Human–Pokémon transformation
The subject of this article has no official name. The name currently in use is a fan designator; see below for more information. |
People and Pokémon have exhibited the ability to transform into each other's forms under special circumstances, such as due to human technology or the mystical abilities of Pokémon.
Human-to-Pokémon transformation
Under various unusual circumstances, there have been humans who have transformed into Pokémon.
In the core series games
- In the Kanto-based games, Bill accidentally combines himself with a Pokémon and transforms into either Nidorino, Clefairy, or an indistinct Pokémon () while performing a teleportation experiment.
- In the Sinnoh-based games, a book in Canalave Library contains a folk story about a Pokémon living in a forest that sheds its hide to sleep as a human, and when awoken the human dons the Pokémon hide to roam villages.[1]
Pokédex entries
A few Pokédex entries refer to Pokémon that were once human. It is uncertain how some of these Pokémon transformed or ended up the way they are.
Pokémon | Description |
---|---|
Kadabra |
A Pokédex entry states that one morning a boy with extrasensory powers awoke in bed transformed into Kadabra.[2]
Pocket Monsters Encyclopedia expands the entry explaining it's only the plot of a book called "The Transformation". |
Gengar |
Gengar was once a human itself. It tries to create another one by taking the lives of other humans.[3] |
Cofagrigus |
People say that Cofagrigus was once human but it no longer remembers it.[4] |
Iron Hands |
Iron Hands is said to be a mortally wounded athlete who was kept alive by being made into a cyborg.[5][6] |
In the spin-off games
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series
In the majority of the Mystery Dungeon series, the player character is a human who has been transformed into a Pokémon.
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX: The hero was asked to save the world by Gardevoir. They volunteered to transform into a Pokémon, and voluntarily chose to erase their memories as a human. It is also eventually revealed that Gengar of Team Meanies also used to be a human, who was cursed by a Ninetales to be reborn as a Pokémon.
- In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescuer's Guide and Nintendo Power issue 209, the player character is referred to as an aspiring/apprentice Trainer which is reminicent of the plot of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team as well.
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky: The hero, along with their partner Grovyle, was traveling to the past on a mission to collect the Time Gears and prevent the planet's paralysis. However, while traveling through time, they were attacked by Darkrai, who sought to stop them from changing the dark future. As a result of this incident, the hero was transformed into a Pokémon.
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity: The hero was asked to save the Pokémon world in a dream by Hydreigon, the Voice of Life. They transform into a Pokémon and fall from the sky into the Pokémon world. Later in the game, Hydreigon reveals that many other humans were also summoned to the Pokémon world, but the rest of them were defeated by Munna's gang and sent back to the human world.
- Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: The hero was summoned to the Pokémon world by the spirit of Mew, who they defeated Dark Matter together with in the ancient past. However, after arriving in the Pokémon world, they were attacked by Nuzleaf and Beheeyem, who knocked them out. After waking up, they had lost all their memories, to which Nuzleaf took advantage of to deceive them. At the end of the main game, the player's partner, revealed to be a reincarnation of Mew, reveals that the hero had asked for their memories to be erased before coming to the Pokémon world.
Spoilers end here. |
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In animation
- In the Pokémon the Series episode Hocus Pokémon, Ash was transformed into a Pikachu by a magic spell from Lily.
- In the tenth Pokémon movie The Rise of Darkrai, Baron Alberto was transformed into a Lickilicky.
- In the POKÉTOON episode Help! I've Turned into a Gengar, Hilary somehow temporarily transforms into a Gengar.
In the novels
Pokémon Tales
In I'm Not Pikachu!, a boy who transformed into Pikachu meets a girl who transformed into Mew and a boy who transformed into Mewtwo. Several other children have also transformed into a group of other Pikachu, Mew, and Mewtwo. This happened because they all watched a Pokémon movie starring those three Pokémon species (the movie is not identified in the plot, but this book is a tie-in to Pokémon: The First Movie). The Pikachu boy mentions at some point: "The movie was so much fun, we all turned into Pokémon!", and later "I guess if you really love a movie, you can turn into the star!" In the end, the Pikachu boy tells the reader that they can turn into a Pokémon by watching a Pokémon movie too, but they will wake up as a human again after a good night's sleep.
Pokémon formed from human spirits
This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. |
In the core series games
Pokédex entries
Several Pokémon, particularly Ghost types, are stated in the Pokédex to be formed from the spirits or souls of deceased humans.
