Star Ocean 2 Pokédex
On Dream Chasers MUSH, the themes of Pokémon and Star Ocean 2 blend together on the setting of Energy Nede! Pokémon creatures are very well-documented. Star Ocean 2's enemies... less so. In order to help enhance the roleplay, this serves as a reference to help integrate Star Ocean 2 enemies into the setting further!
This file provides both standard Pokédex information, as well as guides for a creature's appearance, movements, and how this may translate in a Gunslinger context. Many have underwent some renames and/or had a few evolution stages invented to bring them up to par with Pokémon's own creatures. Several creatures that would have showed up on Filgaia proper are here, too, as otherwise this would be a prohibitively limited and uninteresting list.
At present, the lines are arranged in order of implementation. This is to make it easier to discern newer additions while the list is still being compiled. Once all the planned lines are in place, they will be arranged to be alphabetical instead (barring any executive decision about the overall presentation).
Some may receive a few small touch-ups here and there throughout development.
Overall To-Do
These will be worked on after the initial planned set of conversions are done. Current list is as of January 3rd, 2024 (and unchanged as of April 12th, 2024).
- Figuring out the final presentation order. Right now it's in order of completion, leaning towards alphabetical as stated earlier.
- Standardizing line labeling as being based on the canon enemy names rather than the new ones, for ease of matching the established Star Ocean 2 enemy names to what they are on Dream Chasers.
- Adjust appearances to specify 'shiny' colors. Right now a lot of them just go down the enemy alternate palettes when they could (and should) be standardized.
- More easily digestible list of differences between a creature's canon appearance and movements vs. its Dream Chasers adaption, which will be important as many are different from the game's sprites.
- Clearer list of attacks that are canon vs. suggestions to shore them up and make them more interesting.
- Shrinking many (but not all of) the sizes for earlier completed lines. At the time, most were estimates scaled against Star Ocean 2's player characters, but later entries were being set closer to equivalent Pokémon creatures. Doing so feels a bit better for sake of parity in the merged themes. Canon Pokémon measurements, to be fair, have always been silly!
- Listing equivalent or near-equivalent Pokémon for every entry, in order to help make adaption into one's writing and play easier at a glance.
- A new format presentation with help from User:Talnora, after figuring out how to integrate all the above into a neater, tidier package.
Implemented Conversions
Dumdum Line
This is an extrapolation of one of the creatures seen all of twice in Star Ocean 2, who does not participate in battle directly.
Muse Pokémon
Based On: A strange creature seen in Star Ocean 2 within VR-Expel and by the side of Yarma, God of Food.
Type: Normal / Fairy
Height 0.84m - Weight 16.3kg
Field Information: A penguin-like Pokémon who prefers the company of those who create and enact elaborate fantasy worlds. Their typical habitat exists only in dreams and virtual reality space. How they move between these realms is unknown.
Appearance + Movements: A small, squat, purple-coated white-bellied penguin. Has a gold protrusion around their head like a tiara that forms a V shape over their eyes, loops behind their head, and also creates a V shape behind their head. Murmurs complete gibberish.
Gunslinger Context: The one aggressive action we see of them involves them ramming headlong into people (TEC). They may be specialists in removing buffs or burning applied debuffs in one final glorious Purge alpha strike. Could wrangle SOR off of the strange utterances the one in VR-Expel does. As they are not actual enemies to fight in-game, a lot can be extrapolated by whim.
- Family Evolution Path
n/a
Psynard Line
Aside from having to come up with two new names and an original appearance for the final form (which is appropriating a post-game dungeon recolor), the Psynard family is as presented in Star Ocean 2. There's no need to go all the way to the final evolution, as a Psynard is a perfectly capable means of transportation if that is the goal.
Empathy Pokémon
Based On: Child form of Psynard (Enemy Encyclopedia #163), seen in a few story scenes.
Type: Psychic
Height 0.61m - Weight 5.8kg
Field Information: This Symbological Pokémon imprints readily upon any individual they do not sense hostility from. When distressed, they emit cries that are even sometimes heeded by other Pokémon. Few wild individuals exist outside of Psynard nests.
Appearance + Movements: As seen in Star Ocean 2. Small, pale purple-ish puppy-lizards with underdeveloped reddish protrusions along their back that terminate in a raised fin towards their back, just before the nubby tail. Closed eyes. They are flightless, as no wings have developed yet.
Gunslinger Context: Like a basic starter Pokémon. Tackles (TEC), simple Psychic blasts (SOR). They could growl cutely too, for small debuffs. They didn't fight in the original game, so whatever befits a lower level Pokémon works.
Resolve Pokémon
Based On: Psynard (Enemy Encyclopedia #163)
Type: Psychic / Flying
Height 7.31m - Weight 815.3kg (note: height measured from tip of fin down to feet)
Field Information: This Pokémon evolves from Psynymphs who feel a need to protect others more than be protected themselves. As wild Psynards are dangerously territorial, most seen are domesticated. Many are raised for travel upon their psionic wings.
Appearance + Movements: As seen in Star Ocean 2, both as a boss fight and as the airship equivalent. Draconic-looking individuals that are vaguely cybernetic. Their body is a bluish-gray color, with red armoring along their backs with a pronounced curved fin that terminates into an open exhaust pipe. Small feathered wings are at the flanks of either side before a pronounced two-prong tail. Powerful hind leg muscles terminate in flat 'legs' that serve as landing gear to keep the creature upright at rest, with another set of clawed legs behind them. They produce bluish-white wings of energy from their shoulder blades to serve as wings in flight. Males are slimmer and more streamlined, but have a more pronounced back fin compared to the ones seen in Star Ocean 2 proper.
Gunslinger Context: Rapid, fast fliers who specialize in dodging (going by field movement). Strong ramming techniques (TEC, extrapolating from field movement) and cool gray-ish psychic flame breath (SOR), but can bite and claw too. Could also serve as a defensive specialist in covering for smaller, weaker members of a team (or their beloved trainer). They cover a wide range of possibilities for Gunslinger extrapolation.
Decree Pokémon
Based On: Dragon Tyrant (Enemy Encyclopedia #164)
Type: Psychic / Flying
Height 8.74m - Weight 983.0kg (note: height measured from tip of fin down to feet)
Field Information: A Psynard that has fully reawakened to its natural wild instincts and latent power, their fury tyrannical before would-be enemies. They only defer to those who show both great strength and true kindness in equal measure.
Appearance + Movements: Coloration based on the Dragon Tyrant in Star Ocean 2's post-game dungeon - pinkish-purple body, gold protrusions and silvery energy wings. Breath is blush flames with teal-ish residual aura. Otherwise, as a typical Psynard but even more extra-looking (more pronounced claws and fangs, etcetera). Sexual dimorphism is the same as the Psynard.
Gunslinger Context: Same as Psynard, but with even greater power and presence. This Pokémon is a candidate for being one of the team's heaviest hitters overall - having a Psynarch should be treated as something of an event when it comes to battle.
- Family Evolution Path
Psynymph -> Psynard (level + bravery-related character development) -> Psynarch (level + absolute trust of Trainer)
Barchian Line
Easy transplant from Star Ocean 2. One is a boss that shows up with a few recolors, and the other an extrapolation of smaller ones you don't fight directly. The smaller ones are taking a name based on the original localization (Barch, in place of the actual old name of 'Bark' which still feels mostly appropriate).
Alarm Pokémon
Based On: Smaller version of Barchian (Enemy Encyclopedia #168), used as a setpiece in Star Ocean 2's Minae Cave.
Type: Ground / Rock
Height 2.14m - Weight 225.3kg
Field Information: An inorganic Pokémon introduced from a distant world long lost. Barchs form communal groups along cavern walls. Should they sight intruders, they emit a low frequency can drive nearby Pokémon into a dangerous frenzy.
Appearance + Movements: They resemble large blue disembodied faces with cylindrical tubes terminating into glowing eyes that are white at rest but can turn red. A large nose-like structure rests underneath this. To either side are arms terminating in three clawed fingers and an opposable thumb. The shape of their bodies beyond this are highly variable and often drawn from local stone deposits. While immobile in canon beyond blinking, here they can move very slowly.
Gunslinger Context: In Star Ocean 2, all they did was attract random encounters, but this could be a means to draw random wild Pokémon to cameo as attacks (PS Creative). They don't move much, but could claw (TEC) or strike the ground to create seismic waves (also TEC). Noise-based debuff moves (SOR), though could be a power buff for teammates too. They could also be interpreted as counterattacks (which is something Barchian itself specializes in doing exclusively in Star Ocean 2).
Retaliation Pokémon
Based On: Barchian (Enemy Encyclopedia #168)
Type: Ground / Steel
Height 7.65m - Weight 907.1kg
Field Information: Larger, older individuals of this species contain priceless metals within their bodies. The metals enable them to repel would-be predators with seismic shockwaves on par with earthquakes. They live in seclusion to avoid conflict.
Appearance + Movements: Similar to Barch, but much larger. The 'nose' shape of Barchun gives way to an upward protruding horn shape, all atop a mound of hardened ore. They constantly emit an indigo mist around them as some form of chemical reaction involving the extraordinarily rare metals within their body. This is meant as a means of generating their famous shockwaves. Their eyes are a dim purple at rest, and a more livelier blue-to-white when about to emit shockwaves.
Gunslinger Context: In canon, they only did a huge attack that hit the entire battlefield when triggered with damage (called 'Lost Patience' in the original localization, 'Pain Release' in the 2023 version). Here, they are afforded some (very slow) movement to strike directly with their hands, or maybe even some cool eye beams (SOR, or possibly ARM) in-between big seismic wave counterattacks (TEC). The mist they produce could be its own form of attack (SOR). You could interchange some ideas from Barch here if desired, though the idea is that Barch is more of an alarm compared to Barchian's lethal deterrence. They could occasionally inflict poison with the shockwave as well.
- Family Evolution Path
Barch -> Barchian (requires a Moon Stone)
Arachnovia Line
There are some palette swaps, but I chose to focus on the one that is fought as a boss. Arachnovia is the boss of the part of the game where you go find a wild Psynard, seen bothering the wild Psynard and her babies. The recent 2023 remake makes that boss fight into one with a 'lead' Arachnovia and smaller ones, so I decided to create a pre-evolution form in place of the smaller ones using their old PS1 localization name.
Spying Pokémon
Based On: Arachnovia (Enemy Encyclopedia #34), using original Star Ocean 2 localization name.
Type: Bug / Dark
Height 1.55m - Weight 78.5kg
Field Information: This Pokémon nests close to Nedian settlements. They spend most of their time watching Nedians from the darkness, as if interested in how Nedians live. When hunting, they prefer larger prey they can overwhelm with numbers to feed on their fear.
Appearance + Movements: Unique from the Arachnovia, and original to Dream Chasers. They're arachnids with only six legs and a small abdomen of a gray color. Their head is abnormally long and limber, with mouthparts articulate enough to be as another set of limbs for manipulating objects - somewhat resembling an anthropomorphic upper torso in darkness. They only have two highly reflective eyes, far less than most arachnids. In combat, they prefer to strike with these elongated mouthparts, but also immediately dart into darkness if approached.
Gunslinger Context: These are mostly TEC users, using their mouthparts like claws for strikes but can also swing them fast enough to create slicing waves. This is a mostly original creation, so anything that makes them come off as sneaky, opportunistic, and a bit skittish works. Could unnerve opponents with their watching stares as a debuff.
Facade Pokémon
Based On: Arachnovia (Enemy Encyclopedia #34)
Type: Bug / Dark
Height 2.41m - Weight 108.8kg
Field Information: An Arcmene whose observation of Nedian people has allowed them to evolve a form bearing a resemblance. They prey upon Pokémon comfortable with Nedian presence, making their nests dangerous for lost domesticated Pokémon.
Appearance + Movements: They have a large arachnid body, although with only six legs attached to the abdomen as opposed to eight. The abdomen is a black color with grayish rings around it. The most noteworthy feature of their appearance is that they have evolved to have a functionally anthropomorphic upper body from the waistline up that resembles a Nedian. (Unlike canon, this body doesn't need to be feminine, so long as it's something a Pokémon would confuse for being a Nedian.) They have functional arms that bring the total number of limbs up to eight, which can produce three elongated claws for slashing. Male Arachnovia have smaller abdomens and proportionally longer legs.
Gunslinger Context: Capable of using claw strikes (TEC) and also sending slicing waves forward at a distance (also TEC). Can raise a claw wall to guard, so claws might elongate far more than shown in canon. They also teleport, the product of incredible speed or some sort of darkness-related SOR angle. Owing to its story role as something attacking the wild Psynard's nest, it may have some opportunistic attack traits against those already suffering or weakened.
- Family Evolution Path
Arcmene -> Arachnovia (level)
Herush Line
This is a very big extrapolation on something that does so very little in the game other than be a giant whale that ferries you to the final dungeon. I borrow a bit from one of the fishing entries of the 2023 version to give it an original pre-evolved form, though I profess it's hard to give it a distinct flavor from Wailord. I did 'Hestrol' as a pun on "he stroll," to the name 'Herush' as a pun on "he rush."
Visitation Pokémon
Based On: Father of the Deep Sea (Fish Encyclopedia #66), which was not anything fought in battle.
Type: Water / Normal
Height 5.0m - Weight 182.9kg
Field Information: This Symbological Pokémon was created thousands of years ago. It occasionally appears to fishermen, only to retreat back into the deepest depths of the oceans to communicate what it saw with others of its kind.
Appearance + Movements: Based on the Father of the Deep Sea, somewhere between a shark and a whale. A dark gray, rough, lumpy upper half as a very tough hide, with a smoother underbelly of the same color. Long from flippers, flat tail. Sharp teeth with a spiky white nose tip. Females have a smoother body but a sharper nose horn.
Gunslinger Context: It's largely made-up. Rougher skin gives it an edge as a tank, perhaps using TEC counters. Biting, ramming, making big splashes. With the angle that it comes up to visit Nede to just swim right back down and communicate what it saw, might use whale song for buffs to support its allies.
Calm Whale Pokémon
Based On: The enormous Symbological whale-like creature seen in L'Aqua.
Type: Water / Normal
Height 12.6m - Weight 695.5kg
Field Information: Sometimes nicknamed the Grandfather of the Deep Sea, a Herush may surface at times of great unrest. Though enormous, this species is gentle with Nedians and holds a seeming interest in bringing calm both above and below the ocean.
Appearance + Movements: We only see its head in the game proper, where it appears to have scars or seams along the top of its head. An elongated nose and small, blinking white eyes along with a mouth full of sharp teeth. The rest of this is original to Dream Chasers. As a Symbological creature like the Psynard, it has developed cybernetic fins and markings along the length of its body. It bears multiple blowholes up top that can serve as seating, or produce protective bubbles as it filtrates breathable oxygen to those within them. Numerous sets of gills for filtering out impure water that also serves, strangely enough, as multiple sets of ears.
Gunslinger Context: It doesn't really do anything in the game other than ferry your party to the final dungeon in Star Ocean 2, so I extrapolated this as a gentle giant. Bulky support that could attack with biting and ramming (TEC) or large sprays of water (SOR). Might be able to create air bubbles that serve as temporary HP or otherwise help with exploring the seafloor, maybe.
- Family Evolution Path
Hestrol -> Herush (level + friendship)
Jabberwabbit Line
This one contains an enemy from the first Star Ocean game that didn't make the jump to the second! It's a little strange, as their 'bigger' versions did. The new localization name of the 'best' form of the bigger jumping rabbit enemies was so good it just supplanted all the others. The small one has a made-up name to try and match, as otherwise it's just 'Little Bunny.' This is also to differentiate it from another thing outright referred to as 'Bunny.'
Leaping Pokémon
Based On: Star Ocean 1's "Little Bunny" enemy.
Type: Normal
Height 0.45m - Weight 9.4kg
Field Information: This small Pokémon evades predation not by hiding, but leaping around so much that hungry predators often shun them to preserve their energy. They use long extending fangs to snatch vegetables and berries from afar.
Appearance + Movements: A bipedal white-furred rabbit, with long lop ears that are of a yellowish golden hue. Their fur turns yellow around their rear ends and underneath their rotund bellies. They bear a pair of yellowish fangs that can extend out further than the entire length of their body, if pressed, and get around by hopping high in the air.
