User:Umbramatic/Headcanon

OK...

A while back, someone proposed creating headcanon docs. I decided to do mine on the wiki, so it could safely be a WIP.

In front of each headcanon bit is the source, weither it's something I came up with myself, took from the anime or a manga, borrowed from WAAPT, PEFE, another fanwork, or even someone else's headcanon.

Here goes...

Headcanon Priorities

The games are the dominant influence on my view of the Pokemon world. A close second is interesting fanon, such as WAAPT, PEFE, or other people's headcanons, as well as stuff I make up myself. I like the anime enough that if an interesting element (or character) catches my eye I'll include it. I know very little about the various mangas, so there are few elements from there. I know even less about the TCG, so all that's from there are interesting fanon interpretations of it (such as Holon and Delta mons).

Legendaries

• (Mostly Original) Like WAAPT, but unlike the headcanon of, say, Tracer, Legendaries are beings that can be classified as either Deities, powerful angel-type beings, or cryptids.

• (Mostly original, some cues taken from WAAPT, PMD, and the anime) Most Legendaries are unique, with the exceptions of Shaymin, the Latii, and perhaps a few others. There may be one extra of at least one of the Creation Trio, for example (Due to the Arceus event).

• (Mostly original) Legendaries are sorted into "tiers" of how "godly" they are. This is not tied to BST, but rather by their origins and exactly what they have power over. Mewtwo, for example, is on the bottom, despite his sheer power, due to being artificial. The Lake Trio, on the other hand, is near the top with the Creation Trio, due to their origins and their governance over vital aspects of human and Mon condition. (Chart or something to come later.)

• (Mostly original) I assign genders to all nongendered legendaries other than Deoxys, (though Heatran and Arceus flip-flop between feminine and masculine depending on mood/because they can); However, gender is more mental for them than anything. Currently, all Water type legendaries other than Manaphy and Keldeo are female, the same being true for Reshiram (This is WAAPT-based), Celebi, and Meloetta. All others are male.

• (Original) Unlike SOME portrayals of gods -grumble grumble- the Legendaries of my HC are humanlike in both good and bad ways. (All too often overrated authors forget to include the former in their gods...)

• (Tagg's HC, mostly) One thing decidedly unhumanlike about more metaphysical Legends (such as the Creation and Tao trios) is their true forms. They are capable of driving people insane just by looking at them, which is why the Legends don't use them often. Looking at Dialga's true form, for example, is like looking at all of time at once. Looking at Zekrom's true form is like being bombarded with the ideals of every being that has ever lived.

• (Original) Arceus is VERY awesome and powerful in my HC; no paperwork or "colored water" for him. He also has a big sense of humor.

• (Original, but based on a suggestion by Tangent) More metaphysical Legends (as well as those that simply can like Mew and the Latii) can assume human form. Where they fall on the scale of "looks like a normal human" to "MUKKING GIJINKA" depends on how familar the locals are with the Legendary, so as to blend in when necessary. Flings with humans ARE known, but very rare.

• (Original) Related to the above: The Harmonia bloodline is the result of one of these flings.

• (Mostly original) Most legendaries have at least one religion centered around them. Due to Pokemon being a more idealistic world in my eye, they genrally get along far better than most real-world religions, but conflict is not unknown. These religions have many devotees, and a man you pass on the street could easily be a priest of Giratina or something.

• (Original) Darkrai is a former human sorcerer, cursed into being an eldritch bringer of nightmares for eternity. Creselia is his sister who was monified to keep his curse from going out of control.

Pokemon Biology

• (Every) Each evolutionary line is a single species. Its members are simply different stages of its life and would not be given separate scientific names.

• (Original) HSOWA-type stuff is very possible in my HC, though interspecies breeding is fairly uncommon outside of captivity, and sometimes artificial assistance is required.

• (Original) The fact that young are always the female's species is because of special enzymes found in the female gametes of Pokemon that "overwrite" incompatable parts of the male gametes' DNA. Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly how these work.

• (PEFE, mostly) Mammalian Pokemon can lay eggs or have live young. Fish and amphibian Pokemon can lay either one shelled egg or many eggs akin to those of their RL counterparts.

• (Original, mostly) Nidorina and Nidoqueen are capable of breeding, but are similar to how IRL pandas were until recently in that getting them to do so in captivity is REALLY hard.

• (Tagg) Diglett/Dugtrio dig down faster than the eye can see upon being released from their balls, which is why it's so hard to see their bodies.

• (Original/Tangent) The in-game gender ratios that aren't 50/50 are for the most part bunk.

• (WAAPT) Pokemon can learn more than four moves, though they usually only bother to remember the ones they find useful.

• (WAAPT) Pokemon are pretty much sapient. However, they are still more animalistic than humans, with Carnivore Confusion being a fact of life.

• (WAAPT) Monese exists, and has dialects like Draconic and Lapine.

• (Luke/Tagg, mostly) No two Pokemon look quite the same, with phenotypes differing more by region. However, it is generally hard for humans to tell the difference until they spend a good deal of time with Pokemon.

• (Original) Most Pokemon can live as long as humans do or longer. The few that don't (Mostly arthropods and rodents) can still live far longer than their RL counterparts. (List of lifespan tiers pending.)

