The Fairy Type and Alterations to Type Chart

[NoirGrimoir]

Manaphy/Phione, Celebi, Jirachi and the Lake Trio are a group of legendary pokemon that strongly resemble fairies, but none-the-less probably won't be changed to fairy type. Only Manaphy and Phione have the slot open for it, in addition to being in the fairy egg-group, but their legendary status makes a change in their type less likely than another pokemon's. Even so, Celebi is essentially a forest fairy with associations with nature and time distortion, the lake trio are based off of feelings/sensations and Jirachi is based on wishes, so the associations might be so strong as to force a change.

Actually, the Lake Trio are all single-type psychics. Considering that they're all named after Fairies I'd be pretty surprised if they all didn't become Psy/Fairy.

So they are.

 

[Tensho]

I'm not excluding or think that it's unlikely just because a Pokémon has dual type. You all like it for Togepi line to get retype and are like "nah" when it comes to other dual types.

 

[NoirGrimoir]

The reason I like it for Togepi and not other pokemon, is because Togepi is literally a fairy and because it wouldn't make that much difference for it in terms of getting stab on Normal moves, if it lost it, since many of it main moves used competitively aren't normal type and even if they were stab Togekiss wouldn't really care all that much. neither of those things are necessarily the case with the majority of other dual typed pokemon. Changing their types would, competitively, be a very big deal, so I think GF would be much more hesitant to do so. Not that they definitely won't do it, because they clearly could if they wanted and we'd get used to it, it's just that it seems less likely that they would without a compelling reason other than, "well it does look like a fairy...", IMO. I mean, There are pokemon that live in water and are clearly aquatic (like Stunfisk and Malamar) but that aren't water type, so there's no guarantee that a pokemon that looks like a fairy will actually be typed as fairy.

 

[Zeta]

I don't know if I would call any of the Toges aside from Tic a fairy perse, but they're definitely not normal birds which is what the Normal/Flying type is supposed to indicate. Switching out Normal for Fairy also isn't as impactful on a Pokemon as it would be for say - getting rid of Psychic on Jynx and replacing it with Fairy.

 

[Lufenium]

Japanese Xerneas, Yveltal Half Decks announced for January - Bulbanews

Clefairy appearing in Xerneas' half deck could be an indicator it's becoming Fairy type.

 

[Tensho]

Why changing the other dual types such a big deal?!! It's all changing!! Gen III to Gen IV, physical special split, is it not change? Is it a big deal? Did it not affected competitive gameplay? Yeah! So what? The Poke world moved on, new strategies are discovered, new teams are built. This gen, beside the Fairy-type, Steel lost 2 of its resistances. Is it not change? Is it a big deal? Do you think it's going to affect competitive gameplay? I think so. But so what? The Poke world is going to move on. Besides, isn't this gen all about balancing the gameplay more, to make the competitive gameplay less predictable and to allow a wider variety of team builds. And you are telling me that because the other dual types that should be Fairy is going to be affected in competitive gameplay they are not very likely to be retconned. How is that even an excuse?

Look and typing, that's interesting. I'm not argue against that. But you are wrong thinking that I would be that shallow to preferred retconning Celebi, Jirachi, Victini, and Meloetta based on the fact that they look like Victorian fairies. Celebi concept of time travel + spirit of the forest = Fairyland + time skip, to me it's fairy. Jirachi wish granting = Fairy wish granting = Fairy. Victini concept is victory, fire for the "blazing glory", but where does psychic fit in?

Don't get me wrong, I want Toge line to get fairy too. I just think that you guy is too partial to Toge.

 

[NoirGrimoir]

I don't really know what you're going on about Tensho.

But anyway, I could honestly care less personally whether Celebi switches out psychic for fairy or the same happens to Victini or anyone else, and half it's moves lose stab and/or it gets a totally different niche entirely. My analysis isn't based on my personal preference. If it was up to me they'd all be fairy. But it's not up to me, it's Game Freak that have made that determination. The opinions I've given aren't based on my priorities, but on what I think game Freaks priorities are. And while I think it's a factor in their decision, I don't think they're afraid so much about how changing an already dual type pokemon's type will shake things up in the competitive sphere, but whether that change in the classic pokemon's type reflects the original intent behind that pokemon, both in inspiration and themes, and in their intended battling style, as well as how fans will react to changing classic pokemon. The whole point behind the new fairy type was to balance the game mechanics for competitive battling. Obviously the balance in competition is very important to them. It just makes sense that they would consider the pokemon's place in competition and strategy when considering whether to change their type. A type change could require changing their move set significantly to give them a new place in competitive battling and a new battling style, and all this would be fine, but these are classic characters that fans as well as the creators themselves have a lot of feelings about. Changing them could them too significantly could disgruntle a lot of people—in particular the people that buy their games and are the source of their income. So there are a lot of considerations on GF's plate other than, "Does this thing look like a fairy?" when it comes to changing their types.

