it was thought that Wedjat would protect the Kings in the afterlife and ward of evil. Assuming that Wedjat is being vaguely recreated in the illustration of Pidgeot that would explain why Pidgeot is unaffected by Ghost type moves, as Ghosts are commonly associated with evil. Obviously the choice of its secondary type being Normal would have a lot to do with its immunity but I think it is awesome nonetheless.
Furthermore, Horus and Ra were depicted as Falcons, and Horus was depicted as the Falcon-God. The reconstructed hieroglyphics of Horus translate to Falcon which is a predatory bird unlike THE PIGEON!
I find that Falcons, especially Peregrine falcons are a more related to Pidgeot than pigeons, despite the name. Peregrine Falcons are notorious for being extremely quick and agile. Peregrine falcons locate their prey at a distance and swoop down to catch it at speeds of approximately 180kph much like Pidgeot which is said to swoop down to catch unsuspecting Magikarp.
At this point please let me make it clear I am no expert in Ancient Egyptian deities, hieroglyphics or the Falcon species. My reason for writing this post and researching specific details was because a) I refused to accept that Pidgeot was exclusively a Pidgeot. b) I wanted to see if there was any connection to the guardian reference I had brought with me throughout the years of playing Pokémon. c) I wanted to make my first post about Pidgeot but instead of liking it because of the standard reasons I wanted to go a bit more in depth.
Going back to my original statement that the reason I love Pidgeot so much is because of its resemblance to a guardian figure. The relation to Horus emphasises the guardian feature, regardless of its intention. However in the anime series Ash released Pidgeot (Pallet party Panic!) to protect its fellow species from the Fearow presence which, to me at least, suggests that Pidgeot was meant to be a protector. This episode emphasised the strength of Pidgeot by showing that Pidgey and Pidgeotto were too weak to fend off a Fearow but Pidgeot was far superior. However, Ash states that he would come back for Pidgeot after the Orange Islands and WE ARE STILL WAITING ASH!!
Not only is the sense of guardianship and role of protector a strong reason as to why I love Pidgeot, but the colours it has are beautiful even before it Mega Evolves. The Pokédex entry in Pokémon Emerald states “...Many trainers are so captivated the beautiful feathers on its head that they choose Pidgeot as their Pokémon”. I fully support this entry and can proudly say that I am one of those trainers.
“You said you have a dream…That dream…Make it come true! Make your wonderful dream a reality, and it will become your truth! If anyone can, it’s you” Pokemon Trainer N (Pokemon Black & White)
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