A fan recently combined Pokémon and Digimon in a magical new piece of fanart by merging the mystical Alakazam with the noble Wizardmon. Given that they are both monster-oriented franchises that debuted in the late 90s and feature elementally-empowered creatures that battle each other, Pokémon and Digimon have been compared to each other quite a bit over the years - though the many fans of both are quick to attest that they are very different outside of their basic concept. This hasn’t stopped said fans from combining the two in creative ways, such as forming theories that the Digimon are actually Pokémon that players have deleted from their teams.
While this kind of connection is little more than a fun theory, both Pokémon and Digimon share many character archetypes among their respective rosters - including a few patterned after sorcerers or magicians. For example, the magic-wielding Wizardmon has been featured in several Digimon video games over the years, but the most well-known member of the species hails from the Digimon Adventure anime - where he aided the Digidestined in locating the mysterious eighth member of their group during the show’s third story arc. Wizardmon’s Pokémon counterpart could be Generation One’s Alakazam, a Psychic-type known for bending spoons with its immense power just like real-world magic performers. Some fans have already combined Alakazam with the MCU’s resident wizard Doctor Strange, so it was only a matter of time before someone thought to reimagine it as the sorcerer of another famous monster franchise.
Earlier today, Twitter user VilliamBoom posted a fanart piece that they drew at the request of one of their Patreon followers, one that combines the Mega Alakazam introduced in 2013’s Pokémon X and Y with Wizardmon of Digimon fame. The mash-up is a simple one, with Alakazam wearing Wizardmon’s dark purple cape and matching wizard cap and floating several spoons above its head. In the comments section, fans have praised VilliamBoom for their artwork, with some even comparing the Mega Alakazam/Wizardmon hybrid with other existing Digimon like the demonic Barbamon.
Coincidentally, both Digimon and Pokémon have new video games coming out this year. For the former, Digimon Survive is set to launch next week after being delayed from its original 2020 release date. It also promises to take the long-running Digimon franchise in a notably darker direction as players are tasked with navigating a parallel dimension where every choice could mark the difference between life and death. Meanwhile, Nintendo will launch the ninth generation of Pokémon this November with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on the Nintendo Switch. Fans have already seen many of the new Pokémon that will be introduced in these games, including Scarlet and Violet's main Starter trio that every player will choose from at the beginning of a new playthrough.
As devoted fans wait for these promising new titles, the worlds of Pokémon and Digimon continue to collide in the form of impressive artwork like the piece recently shared by VilliamBoom. Mega Alakazam’s aged, bearded appearance blends well with Wizardmon’s traditional sorcerer attire, and serves as yet another example of the magic that can be found when fans express their affection for the classic games and anime of their youth.
Source: VilliamBoom/Twitter