Thread: Mermaids!

In Magical Pokémon Journey, there's mermaids, which leads to a question--could mermaids in that world be the result of breeding between humans and water-types? Or did they develop on their own?

I reference my post in "Pokémon Eggs":

Originally Posted by Me, duh.

If Nintendo didn't have a problem with beastality, then why do they have a problem with the...um...birds and the bees? Makes me wonder if that's how the Humanshape egg group came along...

Maybe some archaic "Pokumans" (Pokémon humans) come around and lay the eggs. After all, it's only said that they never saw Pokémon lay the eggs.

But if that's true (long ago Pokémon and humans couldn't be told apart) then how did modern humans come along? Last time I checked, we're placental mammals. Or maybe Ash's mom is just an echidna in a human guise. =P

Ancient wall writings found deep in the Oreburgh Mine written in Unown:

"XXX HOT HUMAN ON HYPNO ACTION"

Originally Posted by Blackjack Palazzo

In Magical Pokémon Journey, there's mermaids, which leads to a question--could mermaids in that world be the result of breeding between humans and water-types? Or did they develop on their own?

Magical Pokémon Journey is that Shojo manga right?

Well, it certainly doesn't follow the same canon as the rest of the franchise then. (Only Pikachu is unable to talk human, everyone else is.)

Mermaids in the Pokémon world would be the exact same thing as mermaids are in the real world. Totally imaginary creatures with no souls (or soles).

No, Jigglypuff, Wigglytuff, Articuno, and several more don't speak human and have to be translated with subtitles. And I think the issue moreover is that the majority of pokemon speak their own language and the humans can just all understand it for some reason, since there was a big deal made over Clefairy and Squirtle's ability to talk.

And the "doesn't follow the same canon as the rest of the franchise" doesn't make sense. None of these splitoffs follow the same canon as the other splitoffs, even if they're based on another (ie, Special and the games, for instance).

So mermaids *are* canon...in MPJ. They exist, and are shown in no uncertain terms. Hazel isn't even that surprised to see one, she's more "Oh, a mermaid!". Just because they don't show up in any other Pokemon story doesn't lessen their existance in MPJ.

Originally Posted by Blackjack Palazzo

No, Jigglypuff, Wigglytuff, Articuno, and several more don't speak human and have to be translated with subtitles. And I think the issue moreover is that the majority of pokemon speak their own language and the humans can just all understand it for some reason, since there was a big deal made over Clefairy and Squirtle's ability to talk.

And the "doesn't follow the same canon as the rest of the franchise" doesn't make sense. None of these splitoffs follow the same canon as the other splitoffs, even if they're based on another (ie, Special and the games, for instance).

So mermaids *are* canon...in MPJ. They exist, and are shown in no uncertain terms. Hazel isn't even that surprised to see one, she's more "Oh, a mermaid!". Just because they don't show up in any other Pokemon story doesn't lessen their existance in MPJ.

Yeah, and besides, even IF you don't count MPJ, it was hinted in almost all forms of the franchise (except maybe the TCG, but then again, they don't really have much of a story or plot) that Mermaids have at least existed some time ago. (In the games (and all forms of the franchise [not counting TCG]) Misty was referred to as the "Tomboyish Mermaid", there were mentions of Mermaids in Vaporeon's Pokedex entry, and in the anime, there was a ballet that was based off of The Little Mermaid that Misty was involved in because her sisters needed attention from their fans.).

Also, just because most pokemon aren't speaking the human language doesn't necessarily mean they can't talk. Otherwise, every race would be under the belief that every other race can't talk just because they don't speak the same language as us.

BTW, PDL, as for Mermaids being imaginary and not having souls:

1. I think that Merpeople would have had to exist, since it seemed to be common belief that they existed. Plus, they recorded it in their captains logs (If they didn't exist, why would they mention it in their logs.), plus, If someone was under the belief that they saw something that doesn't even exist and talks about it to everyone, they would send that person to the nuthouse.

2. (Sigh... I'm really sorry for having to mention it to you, Blackjack, but I just wanted to make a point with PDL) If our almighty father was able to give every single known lifeform a "Soul", who says he didn't give the Merpeople souls?

anyways, that's all for now.

