Obviously, not all have been covered just yet.
Info from a bunch of sources; books, magazines, my own knowledge... Pictures scanned from National Geographic, The Helix, and two books; The Macdonald Encyclopedia of Mammals, and Wonders of the Sea. Also, submissions (labelled) by the wonderful Avi and benyan@melbpc.org.au
Normal
Rat (Rattata/Raticate)
Breed easily (and the rat Pokemon ARE common). Most are pests. Some are good at swimming (Rattata can be taught water attacks) or digging (they can be taught Dig attack).
Balloon (Jigglypuff/Wigglytuff)
The skin of a balloon is full of tiny pores/holes, so that no matter how well a balloon is fastened, air will leak out slowly. Jigglypuff should be deflating any day now. *crosses fingers* *gets thwapped by all Jiggly fans*
Kangaroo (Kangashkan)
Kangaroos (Kangashkan) live in mobs and eat grass/plants. Young kangaroos, called joey, live in their mother's pouch for a long time; just as Kangashkan keep their young in their pouches as a maternal Pokemon.
Bear (Snorlax)
Eats mostly plants. Like in Wake up Snorlax. Usually a solitary creature (when did you last see more than one Snorlax?). They're good swimmers (Snorlax can be taught Surf, unbelievably) and climbers of trees. Some go into hibernation, sleeping heavily for 4-5 months. That sounds about right! ^_^.
Fire
Fox (Vulpix/Ninetales)
The fox's scientific name is vulpes. Types that live in the right area eat pikas. ^_^. Foxes are quite a pest, adapting easily and eating both plants (fire good against grass) and other animals. Some foxes also eat insects (fire good against bugs) and can dig extremely well (can be taught the attack dig).
Vulpix, Ninetales - If I'm not mistaken, these Pokemon sound like they're based on the Kitsune, a mythical Japanese fox spirit that grows more tails as it becomes more powerful (just like Vulpix!). Kukon, the Japanese name of Ninetails, I believe actually means "nine-tails" (I'm guessing Rokon, the Japanese name of Vulpix, means "six-tails"). Vulpix is possibly derived from Vulpes, the scientific name for fox, and six, for its six tails. ^_^
-kindly submitted by Avi
Salamander (Charmander)
Probably not named for the amphibian who lives in the water, but for the mythological Salamander, a creature of fire. The first part of the name most likely comes from "char", to burn.
-kindly submitted by Avi
Water
Goldfish (Goldeen)
The "gold" part of the name is obviously from the goldfish it resembles, but the latter part of the name is possibly from Undine, a mythical female water spirit (perhaps explaining Goldeen's feminine looks?)
-kindly submitted by Avi
Carp/Koi (Magikarp/Koiking)
Carp will breed with goldfish. Better keep those Magikarp and Goldeen seperate, unless you want some Golkarp or Magideen...
Koi (Koiking, Magikarp's Japanese name) are colourful carp, common in Japan and thought to bring good luck.
There's a Japanese story of a carp that turned into a dragon through perserverence. Magikarp and Gyarados, eat your heart out.
Seal/Walrus (Seel)
It is my opinion that Seel actually looks more like a walrus (if you can imagine a white walrus) than a seal. *shrugs* But baby seals have the white coats, not usually the adults.
Seals actually use supersonic, yet Seel does not learn that move. Their favourite food is fish. I think it's stupid of Daisy and her sisters to put Seel in the tank with all those other water Pokemon! *has mental image of mermaid show being ruined by Seel going on a bloody rampage, tearing up Goldeen and Seaking...*
Walruses spend a good amount of time sleeping on ice. (Two points here: Seel becomes an ice type and likes the cold. Also, Seel learns the attack Rest.)
Jellyfish (Tentacool/Tentacruel)
Some jellyfish have poison 75% as potent as that of a cobra. Hahah, Arbok wins as best poison. ^_^. These things often look rather like plastic bags, but not the sort you'd want to fish out the water to throw away. Yuck.
Bivalve molluscs (Shellder/Cloyster)
Shell collectors like these little friends. As do good Pokemon collectors. Oysters live on the bottom of the seas, one of their valves stuck permanently (translation: until something rips it off) to the ground. They make pearls when something irritates them, like sand, and they respond by sending a liquid over it. They can be tasty, and some have sharp ridges on them (ala Cloyster) to abrase hard wood, rock, etc. And Cloyster is good against both grass (wood) and rock types.
