Thoughts on Pokemon fusion?

[RK9]

Nah, I fully prefer merging two (maybe even three) pre-existing Pokemon rather than hybridization.

I feel this is very unPokémon-like for many Pokémon. For Kyurem and Necrozma it works cause of their lore and by extent, designs.

If anything, they should do it through breeding. X and Y together make species Z, which could be considered a variant akin to Regionals.

 

[Phosphene]

I'm mostly indifferent to fusion. The two examples of fusion we have makes sense in regards to the lore of those Pokemon. However, I don't think I'd like to see the mechanic as stands expanded on any further.

While I don't hate the fusions design-wise, in fact I somewhat like Black Kyurem, I find all of them to be more on the clunky, over-designed side, especially the Necrozema fusions. And, speaking of the Necrozema fusions, I feel like the artists were lazy with the designs; Dusk Mane and Dawn Wings Necrozema just look like Solgaleo and Lunala with a color change and some parts of Necrozema tacked on. I just fear that if fusion were to be expanded on, it would lead to a bunch of awkward, lazy, and/or over-complex designs. Granted, the components of the fusions already have complex designs so I guess it makes sense that their fusion is even more complicated, and such an issue would be better avoided with less complex designs. I've definitely seen some fusion fanart that looks good, though to be honest a lot of it is like Necrozema where it's just a blend of the two forms with one being the base. I also feel that fusion is too specific to Necrozema and Kyurem that if it were expanded on, it would not only feel unfitting, but also cheapen some of the uniqueness that Necrozema and Kyurem have due to their fusion.

As for crossbreeds, I generally am not too keen on them when they just look like fusions but with a different name. Like, the design may be good-looking, buuut I prefer crossbreeds where it may inherit a few traits from the non-same-species-parent, but not enough where it looks like a fusion of both parents (there's a comparison between the two in the spoiler tag below).

Spoiler

vs

Though, as someone who likes breeding in Pokemon, I do think crossbreeds could add some nice complexity to the mechanic considering it has been mostly unchanged since gen II. Unfortunately, I don't think crossbreeding could ever be satisfyingly implemented. I think that either you'd have a small selection of Pokemon with only one or two possible crossbreeds, or an even smaller handful of Pokemon with like four to five crossbreeds. That or just Charmander with like ten crossbreeds with the most popular Pokemon.

 

[Matleo]

plus and minum, electric/fighting when fused together
volbeat and illuminise, bug/electric or bug/fire , chose form via item
dunsparce and audinio, dragon/fairy
drudigton and klefki, two forms, dragon/steel or dragon/fairy, depends on order of fusion item on them
torkoal and Cryogonal , fire/ice levitating turtle
scither and drampa, bug/dragon
comfey and Passimian , fighting/fairy
shuckle and dragalgea, poison/rock
skarmory and drampa, steel/dragon
Meowstic and Meowstic, psychic/ghost
unown and spiritomb, dark/ghost wonder guard
carvine and sudowoodo, rock/grass


baculin red and blue? water/dragon?

silvally fusion with any pokemon allowing bigger stats dual typing but boosts in stats? typing silvally disc+both typiings of other pokemon making it a tripple type pokemon, always with wings....

melmetal fussion with other pokemon steel/???, the secondary typing from other pokemon

idea neat but we would need new pokemon pairs to fuse...

many unused pokemon could gain via fusion if moves, items and abilities come into play that could help in singles to use the fusion or to do a double battle even

 

[Nicolas721]

I wouldn't mind a non-legendary version of Necrozma, as a small armor that latches onto different Pokémon, in fact I would probably like it.

Crossbreeding is a cool idea, but I only like it for new Pokemon as if it worked with older Pokemon it would feel too much like a retcon. The new Pokemon would be a blank-state dog that if you breed it with dogs from past generations you get a special kind of it, or something like that. Another option is a liger Pokémon that it's not available in the wild and you have to obtaining by breeding Pyroar with a new tiger Pokemon.

An idea I had centuries ago was that fusion would be the focus of an spin-off game, that way we could try lots of crazy combinations. But knowing Gamefreak they'll just do a main series game centered on Pikario, Gengarchomp and Mewrizard lol

 

[prog rocker]

The new Pokemon would be a blank-state dog that if you breed it with dogs from past generations you get a special kind of it, or something like that.

Reminds me of the "breeding cat" leak from SM, where you could get a variant of that cat in different types depending on the father.

