POTW Pokémon of the Week #4: Porygon, Porygon2, and Porygon-Z

[Maniacal Engineer]

When determining Porygon's biology and/or physiology, an interesting fact to remember is that, at least in all of the main series games, all Pokémon can be stored in boxes on a PC.
This, essentially, means that all Pokémon can be converted into binary data that a machine can read and store.
Porygon existing in the physical world is merely a reversal of this process, so, since the Pokémon world has the technology to convert from biological lifeform into computer data, it stands to reason that it can do the reverse, especially considering the fact that all Pokémon can be withdrawn from the PC.

When talking about whether or not Porygon breeds with a Ditto or merely copies itself, it's important to note that, just like any other species, when a Porygon is bred, the offspring has different IVs and sometimes a different Nature and Ability than its parent, suggesting some form of data recombination, much like when biological species breed.

Just my two cents.

 

[TeaWest]

On it's own, Porygon can barely do even that

I find it hilarious that Porygon was UU back in Red/Blue.

Sharpen and Hyper Beam, then Recover FTW

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

I find it hilarious that Porygon was UU back in Red/Blue.

Sharpen and Hyper Beam, then Recover FTW

TBF, I think there only was OU and UU back in RBY...

 

[Sunsette]

When determining Porygon's biology and/or physiology, an interesting fact to remember is that, at least in all of the main series games, all Pokémon can be stored in boxes on a PC.
This, essentially, means that all Pokémon can be converted into binary data that a machine can read and store.
Porygon existing in the physical world is merely a reversal of this process, so, since the Pokémon world has the technology to convert from biological lifeform into computer data, it stands to reason that it can do the reverse, especially considering the fact that all Pokémon can be withdrawn from the PC.

When talking about whether or not Porygon breeds with a Ditto or merely copies itself, it's important to note that, just like any other species, when a Porygon is bred, the offspring has different IVs and sometimes a different Nature and Ability than its parent, suggesting some form of data recombination, much like when biological species breed.

Just my two cents.

You can also naturally end up with a shiny Porygon, which further suggests DNA variation if you consider shinies to be akin to different coat patterns or colors as in real-world animals.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

The fact that a Shiny Porygon exists at all is an interesting point.
Did Silph Co. program in the possibility of Porygon having an alternate color scheme, or did it develop that capability on its own through some sort of data mutation or corruption?

Using the games as a basis, Porygon was created at the time of Gen I, if not earlier. Shinies weren't possible until Gen II. While you can argue that it's because RBY were for the GameBoy Pocket, which had no color capabilities, I still say it's an interesting line of thought...but then FRLG come along and ruin my fun.

It's still an interesting question, though...

 

[PikaPaz]

Oh seizures... don't you hate them. They kill all fun.
But anyway I think that Porygon is a pretty cool character and deserves more love. If the seizure incident didn't happen things would've been different.

 

[TeaWest]

TBF, I think there only was OU and UU back in RBY...

I had no idea D:
I guess that means every Pokemon's a winner to some degree in RBY, haha

 

[PaulTheProtist]

I had no idea D:
I guess that means every Pokemon's a winner to some degree in RBY, haha

NU existed in Gen I.

RU, "PU", and AG didn't, though.

 

[SirOni]

The Porygon-line has a cool naming scheme which I always like to see in Pokemon species. Porygon to Porygon2 is simply the next version of the software. Porygon2 to Porygon-Z is pretty neat since not only does 'Z' look like a misshapen '2', alluding to its corrupted nature, but it also refer to the Z-axis as it is a 3D created entity and that 'Z' is the last letter in the alphabet just like it's the last of its evolutionary line. I just really love when a name has so many fitting interpretations.

Something I recently started thinking about is what can the Porygon-line tell us about trade evolution. Most people probably don't give it much thought as anything else than just a game mechanic to foster socialization but seeing its effects on an artificial Pokemon really makes me wonder about its in-universe properties. Various media say that trading infuses the Pokemon with a strange energy that allows certain species to evolve. Does this mean that people discovered how to utilize this energy and incorporated this knowledge into Porygon? Or maybe this ability to evolve by trade was something that Porygon was discovered to have and so people utilized this to upgrade the initial version of Porygon?

Speaking of utilizing strange energies I've also started wondering about what could become of a MegaPorygon-Z. If one were to exist that would imply that humans may have some form of technical control over Infinity Energy and can create Mega Stones without resorting to nuking a region. With Porygon-Z being a corrupted upgrade I also wonder if its Mega would be designed as a fix to its dubious properties. Another possibility is that Porygon-Z could be corrupted even further when going Mega due to either the Mega Stone creation technology being new or that the technology is in the hands of a villain team which is reminiscent of the theory that the Dubious Disc was created by Team Galactic. There is a lot of good story potential there just by how close the Porygon-line is with humanity and technological development.