Pokémon | Description |
---|---|
Ninetales |
According to an enduring legend, nine noble saints were united and reincarnated as Ninetales.[7] |
Gastly |
Poisonous gas comprises 95% of its body. It's said that the remaining 5% is made up of the souls of those who died from the gas.[8] |
Hitmonchan |
The spirit of a pro boxer has infused this Pokémon. It is said to be the spirit of a boxer who aimed to become the world champion.[9] |
Lombre |
Old folklore in Kitakami tells of a mischievous child who was reborn as a Pokémon.[10] |
Drifloon |
Drifloon is a Pokémon formed by the spirits of people and Pokémon.[11] It likes to steal away children to the afterlife and expands each time it leads someone away.[12] |
Drifblim |
The raw material for the gas inside Drifblim's body is composed of souls.[13] |
Spiritomb |
Spiritomb was formed from 108 spirits bound to a fissure in an Odd Keystone as punishment for misdeeds 500 years ago. It is uncertain if those spirits were humans.[14] |
Froslass |
Froslass was born when the soul of a woman met her end on a snowy mountain bearing a grudge and regrets.[15] |
Yamask |
Yamask is said to arose from the spirits of people interred in graves in past ages retaining memories of its former life.[16] The mask they bear used to be its face when it was human.[17] |
Frillish |
Legend has it that the residents of a sunken ancient city changed into these Pokémon.[18] |
Cryogonal |
It is said that people and Pokémon who die on snowy mountains are reborn into these Pokémon.[19] |
Honedge |
Honedge's soul once belonged to a person who was killed a long time ago by the sword that makes up Honedge's body.[20] |
Phantump |
According to old tales, these Pokémon are stumps possessed by the spirits of children who died while lost in the forest.[21] |
Pokémon-to-human transformation
Some Pokémon have moves or Abilities, such as Transform and Illusion, that allow them to take the form of humans. Some notable examples of Pokémon shown doing this are Ditto, Mew, Latias, Zorua, and Zoroark.
In the core series games
- In Pokémon Black and White, a wild Zorua in Castelia City takes an appearance of a boy who does not talk.
- In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, a wild Zoroark in Lostlorn Forest utilizes its ability to create illusions, transforming itself first into a woman inside a mobile trailer, and then into a backpacker. It engages in a brief conversation with the player before revealing its true form.
- In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, at the Police Station on Route 9 and in Konikoni City, there's a sidequest where player needs to find and battle five Ditto transformed into humans.
In the spin-off games
Pokémon Masters EX
In Pokémon Masters EX, the April Fools' Day 2022 event Find the Ditto impostors! features several Trainer duplicates which are in fact Ditto transformed into humans. Similarly, in the story event Threads of Strength, a Camper has his Ditto transform into Red so he can pretend to be Red's friend.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Ditto summoned from the Poké Ball transforms into a purple version of the fighter who used this item.
In animation
Pokémon the Series
- At the end of EP098, in the Professor Oak's Big Pokémon Examination segment, a Ditto transforms itself into Professor Oak.
- In Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias, Latias changes its appearance and disguises itself as Bianca.
- In Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, Manaphy swaps consciousness of Pokémon and human characters with the move Heart Swap.
- In Zoroark: Master of Illusions, a wild Zorua likes to use its illusions to transform into people it meets, though its tail is still visible and will revert back to its true form if it is grabbed.
- In Movie Time! Zorua in "The Legend of the Pokémon Knight"!, Luke's Zorua plays tricks on characters like Georgia by transforming into them.
In live action
- In POKÉMON Detective Pikachu, Ms. Norman is a genetically modified Ditto who can transform into humans. It usually takes human form as Howard Clifford's female personal assistant, and is also seen transforming into Roger Clifford and Lucy Stevens.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
- The Latias befriended by Emerald often disguises herself as a human in order to blend in with her surroundings.
The Electric Tale of Pikachu
Pokémon Newspaper Strip
Gallery
- For more images of Latias, see Eon duo (Adventures) → Gallery
Trivia
- Sometimes the emotions of humans can form into Pokémon:
- Sandygast was created when grudges of the dead possessed a mound of sand and became a Pokémon.[22]
- The fiery blades on Ceruledge's arms burn fiercely with the lingering resentment of a sword wielder who fell before accomplishing their goal.[23]
- The four Pokémon of the treasures of ruin, Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu, and Chi-Yu, are said to be born from the grudges, hate, fear, and envy of people.[24]
- Supposedly, Poltchageist was born from the regrets of a tea ceremony master who died before perfecting his craft.[25]
- In Pokémon X and Y and Masters EX, Valerie expresses her desire to become a Pokémon and creates clothing to imitate one.[26]
- At Pokéstar Studios, some movies rely on human characters acting like Pokémon, where they acquire properties of Pokémon like type, Ability, moves, and statistics. These humans are Black Belt, Brycen-Man, and Monica.
