“Have you ever wondered, my dear explorer, why it is we look so alike and so different to these feral animals that we share the underground with? Some do, but for the most part it isn simply a passing ephemeral question, such as what is one’s nature to one’s abilities. No one thinks too hard about it. Perhaps… we are not meant to know, even though we should…” -Senior Explorer Hydlein, Guild Researcher

Pokemorphs

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Pokemorph. What is a pokemorph? To get to the absolute nuts and bolts, pokemorphs are artificially created creatures that came about through some advanced, long lost technology. A merging of human and pokemon to fulfill some eldritch abombination of a program on the surface. This has also had a surprisingly good effect on making them fairly well adapted to life underground in various ways. Of course, no pokemorph really thinks about this, they simply are who they are.

And that’s a bit of the point of some of the modifications.

General Appearances

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Pokemorphs look like pokemon given human traits, bearing similarity to common “Furry”, or anthropormorphic, depictions. Generally speaking, they’re somewhere between a werewolf from movies such as Hellsing, and a wolf like Legosi from Beastars, and never quite moving towards the kemonomimi route. If all of this made sense to you, you’re in the right place.

The details of how a particular pokemon looks like when morphed is mostly up to player imagination, although in general there are specific guidelines as follows:

• Pokemorphs height range from 4ft. to 9ft. tall (122cm to 275cm), and generally average about 5ft. 5in. in height (165cm), with natural variance based on the size of the base pokemon being used as a source.
• Pokemorphs can have traditional “hair”, that is, longer fur on their head that can be styled like human hair. This is often a sign of economic success to care for it. This also can be used regardless on if the pokemorph has fur, skin, leaves, chitin, or other coverings.
• Pokemorphs tend to have physical characteristics that match their original species - altough some minor cosmetic changes may be present.
• Pokemorphs are all considered to be warm blooded and mammilian inside - regardless of their exterior or typing. Except ghosts. We’ll get to them.
• It is unknown if they reproduce asexually, via egg, or live birth at this time.
• All pokemorphs can breed with other pokemorphs assuming some kind of gender compatibility. It’s possible that the offspring will not match either parents, although rare.
• All pokemorphs can speak language! “Common” is an English-equivelency language that is the most commonly taught.

Genetic Modifications and Quirks

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As pokemorphs were created with intent, and not natural evolution, there are specific modifications and quirks that can effect how they are able to exist within the world at large. While they are generally beholden to their primary base colors on their lineage, if their parents were different pokemorphs they may inherit the color scheme from the family member they do not match. The only exception to this are Shiny-styled Pokemorphs, which is a rare mutation that will always match the shiny of the Pokemorph’s main type, and tends to be a point of pride to keep that color ‘au natural’.

For other things, dye, bleach, and tattooing technology exist, including bio-lumenescent dyes and inks, allowing for a rainbow of allowable patterns for the low cost of occasional maintenance.

Pokemorphs generally do not suffer from poor eyesight, and all have at least a little bit of low-light vision. Their hearing also tends to be sharper with wider range for ultra and sub sonics then a human’s might be. They may also have other senses as part of their type, such as PSYCHIC, DARK, or otherwise.

In general, Pokemorphs tend to be stronger and heartier then their human-side anatomy would suggest. Check the “Stat Equivelencies” later on.

Pokemorphs are all fully capable omnivores, able to sustain themselves without meat in their diet. Oddly, their digestive systems do seem to be incredibly efficient at pulling nutrition from underground fungus.

Finally, some changes were made in terms of the support of sexual function of pokemorphs, allowing for all species to be male, female, intersex, or none, including previously sex-locked species. This has also made gender expression more in tune with cultural and personal decisions, with a focus on decoration.

Stat Equivelencies

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When it comes to comparing a pokemorph to a human standard, you can simply use their base stat values as an indicator. “Human” average is around 50 stat points, while a well trained Human may reach as high as 100. Above 100 exceeds what an unmodified human can accomplish, and the farther away from that norm that you go, the more incredible things are.

• HP: General hardiness, resistance to disease, recovery speed. Also helps hold one’s breath.
• ATK: General Strength, lifting and raw power.
• DEF: Hardiness against injury. This can indicate hard skin, natural armer, or a ‘martial arts’ like ability to ignore physical damage.
• SPEC: Control over the special abilities inherent in Pokemorphs. The higher the SPEC stat, the better control over their elemental or TYPE powers are. A 50 may indicate basic control of fire, like your average , where as 100 may indicate being able to shape it or change the colors.
• SPECDEF: This is a natural ‘field’ of defense that prevents one pokemorph from directly effecting another with their abilities. This also counts as resistance to more normal forms of elemental damage, such as electricity, fire, or radiation.
• SPEED: Raw, natural running speed. 50 being capable of a 10-minute mile.

Evolution

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Pokemorph evolution tends to be tied more to mental state or physical stress then to some arbitrary thing such as a ’level’. Generally, a pokemorph will only evolve if there is a strong desire to, and any pre-requirements are met. Or an incredibly stressful situation triggers their body to undergo a change defensively.

Most evolution stones can be located with enough digging, and everstones are a popular fashion accessory as an uncontrolled evolution can be frowned upon - not to mention the possibility of needing a whole new wardobe.

Types and Their Effects

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Pokemorphs have types, like their feral kin. These types provide some additional abilities as well as advantages or disadvantages to living in the underground that can be leveraged for some interesting effects. Not all the types have unique additionas, but this is not a complete list.

Flying

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Flying types have the ability to fly, whether or not they have the FLY move learned. Without the move, it is limited and exhausting, and both hovering and vertical flight are exceedingly difficult. Gliding from a high place tends to be preferred if possible, and these types tend to have some kind of functional wings - whether they look the part of not.

