Be it understood we are speaking of Athos. During the five or six years that he had lived in the strictest intimacy with his companions, Porthos and Aramis, they could remember having often seen him smile, but had never heard him laugh. His words were brief and expressive, conveying all that was meant, and no more; no embellishments, no embroidery, no arabesques. His conversation was a matter of fact, without a single romance.
Although Athos was scarcely thirty years old, and was of great personal beauty and intelligence of mind, no one knew whether he had ever had a mistress. He never spoke of women. He certainly did not prevent others from speaking of them before him, although it was easy to perceive that this kind of conversation, in which he only mingled by bitter words and misanthropic remarks, was very disagreeable to him. His reserve, his roughness, and his silence made almost an old man of him.

I’m Luke Summerhayes, and I love Cobalion.
The Unova region is, for the most part, based on the real-world area around New York City. Despite this, some Pokémon take inspiration from other regions of the Americas overall, and some from quite different regions entirely. The starter trio are based on European, Chinese and Japanese history, Cofagrigus is an Egyptian Sarcophagus and Darmanitan is based on a Japanese new year tradition.
Then we have the Swords of Justice, this game’s trio of legendary Pokémon who perhaps gave a hint about the sixth generation by being based on the eponymous heroes of the French Novel The Three Musketeers, but Alexander Dumas. These musketeers were swashbuckling servants to the king and queen of France, fighting for love, honor and many things in between.
Cobalion is a steel and fighting type Pokémon which looks like a four-legged mammal, perhaps a deer or a horse, combined with the gentlemanly collar and ruff of a European gentleman. It stands up straight and has a perpetually serious expression.
White
It has a body and heart of steel. Its glare is sufficient to make even an unruly Pokémon obey it.

Shield
From the moment it's born, this Pokémon radiates the air of a leader. Its presence will calm even vicious foes.

Among Pokémon’s three swords of justice, Cobalion takes the role of Athos from the three musketeers. Athos was a man of few words but strong virtue, the de facto leader of the three, later four, heroes.
Black
This legendary Pokémon battled against humans to protect Pokémon. Its personality is calm and composed.

Sword
This Pokémon appears in a legend alongside Terrakion and Virizion, fighting against humans in defense of the Unova region's Pokémon.
This is interesting, as Galar is the region based on the UK, and in the France of the 17th century in which the Three Musketeers was set, England was a sworn enemy.
In the Crown Tundra DLC, though, the player could find and befriend the three Pokémon, perhaps reflecting that England and France are now stalwart allies. Before Galar, of course, the Swords of Justice could be found in Unova. In Pokémon Black and White, Cobalion is found in Mistralton Cave. In Black 2 and White 2, Cobalion will actually approach the player on Route 13.
France has always been close to the USA, unlike England. The French Revolution and the American Revolution shared goals and even heroes, eventually leading to France gifting the US the famous statue of liberty – perhaps that’s why these French Pokémon are actually here, the novel having been written in 1884 and having some undertones of anti-royal, revolutionary sentiment.
ANDY
Andy isn’t quite right; rather than a cobalt lion, this is a cobalt stallion. Cobalion represents both the 17th century gentleman hero and his loyal steed in one Pokémon.
And though it didn’t seem it at first, Cobalion did turn out to be quite a hero. It has high speed and defensive stats, along with the sturdy steel and fighting type combination, making it less immediately appealing than more aggressive monsters but actually giving it a lot of use as a support Pokémon. It eventually became popular in the fifth generation, and its unique typing was even more useful in the smaller rosters of the eighth and ninth generations.
The swords of Justice are not quite as famous as the legendary birds, dogs and titans of earlier generations, nor even the tapus or the ruins of later generations, perhaps lacking in a certain uniqueness. They represent an odd French connection which would have been a shame to miss in a New York-based region, and if few words are spoken of them, that seems appropriate to the noble personage of Athos the Musketeer.

Original music for Luke Loves Pokémon is by Jonathan Cromie. Artwork is by Katie Groves. Funding is provided by listeners at Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast and want to check out other shows by me and my friends, head to podcastiopodcastius.org.
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I love Cobalion. And remember, I love you too.