One day, a bored and somewhat lazy twenty-something anime fan asked himself, "What if Neon Genesis Evangelion had been made in the world of Pokémon"? How would the story be different—and more importantly, what might remain the same? This fanfic was the result. To put it simply, Neon Genesis EvangeléMon is a Fusion Fic placing the cast of Neon Genesis Evangelion in the world of Pokémon.''
Shinji Ikari is 14 years old, and has been summoned by his father to become a "Legendary Pokémon Trainer" at the headquarters of NERV in Pallet Town 3. Travelling with him is his loyal companion, a Cubone which was a gift from his deceased mother. Once there, he discovers what he has truly been called over to do. The scientists at NERV have succeeded in reconstructing one of the most powerful Pokémon of all—the Bug/Steel-type Legendary Genesect—in order to battle the other Legendary Pokémon that have begun attacking Pallet Town 3. And Shinji has been chosen to be its trainer.
Once there, he encounters other members, including former Kanto Self Defense Force captain Misato Katsuragi, hotshot Hoennian trainer Asuka Langley Soryu, and Pokémon scientist Ritsuko Akagi. The whole story is written in a very tongue-in-cheek manner, befitting its odd premise. There are numerous instances of Leaning on the Fourth Wall and Medium Awareness, particularly on the part of the Pokémon themselves, who often seem to be just as smart—if not more so—than the human characters.
The fanfic has undergone numerous long hiatuses and updates relatively slowly (the author began writing it in 2013). However the author's intent is to have it complete by the time the fourth Rebuild of Evangelion movie is released. There are intended to be 22 chapters or "episodes". It can be currently be read on the EvaGeeks forum
, and on the author's DeviantArt account, where bios of the characters can also be found.
Tropes:
- Adaptational Heroism: Most official Pokémon stories depict Mewtwo as either a violent misanthrope or a tragic Well-Intentioned Extremist. Here, it's actually working for humanity, being controlled by Rei.
- Adaptation Species Change: A bit of a necessity, seeing as it now takes place in the Pokémon universe. The Angels and Eva units are replaced with Legendary Pokémon. Pen-pen the penguin is also now an Empoleon.
- Aloof Ally: Shinji's Sandslash, who prefers to hang out by himself and not play with other Pokémon.
- All Psychology Is Freudian: Darkrai turns into a therapist after absorbing Shinji into its shadow, complete with a couch. It even asks him about his mother.
- Animal Mecha: The Jet Rhydon robot, a giant mechanical Rhydon.
- Animals Not to Scale: A variation with the Pokémon: the Legendary Pokémon are all enormous— they have to be, since they're the equivalents of the Angels and Eva units. Some non-legendaries are bigger than their Pokédex entries say they are as well, such as Gendo's Hydreigon and Kaji's Tropius, both of which are big enough for an adult human to ride on despite officially being only about four feet tall.
- Badass Normal: It's hard to tell what "normal" is in a story like this, but a handful of non-legendary Pokémon manage to put up a fight against the Legendaries, including Shinji's Sandslash and Asuka's Magmortar.
- Behemoth Battle: Any time two Legendary Pokémon fight. Bonus points for including a Groudon vs. Kyogre battle!
- Better than a Bare Bulb: This story lampshades everything.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: As a 100-foot-tall Bug-type Pokémon, Genesect qualifies.
- Com Mons: Shinji's team is made up of almost nothing but these, cementing his status as a "loser" trainer.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Mari, despite being one of the protagonists, has a Tyranitar and a Liepard.
- Demoted to Extra: Rayquaza, compared to Groudon and Kyogre. While Groudon is part of the main cast and Kyogre gets an episode to itself, Rayquaza only appears in the beginning of Mari's introduction.
- Dragon Rider: Gendo often flies on the back of his Hydreigon to travel.
- Everything's Better with Sparkles: Misato's Empoleon and Mana Kirishima's Butterfree are both Shiny Pokémon.
- Expy: All of the Legendary Pokémon (plus two that aren't) are Expies of the Angels and Evas. To wit:
- Genesect—Unit 01
- Mewtwo— Unit 00
- Groudon— Unit 02
- Kyurem—Unit 03
- Palkia— Unit 08
- Regigigas— Sachiel
- giant "zombie" Kabutops— Shamshel
- Regice —Ramiel
- Kyogre— Gaghiel
- Latios and Latias — Israfel
- Heatran — Sandalphon
- Registeel — Matarael
- Ho-oh— Sahaquiel
- Rotom— Iruel
- Darkrai — Liliel
- Celebi— Bardiel
- Zekrom— Zeruel
- Zapdos— Arael
- Deoxys— Aramisael
- Giratina— Kaworu/Tabris
- Rayquaza— "Tunniel"
- Mew— Adam
- Arceus—Lilith
- There are also a lot of Expies of individual characters from the Pokémon games and anime. For example, Shinji's Marowak is very similar in its relationship with him to Ash's Pikachu, while his Sandslash resembles Ash's Charizard and Sceptile. Likewise, Kaji's Mawile has a tendency to bite down on his head whenever it is released from its Poké Ball, much like James's Victreebel and Carnivine. Gendo Ikari having a Hydreigon is a nod to Ghetsis from Pokémon Black and White, another villainous father figure. Finally, Toji Suzuhara is turned into a clear Expy of Gary Oak, including having similar Pokémon (Arcanine and Dodrio) and even saying Gary's "Smell ya later" catchphrase.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The Evangelion characters' nationalities are replaced with them being from different regions in the Pokémon world. Shinji is from Kanto, Asuka is from Hoenn, and Mari is from Sinnoh.
