Fakemon are original creatures made by fans of the Pokémon franchise, and the general popularity of the concept is global. The canonized creatures of the Pokémon universe has spurred on content creators, artists, and admirers of different species to want to show off their ideas for a number of reasons. However, the biggest reason seems to derive from a sense of appreciation that has fans wanting to connect on a more personal level with their favorite games from their childhoods.
Fakemon aptly acquired their name due to being Fake Pokémon, combining the term in the same fashion that the original name of Pokémon, "Pocket Monsters," formed the franchise name. Within the fandom, it is not uncommon to find imagery of hand-drawn or digital art pieces of monsters that don't exist in the current Pokémon roster. This reasoning could be the fact that they feel like it should exist, or in hopes that Game Freak, the company responsible for Pokémon, will see their design and potentially add it to the game. Meanwhile, some inspirations genuinely come from the desire to connect and show their love to their passion.
Immersion comes to mind when looking at Fakemon designs. Some players out there love the Pokémon that are available in the latest games, while others feel that some Pokémon designs may be vastly out-of-place in their own home universe. Fakemon can be made as a remedy to provide a new style or the completion of an evolution line - such as Dunsparce, for example. Players who love the game will want to immerse themselves in its lore and rules, but some may have trouble finding the ability to do that if the available roster of creatures does not match up to the way that they want to experience the world, or they want to see a specific kind of creature that has not yet been created.
Fakemon Offer Freedom of Creativity For Pokémon Fans
Some creators utilize Fakemon to make their own unique regions with custom Fakemon that fit the dynamic of how they want their world to be. By utilizing these creative creatures, content creators and artists have the ability to tell their own story and pay both homage and respect to the Pokémon franchise. Through inputting these fake entries, additional lore can be inserted into games to promote exploration into the world of Pokémon. Some players who indulge in the series enjoy learning all there is to know about the lore of the creatures and the world built around them, and including Fakemon can put a new take on how the hundreds of different creatures out there interact with one another.
Pokémon: Competitive Playability Of Fakemon & Fan-Made Games
Other reasons for designing Fakemon can come from the competitive side of Pokémon and the desire to test out different typings, combos, and unique movesets and gain critiques from fellow members of the Pokémon community. With eighteen typings, multiple Egg groups, and dozens of Moves and Abilities, the base of a Pokémon alone can be an adventure to create something exotic. The utilization of Fakemon also allows for the creation of different and unique custom systems, such as new Mega Evolutions from Gen 6's Kalos, Z-Crystal Moves from Gen 7's Alola, and Dynamaxing from Gen 8's Galar. These Fakemon even see more usage than mere art pieces as a result of the passion put into their creation.
Pokémon has been out for over two decades now, and professional gamers spend long hours creating the best Pokémon teams to beat fellow trainers. By utilizing the Pokémon available, they are able to create teams that can focus on boosting one specific team ace, trapping the opponent, or debilitating enemy teams to the point of surrender. By adding in Fakemon, the competitive scene could be changed up by new and exotic Pokémon that could have systems or fighting styles that don't even exist in present-day games. With no limitations on how a Fakemon can be made, even just a handful of new entries could have a dynamic impact on how a seasoned veteran normally plays through the game.
Some gamers love to play games for the challenge that it provides. Speedrunners in Pokémon are common and these challengers plan and strategize how to consistently run through the Pokémon games as quickly as possible while accomplishing specific goals. These goals usually include - but are not limited to - beating all of the mandatory Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Champion of the region. Adding in Fakemon through ROM hacking can throw a genuine challenge for the player to have to overcome, which will require experiencing how the Fakemon performs in specific fights.
Other fans like to create their own Fakemon games. These fan-made Pokémon games are usually based around a specific generation and feature designs based on that Gen's monsters. Other times, this happens when someone wants to make their own Pokémon game without having to worry about limitations. There are various Fakemon games out there, and some are certainly better than others.
Fakemon Are Made With Love By Pokémon Fans
With all of these options, the main point of Fakemon is that they are made by fans who love the Pokémon world and want to add to it. From high-quality entries to beginner's attempts, every single creature is made with the idea of wanting to be a part of the Pokémon universe. Whether this is to improve it, expand it, or mimic it does not change the fact that these labors of love are made to show how committed Pokémon's fanbase is. This may be why Fakemon are so popular now, as there are few better ways to show a franchise how much it's loved than by wanting to be a part of its community in a direct way. Fakemon accomplishes that by filling in the blanks and even offering up additional ideas for the creators to take into account for future entries.