What are your game headcanons?

[Tood]

The type chart is considerably more complicated in-universe, compared to the games. While the general match-ups tend to apply, there are additional factors affecting type effectiveness that alter damage taken, and are mostly based on the environment and the biology of the Pokemon. This can lead to the creation of regional forms in the more extreme cases. Like, Chandelure, Graveler and Electrode are all 2x weak to ground, but in-universe, the multiplier wouldn't be as such. If I used Earthquake on them:

• Chandelure would take less damage than 2x (if any) because it floats.
• Graveler would take less damage than 2x because even if they roll off a cliff or break, they're used to it and could recover fairly quickly as a result.
• Electrode would take more damage than 2x because it has to expend energy trying to reorient its round body and trying not to explode.
• etc.

Also, in-universe, Pokemon moves are limited to four in battles to make battling more fair for Pokemon with limited abilities. As an example, a pokemon with wings, limbs, claws, fangs, and elemental powers vs. an armless, legless fish out of water whose only ability is spitting water would be a bit of a curb-stomp battle if it happened in real life. You use more than four if your Pokemon can do it and you really want to use one for some reason, but it makes you look like a scumbag if you do so during trainer battles.

 

[BackSet]

The whole "Pokemon aren't evil" thing is true, but they're not good either. With a few exceptions (some psychic types, legendaries, etc) they are pretty neutral on the morality scale.

For example: You wouldn't call a wolf evil for eating a deer. Similarly, in the Pokemon world, you wouldn't call a Mightyena evil for eating a Sawsbuck.

You wouldn't call a Lion good for protecting it's offspring (well, you might, but you shouldn't). In the Pokemon world, you wouldn't call a Pyroar good for protetcing it's offspring.

 

[Daren]

*Pay Day doesn't actually generate money out of nowhere--Pokémon with the move pick up spare change they find lying around then hurl it as an attack.

*Even though it's not shown trainers let their Pokémon out to travel with them regularly and mostly put them in their Pokéballs when biking or going through places where it would cause issues, such as tight caves or into buildings. This is based off of a number of trainers in Kanto games making comments suggesting they can see your Pokémon before the battle starts (a rocket grunt saying they "seem to adore you", one trainer commenting on how good looking they are).

 

[prog rocker]

*Even though it's not shown trainers let their Pokémon out to travel with them regularly and mostly put them in their Pokéballs when biking or going through places where it would cause issues, such as tight caves or into buildings. This is based off of a number of trainers in Kanto games making comments suggesting they can see your Pokémon before the battle starts (a rocket grunt saying they "seem to adore you", one trainer commenting on how good looking they are).

I guess this is why in Special Poké Balls are clear if I recall correctly. I might need to get back to that.

 

[Esserise]

Rationalizing Komala's Shiny quirk. The leaves that Komala normally feed on not only possess soporific qualities, but also contain a chemical that, over time, has created a sort of "immunity" within the Komala species toward the Shiny gene. Now, "immunity" isn't quite the right word here, as I believe that all Pokémon possess the gene and that it's just a matter of being dominant or recessive, but essentially, the adaptation that Komala have made in order to safely digest the chemical has also had a side-effect of preventing them from being able to express the Shiny gene.

However, there is a rare subspecies of the tree from which Komala normally gather their leaves. This subspecies has a distinctive, white-and-pink wood, and produces a different chemical that can actually restore some of Komala's expression of the gene - their body colors don't change, since those have been long-since bred out of the species due to the "immunity," but it can cause their bodies to gleam like other Shiny Pokémon.

 

[RK9]

Shinies are actually a lot more common than the games like to portray them. Shinies tend to be either the leader of their packs or they get shunned by fellow specimen, depending on the species. With people hunting them down frantically over their different colours, they aren't fans of humans and prefer to stay far away from them if they can help it, which is why you barely encounter them.

The Shiny Charm is made out of materials that strongly attract the Shiny Pokémon. This is because their genetical changes (Which aren't much but there are some very minor ones) allow them to pick up the aroma the charm emits. (Yes, the charm has an aroma around it but it's only one that Shiny Pokémon can pick up. Regular Pokémon and humans don't smell it.) It also has an alluring shine to it that attracts them, similar to how Meowth goes crazy about coins or Murkrow go after shiny things.

 

[prog rocker]

This is because their genetical changes (Which aren't much but there are some very minor ones) allow them to pick up the aroma the charm emits. (Yes, the charm has an aroma around it but it's only one that Shiny Pokémon can pick up. Regular Pokémon and humans don't smell it.)

Is it weird that I don't find this that off? At least considering the cases of people that can smell cyanide or that one woman that can see more colors than a normal human.

 

[RK9]

Is it weird that I don't find this that off? At least considering the cases of people that can smell cyanide or that one woman that can see more colors than a normal human.

