Meet Lechonk, the New Hog Pokémon That Filipinos are Owning 

Pokémon's latest game just introduced a new species seemingly inspired by a pork dish Filipinos love. Meet Lechonk, the Hog Pokémon.

"It may appear fat at first glance, but in reality, the Pokémon’s body is mostly muscle built by constantly walking around in search of food," the official Pokemon Twitter account said.

Though Pokémon has yet to release an official etymology for the new character's name, some fans on Twitter have floated the idea that it is a portmanteau of "lechon," a slow-roasted pork dish Spanish reserved for special occasions, and "chonk," a slang noun used to describe adorably fat or large creatures such as cats, dogs, and even seals.

"Le," the French article for the word "the," can also give Lechonk the meaning of "The Chonk."

Lechonk will make its debut in the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet video game published by Nintendo in November 2022. Its characteristics borrow heavily from the appearance of hogs —Lechonk has a gray, round body, and curled tail, along with large floppy ears covering its eyes. Its brown face is highlighted by a large pig snout shaded pink.