- Similarly, Pokémon sometimes can become Trainers, like Ledian in the Timegate Traveler Series, or wild Oranguru.[27]
References
- ↑ "Sinnoh Folk Story 2": There lived a Pokémon in a forest. In the forest, the Pokémon shed its hide to sleep as a human. Awakened, the human dons the Pokémon hide to roam villages. (Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- It happened one morning - a boy with extrasensory powers awoke in bed transformed into Kadabra. (Pokémon FireRed)
- It is rumored that a boy with psychic abilities suddenly transformed into Kadabra while he was assisting research into extrasensory powers. (Pokémon Emerald)
- A theory exists that this Pokémon was a young boy who couldn't control his psychic powers and ended up transformed into [Kadabra]. (Pokémon Sun)
- There are rumors that a child with mystical powers became a Kadabra; however, this remains unverified. [...] (Pokémon Legends: Arceus)
- ↑ Pokédex entry: [Gengar] apparently wishes for a traveling companion. Since it was once human itself, it tries to create one by taking the lives of other humans. (Pokémon Moon)
- ↑ Pokédex entry: [...] People say [Cofagrigus] no longer remembers that it was once human. (Pokémon Sword)
- ↑ Occulture magazine: A leading theory holds that Iron Hands was once an athlete who became mortally wounded but was kept alive by being made into a cyborg. Why it so strongly resembles Hariyama, however, remains unanswered. (Pokémon Violet)
- ↑ Pokédex entry: [Iron Hands] is very similar to a cyborg covered exclusively by a paranormal magazine. The cyborg was said to be the modified form of a certain athlete. (Pokémon Scarlet)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- According to an enduring legend, nine noble saints were united and reincarnated as [Ninetales]. (Pokémon Yellow, Let's Go, Pikachu!, and Let's Go, Eevee!)
- Legend has it that Ninetales came into being when nine wizards possessing sacred powers merged into one. [...] (Pokémon Sapphire and Alpha Sapphire)
- Legend has it that [Ninetales] was formed when nine saints coalesced into one. (Pokémon Sun)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- It's said that gas emanating from a graveyard was possessed by the grievances of the deceased and thus became [Gastly]. (Pokémon Ultra Sun)
- Poisonous gas comprises 95% of [Gastly's] body. It's said that the remaining 5% is made up of the souls of those who died from the gas. (Pokémon Ultra Moon)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- Hitmonchan is said to possess the spirit of a boxer who had been working toward a world championship. (Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire)
- The spirit of a pro boxer has infused [Hitmonchan]. (Pokémon FireRed and Y)
- A Hitmonchan is said to possess the spirit of a boxer who aimed to become the world champion. (Pokémon Emerald)
- ↑ Pokédex entry: Old folklore in Kitakami tells of a mischievous child who was reborn as [Lombre]. (Pokémon Scarlet and Violet - The Teal Mask)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- [Drifloon is] A Pokémon formed by the spirits of people and Pokémon. [...] (Pokémon Diamond, X, Omega Ruby, and Brilliant Diamond)
- [Drifloon's] round body is stuffed with souls [..]. (Pokémon Ultra Sun)
- Wandering souls gathered together to form [Drifloon]. (Pokémon Ultra Moon)
- The gathering of many souls gave rise to [Drifloon]. (Pokémon Shield)
- [...] Some whisper that Drifloon are formed of reincarnated human souls, but these rumors are as yet unconfirmed. (Pokémon Legends: Arceus)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- [Drifloon] tugs on the hands of children to steal them away. [...] (Pokémon Pearl and Shining Pearl)
- It is whispered that any child who mistakes Drifloon for a balloon and holds on to it could wind up missing. (Pokémon HeartGold, ,SoulSilver, and Scarlet)
- [...] Children holding [Drifloon] sometimes vanish. (Pokémon Black 2, White 2, Y, and Alpha Sapphire)
- Stories go that [Drifloon] grabs the hands of small children and drags them away to the afterlife. (Pokémon Sun)
- [Drifloon] expands each time it leads someone away. (Pokémon Ultra Sun)
- [Drifloon is] Said to lure away young children and carry them off to the afterlife. [...] (Pokémon Legends: Arceus)
- ↑ Multiple Pokémon entries:
