Hello! Sorry to bring such a dark topic here but I’m curious what you think about the controversy around pokemon like yamask and phantump? There’s been a push, at least in my community, to supposedly treat them with more respect, but the whole tone of it (higher adoption fees & regulations & such) feels more alienating than anything. Obviously they’re linked to tragedy & you can’t treat them the same as you would a litten or a houndoom but ghost types are already demonized & I think adding to that just makes it harder for them to find good homes.
Theres a huge misconception that these pokemon are always born of tragedy or misfortune of others, but thats not the case at all!
While yes, theres a rare chance a pokemon like them has once lived a humans life, they mostly hatch from eggs just like any other pokemon. The dex likes to highlight the 0.01% because the facts are unusual and interesting to kids, as the dex itself is built and filled for children, but if you do some digging its not uncommon to find them hatching from eggs just like any other pokemon. Just ask a seasoned breeder, I bet they've run into a few before.Â
There shouldn't be so much controversy around them, they mostly grow and live ordinary pokemon lives, its incredibly unusual to find one of either that was once human, its such a ridiculously small percentage but still seems to be the focus of everyones attention. People like the unusual nature of it all I suppose.
you can totally treat them as an ordinary pokemon if you're sure they've not been human before (ie. seen them hatch, or have had a translator confirm this). Though i’ve had limited experience with Yanmask, we do handle a lot of Phantump and its evolutions in our greenhouses and grounds, and we hatch clutches of their eggs yearly, proving they're mostly ordinary pokemon just like any other species. The down side to the misinformation of their species is that they gain a real stigma as spooky and more complex or difficult to care for. The increased adoption fee is news to me, we have a flat price, as do a lot of our local facilities. It certainly sounds like its alienating the species to any potential new homes, and will probably cause more issue than good in the long run. You're right to have concerns, but I promise you, the vast majority of Phantump people find are ordinary pokemon, born of normal means, with no prior human history.Â
On rare occasions where one is discovered, strict regulations are put in place sure, but only once this is proved to be true. The only real difference is that the person who cares for them is visited by adoption folks more regularly, and for longer, and the pokemon comes with a little heads up about its past. Even when a pokemon like the two you've stated has a human past, its shown to be fractured, the individual has hazy memories, much like a distant dream, or an episode of a tv show you watched a long time ago. They can recall the odd thing clearly but not everything. The Older the pokemon gets too, the less they recall about their previous life, so its not a 70-80 year panic for the individual, they become more pokemon like as time passes, retaining characteristics and habits more than clear memories.Â
Its good to discuss these unusual species, as it sheds some light on their lives, and also dispells some of the spooky information thats passed about in folk lore, and through ghost stories and the dex’s fascination with their unusual skillset. It is not impossible to have a human turn to a pokemon through dubious ways, but its not at all how the huge majority are created, so put your worries to bed a little about them. It is however concerning that the adoption centres are upping their fees for such individuals, this could really cause issues, and keep up the stigma. Perhaps it’d be worth showing them more recent information and research into the species to help them move past it.Â
