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So, where ''does'' Farfetch'd come from? My research suggests that the true origin actually isn't a million miles away from the version above; only rather than being inspired by a legend, it comes from a certain Japanese saying: ''Kamo ga negi wo shotte kuru'' (鴨が葱を背負って来る), literally meaning 'a duck comes bearing green onions'. The phrase can be shortened simply to ''kamo negi'' (鴨葱)... which, when written in {{wp|katakana}}, is Farfetch'd's Japanese name (カモネギ). | So, where ''does'' Farfetch'd come from? My research suggests that the true origin actually isn't a million miles away from the version above; only rather than being inspired by a legend, it comes from a certain Japanese saying: ''Kamo ga negi wo shotte kuru'' (鴨が葱を背負って来る), literally meaning 'a duck comes bearing green onions'. The phrase can be shortened simply to ''kamo negi'' (鴨葱)... which, when written in {{wp|katakana}}, is Farfetch'd's Japanese name (カモネギ). | ||
Let's take a step back for a moment and look at Farfetch'd itself. Its Japanese name | Let's take a step back for a moment and look at Farfetch'd itself. Its Japanese name is made up of ''kamo'' (鴨 or カモ), meaning 'duck', and ''negi'' (葱 or ネギ), which refers to a variety of green onion, ''{{wp|Welsh onion|Allium fistulosum}}'' – specifically, the onion that Farfetch'd can be seen carrying. Pokédex entries over the years have made several references to its rarity, and in the original {{bp|Pokémon Red and Blue Versions|Red and Blue}} games, only a single Farfetch'd is available, as a trade from an in-game trainer. The {{bp|Pokémon anime|anime}} has also stated that the reason for this Pokémon's rarity is that it is a delicacy. | ||
And culinary matters are central to the origins of Farfetch'd. Duck and green onion are the primary ingredients for a good duck stew, and so finding a duck carrying green onions would be a surprising but convenient occurrence. This is the first meaning of the idiom: something not asked for, but very convenient; a serendipitous event. In Red and Blue, the player's acquisition of the very rare Farfetch'd, traded for a common {{p|Spearow}}, could be seen as just such an event. The phrase is given a literal portrayal, as the player actually obtains a duck carrying a green onion. | And culinary matters are central to the origins of Farfetch'd. Duck and green onion are the primary ingredients for a good duck stew, and so finding a duck carrying green onions would be a surprising but convenient occurrence. This is the first meaning of the idiom: something not asked for, but very convenient; a serendipitous event. In Red and Blue, the player's acquisition of the very rare Farfetch'd, traded for a common {{p|Spearow}}, could be seen as just such an event. The phrase is given a literal portrayal, as the player actually obtains a duck carrying a green onion. | ||