Summary
A creative member of thePokemoncommunity has shared a variety of their own fantastic custom designs featuring new convergent species of Pokemon which are intended to be related to Lilligant, Musharna, and Polteageist. Though the concept of convergent Pokemon was only introduced in the most recent generation ofPokemongames, it didn’t take long for the artistic side of the franchise’s community to adopt the idea for use in their own creature designs.
Unlike the phenomenon of regional variants which have been popular since theirintroduction in thePokemon Sun and Moongames, convergent Pokemon represent species which are morphologically similar to others that fans are familiar with, but are nonetheless unrelated from an evolutionary point of view. The term “convergent Pokemon” is commonly used for these species in reference to the real-world phenomenon of convergent evolution. These convergent Pokemon also aren’t to be confused with Paradox Pokemon, which, while also representing evolutionarily distinct Pokemon which bear striking similarities to various well-known species, have their origins in alternate timelines altogether.
Still, the few examples of convergent Pokemon species inPokemon Scarlet and Violethave done much to inspire fan artists. One such artist known online as SayuriKoopa has created a few new convergent species based on Lilligant, Musharna, and Polteageist, with the designs rapidly garnering fans' attention online. These impressive illustrations feature convergent forms for the pre-evolutions for each of these Pokemon too. Peticlil and Cliligant represent the artist’s take on new Fairy and Water-type offshoots of the Lilligant family, the adorable Nemuna and Munyarna designs put a new spin on Munna and its evolution by granting them the Psychic and Flying-type, and Siniswan and Possungeist offer new variants of the Sinistea family, using the Ghost and Water-type.
Though fans have seen few official examples of convergent Pokemon species in the games so far, they went a long way in adding some variety and depth to thenew designs offered byPokemon Scarlet and Violet. Paradox Pokemon are also a massive contributor to what makes Gen 9’s designs so unique, with these dimensional variants effectively breathing new life into classic Pokemon such as Gardevoir, Salamence, Jigglypuff, and many more.
The Case for Convergent and Paradox Pokemon to Return
Seeing as how Gen 7’s Ultra Beasts barely saw the light of day in subsequent core-series games, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Paradox Pokemon to unfortunately see a similar fate due to their only known terrestrial habitat being within the depths of Area Zero in the Paldea region. That said, it does seem likely that new convergent Pokemon could realistically appear in future generations. Many fans are excited to see what sorts of new Pokemon they might encounter when theyreturn to the Kalos region in the upcomingPokemon Legends: Z-A, but the game’s one trailer doesn’t offer many clues on what to expect.
Pokemon
Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
