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Deerling changes its appearance depending on the current season. However, this change in form does not occur after capture, unless it is present in the player's party at the time of a season change. This applies to Eggs as well.
When the month is January, May, or September, the season is Spring, and it becomes Spring Form.
When the month is February, June, or October, the season is Summer, and it becomes Summer Form.
When the month is March, July, or November, the season is Autumn, and it becomes Autumn Form.
When the month is April, August, or December, the season is Winter, and it becomes Winter Form.
In Generation VI, Deerling can be bred in any form at any time if the parent is of that form.
Deerling is a fawn-like Pokémon, most resembling a fallow deer. The upper side of its body is pink during the spring, green during the summer, orange during the fall, and brown during the winter. It has a yellow patterned rim, and its underside is light beige. It sports a yellow floral tuft on its head, and similar yellow coloration on the insides of its tapering ears. The tips of its limbs are colored black and its pink tail is small. It can change in appearance with the changing of the seasons. If it senses animosity, it hides in tall grass. It moves in herds as it is timid around humans. It dwells in sparsely populated areas, away from humans. It is herbivorous.
In the anime
Spring Form Deerling in the anime
Major appearances
A herd of Deerling (Spring Form) appeared in In The Shadow of Zekrom!. Another herd appeared in Enter Iris and Axew!, where Ash attempted to catch one; however, as he had not weakened it, the Deerling was able to deflect the Poké Ball and fled with the rest of the herd.
A wild Deerling (Spring Form) made an appearance in Sewaddle and Burgh in Pinwheel Forest! when Ash's Sewaddle accidentally latched onto it with String Shot, startling the Deerling and causing it to buck and thrash around wildly through the forest to get Sewaddle off, putting Sewaddle in serious danger.
Ash saves two Deerling from falling off a cliff at the beginning of White—Victini and Zekrom and Black—Victini and Reshiram. In Victini and Zekrom, the Deerling were in their Autumn Form while in Victini and Reshiram, they were in their Summer Form and Autumn Form.
Deerling may be a combination of deer and yearling (referring to both its young age and its ties to the year's four seasons) or sapling (referring to its Grass-type and abilities). Alternatively, it may be a combination of dear and darling, both common terms of endearment.
Shikijika is a combination of 四季 shiki (four seasons) and 鹿 shika (deer).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.