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──━══════════════════════════════════════════════ Hello everyone and welcome to this new subject of the week, presented by me! Today, we're going to tackle a topic that may not apply to all fan game projects, but which has undoubtedly touched the imagination and interest of the Pokémon fan in you in some way: the Fakemons. Indeed, the passion that the Fakemons arouse does not go back to yesterday. Through its great influence, Pokémon has proven to be a major source of inspiration on the web. Entire communities have come together around the design of Fakemons and many artists and fan games have offered and shared their creations in this area to the community. So, maybe you have already played/seen games like Pokémon Uranium or Pokémon Sage that have, as one of their features, these new Pokémon. All this to say that it is now common to come across games or drafts of projects proposing to integrate these new creatures, each more original than the other.
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Despite their strong presence in the Pokémon community as well as their popularity, there is a lot of questions to be asked about them. After all, there isn't just one way to create them, and that's why I'd like to ask you:
1.What is your source of inspiration? Mythologies, legends, historical periods, flora and fauna are all viable and often used sources of inspiration. What is your favorite type of inspiration? What culture would deserve to devote a whole Pokédex to it and which has yet been little explored? How do you do your research and your selection of ideas when you tackle a universe different from your culture? Will your theme or inspiration affect the way you evolve the Pokémon, the choice of its movepool or its abilities?
2. How do you go about making the appearance of your Fakemon? Are you trying to do as much as possible like what Game Freak and Ken Sugimori could have done? How do you manage with your creations so that they differ from their original form/inspiration without going too far? What resources and software do you use to bring them to life?
3. How do you balance them? Balancing a Fakemon's strength is just as important as its artistic design! How do you make a Pokémon relevant to combat without it being too strong? Do you compensate for the weakness of some of your Pokémon with a neat design, a Mega evolution/Gigantamax form or an important place in the lore of your game? How do you find the balance between the inspiration behind it and optimization?
4. Which Pokémon would most deserve a second form? Are you giving weaker Pokémon a second chance in your game, or are you takingPokémon that please you and that are most relevant to form the basis of your idea? Do you prefer to use Gigantamax, Megas, regional forms or alternative evolutions in order to give a fresh start to an already existing Pokémon?
As Marin said previously during another Weekly discussion: "[...]the goal of these questions is mainly to start a discussion, you don't need to perfectly answer everything." Of course, you totally could if this what you want to do! This is all for me folks, thanks to the Relic staff for letting me a chance and I wish you a rich and passionate discussion. Ciao!
1.What is your source of inspiration? Mythologies, legends, historical periods, flora and fauna are all viable and often used sources of inspiration. What is your favorite type of inspiration? What culture would deserve to devote a whole Pokédex to it and which has yet been little explored? How do you do your research and your selection of ideas when you tackle a universe different from your culture? Will your theme or inspiration affect the way you evolve the Pokémon, the choice of its movepool or its abilities?
I think I have two kinds of inspiration that are my favorite:
Starting with a new spin on existing mechanics, and then working from there
Okay it's weirdly wordy for something that's supposed to sum up an idea lol. But basically, I look at existing Pokemon and think about how they work, and if there's anything I could do to expand an existing concept or make that more exciting.
There's a lot of standard tropes that Pokemon uses in each generation- pseudo-legendaries, regional bird, rodent, and bug, Pikaclones, HM mules, etc. Lots of games will make these anyways just for the sake of tradition, so why not mess with the formula? Maybe ditch the traditional Dragon/Normal/Electric typing, and try something else with them! Even the canon games get in on the fun here- I think Mimikyu is a great play on the Pikaclones!
There's also smaller groups of Pokemon that could be expanded into larger ones. Gyarados and Milotic can be seen as counterparts representing battles and contests- but if you just put Gyarados in the "Tough" contest category, then suddenly, there's an opening for Cool, Clever, and Cute counterparts! Solrock and Lunatone make a great pair- but could you add more celestial bodies in rocky form? Maybe an obsidian black hole, or some sandy space dust? Spritzee, Swirlix, and G-Ponyta are Fairy-type lines with a protective Veil ability- can you come up with a Fairy that protects against Burns or Paralysis?
And, of course, this isn't limited to Pokemon archetypes! Try brainstorming new abilities, moves, or even evolution methods, and then come up with a Pokemon that would get them!
For example, did you know that of all the type-boosting items (Mystic Water, Miracle Seed, etc.), only the Metal Coat is used in evolution? I tried designing a Fakemon line that would evolve when holding Charcoal instead, and from there I was able to come up with other mythological inspirations like dryads and even the flatwood monster! I'm really proud of how the final result turned out! (Artwork and finalized designs by the amazing @Hematite!)
