> a great many of Pokemon's earliest monster designs seemed to take... "incredible inspiration" from a variety of Dragon Quest enemies
And animals, real and mythological. We have:
An ordinary dragon, but with its tail on fire: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Charizard
A turtle, but blue: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Squirtle
A caterpillar: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Caterpie
A chubby moth: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Butterfree
A wasp, but with drills for hands: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Beedrill
A bird: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Pidgey
A purple rat (copying Milka's color scheme): https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Rattata
A bigger bird: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Fearow
A snake: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Ekans
A cobra: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Arbok
An armadillo: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Sandshrew
The nine-tailed fox from Japanese mythology: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Ninetales
The child version of the same: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Vulpix
A bat: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Zubat
Another moth: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Venomoth
An earthworm, but with a face: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Diglett
Just a persian cat: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Persian
Pitcher plant, but with a face: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Victreebel
A pony, but on fire: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Ponyta
A horse, but on fire: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Rapidash
A seal: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Seel
Another seal: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Dewgong
A crab: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Krabby
Another crab: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Kingler
Flag of Monaco, but a sphere: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Voltorb
Flag of Poland, but a sphere: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Electrode
Eggs: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Exeggcute
Rhinoceros, but armored: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Rhyhorn
A seahorse: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Horsea
A koi fish: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Goldeen
A bull, but with three tails: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Tauros
Literally just a fish: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Magikarp
I could keep going, but I think the point is made. The list at https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Generation_I_Pok%C3%... has an "Origins" section for each Pokemon, and almost always it is something from the natural kingdom or mythology. If everything that could be argued "takes inspiration from" Pokemon is banned from use by anyone other than the Pokemon company, then we've effectively handed them ownership over the entire animal kingdom and human mythology.
And animals, real and mythological. We have:
An ordinary dragon, but with its tail on fire: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Charizard
A turtle, but blue: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Squirtle
A caterpillar: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Caterpie
A chubby moth: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Butterfree
A wasp, but with drills for hands: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Beedrill
A bird: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Pidgey
A purple rat (copying Milka's color scheme): https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Rattata
A bigger bird: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Fearow
A snake: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Ekans
A cobra: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Arbok
An armadillo: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Sandshrew
The nine-tailed fox from Japanese mythology: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Ninetales
The child version of the same: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Vulpix
A bat: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Zubat
Another moth: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Venomoth
An earthworm, but with a face: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Diglett
Just a persian cat: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Persian
Pitcher plant, but with a face: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Victreebel
A pony, but on fire: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Ponyta
A horse, but on fire: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Rapidash
A seal: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Seel
Another seal: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Dewgong
A crab: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Krabby
Another crab: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Kingler
Flag of Monaco, but a sphere: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Voltorb
Flag of Poland, but a sphere: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Electrode
Eggs: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Exeggcute
Rhinoceros, but armored: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Rhyhorn
A seahorse: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Horsea
A koi fish: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Goldeen
A bull, but with three tails: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Tauros
Literally just a fish: https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/Magikarp
I could keep going, but I think the point is made. The list at https://pokemon.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Generation_I_Pok%C3%... has an "Origins" section for each Pokemon, and almost always it is something from the natural kingdom or mythology. If everything that could be argued "takes inspiration from" Pokemon is banned from use by anyone other than the Pokemon company, then we've effectively handed them ownership over the entire animal kingdom and human mythology.