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So like, obviously it is, since eggs have been part of like, plots and stuff
But sometimes I do wonder if it would maybe make more sense from a worldbuilding perspective to treat breeding and eggs as nothing more than a game mechanic, with Pokémon actually reproducing in ways that make sense for each individual species. I'm certainly not the first to point out some of the absurd implications of the existing breeding system if taken as an actual phenomenon that can occur within the world of the games. A whale mating with a cat, a whale mating with an acorn, parent Marowak existing alongside the children that are actively wearing their skulls, or Kangaskhan being born with child in a truly astonishing feat of reproductive efficiency. And perhaps the thorniest issue of Pokémon that are said to have been human at some point, like Yamask, Ninetales, or Spiritomb - does someone (or some nine, or some 108) in the world just happen to keel over whenever one of these things are born? And all of that's without even getting into the fate of all those mass-released breedjects that people keep unleashing onto the ecosystem.
The interesting thing is that sometimes, albeit rarely, the series does describe (or at least, alleges) the "bespoke" reproductive process for a species. From Entei's old Pokédex entry saying that they're born when new volcanoes form, to the official Sun & Moon site saying that Palossand's prey are thought to provide the lingering grudges around which new Sandygast are born. These, I think, generally make more sense than all Pokémon reproducing through the creation of eggs, though of course, when the series talks about that, I do at least get the sense that it's implying the presence of some sort of quasi-mystical process rather than, like, birds laying eggs after intercourse.
Then again, maybe these two processes could actually coexist with the worldbuilding? With the more individualized processes being what are more likely to occur in nature, and at the same time, coproduction of eggs being something that's more commonly enabled and encouraged by Trainers in controlled settings. I was actually curious to see if there were any real-world examples of animals with dual reproduction methods that could serve as a conceptual basis for this, but I couldn't find information on any such thing. (If someone else knows of anything like that, do please let me know!)
But sometimes I do wonder if it would maybe make more sense from a worldbuilding perspective to treat breeding and eggs as nothing more than a game mechanic, with Pokémon actually reproducing in ways that make sense for each individual species. I'm certainly not the first to point out some of the absurd implications of the existing breeding system if taken as an actual phenomenon that can occur within the world of the games. A whale mating with a cat, a whale mating with an acorn, parent Marowak existing alongside the children that are actively wearing their skulls, or Kangaskhan being born with child in a truly astonishing feat of reproductive efficiency. And perhaps the thorniest issue of Pokémon that are said to have been human at some point, like Yamask, Ninetales, or Spiritomb - does someone (or some nine, or some 108) in the world just happen to keel over whenever one of these things are born? And all of that's without even getting into the fate of all those mass-released breedjects that people keep unleashing onto the ecosystem.
The interesting thing is that sometimes, albeit rarely, the series does describe (or at least, alleges) the "bespoke" reproductive process for a species. From Entei's old Pokédex entry saying that they're born when new volcanoes form, to the official Sun & Moon site saying that Palossand's prey are thought to provide the lingering grudges around which new Sandygast are born. These, I think, generally make more sense than all Pokémon reproducing through the creation of eggs, though of course, when the series talks about that, I do at least get the sense that it's implying the presence of some sort of quasi-mystical process rather than, like, birds laying eggs after intercourse.
Then again, maybe these two processes could actually coexist with the worldbuilding? With the more individualized processes being what are more likely to occur in nature, and at the same time, coproduction of eggs being something that's more commonly enabled and encouraged by Trainers in controlled settings. I was actually curious to see if there were any real-world examples of animals with dual reproduction methods that could serve as a conceptual basis for this, but I couldn't find information on any such thing. (If someone else knows of anything like that, do please let me know!)