Coronation

Coronation (Japanese: 即位式 Enthronement) is a peculiar transformation introduced in Pokémon Crimson and Cobalt that affects certain species under certain circumstances.

In comparison to Kalos' Mega Evolution, the transformation is not triggered by any held items.

Pokémon can become Coronated after defeating the Pokémon League and encountering Crimsoil / Zeedrak. Its effects are still understudied by scholars.

Terminology

The term Coronation refers to the transformation itself, while Pokémon affected by it are called Coronated Pokémon.

Overview

For a long time, before the discovery of this unknown power, Mega Evolution was considered the "Evolution that transcendents Evolution", and was considered the ultimate proof of a bond between the Trainer and Pokémon. Coronation is related to the Imperial Three and their part in the region's history as incredibly powerful blessing bestowed upon certain Pokémon as a token of gratitude for their help, known as the Knights of Infer - including the Starter Pokémon.

Coronation is considered the final, fourth stage of evolution of some Pokémon, on a technical level indistinguishable from a regular evolution. Due to its incredible power, Coronated Pokémon are very rare to find and are banned from most battle formats.

In the game

History

The origins of Coronation aren't clear. A common stance among scholars states that Coronation is related to the old history of Infer, where the Imperial Three have guarded the land and were on peaceful terms with its people, until the heir to throne had went on to wage several wars around the world for his family's own gain. This move angered the Three, and they became unfavorable towards the commoners and the ruler. The Pokémon known as Knights of Infer, who have been accompanying the royal family and its associates, have turned their backs on the caretakers and fled their residences.

During the wars, the Pokémon have been fleeing from several conflicts on their way. One day, they stumbled upon an orphan, whose parents fell victim to one of many sieges.

While both the Knights and the Three turned their backs on humans, they considered children innocent for their elders' actions, and they were the only one whom the Pokémon protected.

It is said that due to the Knights' noble actions, the Three have bestowed them with a blessing that will allow the Pokémon to grow beyond what could be possible, and let them defend their values with all might.

The player is the first person to witness a Pokémon's Coronation, with Professor Nia being initially shocked at such a sight, proclaiming it a miraculous discovery that no one has observed in person before.

In battle

Coronation can be triggered only once in game and it is a permanent change. In order to do this, the player must defeat the Pokémon League, encounter at least one of Imperial Three, and go to a specific location. Each location will depend on the Pokémon the player wants to Coronate.

Unlike other transformations, Coronated Pokémon are not allowed in most battle formats (ie. League rematches, Battle Spot or any Trainer Rematches) with the exception of Infer Royal Championships, which is due to their abnormally strong stats that give significant advantages to the user. They face the same restrictions as Legendary Pokémon, despite not officially belonging to that category.

Other than that, Coronated Pokémon behave like any other Pokémon.

Out of battle

Coronated Pokémon also face significant ownership and trading restrictions. Those Pokémon cannot be traded through the GTS and the player can't have more than one Coronated Pokémon in their save file. This is to restrict unfair advantages in game.

Coronated Pokémon's most distinctive features are names, that often sound more like codenames than actual specimen names. Their Pokédex entries do not contain any more information besides appearance, height and weight, and the description is quite vague due to their recent discovery.

In order to have Pokédex entries for all Coronated Pokémon, the player must trade its currently-owned Pokémon to another player.

Trivia

• The name of this transformation refers to the monarchy the region lives under and the practice of coronating a heir of throne.
• Initially, this transformation was called Knighting, in reference to Knights of Infer.
• Despite the similarities, Coronation and Mega Evolution seem to be two different phenomenons.