Pop culture references, distanced enough that you don't have to know the source work
Fangames are made in appreciation of Pokemon games, and I feel like it's a good chance to show my appreciation of other works, too! Since canon games can't do Pokemon like that without risking copyright infringement, it's a nice chance to do something that they wouldn't have the chance to!
Naturally, there's the added risk of being too on the nose when you start with a reference like this, and feeling too out-of-place. You definitely shouldn't base all of your design on the source, look for something to combine with it, so that people who don't get the reference can just see a unique creature design!
Some examples of Fakemon that I think do this really well:
Zentwig, made by locomotive111. You can see the reference to Zenyatta, but it's not so glaring that you can't appreciate the other elements of its design! I think it helps that Zentwig feels like a calm companion to the burly Buzzwole and graceful Pheromosa.
Dramsama, by Involuntary-Twitch, from Pokemon Uranium. Never knew about Hatoful Boyfriend, never felt like that got in the way of enjoying its design! Its prevo, Masking, has a clear reference to the comedy/tragedy masks, so Dramsama just felt like it was a cool visualization of dramatic costumes!
2. How do you go about making the appearance of your Fakemon? Are you trying to do as much as possible like what Game Freak and Ken Sugimori could have done? How do you manage with your creations so that they differ from their original form/inspiration without going too far? What resources and software do you use to bring them to life?
I am someone with no abilities to create visual art from scratch, so my process is to describe the visual elements I want to include in the design as I prepare to commission someone. I think it helps to point out unique aspects of your Pokemon's body that help show the concept behind it- some notes I've made include "Ice along the back of its neck that resembles raised hackles", "the sprite has one paw raised, referencing the symbol of a lucky cat", "its horns resemble an electrical plug". (Not all on the same Pokemon lol, but could you imagine?) Try to get some reference images, too, and don't be afraid to make a low-quality image to show the direction you'd like a Pokemon to go in!
(Hey, if you're like me, Aki has a nice tutorial on the right way to commission someone over here!)
How do you balance them? Balancing a Fakemon's strength is just as important as its artistic design! How do you make a Pokémon relevant to combat without it being too strong? Do you compensate for the weakness of some of your Pokémon with a neat design, a Mega evolution/Gigantamax form or an important place in the lore of your game? How do you find the balance between the inspiration behind it and optimization?
Hm, I don't know that I think a neat design can fully make up for a Pokemon being weak. If anything, it'd almost make the problem worse- "I want to use this neat Fakemon, but it's too weak for battle, so I need to box it for something more viable!" But maybe that's just my personal playstyle.
I honestly feel like balance is something that you just have to do with playtesting. You should think about balance when you start doing stats and movepools, of course, but you can never really know how they play against each other until you put it into action. Take note of particularly high/low stats and particularly high BP moves, since those might be some trouble spots to check for.
Which Pokémon would most deserve a second form? Are you giving weaker Pokémon a second chance in your game, or are you takingPokémon that please you and that are most relevant to form the basis of your idea? Do you prefer to use Gigantamax, Megas, regional forms or alternative evolutions in order to give a fresh start to an already existing Pokémon?
In general, I'd say if you can come up with a cool idea for a form, do it! Who cares about deserving, if you've got something cool, don't hold back! I hate that Charizard got GMax forms before the rest of its trio, but if you've got some sick alternate forms for Charizard in every existing type but absolutely nothing for Venusaur or Blastoise, put em in anyways!
If you're looking for a starting point, I'd say:
What are some Pokemon you personally dislike? Can you add anything to them that would make them more interesting in your eyes?
What Pokemon do you tend to forget about?
Single-stage Pokemon are almost always worth a good look at, since their idea won't be explored as much.
1. What's your source of inspiration?
In general, I adore going for "animal/object" + "concept." However, I always try and prioritise the concept first - say, a Pokemon that flocks into a snowstorm, or a Pokemon to represent the upper class and lower class - over the animal/object basis, and even when I do start with that I usually try to move away from it. When I'm making multiple evolutions or paired Pokemon, often I end up going with a sort of narrative - how did this Pokemon develop? Why did this Pokemon evolve? I think it helps to stop evolutions from feeling like "bigger version of the pre-evo."
For example, here's one of my oldest sets of Fakemon sprites (heavily sampled from other Pokemon sprites, as you can see with the Not Braviary.)
I started out with the concept of the starter trio (I never finished them) all being based on extinct animals from the region they were based on - this one being a Haast's Eagle, the grass starter being a Moa, and the water starter being some kind of dolphin, I hardly remember. (That's another thing, if you're trying to fill out a trio, go for a theme!)
The narrative for this one was that the starter made its home near volcanoes - until the volcano erupted and covered it in ash, being the second form. This eventually led to it dying, and becoming a ghost type in its final form, that tried to warn others so it didn't end up like them. I think even if these 'narratives' don't make it into the game, it really helps with inspiration.