This textbook I'm reading called oysters and mussels 'boring species'! That's not very objective! -_-; But non-boring bivalve things are apparently those which move... they spurt water from their shells by slamming their valves together, and in that way propel themselves. Clamp, anyone?
Crab (Krabby/Kingler)
Apparently they taste good, although not to my liking. -_-; But Ash did worry about Oak eating his Krabby. Crabs are in the same group as bivalve molluscs. They can grow to an enormous size (you got that right, look at Gary's!), and the largest was found in Japanese waters... and it's also scarlet-coloured, like Krabby.
Crabs can cast off limbs and regrow them. I think Krabby should learn recover. Their bodies are hard, and Kingler has pretty good defense, if memory serves. They have to shed their shells too, because their shells do not grow, they grow. Evolution time.
Starfish (Staryu/Starmie)
They are only in salt water. Misty, you shouldn't let it in swimming pools! Its body consists of a center, from which grow its arms. Five arms (Staryu) is the most common number, but 10 (Starmie) is not too unusual either. Um, I think they CAN recover lost limbs, but I can't find anything that actually SAYS that.
Starfish like eating bivalve molluscs. Keep away from my Shellder, pal.
Flying fish (Seaking)
Goldeen too, but Goldeen's also a goldfish. They learn the attack peck, a flying attack, and you do see Goldeen jumping out of the water sometimes (flying fish don't really fly, they just glide a bit), and Seaking looks a heckuva lot like one. See?
They 'fly' to escape predators below the surface, but in the process, can be snapped up by bird predators (like Pidgeot, see its 'dex entry)... The elegant way they move through the water is kind of like the motion of a bird gliding.
Seaking's Pokedex entry suggests that it might be a trout though. Aggh, it's too hard!
Sea dragon (Seadra)
They are good at camoflage, and it is the male who has the babies! Um, how that is relevant to Seadra, I don't care, but it's kinda interesting...
Turtle (Squirtle/Wartortle/Blastoise)
Turtles actually breathe air, not water. Marine turtles (like Squirtle seems to be, they live on beaches after all) live a long time. They lay a lot of eggs at a time... but it does take them 30-50 years to reach sexual maturity. This may be why Squirtle are fairly rare. Most turtles in real life are endangered.
Electric
Pika (Pikachu)
This is NOT a mouse as Dexter and Joy and the others say. It has a distinctive squeak, eats grass and does not hibernate (like Pikachu doesn't seem to mind the cold too much). Pikas are rodents about the size of a rat. They live away from man (like the Pikachu's forest, away from the hand of man).
Grass
Fungi (Paras)
Fungi are nature's waste disposers, breaking down organic debris. They're not a normal plant since they don't use chlorophyll to get food from the sunlight. Hence the fact that Paras doesn't learn Solarbeam.
Since they don't need sunlight, they can grow in complete darkness, like in caves (Mount Moon, a Paras' haven). They also like warm humid conditions, and Parasect's 'dex entry says it likes damp places.
Fungi (btw, mushrooms are a fungi, if anyone's wondering why I'm prattling about fungi for a Paras) reproduce through spores. They can produce about 130 000 spores per square millimetre (of 'skin' it's released from) in 5 - 6 days. I think that's unbelievable. o.O; Pretty clear why it learns stun spore and spore!
Most fungi have some sort of distinct smell. Perhaps Gloom is one too. I'm not sure.
Rafflesia (Vileplume)
This was what inspired me to make this page. For some reason, my biology teacher gave me an old issue of National Geographic and pointed me to an article on the world's largest flower. Why, I may never know. I thought, idly, that the flower looked kinda like Vileplume. Then I skim-read the article. Rafflesia! Wow!
See, I'd thought Vileplume's Japanese name was Rafracia or something like that (guess I was spelling it wrong, now my yahoo user name makes no sense), and I never knew the origin... and now I do. ^_^;
Aaanyway, as said, rafflesia arnoldii, a type of rafflesia, is the world's largest flower (remember how Dexter in the show said it had the largest flower petals in the world?). It smells strongly (Gloom gloom!).
Ice
Dugong (Dewgong)
This was the creature that when spotted, was originally mistaken for a mermaid. That's where mermaids originated. I find that odd, since personally, I don't see the resemblence, but hey, that may be just me.
Dugongs eat sea grasses (and Dewgong's ice moves are good against grass).
Fighting
Poison
Snake (Ekans/Arbok)
Some snake info is at this page from another of my sites.
