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[Bottlecap Bay] Pokemon Scent Compendium
Here's an RP resource I'm compiling of what different Pokemon smell like, for the sake of immersion now that many human characters are learning to recognize scents. I'm basing this largely on what real animals smell like (mostly researching on google) plus any real-life things each Pokemon is associated with. Feel free to hand-wave that your character is either learning these on their own, learning them from Firepaw or reading the compendium that he asked someone else to write up for him.
Also feel free to comment below if you have any ideas, or would like to change what your character smells like.
General type-based scent notes:
Normal - No specific scent notes. They smell mostly like a real animal.
Fighting - A vague undertone of body odor in the more humanoid Pokemon, or corn chips in the more animalistic Pokemon.
Flying - Most of these Pokemon smell like birds, or like a fresh spring breeze.
Poison - A sour, or sickly sweet scent that hangs heavy above any species-specific scent. It is milder in most Grass/Poison Pokemon, except for the Oddish line.
Ground - A strong undertone of freshly turned dirt.
Rock - Most of these Pokemon don't have a strongly detectable undertone, but some of them smell like petrichor, clay or sulfur.
Bug - Bug Pokemon have the most varied smells, and don't smell like much most of the time. They do, however, give off emotional pheromones that can smell anywhere from apple candy to vinegar or blue cheese.
Ghost - All Ghost Pokemon smell like night air, to varying degrees. Very few of them smell like much aside from that.
Steel - A strong undertone of metal, tangy and very similar to the smell of blood. Interestingly, their blood smells much stronger than other Pokemon, almost overwhelmingly so.
Fire - Most of these Pokemon smell like campfires, especially those with active fire burning on their bodies. Many of them also smell like charcoal, coal, gas or lighter fluid.
Water - Water Pokemon either have a very overwhelming smell, or almost none at all. The type-based undertone is nearly unnoticeable, but on the milder-scented Pokemon it smells a bit like algae.
Grass - These Pokemon can smell like freshly cut grass, tree bark, flowers, or herbs. Their scent is always very fresh and inviting, except for Grass/Poison Pokemon who tend to have a more neutral, slightly off-putting scent.
Electric - A mild undertone of ozone - it smells similar to chlorine. Some Electric Pokemon also have a mildly burnt scent.
Psychic - These Pokemon usually smell mildly of sage, turmeric and/or lavender. The more powerful Psychic Pokemon have an undertone to their scent that is similar to valerian root or chamomile, which gets stronger when they use their powers.
Ice - These Pokemon smell similar to the milder-scented Water Pokemon, although they tend to have more mineral undertones. Very few of them comparably have strong scents.
Dragon - These Pokemon have very mild smells, similar to a lizard. They tend to smell most like their Moves' typing, especially around their mouth.
Dark - A strong undertone of licorice, or darkness itself for those who are familiar with it. These Pokemon tend to have very strong scents, but the licorice smell still cuts through it.
Fairy - A mild undertone of candy, fruits, marshmallows and honey. These Pokemon tend to have very mild scents.
Guild-based scent notes:
Cheri Berries - Even the non-ghost Pokemon have a whiff of night air in their scent, probably from how poorly insulated their base is. The scent of the Cheri berries brings to mind sitting next to a campfire in the woods, eating berries and cooking marshmallows. The campfire bit is mostly from sleeping near Firepaw.
Oran Berries - Due to the mines and the proximity to the ocean, these Pokemon tend to smell of sulfur, stagnant air or saltwater. The scent of the Oran berries brings to mind exploring an abandoned building, or napping in a puppy-pile with a bunch of dogs. A lot of Oran Pokemon have musky scents, which clings to the other members.
Lum Berries - Since the Lum housing is mostly separated, these Pokemon have the least overlap in terms of scent. However, a lot of them carry a scent of old books and dust. The scent of the Lum berries brings to mind sitting in an old library with a first-edition book, and sipping tea.
Specific Pokemon scent notes (will keep updating as we get more Pokemon):
#005 Charmeleon - Smells mildly like a campfire, but there's also a mild natural gas scent that comes from their tail. It's not bad enough to not want to be in the room with them, but it gets much stronger and worse if their tail is flickering.
