>>39540779Swablu is based on the blue bird of happiness and isn't a dragon, but Altaria is based on a Peng, a legendary Chinese bird of enormous size, capable of great feats and, more importantly, having cloud-like wings and a head that resembled a fish with whiskers. Altaria obviously has influences from both these aspects (the blue bird of happiness and the Peng), but it's still ultimately a dragon. Not as intimidating or cool as the original peng, but it's still a dragon.
Trapinch isn't a dragon either, but it's evolutions get the type because of a pun. Vibrava and Flygon are based on the adult form of an Antlion as well as aspects of Dragonflies. Some species of dragonflies are commonly called "sand dragons", which could account for Vibrava and Flygon's type combination.
And Mareep isn't a dragon, either, it's a sheep. Ampharos is also a sheep. When it mega-evolves, it gets the typing, but this is partially because it becomes more dragon-like (with the new mane it now resembles an upright chinese dragon), and also, again, another japanese pun (Denryu can be taken to mean 電流 denryū (electric current) or 電竜 den ryū (electric dragon), so it getting the typing is probably meant as a play on words of sorts).
Alolan-Exaggutor gets to be a dragon type because it's a dragon fruit tree and it's also a pun (Dracaena is both a genius of plant and a word for female dragon, and the dragon Coca shares similarities with the origins for Coconuts).
Here's the Coco dragon if you don't believe me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_(folklore)#Physical_representationsPersonally I think Gyarados is a lot cooler as a mighty leviathan than it would be as a dragon, because it gives it a lot more depth and personality. I just think it's a lot more interesting and original to have a mythical sea serpent that evolves from a carp than, well, just another dragon.
I do like Altaria quite a lot though, since it's also a pretty creative dragon.