 

[CrystaI]

When Porygon is a manmade pokemon not born naturally, I doubt its alternative shiny colour version is due to any mutation of avatar data. Also, as it can change its physical body condition with the move Conversion and Conversion2 at any time with will, technically speaking it is already capable in "physical mutation" being one of its ability, so IMO it doesn't seems like any like of albinism causing its alternative colour.

What I speculated, is merely an alternative default body colour of the Porygon, where the producer produced it for the sake of "specialty". In fact, if this is the case, I really doubted that there may exists many different looks of the "special version", as that is something set up by the producer, hence it means it is something adjustable.

 

[Jolty94]

• Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
• How is this Pokémon in-game?
• How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
• Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
• How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
• If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
• What do you think constitutes life in the Pokémon World? Are Porygon and its evolutions alive?
• Who do you think created the Dubious Disk?

- Yes, I've always liked Porygon and it's line.
- I love using Porygon 2 with an Eviolite in-game, it's actually won me many wi-fi battles.
- In terms of general competitive play I use the same Porygon 2 Eviolite strategy with Tri Attack, Recover, Ice Beam & Toxic.
- I have seen the banned episode and was saddened at the end 'cause we won't ever see Porygon or it's line in the anime again (apart from World of Pokémon openings ofc).
- In terms of the our world question; I think Porygon would live amongst other dimensions or at least have the ability to. Which would also make them just as rare as they already are in the wild on 'Earth'.
- I would probably give it more availability in possibly a future game, maybe have someone give you one in Sun/Moon? I wouldn't really ever want to see them in the wild though, unless there's a setting for it, like a possible portal to another dimension (Torn World ect).
- I don't think they are "alive" as I've always imagined them as virtual. They are just that.
- The Dubious Disc question is tough 'cause I'd like to believe it was a Team Rocket scientist that made both the Up-Grade and Dubious Disc. But other games have lead me to believe that Team Galactic or Plasma may have even created at least the latter.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

So let's talk about the Dubious Disc.

I'm reasonably certain that Team Galactic is responsible for creating it.

Aside from the fact that Porygon-Z was introduced in Gen IV, in the games that Team Galactic was in, there's more specific data to work with.

I will mostly be using Pokémon Platinum for evidence gathering both since I am more familiar with it and because it's got a much better storyline than DP.

First off, it's very reasonable to believe that the Dubious Disc was not made by Silph Co, both from the literal flavor of the item (both in English and Japanese, as its Japanese item name translates to Dubious Patch, referring to a software patch), and the item description itself. The item description, in every game that the Dubious Disc can be found in, clearly mentions that it's producer is unknown. Compare this to the much less sinisterly named Upgrade, which mentions Silph Co. as the programmer in its item description.

Now, onto the actual evidence for Team Galactic.
1. In Platinum, the Upgrade is found in their Eterna City building, while the first instance of the Dubious Disc is found in their Veilstone Headquarters.
2. In Veilstone City, in Platinum, a man will give you a Porygon that he says ran away from the Team Galactic Building.
3. Team Galactic was rich. This is stated in game and shown by the fact that they flat out own a building in Eterna City and a massive HQ in Veilstone. It is also somewhat implied that they have a hand in the Veilstone Game Corner.
4. Starting with Platinum, and in most of the subsequent games, Porygon-Z's Dex entry explicitly mentions that it was designed to work in "alien dimensions." Team Galactic was researching time and space, which make up the four dimensions of reality. Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic was secretly trying to create a new universe. It stands to reason that he had the Galactic scientist research means of accessing "alien dimensions," which could potentially be translated as "alternate realities" or dimensions beyond the standard known four dimensions.
5. The Galactic scientists certainly have the skill to have created the Dubious Disc. They were able to duplicate an exact Red Chain using fragments of a Red Chain extracted from the Lake Trio. In term of technical skill, duplicating a chain capable of binding the Legendary Pokémon of Time and Space successfully is a lot more difficult than creating a buggy program patch for Porygon2.
6. Villainous Teams have been responsible for the creation of Pokémon. In the anime, Team Rocket is responsible for bankrolling the creation of Mewtwo. In Black and White, Genesect's Dex entry clearly states that it was created by Team Plasma.
7. Timeline theory: allegedly the events of Platinum take place at the same time as GSC/HGSS. That being the case, Porygon2 would still be a relatively recent development, as it had been unavailable two years earlier during the events of RBY/FRLG and RSE. This could explain why both why there was interest in modifying Porygon's programming, and why the initial attempt to do so didn't work as planned. Silph Co. released the patch, Team Galactic got ahold of the patch, and modified it. The technology and concept being new, however, and Silph Co. programming in a copy protection code, meant the the attempt worked, but the result was buggy. (Perhaps Porygon-Z should be part Bug type. )

In any case, the first three points are facts within the game, and from those facts it becomes apparent that Team Galactic was doing something that involved Porygon.

