Porygon has a pink polyhedral body with a blue stomach, blue triangular prism feet and a blue rectangular prism tail. Porygon has a pink, polyhedral head that ends in a blue beak and has hexagonal eyes. Porygon is made completely out of programming code. Built into this code is a Silph copyright protection preventing duplication through electronic means.
Gender differences
Porygon is a genderless species.
Special abilities
Porygon is shown with the ability to change types into either one of its own moves, its opponent type, or to resist the last move that hit it using a process only it and its evolutions can know. This process is known as Conversion or Conversion 2, with conversion having the first two functions, and Conversion 2 having the last funcion.
Porygon, because they're man-made, are generally found in computers or in labs and other buildings working with people, which makes it almost uncatchable. However, Porygon are found wild in Sinnoh's Trophy Garden and can be won at the Rocket Game Corner in Celadon City.
Porygon is completely artificial and doesn't need to eat. However, it is still seen eating Pokémon food in Pokémon Snap.
It can also be seen eating apples and gummies in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Series. It can also be seen eating Poffins in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.
In the anime
Porygon in the anime
Major appearances
Porygon appeared in the banned episode, Electric Soldier Porygon. This episode caused almost 700 children in Japan to have seizures due to a flashing strobe effect, and was therefore never aired again anywhere in the world. Since then, Porygon and its evolutions have never played a main role in another episode, despite the fact that it was actually Pikachu who caused the seizures.
Minor appearances
A Porygon made a brief appearance during a graphic display in A Chansey Operation.
A Porygon made a cameo during the "World of Pokémon" opening narration of the fourth and fifth movies.
Blue obtains a Porygon during his time in Celadon City, and it has since then become a core member of his team. Prior to Volume 13, it has since evolved into Porygon2.
Porygon pops out of a door on top of the Silph Co. building in the Saffron City stage. It damages players that come into contact with it.
Porygon's only appearance in Melee is that of a Poké Float. When the fighting is on Slowpoke's tail, three will travel across the top of the screen. However, they move too quickly to land on and so are little more than decoration in practice.
Game data
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation I.
Porygon is capable of reverting itself entirely back to program data and entering cyberspace. This Pokémon is copy-protected so it cannot be duplicated by copying.
Porygon will not appear in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team until a rescue mission involving it has been completed, using the following Wonder Mail code:
Dr. Akihabara developed Porygon in the anime version.
Porygon is the only Pokémon that evolves by trade twice: Once holding the Up-Grade into Porygon2, and a second time (as Porygon2) into Porygon-Z when holding a Dubious Disc.
That being said, Porygon is the only Pokémon that can be evolved twice when it is level 100.
Electric Soldier Porygon, which featured Porygon, caused seizures and irritated eyes. It was not Porygon itself, but Pikachu's Thunderbolt, which caused the problematic blue and red flash - even so, neither Porygon nor its evolutions have been seen in the anime since, except for the intro of the fourth and fifth movies and re-runs using the Pokérap.
Porygon is the only Pokémon who evolves into a smaller Pokémon, and then evolves into a larger Pokémon.
Porygon's evolutionary line is the only three-stage evolutionary line whose members can all learn bothGiga Impact and Hyper Beam.
In Generation II, it is possible for Porygon to have both effects of the move Curse. One is by simply using it to the non-Ghost effect of Curse. The other is by using either Conversion or Conversion 2 to change its type to Ghost and have the Ghost effect of Curse. This is also possible for Porygon2 and Smeargle.
Porygon is one of five Pokémon that initially did not evolve into or from another Pokémon, but is now part of a three-stage evolutionary line, the other four being Chansey, Magmar, Electabuzz and Roselia. However, unlike the others, Porygon received two evolutions, while the others got a pre-evolution and a new evolution.
Despite being an unevolved Pokémon which can evolve twice, Porygon has a higher base stat total than Butterfree, Beedrill, Beautifly and Dustox, final form Pokémon which have evolved twice.
In the 3D games, Porygon's animation reveals that it can detach its limbs and head when necessary. It can be seen thrusting its head forward until it breaks off for a brief second.
In Pokémon Ranger and Pokémon Snap, it is shown that Porygon can make itself transparent or camouflaged. It cannot learn the move Camouflage, however.
Despite being man-made, composed of only computer data, Porygon can be hatched from an egg.
It is also capable of eating food and drinking, despite the fact that it does not have a mouth, and does not need nutrients to survive.
Despite Porygon and its evolutions being able to float, it does not possess the Levitate ability.
Origin
It appears to be based on the concept of an origami crane made with primitive 3D graphics software.
Name origin
Porygon's name is a mix between polygon and origami. It may also reflect the stereotype that Japanese people pronounce their 'L' sounds as 'R' sounds, Porygon being a mispronunciation of polygon.
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.
For other sprites and images, please see Porygon images on Bulbagarden Archives.