Smoker (Koffing)
smokers are very dumb(so is koffing) can damage peoples lungs(ash always chokes on poison gas or smoke screen)
Heavy chain smoker (Weezing)
is also dumb (even this is true) can be found in the smokind part of the food court( weezing never eats) is bound to kill itself after doctor telling its lungs are totally stuffed(weezing learns selfdestruct and explosion)
(Koffing and Weezing 'explanations' sent by benyan@melbpc.org.au *lol!*)
Ground
Shrew (Sandshew)
Some types of shrew dig tunnels (fitting with the ground type) and more rarely (for example, the Northern short-tailed shrew) can actually paralyse its prey using poisonous saliva. Thus the origin of Sandshrew's ability to learn poison sting.
Hairy armadillo (Sandslash)
I can't work out exactly what Sandslash is supposed to be. At first I thought it was some form of echidna/hedgehog, but then I saw this pic and I thought it looked kinda like an armadillo.
Armadillo have powerful claws on its feet and are thus good at digging. They are nocturnal animals.
Armadillo feed on insects, snakes and some plants. Interesting, since most of those are poison, which Sandslash has an edge over (and if not, can be won over with the poison sting ^_^.).
Mole (Diglett/Dugtrio)
Moles are extremely adapt at digging (duh), they almost swim through the soil. They eat worms and other things living underground. Has bad vision and sense of smell. This is kind of weird, when you think about it, since eyes and a nose are about the only features Diglett/Dugtrio HAVE (that we can see).
Flying
Bat (Zubat/Golbat)
(Zu)bats are small mammals, the only mammals capable of flight. They often eat insects - and poison/flying (Zubat's dual type) are BOTH super effective against bugs! An enemy of them are snakes (mind that Ekans). They are mostly creatures of the night, and live in caves... we know Zubat don't usually come out in daylight from the Mt Moon ep. Some bats, their brains weight only 35-thousandths of an ounce! Well, we never claimed Zubat was of a sparkling intellect.
Bats emit supersonic pulses. Because they like the dark, and their vision is not good at all (Zubat's eyes look kinda like Brock's ^_^.), they depend on their keen sense of hearing. They emit extremely loud (fortunately, too high pitched for our human ears!) screeches, and hear by the echoes where things are. So, it makes sense that Zubat learns supersonic, confuse ray and screech.
Bug
Bee (Beedrill)
There are around 20 000 species of bee (Beedrill). Most types are solitary, but honey bees are social. I guess Beedrill is a honey bee then, 'cos it seems to fly around in swarms.
However, if you're like me and LOATHE bees, take solace in the facts that:
-bees usually only live around six weeks
-if they sting you, they die shortly after
-they only sting when threatened (of course, we all know bees are nasty vindictive creatures that sting for the heck of it ^_^.)
Caterpillar/Butterfly (Caterpie/Butterfree)
Caterpillars (Caterpie), the larvae of butterflies, may spit unpleasant juice when touched, to defend themselves. Caterpie's Pokemon Yellow Pokedex entry says this.
Butterflies (Butterfree) come from (meta)pods called cocoons. There are around 90 000 known species of butterfly.
Moths (Venomoth)
(Veno)moths are pretty much everywhere. -_-;; They're often beautifully coloured or patterned (in the game, they also have colouring to show what kind of poison they have).
Psychic
Hermit crab (Slowbro)
A hermit crab protects itself by fitting its body into an empty sea snail shell (Shellder, except it's not a snail). Some crabs host anenomes on their shells, and the anenomes poison possible predators (nice alliteration) while the crab is immune. And Slowbro does quite nicely against poison, thankyouverymuch.
Anenomes protect their host, and in return are benefited (this is called a symbiotic relationship, kiddies, I hoep you're taking notes, it's also known as "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" ^_^.) by getting free transport (better than the bus system) to new feeding grounds, and sometimes scabbing scraps of food left by the crab. This is what Shellder does with Slowbro, as outlined in the Pokedex entry. ^_^. Except, hermit crabs actually look a lot like Paras does... not Slowbro.
Rock
Rhinoceros (Rhyhorn/Rhydon)
Most rhinos like to be near water and bathe (Rhyhorn can learn surf). Some types are very aggressive while others will rather run away. The more aggressive ones will suddenly charge very fast at little provocation (see the Yellow dex entry). They are one of the largest land mammals and very strong (can learn strength).
Ghost
Dragon
