#pokemon folklore

[everyday-pokemon-headcanons]

Statistically, you are more likely to see a wild Togekiss closer to holidays than any other time of year. Traditionalists insist the Pokémon are attracted to the increase of generosity, charity, and goodwill.

My grandma used to say if I saw one, I could wish for something nice to happen to someone, and the Togekiss would make it come true.

[historianofgalar]

With Typhlosion trending, I think it's time to bring up the, "Humans and pokemon were one in the same," and the implications that humans uses to breed with pokemon. Please do not worry, this post is as SFW as it can be, but I do apologize for some other stuff that mighr be brought into it. I'm just discussing the origins of where these ideas came from.

"Did people mary pokemon?"

Yes, and while I'm sure there are some... different cases, most of the marriage worked differently than human marriages. The marriage itself was about the union; not the romance or the children that were expected of from marriage at the time. I explained it in this post, but the Diamond and Pearl clans of Sinnoh would "mary" their lord or lady pokemon, not in a romantic sense, but in a union sense. The wardens would still be allowed to have relations with or marry humans. Even outside of the clans, there were some instances of people marrying their pokemon to show a union between them that wasn't romantic.

In modern day, marrying your pokemon partner is considered taboo due to the modern ideas of marriage focusing on the romantic aspect of it only. Modern-day members of the Diamond and Pearl clans will still sometimes have the practices of weddings with their lord or lady pokemon, even if they are not legally married. It's important to know that, if you're meeting a warden who is married to their lord or lady, that they are bonded in marriage, but not in the way that modern society sees marriage.

The clans have always seemed to view pokemon as one of them. There are instances of people calling their partner pokemon their brothers, sisters, parents, or children. While I do not originate from these clans, I do follow a similar belief. I have been partners with my Dragapult, Aosmhor, since I was 10 years old, and she feels like a sister to me. I do not use pokeballs on my pokemon (accept for Mallaithe the Runerigus, but that was a catch-or-die situation) because I follow a similar belief that they can be used to control your pokemon. These pokemon feel like family to me, and I do not wish to put them into tiny balls.

"Can humans and pokemon have kids?"

Theoretically? Yes. But not with just any pokemon. It's assumed that humans could potentially make a successful embryo with related species to us, like Oranguru or Gardevoir, but no one (that we know of) has ever tried to make an embryo in a lab or anywhere else. There could've been some potential hybrids in history, but nothing ever fully concrete.

//Don't come at me, I didn't just pull this outta my ass. There was a successful human/chimpanzee embryo in a lab

"Where did the myths of humans having children with pokemon originate?"

One reason is that it was most likely to explain why a pokemon looks the way it does. Typhlosion can be mistaken for human from a faraway distance (same height as a human, very human-like eyes, sometimes walks on 2 legs), and people back then must've thought it was part human/part pokemon. It's also why there are so many myths of Ghost Types once being human; to explain their odd behaviours. While I'm actually a believer that some ghost types were once human (Yamask, Spiritomb), pokemon like Gengar most likely weren't human. But, there are myths of it once being human because it follows humans, hides in human's shadows and, despite its wideness, it is the same height as a small human.

The stories could also just be for entertainment or to teach a lesson. A common theme amongst a lot of folklore is, "don't be tricked by seduction." Since fairytales love their symbolism, they'd often use pokemon such as Foxmon or Humanoid-mon as the symbolism for seduction, since many foxes are able to do magic or are just very sneaky, and some humanoid-mons can be easy to mistake for human women. It's why there's so much folklore of Zoroark turning into beautiful women, Primarina luring men to their deaths, and Kantonian Ninetales luring men into the woods with illusions of beautiful women. It's not literal; it's all a metaphor.

Some do have a grain of truth, though. Zoroark would use their illusions to look like humans, but Hisuian Zoroark rarely did this since they wanted to avoid humans. Primarina have beautiful voices that would enchant any sailor, but since they were still wild Pokemon, the Primarina must've felt threatened or scared by the sailors and would harm them in self defense. Ninetales create illusions from fire, and will sometimes use these illusdions to keep people away. But, they rarely ever do it to keep people in the forest, since they dont like anyone in their territory, and the illusions were often scary. But, for the sake of storytelling snd explaining things they couldnt understand, they would change it.

Then there's Frolass, who will just lure men away and freeze them. That one's real. Beware of Froslass if you're a man or too masculine presenting. Unless you're my kid apparently. Froslass just get confused looking at them...

[nerdpokemonheadcanons]

Historians constantly argue over whether the Two Heroes from Galarian folklore were meant to be brothers, lovers, or just good friends. It doesn’t help that no written version of the story remains.

[ikoni-dweebs]

so then the digging of the path?

Looks like it's storytime hours on the blog today! : D

I ain't complaining.

Alright, you asked for it, here for your reading pleasure is~

The Digging of the Path

There were once two friends who lived on either side of the mountain. Each time one wanted to visit the other they had to climb up and up and over and down, over stone, over hill, to reach the other side.