2. How do you go about making the appearance of your Fakemon?
As I've said before, I try to forget about what animal/object the thing is based on and not let it limit me - I mostly just stick to the concept instead. If a budgie evolves into a peacock, who cares as long as the designs are cohesive. If I'm making a lion-based fakemon and I forget the mane, so what? If it doesn't have a place in the design, I say don't force it. As such, if I ever pick a specific animal species, I end up broadening it by the time designing starts.
A lot of the more iconic Pokemon designs - Pikachu, Eevee, for example - aren't really based on one particular animal at first glance. For Pikachu, you have rabbit ears, the body of a lemming or a pika, and the tail of a squirrel. Eevee has the face and body shape of a cat, the tail of a fox, rabbit ears - again. But for both of them, it's the shapes that really bring it all together. They're not a fire lizard, or a water turtle, they're a Pikachu and an Eevee. So play it fast and loose, and even a little abstract - it'll be yours.
When I design a Fakemon, I never really have a place where I write down the inspiration and references, other than maybe a Discord server while I'm pitching the idea. On the one hand, I...never really felt like I'd need one. But on the other hand, if I can't recall an aspect of a potential design off the top of my head - chances are, it wasn't needed anyhow. I start off with a very rough sketch of what the Pokemon would look like, complete with color palette. Sometimes I'll go from there to full artwork, or immediately move on to spriting the damn thing.
I also like to go for a lot of symbolism if I can, especially if the Pokemon is connected to a character or a major story beat!
View attachment 554 Abstract Uxie
For Abstract Uxie - I started with the idea of the Abstract Uxie bursting out of the original Uxie, like the energy in its tail and its eyes once made the body look at least normal, and coloured. Now, the body is only a shell that not even a concept once lived in, and acted like an animal. Hence - the cracks, and the very limp positioning of the arms.
To represent an overflowing of knowledge, I decided to give the thing an uncomfortable amount of eyes, with no other recognisable features. (An earlier concept actually had the eyes popping out of the head almost randomly.) Also it's - just creepy. I like the vibe.
Note: if I ever do Abstract Mesprit & Azelf, expect a similar thing with the mouth and the hands respectively.
Fenokami and Fylino
With these two from Pokemon Valhalla, I decided to include a chain motif in them both! Fylino is meant to represent the Paladins, who ruled the land of Halosko, and Fenokami the Syndicate, who overthrew them. As such, I wanted to style Fylino partially after a forge, as well as a heraldic lion, and a king - just as iron forms their claws, they form the chains that they bear proudly on their paws.
Fenokami has a similar set of chains on its arms and legs and even tail, but - they're broken. It's starving and by extension desperate, compared to Fylino. As well, I wanted to achieve the effect of Fenokami being a collection of animals - a Syndicate, even - by having a somewhat unclear face, and flecks of ice on its coat that look like eyes. Don't be afraid to toy with the shapes and anatomy, or...shall I say, plausibility to give the effect you want.
Don't be afraid to get a bit unsubtle, but also don't worry about symbolism too much. Your game isn't hinging on it, but it'll be a nice bonus for anyone who looks for it, and how far you want to go with that is your decision.
Sometimes you'll get the rare opportunity to pair a Fakemon with a specific character. In that case, what I love to do is share palettes, shapes, and design elements between the two! If you look at major characters in the Pokemon series, you'll start to notice how - especially in new games - a lot of them could probably win a lookalike contest with their aces.
Fantina / Drifloon - Huge balloon-like shapes in her hair, a very 'floaty' design, and even an 'X' on the dress. Piers / Obstagoon - The 'X' shape on the Obstagoon's arm is replicated on the pants, and do I even need to mention that hair? Archie / Kyogre & Sharpedo - Not only does he have the little 'X' shadow/scar (wow, that's a lot of X shapes) he also has the more rounded shapes and white highlights from Kyogre's design. Brycen / Cryogonal - This one's a bit more subtle, but there's some hexagonal patterning on his clothing, and ball-like design in his ponytail. Melony / Frosmoth - Look at all those round shapes they both have! Maxie / Groudon - This one's just funny. The blinders(???) on his glasses are ripped right from Groudon's head design.
Peri / Mega Mismagius - B I G F O C K I N G H A T. The colour of the gem on Mismagius' chest is also taken from the gem on Peri's coat, I'm fairly sure - and the line on the bottom of its 'ballgown' is taken from it too. I wanted to really focus on the illusory aspect of Mismagius in its core concept, which is why I decided to have it store a whole mini-dimension under its hat. Team Masque is all about escapism, after all. Peri probably hops in there from time to time. Esnek / Mega Scrafty - Esnek's a person who really likes being larger than life - being the heel, both hated and feared by the people she wants to hate and fear her, loved by the secret in-group she wants to love her. With that in mind, I made a Mega Scrafty with a (presumably self-made) costume that makes it look like a much bigger and scarier creature than it really is - plus a mohawk and mask to really complete the look!
