INTERESTING ORIGINAL POKÉMON NAMES

• Umbreon is Blacky in Japanese. That's it, Blacky, as obvious as the Pope is Catholic.
• Aerodactyl is Ptera, which is perfect for a pterosaur... if the Japanese language could not use two consonants together (unless one of them is an N) without a vowel in between. Thus, they pronounce "Ptera" as "Putera", which means "bitchy" in Spanish.
• Oddish, that adorable Prussian blue mandrake I hatched from an egg while borrowing Malin Nilsson's smartphone, is Nazonokusa, literally "Strange Grass/Weed": almost the same as "Strange Fruit."
• Oddish's eldest evolution, Vileplume, is called Rafflesia in Japanese. Just like the reeking tropical flower that inspired the Pokémon. Obvious enough?
• Tentacruel: Dokukurage, i.e. "Poison Jellyfish," another name as obvious as Blacky for Umbreon. Its pre-evolution Tentacool is Menokurage, i.e. "Jellyfish with Eyes." Duh.
• The same can be said of Spearow, AKA Onisuzume, i.e. "Ogre-sparrow." And its evolution Fearow, whose original name is Onidoriru, i.e. "Ogre Avian Drill."
• Mandibuzz is called Vulgina. The "gina" part is for "regina", canonically, but the shape of the feather collar of this avian Pokémon suggests a more sexual meaning...
• The Hitmons are an interesting case: Hitmonlee (for Bruce or Jet Lee in the West) is originally called Sawamular, as in world's first kickboxer Tadashi Sawamura; Hitmonchan (for Jackie Chan) is Ebiwalar, as in flyweight champion Hiroyuki Ebihara; and Hitmontop (for spinning top) is Capoeilar, as in... well, capoeira, that Brazilian dance/martial art.
• Likewise the Abra family, named for several famous mystics: Abra's Japanese name is Caycey for Edgar Cayce; Kadabra's is Ungeller for Uri Geller (which caused a lawsuit from the Israeli esper, not amused that his name was used for a Baphomet-like creature with SS-like wave markings); and Alakazam's is Houdin for both Robert Houdin and Harry Houdini.
• The corresponding Macho family of fighting pokémon become the Ricky family, punning on the nickname of Richard and a Japanese word for strength: Machop is Wanricky (a pun on "One Ricky," "Arm Ricky," and "wanriki" meaning literally the same as "Armstrong"), Machoke is Goricky (a pun on "Go Ricky!" and "góriki", i.e. "Herculean strength"), and Machamp is Kairicky (pun on "Kai Ricky" and "kairiki", i.e. "superhuman strength").
• Farfetch'd is called Kamonegi, literally "Duckscallion." Now this is more than meets the eye. Obviously, we've got a duck carrying a scallion. But, on a side note, this must be quite a twat of a duck to carry its own seasoning all the time. The kill would ensure both roast duck and garnison at one fell swoop. Hence the Japanese expression "kamo negi", "a duck carrying a scallion," which refers to a patsy, the victim of a deception.
• Dunsparce's original name is Nokocchi, an anagram of "tsuchinoko", the cryptid (a thick snake with a pair of tiny wings) that inspired this Pokémon.
• Magmar is Boober. Head looks like a pair of flaming tits, nuff said. Its infant form Magby is called Booby (head full of flameless red spherical protrusions), and its evolution Magmortar is called Booburn (flaming spherical tit shapes for epaulets). Long story short, he whole Mag family is the Boob family in Japanese. Somewhere, Lieutenant Grüber is choking as he laughs. So. Many. Boobs.
• Articuno (Artic1) is Freezer. Not the Freezer in DBZ, but still it surprised a lot of fans, including me. Furthermore, Zapdos (Zap2) is called Thunder and Moltres (Mol3) is called Fire.
• The Clefa line: Cleffa is Pi (as in 3,14); Clefairy is called Pippi (as in Lângstrump); and Clefable is Pixie (as in either the sprite or the haircut).
• And the Jigglypuff line: Igglybuff in Japanese is Pupudding (a stuttering pudding?), Jigglypuff is Pudding (round and soft, so sweet, no bones...), and Wigglytuff is Pukudding ("Pukupuku" means puffed up, so literally "puffy pudding").
• To close the trilogy with the third kawaii pink family: Happiny is called Pinpuku (from "pink" and "pukupuku", ut supra); Chansey is Lucky in Japanese, and Blissey is called Happiness. Audino, the new nurse Pokémon, is originally called Tabunne, from "tabun ne", "maybe."
• To close with more Eeveelutions, since we began this list with Umbreon/Blacky, we finish it with Vaporeon, AKA Showers; Flareon, AKA Booster; Jolteon, AKA Thunders; Leafeon, AKA Leafia; and Glaceon, AKA Glacia. The way all of these names sound.