SPOILERS! Mysteries and Conspiracies of Pokemon

[Pikachu315111]

So, made a surprising discovery today. I used the Rotom Catalog for the first time (cause if I'm going to send Rotom to home might as well be a whole set of them) and, in addition to the expected electronics, at the very top was one I haven't seen before: Light Bulb. If you select Light Bulb on a Rotom possessing an electronic, it'll revert back to Normal Rotom, which means this entire time all Normal Rotoms aren't just random mass of electronic ectoplasm but rather possessed light bulbs!

Now, this is a bit surprising as, up till now, we thought the only way for Rotom to properly possess an electronic is if it has a motor. It's why it couldn't properly possess the television in the Old Chateau and Professor/Businesses have to make special equipment just so Rotom can properly possess them. Yet, a light bulb has no motor, yet Normal Rotom exists because it possesses one.

"Well, a light bulb is a pretty simple piece of technology, much more so than a television, so maybe in addition to electronic with motors it can possess simple technology"

Which I think is kind of big news. How simple does the tech have to be for Rotom to possess it; does it require any special parts? Can it possess a microchip? Batteries? Wires & cables? If it can possesses a light bulb, can it possess an object with a light bulb in it like a lamp or flashlight? The TV in the Old Chateau was a, for some reason, modern day flat screen TV, if it was an old-timey TV which used cathode-ray tubes would it be able to possess the TV then? And if so, what about other old electronics that used those tubes such as radios and early computers?

 

[R_N]

The light bulb thing honestly feels like just them wanting a way to have a flavorful way out of the machine.
Because the main body is absolutely just a mass of plasma. It's the Plasma pokemon and it's shown posessing machines from its base form without leaving a lightbulb behind in assorted materials.

 

[Siggu]

The Pokédex does not have a motor (at least not the Alolan Dex) and yet Rotom can possess it, so it can be that Rotom can either possess electronical objects with motors, or objects made specifically for Rotom to possess. Maybe the Light Bulb is the latter.

 

[Ironmage]

The Pokédex does not have a motor (at least not the Alolan Dex) and yet Rotom can possess it, so it can be that Rotom can either possess electronical objects with motors, or objects made specifically for Rotom to possess. Maybe the Light Bulb is the latter.

I assumed that the alola dex did have a motor installed, most likely something smaller like those used to allow phones to vibrate. It's not essential to the main purpose of the device like the main motor on e.g. a lawnmower is, but it's not out of the question to put on something like that.

 

[Myth2048]

There’re also the rotom phones in SwSh. I don’t think it’s ever stated if there’re actual rotom in them, or if they’re just designed to look like rotom. In the case of the former, that probably debunks the simple device theory. Maybe it has to have a motor or be small enough?

 

[Bakugames]

Is the answer "rotom is a little bitch ghost who only enters devices it likes, even if it could enter any" too much of a cop out

 

[Myth2048]

Is the answer "rotom is a little bitch ghost who only enters devices it likes, even if it could enter any" too much of a cop out

No. This answer is perfect.

 

[R_N]

There’re also the rotom phones in SwSh. I don’t think it’s ever stated if there’re actual rotom in them, or if they’re just designed to look like rotom. In the case of the former, that probably debunks the simple device theory. Maybe it has to have a motor or be small enough?

It is stated, it's why it it can float around. It's also why the phone can interface with the bike and why it makes the rotom noises. In the anime it can directly talk.

There's also the Rotommi PC thing.

Twilight Wings also shows it taking over a full computer network, although it doesnt become a "Rotom Computer" it just sorta appears on all the screens and messes with things.

To put it all together:

• Rotom is a being of pure energy and can occupy any electronic device or electric current. We see it occupy, but not fully become, computers, tv, pretty sure it can even travel through outlets, etc without it turning into the full thing.
• Can only "properly" possess motorized-in-some-fashion devices. The Rotom Dex & I think Phone (& presumably the Rotommi and Rotom Drone) are "specially made" for Rotom to occupy it. So it probably does have some form of motor in it; the dex in particular has little arms and legs so something's gotta be motorized in the same vein as the original toy robot Charon had.
• the light bulb "appliance" is just meant to be a flavorful way to use the catalog to get back to normal Rotom.

Ah you know if we really want to over think the light bulb thing how about this: the light bulb is used to draw the rotom out of the device. "hey look, this can use a current" and the rotom is all eyes emoji as it leaves the giant washing machine that i guess we just send back off screen. to bzzt around a coil for a bit before leaving it

 

[Myth2048]

It is stated, it's why it it can float around. It's also why the phone can interface with the bike and why it makes the rotom noises. In the anime it can directly talk.

There's also the Rotommi PC thing.

Twilight Wings also shows it taking over a full computer network, although it doesnt become a "Rotom Computer" it just sorta appears on all the screens and messes with things.

To put it all together:

• Rotom is a being of pure energy and can occupy any electronic device or electric current. We see it occupy, but not fully become, computers, tv, pretty sure it can even travel through outlets, etc without it turning into the full thing.
• Can only "properly" possess motorized-in-some-fashion devices. The Rotom Dex & I think Phone (& presumably the Rotommi and Rotom Drone) are "specially made" for Rotom to occupy it. So it probably does have some form of motor in it; the dex in particular has little arms and legs so something's gotta be motorized in the same vein as the original toy robot Charon had.
• the light bulb "appliance" is just meant to be a flavorful way to use the catalog to get back to normal Rotom.

Ah you know if we really want to over think the light bulb thing how about this: the light bulb is used to draw the rotom out of the device. "hey look, this can use a current" and the rotom is all eyes emoji as it leaves the giant washing machine that i guess we just send back off screen. to bzzt around a coil for a bit before leaving it

I think we’ve solved almost every mystery about rotom. The only other thing I can think of is where it came from. I’m assuming it’s just a ghost possessing electricity, if that’s possible.