Oh no, I definitely understand where you're coming from, but it's the only way I can kinda see the Shiny Charm in-universe working to draw shinies out cause otherwise... it's just a regular charm.

Tl;dr: Nope, completely valid.

 

[Esserise]

Oh no, I definitely understand where you're coming from, but it's the only way I can kinda see the Shiny Charm in-universe working to draw shinies out cause otherwise... it's just a regular charm.

A charm in a universe where the supernatural does exist, so technically you could say it's actual magic, but I kinda like the aroma theory better. Though I'm not sure it works as well with the Oval and Catching Charms. But of course, breeding is already a big mystery so we don't necessarily need to justify the Oval Charm, and maybe the Catching Charm is actually some kind of bluetooth-esque device that syncs with your Poké Balls and makes it a little more likely that they'll roll a critical catch.

 

[BackSet]

Brock doesn't open his eyes because he's learned to sense the vibrations in the earth and use those to see like Toph in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

The aggressive piano section of Cynthia’s theme is her Garchomp’s way of hyping itself up for the next massacre.

 

[prog rocker]

The Pokédex has always been complete. The professors only tell you the opposite to get you interested in exploring the world.

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

Silver’s canon starter was actually Chikorita, whose calming powers and playful personality played a key factor in his turn for the better.

 

[Giant Octopodes]

The energy which Eternatus releases messes with your brain.

That's why the Chairman acts like a crazy person, because he surrounds himself with it. That's why the region can't remember what happened in their own history and a massive coverup was successful, because they were all affected by it. That's why Piers avoids it - he's concerned about the health effects. And finally, that's why having Eternatus, despite it being the source of this energy, doesn't allow you to freely dynamax all Pokemon in your party at will. After all, Eternatus knows that if it were to go hog wild with energy release, you'd be ruined in short order.

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

The energy which Eternatus releases messes with your brain.

That's why the Chairman acts like a crazy person, because he surrounds himself with it. That's why the region can't remember what happened in their own history and a massive coverup was successful, because they were all affected by it. That's why Piers avoids it - he's concerned about the health effects. And finally, that's why having Eternatus, despite it being the source of this energy, doesn't allow you to freely dynamax all Pokemon in your party at will. After all, Eternatus knows that if it were to go hog wild with energy release, you'd be ruined in short order.

Eternatus must had affected Leon too. Three days is too quick to recover from an injury.

 

[BackSet]

Eternatus must had affected Leon too. Three days is too quick to recover from an injury.

Coulda just had a Pokemon use heal pulse or something.

 

[prog rocker]

I don't think Oak invented the Pokédex, considering Cynthia apparently had one when she started her journey (if I'm not misremembering the Sinnoh games' Hall of Fame scene).

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

Coulda just had a Pokemon use heal pulse or something.

Could do.

 

[Esserise]

That's why Piers avoids it - he's concerned about the health effects.

How would Piers know about Eternatus or its potential side-effects?

Eternatus must had affected Leon too. Three days is too quick to recover from an injury.

That rather depends on the injury, no? At any rate, it seems he got knocked unconscious - which could be indicative of a concussion, which would be rather serious, although fiction generally tends to treat being knocked out as a minor problem that you recover from very quickly. That being said, Hop tells us this:

> "And still Lee’s...well, he’s being Lee. Insisting on having a Championship Match with you today. It’s a bit much, isn’t it? You sure you’re up for it? I’m not even too sure about him. He was out cold and hurt pretty badly himself during all that mess."

Which to me sounds like Leon's pushing through it and maybe ignoring some sound medical advice (although at the very least, Pokémon battling doesn't require much physicality on the part of the Trainers, so it's not like he's heading into a rugby match or something).

I don't think Oak invented the Pokédex, considering Cynthia apparently had one when she started her journey (if I'm not misremembering the Sinnoh games' Hall of Fame scene).

Oak does explicitly refer to the Pokédex as "my invention" in the Kanto games. For some reason they decided to retcon that in DP (although Cynthia talks about it Lake Valor, not the Hall of Fame). Who knows why.

Still, LGPE may offer a sort of solution? In those games, the Pokédex is still a new invention, but Blue talks about how when he was younger, Oak tasked him with going around and recording Pokémon data with a pencil and a map. Perhaps that's the kind of "Pokédex" that Cynthia had?

 

[prog rocker]

Oak does explicitly refer to the Pokédex as "my invention" in the Kanto games. For some reason they decided to retcon that in DP (although Cynthia talks about it Lake Valor, not the Hall of Fame). Who knows why.

Still, LGPE may offer a sort of solution? In those games, the Pokédex is still a new invention, but Blue talks about how when he was younger, Oak tasked him with going around and recording Pokémon data with a pencil and a map. Perhaps that's the kind of "Pokédex" that Cynthia had?

Maybe. We might get something out of the DP remakes if they remember that line was there.