#029 Nidoran - Smells like "a sick rabbit". Their main scent is similar to a spring meadow, but with a mild, sour undertone of poison.
#037 Vulpix - Smells like a mixture of campfire and wet dog. It's not as musky as Nickit, but there is definitely a scent note in there that reads as fox.
#039 Jigglypuff - Smells very similar to a peep, but also slightly like a creampuff and slightly like helium.
#043 Oddish - Smells like a turnip, a mildly bitter root vegetable smell. Up close, the roots of their leaves smell sour, like rotting meat, and can make other Pokemon mildly nauseous.
#044 Gloom - Smells overwhelmingly of rotting meat. It's so similar, in fact, that carrion-eating Pokemon get hungry just from the smell of them. Spending too long around them, or the nectar that drips from their mouth, can make one feel nauseous and eventually can cause them to fall unconscious.
#045 Vileplume - Smells like a mixture of rotting meat and rotting plant matter, although it's nowhere near as strong as Gloom. When frightened, though, the rotting meat smell gets just as overwhelming.
#052 Meowth - Smells like a cat, with a mild undertone of metal. The coin on their forehead is actually pure gold, so it doesn't have any scent. Compared to a normal cat, Meowth smells a little more oily, but it's difficult to tell.
#053 Persian - Smells like a cat, although a bit more musky or oily, similar to a leopard. The scent of a Persian might also bring to mind fish oil, or metal.
#104 Cubone - Smells partly like sunflower seeds and partly like corn chips or old bones. There's a musky undertone to their scent, similar to fertilizer or skunk smell, that gets overwhelmingly strong when they're frightened. Emporio in particular smells a bit like night air, similar to a ghost Pokemon.
#149 Dragonite - Smells a bit like a lizard, but primarily like ocean air. Unlike most Dragon Pokemon, a Dragonite's strongest scent markers are near its wings and arms. Perrin in particular carries a scent of ozone similar to Electric Pokemon, particularly around his arms/paws. He also has a mild, sickly sweet smell of rot under the rest of his scent. He smells sick.
#155 Cyndaquil - Smells like a ferret, mixed with peat - strong, musky and earthy. The ports along their back carry a scent of gasoline, which is sweet and a little heady. The gasoline smell is a little more mild when their fire is burning. While they don't smell as strongly as Typhlosion, it is still pretty easy to tell when a Cyndaquil is around.
#157 Typhlosion - Smells strongly like a ferret, which is a very strong musky smell, mixed with the earthy scent of peat. There's also a strong scent of gasoline, which is sweet and a little heady. The gasoline smell is a little more mild when their fire is burning. Hisuian Typhlosion has a much milder smell, although it is still a much stronger smell than most Ghost-type Pokemon.
#191 Sunkern - Smells like a sunflower seed - dusty and a little salty - and a little bit like freshly cut grass. Their scent is relatively mild, but still easy enough to track. Flowey in particular carries a very mild scent of licorice, despite not knowing any Dark-type moves.
#199 Slowking - Smells strongly of sulfur and brine, although frequent washing seems to mitigate this. Their scent is very oily and heavy, which makes it difficult to clear from the nostrils but incredibly easy to track. Akira in particular has a milder scent than other Slowking, and it seems to be much easier to lose track of in comparison.
#262 Mightyena - Smells a little like dog, and a little like mulch. The licorice scent that all Dark-types have is particularly strong on them.
#263 Zigzagoon - Smells very strongly like musk, and a little like skunk. Galarian Zigzagoon has a mild undertone of licorice, but it's difficult to make out. Beetlejuice in particular smells so strongly of skunk, it's hard to pick his scent apart from a Stunky. His licorice undertones are as strong as a Linoone's, but that still doesn't cut through the stench very well.
#264 Linoone - Smells very strongly like musk, and a little like skunk. Galarian Linoone in particular have a mild scent of licorice, although it doesn't cut through the musk well.
#326 Grumpig - Smells like a pig - not like mud, but like a clean pig. The scent is very mild, and similar to maple syrup with an undertone of corn chips. Grumpig also have a bit of lavender in their scent.
#354 Banette - Unlike Mimikyu, its cloth is part of its body. All of it smells like night air, although it's a strong enough scent to track.
