History Main / Mon

* MonsAsCharacterization

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'''s anime-style 20X6 mirror universe turns the Cheat into the "Cheatball", who later appeared as a character in a ''Pokémon''-inspired CollectableCardGame.

* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' Episodes I and II sort of has this with the mag. Mags are a race of [[RobotBuddy living computers]] that are freely distributed to [[AnAdventurerIsYou new hunters/rangers/forces]], but more can be found in other places such as [[RandomlyDrops the mines in Ragol]]. When they are new, all mags share [[PaletteSwap the exact same form except for their color]] (which they have a handful of options), and are [[MagikarpPower almost widely useless]] for anything except to [[InventoryManagementPuzzle use up extra mates/fluids when they take up too much space in your pack]]. The mon part? If you feed them certain [[HealingPotion mates/fluids/cures/etc]]. or a combination of them that typical mag can [[UnstableGeneticCode quickly change its form into many other different and unique models]] (sometimes even changing back to a previous form, not including the infant model) and learn different combinations of photon blasts (up to three). Their transformations are based around their levels, their stats and a few other tricks (such as the owner's Section ID or other [[TemporaryOnlineContent rare]] event items), and if the stats are [[GuideDangIt tweaked the right way]] by the time they [[LevelGrinding cap their level]], they can make a permanent change into a very rare model of mag. While they aren't used to directly fight in battle (unless you count some of the photon blasts) and while the player has few reasons to go out hunting extra mags, some of the rarer mags can perform valuable techs aside from the photons, including [[AutoRevive reviving their owner if they die]] or [[StatusBuff temporarily boosting their attack and defense]]. Not to mention that their stats directly affects the players and also adds significant boosts to them for as long as that model is equipped (which can [[GameBreaker really shoot high]] with some more [[TrialAndErrorGameplay clever tweaking]]). They also have [[PetInterface intelligence and feelings to watch for as well as a damage meter]], the two formers of which are affected by their "food", such as if they like it or if it's good for them, or (for synch) whether or not you give them [[WizardNeedsFoodBadly mates/fluids/cures/so on quick enough when they're hungry]] (the latter charges up energy for the photon blast the [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential more hits you/they take]]). Ironically, although the game also makes an effort in a few missions to make it clear how mags are living creatures that try to protect and serve you well in exchange for care, and they made it also clear that every Hunter (and Ranger and Force) gets one upon becoming hunters (part of the Hunter's Guild/government on Pioneer 2, not just the class), there are only a small number of characters (besides player made ones) whom have one or were seen with one (Elenor comes to mind and supposedly Ult).

* The experiments in ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' could be considered this - many of them have special abilities, and the heroes have to hunt them down.

* The ''WesternAnimation/LoveDeathAndRobots'' short "Sonnie's Edge" is a different kind of {{Deconstruction}} of this genre. The monsters are just mindless, bioengineered [[EmptyShell Empty Shells]] that are remote controlled by the trainers... [[spoiler:except for the protagonist who is ''not'' a person controlling a monster. She's ''a monster controlling a person''; her mind was [[BrainUploading uploaded]] into her monster after she suffered fatal injuries, and her now brain-dead body is implanted with the same technology used to control the monsters to give the illusion she's still human. This ends up making her a better player than anybody else; unlike all the other trainers, [[HadToBeSharp she's actually fighting for her life in every match and acts accordingly]].]]

JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_mon_%28currency%29 mon,]] a historical currency in Japan, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mon_%28crest%29 mon,]] a Japanese symbol similar to a coat of arms in European heraldry, a Belgian city, or the ''[[CountryMatters mons veneris]]'', for that matter. Also, nothing to do with [[WelcomeToTheCaribbeanMon a stereotypical Caribbean accent]].

* ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'' has daemons, the physical manifestation of one's soul as seemingly ordinary animals (though most of them can talk and they can even change their apparent species as long as the person they're attached to is still a child). Here, the focus is not so much on them battling (though they occasionally do so) as it is as embodying a kind of personal creativity and free will that is frowned upon by organized religion (separating a child from his/her daemon is shown as traumatic and is explicitly compared to abusive religious practices).

It is also noted that practically every {{Mon}} entry along with their supplementary material would qualify for JustEatGilligan. Why the villains keep deciding to pick a fight with the humans' powerful partners every single time instead of [[StraightForTheCommander just going after the squishy human nearby who almost never takes cover]] is a mystery for the ages. There are even some cases in where the ratings system and PlotArmor are the only reason why the human heroes are still alive, especially whenever the humans are separated from their mons.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterCrown'', An ambitious monster collecting game in a similar vein to ''Pokémon Uranium,'' with a ton of creatures to catch and create through various means.

* ''VideoGame/Temtem'' is an MMO that features Mon.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bugsnax}}'' is in a similar vein - while it's mostly an adventure game, the campy aesthetic, puzzles, and GottaCatchEmAll strongly take after ''Pokemon'', complete with PokemonSpeak and a system based on VideoGame/PokemonSnap.
* Familliars from ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' have a shade of this, being mostly pets who randomly use a unique attack or other benificial effect. They are not, however, the focus of the game, and you can only watch them dog-fight in a certain area (however, a noncombat adventure where it looks like you may obtain a large number of rare familliar larvae has your character extatic, and some players may adopt a GottaCatchEmAll attitude), and the Pastamancer-exclusive Pasta Guardians go the one-per-person route (although their nemesis quest gives you an item that lets you switch [=PG=]'s without nuking your progress with your first one). There is also [[http://kol.coldfront.net/thekolwiki/index.php/Pokemann Pokëmann]], a parody of Pokemon, which is a set of figurines that your Pen Pal (if you have one) randomly sends you.

Compare and Contrast CoolPet as well as SummonMagic. See also TheBeastmaster and BondCreatures. May function as a GuardianEntity. Contrast with {{Kaiju}}, giant monsters defined by ''not'' being under the control of humans or other summoners.

[-[[caption-width-right:350:[[Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries To catch them is my real test, to train them is]]...wait, [[Franchise/{{Digimon}} wrong show]].]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:350:[[Anime/PokemonTheSeries To catch them is my real test, to train them is]]...wait, [[Franchise/{{Digimon}} wrong show]].]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:350:[[Anime/{{Pokemon}} To catch them is my real test, to train them is]]...wait, [[Franchise/{{Digimon}} wrong show]].]]-]

* ''Anime/DuelMasters'', besides ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' and ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'', is one of the examples most likely to be familiar to Westerners.

* The elementals of the "Storm Summoners" sample magic system for ''TabletopGame/FateCore'' (contained in the ''Fate System Toolkit'') have strong shades of this -- calling them up relies on a SummoningRitual, but once successfully summoned and bound they remain so for at least a week and the bond can be potentially extended indefinitely as long as the summoner keeps making the required periodic rolls for that purpose. There's even an optional specialization for training "wisps", the least powerful type of elementals, specifically for tournament fights and the like for entertainment.

* ''VideoGame/MarioParty 3'' had a Duel Map Mode where each character essentially had one of the various iconic Mario enemies as their mon.

* GottaCatchEmAll: A goal of catching all Mons is common.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Chaotic}}'', the creature scans don't possess sentience, but players do use them to become the creatures for the match and battle with them. Creatures in Perm are not animals but beings that form distinct societies and, of course, wage wars.

* The Cyber-Elf gathering and utilization system introduced in the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series had this sort of feel to it.

* The Dream Creatures from WesternAnimation/MagiNation are summoned to do battle or clear obstacles, akin to normal applications of this trope. Unusually, they have a parallel world they go to when recharging their energies.

%%* The Dream Creatures from WesternAnimation/MagiNation.

* The Dream Creatures from WesternAnimation/MagiNation.