Pokémon give out cries to communicate with people and Pokémon alike. Most say the name of their species, but others emit strange, at times otherworldly sounds that one never could have predicted just by looking at them. The way a Pokémon sounds adds a great deal to its personality, which is thanks to the slew of talented voice actors who have helped bring these creatures to life.
Some of the cries are so distinct that it’s easy to forget that these are sounds made by human beings — at for the most part. While the cries of certain Pokémon have had people imitating them all over the world, others are so complex or downright weird that they’re impossible to mimic.
10 Squirtle’s New York Twang Makes Its Cry Stand Out
In the original series and the first Pokémon movie, Ash’s Squirtle was voiced by New York native Eric Stuart, which is why the Tiny Turtle Pokémon had that distinctive twang. The way Squirtle, the leader of the Squirtle Squad, sounded perfectly suited it, capturing its playful and mischievous side.
Squirtle shared many a classic scene with Ash’s other Pokémon, particularly in the episode “Island of Giant Pokémon,” in which it tries to placate a visibly drunk Bulbasaur. Stuart also voiced Brock and James, which gives an idea as to his range.
9 Victreebell’s Terrifying Scream Is The Stuff Of Nightmares
By way of a cry, Victreebell emits a terrifying scream, as if being out of its Poké Ball is sheer agony. As a member of Team Rocket, fans of the anime were treated to plenty of scenes of Victreebell coming out of its Poké Ball and attacking James.
It’s quite the escalation to go from the meek Bellsprout and the morose-sounding Weepinbell to the harsh shriek of Victreebell. It’s as if they were trying to come up with its cry and were getting nowhere, so someone screamed in frustration and that became Victreebell’s cry.
8 Scyther’s Battle Cry Stokes Fear In Its Opponents
The high-pitched screech of Scyther is a sound that many fans will remember from the original series. The sound perfectly suits the Mantis Pokémon’s personality and its aggressive approach to battling. What it lacks in elegance and refinement it more than makes up for in harshness and sheer force.
Interestingly, Scyther is voiced by the same actor who voiced Squirtle and James, Eric Stuart. It would have been fascinating to be a fly on the wall during one of his recording sessions, as he clearly jumped through several different ranges.
7 Primarina Sings Instead Of Crying
Based partly on sirens from the Greek epic The Odyssey, Primarina sings by way of a cry, making it perhaps the most beautiful cry of all Pokémon. With a lot of Pokémon cries being roars and howls with the intention of sounding intimidating, it’s refreshing to have one that sounds like an opera singer.
Primarina’s battle cry may not instill fear into opponents, but it’s a lot more pleasing to the ear. The Soloist Pokémon’s English voice actress, Laurie Hymes, is also the voice of Lillie, as well as Pelipper and Sandygast.
6 Arbok’s Cry Is Full Of Venom
Appropriately enough, there’s a great deal of venom in Arbok’s cry. The Poison-type is voiced by Koichi Sakaguchi, who also voiced Weezing. Whether it was his choice or someone else’s, Sakaguchi added a “ch” sound at the start, so it sounds like “Charbok” instead of “Arbok.”
The effect is an added emphasis and aggression, while it also differentiates the Cobra Pokémon’s cry from others. As a member of Team Rocket from the original series up until the sixth episode of the Hoenn series, fans got used to hearing that unmistakable, vicious cry.
5 Staryu’s Staccato Sound Suits Its Style
Given that it doesn’t have a mouth, it must have been difficult to find the right sound for Staryu. What audiences ended up with, however, was a sound that was ideal for the Star Shape Pokémon. It doesn’t so much speak as make sounds that wouldn’t be out of place in a martial arts movie.
Staryu’s staccato utterances fit with its fast attacking style. Since it’s also one of Misty’s Pokémon, fans got to hear Staryu in action on many occasions. It remains a mystery from where its grunts are emitted.
4 Regirock Sounds Like Experimental Electronica
Any one of the Regi Pokémon could have been featured in this list as they’re each variations on a theme, but Regirock’s cry is perhaps the one that stands out the most. With its low-pitched thuds and frantic beeps, at times it can sound like a piece of experimental electronica.
Another analogy would be someone playing around on a keyboard installed with all the various sounds the Rock Peak Pokémon makes. Regirock’s cry along with those of the four other Regi Pokémon goes well with what is a unique set of Legendaries.
3 Electabuzz Has The Most Bizarre Cry
For certain Pokémon, it doesn’t make sense for them to parrot the sound of their own name because of how long it is. With Electabuzz, a degree of creativity was evidently employed to make it sound like a Pokémon and not a human.
What fans ended up with is a bizarre sound akin to that which is made when rocking the head side to side while loosely “buzzing” the lips. Electabuzz’s cry stands out because it’s so unexpected as to be jarring. Even so, it’s hard to imagine the Electric Pokémon sounding any other way.
2 Palkia’s Roar Is A Triumph Of Sound Design
It’s fitting that Palkia has a cry that sounds like it’s out of this world. The Gen IV Pokémon can travel across dimensions and live in a spatial dimension, so the sound it makes has to reflect that. Palkia’s cry sounds like a combination of different animals, specifically a coyote, mixed with various digital sound effects.
The result is a piercing, otherworldly roar that sounds like no other Pokémon. Given how Palkia and Dialga fight in The Rise of Darkrai, both cries had to be distinct enough from each other. With Dialga having a more subdued cry, Palkia’s is easily the more impactful and memorable.
1 Pikachu’s Cry Is The Sound Of Pokémon
Ash’s faithful companion is the face of the Pokémon anime, so it’s only natural that its cry is also the sound of the show. Despite saying its name like the majority of other Pokémon, Pikachu seems more articulate than most.
Subtle variations in its speech let us know how it’s feeling, whether it’s a quiet “pika” when it’s sad or a defiant cry of “chuuuu” during battle. As one of the main characters, fans have seen and heard Pikachu more than any other Pokémon. Accordingly, the sounds Ash’s Pikachu makes are as familiar to us as human speech.
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