 

[Puddle]

Kyurem and Necrozma's fusions are cool, but I'm not sure I'd want to see the mechanic given to more Pokémon, apart from maybe a couple more legendaries. What would be quite fun, however, is Pokémon hybrids - brand-new species of Pokémon that can be obtained by breeding two existing Pokémon while one of them holds an item similar to Incense. For example, a Pokémon called Clefachu that you can get by breeding a Pikachu and Clefairy if one of them holds a Fairy Perfume, or something. I wouldn't want them to go too overboard with these new Pokémon, maybe just a dozen or so (the item requirement would restrict the feature to a select few pairings). I'd see it as a continuation of the idea of regional forms and regional evolutions.

 

[Matleo]

instead I would want a real fusions, yes pairs that when are out together or ion party could be fused and send out together. You would lose a move slot to send a stronger pokemon out.
They could last 3 turns be stronger stats maybe +125 then megas with type change and ability change.

Generation 9 a region where many pokemon learned to unite and fuse via "fuse band" to take on larger threats. Pokemon Combine and Pokemon Solution.

Some pokemon when entering battle could defuse into two forms(one substitute) and start a double battle???

creating such pairs and adding per 1 or 2 from 8 past generations wouldnt be a such problem.

Stonejourner and Comfee, rock/fairy , or Stonejourner and a mono ghost type, ghost/rock

Even a pair of legendaries that could realy fuse together would be better then Kyruem and Necrozmas fusion like forms... those could be then either rethinked, at least Necrozmas...

 

[Puddle]

Come to think of it, if a Unova remake ever happens, I'd also love to see a new Kyurem form called Original Kyurem - the result of it fusing with both Reshiram and Zekrom simultaneously. Perhaps this could be a temporary transformation that occurs during battle, similar to Ultra Necrozma.

 

[Bolt Strike]

I think it could work as a powerup form, much like Megas and Gigantamax. They could give us some, but not for every Pokemon, so it'd be best to handle it like that. I'd personally like to see more of a Burst type of mechanic, I want to be able to fuse with my Pokemon. That's pretty much the ultimate bond between trainer and Pokemon, where they merge to become one physical being.

 

[Shib]

Eurgh, trainers merging with their Pokémon would be a huge no for me - the Nihilego Lusamine was about as close as I’m ok with. Something like Ashachu becoming canon to the games is the last thing I’d want personally.

 

[Silktree]

Spoiler: Guess

How come no one's mentioned that Cylarex can apparently fuse with either one of two horse legendaries?

The mechanic has been overplayed with Kyurem, Necrozma (they only needed fusion because they couldn't come up with two "ultimate" forms or let go of the dual version formula) and to a limited extent Zygarde. I think I even prefer Eternamax, as weird as it is.

What's meaningfully different from doing that as opposed to clicking on the Reveal Glass for Landorus?

Sucking the life out of another Pokemon, temporarily anyway.

 

[prog rocker]

Something like Ashachu becoming canon to the games is the last thing I’d want personally.

Don't forget Ash-Beautifly and the fanmade Ash-Wurmple and Ash-Silcoon.

Now that I think about it, I guess I wouldn't like it either. I checked how it was down in ReBurst and the designs didn't look appealing or cool.

 

[Esserise]

Sucking the life out of another Pokemon, temporarily anyway.

Obviously the lore is different. But from a gameplay perspective?

 

[Nicolas721]

Human + Pokemon fusion would be useful for the anime, but in the games it wouldn't add much since you go from controlling a creature to controlling another creature, so it wouldn't be a mechanic change in the literal sense, like how using Ash Greninja hurts Ash in the games but in the games it's just a regular Mega Evolution. So I doubt they'll implement it the way battles are right now. Also, many Pokemon being human-like on their final stage is probably meant to give the feeling that they became that way because of their time with you.

 

[Emmy]

Human + Pokemon fusion would be useful for the anime, but in the games it wouldn't add much since you go from controlling a creature to controlling another creature, so it wouldn't be a mechanic change in the literal sense, like how using Ash Greninja hurts Ash in the games but in the games it's just a regular Mega Evolution. So I doubt they'll implement it the way battles are right now. Also, many Pokemon being human-like on their final stage is probably meant to give the feeling that they became that way because of their time with you.

It's funny you should mention that as when we first saw the "hero's statue" in a trailer for SW/SH my immediate thought was that Zacian and Zamazenta had (temporarily) fused with a human in order to overcome the Darkest Day. Whilst that only happened metaphorically in the actual game itself, I could see a Pokémon/Human "fusion" where they become a knight with armour based on the prior Pokémon's form - as you say definitely more likely in an animated product rather than a game though.