On a separate note, how do gendeless Pokémon breed with ditto? Especially ghost types and man made Pokémon.

 

[Sceptilian70]

On a separate note, how do gendeless Pokémon breed with ditto? Especially ghost types and man made Pokémon.

I think it's just them literally cloning genetic or ethereal material rather than giving birth to a Pokemon Egg.

It is still odd, but at least it makes some sense.

 

[Siggu]

On a separate note, how do gendeless Pokémon breed with ditto? Especially ghost types and man made Pokémon.

Genderless is more like "unknown gender", so Ditto probably knows a bit about Pokémon anatomy that humans don't.

(Though, granted, it makes one wonder how you can never get two unknown gender Pokémon that can breed with each other. Unless they don't breed in captivity and Ditto makes them change their opinion...)

 

[Ironmage]

On the topic of weird breeding things, shedinja continues to be exceptional:

In addition to becoming genderless, Shedinja also changes egg group (going from Bug to Mineral) and is the only pokemon that goes from one group capable of breeding to another (the other ones that change have Undiscovered/can't breed as one of their options). You could extend this to theorizing that shedinja's spirit isn't actually tied to nincada and ninjask, with ditto copying the body's genes rather than the spirit's ones.

 

[Myth2048]

I think it's just them literally cloning genetic or ethereal material rather than giving birth to a Pokemon Egg.

It is still odd, but at least it makes some sense.

But how would they do that? Unless the resulting Pokémon is actually a ditto in disguise.

Genderless is more like "unknown gender", so Ditto probably knows a bit about Pokémon anatomy that humans don't.

(Though, granted, it makes one wonder how you can never get two unknown gender Pokémon that can breed with each other. Unless they don't breed in captivity and Ditto makes them change their opinion...)

If you look at the list of genderless Pokémon that can breed with ditto, a lot of them come from space. So maybe only one of their species genders came to earth? It doesn’t explain everything, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Edit: looking at it, there’re only five fully evolved genderless ghost types (besides legendarys): rotom, shedinja, golurk, dhelmise, and polteageist.

 

[Bakugames]

For me, most genderless Pokémon are those that are naturally occurring but not by normal breeding.

Some examples:

Dhelmise, who probably doesn't breed as much as it has Tsukumogami logic of a seaweed coming to life and possessing anchors, but both these phenomenons occur naturally.
Sinistea, which is a spirit possessing a cup that then possesses a teapot, which means it propagates not by eggs, but by pouring some of itself into new cups.

Tsukumogami are just creatures and objects coming to life or gaining new forms after they hit 100 years, and this is just the same concept but on the extreme (considering the pokémon world is filled with a shit ton of different types of magic, that doesn't seem too farfetched).

We do have some man-made canon Pokémon, such as beldum, porygon, and baltoy. However, for these, humans are either still producing them directly, or they could be creating new versions of themselves by using the same materials they were made of (this is very probably with metagross and claydol, which probably would have the psychic powers to do so).

Stayru and Starmie are just direct references to how starfish work

Then we have Manaphy and Phione, which are weird and I don't give a shit about them.

As for how they can still breed with ditto: Ditto's genetic material can make it turn into anything, or at least mimic it (if you take other sources to be canon, ditto can even turn into objects). This means it can probably create a copy of all these pokémon, but with actual DNA, and create eggs out of it.
So it's less like reproduction but more like cloning except with actual genetic variation, so it isn't actually cloning but that's just details

 

[Myth2048]

For me, most genderless Pokémon are those that are naturally occurring but not by normal breeding.

Some examples:

Dhelmise, who probably doesn't breed as much as it has Tsukumogami logic of a seaweed coming to life and possessing anchors, but both these phenomenons occur naturally.
Sinistea, which is a spirit possessing a cup that then possesses a teapot, which means it propagates not by eggs, but by pouring some of itself into new cups.

Tsukumogami are just creatures and objects coming to life or gaining new forms after they hit 100 years, and this is just the same concept but on the extreme (considering the pokémon world is filled with a shit ton of different types of magic, that doesn't seem too farfetched).

We do have some man-made canon Pokémon, such as beldum, porygon, and baltoy. However, for these, humans are either still producing them directly, or they could be creating new versions of themselves by using the same materials they were made of (this is very probably with metagross and claydol, which probably would have the psychic powers to do so).

Stayru and Starmie are just direct references to how starfish work

Then we have Manaphy and Phione, which are weird and I don't give a shit about them.

As for how they can still breed with ditto: Ditto's genetic material can make it turn into anything, or at least mimic it (if you take other sources to be canon, ditto can even turn into objects). This means it can probably create a copy of all these pokémon, but with actual DNA, and create eggs out of it.
So it's less like reproduction but more like cloning except with actual genetic variation, so it isn't actually cloning but that's just details

This is a really good theory. The only Pokémon that this doesn’t explain is falinks, which is probably genderless because there are both male and female members in the group. Although this does still raise the question of why ditto can’t breed with certain Pokémon like (most) legendarys and unknown.

 

[Bakugames]

This is a really good theory. The only Pokémon that this doesn’t explain is falinks, which is probably genderless because there are both male and female members in the group. Although this does still raise the question of why ditto can’t breed with certain Pokémon like (most) legendarys and unknown.

Depends a lot on how you see the canon of pokémon legendaries, so there's a lot of options we can go through

1. Legendaries are immortal beings who were not created with the intentions of reproduction because you only need one of them.
2. Legendaries can die but are replaced by a higher being like Arceus itself, rather than breeding to pass down the species.
3. Legendaries can breed, but their method of breeding involves their own legendary powers mumbo-jumbo that ditto can't replicate.
4. Legendaries can breed with ditto, they just refuse to do so.