So when it comes to Togepi, I say that, having weighed the various issues, I think there's a good chance that GF will choose to change their type. About other pokemon such as Celebi and Jirachi and Victini, all I can say is that, having considered how GF might see them, I'm not so confident that their types will be changed. With them it's sort of up in the air. There are equal reasons to change and not to change, in my eyes.

 

[Tensho]

It's OK. I just have to let it out.

 

[NoirGrimoir]

I feel your pain, there are a couple Dual typed pokemon I would like to be retconned to Fairy as well.

 

[FaerieStar]

I'm not excluding or think that it's unlikely just because a Pokémon has dual type. You all like it for Togepi line to get retype and are like "nah" when it comes to other dual types.

I don't exclude pokémon just for having a dual type. I know I have cited Jumpluff, Roselia and Froslass as unlikely to change, but it's not exactly because they're dual type, but because their two types are relevant to them. Like Roselia is a plant, and it's poisonous; Jumpluff is a flying plant; Froslass is an Ice ghost... So, to me, even if they would make sense as faeries, they're not likely to change, since the other 2 types make sense as they are (and there's no 3-typing o.o).
Now, in other cases, like Clefairy, Togekiss or Celebi, I don't see the normal/psychic type as really descriptive to the pokémon, but more like a placeholder type, since there wasn't a better type to explain their fairiness or their powers. So I see the change kind of more probable. It's ultimately just my opinion/speculating, though, I don't think anyone here knows for sure how the retyping will be dealt with.

 

[Bayushiyojiro]

misdreavus (or its evo) gaining fairy type would be awesomeeee. misdreavus feels kinda nondescript as a ghost right now fairy would give it a solid place.
i could see belossom (since its makes more sense than marril imo as a fairy)

 

[Tensho]

So Spritzee is shown flying in the recent anime trailer. Let's heat up the I think it's going to evolve into a Flying type again. I personally think it won't evolve into a Flying type.

 

[FaerieStar]

misdreavus (or its evo) gaining fairy type would be awesomeeee. misdreavus feels kinda nondescript as a ghost right now fairy would give it a solid place.
i could see belossom (since its makes more sense than marril imo as a fairy)

In fact, Mismagius is THE Magical pokémon. That's its species name and it also have references to magic/magus in all translations of its name. Its pokédex entries are all about magical incantantions. Its appareance is also inspired on magic users (witches). The evolutionary line concept is also partially based on Banshees (who are faeries).

Talking about witches, there's many times a diffuse line between them and faeries. Sometimes, in old myths, the same character is depicted as a faerie or as a witch/sorceress depending on the version (particularly in the Arthurian Legends, with characters like Morgan, Vivian and even the very Merlin). In more modern concepts, we have "evil" faeries, like the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty's evil faerie, or Queen Mab's from that Merlin's miniseries, whose representations are pretty close to the concept of evil witch/sorceress. And then we have Oz's Good Witch of the North, who is practicaly a modern faerie (cute, beautifully dressed, flying in a bubble...). I think this could work either way to Mismagius, though, since it can be read as Witch = Faerie, but it also can be seen as Witch = evil version of Faerie.

Misdreavus also qualifies as the playful/mischievous side of the Faerieness (playfulness is kinda a confirmed concept included in Faerie, I would say, now with that Marill's move).

That said, however, I see a few points against the Mises' Fairiness... First, it's not... "cute". Not in the same way as the confirmed faeries, anyway, who look like pure innocent creatures. Misdreavus and Mismagius are kinda scary and naughty-looking. If Faerie really is about all-goodness, the fear-feeding thing could be a reason not to make them faeries, as well. And, if Faerie is really meant to represent Light, the Dusk-Stone (Dark Stone in Japan, described as "as dark as dark can be", huh) evolution method is kind of a problem. (All of these point would be explained by the Ghost type, though. I mean, I can't think of a better concept for the Ghost/Faerie combination).


My opinion: I think Mismagius qualifies as a Faerie (as in how the Faerie type would be if I made it), but I kinda doubt it will become Faerie type. (And hence I'll rage and destroy the world).

 

[Dr. Buni]

So Spritzee is shown flying in the recent anime trailer. Let's heat up the I think it's going to evolve into a Flying type again. I personally think it won't evolve into a Flying type.