Gunslinger Context: A TEC user with long extendable fangs. Agile hopping around. Its sharp fangs could be treated as a Pierce or a Drain to one's imagination or interpretation. It's a very basic Pokémon, seen as the equivalent of Ratattas, Bidoofs, and their ilk.
Crushing Pokémon
Based On: Jabberwabbit (Enemy Encyclopedia #109)
Type: Normal
Height 2.77m - Weight 241.3kg
Field Information: Jabberwabbits form lairs where they hibernate for months at a time. They are usually awoken by Jubjubunny swarms at the change of season. Their immense weight and strength, in turn, scares off their predators.
Appearance + Movements: A humongous bipedal creature somewhere between a rabbit and a walrus. Their fur is more of a cream color, going to a duller beige around the lower half of its body. Its ears go down to their upper back, terminating into three peach-hued strands. They appear to be wearing purplish boxing gloves with darker purple forearm guards that appear to be capable of being launched like rockets, showing their four-fingered fists underneath. They bear two long yellowed tusks that can extend far from them, set underneath a rough, hairy face. They tend to be grumpy in demeanor.
Gunslinger Context: A bulky, hard-hitting body-slamming TEC user. Seismic waves with every jump landing, could argue them being good against a specific defensive reaction depending on taste. Extendable fangs to strike with that could be interpreted as a Drain, and can throw ranged punches with their gloves, too. These can be seen as the Raticate / Bibarel equivalent of the Star Ocean 2 lot.
- Family Evolution Path
Jubjubunny -> Jabberwabbit (level)
Peryton Line
One of the Star Ocean series regulars, with a bit of kitbashing to put them as the equivalent of the common three-stage bird lines a Pokémon generation has (most of which take huge leaps across real-world species). Unlike some other examples, the line's named after the first stage. There is also some Cockatrice DNA sprinkled along the line, too.
Tiny Bird Pokémon
Based On: Peryton (Enemy Encyclopedia #39)
Type: Normal / Flying
Height 0.42m - Weight 2.7kg
Field Information: It spends its time scavenging for lost trinkets as much as it does for food. They adorn themselves in what they find, shedding them in order to avoid danger through distraction. Those unadorned are shy and quick to withdraw.
Appearance + Movements: A small bird that is somewhere between a vulture and an eagle, with dull gray plumage aside from some pinkish-purple accents. They appear to bear purplish ring bands above their two-toed feet, and wear a reddish band around their head. Their beak is a dark purple, and their claws are a pinkish hue. Males have more pronounced crest feathers. (As a note, this Peryton is significantly smaller than the ones seen in Star Ocean 2.)
Gunslinger Context: A simple flying creature that can use divebombs (TEC) or scratch with their talons. They are also capable of flinging their feathers for long-range attacks. They may also be into taking shiny things (based on their in-game drops), which can be used for some sort of stealing maneuver if desired.
Beak Carver Pokémon
Based On: Star Ocean 4's Peryton, using PS1 Star Ocean 2 mistranslation of 'Garuda' and adding a 'carve' pun.
Type: Rock / Flying
Height 1.75m - Weight 11.7kg
Field Information: Using their highly-developed beaks, this Pokémon fiercely establishes a ground territory rather than nest in trees. Their courtship displays are elaborate, even carving stone with their beaks.
Appearance + Movements: Compared to the Peryton, Carvla is larger but also significantly leaner. Their plumage is a striking, shining purple, with bright white feathers from the breast down. Their legs are elongated, with tufts of feathers above their two-clawed feet. Their head now bears an elongated red beak that terminates into yellow, which is sharp. The reddish coloration of their beak extends to the rest of their head like a mask, with shining green eyes. Two long feather-tendrils rise and curve behind their head, which is much longer and more ornate in males. (Unlike the Star Ocean 4 Peryton, these are still capable of flight.)
Gunslinger Context: An aggressive combatant that can stab with their beaks, or create shockwaves upon impact (both TEC). They may be very good at breaking the Guard reaction, owing to the strength of their beaks. Courtship displays could utilize sound or other erratic movements for buffs or debuffs accordingly.
Memorial Pokémon
Based On: Hell Savant (Enemy Encyclopedia #118), with minor touches from both Peryton and Carvla for continuity between forms.
Type: Rock / Flying
Height 4.04m - Weight 85.6kg
Field Information: Known as the "Stonemason's Friend," a Graveant that roosts in stone sculptures takes special care to maintain them. Those who anger them are rumored to disappear, only to be added among the stone sculptures.
Appearance + Movements: A large, lanky bird bordering on anthropomorphic with pitch-black feathers through most of their body. The pinion feathers underneath their wings are a brilliant eye-catching violet. Their tailfeathers alternate from short, drab black feathers into ornate violet tail coverts like a peacock, though with nowhere near as many feathers. Throughout their body is form-fitting armor made of stone, clad around their claws, upper body, and around their tail. Their head and elongated beak (an original touch to Dream Chasers) seems to be encased in a stone mask (save for their lower beak), with males having a single large violet crest coming out the top. Their eyes lack color.
Gunslinger Context: Capable of fast, wide-range charge attacks (TEC) and even some limited spellcasting (SOR), as they use Meteor Swarm (Light, but can be repurposed as Earth owing to Rock / Flying typing). As an original touch, it can inflict something like petrification by gaze or perhaps by feathers (Entangle) - this is in respect of the very original Peryton appearance as a post-game dungeon boss in Star Ocean 1, and its ability to petrify.
- Family Evolution Path
Peryton -> Carvla (level) -> Graevant (level)
Hound Line
These wolf enemies are painfully generic in name and movement aside from one cool feature: spitting fire. (Okay, they have multiple tails too, but still, somehow this isn't themed after a kitsune...?) So, they've all been punched up a bit to build on this some more.
Hound Pokémon
Based On: Hound (Enemy Encyclopedia #46)
Type: Normal / Fire
Height 0.62m - Weight 10.9kg
Field Information: Wild Ashound packs gather around places where fires burn, breathing the smoke released and marking territory with fire they produce from their throats. They are docile around campfires, making their territories safe for camping.
Appearance + Movements: Ashounds are lupine for much of their body plan, quadrupedal. Their fur is a golden hue, though a brighter ashen color for their underbellies. They have three short tails that terminate in long tufts of white fur. Their fangs and claws are retractable, extending in length when moving to attack through pouncing or slashing. They are capable of breathing small amounts of flame at a distance.
Gunslinger Context: Relatively basic attackers, tackling with claws and bites (TEC). At range, however, they can spit smaller fireballs (SOR). As they have multiple tails, Tail Whip might be more interesting to use as a mesmerizing debuff.
Warmth Pokémon
Based On: Bloodhound (Enemy Encyclopedia #47)
Type: Normal / Fire
Height 1.13m - Weight 15.6kg
Field Information: With a high internal body temperature comparable to a home fireplace, a Hearthound's presence warms the immediate area. Places where packs live are said to never fully experience winter's chill. Their tails tangle up while at rest.
Appearance + Movements: Hearthounds are lupine for much of their body plan, and quadrupedal (like the Ashound). Their fur is of a reddish-pink hue, with their underbellies golden. When running at high enough speeds to pounce, a small aura of flame surrounds them. Their fangs and claws are as retractable as their Ashound predecessors. In departure from Star Ocean 2, Hearthounds are taller and lankier, with more pronounced raised ears. At rest, their lengthier tails tangle together and resemble a stack of firewood.
Gunslinger Context: Similar to Ashound, but with the added presence of a warm body that can either be used in a soothing, restorative context or maybe even as a Counter representing the danger of drawing too close to one. It otherwise boasts the same use of claws, bites, tackles (TEC), and fireball spewing (SOR).
Wildfire Pokémon
Based On: Hellhound (Enemy Encyclopedia #48)
Type: Normal / Fire
Height 1.82m - Weight 34.5kg
Field Information: Infernound packs seclude themselves in cavernous environments in order to retain their high body temperatures. Their presence can turn coal into brilliant crimson crystals, which serve to warn intruders.
Appearance + Movements: Like their predecessors, Infernounds are lupine creatures, with dark grayish-purple fur and yellowish underbellies and three tails. The rest of the appearance is original to Dream Chasers: their retractable claws and fangs are molten, and their tails are of even greater length which terminate into ashen soot black tips. They are of bulkier build, and tend to produce flame when they howl.
Gunslinger Context: The same as the predecessors of the line, but as this is the final form, it is a good candidate for a Fire-elemental heavy hitter though still in the realm of “common” creatures. The molten nature of their claws and fangs could lend themselves to being TEC/SOR dualtype moves, and still has the general moveset to work with otherwise.
- Family Evolution Path
Ashound -> Hearthound (level) -> Infernound (level)
Gerel Line
Another series regular! These poisnous, occasionally petryfing toothy blobs are great Team Rocket fodder due to their consistent Poison typing. One of them is a cameo from Star Ocean 4, albeit with slightly deceptive naming.
Land Barnacle Pokémon
Based On: Gerel (Enemy Encyclopedia #16)
Type: Poison
Height 1.72m - Weight 42.1kg
Field Information: As Water Pokémon developed adaptions to escape them, Gerel's ancestors took to the land. Their gelatinous, rubbery bodies protect their sensitive innards as they weaken prey with poisonous teeth and breath.
Appearance + Movements: Gerels are large, rough, blobby blue-gray barnacle-like creatures whose mouth faces upwards. Said face consists of greenish flesh with eight large fangs on opposite sides, which stab forth to attack - or clamp tight to hold something in place or protect themselves. They can produce greenish poisonous bile to protect themselves at long range. Original to Dream Chasers, they also have a lengthy green tongue.
Gunslinger Context: A baseline for a pure-Poison type, with an emphasis towards inflicting the Poison debuff (obviously). Can do either TEC (biting, tongue-lashing) or SOR (spitting up energy blast-like venom). Interestingly, many Gerel enemies are also capable into splitting into two, which could be good for some sort of evasion buff or a means to generate Temp HP via a body double (possibly an abstraction of Substitute, too).
Burrow Mimic Pokémon
Based On: Petri Gerel (Enemy Encyclopedia #17)
Type: Poison / Rock
Height 1.91m - Weight 68.4kg
Field Information: With bodies as hard as stone, a Petrigerel spends its days imitating burrows along the ground and cliffsides. Its prey is specialized towards Bug-type Pokémon, so children can safely play with wild individuals.
Appearance + Movements: Petrigerels are a little larger than Gerels, and their bodies are firmer but still capable of ambulating along. They retain the green color of their predecessor's flesh. Their bodies, however, can vary slightly between gray-ish red to a beige color, with some camoflauge to match hills and stone. They can recede their teeth inside themselves, and are willing to patiently weather duress as opposed to immediately lash out. When attacking, they still have the same teeth, tongue, and poison blasts.
Gunslinger Context: Identical to the Gerel (TEC bites and tongue, SOR poison-energy blasts), but this one has more of a bent towards being a Guard-type tank that might also be good for Countering (rejecting caught projectiles/blasts as not their intended prey). In canon, it can inflict petrification, so that can be good for an Entangle, Slow, or Cripple. It's up to taste as to what traits from Gerel carry over to one's portrayal.
Mana Eater Pokémon
Based On: Star Ocean 4's Chaotic Cell, itself a Gerel recolor.
Type: Poison / Psychic
Height 1.84m - Weight 51.3kg
Field Information: Phantogerel utilizes astral projection to hunt for various energies as their food source, using poison only to protect their physical bodies. Occasionally, small groups become a nuisance for Symbologists.
Appearance + Movements: The gelatinous body of a Phantogerel is a grayish color, with violet highlights. It can appear to have red veins coursing through it, but it is more that its coloration bleeds in and out of infrared. Its flesh has changed from green to pink, and has multiple sets of teeth within its mouth - enough that it seems to go on infinitely.
Gunslinger Context: Compared to the other evolution branch, Phantogerel is more fluid and evasive, and able to engage in some visual trickery (Double Team or Minimize are good picks). There is more emphasis on Psychic-based SOR attacks, though the poisoning and biting aspects can be retained to taste. Since they like to consume energy, they can prove to be good nuisances to SOR users themselves (Mute) or even ARM users (Jam).
- Family Evolution Path
Gerel -> Petrigerel (level, in deep underground locations)
-or-
Gerel -> Phantogerel (level, in locations with high Symbological activity)
Kobold Line
A bit of renaming (due to very generic names) and some appearance adjustments, but this is one of the more straightforward ports as a good fighting-type family. They're functionally equivalent to the Machamp and Primeape lines out there.
Sparring Pokemon
Based On: Kobold (Enemy Encyclopedia #18)
Type: Fighting
Height 0.4m - Weight 25.6kg
Field Information: A newborn Kobrash is ready to fight even at its first breath. Entire nests organize rudimentary tournaments within a week to determine their champion. They remain close friends, regardless of the results.
Appearance + Movements: The appearance is original to Dream Chasers. A Kobrash is a short, squat, bipedal creature covered in light brown fur, though it has white stripes of fur around their legs, feet, wrists, and hands. Flared-out blue-gray fur around the waist to the knees resemble shorts. They have upright ears resembling a cat's at the top of their heads, underdeveloped fangs, and whiskers from a little black nose. Males always have one of their eyes shut. Their fighting stance resembles a boxer's.
Gunslinger Context: In Star Ocean 2, the only thing this enemy type did was throw a mean haymaker with a comically exaggerated arm, so it's a strict TEC specialist. As its fighting stance can be seen to resemble boxing, some sort of cross-counter (Counter) or fancy footwork for a dodge buff is also an idea. As it's nearly a blank slate, anything that befits a basic Fighting-type Pokémon works.
Challenger Pokémon
Based On: Bugbear (Enemy Encyclopedia #19)
Type: Fighting
Height 1.58m - Weight 52.3kg
Field Information: Kobroke seeks further mastery of combat among other Pokémon in the wild. Though few return the gesture in kindness, those that do become loyal sparring partners. In turn, Kobroke helps raise other wild Pokémon.
Appearance + Movements: This appearance is directly based on the enemy's appearance in Star Ocean 2, with small changes. Compared to Kobrash, Kobroke is taller and leaner, though their legs are slightly short proportionally. Their fur is a much darker brown, and the white fur stripes have disappeared. Grayish-blue fur around their body instead patterns itself in a way resembling a leotard, as well as for one ring around the wrists. There's also flared-out reddish-brown fur resembling boots. Their fangs have fully developed, though only very few use them to bite. Males always have one of their eyes shut.
Gunslinger Context: Much like Kobrash above, this enemy type overall has little canon material to draw from, but you can spice it up further with the use of a greater range of martial arts movements (TEC). The stubby legs don't need to get in the way of a good leg sweep, or what have you. This one might be approaching a wrestler closer than a boxer, depending on preference.
Contender Pokémon
Based On: Kobold King (Enemy Encyclopedia #20)
Type: Fighting
Height 2.16m - Weight 94.4kg
Field Information: Koboss is the culmination of a life-long journey across all of Energy Nede. Their desire for novel contests of fighting prowess is insatiable. They continue their journeys under many different Trainers for their whole lives.
Appearance + Movements: This appearance is original to Dream Chasers. Koboss is covered in blue-black fur, and of a muscular build (though their legs are still a bit short). The lighter grayish-blue fur has now trailed out into long strands behind them that flutter in wind, with bright white fur having taken its place in a shape resembling an undershirt. The grayish-blue fur around the waist down has stayed the same, though the wrists now envelop the entire hands and feet. The flared-out 'boots'-like fur has disappeared. Bright white fur forms a ring around their crown, trailing off at length in the wind. Their fangs are lengthy, but too cumbersome to bite. Males always have one of their eyes shut.
Gunslinger Context: This still follows the basic Fighting-type set of maneuvers as a TEC specialist. However, as a gimmick, this one specifically evolves by being traded. This means there's a flavor of uncertainty about what fighting techniques they have learned! This can be used for style, humor, or an excuse to bust out cool hidden potential in dramatic moments (possibly as a Gamble)... or despair when it turns out this hardened warrior was previously a HM slave. The possibilities are endless.
- Family Evolution Path
Kobrash -> Kobroke (level) -> Koboss (trade)
Ogre Line
These nasty brutes are first used for a very early game boss in Star Ocean 2, and recolored a few times after. As they have generic names, they've been re-imagined to be more distinct. They are good villain team brute candidates, but there's a fun bit of storytelling here - the base form is an outright ruffian, while the divergent lines involve whether they keep going, or turn a new leaf.