And many more. The truth is no legendary breeding is a gameplay convenience at its core since the lore does not care to explain how legendaries actually happen. And manaphy and phione are stupid.

With unowns connections to legendaries and Arceus itself, I always assumed they were kinda handcrafted by Arceus for some purpose which no longer exists, or they are in a dormant state until Arceus needs them again. They're more like drones than living beings. But they were made to be cryptic and have no conclusive answer, so I just lump them with legendary explanations.

 

[Myth2048]

Depends a lot on how you see the canon of pokémon legendaries, so there's a lot of options we can go through

1. Legendaries are immortal beings who were not created with the intentions of reproduction because you only need one of them.
2. Legendaries can die but are replaced by a higher being like Arceus itself, rather than breeding to pass down the species.
3. Legendaries can breed, but their method of breeding involves their own legendary powers mumbo-jumbo that ditto can't replicate.
4. Legendaries can breed with ditto, they just refuse to do so.

And many more. The truth is no legendary breeding is a gameplay convenience at its core since the lore does not care to explain how legendaries actually happen. And manaphy and phione are stupid.

With unowns connections to legendaries and Arceus itself, I always assumed they were kinda handcrafted by Arceus for some purpose which no longer exists, or they are in a dormant state until Arceus needs them again. They're more like drones than living beings. But they were made to be cryptic and have no conclusive answer, so I just lump them with legendary explanations.

The third one to me sounds the most likely, although convenience is probably the answer to everything related to breeding.

 

[Hugin]

I think we’ve solved almost every mystery about rotom. The only other thing I can think of is where it came from. I’m assuming it’s just a ghost possessing electricity, if that’s possible.

This is ball lightning, a real phenomenon that exists, and every time I watch a vid of it I am convinced for just a second that magic is real. Pokémon having electricity-possessing ghosts does not seem odd to me.

 

[Pikachu315111]

The Pokédex does not have a motor (at least not the Alolan Dex) and yet Rotom can possess it, so it can be that Rotom can either possess electronical objects with motors, or objects made specifically for Rotom to possess. Maybe the Light Bulb is the latter.

We don't know that. Kukui mentions the Rotom Dex was specifically built for Rotom. Also note that I made a mistake, Rotom cannot possess just any old electronic. In an old notebook written by Charon found in the Rotom Room in Platinum, Charon notes its a special motor it can specifically merge with instead of simply inhabiting. It seems like these were an old brand of electronics as in Platinum you only found them in the Rotom Room, BW they were in storage in Shopping Mall Nine, and Isle of Armor has an island where a batch of these electronics were left to rot. However starting XY you find boxes of the electronics in Sycamore's Lab specifically to study Rotom's relation to them, and in Gen VII you appropriately find them in Kukui's basement. Now we see where this research led with Kukui making the Rotom Dex but it was unique and only the player had it, but now in Galar which theme is industrialization (and hand-to-hand with capitalism) we see the massive production of Rotom based tech with not just the Rotom Phones but also the Rotomi and Drone Rotom we see recording Gym Battles. So it's likely the Rotom Dex & Phones either have a shrunken down version of the special motor OR they found a way to make another piece of tech to substitute as the motor (Rotom was only named as such because of its relation with the motor, so if the latter is true it would make its name a misnomer now; but if the devices are still a motor of some kind would be a notable thing about Rotom's anatomy and its name more than just fitting).

There’re also the rotom phones in SwSh. I don’t think it’s ever stated if there’re actual rotom in them, or if they’re just designed to look like rotom. In the case of the former, that probably debunks the simple device theory. Maybe it has to have a motor or be small enough?

There's very clearly a Rotom in the phones. FUN FACT: In the anime, when the Rotom Phone scanned Rotom Dex, it was noted being pure Electric-type instead of Electric/Ghost.

Is the answer "rotom is a little bitch ghost who only enters devices it likes, even if it could enter any" too much of a cop out

Ah you know if we really want to over think the light bulb thing how about this: the light bulb is used to draw the rotom out of the device. "hey look, this can use a current" and the rotom is all eyes emoji as it leaves the giant washing machine that i guess we just send back off screen. to bzzt around a coil for a bit before leaving it

Now I'm imagining when you order the light bulb, Rotom tries possesses it but it creates too much power and causes it to explode, hence why it causes it to return to its Normal form. "Wouldn't it know it can't possess it after the first time and not do it"? Oh no it likes doing it, remember it's a poltergeist which likes to cause electronics to malfunction; it's only just recently did humans realize they could develop special motors to use it as a power source. I pity the people who's job is to train the Rotom to not destroy things...

pretty sure it can even travel through outlets, etc without it turning into the full thing.

In the anime this is the case. In the Decolore Arc episode where Oak gets his Rotom I think is the first showcase of this as they travel through the power lines of Torom Island. Likely more memorable is the Alola episode where Dex Rotom gets booted from the Rotom Dex and ends up travelling all over Hau'oli City's via its power lines trying to find its way back to Kukui's.

But how would they do that? Unless the resulting Pokémon is actually a ditto in disguise.

Well I'm sure Pokemon Scientists would love to research it but apparently no human ever saw a Pokemon produce an Egg before (beside the one time the player & Cynthia saw Arceus used the power of universal creation to make a Dialga/Palkia/Giratina egg; but I think that's probably a special case no matter what Cynthia says).

Though for the inorganic Pokemon without gender it is a genuine question how Ditto is able to breed with them. It's normally assumed they form naturally in nature, so clearly it's something to do with Ditto that allows for an Egg to be created of them. Maybe something I could somehow fit into my PokeMatter theory...