• (Silent, partially) Girafarig tail-heads are capable of thinking for themselves.

• (Original) When Zweilous evolves, its heads fuse back together then resplit.

• (WAAPT/Luke/Original) Pokemon use moves differently depending on species and individual. For example, one Pokemon may use Stone Edge in a Gate Of Babylon-like effect, while another may wield a pointed stone like a sword.

• (WAAPT) Ditto are better at Transform than the Canon!Dex gives them credit for.

• (Original) Ditto and Smeargle are capable of transfoming into Legendaries, but they're incredibly gimped compared to the real deal. So if, say, a Smeargle who learned Transform changed into a White Kyurem, they could still be easily curbstomped by even Latii.

• (The anime, mostly) Early evolutions can occasionally happen if a Pokemon gets enough of a "life-or-death" adrenaline rush.

• (WAAPT) Charizard females often say "Charizard do/don't X" and variations therof as both a cultural thing and as a strangely recurring verbal tic.

• (Every, mostly) Pokemon (and to a lesser extent Pokeverse!Humans) have an insane healing factor and pain tolerance far higher than most RL lifeforms. Coupled with the fact that most actually enjoy friendly battles, the "cockfighting society" stereotype falls apart pretty fast.

Notes on Individual Types

Ghost-Types

• (Every/Original) All Ghosts are capable of phasing through solid objects and Normal/Fighting attacks, with Gastly line being the best at it (can phase through pretty much anything) and Golett line being the worst (can only phase through attacks). A similar and mostly connected scale exists for how easily a Ghost can possess an entity, with Gastly line being able to do it easily and Golett line being pretty much incapable. (Rotom are an oddity in that they normally can only possess electronic devices and machines.)

• (WAAPT/Original) Any non-Legendary Ghost that doesn't evolve from a non-Ghost is capable of being a "true" ghost, essentially a human or Pokemon brought back from the dead. However, they comprise a rather small percentage of the Ghost-type population.

• (PEFE/Original) All Ghosts are Emotion Eaters. Most are capable of eating lifeforce or souls, though some individual Ghosts consider at least the latter unethical. A few can gain nourishment from solid food. Sableye is an exception, feeding entirely on rocks and gemstones.

Fighting-Types

• (Every, mostly) All Fighting types (or anything with Fighting moves, really) can use Aura to an extent. However, only a few can use empathic abilities and more high-tier powers, such as Lucario, Miensao, Gallade, and Medicham. (Auric humans, strangely, have empathy as a basic ability.)

History

• (Origional) Prehistory is fairly similar to Earth's, with a few differences to account for superpowered fauna.

• (Original/WAAPT)The Alakagross Civilization as seen in an old, unfinished fic of mine and WAAPT, is a thing. The events of it may be different from either, however. (Interestingly, it didn't become part of my headcanon until after it was added to WAAPT; originally, it was a WMG meant to make my fic a more interesting yarn. :P)

• (WAAPT, the anime) The Aura Guardians have been a thing since ancient times, but only got more organized about 1200 years before the first-generation games (This is also about when they got the distinctive Sir Aaron-esqe uniforms). They are widely thought to have disappeared about 500 years ago, but in reality are operating in secret around the globe. Riley is obviously one of them.

Culture

• (WAAPT/Original) Pokeworld pop culture is a mix of both works completely original to the Pokeverse and parallels to things in RL pop culture.

• (Every) Pokemon training is a common practice, and trainers are usually sent out around the age of 8-15, if they wish to become a trainer. Trainers replace traditional schooling with abridged online classes, and there is a fairly profitable business in finding better ways to keep trainers educated.

• (Every) In both residential and business areas, building owners can mark their buildings with an "open to trainers sign." This will place the building on the virtual map that trainers are given at the start of their journey, and indicate that they are okay with random strangers entering their house and asking questions.

Other

• (WAAPT/Tangent) Humans occasionaly exhibit Pokemon-like powers of all types. The most common (common being a rather relative term) are Auric, (Fighting) Obscuric (Ghost and/or Dark), Draconic, and Psychic. These are are also the only ones that go beyond very simple moves or parlor tricks. It is, however, possible to increase what one is capable of with the main 5 with enough training.

• (Silent, Tagg, others?) Certain small RL animals exist, as do pretty much all non-animal lifeforms.

• (WMG by Silent) Wally is part of the Harmonia bloodline.

• (WAAPT/Silent, sorta) Wallace has a Ring Of Water. Because he's awesome.

Things to be worked out

• Male-only mons: How do they survive, especially with ones that have no female counterpart? Is a Tagg-esqe solution necessary?

• Role of the Unown: Were they an Alakagross creation? Something vital to the workings of the universe like pretty much everyone else's HC? Or something else entirely?

• Origin of Humans: Most likely extradimensional or something, but this is a bit tricky if there's a multiverse involved. Any good cross-francise interpretations?

• Shiny Legendaries: Are they phases Legendaries go through every few years out of a millennium? An enhanced power level? Something else?

• Catching Legends: Is it possible? Does the Legendary merely humor the human's desire to "own" it or is it more sympathetic then that?