I’ve been playing around with char-rnn, an open-source torch add-on for character-based neural networks by Andrej Karpathy, using it to generate everything from cookbook recipes to superhero names to a Lovecraft/cookbook mashup.

I decided to train the neural network to randomly generate Pokemon names and abilities based on this list as a training set - and found that it was good at generating Pokemon. Annoyingly good at it - by the time it had gone through the training set 50 times, it was already fluently plagiarizing Pokemon word for word. I had to go back to my very first snapshot of the neural network (16 times through the training set), at which point it hadn’t yet learned the entire set of names and abilities, and was still coming up with hilarious new ones.

Some sample Pokemon:

Quincelax
Abilities: Sturdy, Secene Grace
Hidden ability: Tunged Leus

Tortabool
Ability: Healy Stream

Strangy
Abilities: Wharmwbra, Darp
Hidden ability: Magic Guard

Staroptor
Ability: Stench
Hidden Ability: Stick Hat

Stangute
Ability: Banger
Hidden Ability: Drang

Tyrnakine
Ability: Beak Eye

Minma
Abilities: Buttery armor, Shell Armor
Hidden ability: Weak armor

Ronch
Abilities: None

Mawuh
Ability: Rum Power