Fusion without Confusion

In culinary arts, the term "fusion" refers to a blending of specific kinds of cuisines, often being from specific regions of the world. Some people approve of these kinds of "fusions" as they create something new, while others are not so fond of them because they might seem uninspired and confusing, giving rise to the term "fusion confusion". Meanwhile, in the realm of Pokémon, "fusion" can popularly refer to dual-type Pokémon with their blend of two types. They too are great, but can also be confounding or confusing at times. And they happen to be the subject of the January theme for the Silph League Arena for Pokémon Go, which is appropriately titled "Fusion".

As expected, the team requirement is obvious: all the Pokémon must have two types, and no single-type Pokémon are allowed. However, as with the most recent Silph League Arena themes, it is not that simple. There are four species that cannot be used or are banned: Dewgong, Azumarill, Medicham, and any form of Wormadam. As well, there is another unique exclusion restriction, which is that no Pokémon with a second Charged Move that costs over 50,000 Stardust may be used, even if its related evolution forms are cheaper; only the forms with 50,000 Stardust or cheaper second Charged Move may be used. This last restriction may make things kind of tricky - even, "confusing" - so the "approval list" is back into play. Like those of the culinary kind, it may be "confusing", but it shouldn't have to be.

The Stardust cost restriction seems to be actually reasonable. This is because in earlier themes, Trainers may have invested more than they shouldn't have or need. The restriction therefore is to assist in that, in order to find cheap alternatives for dual-type battlers for this and future Silph League Arena themes. And, since the GO Battle League is coming very soon, it may assist in the preparatory efforts for that, at least in the Great League portion of the program. Trainers will still need to do more to prepare, but at least it's a start. Likewise, it may help avoid "confusion".

Though the list of approved species isn't very large, it may still seem daunting, especially with inclusion of many Alolan forms and even Galarian Weezing, to date being the only one of its kind. That said, some of the most popular species for battling have been identified, and this can serve as a starting point for teams. As with any team, one will have to consider balances of capabilities and counters, and the identification may be quite helpful. The rest is up to the Trainers to see how they can get over the "confusion" that may occur, and then make successes.

In a way, this theme is a way of going "back to basics" for dealing with a select set of unique Pokémon as well as minimizing spent resources for them. With the preparation results being usable not only now but also later on, it becomes something potentially useful to go through right now. Pokémon has its own fascinating cohort of "fusions", many of which are either remarkable or enigmatic, kind of like similar "fusions" in the realm of food. At the least, by dealing with them as through this theme, there is the potential to sidestep some of that enigma and obtain inspiration, so that there may be "fusion" without the "confusion".

One year ago: Pokémon Theme Park Ideas
Two years ago: Playing the Meta Game
Three years ago: Cosplay: AsiA Cosplay Competition, Day 1