 

[prog rocker]

I... don't know if it would work there. Sure, I'm speaking from what I remember of Reburst designs.

Maybe there's someone out there with good designs?

 

[Matleo]

back to fusion, whats the problem if we get a generation of new pokemon that learned to combine themselfs during battle for short period via using a new item ? like both need to hold the other half and they can fuse when they want... even during singles?
the disadvantage would be when in single battle you use it, you lose 2 pokemon when fusing the new one and when it fainst... 3 turns duration similar to Dynamax? but with maybe new type combo, ability like megas have but with a little higher stats then they got? +125 or +150?

we had 51 megas??? and 32 gigantamax till now???

I could imagine crating 30 or 40 new forms for 60 or 80 new pokemon... and 11 forms for 22 old unused pokemon couples from each generation... we would get a new mechanic, something diffrent then we had with megas and dynamax... maybe even some tripple fussions??? for tripple battles??? only few only one generation?

double battles could become more interesting then, single battles too when during a 6vs single battle you could use a fused one by caling the other out...

For anime would be actually great. Also wanted once a region where You have all battles in gyms and league always as double battles or posibility to chose that format. Or a gym with tripple battle...

Imagine the battle format when using 6 pokemon , 3 double battles, that would be very interesting to see.

 

[Leaf_Ranger]

I don't want it anymore than what's been used just because of how it lacks explanation and leaves more questions than answers.
In B2/W2 I simply didn't liked the need for an item with the name "DNA" included in order to achieve fusion because if Shellder can bite Slowpoke and make it evolve into Slowbro there can be a easier way to achieve fusion, more so in the case of Kyurem, where both Reshiram and Zekrom came from it, so it could have been justify with the White and Black orb being absorbed back into Kyurem.
While evolution (and devolution!!) is somewhat separate from fusion, both raise questions as to why some can and others can't (I'm looking at you Rowan and Elm!) which connected to the lack of more lore and properly build myths leads me to not wanting to see things get messier than what they already are.
Last but not least, fusion would just be another excuse for "new" Pkmn in games' roosters and save time in creating new Pkmn. Invest time in creating new Pkmn that can cover the type-matching (and real-life animals) we're lacking instead of perhaps using fusion to justify why a Pkmn would be Grass and Fire because it's a fusion of Leafeon and Flareon.

 

[Esserise]

Relating to what @Silktree mentioned, though, I do think it is odd that in the two cases we have seen, they've portrayed the fusion process as uncomfortably nonconsensual during the storyline, but then don't do anything to resolve the ethics of further fusion instances conducted under your own command.

It's like... yes, I can, in the abstract, deduce that your Trainer character is presumably an ethical person who would make sure that both Pokémon are in agreement about the process before having Necrozma or Kyurem combine with their counterparts. But that isn't really made explicit, and what is made explicit is what N says about hearing Reshiram/Zekrom's voice from inside the fusion, saying that it wishes to be separated, and what the Pokédex says about Solgaleo/Lunala no longer having a will of their own, and using loaded terms like "exploited," "subjugated," and "forcing the unfortunate Pokémon to emit its light." So the fact that people get this impression of the player subjecting Reshiram/Zekrom or Solgaleo/Lunala to a terrible fate just so the player can have a stronger Pokémon isn't really surprising, and that's really off-brand for Pokémon's usual tone.

It's even weirder because Kyurem and Necrozma aren't exactly unsympathetic; they're like wounded animals in some sense, which in turn creates a lose-lose scenario in which fusion is framed as a violation of the target Pokémon's autonomy, while leaving them separated condemns the absorber to continual agony. So of course I would like to help them, but that shouldn't come at another Pokémon's expense unwillingly. I think it would be easy enough to write in something about how Reshiram/Zekrom and Solgaleo/Lunala can recognize Kyurem/Necrozma's plight and wish to share their power with them in order to help, so I'm kind of shocked that Game Freak haven't really done anything like that. That sort of gesture would more clearly emphasize empathy and cooperation, which are much more properly aligned with the values that the series likes to promote.

 

[Nicolas721]

@Esserise I don't think it's a big deal, as any Pokemon you caught can be taken as "good" as soon as you caught it so its intentions will always be good. I think breeding (which has no restrictions besides gender and egg groups, the game handwaves it saying that sex isn't involved but it's still weird to see a mother and her grandson being able to make one) and mass release are bigger betrayals of the franchise's friendship lessons.