#359 Absol - Smells strongly of licorice - stronger than most other Dark types, as though they are made entirely out of darkness. Underneath is a mixture of wet dog and petrichor.
#366 Clamperl - Smells strongly of seafood - it's a fresh, sweet and briny smell. To carnivorous Pokemon, the scent of Clamperl makes their mouth water automatically.
#403 Shinx - Smells like a cat, although it's a bit stronger and more sour, with a hint of that Electric-type ozone. Siffrin is difficult to tell apart from other Shinx scents, but they smell mildly like "burning metal", similar to a sparkler. The scent grows stronger when they're agitated.
#479 Rotom - Smells almost entirely like ozone, with a mild undertone of what humans will recognize as "new car smell". Technus in particular has a strong undertone of night air, regardless of what form he takes.
#509 Purrloin - Smells mostly like a cat, but there's a little of that licorice scent Dark Pokemon are known for. To those familiar, the Purrloin scent is closer to Icelandic licorice rather than American. (It's saltier.)
#510 Liepard - Smells like a cat, but much more musky and oily. The salted licorice scent that Purrloin carries is much stronger on Liepard.
#571 Zoroark - Smells like a fox - a strong, musky scent similar to a skunk. Hisuian Zoroark have a much, much lighter scent, making them smell further away than they actually are.
#661 Fletchling - Smells mildly like teriyaki chicken. When they use Fire attacks, the cooked chicken scent gets a little stronger.
#702 Dedenne - Smells like sour candy, ozone and shortbread. Their ozone smell is much stronger than other Electric Pokemon, especially when they have a lot of electricity stored up, and when they use their powers that smell takes on a distinctly burnt note.
#725 Litten - Smells a little like a cat, and a little like charcoal. Both smells are mild, but the charcoal smell gets stronger after they use fire attacks. Firepaw in particular smells slightly more like a campfire, compared to other Littens.
#734 Yungoos - Carries the strong, unpleasant odor of a mongoose - while other mustelid-based Pokemon are musky, Yungoos have a scent that ranges from unpleasant normally to actively nauseating when they're agitated. Lusamine in particular has a sweet undertone to her scent, similar to balsamic vinegar. She also has a strong flowery scent over-top of her natural odor, but it doesn't do much to mask it. It just adds.
#743 Ribombee - Smells mostly like honey, and slightly like flowers or nectar. It's a very mild scent, which gets stronger when Ribombee is excited or happy.
#759 Stufful - Surprisingly, Stuffuls have almost no scent. Pressing your nose into one, they have a scent similar to corn chips, but they are very difficult to track by scent. Their paws and the base of their tails have stronger scent glands, which they can rub on trees to leave messages.
#773 Silvally - Smells. One might even say it smells like an animal, maybe. The scent is actually fairly strong, but it's hard to say it smells like anything specific. A.B.A specifically smells very strongly of algae, thanks to her Water memory. That seems to be the only specific scent one can pick up from her.
#778 Mimikyu - Smells almost entirely like night air, and the scent is mild enough that it's easy to lose track of. Most of it is covered up by the smell of whatever cloth the disguise is made of.
#821 Rookidee - Smells like a General Bird Smell, similar to sunflower seeds. There's a slight tang to the scent, almost like metal.
#827 Nickit - Smells like a fox - a strong, musky scent similar to a skunk. Unlike a fox, this is mixed with a strong smell of licorice.
#835 Yamper - Smells like a dog, mixed with the scent of ozone. Both smells are relatively mild, although they both get stronger after a lot of exercise.
#836 Boltund - Smells like a dog, mixed with the scent of ozone. Boltunds smell more strongly than Yampers, and their saliva smells vaguely of licorice.
#855 Polteageist - Smells like tea - different Polteageist smell like different tea strains, although black and jasmine are the most common. Their scent is very mild, but it's distinct enough that it's still fairly easy to track.
#877 Morpeko - Smells like a mixture of ozone, licorice and something pleasant and rodent-like. The licorice scent gets much stronger when they enter Hangry Mode, and the ozone smell does the same when they enter Full Belly Mode. The mouse-like undertones are especially appealing to carnivorous Pokemon. Bigby in particular is missing the mouse-like undertones, and smells much closer to a dog. His scent is slightly spicy.
