New Pokemon variants look a lot like pals

The adorable life simulation Pokémon by-product Pokemon Pokopia recently shared lots of new details. Among the new information revealed were the designs of several variants of Pokemon that will appear in the game, including the pale Peakychu and the colorful Smearguru. Two variant characters i Pokemon Pokopiawisecracking Professor Tangrowth and extremely sleepy Mosslax, have gained attention from fans due to their resemblance to a couple Palworld Pals.

Pokemon Pokopia's Professor Tangrowth shares similarities with Palworld's Wumpo

As an actor of Pokopia consists entirely of Pokemon, the series' usual human Pokemon professor is replaced by Professor Tangrowth, a scientific variant of the Tangela evolution. Unlike the normal Tangrowth introduced in the Generation 4 games, the Professor has white vines on his head – presumably representing his age – a thick “beard” of vines, cracked glasses, and a TM attached to his top vine.

Professor Tangrowth's beady eyes, blue-white color, and general body shape have drawn comparisons to Wumpo, a friend from the game Palworld. Wumpo, known as the “Guardian of the Snow Mountain”, is a hairy Pal found in the tundra region. Palworld players who manage to get past Wumpo's aggressive nature can greatly benefit from the creature's help; it acts as a mount and can carry heavy supplies.

Moss salmon remembers Wumpo Botan

Once the comparisons between Wumpo and Professor Tangrowth began, a second connection was soon made: this time between Mosslax and Wumpo's color variant form, Wumpo Botan. Mosslax is a Snorlax that has slept so long that its entire body is covered in green moss and a flower has grown on its head. The shaggy moss, green color, and the inclusion of a main flower make Mosslax look like Wumpo Botan, a grass element variant of Wumpo covered in leaves instead of hair. The Wumpo Botan is significantly more peaceful than the standard Wumpo, meaning the seemingly chill Mosslax can match both personality and appearance.

Are the Pal-like designs in Pokemon Pokopia intentional?

Pokémon fans on social media like Reddit and X were quick to take notice Palworld connection and theorize about Nintendo or Pokopia developer Omega Force had acted deliberately or if the similarities were simply an accident. Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have previously sued Palworld developer Pocketpair for patent infringement, a dispute that is still ongoing.

The lawsuit has forced Pocketpair to make changes to Palworldsuch as removing the ability to summon friends by throwing balls. But earlier in November, the US Patent and Trademark Office announced that it was reexamining Nintendo's latest patent for capturing and fighting creatures, which could have a significant impact on the suit's future.

It seems unlikely that Nintendo or The Pokemon Company would deliberately choose to imitate Palworld design given the ongoing legal action against Pocketpair, meaning there is a high chance the design similarities are coincidental. But some fans are suspicious – one Reddit user said: “I'm sure this is it Pokémon be cruel to palworld,” while X user @NODEBEEFYOUTUBE wrote, “This is 100% a shot at Palworld's Wumpo.” A thread in the ir/Palworld Reddit community contains several comments suggesting that Pocketpair should sue Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, or Omega Force in retaliation.

At the time of writing neither Pocketpair nor the official Palworld social media accounts have commented on the alleged similarities. It is also not confirmed whether similar designs will have any effect on the ongoing dispute between the companies. Pokemon Pokopia is currently scheduled to launch on March 5, 2026, and it's definitely possible that the situation could evolve further before then. It's also possible that more variant Pokemon designs for the game will be revealed, potentially with more Palworld similarities, whether intentional or unintentional.