8 Subtly Brilliant Pokémon Designs

8. Weezing (#110)

For a floating ball of toxic gas, Koffing is a remarkably happy customer. The poison Pokémon's big grinning face is a very endearing sight indeed, even when it is crippling your ranks through vicious noxious attacks.

Inexplicably joyful countenance aside, Koffing's physical appearance is easily explained. A bulbuous, buoyant ball replete with skull and crossbone motif, the Pokémon is clearly designed to resemble a World War 1 naval mine, borne out by its annoying tendency to explode in combat.

If it can contain itself long enough to reach level 35, Koffing evolves into the decidedly more mournful looking Weezing. Though the evolved 'mon seems to be nothing more than two Koffings bolted together, the design is slightly more interesting than it first seems.

Like its predecessor, Weezing is a living embodiment of pollution, and as such is modeled on a molecule of carbon dioxide - one of the most prevalent of all harmful man-made emissions.

As if to emphasise the point, Koffing and Weezing were originally to be called Ny and La respectively, after smog centrals New York City and Los Angeles.