>>12092736I get that Pokedex has priority, but I don't get what you want me to see.
Pokedex says that Lileep has petal shaped tentacles, not that it's a plant itself. It should be classified as an Echinoderm.
Also, Staryu/mie's pokedex entry supports it being a non-alien starfish.
"People in ancient times imagined that Starmie were transformed from the reflections of stars that twinkled on gentle waves at night.
This Pokémon has a geometric body. Because of its body, the locals suspect that it is an alien creature."
Pokedex points to locals thinking it looks like a star, and thus, may come from space, but everything else points to this being local legend.
Also, Plants.
Will you place Tropius under 'plant' or Reptile?
Traditional phylogenetics would have you put it under Reptile, as an offshoot that happened to evolve plant features, as opposed to a long line of plant that happened to grow into a dinosaur shape. Path of least resistance/convergence and all that.
Things like Cherrim and Vileplume can and should go under the Plant kingdom, but I advocate for phylogenics to be done independent of type.
Lileep is an echinoderm, like Staryu is, despite it being Grass type. Its pokedex entry also says that it lived underwater, confirming the echinoderm connection. "Root fossil" only refers to the shape of the tube feet formation, that it's it's an actual plant plant with roots [though it does get ingrain, but still fits under tube feet].