Ruffian Pokémon
Based On: Ogre (Enemy Encyclopedia #145)
Type: Dark
Height 1.84m - Weight 78.2kg
Field Information: A territorial Pokémon, a Hooligre's strength and aggression has made them a difficult fit for urban environments. Most training knowledge today comes from Team Rocket's members holding an interest in befriending them.
Appearance + Movements: A large, hulking brute with tough leathery green flesh, over-large hands, and a hunched over posture. Pinkish fur adorns their heads, wrists, and lower body. The sclera of their eyes is black, with a white iris. Their maws are full of elongated fangs, though their jaws appear to be made of a bony protrusion that take up the lower half of their face. Claws can be elongated from the tips of their fingers for slashing.
Gunslinger Context: These are intended to be stock thugs for an antagonist Trainer line-up, with a greater sense of presence compared to most candidates (Zubats, Koffings, Rattatas). Brawny, strong physical (TEC) damage dealers with very basic movesets via punches, clawing, biting, and their ilk. They should feel rowdy and dangerous, rife for a heroic 'mon to show them what's what.
Berserk Pokémon
Based On: Ghast (Enemy Encyclopedia #146)
Type: Dark / Ice
Height 1.98m - Weight 83.3kg
Field Information: Thriving in snowy mountains, a Berserger lives carefree of the consequences of its destructive tendencies. They think little of causing avalanches for fun. They only show the faintest hint of care to their Trainer.
Appearance + Movements: Compared to the Hooligre, its fur has bleached to a pale yellowish hue, and its flesh tone has deepened into a brighter blue color. The following involves original touches unique to Dream Chasers: Numerous markings resembling scars (claw marks, etc.) have iced over into patchy, makeshift armor, and are bulkier than the preceding form. Noticeable overbite, where the two largest canines are icicles.
Gunslinger Context: Similar to Hooligre, but now there's an extra ice flavor. Along with the usual punches and clawing (TEC), they can inflict paralysis with their bites or implied breath (Cripple, Slow, etc). Since the basic moveset doesn't change any, you can extrapolate with thrown ice or some sort of mouth beams, if one desires (SOR). Having one can be a character statement unto itself, though not all are 'evil' - some might be holding back dangerous Ghost-, Dragon-, or Psychic-types.
Restraint Pokémon
Based On: Brigand Ogre (Enemy Encyclopedia #147)
Type: Dark / Rock
Height 1.90m - Weight 95.1kg
Field Information: Combatting their violent nature, Ligreture takes on restraints of stone that they keep for the rest of their life. Even the briefest expression of their strength sees them retreat into meditation to calm down.
Appearance + Movements: Using Hooligre as a base, its fur has paled into a grayish color, and its skin is now a deep purplish-gray. The rest is new to Dream Chasers: large bracelets of stone are on their limbs, one per wrist, two per leg from the knee down. The hair on its scalp has grown out into multiple braids resembling Shinto paper streamers (shide) going down their shoulders. The bony protrusion under their chin now gives them a noticeable underbite, though their fangs are smaller.
Gunslinger Context: The Hooligre base is still there - punches, claws, bites (TEC) - but now a slower, more ponderous approach that may lend itself to more technical or patient attacks. The canon enemy this is based on has no tricks beyond basic attacks, so one could fill the blanks with simple buffs or heals representing restraint or calm.
- Family Evolution Path
Hooligre -> Bersergre (level, with no other Pokémon traveling with Trainer at the time)
-or-
Hooligre -> Ligreture (level, another Pokémon in party has maximum friendship with Trainer)
Bunny Line
The series mascot, Bunny! This is a straightforward port.
Summoned Pokémon
Based On: Bunny (Star Ocean series mascot)
Type: Normal
Height 2.33m - Weight 133.3kg
Field Information: A Bunny is said to be able to hear a certain kind of whistle from anywhere and everywhere. They love to visit those who call to it, but make a game of racing away from them just as quickly. Sometimes, they let others ride along.
Appearance + Movements: Like canon. An exceptionally large, rotund rabbit-like Pokémon with long, floppy ears that split into two points towards the end. They have small arms that are almost vestigial, and large three-toed paws which help support their heavy weight. They get around by hopping, and are known to be able to cross difficult terrain like it's no different from level ground at very, very high speeds. The most common coat color of a Bunny is a very pale pink with ears terminating into a green hue, but many different colors exist (especially in captivity).
Gunslinger Context: Bunny doesn't fight outright in Star Ocean 2, but we do see it get up to some roughhousing in the Bunny Races on Fun City. They run so fast that they ram into others, as clear speed (agility buffs, dodging) and ramming (TEC) specialists. You could use a lot of other typical Normal-type attacks as filler.
- Family Evolution Path
n/a
Dreamcaster Line
This is one of the most infamous random encounters in Star Ocean 2, the final form of the walking hourglass enemy. I cannot improve upon perfection. I can instead add a wholly original pre-evolution as an offering to its aggravating legacy of unavoidable, uninterruptable screen-wide player character time-stops. It deserves it, and so do you.
Sundial Pokémon
Based On: Original concept as a pre-evolution for Dreamcaster (Enemy Encyclopedia #124)
Type: Ground / Fairy
Height 0.4m - Weight 9.1kg
Field Information: In ancient times, older civilizations would gather multiple Daycasters to a temple. The moment the sun's rays hit it, they would gently shake the building. This practice continues in academic dormitories today.
Appearance + Movements: This is a completely new concept for Dream Chasers. Daycaster is a small, flat sundial with tiny legs on pinkish shoes that lets it run about. The sundial (of horizontal style) is made of polished reddish-brown stone, flat on the ground like a puck with a raised sharp fin. Shadow movements may indicate its mood more than the actual time.
Gunslinger Context: This is an original creation! Its main means of defense would be either shaking the ground (TEC), or sometimes redirecting sunlight as energy blasts (SOR). It shines far more as a support unit, messing about the opponent with blinding sunlight (Blind) or disrupting their movement with these shakes (Slow, Entangle)... or, somehow, inviting them to drowsy sleep if there's no light (Drowsy). As there's no 'real' reference, maybe consider this the junior version of the Dreamcaster (see below).
Hourglass Pokémon
Based On: Dreamcaster (Enemy Encyclopedia #124)
Type: Ground / Fairy
Height 1.68m - Weight 23.2kg
Field Information: No matter where they are, a Dreamcaster always knows the time of day. It encourages those around it to sleep with the help of a sweet-smelling sand. Whatever sleep schedule it decides on, it will never change its mind.
Appearance + Movements: As in canon, a walking translucent hourglass filled with bright pink sand. Its top and bottom are a green-gray color at the rims and pink at the flat parts. It has pink shoes on short white legs, and white five-fingered gloves on short pink arms. Sometimes it spills over and throws all its sand (where it turns green and sparkly), but magically produces more.
Gunslinger Context: In the canon game, its big trick was freezing all your characters in time when it felt like it. Here, this can be reinterpreted as being able to inflict Drowsy, especially through its basic attack where it leans forward and spills sand (TEC or SOR). It's primed to be prime support - reversing time or debuffs to heal, along with any other appropriate Ground- or Fairy-type shenanigans.
- Family Evolution Path
Daycaster -> Dreamcaster (level, after an arbitrary but annoying amount of time passes)
Niquia Line
This enemy in Star Ocean 2 only served as a power-up for specific enemies, and otherwise was just a flying target. Here, this can serve as a good support team member without much of a characterization overhead, especially if you're running ARM-using Pokémon.
Upgrade Pokémon
Based On: Niquia HG, Niquia LM (Enemy Encyclopedia #52, #53)
Type: Steel / Flying
Height 0.3m - Weight 4.1kg
Field Information: An artificial Pokémon of uncertain origin, Niquia shares a symbiotic relationship with any technological Pokémon it meets, giving it strength in turn for protection. It flies non-stop in search of them.
Appearance + Movements: A Niquia is a blocky rectangular cartridge vaguely in the shape of a squat letter "A," gray in color. Its front side has thin rectangular depressions around the middle, and towards the bottom. Its backside is slightly rounded. It produces jet exhaust underneath it in order to stay airborne, flying with great speed and maneuverability.
Gunslinger Context: In Star Ocean 2, all this thing did was fly around and attempt to dock in a compatible enemy (a robot bug or a walking weapons platform). Here, you can give it a little more spice. Maybe it's ramming things (TEC), weaponizing that jet exhaust (ARM), or running defensive decoys or what have you - maybe even taking hits for others. Its compatibility can extend to any robotic-seeming Pokémon, or even your own ARM equipment (somehow).
- Family Evolution Path
n/a
Whelp Line
This is another straightforward port. This one is of a somewhat rare enemy to find in the Hoffman Ruins, who had the gimmick of being immune to all elements. Its base name felt lacking, so I punched it up slightly as I have others, which in turn helped inform the rest of its design here.
Beloved Toy Pokémon
Based On: Whelp (Enemy Encyclopedia #79)
Type: Fairy / Fighting
Height 0.3m - Weight 1.0kg
Field Information: This Pokémon is born from toys that once belonged to those with unfulfilled childhood dreams. It carries these desires to help other children with similar dreams in secret. It won't allow Banette to harm any children.
Appearance + Movements: Exactly as seen in Star Ocean 2, it is a tiny brown teddy bear wearing a pink ribbon around their neck. They can extend their limbs to great length and swipe with claws, but also perform dropkicks. Their eyes are usually closed, except when in shock or under duress.
Gunslinger Context: Its gimmick in Star Ocean 2 was its immunity to all elements. I'd see it as an equivalent of being a highly effective tank against SOR (whether by being small and dodgy or just too willful via guard), and specializing in means to shut characters and teams relying on that down. Other than that, it's a straight-up brawler (TEC) with some inherent humor in it being a plush teddy bear delivering a beatdown.
- Family Evolution Path
n/a
Mirre Line
The robot insects! However, the game got weird with its name progression. 64 to 128 is natural... then 32 is a post-game dungeon boss. So I had the idea to have these robot bugs shrink as the line progresses, instead, with how technology keeps getting smaller and more compact as it advances. For ease of reference, Mirre 64 is closest to its canon form.
Obsoletion Pokémon
Based On: Mirre 128 (Enemy Encyclopedia #65)
Type: Bug / Steel
Height 1.52m - Weight 51.2kg
Field Information: A long time ago, this artificial insect Pokémon was popular for its many abilities, but its cumbersome body struggles to keep up with the world around them. Today's trainers find it hard to care for.
Appearance + Movements: This appearance is unique to Dream Chasers. Mirre 128 is a large-bodied, somewhat bulbous ant-shaped robotic Pokémon with a light blue body that has segmented plates for a body resembling a chitinous shell. Its limbs are bulky and lilac in color, with exposed hinges at the joints and claw-like tips that let it stick to anything it's not too heavy to hold onto (as well as perform some heavy labor like burrowing). Instead of a head, its round lilac-hued plate for a neck has two large holes resembling a set of two eyes with infrared sensors, which can retract to fire various projectiles. Two old TV-style antennae stick out of the back of its neck. There's an open port in the back of its abdomen that can accept a Niquia.
Gunslinger Context: Despite the Field Information, it's not a weak Pokémon - think of it like old technology progressively fewer people know how to operate today. It's more of a distance fighter using whatever ARM-type attacks it can launch, though more limited to simple spikes, threads, or other canon Bug-type attacks, and it's not very fast. (Later evolutions shore up on that.)
Upgraded Pokémon
Based On: Mirre 64 (Enemy Encyclopedia #64)
Type: Bug / Steel
Height 1.04m - Weight 26.5kg
Field Information: Unusually for Pokémon, Mirre 64 has evolved by becoming smaller. Its abilities and functions are more advanced than Mirre 128. It's been a reliable Pokémon in many fields of work for years, from construction to scouting.
Appearance + Movements: This is a robotic-looking insect with a thin reddish steel body that has three pairs of insect-like legs that are a lighter brown in color. Ball joints of a cream color are protective armor. Its head is a purplish ring of metal with sleeker antennae sticking out the back (unique to Dream Chasers). A singular tube sticking out of its neck serves multiple sensory functions, but also to expel energy blasts, spikes, missiles, thread, and sap. Its feet can stick to any surface and/or help it float on water, or produce energy fields for defense. There's a single port where an insect's abdomen would be, which a Niquia can utilize. (On Dream Chasers, this one's smaller than it is in Star Ocean 2.)
Gunslinger Context: In the canon game, it only fired spikes unless a Niquia slotted in to upgrade it (where it could start firing electrical blasts and explosive missles). Otherwise, it's a relatively quick-footed enemy who can filter canon Bug-type attacks as some variant of ARM attack, and is generally a distance attacker (dodge-based, possibly with a fair number of Interrupts or Delays).
Cutting Edge Pokémon
Based On: Mirre 32 (Enemy Encyclopedia #63)
Type: Bug / Steel
Height 0.57m - Weight 9.4kg
Field Information: This form of Mirre was discovered only three years ago. Its small and sleek form belies its advanced features and greater strength. The ability for it to advance further exists only in theory among Pokémon Professors.
Appearance + Movements: This appearance is unique to Dream Chasers. Mirre 32 is so sleek as to be a walking stick of a gray-purple hue with pink-purple trim, its limbs tethered by some sort of powerful energy between the 'knee' joint and the main body. Its antennae are not physical, but multiple feeds of digital energy. It has multiple tubes instead of the single one for its head, able to retract and expand for both communicative effect and to allow multiple functions to be enacted once (firing multiple projectiles of different types). It is capable of hovering for short distances. The Niquia-compatible port at the back seems almost comically large proportionally.
Gunslinger Context: The same as Mirre 64, but one can go almost ridiculous with what functions it can pull off - its gimmick were it a real Pokémon might be in amazing move coverage, because technology is incredible! Through the cutting-edge tech humor, it nonetheless remains a primary ARM attacker that wants to fight from a distance (dodge-centric).
- Family Evolution Path
Mirre 128 -> Mirre 64 (level) -> Mirre 32 (use an Upgrade on Mirre 64)
Kodus Line
In Star Ocean 2, a few enemies had palette swaps show up side-by-side in the final story dungeon, and these walking weapon platforms are one such example. They're also great examples of Pokémon that might use ARM attacks. I've decided they're both stand-alone Pokémon that are also version exclusives, just for fun!
Ion Beam Pokémon
Based On: Erikodus (Enemy Encyclopedia #54)
Type: Steel / Electric
Height 3.82m - Weight 514.6kg
Field Information: This artificial Pokémon was made to protect power stations. It fires powerful eletrical beams to ward off biological Pokémon from these areas. It feuds with Takikodus over the presence of Niquia, whom Erikodus protects.
Appearance + Movements: Erikodus is a large walking gatling gun on mechanical legs, with angular domed steel plating on top. It has bright yellow trim along the edges of the plating. It has segmented plating along its feet of a grayish color. Its legs can switch between something resembling digitigrade shape for faster movement or leaping, or a plantigrade shape for stability when shooting or bracing for impact. It can fire gatling rounds made of laser fire (unique to Dream Chasers) and missiles. It produces bright blue electrical energy thrusters when it leaps. There is a singular port up on its back that allows a Niquia to slot itself in.
Gunslinger Context: Big, stompy mechanical thing that can use ARM attacks via beams or its thrusters, but can wrangle TEC out of those legs. It can produce steel shields with yellow trim at the top or bottom on defense, which is good for Guard reaction boosts or maybe even for shielding others. As it's a large thing with presence, this is a good pick for a heavy hitter for a team.
Fire Blast Pokémon
Based On: Takikodus (Enemy Encyclopedia #55)
Type: Steel / Fire
Height 3.77m - Weight 518.4kg
Field Information: An artificial Pokémon who uses the excess heat it generates to deter dangerous Pokémon. It seeks any stray Niquia with fervor for an unknown reason, putting them into conflict with Erikodus every time they meet.
Appearance + Movements: Takikodus is a large walking gatling gun on mechanical legs, with angular domed steel plating on top. It has bright red trim along the edges of the plating (unique to Dream Chasers). It has segmented plating along its feet of a grayish color. Its legs can switch between something resembling digitigrade shape for faster movement or leaping, or a plantigrade shape for stability when shooting or bracing for impact. It can fire gatling rounds made of flame (unique to Dream Chasers) and missiles. It produces hot jets of red flame when it leaps. There is a singular port up on its back that allows a Niquia to slot itself in.