3. Legendaries can breed, but their method of breeding involves their own legendary powers mumbo-jumbo that ditto can't replicate.
4. Legendaries can breed with ditto, they just refuse to do so.

I think its a combination of these two. Legendaries can breed... but they don't unless they decide they need to (likely when they reach the end of their very long lifespans, and they likely create only the replacement with MAYBE a backup or two). Infact most if not all probably don't need a mate, their personifications of forces of a nature so there's likely just a ritual they need to do which creates another from the element they're made of (and judging from Arceus's creation of an egg it probably would be a bit of a violent ritual with nature going crazy as all that power is contained into one small egg). Heck, for all we know there ARE extra Eggs of all Legendaries but they're dormant until a new member of the species is needed, maybe even a reincarnation of the same Legendary.

With unowns connections to legendaries and Arceus itself, I always assumed they were kinda handcrafted by Arceus for some purpose which no longer exists, or they are in a dormant state until Arceus needs them again. They're more like drones than living beings. But they were made to be cryptic and have no conclusive answer, so I just lump them with legendary explanations.

I think the common accepted conclusion is that Unown are essentially living tools Arceus created from the chaos/primal force when the universe was created to allow it to rewrite reality. Like, Arceus literally writes out his order with the Unown (which just looks like a mass of swirling Unown to mortal eyes) and, as a famous movie quote goes, "so let it be written, so let it be done" (except this times its an actual God with living reality warping letters).

 

[Myth2048]

We don't know that. Kukui mentions the Rotom Dex was specifically built for Rotom. Also note that I made a mistake, Rotom cannot possess just any old electronic. In an old notebook written by Charon found in the Rotom Room in Platinum, Charon notes its a special motor it can specifically merge with instead of simply inhabiting. It seems like these were an old brand of electronics as in Platinum you only found them in the Rotom Room, BW they were in storage in Shopping Mall Nine, and Isle of Armor has an island where a batch of these electronics were left to rot. However starting XY you find boxes of the electronics in Sycamore's Lab specifically to study Rotom's relation to them, and in Gen VII you appropriately find them in Kukui's basement. Now we see where this research led with Kukui making the Rotom Dex but it was unique and only the player had it, but now in Galar which theme is industrialization (and hand-to-hand with capitalism) we see the massive production of Rotom based tech with not just the Rotom Phones but also the Rotomi and Drone Rotom we see recording Gym Battles. So it's likely the Rotom Dex & Phones either have a shrunken down version of the special motor OR they found a way to make another piece of tech to substitute as the motor (Rotom was only named as such because of its relation with the motor, so if the latter is true it would make its name a misnomer now; but if the devices are still a motor of some kind would be a notable thing about Rotom's anatomy and its name more than just fitting).



There's very clearly a Rotom in the phones. FUN FACT: In the anime, when the Rotom Phone scanned Rotom Dex, it was noted being pure Electric-type instead of Electric/Ghost.




Now I'm imagining when you order the light bulb, Rotom tries possesses it but it creates too much power and causes it to explode, hence why it causes it to return to its Normal form. "Wouldn't it know it can't possess it after the first time and not do it"? Oh no it likes doing it, remember it's a poltergeist which likes to cause electronics to malfunction; it's only just recently did humans realize they could develop special motors to use it as a power source. I pity the people who's job is to train the Rotom to not destroy things...



In the anime this is the case. In the Decolore Arc episode where Oak gets his Rotom I think is the first showcase of this as they travel through the power lines of Torom Island. Likely more memorable is the Alola episode where Dex Rotom gets booted from the Rotom Dex and ends up travelling all over Hau'oli City's via its power lines trying to find its way back to Kukui's.



Well I'm sure Pokemon Scientists would love to research it but apparently no human ever saw a Pokemon produce an Egg before (beside the one time the player & Cynthia saw Arceus used the power of universal creation to make a Dialga/Palkia/Giratina egg; but I think that's probably a special case no matter what Cynthia says).

Though for the inorganic Pokemon without gender it is a genuine question how Ditto is able to breed with them. It's normally assumed they form naturally in nature, so clearly it's something to do with Ditto that allows for an Egg to be created of them. Maybe something I could somehow fit into my PokeMatter theory...



I think its a combination of these two. Legendaries can breed... but they don't unless they decide they need to (likely when they reach the end of their very long lifespans, and they likely create only the replacement with MAYBE a backup or two). Infact most if not all probably don't need a mate, their personifications of forces of a nature so there's likely just a ritual they need to do which creates another from the element they're made of (and judging from Arceus's creation of an egg it probably would be a bit of a violent ritual with nature going crazy as all that power is contained into one small egg). Heck, for all we know there ARE extra Eggs of all Legendaries but they're dormant until a new member of the species is needed, maybe even a reincarnation of the same Legendary.



I think the common accepted conclusion is that Unown are essentially living tools Arceus created from the chaos/primal force when the universe was created to allow it to rewrite reality. Like, Arceus literally writes out his order with the Unown (which just looks like a mass of swirling Unown to mortal eyes) and, as a famous movie quote goes, "so let it be written, so let it be done" (except this times its an actual God with living reality warping letters).

I agree with almost all of this. The only part I might argue against is that I think some legendary Pokémon are just really rare Pokémon, and not really gods (mainly hetran, zarude, manaphy, and maybe the birds).

Although what is that Pokématter theory you have? It sounds interesting.

 

[Pikachu315111]

Although what is that Pokématter theory you have? It sounds interesting.

Basically my PokeMatter theory is a way to explain away how Pokemon are able to generate a massive amount of their element when using Moves and even Abilities as well as explain why certain elements like fire and poison aren't as deadly (even when they hit a human) or how the entire Pokemon world isn't just filled with desolate land of craters.

