| Slowpoke | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon character | |
 Slowpoke (left) and Galarian Slowpoke (right) as they appear in promotional material for Pokémon GO | |
| First game | Pokémon Red and Blue (1996) |
| Designed by | Ken Sugimori[1] |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Pokémon |
| Type | Water and Psychic Psychic (Galarian) |
Slowpoke (/ˈsloʊpoʊk/ ), known in Japan as Yadon (ヤドン), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. Designed by Ken Sugimori, Slowpoke is a Water and Psychic-type Pokémon that debuted in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and appeared in subsequent mainline titles. They have alternate evolutionary lines in Slowbro and Slowking, although the latter was introduced in the later Pokémon Gold and Silver titles. A regional variant called Galarian Slowpoke, purely Psychic in typing, was introduced in the The Isle of Armor downloadable content pack for Pokémon Sword and Shield and evolves into separate variants of Slowbro and Slowking, both of which are Poison and Psychic-type.
Slowpoke, as the name suggests, is a slow, sluggish, and presumably unintelligent Pokémon. They overall resemble a cross-hybrid between a salamander and a hippopotamus and appear thick in body build. Pokédex entries suggest that they are an inactive Pokémon that have delayed reactions to pain and state the belief that rainfall can be summoned by the species' yawning. In the Pokémon world, Slowpoke tails are delicacies, and they are thought to often break off naturally and regrow afterward. In-game, Slowpoke are harvested for their tails by an antagonistic faction called Team Rocket for profits in the Pokémon Gold and Silver titles and their remakes, but later games have normalized Slowpoke tails as delicacy items.
Slowpoke is a popular Pokémon for promotions under The Pokémon Company, as it comes in various forms of Japanese merchandise and is the featured Pokémon for a reggae-style song with a 2014 Japanese version and a 2015 English version, the latter of which is called "The Slowpoke Song." Most notably, it is officially the "ambassador Pokémon" for the Kagawa Prefecture of Japan since 2018 in reference to a pun between the "Yadon" name and the udon noodles as well as its rumored ability to bring rainfall since the region suffers from droughts. Within the Kagawa Prefecture, it has been the subject of several April Fool's Day jokes, is celebrated on August 10th under Slowpoke Day, and is prominently featured in many goods and services within the area. Slowpoke has received generally positive receptions for its "charming" nature and comedic elements and is a popular subject within internet culture.