Gunslinger Context: Essentially identical to Erikodus, with a few small aesthetic changes to make it more 'fire' to Erikodus' 'electric.' Still big, still stompy, mostly ARM-centric and favoring Guard for all the same reasons. It can accept Niquia in its port too, despite the implications of its field information.
- Family Evolution Path
Both Erikodus and Takikodus are stand-alone members of their line, but are exclusive as follows...
Erikodus can only be caught by characters who started play on Lunar.
Takikodus can only be caught by characters who started play on Filgaia.
Nedians may catch either. Even both, if they can keep them from fighting one another. (Maybe don't give them a Niquia to fight over...)
Controller Line
A funny (and annoying) gimmick of an enemy who grabbed hold of your characters and made them run around. All three palette swaps have been condensed into just the one, with an original name to match some small touches to make it more animal-like (plus, all canon name options were too generic).
Controller Pokémon
Based On: Controller, Joypad, Masterpad (Enemy Encyclopedia #43, #44, #45)
Type: Electric
Height 2.1m - Weight 5.3kg (note: height is length from head to tail)
Field Information: It feeds from electrical devices. It can even control them remotely, once attached, to make it difficult to remove. The tables can be turned by pressing the buttons on its tail to make it let go.
Appearance + Movements: Unlike the canon game, it's more like a snake here on Dream Chasers. Its body is a long, thin green cord that starts at the 'end' with two loops of tape-like gray, which it strikes with. It lacks eyes, but flicks out copper wire like a serpentine tongue every so often. Towards the end of it, as a tail, is a hand-held grayish video game controller with blue buttons. It has directional inputs in a cross shape to the left side, three buttons in a triangular arrangement to the right, and auxiliary buttons in the center bridge between them with a larger one beneath - it's not terribly ergonomic.
Gunslinger Context: While it isn't fully possible to hijack and control enemies in full here, you can extrapolate aspects of that behavior. It's a speedy creature (dodge-centric) whose basic attack can be taken as a straight TEC whiplash, but the electrical shocks it can inflict by 'biting' works as ARM. In a pinch, it could help yank weakened/slower Pokémon out of harm's way (some form of defense buff or +protect), restrict movement (Slow or Entangle), or maybe even get weirder by grabbing projectiles and flinging them back (Counter).
- Family Evolution Path
n/a
Sunbreaker Line
Dangerous spellcasting enemies that first appeared as a miniboss in Star Ocean 2, and then graduated into being random encounters. The names lend themselves well already to a fun idea with some small rearrangement - it starts from a head, then builds up to the full shape we see in canon with Sunbreaker.
Enigma Pokémon
Based On: Goathead (Enemy Encyclopedia #69)
Type: Psychic
Height 0.52m - Weight 12.9kg
Field Information: The earliest known instance of this Pokémon is its use as a mascot of a trivia show 14,000 years ago. Its high spatial intelligence has since inspired many visual puzzles in the years that followed.
Appearance + Movements: Compared to Star Ocean 2, Goathead is only just a head. It has the head of a goat inside a hard bony shell that fits its upper head, with stone gray horns protruding out of it that have a single ring of a slightly lighter hue closer to the tips. Males have longer horns and larger beards. Its lower jaw is uncovered by the bony shell, its little visible skin being a greenish hue with a faintly purplish beard. It is further protected by a rounded shell of blue and gold stripes, wavy and marbled in its arrangement (instead of the nemes headdress). It gets around by levitating, its eyes shining brightly when it uses a psionic attack.
Gunslinger Context: This is a straightforward basic SOR-based attacker (canon spell: Thunder Cloud, reinterpreted as Psychic) in its base form, though it can extend the horns on its head for a TEC attack. Since it needs to float, one can assume its ability is Levitate (avoid Ground attacks, though in practical terms some sort of Evade buffs). Both it and Sunbreaker had the Cure All spell in SO2, so it could have a niche as a support user.
Symbol Carving Pokémon
Based On: Halfynx (Enemy Encyclopedia #70)
Type: Psychic
Height 1.28m - Weight 52.6kg
Field Information: Having developed arms, this Pokémon is capable of casting simple Symbology spells with training. It carves Symbols along cavern walls, which provide soft light for underground gardens in its lair.
Appearance + Movements: Compared to Star Ocean 2, Halfynx only has its upper body from the waist up. Its sexual dimorphism and head shape is identical to Goathead. Its horns are gold brown, and the marbled striped shell is a lighter blue and black set of colors. The shell terminates into softer fibers like a cloth cape made of light gray material, spade-shaped with blue trim, wrapped around its entire upper body. It has a pair of strong arms wreathed in gold-brown fur (its beard matches this color), with markings like wristbands on each one. Their hands have stubby fingers like a jackal, though they can carve into stone with their claws and cast simple Symbology spells with surprising dexterity. They float to get around.
Gunslinger Context: Similar to Goathead, a SOR specialist at its core that floats around. Now that it has arms, it can use them in a shoving motion and/or better direct its sorcery (canon spell: Thunder Storm, reinterpreted as Psychic). To borrow from other palette swaps of the enemy, it could Silence (Mute) or use some off-type Rock attacks (canon: Stone Rain). With the suggestion that it might have a greater grasp of Symbology relative to animal intelligence, it's a great pick for SOR-centric characters in general.
Sunrise Pokémon
Based On: Sunbreaker (Enemy Encyclopedia #71)
Type: Psychic / Fire
Height 1.67m - Weight 79.4kg
Field Information: Sunbreaker always awakens as the sun rises, drawing strength and nourishment from it. Nocturnal Pokémon flee at their presence, giving it a reputation as a guardian against predators of the night.
Appearance + Movements: Unlike the pre-evolutions, Sunbreaker has its entire body shape from Star Ocean 2 with small changes. The sexual dimorphism and body shape remain the same, though its horns (and slightly lighter rings) are a darker purple and its visible fur and beard a lighter purplish color (with the wristband-like markings a darker brown color). The marbled stripe shell is now bronze and gold. It bears a pair of short legs terminating in large feet smoothed over enough to be mistaken for shoes, a faint pink color. It still prefers to move around by levitating, with the appearance of sitting in mid-air as it does so.
Gunslinger Context: With an added Fire typing to account for a slightly retouched canon Star Flare spell, Sunbreaker is one of the bigger SOR heavy hitters of the entire line-up while still borrowing tricks from all the previous incarnations if one chooses. Having one gives significant presence to one's team.
- Family Evolution Path
Goathead -> Halfynx (level) -> Sunbreaker (requires a Fire Stone)
Rikki Line
In Star Ocean 2, these were tanky enemies relative to others in their encounter sets that liked to paralyze, and also lent themselves well to being ARM-using Pokémon at that. I added the Water type to help round out the low number of good Water-type candidates among the planned implementations, and to add a little more spice. The base pre-evolution, Rikka, most closely matches the canon appearance.
Saucer Pokémon
Based On: Rikka (Enemy Encyclopedia #80)
Type: Water / Electric
Height 1.62m - Weight 18.4kg
Field Information: Though this artificial Pokémon lives in water, it hovers above it in search of food while avoiding predators. It can manipulate light in a way it obscures its shadow, catching unaware prey with shocks from its tentacles.
Appearance + Movements: Nearly identical to Star Ocean 2. Rikka appears as a large, green, flat disc shape (no pronounced umbrella-shaped bell) with two horizontal breaks on either side in the middle, making it almost look like an oddly-colored Pokéball if looked at from above. At the center of its body is a deep black core. It has three long tentacles that are joined at the body with black-colored bands, terminating in the same blackish bands before three brightly-colored tips that can deliver an electric shock. Under duress, it puts its flat body forward and flies quickly in that direction.
Gunslinger Context: In the games, this line is sturdier than the enemies it surrounds, but were limited to melee attacks to try and ram you (TEC) or shock you (ARM) in order to paralyze characters (Slow, Entangle, Cripple, maybe even Jam). As it is very sturdy, it's a good candidate for any number of defensive skills or attacks, and furthermore likely has Levitate as an ability just to make it that much harder to pin down.
Catcher Pokémon
Based On: Rikke (Enemy Encyclopedia #81)
Type: Water / Electric
Height 1.94m - Weight 25.3kg
Field Information: Rikke descends quickly on anything in the water that catches their attention, grasping them between its two claws. It takes things it cannot eat to dry land so it won't catch them twice.
Appearance + Movements: Compared to Rikka, what was once green is a much brighter and eye-catching red, and the blackish bands are now a greenish hue. Its bell has a more pronounced dome shape with dim lights, and two extra tendrils with dull claws that it can use to grab onto objects. Even so, it primarily uses its other tentacles to deliver shocks. It also rams with its head under duress.
Gunslinger Context: Its suite is the same as Rikka, but now with an additional fun layer of constriction with pincer claws (TEC). It remains a durable Pokémon (Guard-centric) that can be good as a bulky tank for softer allies and Trainers while delivering electrical shocks (ARM, with debuffs analogous to paralyzing). It could also be used to help set-up a Link/Follow with the 'catch' aspect.
Capturing Pokémon
Based On: Rikki (Enemy Encyclopedia #82)
Type: Water / Electric
Height 2.28m - Weight 37.7kg
Field Information: Rikki can create a rising funnel of water where it hovers, easily capturing prey and filter feeding from any body of water. Its bright body is easy to see, so it hides until night to hunt.
Appearance + Movements: In comparison to Rikke, Rikki is now a reflective silvery color for its main body, with its center being a golden color. Its golden umbrella-like bell head is now large and bulbous with many lights whirling inside of it every which way. It has eight tentacles with an additional four dull elongated claws for greater accuracy in holding onto things it catches. By whirling all of these quickly enough above water, it creates large funnels to bring food and water inside of it. As a defensive measure, it can flatten its bell into a disc shape to protect it while ramming into or through threats, and still discharges electrical shocks.
Gunslinger Context: As a new and unique trick to Rikki in Dream Chasers, it can create funnels of water in which to ensnare enemies (Accurate and/or Trueshot) on top of its ARM electrical shocks. All previous tricks regarding its line still applies here, and is a great candidate for a Pokémon to ride over a body of water or use to evade incoming trouble.
- Family Evolution Path
Rikka -> Rikke (level) -> Rikki (level)
Soleoon Line
A simple enemy in canon who really only drained MP, from what I remember, and was almost condensed into a singular entry. Then, I rediscovered the old PSX Star Ocean 2 localization names, and they were all related to loud noises! Black Balloon was Shout, Red Balloon was Burst, and Orange Balloon was Popper. Thus, a new (roundabout, vaguely related) idea was born for a full line, with new names because all options were otherwise generic. Unlike canon, they fly off the ground.
Wallflower Pokémon
Based On: Black Balloon, Red Balloon, Orange Balloon (Enemy Encyclopedia #91, #92, #93)
Type: Fairy / Flying
Height 0.40m - Weight 1.0kg
Field Information: A solitary scavenger in urban environments, they have adapted a form easily confused for a party decoration. They infiltrate Nedian gatherings to collect food scraps with their single long arm, fleeing if seen.
Appearance + Movesets: This one is close to its Star Ocean 2 appearance. Soleoon is a balloon-shaped Pokémon that can come in a variety colors, though black, red, and orange are the most common. It has a pair of expressive eyes with pronounced eyelids. It has a shiny sheen. Males have thin (typically) grayish-blue platelets where a beard might be on a human face in relation to its eyes. Unique to Dream Chasers, a single thin arm extends from where a balloon would normally be tied, which can retract instantly back inside of its body along with any small object it's holding.
Gunslinger Context: Another basic Pokémon, with a bent towards enfeebling with some sort of draining magic of some kind (SOR, maybe PS Vampire if you want to lean into this as a central strategy). As its sprite in Star Ocean 2 sees it popping when damaged, it is a good pick for a Strain-based self-destruct attack if cornered. Giving it Knock Off as a TEC Dispel is one idea to further build on the concept. Naturally, as a balloon, it should be trying to evade harm.
Gathering Pokémon
Based On: Black Balloon, Red Balloon, Orange Balloon (Enemy Encyclopedia #91, #92, #93)
Type: Fairy / Flying
Height 0.72m - Weight 3.3kg
Field Information: Helichums forms when three Soleoon individuals team up. They try to mimic celebratory song at Nedian parties in order to blend in, but most towns pretend they don't notice. Rarely, they sneak away with presents.
Appearance + Movesets: This is a combination of three Soleoons of varying colors, though once again black, red, and orange are the most common. The dominant Soleoon is in the center. They are all the same gender between one another. They have longer singular arms that are now tied together by a bright green ribbon, so they can no longer fully retract their arm without drifting away from the others.
Gunslinger Context: Iterating more on the Soleoon base, one can introduce various sound-type moves (Sing, and its ilk) on top of its primary role of being a debuffer and resource drainer via SOR or TEC means, though one might lean the former. Their balloon natures naturally lend themselves towards evasive defenses.
Party Popper Pokémon
Based On: Black Balloon, Red Balloon, Orange Balloon (Enemy Encyclopedia #91, #92, #93). The inspiration is specifically taken from a Minae Cave enemy formation in the 2023 remake, which uses an Orange Balloon as Leader with an HP drain effect.
Type: Fairy / Flying
Height 1.03m - Weight 11.3kg
Field Information: A Cacoparty forms when three Helichums come together through attraction of the biggest parties. They join it wholesale, even popping with colorful lights to entertain. Luckily, those that pop recover in a day.
Appearance + Movesets: Cacoparty is made up of no less than nine individual Soleloons tied together, though the most dominant among them is noticeably larger than the others (which is whoever Soleloon made up the base form). All of them are of the same gender between one another. They're all different colors, though once more black, red, and orange are the most common. The ribbon that ties them together is ornate and frilly green one, the various single balloon string arms tied into one another line twine except when under duress.
Gunslinger Context: The ultimate culmination, Cacoparty is all-in on draining resources or supporting via sound-based moves (whether as debuffs or buffs). Since there are nine total balloons in the lot, you could contextualize them as a tank using an individual Soleoon or two as a sacrifice. Self-destruct popping (Strain) is likely to be their biggest damage dealer, with the most focus on SOR rather than TEC.
- Family Evolution Path
Soleoon -> Helichums (high friendship) -> Cacoparty (maximum friendship)
Lizard Axman Line
Based on the (once more, incredibly) basic poleaxe-wielding lizard enemies. This adaption was a bit tricky, as in Star Ocean 2 they seem a little too person-like on first glance. It took a bit of creativity to make them feel more Pokémon-y (along with having to come up with new names). This also has a divergent evolution for further characterization, including a small Star Ocean 4 cameo of sorts.
Axe Lizard Pokémon
Based On: Lizard Axman (Enemy Encyclopedia #28)
Type: Grass
Height 1.10m - Weight 32.8kg
Field Information: Once endangered through predation by both carnivores and fellow herbivores over the berries that grow on their bodies, they adapted to simple tool use. They defend themselves with carved branches and hardened tree bark.
Appearance + Movements: This Pokemon is shorter than their Star Ocean 2 counterpart with a number of changes to their appearance. Miliza is an upright, stocky orange lizard with a lengthy tail that stands on end when frightened (females have two rings of white at the end, males have one). Around their necks are green vines growing from their bodies that can grow long enough to resemble mantles, from which berries grow. Most wear carved masks out of wood on their heads. Their dextrous hands and short claws allow them to manipulate and carve simple tools, fashioning curved poleaxes out of branches and shields out of tree bark. They wield them both with great martial skill.
Gunslinger Context: In the original game, these were very simple enemies who could only attack with swipes of their poleaxes (TEC). Their blocking animation showed them using a shield, so they favor Guard. The Grass typing decision comes from how the basic Lizard Axman dropped berries, so they might have a tiny niche as a support healer or weaponizing held berries with Natural Gift. These are reasonably common 'early' Pokemon to befriend in a journey.
Axe Dragon Pokémon
Based On: Dragon Axman (Enemy Encyclopedia #115), with a small touch inspired by Star Ocean 4's Dragon Newt.
Type: Grass / Dragon
Height 1.69m - Weight 66.4kg
Field Information: Fauchargon takes lead of Miliza teams, dazzling and intimidating dissent with their plant-like wings. Even other species of Pokemon will hold back their numbers to honor duels with them.