"I'm tired of this," said the one friend as he entered the other's house for a visit. "Up and over and down for days, oh that we could just walk through the mountain!"

"Through the mountain," the other shook his head, "what a thought, but only pokemon, the burrowing sorts, know how to do that."

"Well can we not enlist them?!" cried the first, "surely they could help us ."

"We can ask," the other agreed.

And so the two friends found an group of Diglett and Dugtrio.

"Oh little moles," they said, "would you help us dig a path through the mountain so my friend and I can visit more easily?"

But the diglett and the dugtrio shook their heads.

"We are too too too too busy busy busy!" they exclaimed, "digging tunnels for ourselves and our big big families. We do not have time to dig for you."

So hearing they found a group of drilbur and excadrill.

"Oh little moles!" they cried, "would you help us dig a path through the mountain?

But the drilbur and the excadrill laughed.

"We are busy busy busy! We are digging holes for our own friends, we are digging for worms and bugs. We have no time to dig for you!."

The friends, hearing this thought to despair, but then a small, low voice piped up.

"I can dig for you."

The friends looked down to see a small dunsparce lying nearby.

"You!" they exclaimed, but we have seen you, and we know that you are slow and lazy besides!"

"I take my time," said the dunsparce, calmly, "and it serves me well. I am not busy and I can help you dig."

"But... you are so small!"

"But I know the ways of the mountain better than any, for I am older than the moles and have seen much more. If you will have me... I will help you dig."

Having no better recourse than this at any rate, the two friends led the dunsparce to space of the mountain through which they wished it to dig. "It will take... some time," said the dunsparce. "You will not see me for a while."

The two friends bid the dunsparce goodbye, and were quite surprised to see it quickly burrow into the earth.

"Well that's that," said one friend, "I doubt we shall see him again."

"Perhaps next spring we can ask the diglett again," sighed the other.

They went their separate ways, planning to meet again the following spring.

Time passed and neither friend thought much of the little dunsparce, and when he did he would chuckle to himself. Surely it had gotten itself lost or given up for matters more meaningful to a dunsparce.

The next spring, however, as the second friend prepared to visit the first, he was surprised to reach the mountain pass and find a large cave. No, a large tunnel, wide enough for three tauros to walk down sideways!

Disbelieving, he took a step inside and looked around. A pair of large white eyes shone out at him. After letting his own eyes adjust to the dark he could it was an enormous dudunsparce looking back at him.

"I have made this passage for you," it said in a familiar, slow voice, "I will make other passages yet. Let you and your kind never forget the perseverance of mine."

The friend promised he would not and thanked the dudunsparce heartily. When the pokemon had retreated he made his way to the other side of the passage where he met his friend, and after relating his adventure, both agreed never to forget the kindness and fortitude of the dunsparce.

It's not as good as the other imo, but it's a nice little story anyway.

I hope you all have enjoyed storytime with Aelita! lol

~Aelita

[pokemonthingsandstuff]

Sylveons are often associated with fairy tales. Not as companions of princesses, though, but that might change out of Galar. They're actually more commonly associated with knights, since Sylveons are "dragon-slayers." I've still got the Galarian legend memorized, of the Sylveon that saved the region and his master.

Yes, this does mean Sylveons are seen as masculine pokemon in Galar. I keep confusing my cousins in Kalos whenever I bring up any old Galar myths with Sylveons. It kind of sucks, because I'm literally named after that legend. (And Pre-War legends, but that legend was based off of an old legend from waaaaay before anything when everything went bad, and that's as far as I can track it.) That makes two-and-a-half Fairy pokemon associated with masculinity in Galar. The other one is Grimmsnarl, since they're an all-male species, and the half is Zacian. Zacian is known both as the Fairy Queen and the Fairy King's Sword. They're still settling on it.

Galarian Rapidash is mostly associated with princesses, though. Not knights, funnily enough. They're pretty horses, y'know? Knights got different pokemon. Like, really different pokemon. Corviknights and Arcanines, Ryhorns and even Flygons and one Lapras, but never a Rapidash. Weird, huh? I've even heard a legends of a Mudsdale mount. It's a lot of fun to read through old legends, but it's hard to talk about them.

[yetanotherpokemonheadcanonblog]

In Sinno-Fioric folklore, whenever an Unown is exposed to its mirror image, the mirror will shatter. It’s attributed to Unown’s role as messenger between realms and that the message it delivers can never be falsified. This also includes every individual Unown.

In some stories, mirrors also shatter whenever Unown are close.

[ken-pen]

It is said that the children that die in violence or abuse are reborn as joey kangaskhan, able to enjoy the love of a parent in their new life.

[kalosianbiologist]

Kalosian Folklore speaks of a young lady named Milosine who had a Milotic’s body from the waist down. Legends say that once every seven years you can see her exploring castle ruins as either a beautiful lady or a Golden Milotic. She carries a necklace with a key around her neck, and it is said that whoever takes the key from her will free her and may claim her as their bride.