Terastallization

About

Terastallization is the new battle gimmick introduced for the 2022 Pokémon games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The gimmick gives Pokémon a crystal-like sheen as well as an adornment on their heads indicating their type. After the gimmick was revealed in a trailer by The Pokémon Company in August 2022, it inspired a significant amount of fan art depicting Pokémon and characters from other media franchises undergoing the transformation.

Origin

Terastallization was revealed in the August 3rd, 2022, trailer for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet presented by The Pokémon Company on YouTube (seen below).^[1] A post-trailer analysis of the gimmick revealed that not every Pokémon of the same type will Terastallize in the same way, offering the example that while an Eevee will normally Terastallize into a Normal-type, certain, rarer Eevees in the wild will have the ability to Terastallize into a Water-type.

Shortly after the trailer aired, Twitter account @PokeJungle^[2] posted screenshots of the mechanic in action, showing how it looked for the games' starters and Eevee (shown below).

Spread

Shortly after the trailer's premiere on August 3rd, 2022, fan artists on social media quickly began imagining various Pokémon undergoing the Terastallization transformation. For example, Twitter user @percodine^[3] posted art of a Terastallized Sprigatito with a bong on its head, gaining over 190 retweets and 1,200 likes in two days (shown below, left). Twitter user @infamousTrainer^[4] posted jokey art that suggested Lechonk would have a bacon adornment upon Terastallization, gaining over 10 retweets and 50 likes in a similar timeframe (shown below, right).

Throughout the day on August 3rd and in the following days after, others online imagined characters from various franchises undergoing the Pokemon transformation. For example, Twitter user @SouprSpookr2020^[5] posted art of Eevee and Kirby, gaining over 110 retweets and 490 likes in two days (shown below, left). Twitter user @OverlordVantes^[6] was one of many users to compare the gimmick to the "crystal ponies" from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic,, gaining over 400 retweets and 1,800 likes in a similar timeframe (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References