Originally Posted by Weedle Mchairybug

Yeah, and besides, even IF you don't count MPJ, it was hinted in almost all forms of the franchise (except maybe the TCG, but then again, they don't really have much of a story or plot) that Mermaids have at least existed some time ago. (In the games (and all forms of the franchise [not counting TCG]) Misty was referred to as the "Tomboyish Mermaid", there were mentions of Mermaids in Vaporeon's Pokedex entry, and in the anime, there was a ballet that was based off of The Little Mermaid that Misty was involved in because her sisters needed attention from their fans.).

That doesn't mean mermaids existed in the animeverse though, just that someone came up with the *idea* of mermaids. Granted, they *could* exist, but for lack of seeing them (as we do in MPJ), it's probably closer to our world where we have stories of them.

Also, just because most pokemon aren't speaking the human language doesn't necessarily mean they can't talk. Otherwise, every race would be under the belief that every other race can't talk just because they don't speak the same language as us.

I think you're being overly pedantic in this case. For the purposes of this thread, "speak" means "speak any known human language".

You guys are totally forgetting that the mermaid legend was inspired by sightings of Manatees and Dugongs that ancient mariners thought were women with the lower body of a fish.

Just replace "Dugong" with "Dewgong" and you've got how ancient mariners of the Pokémon world could invent legends about mermaids.

My question wasn't "what pokemon could people have mistaken for mermaids" though. It was "since there's canon mermaids in one of the series, could they be the result of crossbreeding or are they their own species?"

Originally Posted by Blackjack Palazzo

My question wasn't "what pokemon could people have mistaken for mermaids" though. It was "since there's canon mermaids in one of the series, could they be the result of crossbreeding or are they their own species?"

The only answer I can think off to such a question is...

A wizard did it. Or possibly Hazel's Grandpa. (He counts as a wizard).

Or the serious answer would be that they are their own spieces.

If our almighty father was able to give every single known lifeform a "Soul", who says he didn't give the Merpeople souls?

It's specifically stated within the legend of the little mermaid (The Hans Christain Anderson version, not the Disney one.) that mermaids did not possess a human soul. The only one that managed to earn one was the titular little mermaid.

Hans Christian Andersen was one storyteller though, and he didn't invent mermaids.

...dammit, now we're veering off talking about mermaids in general. I don't think "do they have souls" so much matters to the question at hand.

It was just a silly comment. Why on earth are you people decide to 'sperg out on this is beyond me.

Originally Posted by Weedle Mchairybug

Yeah, and besides, even IF you don't count MPJ, it was hinted in almost all forms of the franchise (except maybe the TCG, but then again, they don't really have much of a story or plot) that Mermaids have at least existed some time ago. (In the games (and all forms of the franchise [not counting TCG]) Misty was referred to as the "Tomboyish Mermaid", there were mentions of Mermaids in Vaporeon's Pokedex entry, and in the anime, there was a ballet that was based off of The Little Mermaid that Misty was involved in because her sisters needed attention from their fans.).

That doesn't hint mermaids existed. All it proves is that mermaids existed in mythology.

The "tomboyish mermaid" would refer to Misty's personality of not being a girly-girl and her fascination with water types.

The dex entry of Vaporeon states that its tail is often mistaken as the tail of a mermaid. However, Manitees were often mistaken as mermaids aswell by sea farers. It does not prove they really existed outside the MPJ universe.

2. (Sigh... I'm really sorry for having to mention it to you, Blackjack, but I just wanted to make a point with PDL) If our almighty father was able to give every single known lifeform a "Soul", who says he didn't give the Merpeople souls?

Was? You mean He's not able to anymore? Sorry for the nitpicking, but really, what PDL said was most likely a set up for his joke. And I find it strange that someone so religious doesn't take care to capitalize the words when refering to God, yet capitalizes the word soul.

EDIT: Just to point out, I'm trying to mock how no one in the fandom has a sense of humour.

Mabye, but couldn't mermaids be referance to the People of the Water in Movie 9

Going back to what I think was the initial question...

I don't think any mermaids in the Pokemon universe stemmed from humans breeding with Water types (and that would be kinda disturbing).

The reason I say this is based on game mechanics alone. I can breed my female Glalie with a male Snorunt, and I get a Snorunt. Not a cute little Geodude in a hoodie. Which would be adorable, but I digress.

So if those mechanics still apply, if a human were to breed with...um...a fish Pokemon, I don't think a "fusion" would occur.

Was that what you were looking for?

convergent evolution, methinks. in other words, mermaids are a type of pokemon that evolved to fill the same role in the sea that humans do on land.