| Ditto | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Others | Transform Pokémon | ||
| Original | メタモン | ||
| Romanization | Metamon | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Amorphous | ||
| Average height | 30 cm | ||
| Average weight | 4 kg | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Non-sapient | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Place of origin | Kanto region, Pokémon World | ||
| Related species | Mew (possibly) | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | Pokémon | ||
Ditto is a Normal-type Pokémon species known for its shapeshifting abilities, which allow it to transform into a perfect (or in some cases imperfect) copy of other Pokémon, humans and inanimate objects.
Wild populations of this species can be found in some routes of Kanto and Johto, the Desert Underpass in Hoenn, the Crater Forest in Unova, the Pokémon Village in Kalos and Mount Hokulani in Alola.
Biology[]
Ditto is a relatively small, amorphous creature which appears like a light pink or light purple blob. It has beady eyes and a mouth which is typically smiling, fitting its mostly placid nature. The only move it can learn to battle with is Transform, in which the Ditto will reorganize its cellular structure in order to shapeshift into a functional copy of its opponent. Its transforming abilities also allow it to reproduce with the majority of other species, even including some genderless ones, thus making it a very useful Pokémon for breeders. Perhaps ironically, however, Ditto themselves are also considered genderless and cannot breed with each other.
The shapeshifting abilities of a Ditto seem to vary according to the individual's skills, as some have demonstrated an inability to mimic facial features, and tend to transform into an inexact copy of whoever they're mimicking, still with the Ditto's face. In other cases, they might be able to shapeshift perfectly, but will not change their size. Besides living things, Ditto can also shapeshift into inanimate objects. When they sleep, they habitually transform into a stone to avoid being predated or bothered.
It appears that Ditto require at least some level of concentration to keep their disguise, as they cannot keep it while laughing. Therefore making a Ditto laugh is a sure way to revert it to its original form. It's also been noted that they will naturally revert when they relax. The transformation also works best when the Ditto can physically see whatever it's trying to copy, as attempting to do it from memory will usually result in it getting some details wrong. When two Ditto meet, they both try to turn into each other.
There are some intriguing similarities between Ditto and Mew which may indicate some kind of connection between the two. Both Pokémon are roughly the same size and exactly the same weight. Both are light pink in their natural form and blue in the shiny form, and are the only known Pokémon which can learn the Transform move, allowing them to shapeshift into other species. In Pokémon Yellow Version and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Ditto can be found in the Cinnabar mansion where a fossilized Mew was cloned back to life. Since Mew is believed to be the common ancestor of all Pokémon species and possesses genes from all of them, this potential connection could help explain Ditto's abilities.
Gallery[]