#906 Sprigatito - Smells mildly like a cat, but mostly like catnip. It's a fresh, sweet and minty smell.
#956 Espathra - Smells earthly, but not unpleasant - similar to marshmallow root, mixed with sage.
Also feel free to comment below if you have any ideas, or would like to change what your character smells like.
General type-based scent notes:
Normal - No specific scent notes. They smell mostly like a real animal.
Fighting - A vague undertone of body odor in the more humanoid Pokemon, or corn chips in the more animalistic Pokemon.
Flying - Most of these Pokemon smell like birds, or like a fresh spring breeze.
Poison - A sour, or sickly sweet scent that hangs heavy above any species-specific scent. It is milder in most Grass/Poison Pokemon, except for the Oddish line.
Ground - A strong undertone of freshly turned dirt.
Rock - Most of these Pokemon don't have a strongly detectable undertone, but some of them smell like petrichor, clay or sulfur.
Bug - Bug Pokemon have the most varied smells, and don't smell like much most of the time. They do, however, give off emotional pheromones that can smell anywhere from apple candy to vinegar or blue cheese.
Ghost - All Ghost Pokemon smell like night air, to varying degrees. Very few of them smell like much aside from that.
Steel - A strong undertone of metal, tangy and very similar to the smell of blood. Interestingly, their blood smells much stronger than other Pokemon, almost overwhelmingly so.
Fire - Most of these Pokemon smell like campfires, especially those with active fire burning on their bodies. Many of them also smell like charcoal, coal, gas or lighter fluid.
Water - Water Pokemon either have a very overwhelming smell, or almost none at all. The type-based undertone is nearly unnoticeable, but on the milder-scented Pokemon it smells a bit like algae.
Grass - These Pokemon can smell like freshly cut grass, tree bark, flowers, or herbs. Their scent is always very fresh and inviting, except for Grass/Poison Pokemon who tend to have a more neutral, slightly off-putting scent.
Electric - A mild undertone of ozone - it smells similar to chlorine. Some Electric Pokemon also have a mildly burnt scent.
Psychic - These Pokemon usually smell mildly of sage, turmeric and/or lavender. The more powerful Psychic Pokemon have an undertone to their scent that is similar to valerian root or chamomile, which gets stronger when they use their powers.
Ice - These Pokemon smell similar to the milder-scented Water Pokemon, although they tend to have more mineral undertones. Very few of them comparably have strong scents.
Dragon - These Pokemon have very mild smells, similar to a lizard. They tend to smell most like their Moves' typing, especially around their mouth.
Dark - A strong undertone of licorice, or darkness itself for those who are familiar with it. These Pokemon tend to have very strong scents, but the licorice smell still cuts through it.
Fairy - A mild undertone of candy, fruits, marshmallows and honey. These Pokemon tend to have very mild scents.
Guild-based scent notes:
Cheri Berries - Even the non-ghost Pokemon have a whiff of night air in their scent, probably from how poorly insulated their base is. The scent of the Cheri berries brings to mind sitting next to a campfire in the woods, eating berries and cooking marshmallows. The campfire bit is mostly from sleeping near Firepaw.
Oran Berries - Due to the mines and the proximity to the ocean, these Pokemon tend to smell of sulfur, stagnant air or saltwater. The scent of the Oran berries brings to mind exploring an abandoned building, or napping in a puppy-pile with a bunch of dogs. A lot of Oran Pokemon have musky scents, which clings to the other members.
Lum Berries - Since the Lum housing is mostly separated, these Pokemon have the least overlap in terms of scent. However, a lot of them carry a scent of old books and dust. The scent of the Lum berries brings to mind sitting in an old library with a first-edition book, and sipping tea.
Specific Pokemon scent notes (will keep updating as we get more Pokemon):
#005 Charmeleon - Smells mildly like a campfire, but there's also a mild natural gas scent that comes from their tail. It's not bad enough to not want to be in the room with them, but it gets much stronger and worse if their tail is flickering.
#029 Nidoran - Smells like "a sick rabbit". Their main scent is similar to a spring meadow, but with a mild, sour undertone of poison.
#037 Vulpix - Smells like a mixture of campfire and wet dog. It's not as musky as Nickit, but there is definitely a scent note in there that reads as fox.