Simply put, when a Pokemon uses a Move or activates an Ability which requires an element aspect, instead of actually gathering the element from the aether or within themselves they instead are able to conjure up a temporary form of matter I've dubbed "PokeMatter". This matter is stable and acts like its normal counterpart except does not leave a physical trace (it also doesn't technically have much weight or density). Instead, though it feels physical, when physical contact is made with the PokeMatter what it's doing is affecting the energy flow of the contactee. When hit by PokeMatter fire it feels like you're being burned by hundred degree flames, but what's actually happening is it's consuming your energy via making it hotter and at most you may have a thin layer of ash on you via the PokeMatter transferring your energy to released heat; however you will not have a burn or even form any blisters. Rock-types can instantly create rocks out of PokeMatter to smack you with and it would feel like you got a rock thrown on you or being crushed, but your physical body is in no danger of damage and what you're feeling is your energy either being suddenly struck or pressed upon. Status ailments and other battle effects is just special kinds of PokeMatter manipulation, weather/terrains/rooms is creating an entire area made of PokeMatter to add/change what's going on within it, moves/Abilities which seemingly alter the environment is PokeMatter affecting the dimensional space of the area which returns to normal once done (Earthquake/Magnitude/Fissure isn't literally splitting the land apart but rather the land has been infused with PokeMatter to bend its dimensional space to look like it is). And, once the Pokemon is done using the PokeMatter, it instantly breaks apart and vanishes along with any percieved physical affects except for energy consumed from both using it and being in contact with it.

BTW, this isn't saying a Pokemon can't generate their element. No, a Fire-type can create actual flames, a Water-type can gather water particles from the air, Poison-types do have poison, Rock & Ground-types can condense earth together, etc.. However, not only are they limited in how much of that element they can create (a Fire-type would eventually need to stop breathing flames & rest/eat to refuel its fire bladder, Water-types can only gather as much water as there is condensation in the air, etc.), but it would also take a lot of energy from them. PokeMatter is a way for them to conserve their resources & energy so when they do really need their element for something they have it available, otherwise if another Pokemon picks a fight with them or encounter an obstacle which doesn't need removal they can use the PokeMatter form of their element to settle/get around things.

So what does this have to do with Ditto? Well, first off Ditto's ability to transform is essentially just it creating an entire body from PokeMatter. So, taking that thought into the Daycare setting, Ditto must be able to use the PokeMatter body in the way to create an Egg which wouldn't be made of PokeMatter. Due to Ditto's unstable genetics, it may have a way to transfer PokeMatter into actual matter though probably at a huge energy cost of both it and its breeding partner. It would explain why Ditto is able to breed with Pokemon that have no gender, the Egg is being artificially constructed. How exactly? Not sure. Could be after Ditto creates the PokeMatter copy of the "parent" body it can somehow make that body real by using its and the partner's energy to create an incubating shell around it, allowing time for the PokaMatter to absorb the energy and solidify into actual matter. It's why when carrying a new Egg it tells you don't feel any movement in it, because at that point it's still mostly PokeMatter so has no physical presence. But as time goes on it becomes more solid which adds weight and density and you can start feeling it until it's finally ready to hatch.

 

[Myth2048]

Basically my PokeMatter theory is a way to explain away how Pokemon are able to generate a massive amount of their element when using Moves and even Abilities as well as explain why certain elements like fire and poison aren't as deadly (even when they hit a human) or how the entire Pokemon world isn't just filled with desolate land of craters.

Simply put, when a Pokemon uses a Move or activates an Ability which requires an element aspect, instead of actually gathering the element from the aether or within themselves they instead are able to conjure up a temporary form of matter I've dubbed "PokeMatter". This matter is stable and acts like its normal counterpart except does not leave a physical trace (it also doesn't technically have much weight or density). Instead, though it feels physical, when physical contact is made with the PokeMatter what it's doing is affecting the energy flow of the contactee. When hit by PokeMatter fire it feels like you're being burned by hundred degree flames, but what's actually happening is it's consuming your energy via making it hotter and at most you may have a thin layer of ash on you via the PokeMatter transferring your energy to released heat; however you will not have a burn or even form any blisters. Rock-types can instantly create rocks out of PokeMatter to smack you with and it would feel like you got a rock thrown on you or being crushed, but your physical body is in no danger of damage and what you're feeling is your energy either being suddenly struck or pressed upon. Status ailments and other battle effects is just special kinds of PokeMatter manipulation, weather/terrains/rooms is creating an entire area made of PokeMatter to add/change what's going on within it, moves/Abilities which seemingly alter the environment is PokeMatter affecting the dimensional space of the area which returns to normal once done (Earthquake/Magnitude/Fissure isn't literally splitting the land apart but rather the land has been infused with PokeMatter to bend its dimensional space to look like it is). And, once the Pokemon is done using the PokeMatter, it instantly breaks apart and vanishes along with any percieved physical affects except for energy consumed from both using it and being in contact with it.

BTW, this isn't saying a Pokemon can't generate their element. No, a Fire-type can create actual flames, a Water-type can gather water particles from the air, Poison-types do have poison, Rock & Ground-types can condense earth together, etc.. However, not only are they limited in how much of that element they can create (a Fire-type would eventually need to stop breathing flames & rest/eat to refuel its fire bladder, Water-types can only gather as much water as there is condensation in the air, etc.), but it would also take a lot of energy from them. PokeMatter is a way for them to conserve their resources & energy so when they do really need their element for something they have it available, otherwise if another Pokemon picks a fight with them or encounter an obstacle which doesn't need removal they can use the PokeMatter form of their element to settle/get around things.