Well, it was shown flying because it have wings. Did anyone expect it to not fly? I don't think it is going to evolve into Flying either. It flies because it is a bird, it doesn't need to be Flying-type, the same way Malamar obviously can swim being based on a sea animal, but isn't a Water-type (thankfully it isn't!). I can think of three or four types that would fit it (concept-wise) better than Flying.

 

[Tensho]

So Spritzee is shown flying in the recent anime trailer. Let's heat up the I think it's going to evolve into a Flying type again. I personally think it won't evolve into a Flying type.

Well, it was shown flying because it have wings. Did anyone expect it to not fly? I don't think it is going to evolve into Flying either. It flies because it is a bird, it doesn't need to be Flying-type, the same way Malamar obviously can swim being based on a sea animal, but isn't a Water-type (thankfully it isn't!). I can think of three or four types that would fit it (concept-wise) better than Flying.

It's because it has not been shown flying before, and someone had suggested that they kind of hover and tip toe instead of fly.

 

[Zeta]

Well, it was shown flying because it have wings. Did anyone expect it to not fly? I don't think it is going to evolve into Flying either. It flies because it is a bird, it doesn't need to be Flying-type, the same way Malamar obviously can swim being based on a sea animal, but isn't a Water-type (thankfully it isn't!). I can think of three or four types that would fit it (concept-wise) better than Flying.

There are flying Pokemon that aren't Flying or Levitating type - like Beedrill and Volbeat. But they're pretty rare. And also a bit nonsensical - why is my bee too stupid to avoid earthquake? IT CAN FLY.

 

[Dr. Buni]

There are flying Pokemon that aren't Flying or Levitating type - like Beedrill and Volbeat. But they're pretty rare. And also a bit nonsensical - why is my bee too stupid to avoid earthquake? IT CAN FLY.

Yes, the difference is that none of those are based on birds. Is there a bird-based Pokémon who isn't a Flying-type? Not counting Empoleon, for obvious reasons.

 

[NoirGrimoir]

There are flying Pokemon that aren't Flying or Levitating type - like Beedrill and Volbeat. But they're pretty rare. And also a bit nonsensical - why is my bee too stupid to avoid earthquake? IT CAN FLY.

Yes, the difference is that none of those are based on birds. Is there a bird-based Pokémon who isn't a Flying-type? Not counting Empoleon, for obvious reasons.

Well, there's Blaziken. But then it doesn't really have wings, so maybe it falls under "obvious reasons?" Spritzee, however, seems a legitimate example.

And then of course there's the opposite: Doduo/Dodrio, who clearly have no means of actually flying and yet will be able to participate in Sky Battles because they are flying type, at least as far as we know they still are, anyway.

 

[Garren]

Doduo and Dodrio do have wings according to the Dex and such, it's just an artistic choice not to draw them because real birds like ostriches and such, when they have their wings folded up, they blend in with their body. And none of the other mediums have ever decided to draw them with wings unfolded because I imagine that's too big of a jump from the accepted design. It's like how Shellder's "body" is obviously supposed to be hidden in darkness with only its eyes showing, but to us looks like a black sphere, it's a purposeful cartoonish element.

Since Spritzee is a Fairy though, I don't see why it'd have to be Flying as they seem like they could "float" through magic means, even if it isn't represented in gameplay. Also, like how we jumped away from making all sea creatures Water with Stunfisk, Tynamo, and now Inkay, I'd like to see more non-Flying Type Birds. In fact, if they were made today, I think Doduo and Dodrio would've been cool Ground-type Pokemon or something.

Also I guess Torchic, Psyduck (some think it's a platypus, but I don't see it myself, I just think it's a "monster" duck), Piplup, and arguably Cresselia and Porygon (Porygon 2 in particular seems to be based off those dipping birds based on its Stadium 2 animation) would be our non-Flying Bird Pokemon.

 

[winstein]

There are quite a few Normal-types with dual type combinations so far (Fire, Electric & Fairy), so I wonder if this is one way to promote the type diversity of the Normal-types. It might be that the designers foresee the Ghost-type getting good with only one resisting type (plus Normal is immune), so these Normal-types will be important to take a Ghost attack, and it might be that this immunity might be a very important one because no other type could boast this. Sure there are Dark-types as well with their two extra resistances, but they have two other weaknesses to worry about. Since an immunity is not necessarily enough, there are other combinations with it to bolster their resistances. I can see Normals and Darks getting some importance, if Ghosts have some secret weapon that's not revealed.

On an unrelated note, I am more satisfied with Bisharp's type combination now, now that it does not have double resistances on Ghost and Dark. Of course having a double resistance is better, but seeing that on a type combination is somehow bugging me since it looks redundant. I can see Bisharp being more important than before, with that STAB combination getting more coverage than before.

Thanks for reading.