#039 Jigglypuff - Smells very similar to a peep, but also slightly like a creampuff and slightly like helium.
#043 Oddish - Smells like a turnip, a mildly bitter root vegetable smell. Up close, the roots of their leaves smell sour, like rotting meat, and can make other Pokemon mildly nauseous.
#044 Gloom - Smells overwhelmingly of rotting meat. It's so similar, in fact, that carrion-eating Pokemon get hungry just from the smell of them. Spending too long around them, or the nectar that drips from their mouth, can make one feel nauseous and eventually can cause them to fall unconscious.
#045 Vileplume - Smells like a mixture of rotting meat and rotting plant matter, although it's nowhere near as strong as Gloom. When frightened, though, the rotting meat smell gets just as overwhelming.
#052 Meowth - Smells like a cat, with a mild undertone of metal. The coin on their forehead is actually pure gold, so it doesn't have any scent. Compared to a normal cat, Meowth smells a little more oily, but it's difficult to tell.
#053 Persian - Smells like a cat, although a bit more musky or oily, similar to a leopard. The scent of a Persian might also bring to mind fish oil, or metal.
#104 Cubone - Smells partly like sunflower seeds and partly like corn chips or old bones. There's a musky undertone to their scent, similar to fertilizer or skunk smell, that gets overwhelmingly strong when they're frightened. Emporio in particular smells a bit like night air, similar to a ghost Pokemon.
#149 Dragonite - Smells a bit like a lizard, but primarily like ocean air. Unlike most Dragon Pokemon, a Dragonite's strongest scent markers are near its wings and arms. Perrin in particular carries a scent of ozone similar to Electric Pokemon, particularly around his arms/paws. He also has a mild, sickly sweet smell of rot under the rest of his scent. He smells sick.
#155 Cyndaquil - Smells like a ferret, mixed with peat - strong, musky and earthy. The ports along their back carry a scent of gasoline, which is sweet and a little heady. The gasoline smell is a little more mild when their fire is burning. While they don't smell as strongly as Typhlosion, it is still pretty easy to tell when a Cyndaquil is around.
#157 Typhlosion - Smells strongly like a ferret, which is a very strong musky smell, mixed with the earthy scent of peat. There's also a strong scent of gasoline, which is sweet and a little heady. The gasoline smell is a little more mild when their fire is burning. Hisuian Typhlosion has a much milder smell, although it is still a much stronger smell than most Ghost-type Pokemon.
#191 Sunkern - Smells like a sunflower seed - dusty and a little salty - and a little bit like freshly cut grass. Their scent is relatively mild, but still easy enough to track. Flowey in particular carries a very mild scent of licorice, despite not knowing any Dark-type moves.
#199 Slowking - Smells strongly of sulfur and brine, although frequent washing seems to mitigate this. Their scent is very oily and heavy, which makes it difficult to clear from the nostrils but incredibly easy to track. Akira in particular has a milder scent than other Slowking, and it seems to be much easier to lose track of in comparison.
#262 Mightyena - Smells a little like dog, and a little like mulch. The licorice scent that all Dark-types have is particularly strong on them.
#263 Zigzagoon - Smells very strongly like musk, and a little like skunk. Galarian Zigzagoon has a mild undertone of licorice, but it's difficult to make out. Beetlejuice in particular smells so strongly of skunk, it's hard to pick his scent apart from a Stunky. His licorice undertones are as strong as a Linoone's, but that still doesn't cut through the stench very well.
#264 Linoone - Smells very strongly like musk, and a little like skunk. Galarian Linoone in particular have a mild scent of licorice, although it doesn't cut through the musk well.
#326 Grumpig - Smells like a pig - not like mud, but like a clean pig. The scent is very mild, and similar to maple syrup with an undertone of corn chips. Grumpig also have a bit of lavender in their scent.
#354 Banette - Unlike Mimikyu, its cloth is part of its body. All of it smells like night air, although it's a strong enough scent to track.
#359 Absol - Smells strongly of licorice - stronger than most other Dark types, as though they are made entirely out of darkness. Underneath is a mixture of wet dog and petrichor.
#366 Clamperl - Smells strongly of seafood - it's a fresh, sweet and briny smell. To carnivorous Pokemon, the scent of Clamperl makes their mouth water automatically.
