Apples are a prominent historical and pop culture figure. From keeping doctors away, falling on Newton’s head, and becoming a tech giant… this humble fruit has so much depth to its very existence.
And you’re surprised that the Pokémon franchise made an entire Dragon evolution line out of it, so much that even Gen 9 gave it a separate line altogether with a legit Hydra-themed dragon?!
Haha don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging and will take a bite out of the apple to deduce the Applin line’s lore and design. We’ll get into Hydrapple later when it’s released but for now, the recipe includes Applin and its evolutions, Flapple and Appletun.
Applin, ladies and gentlemen, isn’t an apple. Rather, it’s in the apple. Apple in. Applin.
By the way, have you seen the markings at the lower part of the apple? They look like jaws or a dragon’s maw. Awesome!
Notice the hole in the second apple up there… that’s how the little dragon enters the apple and makes the fruit its home.
But does this trope of a little creature (a dragon, nonetheless) living inside an apple remind you of something? Oh yes, it sure does! 😯
It’s a worm in an apple. That begs the question: If Applin is technically a worm in an apple, why is the Pokémon Grass/Dragon type and not Grass/Bug? 😕
Well, more than a ‘worm,’ it’s a wyrm. A wyrm is an Old English (Galar) term for… wait for it… a serpentine dragon!
Applin specifically is inspired by the Worm of Linton.
The Worm (Wyrm) of Linton was a long, green, serpentine dragon that lived inside a hill. Once again, the wordplay here is incredible: Apple + Linton… AppLin… Applin. 🙂
Talking about apples, there’s a century-old apple orchard in England called Dragon Orchard.
The Dragon Orchard is based in Herefordshire by the Malvern Hills.
Applin is found on Route 5, East of Turffield. Coincidentally, this location looks pretty similar to Herefordshire.
Applin is an amazing Pokémon in itself but they gave it two evolutions initially.
If Applin eats a tart apple, it evolves into Flapple. The wyrm gets bigger and it uses the hollowed-out apple as wings to fly.
Applin looks like a gecko and is essentially a wyrm (Applin) tuning into a wyvern (a winged dragon with wings attached to one of its limb pairs).
Its signature move Grav Apple involves Flapple folds in its ‘wings’ to take on the shape of an apple and drop itself on its target, all thanks to gravity. This is reminiscent of the infamous apple dropping on Isaac Newton incident. No wonder Flapple also learns the move Heavy Slam.
If Applin eats a sweet apple, it evolves into appletun. The wyrm is way bigger and under an apple turnover.
Appletun’s top layers can be peeled off and eaten as a sweet, savory snack. Yes, it sounds weird but hey, it’s part plant. Moreover, reptiles are known to shed their skin so it’s something similar.
That was all about Applin’s lore and origins. If you’re interested in more lore, design, and science articles about some popular Pokémon, be sure to check these out:
Dragapult | Darkrai | Cresselia | Mega Salamence | Dialga & Palkia Origin | Garchomp | Baxcalibur | Hydreigon | Zygarde| Tinkaton | Druddigon | Naganadel | Drampa | Enamorus | Wooloo & Dubwool | Hatterene | Skeledirge | Morpeko |
Dracarys!