Appearance + Movements: This appearance is almost entirely new to Dream Chasers. Fauchargon is taller than Miliza with a more defined musculature and purple scales. They still have the lengthy tail (females have two rings of white at the end, males have one). The vines growing from their bodies cover more of themselves like armor, with harder fruits adorning these vines. The carved masks of wood are more ornate, and wield larger, better-carved poleaxes and heavier tree bark shields. Their eyes are sharper and their fangs more pronounced. Most notable about them are the wings coming out of their back, adorned with countless leaves as opposed to leathery membranes or feathers, which are largely ornamental otherwise.
Gunslinger Context: None of the Lizard Axman enemies have any tricks above their single attack swipes in canon. As this take of the Dragon Axman outright adds a Dragon typing, one could add cool breath attacks and their ilk - this evolution is very 'loud' and 'showy' in terms of presentation, and might be seen as more offensively focused. It remains a primarily TEC attacker with a Guard focus defensively, and all previous Miliza tricks are still good for use here.
Axe Phantom Pokémon
Based On: Phantom Axman (Enemy Encyclopedia #116)
Type: Grass / Ghost
Height 1.44m - Weight 44.4kg
Field Information: Gilatine is a migratory scavenger whom practices funerary rites for any deceased Pokémon they encounter. In performing these rites, even barren soil once more becomes vibrant and healthy soon after.
Appearance + Movements: This appearance is relatively close to Star Ocean 2. Gilatine is larger than Miliza, their vines having dried into numerous drab colors around their olive-hued body. Their lengthy tail remains, though now limp (females have two rings at the end, males have one). Their carved wooden masks are now dry, but also more resemble the skull of an unidentifiable creature. The carved wooden weapons and armor now show signs of wear and repair through fabric scraps and/or wrapped bark. Seeds often scatter with sudden movements from their dried vines around their bodies.
Gunslinger Context: As above, the canon enemy has no tricks at all other than their physical attack. To shore them up here, this divergent evolution has more of a mystical edge to them that makes them rife for being a good TEC / SOR split between weapon attacks and ghostly power. They may draw more power from fainted comrades, which could be a good reason to make them late-fight anchors with the Last Stand Personal Skill, or set up Counters in which to avenge those that fall.
- Family Evolution Path
Miliza -> Fauchargon (level, in or near Fun City)
-or-
Miliza -> Gilatine (level, in or near Lavender Town)
Mandrake Line
This is a mostly straightforward port, with a little bit of Star Ocean 1 flavor to round it out. They're the rough equivalent of the Oddish line from Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow, and once again has received small name touch-ups in a few places (due to being generic names, or in one stand-out case a chemical compound).
Allergen Pokémon
Based On: Star Ocean 1's rounded plant enemies, the name taken from Ichel.
Type: Grass / Poison
Height 0.7m - Weight 7.4kg
Field Information: This Pokémon takes a long time to sprout in full, so it hides where its shape can fit snugly in the ground. The grass upon its head unleashes poisonous dust to try and chase off intruders while it grows.
Appearance + Movements: This one is based on the Star Ocean 1 appearance of the enemy type. Ichel is a limbless Pokémon made of an enormous brown seed. Most are round like a sphere, but can come in different shapes like a rounded cube or an oval. It has two eyes, and usually spends its time partially hidden underground. It can extend the grass-like fronds on its crown to perform a whipping attack, or shake loose dust at range. Male crowns are upright like blades of grass. Female crowns resemble pineapple fronds.
Gunslinger Context: It's an easy 'early' friend to make in journeys as an Oddish equivalent, and is a simple debuff-focused creature. The grass frond strikes are TEC, though any dispersion of dusty powder might be better as SOR. The status effects this line could inflict across the games is highly variable. Poison and paralysis (Slow or Cripple) are good picks for attacks, and you might be able to extrapolate a good Drowsy out of it too.
Replanting Pokémon
Based On: Mandrake (Enemy Encyclopedia #14)
Type: Grass / Poison
Height 1.13m - Weight 10.4kg
Field Information: Wanderake evades predators by reversing its germination process, growing limbs, and finding somewhere else to grow. As its predators are already capable of moving, it often spends the rest of its life walking.
Appearance + Movements: This one is based on the Star Ocean 2 appearance of the enemy type. Wanderake is a bipedal plant root with short arms and legs without visible digits. They have two eyes around 'chest' level with a mouth hidden underneath them. They have a grassy crown up top. Male crowns are upright like blades of grass. Female crowns resemble pineapple fronds. They can crack their grassy fronds like a whip, or exhale poisonous dust.
Gunslinger Context: A small step up from Itchel, in that it can move around much more readily and is Evade-centric. Otherwise, in canon it was a basic enemy with the grass head-whip attacks and the long-range dust clouds that sometimes inflicted a status effect. Almost any simple Grass-type approach you can think of works, nonetheless.
Exclamation Pokémon
Based On: Alraune (Enemy Encyclopedia #12)
Type: Grass / Poison
Height 1.35m - Weight 13.7kg
Field Information: This Pokémon aggressively claims its turf with loud shouting before setting down its roots again. So long as no one digs it back up, it stays quiet. Its yelling voice can warn of earthquakes in advance.
Appearance + Movements: This appearance is original to Dream Chasers. Alaraume's body has developed many wrinkles compared to its predecessor, giving it a resemblance to an elderly person. Its body color has turned a brighter orange, and its grassy fronds have turned more of a bluish-purple. Male crowns are upright like blades of grass. Female crowns resemble pineapple fronds. It holds a lengthy detached withered root along one of its arms for use in balancing itself. Their eyes have multiple bags underneath, and their mouth is almost always shaped as a frown at rest.
Gunslinger Context: It has all the same tricks from the previous evolutions, now with an added touch taken from the mythological mandrake (the deadly screaming, which would be SOR and could be attached to various status effects). It nonetheless maintains the same grass head-whips and long-range dust clouds all previous evolutions have, now with the added fun flavor of being extra cranky. Humorous off-type Fighting moves with the makeshift cane optional.
- Family Evolution Path
Itchel -> Wanderake (level) -> Alaraume (requires a Leaf Stone)
Devil Line
This is a another mostly straightforward port (which again required some new names), kitbashing two separate enemy lines into one. What's stand-out to me is that every member of the larger demon enemies (a boss enemy and their recolors) has a cure spell, creating an unlikely candidate for a good healer/support team member. This informed much of the reinterpretations for both of them.
Enabler Pokémon
Based On: Lesser Devil (Enemy Encyclopedia #144)
Type: Flying / Dark
Height 0.81m - Weight 9.4kg
Field Information: Devally readily befriends almost any species of Pokémon. An opportunistic omnivore, they follow others in search of food. While mutually beneficial, they can push their friends too hard while hunting.
Appearance + Movements: A small, squat, reddish bipedal creature. Has pointed elongated ears and a slightly elongated snout. It bears horns, sharp fangs, and leathery wings, matching the archetypical appearance of a demon. It has four fingers on each hand and three toes, each one terminating in wicked sharp claws. They use these claws to strike, and can use their horns as part of a flying ram attack. Curiously, the inside of their mouth is a bright green color.
Gunslinger Context: This one has a few TEC attacks in canon - long-distance divebomb attempts, inward claw swings, and an animation that looks like an attempt to grab onto someone to bite them a few times. As it's now directly related to the larger demon enemies here on Dream Chasers, one can back-port the use of Dark-type sorcery and even some small healing or support spells to them.
Ambition Pokémon
Based On: Phantom Devil (Enemy Encyclopedia #162)
Type: Flying / Dark
Height 1.93m - Weight 52.4kg
Field Information: Rare in the wild, Ardaemont is mostly seen in the company of those with great ambition. It uses its powers over darkness solely in service of what attracted it, even should its owner let go of these desires.
Appearance + Movements: Ardaemont is a lanky creature with a strong resemblance to a demon. Their flesh is of a reddish hue, with large reddish leathery wings, and long limbs. Their arms are limber, ending in a hand with three fingers that bear massive claws. A yellow-ish leathery membrane wraps around their shoulders and goes down their back like a mantle, parting where a long red tail begins. Said tail extends far enough to drag on the ground, ending in a pink-hued spade shape. A layer of white-hued fur covers their bodies from the upper torso down, terminating in digitigrade feet with two clawed toes. Unlike canon, their face is closer to the Little Devil's (Devally) slightly pronounced snout and retains their two horns. Males have a great mane of reddish-purple hair that trails up and behind their body like a spike, where females have their manes descend and part around their shoulders in front of them.
Gunslinger Context: First encountered as a boss (via Cynne) in canon, this one has a varied movelist involving long-distance wing blade projectiles, kicking strikes up close, and diving to grab player characters to leech life off of them with Vampirism. They also come with strong spellcasting like Demon's Gate, and even healing spells like Faerie Healing. Whether you go the route of a scary offensive TEC/SOR machine or a support-centric ally, this Pokémon has the presence to be considered a heavy hitter. Having one on the team should feel like a reflection of strength of purpose.
- Family Evolution Path
Devally -> Ardaemont (trainer's team collectively gains a large amount of levels together)
Aulbear Line
An instance where a transforming enemy lends itself to being a two-part evolution line splendidly with minimal changes! All I needed to do was add a new name for its Final Form shape (which is its pre-evolution here). As it's based on a boss fight in their own game - and is weaponized in a way Energy Nede would be wary of - this is definitely a later-game pick-up as an ARM-based heavy-hitter.
Steel Remnant Pokémon
Based On: The 'Final Form' appearance of Aulbear (Enemy Encyclopedia #167)
Type: Steel
Height 1.23m - Weight 195.6kg
Field Information: The remnant of a line of ancient Nedian constructs, Aulbide continues its duty to protect innocent people today. Though missing all their limbs, they ward off dangerous intruders with eye laser blasts.
Appearance + Movements: Smaller than canon, but otherwise nearly identical to its appearance in Star Ocean 2. Aulbear is a gunmetal gray-hued thick upper torso (from roughly the chest up) with shoulders to either side, rivets visibly bolted to connect plates together. Around the neck level is a round port that rests its head. Its head is a short, squat, flat camera-shaped object with a single infrared optic. It can extend said head out on a narrow, thin pole of a neck to give it full 360-degree movement. Unlike canon, it can move around with short bursts of hovering.
Gunslinger Context: Unquestionably a tanky ARM powerhouse that relies on Guard (or maybe even Charge-based, owing to poor movement and no limbs). In the game itself, its only means of attack was an eye beam that made the ground around it explode. Here, you can extrapolate it further with a few other quasi-working gadgets and functions within its torso, maybe add some off-type electric or fire blasts. It's a broken husk, but it should feel like it's a still-functional part of something much more destructive.
Steel Soldier Pokémon
Based On: Aulbear (Enemy Encyclopedia #167)
Type: Steel
Height 3.02m - Weight 391.9kg
Field Information: The reconstructed form of Aulbide, Aulbear was once one of many foot soldiers created to fight the Ten Wise Men. It is named for a creature from a distant world that would exist in the future.
Appearance + Movements: Smaller than canon, but otherwise nearly identical to its appearance in Star Ocean 2. A massive top-heavy steel giant with a slightly hunched-over posture. Building upon the base of Aulbide, its upper body rests on top of a narrower abdomen that absorbs shocks between its upper and lower half. Its lower body is a nondescript steel pelvis attached to two narrow upper legs that terminate into enormous armored steel boots, differentiated by bright blue joints. Its upper arms follow the same idea, terminating into individual forearms almost as large as its upper torso, terminating in red banded steel into three-fingered hands - a thumb, a pointer finger, and a wider one that merges the width of multiple other fingers into one wedge. The arms can detach in which to generate electrical blasts, and the hands can recede into the forearms to convert into missile cannons.
Gunslinger Context: One of the biggest heavyweight ARM brawlers there is, Aulbear should be a presence and a strong contender for being a team's anchor. It has many attacks from canon you can use here: big punches, rockets, and electrical discharges as well as including the Final Form's eye laser blasts. It's a complete package in its own game and can be interpreted freely as a huge ARM damage dealer or a protective defensive support by whim. (Or both!)
- Family Evolution Path
Aulbide -> Aulbear (requires some restricted and/or rare space-time technology application to restore)
Shockay Line
A straightforward port of the flying stingray enemies who were already almost as Pokémon-like as can be! Aside from a few name changes and punched-up appearances across evolutions, of course.
Flickering Light Pokémon
Based On: Stingray (Enemy Encyclopedia #56)
Type: Electric / Flying
Height 0.97m - Weight 48.4kg
Field Information: Traveling wireless power currents in small groups, a Moteray is commonly confused for a shooting star at night. They scare off most predators with bright flickering lights from the tip of their tail.
Appearance + Movements: This appearance is mostly original to Dream Chasers. Moteray is a manta ray-shaped creature with rubbery flesh along a flat body, with two triangular pectral fins. Their body has a dark purplish hue save for their heads, which are yellow. They have one eye to either side of their head. Their tails are short and jagged like a lightning bolt, where light occasionally discharges at the end of it. Their tongues, purplish in color like most of their bodies, also has a jagged shape to it. A single antennae-like dorsal fin points out behind their head which occasionally emits light as well.
Gunslinger Context: These are flying, evasive enemies who generally fight with divebombs (TEC) or stinging with their tail to deliver an electrical charge (TEC/SOR dualtype). Some can even emit rings of electricity out of their mouths (SOR). Some members of the Shockray line in Star Ocean 2 were adept at inflicting paralysis or poison, so they can be good picks for inflicting Poison, Cripple, Slow, or what have you.
Signal Swimming Pokémon
Based On: Flyray (Enemy Encyclopedia #57)
Type: Electric / Flying
Height 1.74m - Weight 93.5kg
Field Information: Occasionally, a large Chargeray presence can disrupt wireless information streams while they migrate between regions of Kanto. It is speculated they retain the data taken within their minds.
Appearance + Movements: This appearance is mostly original to Dream Chasers. Chargerays are a larger manta ray-shaped creature with rubbery flesh along a flat body, and two triangular pectoral fins. Their body has a greenish hue save for their heads, which are a bright orange with single eyes on either side of it. An antennae-like dorsal fin points out behind their head, occasionally emitting light.Their tail has split into two yellowish spiky tips that deliver electrical shocks. Their gills are notably two sets of three openings, which open and close to the sensitivity of elecrical signals. Their mouths, when open, show a jagged tongue of greenish hue.
Gunslinger Context: Similar to Moteray above, but as an original touch to Dream Chasers, their swimming along digital information transmission currents could give them a unique niche in being anti-ARM with their electrical mouth blasts or ram attacks. Whatever trick would work for a Flying- or Electric-type still works out fine.
Night Light Pokémon
Based On: Shockray (Enemy Encyclopedia #58)
Type: Electric / Flying
Height 2.28m - Weight 124.7kg
Field Information: Resting around power stations during the day, Shockray uses the absorbed power to cast light from its body for hunting at night. Several nursery tales name them as guardians against dangers lurking in shadow.
Appearance + Movements: This appearance most closely matches the canon Star Ocean 2 one (with a handful of additions: the dorsal fin antennae, underside signal strength gills, and a few extra electrical touches). They remain a large manta ray-shaped creature with rubbery flesh along a flat body, and two triangular pectoral fins. Their body is reddish save for their heads, which is a light purple color. A single eye rests on either side, and an elongated thin, narrow dorsal fin resembles an antennae that emits light. Electricity thrums around the edges of their fins, and can envelop the rest of them in a bright light. Their tail terminates into three separate elongated spinal blades of a purple color that can deliver electrical shocks. On their underside are two sets of five gills that open and close to the sensitivity of electrical signals. Their mouths, when open, show a jagged tongue of a purplish hue.
Gunslinger Context: The culmination of the line! Unique to Dream Chasers, it can envelop its entire body in light on top of all the previous tricks, making it a natural user of the Blind status effect along with whatever else it can muster from the previous lines. It has all the hallmarks of a rapid attacking debuffer, and is a fine choice for a team's heavy hitter.
- Family Evolution Path
Moteray -> Chargeray (level) -> Shockray (requires a Thunder Stone)
Phantom Knight Line
There were a lot of humanoid knight enemies in Star Ocean 2! This interpretation uses the ones that were implied as being ghostly by their name (along with one of the two spear-users, who is rather vague and strangely named). The majority of the designs here are original, but the base inspirations for them should still shine through. This is a divergent evolution line, going from the shield-wielder to either the sword-user or the spear-user.