In both of these cases, the Pokemon was actually designed after the character - they were actually pretty late additions, all things considered! I think it does show, and I've never really designed a Pokemon in conjunction with a character, but overall it's a pretty fun experience. It can really make your fight against them impactful and even work as a bit of character development.
What software do I use?
Medibang Paint all the way, start to finish. It's actually a decent tool for both pixel art and art, all things considered.
3. How do you balance them? I'm gonna be completely honest here and say that I don't actually know jack about balancing. Type matchups, yes, coverage, maybe, basic stuff like whether a Pokemon is defensive or bulky or whatever, but other than that, I play Pokemon like the stats screen doesn't exist.
To be honest, I've always treated the Pokemon world like a huge repository of worldbuilding, and neat creatures. Stories where poor team-building / communication / a bad breakup / whatever somehow leads to a full-scale apocalypse, because SOMEONE happened to have access to the big red end-of-the-world dinosaur. Or the weird hairless cat genetic experiment has an existential crisis and now their nicer, less insecure relative has to clean it up. Or the wannabe philosopher and her pet theatre kids put an eldritch horror on live television so she can be Clever. Heck, the 10 year olds keep catching things that can cause earthquakes and break the laws of thermodynamics. And no-one ever questions this.
So yeah, I'm going to defer to someone that actually plays the games for the gameplay to balance out my Pokemon. (Or else maybe learn how stats and competitive stuff works before I take on a bigger project. Man, I wish fangames had a competitive scene.)
4. Which Pokemon would most deserve a second form?
The ones that could conceivably have a second run through the whole concept-design-execution process and come out much better and more iconic for it. This does mean I think quite a lot of Kanto Pokemon deserved a second form! Everyone jokes about Kanto having a pile of goo as a Pokemon in response to Gen-wunners, but that's what the forms are for!
Pile of goo with only one colour in it because the Game Boy couldn't handle any more? Boom, now Alolan Muk is an oil slick, both relevant to the new region and more of an actual design. Single-toned horse with fire stuck on its back? Boom, now Galarian Rapidash is really leaning into the unicorn idea! (Even Raichu deserved a second form in my opinion, it got shafted hard and I love my pancake rat.)
...However, I still think that the more fleshed out designs like the starters are fine as is. I'd sound like a broken record if I talked about Charizard again.
In terms of what Pokemon lines I think could do with a revisit - who knows, maybe I'll draw some...
Kanto: Dodrio, Seel, Krabby, Horsea
Johto: Pineco, Slugma
Hoenn: Wurmple, Whismur, Electrike, Clamperl
Sinnoh: Bidoof, Glameow, Stunky, Bronzor, Hippopotas
Unova: Patrat, Pidove, Timburr, Tympole, Basculin, Vanillite, Alomomola,
(...In all honesty, I can't really think of anything past that. They're a bit too recent, I think?)
This isn't to say any of these are bad, it's more that they could be redesigned and definitely bring something new! If inspiration strikes based on a specific region, or a specific setpiece, or even a weird thing you could do with them balancing-wise then by all means go for a Pokemon that looked pretty good before! Like Darmanitan, for example. I also think that if you have a Pokemon concept that's really close to something that already exists, you could go ahead and make a regional form instead.
In terms of Mega Evolutions and regular evolutions, I'm in the camp of giving them to largely forgotten Pokemon - not even ones that don't have evolutions already. I'd like to see some regional rodents and birds made into something note-worthy! I don't really have a specific wish list myself, though. But I'm quite partial to giving Mega Evolutions to Pokemon with a major character associated with them...
Some Random Ideas:
[Regional] Hippopotas - a Rock/Steel type based on a cement mixer.
[Regional] Slugma - a Fire/Dark type based on obsidian.
[Regional] Vanillite - an Ice/Psychic type based on a rainbow slushie.
[Regional] Whismur - a Dark/Normal type based on a Black MIDI.
[Regional] Seel - a Dark/Ice type based on a leopard seal and a hidden submarine.
Flowery Burmy/Wormadam - a Fairy type, found in flower patches.
Spiky Burmy/Wormadam - a Fire type, found near barbed wire and electric fences.
Shelly Burmy/Wormadam - a Water type, found on beaches (and replaces Sandy Burmy)
Icy Burmy/Wormadam - well this one's kinda obvious innit
If you're looking for a Pokemon, I'd say go for what you'd want to see redesigned, even if a lot of people have forgotten it exists. Again, no use in trying to force a redesign on something you think doesn't need one.