#403 Shinx - Smells like a cat, although it's a bit stronger and more sour, with a hint of that Electric-type ozone. Siffrin is difficult to tell apart from other Shinx scents, but they smell mildly like "burning metal", similar to a sparkler. The scent grows stronger when they're agitated.
#479 Rotom - Smells almost entirely like ozone, with a mild undertone of what humans will recognize as "new car smell". Technus in particular has a strong undertone of night air, regardless of what form he takes.
#509 Purrloin - Smells mostly like a cat, but there's a little of that licorice scent Dark Pokemon are known for. To those familiar, the Purrloin scent is closer to Icelandic licorice rather than American. (It's saltier.)
#510 Liepard - Smells like a cat, but much more musky and oily. The salted licorice scent that Purrloin carries is much stronger on Liepard.
#571 Zoroark - Smells like a fox - a strong, musky scent similar to a skunk. Hisuian Zoroark have a much, much lighter scent, making them smell further away than they actually are.
#661 Fletchling - Smells mildly like teriyaki chicken. When they use Fire attacks, the cooked chicken scent gets a little stronger.
#702 Dedenne - Smells like sour candy, ozone and shortbread. Their ozone smell is much stronger than other Electric Pokemon, especially when they have a lot of electricity stored up, and when they use their powers that smell takes on a distinctly burnt note.
#725 Litten - Smells a little like a cat, and a little like charcoal. Both smells are mild, but the charcoal smell gets stronger after they use fire attacks. Firepaw in particular smells slightly more like a campfire, compared to other Littens.
#734 Yungoos - Carries the strong, unpleasant odor of a mongoose - while other mustelid-based Pokemon are musky, Yungoos have a scent that ranges from unpleasant normally to actively nauseating when they're agitated. Lusamine in particular has a sweet undertone to her scent, similar to balsamic vinegar. She also has a strong flowery scent over-top of her natural odor, but it doesn't do much to mask it. It just adds.
#743 Ribombee - Smells mostly like honey, and slightly like flowers or nectar. It's a very mild scent, which gets stronger when Ribombee is excited or happy.
#759 Stufful - Surprisingly, Stuffuls have almost no scent. Pressing your nose into one, they have a scent similar to corn chips, but they are very difficult to track by scent. Their paws and the base of their tails have stronger scent glands, which they can rub on trees to leave messages.
#773 Silvally - Smells. One might even say it smells like an animal, maybe. The scent is actually fairly strong, but it's hard to say it smells like anything specific. A.B.A specifically smells very strongly of algae, thanks to her Water memory. That seems to be the only specific scent one can pick up from her.
#778 Mimikyu - Smells almost entirely like night air, and the scent is mild enough that it's easy to lose track of. Most of it is covered up by the smell of whatever cloth the disguise is made of.
#821 Rookidee - Smells like a General Bird Smell, similar to sunflower seeds. There's a slight tang to the scent, almost like metal.
#827 Nickit - Smells like a fox - a strong, musky scent similar to a skunk. Unlike a fox, this is mixed with a strong smell of licorice.
#835 Yamper - Smells like a dog, mixed with the scent of ozone. Both smells are relatively mild, although they both get stronger after a lot of exercise.
#836 Boltund - Smells like a dog, mixed with the scent of ozone. Boltunds smell more strongly than Yampers, and their saliva smells vaguely of licorice.
#855 Polteageist - Smells like tea - different Polteageist smell like different tea strains, although black and jasmine are the most common. Their scent is very mild, but it's distinct enough that it's still fairly easy to track.
#877 Morpeko - Smells like a mixture of ozone, licorice and something pleasant and rodent-like. The licorice scent gets much stronger when they enter Hangry Mode, and the ozone smell does the same when they enter Full Belly Mode. The mouse-like undertones are especially appealing to carnivorous Pokemon. Bigby in particular is missing the mouse-like undertones, and smells much closer to a dog. His scent is slightly spicy.
#906 Sprigatito - Smells mildly like a cat, but mostly like catnip. It's a fresh, sweet and minty smell.
#956 Espathra - Smells earthly, but not unpleasant - similar to marshmallow root, mixed with sage.