- Fed to the Beast: During the climax, Gendo orders his Hydreigon to kill (and, it's implied, eat) Dr. Akagi.
- Freudian Couch: When Shinji is absorbed by Darkrai (the equivalent of Liliel), the Legendary Pokémon morphs into a stereotypical therapist, complete with a couch Shinji lies on.
- Giant Flyer: Latios, Latias, Ho-Oh, and Zapdos certainly qualify. Rayquaza too, though it's never seen flying.
- G-Rated Drug: Misato's "Shuckle Juice", which she tries to push on the young pilots at every opportunity.
- Heroes Love Dogs: Toji might be a bit of a stuck-up jerk, but he clearly loves his Arcanine.
- Horse of a Different Color: Gendo Ikari, Ryoji Kaji, and Toji Suzuhara all use their Pokémon as mounts.
- I Do Not Own: Every episode ends with this sort of disclaimer, in which the author says what he would change if he did own either Pokémon or Neon Genesis Evangelion—usually silly things like "Gendo Ikari would have an epic Broadway-esque Villain Song."
- Ineffectual Loner: Sandslash and Marowak are both this, in different flavors. Sandslash is the brooding badass who doesn't want to make friends, while Marowak is the traumatized loner who doubts his self-worth.
- Large Ham: Primeape and Toxicroak
- Mama Bear: Misato, and also her Kangaskhan and Nidoqueen.
- Maniac Monkeys: Asuka's Primeape, who flies into a rage if anyone so much as crosses eyes with him.
- Medium Awareness: The characters regularly express awareness that they are in a fanfic, especially the Pokémon themselves.
- Mythology Gag: The story is full of in-jokes relating to the original Pokémon and Evangelion anime series.
- When Shinji is using Genesect to battle Sylph Co.'s Jet Rhydon (the story's equivalent of the Jet Alone robot) he tells it to "
Aim for the horn!" - At one point, Pen-pen (here portrayed as an Empoleon) actually says "I could use pants."
- When Asuka tells Shinji to "think in Hoennian", the first phrase he comes up with is "I erd u liek Mudkips." She promptly smacks him.
- Instead of "God's In His Heaven, All's Right With The World", the NERV slogan is "To Protect The World From Devastation, To Unite All People Within Our Nation."
- Asuka's Primeape is a reference to the little stuffed monkey she had.
- When Rotom infests the NERV supercomputers, its speech is rendered with the same Verbal Tic as that of the Rotom Dex in Pokémon Sun and Moon
- When Shinji is using Genesect to battle Sylph Co.'s Jet Rhydon (the story's equivalent of the Jet Alone robot) he tells it to "
- The Nicknamer: Kensuke names all his Pokémon after military ranks. In turn, the Pokémon themselves call him "The General."
- Oral Fixation: Sandslash always grips a twig in its teeth.
- Pokémon Speak: The Pokémon characters' lines are "subtitled" for the reader, which is fortunate as they often have a lot to say.
- Retired Badass: Misato's Gyarados, who used to be her strongest Pokémon from her days in the KSSDF (Kanto Strategic Self-Defense Forces).
- Right-Hand Attack Dog: Gendo's Hydreigon is a right-hand attack dragon.
- The Reveal: At the end of the last chapter, the whole thing turns out to be a movie that Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu are watching.
- Shout-Out:
- Sandslash frequently quotes Clint Eastwood, while Primeape talks and acts like Hulk Hogan. Mari's Toxicroak likewise talks like Mr. T.
- In the "thermal expansion" scene, Shinji suggests that if he did the same thing as Asuka he would have "an enormous schwanzstucker", to which Asuka replies "Well, that goes without saying." This is, of course, a reference to Young Frankenstein.
- "We're going to need another Rei!"
- Signature Mon: Besides their Legendary Pokémon, most of the main characters have at least one non-legendary Pokémon that they are strongly associated with. These include Cubone for Shinji, Primeape for Asuka, Toxicroak for Mari, Tropius for Kaji, Espeon for Ritsuko, Arcanine for Touji, and Hydreigon for Gendo.
- Snake Versus Mongoose: True to their in-game lore, Asuka's Zangoose and Mari's Seviper are constantly fighting whenever they come in contact with each other.
- Southern Belle: Shinji's Pidgeotto's Pokémon Speak is subtitled with a thick Southern accent.
- Take That!: At the end, when the whole story turns out to be a movie, Ash asks about the Rebuild movies. Brock replies, "Eh, I think Digimon is doing them."
- Token Evil Teammate: Primeape is this for the other Pokémon. None of them like him, and he goes out of his way to bully smaller ones like Cubone.
- Took a Level in Badass: Cubone, once he evolves into Marowak, coinciding with Shinji's own character growth.
- Uncatty Resemblance: Asuka's Primeape is just as cranky, boastful, and short-tempered as she is.
- Undead Fossils: The giant Kabutops that stands in for Shamshel is one of these.
- The Voiceless: Gendo's Hydreigon is the only significant Pokémon whose Pokémon Speak isn't translated for the reader.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Mari, unlike the other main characters, doesn't really have her arc resolved. This is lampshaded by Ash at the end, when it turns out the whole thing is a movie being watched by the cast of the Pokémon anime.
- The Worf Effect: Misato's Gyarados. Despite supposedly being her most powerful Pokémon, it loses in every battle it gets involved in.