Held Shield Pokemon
Based On: Living Armor (Enemy Encyclopedia #106)
Type: Ghost
Height 1.70m - Weight 70.0kg (height and weight includes the shield it carries specifically which cannot be detached from it)
Field Information: Said to be born of a life that failed to protect a loved one, Squiregeist keeps itself to the mortal plane by the shield it wielded. It lacks martial skill beyond the inability to ever remove its shield.
Appearance + Movements: Beyond the shield, this is mostly an original design. It has a large tower shield of a rusted hue, with faintly glowing green markings around the edges, the top as a stripe, and around a protruding spike in the center that's also glowing. It is wielded simply by a disembodied rusted helmet with two thin, spindly black arms that struggles to hold the shield in place but will never drop it. Their eyes are not visible within the helmet.
Gunslinger Context: The shield-bearing enemies in Star Ocean 2 were basic attackers with high defense. Their only attack was to thrust their shield forward with its center spike extended, though some later ones in the post-game dungeon could briefly become totally invincible. Squiregeist draws more from that one, being a good defensive support friend who could impart temp HP or otherwise protect others in similar fashion. Shield strikes should be TEC, though you could extrapolate some small ghostly SOR touches to their list if one wants.
Ceremonial Sword Pokémon
Based On: Phantom Knight (Enemy Encyclopedia #104)
Type: Ghost / Fighting
Height 1.83m - Weight 40.6kg (height includes when helmet is resting on the hilt of the sword)
Field Information: Adapting to a society that has moved past warfare, Triumphantom wields a blade to honor triumphs in Pokémon battling. They wield their swords with great care to not leave lasting harm should they fight.
Appearance + Movements: Beyond the sword, helmet, and gauntlets, this is mostly an original design. This Pokémon is a disembodied rusted helmet with a pale blue plume from behind the scalp, with two spindly black arms that rest atop a sword that is typically planted into the ground unless in movement. Their hands are wearing rusted gauntlets. The sword itself is of a faintly glowing greenish make, set on a blue-hued hilt with a dark blue spherical crystal as its pommel. No matter how hard one tries to pull the sword away, it will always return to them.
Gunslinger Context: These enemies were, once again, basic fighters in Star Ocean 2, though they had a fun ranged attack where they threw their swords like a boomerang (and sometimes more than one at a time, somehow), both of which are TEC. I went with Ghost / Fighting to emphasize the ceremonial aspect over the sword aspect like Aegislash would, giving them more of a lean to being a solid offensive support with buffs along with the usual Ghost-type tricks. (Technically, a few palette swaps of this enemy type could inflict Poison, despite what the field information says... but this is a society where Pokémon poisoning each other in friendly competition is considered A-OK.)
Domain Pokémon
Based On: Athul Athul (Enemy Encyclopedia #89)
Type: Ghost / Dark
Height 2.84m - Weight 42.7kg (height includes when helmet is resting on the butt of the spear)
Field Information: Known to appear in areas of great danger, Spearcter wields a discarded spear in order to keep Nedians at bay out of a self-imposed duty. They will use whatever force necessary, even after the danger passes.
Appearance + Movements: Beyond most of the spear, helmet, and gauntlets - all of which have been recolored - this is mostly an original design. Spearcter is made up of a disembodied rusted helmet with a bright red plume from behind the scalp, with two spindly black arms that coil around the worn wooden shaft of a spear. The spear, usually planted in the ground, has a rusted blade with two perpendicular points jutting out closer to the shaft. They wear rusted gauntlets in which to hold the spear, which has a bright red spherical crystal at the butt. No matter how far the spear is thrown, it will always return to them.
Gunslinger Context: Similar to Triumphantom's original inspiration above, this enemy type bore a decently-ranged melee attack and also the capacity to fling the spear for the usual TEC-based approaches. As this one is far more aggressively-oriented than Triumphantom, any sort of violent ghostly behavior to reinforce this could work (either as TEC, SOR, or both) but can still retain elements of Squiregeist's protectiveness. It can be a good candidate for a solid Interrupt-using attack, or anything to dissuade reckless Charge use.
- Family Evolution Path
Squiregeist -> Triumphantom (level, with a Fighting-type in party while no Dark-type is present)
-or-
Squiregeist -> Spearcter (level, with a Dark-type in the party while no Fighting-type is present)
Snow Man Line
This is a very rare enemy that doesn't appear in all versions of Star Ocean 2, who will in turn be making an appearance here as - what else - a Pokémon. A straightforward port beyond the need of a new name.
Snow Man Pokémon
Based On: Snow Man, a PSX Star Ocean 2 enemy that did not appear in the 2023 remake.
Type: Ice
Height 1.77m - Weight 80.7kg
Field Information: Legend has it that if snow accumulates around a beautiful diamond that shines all the crystals of the rainbow, Sleetsweeper will appear to keep nearby roads clear. Few still believe in it.
Appearance + Movements: Sleetsweeper bears strong, if not identical, resemblance to a two-segmented snowman. A large spherical head made of snow rests atop an even bigger spherical body made of the same snow. Its eyes and mouth are all empty and unmoving, and wears a yellow scarf around where a neck would be. Two thin black arms that can flex at an undefined elbow end in large white mittens. A red pail rests atop their head at an angle, typically pointed forward. Held across their shoulder is a wooden broom that ends in bristles, often old and worn.
Gunslinger Context: These very rare enemies in the original version of Star Ocean 2 were described as having had very high HP, and attacks that could fling characters across the screen. They wield their brooms for short-range melee attacks to accomplish this (TEC), but could also throw pails from their head at range (TEC). They can serve as excellent tanks who are all about any manner of damage-delaying tactic (Interrupt, Delay, Disrupt), helping buy time for heavier hitters to do their thing.
- Family Evolution Path
n/a
Gelatin Line
Star Ocean 2 has three different kinds of slimes. Individually, they're all boring. I put them all together in one line, with a fun gimmick that determines the typing of their final evolution (which are the blocky gelatins, and thus the line's name). The gimmick is based on what specifically the mid-stage evolution decides it wants most, represented by what it's holding once it passes a level threshold.
Puddle Pokémon
Based On: Ooze, Dark Water, Slime Pool (Enemy Encyclopedia #49, #50, #51)
Type: Water
Height 1.26m - Weight 10.3kg (height indicates resting length on the ground)
Field Information: Lacking any muscles, nerves, organs, or even any organelles beyond a single glowing spot, only a viscous membrane gives Pickupool any form. It collects any loose items around it.
Appearance + Movements: Almost identical to Dark Water in canon. It's a flat puddle of water of a dark blue hue with a single glowing spot inside of it. It's capable of moving around, splashing, and expelling water. Loose particulate matter collects inside of it.
Gunslinger Context: The base form of the line is as simple as they come, with their only canon attacks being a melee splashing attack (TEC/SOR dualtype) or hurling some of its mass at range (SOR). In canon, the main danger was the wide variety of status effects some of these could apply, which is a good fit for Misery. As it's been designed as a Water-type here, if you want something more specific you could go for Poison (off-type coverage) or Slow (being drenched).
Bartering Pokémon
Based On: Slime, Fudd, Black Slime (Enemy Encyclopedia #30, #31, #32)
Type: Water
Height 1.38m - Weight 18.1kg
Field Information: They create nutritious spheres out of food sources. It trades these spheres with other Pokémon, and many wild species engage in barter with it. What it seeks in turn varies between each individual Commurk.
Appearance + Movements: The coloration is different from canon. Commurk is a dark blue-hued slime that struggles to fully stand upright, with a noticeable gap of air in the middle. Its mass is always rotating like a wheel, as if to advertise its 'stock.' It is filled with at least two spherical objects of variable colors. The spheres always smell appetizing and taste delicious.
Gunslinger Context: It can still inherit Pickupool's tricks without much of a reach since they're related here. In canon, compared to the puddles it lacks status effects, but could split into two (one could translate that here is a specialized Evasion or Temp HP buff of some sort). It has a mock 'punch' melee attack of sorts putting its spheres into the point of impact (TEC), but could also fling a sphere at long range (TEC). Due greater exploration of what the spheres within it are on DC, this could be a good pick for a healing/supportive teammate.
Treasure Core Pokémon
Based On: Green Gelatin (Enemy Encyclopedia #85)
Type: Water / Grass
Height 1.58m - Weight 24.9kg
Field Information: Having hoarded so many seeds into its very core, this form of Gelavaultin inadvertently plants them as it moves about. In their wake, beautiful gardens sprout from what leaves their grasp.
Appearance + Movements: Its appearance is almost identical to canon. The watery mass that makes up Gelavaultin has hardened into a compressed gelatinous shape, usually a rectangular prism at rest. It serves to guard a singular spherical orb in the center, dark green with reddish line markings. It wobbles and hops around, though it can inflate with air to expunge its mass in self-defense, or split the core into two distinct spheres and resultant Gelavaultin. Due to the amount of seeds and spores it has hoarded, its gelatinous mass is of a greenish-gray hue.
Gunslinger Context: For ease of comprehension, all Gelavaultin colors have a similar kit here based on the Clear Gelatin. Gelavaultin is a tanky 'mon who can be a bit passive in action, but nonetheless has access to a body ramming attack (TEC/SOR dualtype), a long-range gel spitting move (SOR), the ability to split into two (an evasion or temp HP buff), and the capacity to self-destruct by scattering its gelatinous body everywhere with force. For the Seed Hoard version, I'd lean a bit harder into SOR and using its emphasis on the restorative nature of its seeds (though they could be debuffs as well, as some versions of the Gelatin could poison).
Treasure Core Pokémon
Based On: Orange Gelatin (Enemy Encyclopedia #86)
Type: Water / Rock
Height 1.58m - Weight 32.3kg
Field Information: This form of Gelavaultin has collected innumerable mineral riches into itself. As it is more than it can hold, it leaves behind trails of rocks and jewels when fleeing from those that covet them.
Appearance + Movements: Its appearance is almost identical to canon. The watery mass that makes up Gelavaultin has hardened into a compressed gelatinous shape, usually a rectangular prism at rest. It serves to guard a singular spherical orb in the center, dark green with reddish line markings. It wobbles and hops around, though it can inflate with air to expunge its mass in self-defense, or split the core into two distinct spheres and resultant Gelavaultin. Due to the amount of minerals it holds within it, its gelatinous mass is of a golden-orange hue.
Gunslinger Context: For ease of comprehension, all Gelavaultin colors have a similar kit here based on the Clear Gelatin. Gelavaultin is a tanky 'mon who can be a bit passive in action, but nonetheless has access to a body ramming attack (TEC/SOR dualtype), a long-range gel spitting move (SOR), the ability to split into two (an evasion or temp HP buff), and the capacity to self-destruct by scattering its gelatinous body everywhere with force. For unique touches to the Mineral Hoard, I'd give a stronger TEC leaning and using its mineral riches either for tanking purposes, or perhaps dropping shiny gems for buffing/inspiring purposes.
Treasure Core Pokémon
Based On: Clear Gelatin (Enemy Encyclopedia #87)
Type: Water / Steel
Height 1.58m - Weight 28.7kg
Field Information: Enamored by complex items it cannot understand, this Gelavaultin is packed with various devices that still work. As if influenced by their contents, most stay close by where they first evolved.
Appearance + Movements: Its appearance is almost identical to canon. The watery mass that makes up Gelavaultin has hardened into a compressed gelatinous shape, usually a rectangular prism at rest. It serves to guard a singular spherical orb in the center, dark green with reddish line markings. It wobbles and hops around, though it can inflate with air to expunge its mass in self-defense, or split the core into two distinct spheres and resultant Gelavaultin. Due to the metallic nature of what it holds, its gelatinous mass is of a lighter gray hue.
Gunslinger Context: For ease of comprehension, all Gelavaultin colors have a similar kit here based on the Clear Gelatin. Gelavaultin is a tanky 'mon who can be a bit passive in action, but nonetheless has access to a body ramming attack (TEC/SOR dualtype), a long-range gel spitting move (SOR), the ability to split into two (an evasion or temp HP buff), and the capacity to self-destruct by scattering its gelatinous body everywhere with force. The Technology Hoard variation's unique bonus would be in its access to a few ARM attacks (Steel-type).
- Family Evolution Path
Pickupool -> Commurk (level)
-then one of the following-
Commurk -> Gelavaultin (Seed Hoard) (level, while holding any berry at threshold)
Commurk -> Gelavaultin (Mineral Hoard) (level, while holding any valuable selling item at threshold)
Commurk -> Gelavaultin (Technology Hoard) (level, while holding any Poké Ball at threshold)
Slug Line
An infamous enemy in Star Ocean 2, the veiny slug enemies outright ate your player characters to temporarily remove them from the battle. There were quite a few palette swaps between them, with the only major difference between them was whether it left a status effect (or instantly KO'd) upon spitting characters out. I decided to go the Erikodus/Takikodus route with them, owing to certain canon names inspiring different types between them. These were otherwise relatively untouched ports.
River Slug Pokémon
Based On: Quidonya, River Slug (Enemy Encyclopedia #73, #74)
Type: Bug / Water
Height 2.27m - Weight 89.6kg (height indicates length)
Field Information: A sedentary filter feeder with a large mouth, Quidonya lives near fast-moving rivers. On colder nights, they don't mind sheltering smaller Pokémon inside their spacious, stretchy bodies.
Appearance + Movements: The appearance is based on the River Slug. Quidonya is a blue fleshy worm-shaped thing with three tendrils trailing behind it, which crawls around the ground. It is covered in reddish-orange veins. Its mouth can expand to swallow whole anyone as tall as 200cm in a single gulp. It curls up into a ball shape in times of duress. You can tell Quidonya apart from Visseya with leafy streams of plant matter caught in front of its body (unique to DC appearance).
Gunslinger Context: In canon, this enemy's one attack was to open its mouth and attempt to swallow a nearby player character (TEC). In this respect, it should be considered very strong against Guard-centric targets, but is also slow enough to be reliant on the Guard reaction itself. As the gulping is less immediately fatal compared to canon, you could interpret it further as a Cripple or Slow, or even have it provide a temp HP cover to a weaker 'mon. As Quidonya has water typing here, it can of course spit up water (SOR) to round things out.
Gastric Slug Pokémon
Based On: Visseya, Gastric Slug (Enemy Encyclopedia #72, #136)
Type: Bug / Poison
Height 2.31m - Weight 77.4kg (height indicates length)
Field Information: A voracious consumer of inorganic material, Visseya's body is filled with strong acids. Its digestive fluids are so strong, even the toughest of Steel-type Pokémon leave if a nest forms near them.
Appearance + Movements: The appearance is based on Visseya, its namesake. Visseya is a bright red fleshy worm-shaped thing with three tendrils trailing behind it, which crawls around the ground. It is covered in bright green veins. Its mouth can expand to swallow whole anyone as tall as 200cm in a single gulp. It curls up into a ball shape in times of duress. You can tell Visseya apart from Quidonya with loose stone matter has calcified in front of its body (unique to DC appearance).
Gunslinger Context: In canon, this enemy's one attack was to open its mouth and attempt to swallow a nearby player character (TEC). In this respect, it should be considered very strong against Guard-centric targets, but is also slow enough to be reliant on the Guard reaction itself. Visseya's gulping is far more dangerous, which is a good place to inflict Poison, Disease, or whatever other truly 'dangerous' status effect you can think of. It almost certainly has the Corrosion ability in Pokémon terms, meaning it would be able to poison even Steel- or other Poison-types. It can still spit acid at range (SOR) if one would like, too.
- Family Evolution Path
Quidonya and Visseya are stand-alone members of their line.
Landworm Line
In Star Ocean 2, these were all boring, simple, and slow basic enemies. One of them could poison, but that was it. After some thought, I decided there was space for a traditional Bug-type evolution of three stages. With a few new names, some original content, and a cameo from another Star Ocean game that got a lot of original redesigning itself, here's the result!
Settling Pokémon
Based On: Landworm, Sandworm, Bloodworm (Enemy Encyclopedia #4, #5, #6)
Type: Bug / Ground
Height 0.90m - Weight 71.7kg
Field Information: Unlike most Bug-type Pokémon, Lairworm is born with all the nutrients it needs to evolve. Its consumption of others is merely a self-defense mechanism as they attempt to claim their territory.
