Dragonair (Pokémon)/Trivia


 * In the Pokémon Red and Blue beta, Dragonair was originally known as "Dragyn".
 * In Blackthorn City, a woman is willing to trade her or  for a female Dragonair. This makes Dragonair the only Pokémon able to be male or female that must be a specific gender for an in-game trade.
 * In, Dragonair's catch rate was changed from 45 to 27, making it the hardest Pokémon to catch in the Kanto Safari Zone. In the later games, the catch rate was changed back to 45.
 * Dragonair is also the former name of in the real world.
 * Dragonair and its  share their  name with,  , , and . They are all known as the Dragon Pokémon.

Origin
It appears to be based on or ryu, traditional  or  who bring good luck. It also appears to look like a snake, its tail even resembling that of a. The wings on its head resemble those on the sandals and hat of the Greek god, and its long, snakelike body may be a reference to the snakes on his scepter.

Dragonair may also be based on the , a proto-dragon that resembles a snake and lives in water or caves, much like Dragonair. After an imugi lives a thousand years, a jewel (called a Yeouiju) will fall from the sky. If the imugi catches it, it will become a true dragon. The jewel on Dragonair's neck might also be a reference to the Japanese folktale, , in which the princess Kaguya-hime challenges her suitors to bring her back some items, including a colored jewel from a dragon's neck.

Name origin
Dragonair may be a combination of dragon and air (referring to its ability to change the weather or to its air of grace and majesty) or debonair (referring to its graceful appearance and flying). It could also refer to a "lair", the traditional home of a dragon.

Hakuryū could be taken to mean 白竜 (white dragon). Hakuryu was also the name of the dragon-like companion of /Cho Hakkai from the legend of the in Buddhist lore.