Mergers is a completed Pokémon fanfic by Katrina S. Forest and RaptorRowan, mainly based off of the world of the Pokémon anime.
Five years after the start of the series, Team Rocket has created Mergers using the properties of evolution stones, Eevee DNA, and Mega Stones, which allow humans to have varying levels of Pokémon DNA, essentially evolving into a Pokémon. It's a boon in some ways—you can communicate with other Pokémon and use the powers Pokémon have. But there's a downside the Rockets are happy to exploit—more than 50% Pokémon DNA, and you're no longer human, meaning you can be caught like any other Pokémon.
Meanwhile, Ash Ketchum discovers a horrifying secret: Giovanni is his father, and with Silver's whereabouts unknown, he's Giovanni's best bet to inherit Team Rocket. Brock and Misty, also captured, must choose which Pokémon to merge with, or else. And in-fighting among Team Rocket against the newcomer, particularly with elite agent Fiora, only adds another wrinkle to the proceedings.
The fanfic can be found here
. A sequel called Mergers: Alola Arc started on April 22, 2022.
This fanfic contains examples of:
- Blessed with Suck:
- Brock has excellent strength with his Steelix DNA, but can no longer speak human and even takes orders like a captured Pokémon does.
- Once Misty is given Gyarados DNA she finds she can't breathe air as easily.
- Body Horror: Some of the transformations aren't very pleasant, particularly with Brock, whose legs fuse into a Steelix tail.
- Canon Foreigner: Agent Fiora isn't from the games or anime, though she shares her name with a character of the day.
- How We Got Here: The first chapter starts with Brock getting Steelix DNA and being caught in a Master Ball, then flashes back to show how it all happened.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: Once Giovanni realizes Ash is his son, it isn't long before Ash learns Giovanni is his father.
- The Mind Is a Plaything of the Body: This grows more and more prominent the more Pokemon DNA you have, with Brock losing the ability to speak like a human.
- Non-Human Humanoid Hybrid: Meowth is merged with a Vaporeon as part of the testing process. His new form is eventually dubbed Aquafeles.
- Out-Gambitted: Brock chooses Steelix for pragmatic reasons given its strength and difficult capture rate, but unfortunately the Rockets were prepared.
- Patchwork Fic: Most characters and settings are from the anime, though game-exclusive things crop up now and then, like capture rates and Silver's existence.
- Required Secondary Powers: Several Pokémon abilities grant these to the people they merge with, like breathing water if you're part water Pokémon or being able to communicate with Pokémon in general.
- Token Good Teammate: Compared to Team Rocket as a whole, Fiora genuinely cares about Pokémon and insists they be treated well, though it's downplayed in that she's still a manipulative schemer.
- Wham Episode: Chapter 21 has Ash merging with a Banette and having exactly 50% Pokémon DNA.
- Your Days Are Numbered: Agent Fiora has only a few years to live at the start of things, though a merger with Absol DNA cures her.