Appearance + Movements: Nearly identical to the Landworm in Star Ocean 2. Lairworm is a large worm-like creature with a stone gray head, and a bright emerald green body mass behind it. Its legs and its teeth are the same structure, crawling along. When it opens their mouth, it flips the bottom of its head forward into an open maw. An enormous red tongue can be seen. Unique to Dream Chasers, sometimes it emits smoke from underneath itself.
Gunslinger Context: The canon Sandworm enemies only had a leaping lunge attack (TEC) with the use of an enormous tongue (gross, but TEC) for characterization, but that's it. It's a large, slow, cumbersome enemy reliant on Guard, but may have a niche in either attacking with a Drain or inflicting Poison. With the occasional smoke as a unique aesthetic touch here, one could wrangle a Blind. As this is the basic stage of the line, it will be a simple combatant.
Skull Mimic Pokémon
Based On: Original concept as an evolution stage following Lairworm (Enemy Encyclopedia #4, #5, #6)
Type: Bug / Ground
Height 1.36m - Weight 90.8kg
Field Information: This Pokémon's cocoon mimics the appearance of a dragon's skull while it prepares to evolve. It is so convincing that sometimes smaller Pokémon sit atop it none the wiser.
Appearance + Movements: This is a completely new concept for Dream Chasers. It is of a yellowish chitinous pupa of an oblong shape. The abdomen of the creature within pushes against the extended end with an upward lean and two tiny vents resembling nostrils, where smoke occasionally leaves. Its head shape and future antennae rest in such a way two protrusions seem to be trying to pierce out the upper back of it, like horns. Round spots underneath both of them are more pronounced and darker in color, giving the illusion of eyes. At a distance, it resembles a bleached dragon skull. It has almost no capacity to move around beyond small hops.
Gunslinger Context: Like other pupating Bug-types in canon, it generally doesn't do much. Since it is mimicking a dragon's skull, you could attach some debuffs involving its appearance being intimidating. Hardening is valid, as is still using the occasional smoke as a Blind. That said, it is heavy, so if you have a teammate strong enough to throw it... have at!
Smoke Wasp Pokémon
Based On: Loosely based on the flying insect enemies from Star Ocean 1, specifically the Dragonfly's name and coloration.
Type: Bug / Dragon
Height 1.86m - Weight 138.7kg
Field Information: Mimicking a dragon's breath with smoke from its stingers, Drakewasp intimidates predators from afar. Those who challenge it directly are met with horns and claws worthy of the namesake.
Appearance + Movements: This is based loosely on the Dragonfly enemy from Star Ocean 1. A bright blue insect, their head bears strong resemblance to a dragon's horns (male horns being longer), elongated and reaching behind their head. Two sharp forelimbs are prominent, often used as weapons themselves. The rest is original to Dream Chasers: it has two smaller legs, as well as a large elongated abdomen in alternating stripes of blue and copper hues that is flexible enough to curl around itself. At the end of its abdomen are two stingers that can emit smoke as well as be used for striking. Its wings are massive, but not capable of sustained flight (unlike canon) but can manage short hops.
Gunslinger Context: This is mostly a Dream Chasers original in design. Drakewasp is a large, bulky (Guard-centric) combatant who thrives on intimidation to make enemies hesitant to attack (Weaken, Delay, and its ilk), with the help of the smoke to inflict Blind (SOR). It can use its horns and forelimbs for slicing motions (TEC), and hop with just enough clearance to do the inspiring enemy's divebomb attack at range (TEC). Since it has Dragon-typing here, you could extrapolate just about any of their tricks here, though any beams or breath attacks (SOR) should come out of the abdomen stingers instead.
- Family Evolution Path
Lairworm -> Roostoon (level) -> Drakewasp (level)
Ghark Line
Based on the very first enemy fought by Claude in Star Ocean 2, which had a few recolors encountered later. Their comical expressiveness when attacking or being attacked informed a lot of the characterization for this line, which was otherwise a very basic attacker. This line uses the pre-postgame variations, and has the expected reimagining and touch-ups (especially given the generic names). The themeing for the divergent evolutions should be readily apparent.
Slapstick Ape Pokémon
Based On: Ghark (Enemy Encyclopedia #66)
Type: Fighting / Normal
Height 1.5m - Weight 81.7kg
Field Information: Often misinterpreted for being violently territorial, Ghark is a highly social Pokémon with a rudimentary understanding of comedic theater. They tend to fall prey to slapstick, but they enjoy it.
Appearance + Movements: A little smaller than canon. Ghark is a large and muscular gorilla-like Pokémon with a large coat of golden-brown fur, and bearing two prominent legnths of hair that spread out like a 'V' shape behind them. The skin of their faces, hands, and feet are of a light gray color. Their eyes are usually dark and hard to see under the folds of their eyelids, but they can pop out when expressing strong emotions. Their mouth can extend to ridiculous lengths, showing fangs and an enormous gray tongue.
Gunslinger Context: Ghark only had the capacity to kick and slap hands together, which is true of the entire line (TEC), but could also guard with their open hands too (Guard-centric). As an original touch for Dream Chasers, you are encouraged to add elements of silliness and slapstick to their movesets that normally might be reserved for Fairy-types instead. Owing to this stage's Normal-typing, they can frustrate Ghost-types for somehow being too blissfully ignorant of their antics.
Surly Bigfoot Pokémon
Based On: Troll (Enemy Encyclopedia #67)
Type: Fighting / Fire
Height 1.72m - Weight 86.0kg
Field Information: Possessed of both great patience and temper alike, Yetemperk forms small communities with others of contrasting personalities. Their ire can be violently explosive, but rarely harbor long-term animosity.
Appearance + Movements: Similar to the Troll recolor, though smaller. They're still a large, muscular gorilla-like Pokémon with a thick coat of reddish fur. The skin of their faces, hands, and feet are of a pale yellow color. Their eyes are usually dark and hard to see under the folds of their eyelids, but they can pop out when expressing strong emotions. Their mouth can extend to ridiculous lengths, showing their teeth and an enormous dark yellow tongue. As an original Dream Chasers touch, they have five streaming lengths of hair resembling the folds of a (slightly singed) paper fan going down their upper back, and their teeth are more jagged.
Gunslinger Context: Like Ghark, the only canon attack was a kick and a slap, making them a dedicated TEC attacker if only using that. The Dream Chasers reimagining of this one puts them in more of a 'straight man' context of a comedy duo, whether feeding buffs to their foil or otherwise retaliating against foolishness with some manner of counterattack. They're best used in a context where they're acting alongside another allied Pokémon to play off of.
Foolish Yeti Pokémon
Based On: Yeti (Enemy Encyclopedia #68)
Type: Fighting / Ice
Height 1.65m - Weight 86.5kg
Field Information: An oafish Pokémon, Bigfoolark lives in small knit groups with others of radically different personalities. Their carefree, even dim-witted ways belies concealed ambition and persistence in equal measure.
Appearance + Movements: Similar to the Yeti recolor, though smaller. They remain a large, muscular gorilla-like Pokémon with a hairy coat of dark blue fur. The skin of their faces, hands, and feet are of a pale green color. Their eyes are usually dark and hard to see under the folds of their eyelids, but they can pop out when expressing strong emotions. Their mouth can extend to ridiculous lengths, showing their teeth and an enormous dark green-gray tongue. As an original Dream Chasers touch, they have a single upright tuft of fur that's pointed like an icicle, angled behind their head. Their teeth are flat (and impeccably perfect).
Gunslinger Context: As per Ghark and the previous entry, the only canon attacks available are a kicking and slapping motion (both TEC). The Dream Chasers take on this enemy has them in a 'funny man' context of a comedy duo, getting up to foolishness or otherwise using surprisingly clever trickery (maybe even of a formidable SOR nature) to put opponents on the backfoot with debuffs. Like the previous one, they're best used as a partner to another Pokémon ally.
- Family Evolution Path
Ghark -> Yetemperk (level threshold while suffering from Burn)
-or-
Ghark -> Bigfoolark (level threshold while suffering from Freeze)
Deathsaucer Line
This is based on an unused enemy found in the PSX version of Star Ocean 2 that otherwise never saw the light of day anywhere else! Despite the foreboding name, it was a coin with a smiley face on it. The only footage of it I could find at the Cutting Room Floor (tcrf.net) had it dart around without attacking. However, it appeared immune to attacks from the front, which was quality enough to build something off of (albeit with giving it a less foreboding name).
Coin Flip Pokémon
Based On: Deathsaucer (unused Star Ocean 2 PSX enemy)
Type: Normal / Steel
Height 1.39m - Weight 40.7kg
Field Information: A rare Pokémon said to appear only by chance in times of someone facing a dangerous risk. The gentle cat-like face on one side brings great luck, but the scowling monster on the other brings ruin.
Appearance + Movements: A large, upright golden coin with a smiling cat face (:3) on one side, and (unique to Dream Chasers) a meaner scowling demonic face (:E) on the other. It rolls around on its side and wobbles upright to and fro, as if mocking anyone around to chase them.
Gunslinger Context: Its inspiring enemy in shared footage moved around quickly, did not directly attack, and appeared immune to attacks from the front (where the smiling face is). In context, this is a purely defensive Pokémon that invites enemies to press their luck with potent counterattacks, but can also serve as an excellent shield for a teammate. Which side is the 'good' one and which one is the 'bad' in context can be left up to the individual Trainer.
- Family Evolution Path
n/a
Fire Lizard Line
There's a big number of palette swaps of a large quadrupedal lizard enemies, all of whom share one thing in common - a breath weapon that often inflicts status effects. I've split them into multiple two-stage lines based on an element. The first one, the Fire Lizards, are closest to the Star Ocean 2 canon ones (beyond the need to invent a first form shape and some unique names).
Fire Lizard Pokémon
Based On: Fire Lizard (Enemy Encyclopedia #95)
Type: Fire
Height 0.9m - Weight 43.0kg
Field Information: This reptilian Pokémon's tail and upper back is covered in hair, rather than scales. Sparks of flame travel from the tail to the back of the head in warning, expelling a blast of flame when it runs out.
Appearance + Movements: This is an original design to Dream Chasers. Fusetail is of a bright yellow color (like the in-game Fire Lizard), but is upright and bipedal. Reddish-orange hair travels down the back of its head and all the way across a lengthy tail of high flexibility, which can produce a spark of flame that travels from the tip to the back of their head. Compared to the likes of Charmander, their legs are more pronounced, strong enough for kicking, terminating in three toes with pronounced reddish-orange claws. Their forelimbs are less developed in comparison.
Gunslinger Context: Think of this as the junior version of the Fire Lizard and/or Salamander enemy from Star Ocean 2, with the same emphasis on tail attacks (TEC) and flame breath attacks (SOR) in smaller, bipedal form. As they have powerful legs, you could sneak in an off-type Fighting (TEC) move involving them.
Fire Breath Pokémon
Based On: Salamander (Enemy Encyclopedia #94)
Type: Fire / Dragon
Height 2.12m - Weight 138.3kg
Field Information: Eruptail lives a solitary life in cavernous habitats. In order to dissuade intruders, it gives ample warning of its presence by lighting a fire down its back before it fills tunnels with flame.
Appearance + Movements: The appearance is almost identical to canon. Eruptail is a quadrupedal lizard whose hind legs are so overdeveloped that their leaner front half often seems lower and more slouched to the ground. Their scales are colored brick red, with their head forming something of a wedge shape like the head of an axe. Their smaller, thinner forelimbs end in two bone-colored claws, while their massive hind legs end in three toes with enormous brown-red claws. A lengthy tail covered in brown-red fur is raised up high at all times over their heads in a manner not unlike a scorpion, though (unique to DC) this fur runs along their upper back to the back of their head, and can produce a spark of flame at the tip that travels down to the back of their head as warning of an impending breath attack.
Gunslinger Context: In Star Ocean 2, this line of enemies always had a strong presence due to their large size and (more often than not) status effect-inducing breath attacks (Poison works here in replicating Pokémon's Burn). This sluggish, but sturdy group of enemies strikes with their tail (TEC) and big far-reaching fire breath attacks (SOR), but could also somehow produce barriers at the tip of their tail to guard themselves. As their intimidation factor is high, anything that gives them a strong, powerful presence works (such as maybe off-type Fighting attacks with kicks), and this is a great choice for a team's heavy hitter.
- Family Evolution Path
Fusetail -> Eruptail (level)
Frost Lizard Line
The second of the elemental quadrupedal lizards, this one deviates a bit by playing with the physical design - they're instead top-heavy rather than bottom heavy. A handful of new names besides, they remain similar in terms of approach to the Fire Lizards despite the aesthetic changes.
Frost Lizard Pokémon
Based On: Frost Lizard (Enemy Encyclopedia #96)
Type: Ice
Height 0.8m - Weight 45.2kg
Field Information: The hairs upon this Pokémon's back collect moisture from the air to coalesce into spheres. These spheres travel down their back to be launched at airborne prey at great speed.
Appearance + Movements: This is an original design to Dream Chasers. Slopetail is of an icy blue color (like the in-game Frost Lizard), but remains upright and bipedal. Purplish-black hair travels down the back of its head and all the way across a lengthy tail of high flexibility, which whisks ice crystals from the back of the creature's head to be snapped outward by a lengthy tail of great flexibility. Their upper body is very well developed, strong enough for arm strikes that terminate in three large purplish-back claws. Their hind legs are less developed in comparison.
Gunslinger Context: Like with Fusetail, this is the junior version of the Frost Lizard/Fenrir Beast of Star Ocean 2. They still have tail attacks (TEC) and (despite implications from field info) frost breath attacks (SOR) in a more compact form. This one is more top-heavy instead, so you could put in some off-type Fighting (TEC) stuff utilizing that if you'd like.
Ice Breath Pokémon
Based On: Fenrir Beast (Enemy Encyclopedia #97)
Type: Ice / Dragon
Height 2.09m - Weight 135.1kg
Field Information: Occasionally disguising themselves as small hills in snow, unwary Pokémon sometimes walk on top of them. Mountail catches the ones they choose to eat with their tail, subjecting them to freezing breath.
Appearance + Movements: Similar to canon, with the major difference being that this reverses which set of limbs is larger. Mountail is a quadrupedal lizard whose upper body is overdeveloped compared to their hind legs, often giving them the appearance of being seated. Their scales are colored a bright bluish-purple, with their head being a wedge shape like the head of an axe. Their muscular forelimbs end in two massive purplish-black claws, while their hind legs end in three smaller bone-colored ones. A lengthy tail covered in purplish-black fur is raised up high at all times in a manner similar to a scorpion, though (unique to DC) this fur runs along their upper back to the back of their head, collecting and freezing moisture to be snapped out from the tip.
Gunslinger Context: Though they may differ a bit visually here, they're mechanically the same as any other large lizard palette swap in Star Ocean 2. With large lumbering movements (Guard-centric), powerful tail attacks (TEC), and status effect-inducing breath attacks (Cripple or Slow works here to represent petrification or Pokémon's Freeze), they can also snap out ice to create defensive walls similar to the canon block animation. Owing to the DC version's bigger arms, off-type Fighting attacks with punches of a sort works too. These are great picks for being a heavy hitter for a team, since any variation of element lizard has an intimidating presence.
- Family Evolution Path
Slopetail -> Mountail (level)
Medusa Lizard Line
Of the elemental lizard enemies, this one has the most dramatic differences. Where the Fire Lizards are almost identical to canon, and the Frost Lizards reverse which half of their body is the bulkier, this one leans more into the use of their tail in novel ways. They remain ultimately the same bulky, scary status-inflicting breath weapon enemy their inspiration was in Star Ocean 2.
Land Lizard Pokémon
Based On: Medusa Lizard (Enemy Encyclopedia #141), with an original coloration
Type: Ground
Height 0.6m - Weight 48.6kg
Field Information: Crouched low to the ground, they hide their tail underground. They do this so well, it was believed for many years that its own tail was instead an elusive Pokémon that had yet to be caught.
Appearance + Movements: This is an original design to Dream Chasers. Smalltail is of a pale yellow-green color with a black streak going from the back of their head towards their rear. Their tail is fully underground, which does not seem slowed by any material. Their body is on the leaner side, and when they stand on two legs they do so in a way to deceptively hide their tail. Said tail can strike from underground.
