Bug-type Pokémon are some of the most common to find early in a Pokémon game, but at least one early-route Bug-type is defying that common reputation to become an incredibly profitable Pokémon for smugglers in the anime. Vivillon, the Kalos region's equivalent of Butterfree, became a big focus for an episode, as it was at the center of a criminal get-rich-quick scheme.

Vivillon is best known for the fact that it can have a variety of different wing patterns, each found in a different area of the real world, making them difficult to collect in the games. Some patterns are also far rarer than others, and these can be excellent bargaining chips for trades. The anime took this Vivillon quirk and showed how such rare patterns might attract the wrong kind of attention in the Pokémon XY episode "To Catch A Pokémon Smuggler!" The smuggler in question, a man named Dolan, has set up the equivalent of a puppy mill for Pokémon, hoping to find Scatterbug that can evolve into rare Vivillon patterns.

Vivillon's Rare Patterns Open Up a Dark World of Pokémon Smuggling

In the episode, Ash and friends get wrapped up in the plot due a Scatterbug falling off of Dolan's truck, as he attempts to escape Officer Jenny. When they learn of the other Scatterbug and Spewpa (Vivillon's middle evolution) that he's keeping in cages, they decide to help out and put a stop to Dolan's Pokémon smuggling. Their convoluted plan ends with Spewpa evolving into Vivillon and being set free, releasing dozens of these rare patterned Vivillon into the wild. Vivillon is able to use its powers to calm Dolan down and make it easy for Officer Jenny to arrest him, putting an end to his Pokémon smuggling days for good.

The Pokémon anime has only rarely dipped into illegal Pokémon trade, but it's apparently very profitable to be involved with, despite how easy it can be to catch wild Pokémon. The rarity of certain Vivillon patterns, though, is exactly the kind of thing that a black market would develop around. The comparison to a puppy mill isn't an exaggeration, either, as Dolan is taking poor care of the Pokémon in his possession, not even bothering to keep them in Poké Balls. In fact, taking poor care of the Pokémon they have seems to be common among those labeled as Pokémon smugglers, which is surprising, since their wealthy clients would likely want Pokémon in the best condition possible.

Smuggling Makes A Lot Of Sense In The Pokémon World

The idea of Pokémon smugglers selling to wealthy clients makes sense - most people, especially adults, probably can't afford to go off on adventures to catch Pokémon the way Ash does, so buying them is an easy way to get the Pokémon they want. However, it's well known from Brock that there are legitimate Pokémon breeders out there, who presumably work like legitimate dog breeders do in the real world. It's not necessarily that buying and selling Pokémon is wrong, but that there's a right way to do it, and Dolan's way isn't it. Vivillon's value as a black market Pokémon may be surprising, but the illegal Pokémon trade itself is a dark side of the anime that's rarely seen.