So what does this have to do with Ditto? Well, first off Ditto's ability to transform is essentially just it creating an entire body from PokeMatter. So, taking that thought into the Daycare setting, Ditto must be able to use the PokeMatter body in the way to create an Egg which wouldn't be made of PokeMatter. Due to Ditto's unstable genetics, it may have a way to transfer PokeMatter into actual matter though probably at a huge energy cost of both it and its breeding partner. It would explain why Ditto is able to breed with Pokemon that have no gender, the Egg is being artificially constructed. How exactly? Not sure. Could be after Ditto creates the PokeMatter copy of the "parent" body it can somehow make that body real by using its and the partner's energy to create an incubating shell around it, allowing time for the PokaMatter to absorb the energy and solidify into actual matter. It's why when carrying a new Egg it tells you don't feel any movement in it, because at that point it's still mostly PokeMatter so has no physical presence. But as time goes on it becomes more solid which adds weight and density and you can start feeling it until it's finally ready to hatch.

Now THIS is maybe one of the best Pokémon theories that I’ve ever seen. Maybe even the best. This not only explains things like where water Pokémon get their water from, but even coverage moves, abilities, and about 90% of all things “magical” in the Pokémon world. Pokematter would probably still have to leave some kind of mark, since moves can do damage. But that might even explain why Pokémon only knock each other out, instead of actually killing. This could solve so many other mysteries in Pokémon. Well done!

 

[Myth2048]

Alright, everybody knows about the infamous regi puzzles in RSE. But what do they mean? Like, what’s the reasoning for the specific steps you have to take? And for getting regigigis in ORAS, why is there such a focus on regice?

 

[Pikachu315111]

Alright, everybody knows about the infamous regi puzzles in RSE. But what do they mean? Like, what’s the reasoning for the specific steps you have to take? And for getting regigigis in ORAS, why is there such a focus on regice?

Hmm, well let's take a look:

Hoenn Regirock:
* Location: Desert Ruins
* RS & ORAS Solution: Right, Right, Down, Down, Strength.
* Emerald Solution: Left, Left, Down, Down, Rock Smash.
* Interpretation:
My assumption for the chamber locations isn't that they're representative of the Regi they contain, but rather they were picked specifically to KEEP the Regi sealed there. Yes, a desert with a constant blowing sandstorm seems like a fitting place for Regirock, but Regirock's weight would likely cause it to sink into the sand and be buried or risked prolonged exposure to the eroding sandstorm.

Now onto the puzzle. For the steps portion, since you're walking on a rock floor, maybe it's not the exact step directions that matters but following an angular "rigid" pattern; like a rock. May also in a way bring to mind a corner of Regirock's eye pattern which are dots in an H shape. Using Strength & Rock Smash is more easier to understand: Regirock is the physically strongest member of the group. Those who want to release it would have to show they're just as strong as it, likely the spot where you perform the moves on being a pressure plate that has to be pushed down or broken.

Hoenn Regice:
* Location: Island Cave
* RS & ORAS Solution: Wait 2 minutes.
* Emerald Solution: Walk around the wall for one lap.
* Interpretation:
Being a tropical region, there's not a lot of cold locations to store Regice. Best place would be underground, with the added bonus the tropical heat would keep Regice from wanting to escape. As for why Route 105, well if it did escape it would have to float in the water to the mainland, and Route 105 is noted for "gentle" currents so it would be a very slow float under a hot sun.

For the RS & ORAS puzzle, of the 3 original Regi, Regice would likely be the most affected by time. While essentially magic keeps it from melting as the dex describes, symbolically rock and metal can stay pretty sturdy for centuries even under non-favorable conditions; but unless ice is in the absolute perfect condition it'll start melting as soon as it the temp goes above freezing. Never timed it myself, but 2 minutes for an ice cube to melt in room temperature sounds about right, so I guess you're symbolically waiting for the "ice to melt" to face Regice.

In Emerald, wanting to work around a potential second "frozen clock" glitch, changed the puzzle so it wasn't time based. Too meta? Okay, so how about this: when something freezes it's not immediately encased in ice but rather layers of frost travels across the surface. So by walking around the edge of the chamber you're acting like a layer of frost which leads to a block of ice.

Hoenn Registeel:
* Location: Ancient Tomb
* RS & ORAS Solution: "With love, hope, and time" Stand in the center and use Fly.
* Emerald Solution: "To inherent their will" Stand in the center and use Flash.
* Interpretation:
The water surrounding the chamber hints this is a place that frequently gets a lot of rain. Best way to keep a metal titan inside is if the outside woud likely make it rust and/or make the terrain muddy which it'll sink into and get stuck.

Now Registeel's puzzle is more interesting as it's more poetic in its presentation where the other two were straight forward instructions. This is probably because Registeel is the most "artificial" of the original Regi, it looks manmade (whereas Regirock cobbles itself together with loose rock and Regice is a giant ice block). I see this puzzle being a bit more "spiritual" to relate to that artificial/manmade theme. Love, hope, knowledge & observation of the passage of time (as well as mortality), and willpower are all "concepts", things which humankind has made and gave meaning to.

Why is knowing this important? It explains the move you then got to use. In RSE it's Fly, while concepts don't physically exist, artistic interpretation often present concepts as floating spirit-things. To be filled with love, hope, and time is to be in peace with oneself, giving a feeling of freedom, using them to lift oneself up and "soar into freedom". In Emerald, they just use "will", or rather "inheriting will". Who's will? Guessing the ancient people, the "will" you're inheriting is likely their knowledge and possibly their trust. We all are inheritors in many way: we inherit our genes from our parents, the world & its knowledge from the previous generations, and on a smaller scale many inherit conceptual & material things. And we use these inherited "wills" to make ourselves better, you could say to "make us shine".

