Combat

Battle between Pokemorphs happens frequently on Prism Island, for any number of reasons: to settle an argument, to decide who’s paying the taxi fare, a scuffle over the last yam at the oden cart, to practice for a competition, to stay in shape, just for the sheer fun of it, and so on! However, there are some unspoken but mutually understood social rules regarding combat - such as utilizing attacks so as not to damage nearby structures, not fighting inside buildings, and so on. See Weaponry and Clothing for more.

Pokemorphs are not necessarily more powerful than competitively trained Pokémon; however, Pokemorphs are often considered more powerful due to their versatility! Driven by their Pokémon instinct to fight, many Pokemorphs seek out combat for fun, exercise, relief from boredom, and even profit - though there are also some morphs (notably many First Gens, due to their trauma) who wish to avoid battle in any context.

Pokemorphs have a virtually unlimited capacity to learn and use attack moves - unlike a Pokémon’s movelist of four, Pokemorphs can access any and all level-up moves, and in addition could (theoretically) learn every TM, TR, HM, Egg and Move Tutor attack available to their species.

Many Pokemorphs are trained in hand-to-hand combat and/or martial arts in addition to their regular elemental attacks. Even without any formal training, any Pokemorph is capable of hitting/punching/kicking/biting. Just because a Snorlax-Morph has no kicking attacks doesn’t mean she can’t punt someone - it simply means she won’t pack the energy-infused ‘oomph’ of a Mega Kick.

An attack like Air Slash couldn’t be executed without the move training, but a Noctowl-morph could still rake someone with his talons! Attack moves such as Scratch, Slash or Fury Swipes would indicate heavier damage and a certain proficiency.

Nearly all Pokemorphs are capable of using weapons, and many ‘morphs (especially First and Second Gens) have had weapons training. Pokemorphs may also learn to channel their attacks in unique ways, such as infusing the slash of a katana with X-Scissor.

There is a range of endurance among Pokemorphs. In general, the ability to handle pain and take punishment is slightly above the human average. Some morphs may be more frail than the average human; others, such as a Steelix-Morph or Carracosta-Morph, could be hit by a speeding car and walk away with little more than some bruising.

Experience accounts for more combat prowess than any particular species or even generation of Pokemorph. There is a popular belief that First Gens are the most powerful in battle, but this is simply not true. In the intervening years, as more Pokemorphs were created (or born), several of the younger generations have far surpassed First Gens in battle capabilities; yet the misconception persists among Pokemorph society.

Learning New Level-up, TM, TR, Egg or Tutored Moves

See: Learning Moves