Miya's Essay
Prompt: Outline and evaluate the practicality of at least five existing Pokémon origin theories. Your essay should be at least 750 words, well organized, and free from spelling and grammatical errors.
Theories Regarding the Origin of Pokemon
Several theories surround the debate on the origin of pokémon. These are theories of various scientific credibility, but after years of research, little conclusive evidence has been found to fully support any one theory. Five of the leading theories are the Engineered Replacement Theory, the Enhanced Evolution Theory, the Radiation Adaptation theory, the Extra-Terrestrial Source Theory and the Arceus theory. Each theory will be explored in the duration of this paper.
The Engineered Replacement Theory was first developed eighty years ago after the discovery of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), colloquially known as Dream Mist for the way it appears when extracted from cells and isolated. Pokémon DNA is structurally different from human DNA; pokémon have an ability to change their DNA at certain points in their lives while humans don't. This suggests that pokémon were possibly genetically engineered to be able to survive in a changing environment. Evidence that supports the Engineered Replacement Theory also supports a historical notion that our present society developed in the aftermath of a prior, highly advanced society which collapsed due to an unstable environment. Additional evidence to support the Engineered Replacement Theory can be found by examining the fossil record- no pokémon fossils can be found dated earlier than 10,000 years. Before that, a completely different set of pokémon species were found, suggesting a mass extinction occurred. Many scientists believe that the only way for biodiversity to return so quickly after such a catastrophic event is through outside intervention, be it human, divine, or extraterrestrial.
The Arceus and Extra-Terrestrial Source theories explore the possibility of the latter two propositions. The Arceus Theory stems from a creation myth passed down for generations. Arceus, a legendary pokémon, is said in these myths to have created the Sinnoh and Ransei regions, possibly the entire universe. Legends say it has shaped the universe with its 1000 arms. These are creation myths pervasive throughout many regions, lending credibility to the theory simply because of its ubiquitous occurrence. However, the existence of Arceus has not been proven scientifically, and the theory does not have much data to test its validity, so this is generally the least-accepted theory among the scientific community.
The Extra-Terrestrial Source theory is another hard theory to fully prove. Its basis is the idea that pokémon come from an extraterrestrial source, and are not native to this planet. Pokémon have a different type of intelligence from human intelligence. Evidence supports the theory that pokémon have a form of a hive-mind, since they are capable of understanding human speech and also have the ability to understand and communicate with pokémon of different species. Humans have never been able to mimic this ability even with the strongest technology, so this theory, offering an extraterrestrial origin, could explain how this works. However, many pokémon do not have adequate body types to allow them to survive in space, and no evidence of intelligent extraterrestrials to bring them here has been discovered. These points among others are logic against this theory.
The Radiation Adaptation Theory suggests that pokémon evolved from the creatures found in fossils to become the forms they are today. DNA extracted from pokémon who have it has shown that they are all distantly related, possibly coming from a common ancestor. The Radiation Adaptation Theory takes the same historical notion into account, that thousands of years ago, our environment was contaminated with radiation. Thus, life on our planet had to adjust and evolve to survive. This theory, however, does not account for inorganic pokémon without (extractable) DNA such as klink and evolutions, roggenrola and evolutions, or cryogonal, for example.
The Enhanced Evolution Theory goes hand-in-hand with the Radiation Adaptation Theory. Slight differences exist between the two, however. While Radiation Adaptation Theory suggests that pokémon evolved their current forms by selective pressure, the Enhanced Evolution Theory proposes that pokémon were actually positively affected by radiation, making some pokémon adopt forms that would not otherwise support life. Scientists studying this theory ask, why is it that pokémon made from steel and metal are alive, but steel and metal are not capable of supporting life as humans know it? These researchers propose that bizarre distortion of atomic particles by radiation could cause life to arise in strange ways, giving pokémon the power to harness electricity and fire and bend the elements to their wills.
Ultimately, no decisive evidence has been found to completely support or refute any of these theories, and the scientific community continues to work towards a conclusive answer of the perplexing question: Where did pokémon come from? Perhaps finding the answer to this question will point us in the direction of discovering our own origins.
Grade: B+
Juniper's notes: Good rationale and criticism given for each of the theories, but you've missed a few points- dream mist is not DNA. Dream mist is a byproduct of DNA. Dream mist forms when DNA is extracted from a pokémon and we can use that DNA to look into their dreams and memories. Supporters of the Arceus or Extra-Terrestrial Source theory might argue that this supports that pokémon are not of this world or human creations. (In that light, what about humans?) Some say that this is an argument for the hive-mind theory. Supporters of ERT might argue that this is an engineered form of DNA, capable of passing on genetic information as well as culture and memories, while human DNA only passes on genes! Interesting, huh? Dream mist actually got that name because it has a sedative effect, ha-ha.