And once you've mastered these human feelings, it's time to face something which isn't very much human in the slightest yet still feels like it could have been a result of it.

Sinnoh Regigigas:
* Location: Snowpoint Temple
* Solution: Bring it the 3 Regi.
* Interpretation:
Only thing to interpret here is why did Regigigas choose to rest in Snowpoint. Looking at the Sinnoh Map, Snowpoint is the most North place on the Sinnoh mainland. Only way to get up to Snowpoint it through Mt. Coronet, and I just don't mean walking through a simple cave passage but rather you do have to do a bit of spelunking to get onto the level where the entrance to Route 216 is. I'm not sure exactly what this all means, but I don't feel it's a coincidence. Could be after moving around the continents and notably Mt. Coronet, Regigigas went someplace where it could observe its work and, satisfied, entered hibernation until it was time for it to awaken again (or be awakened). Infact that could be another reason why its so far away from the center of Sinnoh, if anything major happened to Sinnoh it would likely be on or around Mt. Coronet and Regigigas being in Snowpoint puts it in a position where it's both safe and can easily get to it.

Unovas Underground Ruins:
* Regirock Solution: To access the Rock Peak Chamber you'll need to get the two step directions from the "eye" in the top center of the room: during the day you're told to go 6 down, at night you're told to go 9 right.
* Interpretation:
Regirock is the only one you can access in both games. It's puzzle is similar to its original needing to walk a certain number of steps in certain directions (at least this time you don't need an additional move to click on the spot to open the chamber). As before, one symbolism if you're navigating an angular path on a rocky terrain. The numbers, 6 and 9, and more open to interpretation aside random numbers so the player doesn't easily guess where the tile they need is (or maybe that's all there is as I can't think of anything).

ORAS Regigigas:
* Location: Island Cave
* Solution: During the day, also having Regirock & Registeel in the party, have a nicknamed Regice holding a "cold item" and go to the center of Island Cave.
* Interpretation:
... So let's break it down.

Having the 3 Regi makes sense for a requirement to get Regigigas.

Why Regice and it's chamber? Well, maybe as a reference to Snowpoint and Sinnoh? Regice is Ice-type which is a fitting representation for Snowpoint and Sinnoh is an island like the Island Cave (though obviously on a much bigger scale).

Regice holding a "cold item", once again maybe a reference to Snowpoint. Snowpoint not only was a cold location (which was shaped like an 8-pointed snowflake (FUN FACT: due to the property of water molecules real snowflakes are 6-pointed)) but it was also the location of the Ice-type Gym Leader. REALLY hammering in the "snow/ice" theme.

Nicknaming Regice. Because GF just wants to f*** with you. Because it's agreed Regice's name breaks the naming theme and they want to see you do better. While it's any cold item in all honesty the Regis just want ice cream; Regice is holding it to keep it from melting. It's interesting that, considering what they're based on, changing their names or giving them something like Mail with a message hasn't been done before. The Regi are based on the golem of Hebrew mythology. The golem was made of clay and meant to be a guardian figure, the Rabbi who made it controlling it with written symbols that it was fed on paper or engraved on its face. That's why they have the dots on their face and connected to a braille puzzle. But maybe this could also be why you have to give Regice a nickname, there a specific reason why Regigigas placed the patterns as it did. By you even giving it a nickname you risk altering the meaning thus making Regice unable to serve its duty. Island Cave must have a connection with Snowpoint Temple, and upon sensing the Regice in the Island Cave have been altered with it manifests itself into the Island Cave to do battle with whoever is messing with its work. Now it would have just been as angry if we did the same thing with Regirock and Registeel, but they don't have a connection with Island Cave thus Regigigas can't sense any tampering to them.

 

[Myth2048]

Hmm, well let's take a look:

Hoenn Regirock:
* Location: Desert Ruins
* RS & ORAS Solution: Right, Right, Down, Down, Strength.
* Emerald Solution: Left, Left, Down, Down, Rock Smash.
* Interpretation:
My assumption for the chamber locations isn't that they're representative of the Regi they contain, but rather they were picked specifically to KEEP the Regi sealed there. Yes, a desert with a constant blowing sandstorm seems like a fitting place for Regirock, but Regirock's weight would likely cause it to sink into the sand and be buried or risked prolonged exposure to the eroding sandstorm.

Now onto the puzzle. For the steps portion, since you're walking on a rock floor, maybe it's not the exact step directions that matters but following an angular "rigid" pattern; like a rock. May also in a way bring to mind a corner of Regirock's eye pattern which are dots in an H shape. Using Strength & Rock Smash is more easier to understand: Regirock is the physically strongest member of the group. Those who want to release it would have to show they're just as strong as it, likely the spot where you perform the moves on being a pressure plate that has to be pushed down or broken.

Hoenn Regice:
* Location: Island Cave
* RS & ORAS Solution: Wait 2 minutes.
* Emerald Solution: Walk around the wall for one lap.
* Interpretation:
Being a tropical region, there's not a lot of cold locations to store Regice. Best place would be underground, with the added bonus the tropical heat would keep Regice from wanting to escape. As for why Route 105, well if it did escape it would have to float in the water to the mainland, and Route 105 is noted for "gentle" currents so it would be a very slow float under a hot sun.

For the RS & ORAS puzzle, of the 3 original Regi, Regice would likely be the most affected by time. While essentially magic keeps it from melting as the dex describes, symbolically rock and metal can stay pretty sturdy for centuries even under non-favorable conditions; but unless ice is in the absolute perfect condition it'll start melting as soon as it the temp goes above freezing. Never timed it myself, but 2 minutes for an ice cube to melt in room temperature sounds about right, so I guess you're symbolically waiting for the "ice to melt" to face Regice.