The latter four points are merely speculation, sometimes based on game facts, that attempt to explain or support this theory's feasibility.

Is this theory perfect? Not at all. It doesn't explain how a copy of the Dubious Disc ended up on Sinnoh Route 225 (although, at least in Platinum, one could theoretically say that Charon dropped it on his way to Stark Mountain...), or how a copy of the Dubious Disc ended up on Johto Route 42.

However, I think that Team Galactic certainly had the means, the know-how, the motive, and the opportunity to create the Dubious Disc, and this Porygon-Z.

 

[Lone_Garurumon]

I fell like the Galactic theory makes a certain mount of sense, they WERE looking to make an alternate universe. An important part of that would be to ensure it's habitable, Porygon-Z would be sent in to gather readings and determine if Cyrus could survive in it. Of course that is sort of ruined by Cyrus jumping straight into the Distortion world without hesitation in Platinum, but you have the Porygon they were experimenting on, they couldn't make a Porygon-Z, Cyrus just had to leap and pray. It's a shame I got here too late to partake in the philosophical discussion that is Porygon, everything I could say has been said already.

Porygon was originally programmed by scientists at Silph Co. and is officially the first artificial Pokémon ever created.

Spoiler: I'm sorry but I just have to bring these guys up.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

@Lone_Garurumon, I refer you to Porygon's FireRed Pokedex entry, wherein it clearly states that Porygon is the first ever artificial Pokemon.
None of the above Pokemon count as an artificial Pokemon by Porygon's standards, as Porygon is made out of digital data, while the above are made out of physical materials, namely clay or metal, respectively.
Additionally, there is not as big of a question as to whether or not those Pokemon can be considered "alive," because it is fairly clear in all of their cases that they are "alive."

When talking about Golett and Golurk, they are based on the Jewish mythology of the Golem of Prague, which was considered to be alive. If you'd like a further discussion on the particular mythos of the Golem of Prague, I'd be happy to discuss it elsewhere.

Magearna, on the other hand, has it's Soul-Heart thing, which is what makes it alive.

A lot of this comes down to what is considered to be "alive," but a lot of traditional or philosophical definitions involve having some sort of soul. Both the Golett family and Magearna have a soul.
Porygon is just data in a physically manifested form.

 

[Lone_Garurumon]

I did know about the Golem of Prague, but I never actually drew the link between it and Golett and Golurk. Now that I think about it though it does actually make sense.
I wasn't contesting who was alive and who wasn't, just that they were man-made, thereby making them artificial, whether alive or not.
The mention of their materials brings an important point though. A hunk of metal or clay is no more "alive" than a hunk of computer data, yet the data is still capable of doing things if told to do so. The metal or clay however would need to be animated in some way, the most common way is to give it a "soul" or "heart". Which would give it "life" by the traditional standards. Porygon (being data and so able to do things already) didn't need these things to function, so why bother giving it one? It is this theory that makes me think Porygon is not "alive" by the traditional standards.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

I suppose it depends on your definition of the word "artificial," but remember, we're not talking about our world, we're talking about the Pokemon world.
Being made out of physical materials, Golett, Golurk, and Magearna are still very much so real, and follow all the laws of nature as dictated by the Pokemon universe.
The Geodude family, the Rhyhorn family, Onix, and many other Pokemon are made out of rocks and would be considered "artificial" by our world's standards. Additionally, Pokemon like Honedge, Steelix, Magnemite, and more are made out of steel or other metals, and are also not "artificial" by the Pokemon world's standards.

You might say that the difference is that Golett, Golurk, and Magearna were all crafted by human hands, while none of the above were, but so was Mewtwo, using genetic biological materials.

Porygon's Dex entries (namely the aforementioned FireRed, as well as Diamond and Pearl) explicitly mention that Porygon is the world's first artificial Pokemon.
Now the other thing to consider is that there could be a translation issue here. Porygon and its evolutions are the Virtual Pokemon. Magearna is known as the Artificial Pokemon.
It would be interesting to actually understand the original Japanese for these three sources. Alas, not yet...

 

[Lone_Garurumon]

artificial
ɑːtɪˈfɪʃ(ə)l/
adjective

1. made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural.
   "her skin glowed in the artificial light"

There's no evidence of the Geodude family, the Ryhorn family, the Steelix family, etc. being made by humans, thereby making them natural. This does actually make Mewtwo artificial too, especially given that it's a copy of the natural Mew.
Golett, Golurk, Magearna, Porygons, and Mewtwo, are all artificial, despite most of them being easily considered "alive".

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

Again, you're using real world principles to dictate what happens in the Pokemon world.

