Deerling is a deer or fawn-like Pokémon, most resembling a fallow deer, with facial similarities to Shaymin’s Sky Forme. The upper side of its body is colored pink, and is rimmed and dappled with yellow patterns, with the underside of its body being a lighter beige shade. It sports a yellowish-colored, floral tuft on its head, and similar yellow coloration on the ear insides of its tapering ears. The tips of its limbs are colored black and its pink tail is small.
Gender differences
None.
Special abilities
Deerling changes in appearance with the changing of the seasons: in the spring it is pink, in the summer it is green, in the fall it is orange, and in the winter it is brown.
Behavior
Deerling hide in tall grass when they sense animosity. Deerling tend to move in herds due to their timidity towards humans.
Habitat
Can be found almost anywhere throughout the Unova region. It seems as if this Pokémon can adapt according to the season and temperature. This Pokémon dwells in sparsely populated areas, away from humans.
A herd of Deerling appeared in BW001. Another herd appeared in BW002, where Ash attempted to catch one; however, as he had not weakened it, the Deerling was able to deflect the Poké Ball and fled with the rest of the herd.
Another Deerling appeared in a flashback in BW004, where it was seen to have defeated Tepig before it was caught by Ash.
A wild Deerling made an appearance in BW018 when Ash's Sewaddle accidentally latched onto it with String Shot, startling the Season Pokemon and causing it to buck and thrash around wildly through the forest to get Sewaddle off.
Deerling's name is a combination of deer and the suffix -ling, which is commonly used for young animals such as duckling. Shikijika's name is a combination of 四季 shiki, four seasons, and 鹿 shika, deer.
In other languages
Chinese (Taiwan): 四季鹿 Sì Jì Lù - From the Japanese name. Literally "four season deer".
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.