Ground

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Ground types can all dig through hardened rock as well as soft earth, whether or not they have the DIG move learned. Without the move, they are limited in speed and cannot dig through all hardness of rock, but it’s still very useful when living underground and areas need to be expanded or explored.

Fire

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Fire types are heat resistant to an incredible degree. They are capable of standing near open lava rivers or entering a burning abode. Some can even swim in Lava! The downside is no one can pull you out from drowning in lava except for another fire type. Same with the lack of air in a burning house…

Fire types are also commonly known to utilize their fire skills for light as natural-born torches, or being able to regulate the temperature of their output to control the heat used for cooking.

Water

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Water types, when using a water-based move, can actually create perfectly serviceable drinking water nearly on demand. They also tend to be cooler to the touch then other types (outside of ICE type), and are able to breathe underwater like an amphibian.

They do not have trouble breathing air.

Grass

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Grass types have adapted somewhat to the darkness of the underground. They are able to use Sunstones or artificial full-spectrum light to be able to go long periods without food, and only needing water to survive. Without Sunstones or full-spectrum light they tend to yellow or show ‘fall colors’, which can turn them from a light pink, to a brilliant red, or a sickly brown. A Grass type that has yellowed must eat like any other pokemorph.

Electric

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Electric types, like Fire types, are known as natural sources of light, capable of producing small arcs of blueish energy to substitute for a Fire Types flame. They can use these arcs to light fires, or in a pinch as a spark gap transmitter. They are more resistant to ill effects on the electromagnetic spectrum, including radiation, then most.

If Electric Types create too bright a spark, they can dazzle those used to the dark, as it is much harsher then the light put off by fire.

Ghost

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… we don’t really want to talk too much about Ghost Types. But, here we go. Ghost Types are technically considered undead, they do not reproduce, but rather ’evolve’ from a Pokemorph that refuses to rest. Pure Ghost types have the ability to travel through items outside of Blacksteel and Blacksteel Powder, making them incredibly good at scouting or escape. Being ‘phased’ like this does mean they are also able to travel through their own equipment or clothing at the same time.

Ghost types can go for a year without food, but still get hunger pains and start to be lethargic due to lack of energy. They can, however, consume “Ghostweed” which is a pink-white plant rarely found that acts as a superfood for them.. and a stomach-curdling mild poison to others.

They do not age naturally and appear at the age they ‘believe’ they are. Once a ghost type feels that have acheived their goal, they do begin to slowly fade from existance, and leave no body behind.

Psychic

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Probably one of the most wanted types by the whole pokemorph experiment, Pyschic types get several small abilities right out of the box, whether or not they have the PSYCHIC move (although using the move can signifcantly boost their ability). They are capable of mild telekinesis, splitting roughly a quarter of their normal strength across as many objects as they can detect at once. They are also able of performing a psychic ‘ping’ to sense other minds nearby - although DARK types will not register with this, and the range is fairly limited. Finally, they are capable of understanding spoken language by focusing on the speaker’s intent, rather then the words themselves, even if they don’t speak the language in question.

Dragon

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Dragons are cool. You want more then that? Fine. Dragons are generally resistant to a lot of environmental effects, although not as much as a special type would be. They can withstand a lot of heat, but cannot bathe in lava like a fire type, they can withstand some levels of electricity, but not high voltage or EM Spectrum like an electric type. They are still vulnerable to cold, and often wear multi-layered outfits or stick to warmer areas because of this.

They tend to have a more commanding presence then other types, and value their freedom and independence. Because of this, there is an unusually high amount of dragon types that live in more free places such as Scrap Town, and often try to become leaders of their own group.

Ice

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Nature’s refridgerators, Ice types are capable of lowering the temperature around them to within a few F of 32 (0C) by spending time and focusing on it. They are immune to natural cold, and when frozen solid simply enter a torpor like state, allowing them to hibernate at extreme temperatures if needed. However, they are not fond at all of hot places, and will rapidly begin to overheat and hit levels of heat exhaustion that can physically hurt them above 115F (46C).

Poison

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Some caverns are just naturally full of poisons. Some are unnaturally filled with poisons. To a poison type, this doesn’t matter as they are immune to poisons in the world. This includes everything from natural toxins to carcinogenic pollution, to various drugs. This makes them difficult to assasinate via poison, and immune to alcohol.

They are still vulnerable to disease and other forms of biological attacks.

Steel

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Steel types are very hard to cut or damage from the outside, making them immune to a lot of poison attacks that do not enter their mouth, nose, ears, eyes or other orifice. They are capable of using their limbs to stop attacks like natural shields, and have an uncanny ability to deflect human-styled weapons if the need arises.

Bug

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“Plant types hate Bug types. They’re icky and gross.” -Atalanta

Bug types have reduced food needs, and are able to consume a wider variety of things for sustenance. What some pokemorphs may not be able to digest, a Bug type, might… although it may cause a social faux pas.

Bug types are also able to climb any surface, as long as it isn’t more then 90 degrees from the level naturally. They can go beyond this to overhangs with tool assistance or special training.

Dark

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Dark types are immune to Psychic abilities of all types, and simply don’t seem to exist to them at all. They are also able to navigate and sense freely in complete darkness without any light, making them incredibly good at navigating tunnels and caves. They tend to have a type-penchant for being mischevious and crafty.

Legendary Pokemorphs

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Some rare pokemorphs harken back to legendary strains. They are exceedingly rare, and while the concept of a legendary isn’t truly understood in the underground it is easy to tell simply due to the incredibly high capabilities of these morphs that something is special.

Unlike normal pokemorphs, legendary pokemorphs generally occur due to something that happens to them to cause the unusual change to their new form. They may retain some of their old colors, or perhaps a callback to their original form, but they are undoubtedly true to their new species.