Greavard is a quadrupedal canine Pokémon whose body is covered in long, shaggy pale grey hair that reaches down to its legs. Its large snout peeks under the hair covering most of its head, and contains a black triangular nose and a wide, jagged mouth powerful enough to shatter bones.[1] Rather than having actual teeth, Greavard instead has serrated lips. It has stubby limbs and large round feet, and it has a slight waddle to its walk. Its rear has a thin wispy tail. On the top of its head is a protrusion resembling a candle, which burns with a small purplish-yellow light.
Greavard usually rests underground, with the candle-like part of its head left uncovered, as it waits for people to come nearby. If it is approached, it jumps out of the ground and lets a spooky cry that may unintentionally startle most people. Greavard is friendly, affectionate and easily gets lonely. It is really easy to befriend, and will forever follow anyone who gives it the slightest of attention. However, it is advised not to play with Greavard too often, as it is known to slowly and unwittingly drain the life-force of those near it.[1] It is rumored that Greavard is the reincarnation of a dog Pokémon that had never interacted with a human and died in the wild. Greavard primarily lives in boreal mountains.
Greavard is tied with Cleffa and Pawmi for having the shortest Japanese name of all Pokémon, being spelt with only two kana.
Greavard was first teased on October 24, 2022, through a video on the official Pokémon Twitter account, which briefly showed it in its buried state.[4] It was properly revealed on October 25, 2022.[5]
Origin
Greavard may be based on various long-haired dog breeds such as the Briard, the Komondor, or the Catalan Sheepdog. Its habit of burying itself underground and popping out to surprise people is reminiscent of depictions of the undead rising from their graves. In its buried state, the candle-like protrusion above its head appears to be a stand-in for a grave candle and also resembles a bone.
Greavard may also be based on various of the numerous dogs from Spanish mythology and folklore, such as the Pesanta or the Dip, dog-shaped spirits from Catalan mythology known for draining human vitality. The long white fur and the grave candle may also point to the Santa Compaña as a possible origin, as they are wearing white, hooded cloaks and carrying candles.
Greavard's candle and dog-like appearance may be a reference to the process of rendering animal fat into tallow, which was historically used to make candles and leaves behind a solid material called greaves that is often used as dog food.
Name origin
Greavard may be a combination of graveyard, grieve, greaves (a byproduct of a historical method of candlemaking; typically used as dog food), and Briard (a long-haired dog breed).
Bochi may be derived from 墓地 bochi (graveyard). It may also derive from ポチ Pochi (a common name for a pet dog in Japan) or ひとりぼっち hitoribocchi (loneliness).
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.