- The raw material for the gas inside [Drifblim's] body is souls. [...] (Pokémon Ultra Moon)
- Some say [Drifblim] is a collection of souls burdened with regrets, silently drifting through the dusk. (Pokémon Sword)
- ↑ All of Spiritombs' Pokédex entries
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- Legends in snowy regions say that a woman who was lost on an icy mountain was reborn as Froslass. (Pokémon HeartGold, SoulSilver, Y, and Alpha Sapphire)
- The soul of a woman lost on a snowy mountain possessed an icicle, becoming [Froslass]. (Pokémon Moon)
- After a woman met her end on a snowy mountain, her regrets lingered on. From them, [Froslass] was born. (Pokémon Sword)
- [Froslass is] A Pokémon inhabited by the soul of a woman who died bearing a grudge in the snowy mountains. [...] (Pokémon Legends: Arceus)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- [Yamask] arose from the spirits of people interred in graves [in past agesW]. Each retains memories of its former life. (Pokémon White, Black 2, White 2, X, and Omega Ruby)
- The spirit of a person from a bygone age became [Yamask]. [...] (Pokémon Shield)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- Each of [Yamask] carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. [...] (Pokémon Black, Y, and Alpha Sapphire)
- [Yamask] wanders through ruins by night, carrying a mask that's said to have been the face it had when it was still human. (Pokémon Sword)
- ↑ Pokédex entry (male ♂): Legend has it that the residents of a sunken ancient city changed into [Frillish]. (Pokémon Shield)
- ↑ Pokédex entry: [...] It is said that people and Pokémon who die on snowy mountains are reborn into [Cryogonal]. (Pokémon Scarlet)
- ↑ Pokédex entry: Honedge's soul once belonged to a person who was killed a long time ago by the sword that makes up Honedge's body. (Pokémon Sword)
- ↑ multiple Pokédex entries:
- [Phantump] are created when spirits possess rotten tree stumps. [...] (Pokémon X and Omega Ruby)
- According to old tales, [Phantump] are stumps possessed by the spirits of children who died while lost in the forest. (Pokémon Y and Alpha Sapphire)
- [Phantump] are stumps possessed by the spirits of children who died in the forest. [...] (Pokémon Sun)
- An unknown spirit came to lodge in a tree stump, creating [Phantump]. [...] (Pokémon Ultra Moon)
- After a lost child perished in the forest, their spirit possessed a tree stump, causing the spirit's rebirth as [Phantump]. (Pokémon Sword)
- [Phantump] came to be when the spirit of a deceased child possessed a tree stump. [...] (Pokémon Violet)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- Born from a sand mound playfully built by a child, [Sandygast] embodies the grudges of the departed. (Pokémon Sun)
- Grudges of the dead have possessed a mound of sand and become [Sandygast]. [...] (Pokémon Sword)
- ↑ Pokédex entry: The fiery blades on [Ceruledge's] arms burn fiercely with the lingering resentment of a sword wielder who fell before accomplishing their goal. (Pokémon Scarlet)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- The grudge of a person punished for writing the king’s evil deeds upon wooden tablets has clad itself in dead leaves to become [Wo-Chien]. (Pokémon Scarlet)
- The hatred of those who perished by the sword long ago has clad itself in snow and become [Chien-Pao]. (Pokémon Violet)
- The fear poured into an ancient ritual vessel has clad itself in rocks and dirt to become [Ting-Lu]. (Pokémon Scarlet)
- The envy accumulated within curved beads that sparked multiple conflicts has clad itself in fire and become [Chi-Yu]. (Pokémon Violet)
- ↑ Pokédex entry: Supposedly, the regrets of a tea ceremony master who died before perfecting his craft lingered in some matcha and became [Poltchageist]. (Pokémon Scarlet)
- ↑ Valerie: "I've always wanted to be a Pokémon, you see. That desire is my inspiration and what I try to achieve by designing." (Pokémon X and Y)
- ↑ Multiple Pokédex entries:
- [...] [Oranguru] throws Poké Balls and gives other Pokémon orders as it pleases. (Pokémon Ultra Sun)
- [...] Oranguru skillfully gives instructions to other Pokémon. (Pokémon Sword)
- People used to mistake Oranguru for a human when they saw it issue command after command to the other Pokémon of the forest. (Pokémon Scarlet)
Related articles
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms. |