That's a little shallow, isn't it?
We have version-exclusives like Mantine and Skarmory, one in Gold and the other in Silver, which have mirrored stat spreads favoring Special Defense and Defense, respectively, and share things like catch rates and EXP yields. They're never mentioned in the same breath, or even found in the same area, yet they're obviously intended to be counterparts.
It's not shallow at all. If anything, it's reductive to assume that what's true for one, must be true for the other without context. Version exclusives do not necessarily mean that they are pairs to the extent that the fanbase interprets them. All it is really is the fanbase assuming that there is a link between two version exclusive Pokemon, when it's simply a case of content being exclusive to one of the versions. Using EXP yield, BST, and catch rates is iffy at best because the majority of Pokemon share similar numbers and yet are not linked. Take Skarmory and Mantine for instance, you might think that there is a link because of stats, but there's nothing in common between the two. One is a Water/Flying type and the other is a Steel/Flying type. Not to mention, they're found in separate areas and have no connection to each other to the extent that other linked Pokemon do.
Pinson and Scythe were mirrored in pokemon red/blue, no?
And yet only one of them got an evolution. If they really were pairs, you'd think GF would give both of them (which is what some people were complaining about in the first place). It's clear that GF doesn't consider them as pairs to the extent that the fanbase does. Additionally, using lore, there's no reason to think that these two bugs in particular are linked in any way (unlike say Volbeat-Illumise, Plusle-Minun, Reshiram-Zekrom). IMO, mirrored content doesn't necessarily mean that a link is established.
Version exclusive Pokemon are literally pairs in every sense of the word. The fanbase's "misguided" sense of balance comes from the fact that paired Pokemon games literally have a sense of balance.
Version exclusive Pokemon do not prove that the exclusives are linked in any way. It's an arbitrary connection made by the fanbase because they assume that patterns they noticed means that a link is de facto proven, when it really isn't. Take your photo for instance.
Out of all the version exclusives outlined, there's really only a connection with Volbeat-Illumise, Plusle-Minun, Zekrom-Reshiram, Thundurus-Tornadus. The rest are all assumptions that there's a connection just because they mirror each other, which is a reductive and asinine way of seeing it. Not to mention, it gets ridiculous when people assume intergenerational links when there's nothing to substantiate that connection (Breloom - Parasect, Mightyena - Houndoom).
Seviper and Zangoose are a good one.
Gligar and delibird not so much lol.
Yes storytelling and fanmade headcanon is cool and stuff but in the context of Gamefreak intending anything or breaking up pairs that'd hard to say really because we kinda just make it up cuz they mirror each other in some way because they make two versions of the game. Like yeah they're there but talking about them in any practical sense is useless. Its like theorizing rumors based on patterns
Precisely. I can understand when there are obvious links like Reshiram and Zekrom, Zangoose and Seviper, but people lose me if they can claim that Gligar and DElibird are linked, or that Mightyena and Houndoom are linked.
You can't simply say version exclusives are pairs when there's no real definition of them as pairs. Theorizing is one thing, but theorizing and treating said theories/patterns as if they are true without any indication that GF sees it the same way is setting yourself up for disappointment. Especially when patterns don't really prove anything on their own (such as when people use BSTs to assume that there is link and disregard lore).
Gonna have to push back on this a bit. Yeah, it's not good for people to expect their Pokemon observations to be upheld canonically in game, but to say there aren't less explicit pairs is kind of disingenuous. There are most certainly Pokemon that have a duality that aren't paired (sometimes this comes from the version exclusive thing).
Ultimately there's nothing wrong with fans interpreting pokemon relationships as something less explicitly defined in-game because that's what storytelling is about and it makes the games fun. I'd stop calling people (not saying you specifically, I've just seen this a lot) "OCD" and needlessly obsessed with "balance." Some people just like to interpret things in different ways, and sometimes that's okay.
I agree it's ridiculous people throw fits and become angry when TPC does stuff that conflicts with their preconceived notions and all, but golly gee it shouldn't be so odd to see Pokemon fans coming up with fan theories and ideas, because a lot of the time they hold some weight even if they aren't stated in-game.
It'd be great if Pokemon fans wouldn't fall victim to strange storytelling-groupthink, because half of the fun of Pokemon to me is seeing the ideas people come up with. Again, I'm not trying to call anyone in particular out, I'm just saying that not every fan-theory is being shouted as if it's true and sometimes people just like coming up with their own ideas of how things work in this fictional universe.
I can agree with the bolded, I just don't agree with how people assume that the duality (which is a perfect way to sum it up) means that lore-wise, GF intended to connect the two when there's nothing to prove that. I mean, Skarmory - Mantine is a perfect example of how mirroring is done without really showing how the two are related. Both are walls that are physically and specially inclined respectively, but beyond that, nothing.
And I agree, there's nothing wrong with theorizing in and of itself. I just have a problem when people assume that it's a fact and completely ignore that there's nothing substantive that backs up the connection claim they've made. That's why I don't hold a lot of weight to what they're saying, because it's really just a bunch of shallow observations and immediately thinking that there's a connection because of said observations.