Kecleon
Pokémon character
First appearancePokémon Ruby and Sapphire (2002)
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon

Kecleon, known in Japan as , is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Kecleon first appeared in the video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and was featured in pre-release material prior to the games' release. Kecleon is a chameleon-esque Pokémon species and is able to turn invisible. Since its debut, Kecleon has appeared in a variety of spin-off material for the franchise, such as the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series.

Since its debut, Kecleon has been largely received as a good concept for a Pokémon species, but has seen a mixed reception for its execution. Kecleon was not initially included in the spin-off game Pokémon Go alongside other Pokémon species introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, leading to much fan speculation and discussion regarding its lack of inclusion in the game.

Development

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Kecleon is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the Pokémon media franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy, which were later released in North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998.[1] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.[2] Each Pokémon have one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.[3] A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[2]

Kecleon is a Pokémon based on chameleons.[4] Kecleon was one of the first Pokémon from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire to be revealed to the public. It was showcased at an event on March 7, 2001, which first revealed the Game Boy Advance to the public.[5] It additionally appeared in the Pokémon anime prior to its release in the games, being featured in the episode "The Kecleon Caper" in July 2001, a year prior to the release of Ruby and Sapphire.[6] A purple Kecleon was used in promotion and was featured in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, but is not obtainable in the main series games.[6] Kecleon uses a circle motif in its design frequently used in designs found in the third generation of the series and uses contrasting colors in its design. Kecleon, to reference its chameleon origins,[4] and to emphasize the introduction of abilities in the third generation,[7] has a unique ability in-battle called Color Change that lets it change its type when it takes damage.[4] Kecleon can also camouflage to appear invisible.[8]

Appearances

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Kecleon first appeared in the 2002 video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Kecleon was available to encounter in the wild as a random encounter, but could also be found invisible in set locations in the game's overworld. Using an item called the Devon Scope, players could reveal the Kecleon and battle them.[9][10][11] Kecleon fulfills an identical role in Pokémon Emerald.[12] Kecleon has went on to appear in later games in the series, including Pokémon Diamond and Pearl,[13] their remakes,[14][15] and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.[16]

Kecleon additionally appears in several spin-off games. It appears prominently in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, where it acts in a recurring role as a shopkeeper throughout the series.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Kecleon acts as a secret super boss. When an item is stolen from one of their shops, they will attack the player, but have significantly higher stats, can take double the actions in a given turn of combat, and will summon more similarly powerful Kecleon to attack the player.[25] Kecleon appears in other spin-off games, such as New Pokémon Snap,[26][27] PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond,[28] Pokémon Rumble World,[29] and Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, where it appears as a boss opponent.[30] Kecleon additionally appears in the Pokémon anime[31][32][33] and Pokémon Trading Card Game.[34][35]

Pokémon Go

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Kecleon, unlike other Pokémon introduced in the third generation, was not immediately released into spin-off augmented reality game Pokémon Go. In an interview with Gfinity Esports in 2021, the game's Director of Global Marketing, Michael Steranka stated that the development team was taking their time due to Kecleon's unique attributes, teasing that Kecleon would be a "special release."[7][36] In a later 2022 interview with TechRadar, Steranka answered that "Kecleon has unique properties in the main series games, abilities that no other Pokémon shares, so we want to make sure we do right by its original design when incorporating it into augmented reality."[37] Steranka told Inverse in an interview that the team had set a deadline of adding Kecleon to the game by the time of the "Pokémon Go Tour: Hoenn" in-game event, which predominantly featured Pokémon from Ruby and Sapphire.[38]

Kecleon was released briefly in Pokémon Go in 2018. The Kecleon encountered in the wild would turn into the shapeshifting Ditto upon being encountered. The event coincided with the unannounced release of the then unnamed Meltan.[39] Meltan's initial icons in the code of the game were named "Kecleon," and the Meltan encountered in-game would similarly be revealed as Ditto when caught.[40] A bug involving Kecleon's inclusion in the game, which had Kecleon be able to be seen on the Pokestop in the game's overworld if tapped on from afar, was later patched into the game as a feature by Niantic, which was received positively by players.[41]

Kecleon was eventually released in the game on January 7, 2023, over five years after the debut of third generation Pokémon in the game. To encounter it, players have to walk to in-game "Pokestop" locations that correspond to real-world locations. An invisible Kecleon has a chance of clinging to a Pokestop, at which point the player can tap on it in order to initiate an encounter with it.[42] This method of encounter was designed to encourage players of the game to go outside again following the COVID-19 pandemic.[38]

Reception

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Stacey Henley, writing for TheGamer, highlighted that Kecleon was a Pokémon with a good concept, but that the Pokémon fell flat due to its usage in the overworld of Ruby and Sapphire being held back by graphical limitations, while its battling capabilities were subpar due to its ability being easy to exploit by opponents in battle.[11] Malachi Lyonsdove of Game Rant found that the Pokémon was an interesting concept that was highly adaptable, but felt its lack of battling prowess necessitated a new form of the Pokémon to be introduced in order to remedy its overall weakness.[43]

Kecleon's inclusion in Pokémon Go was a source of major discussion. Due to being the last Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire to be added to the game, fans of the series were unsure of why the Pokémon had not yet been included, leading to frequent discussion over when it would debut. The hashtag, "JusticeForKecleon" grew popular with fans of the series, and was used as a rallying cry for Kecleon's inclusion.[44] Kecleon's lack of inclusion was considered a meme within the community.[45] Inverse's Steven Asarch stated that while Kecleon was a predominantly unpopular and forgettable Pokémon in the main series games, it had become an elusive figure among fans of Pokémon Go due to its lack of inclusion.[38] Kecleon has been described as being the most anticipated Pokémon addition in the game's history,[46] and its eventual release in the game was received positively.[47][48]

TheGamer's Stacey Henley, prior to Kecleon's addition to the game, stated that Kecleon was "more interesting to think about than it is to actually use," believing that while players had nostalgia over its role in prior games, the Pokémon was unpopular overall.[49] She stated that Kecleon's addition "put Niantic into an impossible position," believing that releasing Kecleon without fanfare would make players question why Kecleon's addition had taken so long, but that Kecleon itself was a Pokémon that was unable to drum up excitement in the game's player base if more focus were to be put onto its release. She finished by saying that while Kecleon could be an interesting inclusion if executed correctly, Kecleon was uninteresting enough that the species was unable to drum up significant excitement.[49] Ben Sledge, also writing for TheGamer, stated that Kecleon's eventual inclusion in the game had an enjoyable implementation that was not tied to any in-game timed event, believing that its rarity in-game was an effective method of keeping the Pokémon interesting after its release. However, he felt that the eventual release of the Pokémon felt underwhelming overall.[46]

References

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