By: topartest96
With the Fairy-type being confirmed, fans moaned to the introduction of something so ‘cutesy’ into their franchise, as well as fan art has been dedicated to the supposed ‘silliness’ of fairies, like Jigglypuff standing on top of a pile of fainted Dragon-type Pokemon. This seems to reflect the differences in culture as well as a failure to understand why the type was introduced. First, the type. It was created specifically to be against Dragon-types. Many Dragon-types continue remaining a dominant force in battling due to their impressive stats, few weaknesses and large move sets. Much like Dark-types were introduced and Bug-types became more powerful to balance out, this is a near identical situation.
While it has been stated many times, there are still people who do not understand, or choose to remain opposed to the new type. Fae in folklore were among the most feared beings, even dragons themselves feared their magic and power. Beyond that, there is an element of good and evil toward it. In many European traditions, dragons were viewed as forces of evil. Fae, representations of good, symbolized the triumph of purity over the corrupt. Hence why the Dark-type is rumored to be weak to Fairies. As a final reason, the Fairy-type also has an element of magic to it. A common occurrence in RPGs is how the different leveling is for ‘warriors’ and ‘mages’, where the magic users eventually surpass the warriors.
The rumored weaknesses also makes sense. Representing the good, innocent, and purity, there is a certain fragility to it. Much like the Spring flowers, Fairies are hurt when presented with poisons, hence the rumored weakness against the Poison-type. The same could be said for Ice-types, though it among with the Steel-type have another reason, cold iron.
The term was used to describe how cold iron was to the touch. Beyond that, modern day interpretations have associated iron with the beliefs of metals, such as silver and gold, could ward off the supernatural, such as werewolves, fairies, and more. It could also represent the struggle of magic and machinery, technology and the arcane.
It’s no surprise that Fairy-types are here. The Japanese enjoy cute things. GameFreak originates from Japan, hence many of the Pokemon designs. While some of the fans continue to foam at the mouth due to this fact and the new Fairy-types, others understand why the type was implemented. The polarizing views of Pokemon design are best seen with Reshiram and Zekrom. Reshiram, from the design to the name to the attacks, represents an elegant form, appealing to Japan. Zekrom’s name, design and stats appeal more to the danger-loving and hot-blooded Americans, I believe.
Overall, Fairy types are here to stay and I for one cannot wait to see which ones I will include on my teams. Gotta catch ’em all!