When discussing artificial, in the context of the PokeWorld, to reconcile the Dex entries from FR, and DP, it stands to reason that artificial means digitally created or virtual, hence how, in spite of previous man made Pokemon existing, Porygon could still be the first. Granted, you could always say that the Dex was limited by human knowledge at the time and Golett, Golurk, and Magearna did not exist in Gen IV or earlier. On the other hand, I don't believe that the researchers who put the entries into the Dex in the first place would have done so without some form of fact checking. Myths about Golett, Golurk, and Magearna must have existed, or, at the very least, myths regarding Golett and Golurk must have existed, even in DPPt and before. Magearna is another story and another theory for another day, but everything beyond Gen V takes place in an alternate universe from Gen I-V, and so has no bearing on what happens in Gen I-V.

Lastly, if someone who understands Japanese could take a look at the Japanese Dex entries, and the Pokemon "categories" for the Porygon family and Magearna, I'd appreciate it. I know that something is always lost in translation, and I'd like a little more insight here.

 

[CrystaI]

In Japanese, Magearna is known as the "manmade pokemon", whereas Porygon is known as "virtual pokemon" (Beta category being "CG pokemon"), just the same as English.

BTW, in the Japanese dex entries, Porygon DP dex entries did said it explicitly that Porygon is the first artificial pokemon.
DP: せかいで はじめて じんこうてきに つくりだされた ポケモン。でんしくうかんを いどうできる。

Though, very strangely, in the first RGB Japanese dex entry, it never said it is being the "first ever" artificial pokemon. It is simply said that with the latest science technology an artificial pokemon is finally produced. But by literal meaning, it does heavily implies it is being the "first ever" artificial pokemon.
RGB: さいこうの かがくりょくを つかい ついに じんこうの ポケモンを つくることに せいこうした。
GS: けんきゅうのすえ うみだされた じんこうの ポケモン。きほんてきな どうさしか プログラムされていない。
Crystal, XY: ポケモンけんきゅう のため うみだされた じんこうの ポケモン。プログラムにない うごきはできない。
Pt, BW, B2W2: さいこうの かがくりょくで うみだされた じんこうの ポケモン。でんしくうかんを いどうできる。

Maybe, in my speculation, in terms of Pokemon World standard, manmade pokemon produced through alchemy is not considered as "artificial" as they had some kind of a "living soul" within their body. But Porygon being a cluster of digital data is classified as "artificial", because it doesn't contain a "soul" like any living creature, despite it can move and think like normal pokemon, but that is because of the complicate data process result of its program rather than reactions of its "soul".

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

First of all, thank you. That was very helpful and very insightful.

In Japanese, Magearna is known as the "manmade pokemon", whereas Porygon is known as "virtual pokemon" (Beta category being "CG pokemon"), just the same as English.

Specifically "manmade?" Not "artificial?" In other words, does Magearna's category use a different word than Porygon's Dex entries? In English, it's the same word for both.

BTW, in the Japanese dex entries, Porygon DP dex entries did said it explicitly that Porygon is the first artificial pokemon.
DP: せかいで はじめて じんこうてきに つくりだされた ポケモン。でんしくうかんを いどうできる。

Though, very strangely, in the first RGB Japanese dex entry, it never said it is being the "first ever" artificial pokemon. It is simply said that with the latest science technology an artificial pokemon is finally produced. But by literal meaning, it does heavily implies it is being the "first ever" artificial pokemon.
RGB: さいこうの かがくりょくを つかい ついに じんこうの ポケモンを つくることに せいこうした。
GS: けんきゅうのすえ うみだされた じんこうの ポケモン。きほんてきな どうさしか プログラムされていない。
Crystal, XY: ポケモンけんきゅう のため うみだされた じんこうの ポケモン。プログラムにない うごきはできない。
Pt, BW, B2W2: さいこうの かがくりょくで うみだされた じんこうの ポケモン。でんしくうかんを いどうできる。

It's similar with the English Dex entries. RBY don't actually say that it's the "first" artificial Pokemon, though it is heavily implied.
FireRed is the first Dex entry to explicitly say that Porygon is the first artificial Pokemon created, and DP follow.

Maybe, in my speculation, in terms of Pokemon World standard, manmade pokemon produced through alchemy is not considered as "artificial" as they had some kind of a "living soul" within their body. But Porygon being a cluster of digital data is classified as "artificial", because it doesn't contain a "soul" like any living creature, despite it can move and think like normal pokemon, but that is because of the complicate data process result of its program rather than reactions of its "soul".

Yeah, this is what I was thinking as well. It makes sense that the Pokemon World has different interpretations of "artificial" than the real world, especially since some "natural" Pokemon have interesting origin stories.
A good example would be Kadabra, which, allegedly, came into being when a boy with psychic powers randomly woke up one morning and was a Kadabra.
Or the Regigolems which were not man made, but were created from raw materials by Regigigas.
Or Yamask, which is born from dead people.

Natural and artificial in the Pokémon world have very different meanings than they do in the real world.