In Emerald, wanting to work around a potential second "frozen clock" glitch, changed the puzzle so it wasn't time based. Too meta? Okay, so how about this: when something freezes it's not immediately encased in ice but rather layers of frost travels across the surface. So by walking around the edge of the chamber you're acting like a layer of frost which leads to a block of ice.

Hoenn Registeel:
* Location: Ancient Tomb
* RS & ORAS Solution: "With love, hope, and time" Stand in the center and use Fly.
* Emerald Solution: "To inherent their will" Stand in the center and use Flash.
* Interpretation:
The water surrounding the chamber hints this is a place that frequently gets a lot of rain. Best way to keep a metal titan inside is if the outside woud likely make it rust and/or make the terrain muddy which it'll sink into and get stuck.

Now Registeel's puzzle is more interesting as it's more poetic in its presentation where the other two were straight forward instructions. This is probably because Registeel is the most "artificial" of the original Regi, it looks manmade (whereas Regirock cobbles itself together with loose rock and Regice is a giant ice block). I see this puzzle being a bit more "spiritual" to relate to that artificial/manmade theme. Love, hope, knowledge & observation of the passage of time (as well as mortality), and willpower are all "concepts", things which humankind has made and gave meaning to.

Why is knowing this important? It explains the move you then got to use. In RSE it's Fly, while concepts don't physically exist, artistic interpretation often present concepts as floating spirit-things. To be filled with love, hope, and time is to be in peace with oneself, giving a feeling of freedom, using them to lift oneself up and "soar into freedom". In Emerald, they just use "will", or rather "inheriting will". Who's will? Guessing the ancient people, the "will" you're inheriting is likely their knowledge and possibly their trust. We all are inheritors in many way: we inherit our genes from our parents, the world & its knowledge from the previous generations, and on a smaller scale many inherit conceptual & material things. And we use these inherited "wills" to make ourselves better, you could say to "make us shine".

And once you've mastered these human feelings, it's time to face something which isn't very much human in the slightest yet still feels like it could have been a result of it.

Sinnoh Regigigas:
* Location: Snowpoint Temple
* Solution: Bring it the 3 Regi.
* Interpretation:
Only thing to interpret here is why did Regigigas choose to rest in Snowpoint. Looking at the Sinnoh Map, Snowpoint is the most North place on the Sinnoh mainland. Only way to get up to Snowpoint it through Mt. Coronet, and I just don't mean walking through a simple cave passage but rather you do have to do a bit of spelunking to get onto the level where the entrance to Route 216 is. I'm not sure exactly what this all means, but I don't feel it's a coincidence. Could be after moving around the continents and notably Mt. Coronet, Regigigas went someplace where it could observe its work and, satisfied, entered hibernation until it was time for it to awaken again (or be awakened). Infact that could be another reason why its so far away from the center of Sinnoh, if anything major happened to Sinnoh it would likely be on or around Mt. Coronet and Regigigas being in Snowpoint puts it in a position where it's both safe and can easily get to it.

Unovas Underground Ruins:
* Regirock Solution: To access the Rock Peak Chamber you'll need to get the two step directions from the "eye" in the top center of the room: during the day you're told to go 6 down, at night you're told to go 9 right.
* Interpretation:
Regirock is the only one you can access in both games. It's puzzle is similar to its original needing to walk a certain number of steps in certain directions (at least this time you don't need an additional move to click on the spot to open the chamber). As before, one symbolism if you're navigating an angular path on a rocky terrain. The numbers, 6 and 9, and more open to interpretation aside random numbers so the player doesn't easily guess where the tile they need is (or maybe that's all there is as I can't think of anything).

ORAS Regigigas:
* Location: Island Cave
* Solution: During the day, also having Regirock & Registeel in the party, have a nicknamed Regice holding a "cold item" and go to the center of Island Cave.
* Interpretation:
... So let's break it down.

Having the 3 Regi makes sense for a requirement to get Regigigas.

Why Regice and it's chamber? Well, maybe as a reference to Snowpoint and Sinnoh? Regice is Ice-type which is a fitting representation for Snowpoint and Sinnoh is an island like the Island Cave (though obviously on a much bigger scale).

Regice holding a "cold item", once again maybe a reference to Snowpoint. Snowpoint not only was a cold location (which was shaped like an 8-pointed snowflake (FUN FACT: due to the property of water molecules real snowflakes are 6-pointed)) but it was also the location of the Ice-type Gym Leader. REALLY hammering in the "snow/ice" theme.

Nicknaming Regice. Because GF just wants to f*** with you. Because it's agreed Regice's name breaks the naming theme and they want to see you do better. While it's any cold item in all honesty the Regis just want ice cream; Regice is holding it to keep it from melting. It's interesting that, considering what they're based on, changing their names or giving them something like Mail with a message hasn't been done before. The Regi are based on the golem of Hebrew mythology. The golem was made of clay and meant to be a guardian figure, the Rabbi who made it controlling it with written symbols that it was fed on paper or engraved on its face. That's why they have the dots on their face and connected to a braille puzzle. But maybe this could also be why you have to give Regice a nickname, there a specific reason why Regigigas placed the patterns as it did. By you even giving it a nickname you risk altering the meaning thus making Regice unable to serve its duty. Island Cave must have a connection with Snowpoint Temple, and upon sensing the Regice in the Island Cave have been altered with it manifests itself into the Island Cave to do battle with whoever is messing with its work. Now it would have just been as angry if we did the same thing with Regirock and Registeel, but they don't have a connection with Island Cave thus Regigigas can't sense any tampering to them.

I think you got most of it. The only thing I would add is maybe regigigis was sealed in snowpoint temple to keep it away from the other Regis. So even if you caught the Regis in Hoenn, you would still have to travel to another region entirely to find regigigis.