pokemon
Explanation
The Joke
The comic is titled "Realistic Pokemon Evolution" and shows a Pokemon trainer in a red cap observing what would actually happen if Pokemon evolution followed real biological evolution rather than the game's fantastical version. Three examples are given: Bulbasaur "will become similar to hazardous organisms better in a more efficient way" (evolving to be better at being a biological threat); Pikachu "will evolved the ability to metabolize a dormant state" (essentially becoming less active and more energy-efficient); and Psyduck "evolved a temperament and some propagation under 500 miles" (becoming adapted for a specific ecological niche rather than gaining flashy powers).
The humor lies in the contrast between the exciting, dramatic evolutions in the Pokemon games — where creatures transform into powerful, visually spectacular forms — and what real Darwinian evolution would produce: incremental, unglamorous adaptations focused on survival efficiency rather than combat prowess.
The Humor
The comic satirizes the fundamental misunderstanding of evolution that Pokemon perpetuates. In the games, "evolution" is a dramatic metamorphosis into a bigger, cooler, more powerful creature. In reality, evolution is a slow, directionless process driven by natural selection that produces adaptations like slightly better metabolic efficiency or marginally improved camouflage — things that would make for a very boring video game. The joke plays on the familiar SMBC territory of taking a pop culture concept and subjecting it to rigorous scientific scrutiny, revealing the absurd gap between fiction and reality.
References
Pokemon is Nintendo's massively popular franchise where creatures "evolve" into more powerful forms, a mechanic that has very little to do with actual biological evolution. The comic references the well-known starter and early-game Pokemon: Bulbasaur, Pikachu, and Psyduck.