Mudkip

Mudkip (ミズゴロウ, Mizugorō or Mizugorou in original Japanese language versions) is one of several fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion-dollar Pokémon media franchise – a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. Mudkip are one of the three species of Pokémon players can choose from at the beginning of the Pokémon Ruby, Pokémon Sapphire and Pokémon Emerald games in the Pokémon series. The purpose of Mudkip in the games, anime and manga, as with all other Pokémon, is to battle both wild Pokémon, untamed creatures encountered while the player passes through various environments, and tamed Pokémon owned by Pokémon trainers.

Mudkip's name is a portmanteau of mud, being a surrounding of its natural habitat, and Kip, which refers to Skip, relating to the mudskipper, the fish it resembles. Its Japanese name, Mizugorou, is a portmanteau of the Japanese words for water (水, mizu) and mudskipper (鯥五郎, mutsugorō). The name Mudkip refers to both the overall species, and to individual Mudkip within the games, anime and manga series.

Characteristics
The fin on Mudkip's head acts as a highly sensitive radar. Using this fin to sense movements of water and air, Mudkip can determine what is taking place around it without using its eyes. When in water, Mudkip breathes using the gills on its cheeks. On land, it can powerfully lift large boulders by planting its four feet and heaving. It sleeps by burying itself in soil at the water's edge. Its large tail fin propels it through water with powerful acceleration. If it is faced with a tight situation in battle, Mudkip will become strong enough to crush rocks bigger than itself.

In the video games
Mudkip first appears in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and eventually evolves into Marshtomp, who then evolves into Swampert. It is the third generation's water-type starter Pokémon, accompanied by the Fire-type Torchic and Grass-type Treecko.

Mudkip is also one of the 16 possible Pokémon that the player can become in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team based on their answers to a personality quiz at the beginning of the game. They can be met in the wild if the player ends up with a different result.

In the Pokémon anime
The Pokémon anime series and films are a set of adventures separate from most other versions of Pokémon, featuring Ash Ketchum as the main character, and various companions that accompany him through the lands of Kanto, Johto and Hoenn. During the Hoenn adventures, Brock, a Pokémon breeder and former Gym leader who travels with protagonist Ash Ketchum, obtains a Mudkip in Dewford Island during Episode 301, "A Mudkip Mission." As Ash and his companions climb a waterfall, they come across a group of young Mudkip, Brock rescues a young Mudkip from being washed away in a stream. Brock's Lotad and Mudkip work together to defeat Team Rocket, at which point the Mudkip decides to join Brock's team.

Mudkip's primary role is to assist Brock during water related situations, such as searching for objects in the ocean, such as an Illumise and a pearl belonging to a Spoink. Mudkip also guides the Pokémon when Brock, Ash and May aren't around. It evolves into Marshtomp during Episode 425, entitled "Chip Off The Old Brock!".

A separate Mudkip also appears in Episode 281 "In the Knicker of Time!" when the group meet a trainer called Nicolai, a young trainer, who is training his first Pokémon, Mudkip, which later defeats May's Torchic in a battle. Nicolai connects with his Pokémon in battle by dressing up in a suit resembling his Pokémon, wearing both Mudkip and Zigzagoon outfits in the episode.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Ruby, the male protagonist in Pokémon Adventures during the arc based on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, obtains a Mudkip named Zuzu as his Starter Pokémon from Professor Birch. Ruby is a Pokémon coordinator, a person who uses their Pokémon for contests rather than battles, and uses Zuzu in those contests. Zuzu evolved into a Marshtomp unexpectedly while Ruby was in Slateport City, and again into a Swampert, while training near Fortree City. Zuzu was first used to battle in "Chapter 183 VS. Torchic", against Sapphire, his rival in the manga.

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game
In the card game, Mudkip is a Water-type Basic Pokémon, just like its video game counterparts. As a Basic Pokémon, it can be played in a battle, as the competitions of the card game are called, without the use of a special card. If the player has a Marshtomp card in their hand, they can play it on top of the Mudkip card, which is the card game's equivalent of evolving.

Mudkip has appeared several times in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. It has appeared in the sets EX Ruby & Sapphire (two different cards), EX Dragon, and EX Emerald. It also appears in EX Team Rocket Returns, but as "Mudkip Star". This card is different to the other Mudkip cards, in that fact that it is rarer than the rest of the cards in the set.

Publications

 * Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Ruby Version & Sapphire Version Player's Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., 2003. ISBN 1-930206-31-3
 * Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen Player's Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 1-930206-50-X
 * Mylonas, Eric. Pokémon Pokédex Collector's Edition: Prima's Official Pokémon Guide. Prima Games, September 21, 2004. ISBN 0-7615-4761-4
 * Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Emerald Version Player's Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., April 2005. ISBN 1-930206-58-5