Palpitoad is an amphibious, bipedal Pokémon with an ovoid body. It is mostly blue, with a tan oval marking lined with black stretching from the bottom of its belly to its forehead. Its black eyes are round. Its upper lip is round as well, and curves down sharply at the corners. Inside its mouth is a long, sticky tongue used to immobilize and capture prey. Its feet are small with three toes each, and its tail is oval and white. Three large, half-spheres encircle its head, each one light blue with a black base. There are four round, light blue bumps starting on either side of its lower body and stretching across its back. The bumps on its head can be vibrated to create either waves or earthquakes.
A Palpitoad appeared in Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open!, when it commanded a group of Tympole to attack Ash's Oshawott, who was trying to retrieve seaweed to heal its poisoned friends. After they failed scaring Oshawott away, it fights Oshawott alongside a Stunfisk, only for both to be captured by Ash and Cilan respectively.
Palpitoad made its debut in Ash and Trip's Third Battle!. Trip was trying to capture the Vibration Pokémon, but it managed to escape due to Ash's clumsiness.
Palpitoad shares the same species name with Vibrava and Seismitoad. They are all known as the Vibration Pokémon.
Origin
Palpitoad appears to be a combination of a toad tadpole and a loudspeaker. Its spherical "speakers" were probably inspired by toads' "warts" and poison glands, or the Surinam toad, an aquatic amphibian whose backs are covered in pockets that hold its eggs. Its Pokédex entry also mentions the fact that it creates vibrations underwater, also like the Surinam.
Name origin
Palpitoad is a combination of palpitation (pulsation) and toad.
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.