Altaria is likely based on Peng, Chinese legendary birds of enormous size, said to travel 3000 li in one flap of their mighty, cloud-like wings. They're often portrayed as having a dragon's head and whiskers.
Charizard is fiercer than Dragonite. Dratini and Dragonair >>>> Charmander and Charmeleon, though.
Also, Gyarados is a flyer in the first Pokemon series too then it's changed to dragon. Why wasn't a dragon since the very beginning? Seadra should be a dragon too not only Kingdra.
Gyarados was never changed to a dragon. It's still water/flying type.
