>>31401060Hinezumi is a mythical fire rat in japanese.
Hinezumi is Cyndaquil's japanese species.
Beyond that, it's very likely that they only use it as a guide. In fact, that's the arguement. They stretched it to be a shrew/porcupine/mouse hybrid because the quills make for a good fire element - speculation, of course, but it's a theory ninetheless.
Additionally - and this goes for
>>31400717 too - Fox has appeared on the "Dog" spot on the zodiac before, in older times. And beyond that, little kids don't know the difference between foxes and dogs. In fact, they're really similar. Like... to the point where they might have chosen to go with a fox because it has more symbology in japan. You know?
And, finally... What happens in gen 12 when we have all but Cyndaquil and Fennekin "fitting in?" Will you say "ZODIACFAGS BTFO WE WERE RIGHT" or accept that they used it as a guide? Every gen it gets proven more and more. The prehistoric pattern for Grass starters is proven each gen as well. And yes, believe it or not, all Water starters are amphibious.
They need guidelines to make the starters on, otherwise they could go crazy and aimlessly in random directions.
