fromis_9 as Pokémon Gym Leaders

Patrat

Jiheon likes to stay home. A lot. In fact, according to the members, it seems to be all she does in her free time. As a result, they nicknamed her ‘watchdog,’ as she watches over the dorm just like a Patrat who keeps constant watch over their own nest.

Oshawott

Jiheon has had a recent love for freckles, putting them on her face on a few occasions. The adorable Oshawott fits perfectly for Jiheon. Not only because it has freckles of its own, but its creation was inspired by a sea otter, an animal Jiheon has been compared to.

Igglybuff

It’s pretty obvious that the main similarity the ‘Balloon Pokémon’ shares with Jiheon is that they’re both cute babies and they constantly practice in order to improve. Just like our maknae, who worked especially hard to debut at the young age of 15 while also being a high-scoring student.

Torchic

Nagyung’s representative animal has always been a little chick as she is fromis_9’s ‘forever chick,’ with her cute diamond-shaped lips. So what better Pokémon to represent this than the literal ‘Chick Pokémon’ Torchic (holding an everstone forever of course)?

Furfrou

Long black hair, long brown hair, long blonde hair, short blonde hair, short pink hair, and of course half blue half pink hair. These are all the different hairstyles that Nagyung has had since debut. Similar to the Pokémon that can be styled in 10 possible ways, Nagyung’s hair always shows great variety.

Skitty

Even though she is our forever chick, Nagyung has been recently channeling the image of a kitten, matching the ‘Kitten Pokémon.’ Skitty also has the tendency to growl at foes, and growling is something Nagyung has been doing for quite some time.

Rockruff

While it may not be her representative animal, Chaeyoung has been called a puppy on a few occasions (mainly by Jisun who seems to be her owner). According to the owner, she “often comes back with mud all over her,” which sounds exactly like the playful ‘Puppy Pokémon’ that Ash owns in the Pokémon anime.

Girafarig

The tallest member of fromis_9 clearly deserves the honour of using the ‘Long Neck Pokémon.’ However, not only are they both giraffes, Girafarig having two sides to it is reflective of Chaeyoung having the ability to do both light-hearted and girl-crush concepts amazingly.

Zorua

Zorua and its evolution Zoroark have a signature ability called ‘Illusion’ that lets it be disguised as a different Pokémon in a trainer’s party. This is incredibly similar to Chaeyoung and her innate talent to imitate the other members comedically, making everyone laugh without fail.

Pancham

What is Pancham? Well, a panda, of course. And what is Seoyeon and also her representative animal? That would also be a panda. It’s safe to say that this choice is a no-brainer.

Heat Rotom

When it comes to iconic fromis_9 clips, one of the most famous ones is Seoyeon almost setting fire to their dorm by trying to microwave a foil package. So why not honour that amazing decision-making by giving her a sentient microwave whose main job is to light things on fire? Seems like a great idea.

Kricketune

When it comes to music, Seoyeon isn’t just a rapper and vocalist, but she’s also a producer that creates music just like how Kricketune is known to compose melodies. Seoyeon’s producer debut came in the form of the song ‘Starry Night’ on the My Little Society album, which is her first of hopefully many more songs to come in the future.

Eevee

It has been said by many flovers that Jisun looks very similar to an Eevee. Judging by all the Eevee plushies she was gifted and how well she keeps them, Jisun seems to own the comparison.

Alcremie

Jisun is undoubtedly fromis_9’s café queen. With one look at her Instagram, it becomes very evident that she visits cafes quite often, trying sweets and drinks at every location. Alcremie would be a great fit for her as they come in 63 possible versions, each with their own distinct look.

Kangaskhan

Kangaskhan is the ‘Parent Pokémon,’ known for its motherly qualities as it protects the baby in its pouch. Jisun is regarded as the mother of fromis_9 as she looks after the members with the greatest of care.

Jigglypuff

An adorable pink ball with cute round eyes who’s most famous for singing? Sounds like a perfect fit for Jiwon. The only difference is that Jigglypuff puts its foes to sleep, while it seems impossible to fall asleep while Park Megan is talking, let alone singing or shouting.

Exploud

Apparently, Exploud’s voice can be heard from six miles away and may also result in the ground shaking around it when it roars. Yeah, that sounds exactly like the human speaker and eardrum-killer that is Jiwon.

Scorbunny

This Pokémon is just too perfect for Jiwon to evolve. It’s a bunny, which is Jiwon’s representative animal; its feet are said to bring good luck, just like Jiwon does to fromis_9; and it’s always bursting with energy, bouncing around as often as Jiwon shakes her legs (which is all the time).

Rapidash

Something Gyuri loves to do is run around yelling “let’s get it!” She has also shown to be fairly quick, as she has represented fromis_9 in the 60m Sprint during the Idol Star Athletics Championships (3rd place is good, right?).

Castform (Sunny)

‘Gyul’ in Korean means ‘tangerine.’ Castform, when exposed to sunlight, turns into a big tangerine with seven smaller ones around it. Who wouldn’t want to just pluck a piece of either one of them to eat, just like Chaeyoung did?

Diancie

Even though she doesn’t regard herself as one, Gyuri is a princess. Elegant, (seemingly) regal, and one of the loveliest sights for anyone to see. Who better to be her highest level Pokémon than the ‘Jewel Princess Pokémon,’ based on a princess-cut diamond?

Azurill

One of Hayoung’s more interesting skills is that she is unusually good at balancing on an exercise ball and can even play guitar while on one. Azurill is always seen on its ball-shaped tail showing a similar level of stability to our Vice-Captain.

Medicham

The ‘Meditate Pokémon’ is based on a yoga instructor and gains its power through harsh yoga training. It’s a little known fact that Hayoung has a yoga instructor license and has even proven her skills on a few occasions.

Meloetta

Hayoung is known for her vocals and songwriting, while simultaneously being a great dancer. Meloetta has two forms: an ‘Aria Forme,’ based on a singer, complete with a headset microphone, and a ‘Pirouette Forme,’ based on a dancer. This makes it the perfect Pokémon for the multi-talented Hayoung.

Milotic

The Pokédex reads: “Milotic is said to be the most beautiful of all the Pokémon. It has the power to becalm such emotions as anger and hostility to quell bitter feuding.” Both Saerom’s beauty and her strong leadership are represented in the ‘Tender Pokémon.’

Lucario

While based on a wolf, Lucario gives off fox-like vibes just like Saerom does. A fox being her representative animal, mixed with the strength both physically and mentally she shows, makes her very similar to the ‘Aura Pokémon.’

Gardevior

Based on a dancer, has short hair, is known for its mature charms, and guards people it trusts with its life. It’s as if they took Saerom and transformed her into a Pokémon, making it the perfect ace for the champion of this group.