>>54404142>Growlithe and Arcanine are both based on shisa and similar guardian dog-lions you see at various temples in Japan and China. Growlithe, whose Pokédex entries emphasize its loyalty, leans toward the dog side of that, specifically a shiba inu. Arcanine, on the other hand, leans more lion (and a bit tiger, like the original), bringing it closer to the legendary guardians.>The white smoky fur refers to their fire typing. The tight curls are a reference both to the traditional shisa designs, but are also meant to mimic wind symbols, since Arcanine can run as fast as the wind. Arcanine’s large claws are another staple of shisa.These were done before the hisuian forms obv