Gunslinger Context: This is a bit different than Fusetail and Slopetail, but is the 'young' version of the Medusa Lizard. Their tail attacks just come from underground instead (TEC), and they retain sand breath attacks (SOR). Owing to the surprise/strange nature of tail attack direction for this take, you could reason out some very sneaky or hard-to-avoid/guard attacks out of it too.
Sand Breath Pokémon
Based On: Medusa Lizard (Enemy Encyclopedia #141)
Type: Ground / Dragon
Height 1.89m - Weight 141.7kg
Field Information: With sandstorms created by their breath and localized seismic events by their immeasurably long tail, Sprawltail is more shy than territorial. They crouch as low to the ground as they can.
Appearance + Movements: This is a large departure from canon. Sprawltail is a large quadrupedal lizard who lies as flat to the ground as they can, though their limbs are of equalized size compared to the canon Medusa Lizard - nonetheless their forelimbs have two claws, their hindlimbs have three of a light bone color. Their scales are a brilliant green, with their head forming a wedge shape like the head of an axe. Bristling green-black fur runs along their upper back, and disappears into the ground behind them. They have a tail of unknown yet immense length, which terminates in two sharp points that can stab out of the ground at long distances. Said tail can alter the terrain around it for dramatic effect.
Gunslinger Context: While very different visually from Star Ocean 2, most of their tricks are mechanically the same. They're a large, powerful creature that's slow moving, but can guard attacks with their tail (in Sprawltail's case, you can just have it pop up in front of them from the ground). Said tail still works for TEC attacks, though you can abstract biting too. Their breath attacks in canon inflicted the entire rainbow of status effects, but here one might favor something appropriate for sudden sandstorms like Blind, or Mute, but Cripple and Slow work fine too. In Pokémon terms, they're a great sandstorm weather set-up choice. Like the other elemental lizards, they're big and scary and perfect for a team's heaviest hitter.
- Family Evolution Path
Smalltail -> Sprawltail (level)
Tokuirokkaku Line
Like Herush's made-up pre-evolution, I'm dipping into the 2023 remake's fishing content to bring the other 'Gigantic' tier fish to the list! As they are not at all combatants, everything suggested is a Dream Chasers original.
Ruby Eye Pokémon
Based On: Star Ruby Eye (Fish Encyclopedia #17), which was not anything fought in battle.
Type: Water / Psychic
Height 1.31m - Weight 24.6kg
Field Information: Its glowing red eyes are seen as a boon by fishers, as other fish chase after them like a child might fly a kite. It is said if one is pure of heart, only then will they nibble a line themselves.
Appearance + Movements: Despite the inspiration, this is an original design intending to evoke a 'pre-evolved' Tokuirokkaku. Redkite is a brick-red fish with brilliant red eyes and wide fins that gradually fan out into a brighter orange, then yellow, then white at the tips of said fins and tail. White lines reminiscent of a kite's threads are all around their body, pointing towards the tail.
Gunslinger Context: Fish in Star Ocean 2's 2023 remake weren't combatants, so anything here is up to one's extrapolation and imaignation. Owing to the likeness of a kite, Redkite is more agile and evasive in terms of movements and strategy, though they're fast enough that TEC attack rams could work. Status effects playing off of distraction or leading things along aren't a bad idea to go with it, though the usual SOR ideas of Psychic-type blasts or Water-type antics are fine too.
Rainbow Kite Pokémon
Based On: Tokuirokkaku (Fish Encyclopedia #65), which was not anything fought in battle.
Type: Water / Psychic
Height 5.0m - Weight 143.1kg
Field Information: This rarely-appearing Pokémon only appears when overfishing threatens the coastal waters, mesmerizing all with its brilliant fins as it leaps from the sea. All the fish soon follow it away to safety.
Appearance + Movements: Tokuirokkaku is an enormous fish that is primarily black in coloration, but with eye-catching glowing red 'cracks' around its entire body. Its eyes glow a brilliant red and yellow. They bear enormous fins like wings, whose scales go from black to violet, indigo, and cyan at the tips, also present upon the tail. Spiky spines jut out from the sides towards the rear, with three distinct sets.
Gunslinger Context: This was never fought in the game, and is thus made-up. Large and mesmerizing, Tokuirokkaku can be treated as a powerful defensive Pokémon meant to lead in hit-and-run or pivoting strategies, though their large body lends themselves well to TEC attacks. Status effects based on blinding, confusing, or mesmerizing with their colorful scales or shining eyes works, too. As is the case before, Psychic-type or Water-type stuff still works great for SOR. This is a great pick for a 'heavy hitter' Pokémon with presence, if you wanted a fish-based one and Herush doesn't tickle the fancy.
- Family Evolution Path
Redkite -> Tokuirokkaku (requires a Water Stone)
Fossil-Restored Line (Otiph, Gargoyle, Elysian Slug, Crimson Beast)
This is just a hand-picked list of otherwise unused palette swaps to round things out, with specific names given above to make it unambiguous which canon enemies ended up here. The name of the fossil that they come from will be listed in the Family Evolution Path listing.
Multiple Maw Pokémon
Based On: Otiph, Blood Gerel (Enemy Encyclopedia #15, #110)
Type: Rock / Ground
Height 1.54m - Weight 53.5kg
Field Information: The ancestor of the modern day Gerel, Otiph was once widely distributed on the ocean floor. They sucked in prey of all sizes into any of their waiting mouths, coating them in sediment to entrap them.
Appearance + Movements: This differs significantly from canon. Otiph is a gray-brown lumpy gelatinous body with multiple mouth-tunnels lined by pink skin, each one bearing six gnashing fangs in sets of three opposing pairs. They can spit sand at range, in addition to lengthening their fangs to grab and bite prey. They have a single gray tongue that can decide which mouth to peek out of.
Gunslinger Context: Like Gerel, this has many of the same tricks - TEC stuff for biting (or tongue-lashing, on DC), and SOR for spitting up sand. They have the ability to split into multiples, either as an evasion buff or temp HP - the multiple mouths of this DC design leans into it. In canon, Otiph could both Poison and Petrify, though here I'd lean more strongly into Petrify-analogues (Slow, Cripple, etc). As a unique touch, I'd consider them to have the Storm Drain ability, so in RP terms they'd draw in and absorb water. As that's tough to replicate in Gunslinger terms, I'd instead make them specialists in absorbing and dealing with SOR attacks in similar fashion.
Living Statue Pokémon
Based On: Gargoyle, Stone Statue (Enemy Encyclopedia #98, #99)
Type: Rock / Flying
Height 1.36m - Weight 26.6kg
Field Information: A Pokémon of living stone, Grotestue once lived in the ranges that Devally and Ardaemont did. Despite their power, they found themselves outcompeted by the others' strategy of cooperation.
Appearance + Movements: This is a mostly original design meant to be similar to a middle ground between the little devils (Devally's inspiration) and the larger ones (Ardaemont's inspiration). A greenish-gray devilish creature, they're taller than Devally with more prominent wings (if not as much as Ardaemont), and elongated claws on their hands and feet - three fingers on each hand, four toes on each foot. They bear an elongated ears and snout, horns, and a fine layer of moss-like fur around the lower half of their bodies. Their fanged sneer is especially pronounced. Males have more pronounced horns.
Gunslinger Context: As the middle-ground between Devally and Ardaemont visually, it can draw most of the tricks from both - long-distance divebombs, inward claw swings, and grabbing bites (TEC, all from Devally) and Ardaemont's wing projectiles, close kicks, and leeching (TEC). Instead, they eschew any sort of supportive sorcery for pure offense. Some earth-type sorcery (compared to dark-type) is also a good filler.
Elysian Slug Pokémon
Based On: Phantom Mollusk, Elysian Slug (Enemy Encyclopedia #137, #138)
Type: Rock / Bug
Height 2.4m - Weight 100.3kg (height indicates length)
Field Information: A celebrated Pokémon in antiquity, Elisya naturally created blocks of marble out of waste material from feeding on a high mineral diet. It was so beloved by sculptors that it commonly decorated tombs.
Appearance + Movements: The appearance loosely based on Elysian Slug, its near-namesake. Elisya is a marble white worm-shaped thing with three tendrils trailing behind it, which crawls around on the ground. Unlike its modern living descendants, Elysia has more of semi-solid angular rectangular shape, and its veins are more akin to cracks in stone. Its mouth can expand to swallow whole anyone as tall as 200cm in a single gulp, but rather than curl into a ball shape it hardens its body like a cube.
Gunslinger Context: As per canon, the enemy's one attack was to open its mouth and attempt to swallow a nearby player character (TEC). So, like its modern descendants in Quidonya and Visseya, it smothers Guard-centric approaches but is also reliant on it. The canon enemy's gulping was immensely dangerous, but here, the unique 'creates blocks' twist can be used for further defensive purposes like setting up Temp HP or Cover barriers, or just flinging them (TEC or SOR) at range. It might even be decent grounds for a Counter setup, too.
Stone Breath Pokémon
Based On: Crimson Beast (Enemy Encyclopedia #142)
Type: Rock / Dragon
Height 1.94m - Weight 157.8kg
Field Information: This ancient Pokémon's tail never stopped growing, so Rubbletail needed to keep consuming inorganic nutrients. To keep it short, they detached the boulder-like tail segments at its foes.
Appearance + Movements: This is an original design to Dream Chasers. Rubbletail is a quadrupedal lizard with a reddish hue to their scales, with red mudstone in patches everywhere around their body. Their head has a wedge shape, like the head of an axe. Their claws (two in forelimbs, three on legs) are of a blunted nature. Running along their spine is a cobblestone-like trail of a blackish-red hue. Where it trails off into a tail, it is a mass of stones suspended by means unknown. The tail is held suspended over them like a scorpion's tail, small pieces crumbling with every quick flex but can be swung with wide reach, even if it looks like the rocks would all fall apart. Rocks of large size can be ejected from their mouths.
Gunslinger Context: This is another of the elemental lizards, whose standard kit is tail strikes (TEC) and breath attacks (SOR) while being large and scary. The canonical Crimson Beast inspiration had poison breath, but here you can abstract it to just pelting them with a storm of rocks if you'd like, meant to shatter Guard-centric approaches or make it difficult to set up Charge/Counter reactions. Like the others, this is a great choice for a 'heavy hitter' due to the size and intimidation factor.
- Family Evolution Path
Each member of this line is stand-alone, but they all originate from the following fossils:
Otiph (Barnacle Fossil)
Grotestue (Daemon Fossil)
Elisya (Slug Fossil)
Rubbletail (Lizard Fossil)
Scumbag Line
A noticeable gap on the list! These have been canon as of the Mt. Moon Dig being open, and are now being codified here as part of the next wave of Star Ocean conversions! Unlike canon, these are more implied to be some manner of goblin-like creature rather than human-analogues, but otherwise are as presented. New to Dream Chasers, they have some fun twists based on the game's settings for its evolutions.
Thieving Pokémon
Based On: Thieving Scum (Enemy Encyclopedia #21)
Type: Normal
Height 1.32m - Weight 31.4kg
Field Information: Living in groups of up to eight, this Pokémon species' opportunistic thieving behavior is theorized to be a carryover of a turbulent time in Nedian history without abundance of resources.
Appearance + Movements: Similar to the games, with minor differences in coloration and clothing. Scumbags are anthropomorphic goblin-like individuals clad in yellowish-orange leathery tunics and matching cloth stocking caps, wielding scimitars (curved swords) or close analogues which they wield competently. Their flesh color is more of a dark gray. They bear expressive eyes often enlarged further when attempting to submit to mercy against stronger enemies.
Gunslinger Context: In canon, these were very basic enemies that used a sword to attack (TEC) but would also occasionally run away, so one might give them an evade emphasis, or moves that assist with this. A rare specimen can aspire to greater heroic(?) heights and levels of strength... but for the most part, they're fodder with simple tactics and moves. Always an excellent choice for a throwaway Team Rocket Grunt's team!
Scavenged Firearm Pokémon
Based On: Bandit (Enemy Encyclopedia #22), using original Star Ocean 2 localization name for Thieving Scum (Enemy Encyclopedia #21).
Type: Normal / Poison
Height 1.35m - Weight 33.7kg
Field Information: The result of Scumbags rapidly adapting to the harsher environments of Filgaia, they have even picked up the use of simplistic firearms. The Kanto Police are watching this species closely.
Appearance + Movements: Similar to the games, with minor differences in coloration and clothing. Nearly identical to Scumbags, aside from their armor and stocking caps being more of a gunmetal gray hue, and a greener skin tone. In addition to their scimitars, many try to wield small Filgaia-origin gunsmoke ARMs in their off-hand with variable levels of success. Exposure to Filgaian toxins allow them to secrete poison through their tongues, with which they coat their blades.
Gunslinger Context: The Poison element here is a nod to how a handful of palette swaps of the Thieving Scum in Star Ocean 2 could inflict it. They remain simple TEC attackers by and large, but as a unique touch by Dream Chasers, some of them have managed to scavenge and learn how to work (very) simple gunsmoke ARMs, opening up the ARM attack type for their lists. Even so, this should remain a bit cartoonish and light-hearted an application, as they're still cowardly and evasive figures. (Also, Funnythief is apparently native to Filgaia too, but don't think too hard about it!)
Selective Sorcery Pokémon
Based On: Untrained Assassin (Enemy Encyclopedia #23), based loosely on the original Star Ocean 2 localization name.
Type: Normal / Electric
Height 1.34m - Weight 32.5kg
Field Information: Exposure to a novel form of sorcery unlike Symbology on Lunar has inspired this thieving Pokémon to take up its tenets. One will support or attack with Electric-type moves, but not both.
Appearance + Movements: Similar to the games, with minor differences in coloration and clothing. Nearly identical to Scumbags, with the difference being their armor and stocking caps are colored more of a bright green, and their skin tone takes a maroon color. Alongside their scimitars, many gather sorcerous electrical power (presumed subdermal Symbological in nature) into their off-hands. They seem to recite things in their own Pokémon language before trying to utilize said sorcery.
Gunslinger Context: As with the Funnythief, the Electric typing is a nod to how some of the palette swaps of the Thieving Scum could inflict Paralysis. While it remains a mere basic sword-using attacker (TEC) in canon, owing to the Lunarian influences, Lessassin is a fairly potent sorcery-user (SOR). They swear by Althena's Blessing rules and use the Lightning element specifically. They may use Electric-types for attacking (Black), or for buffs (White), but not both, unwavering once they are trained in one of these two disciplines. (Why do they bind themselves to this limitation? Who knows, it's just a game.)
- Family Evolution Path
Scumbag -> Funnythief (level, under training of a Filgaia-starting Trainer or after fighting a team led by one)
-or-
Scumbag -> Lessassin (level, under training of a Lunar-starting Trainer or after fighting a team led by one)
Possible Future Conversions
As of January 18th, 2024, the initial planned set of Star Ocean 2-themed Pokémon have been completed. However, there may yet be further additions as time goes on! There may yet be a few other conceptual cameos from elsewhere in the series, further explorations of existing lines, and/or possibly a small handful of original concepts to yet round them out.
As of April 12th, 2024, a new wave is underway! Some current possibilities are listed below for the future. If there's any interest, don't hesitate to ask any alt of User:Io to prioritize their implementation!
Everything here is subject to change. Some may not make it to implementation.
- Star Ocean 1's Demonic Eyes
Scary oblong voids with eyes and spinning blades.
- Star Ocean 1's horn-headed mages
Sorcerous troublemakers could fit right in.
- Star Ocean 1's Ghost Wolves
Because Energy Nede has an ecological niche for heavy metal album covers.
- Star Ocean 1's flying bugs
One palette swap was adapted for Drakewasp, but I might give these flying insects their own line.
- Undeclared Legendary SO2 conversions
These are in the hands of staff to decide, though a small handful are in the concept stage.
Special Thanks
- shrines.rpgclassics.com
For an easy reference of old 90's localization names of both Star Ocean 1 (fan-translated) and Star Ocean 2 (official).
- spriters-resource.com
For an easy reference of all the enemy movements, where Second Story R's bestiary doesn't provide anything but the enemy idle sprite.
- starocean.fandom.com
For the handful of documented Star Ocean - The Last Hope bestiary entries that helped inspire a few entries on the list.