Ecologically similar Pokémon

Certain are described as ecologically similarPoltchageist — Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet | Official Website (Japanese: 生態は似ているチャデス｜『ポケットモンスター スカーレット・バイオレット ゼロの秘宝』公式サイト ecologically similar) to previously discovered species, but are otherwise completely different Pokémon. This concept was first introduced in Generation IX. 
They are sometimes referred to by fans as convergent Pokémon or convergent species, relating the concept to in biology, or regional fakes, due to their similarity to regional forms, which are different forms of the same Pokémon. So far, six of these Pokémon have been introduced. Jacq is known for his research on these Pokémon in collaboration with the World Pokémon Ecological Society.World Pokémon Ecological Society (Video archive)
Ecologically similar Pokémon tend to have similar, though not always identical, base stats.
==In the core series games==
In , the player can find Pokémon that are ecologically similar to other species across Paldea, as well as in Kitakami.
===History===
These Pokémon were first identified by the World Pokémon Ecological Society after the discovery of during a survey. Wiglett was initially mistaken as a possible Paldean form of before it was determined that it was a different species entirely and the similarities were merely coincidental.
===List of ecologically similar Pokémon===
Ecologically similar Pokémon	Ecologically similar Pokémon	Ecologically similar Pokémon	Ecologically similar Pokémon	Ecologically similar Pokémon	Ecologically similar Pokémon
 	Newer Pokémon 	Ecology 	 	Original counterpart 	Ecology
#0948 	 	
* Inspiration: mushroom 
* Habitat: Forests
* Body: Edible mushroom
* Diet: Clings to tree roots
* Behavior: Jumps around, can run at a speed of 30 mph	#0072 	 	
* Inspiration: 
* Habitat: Shallow seas
* Body: Virtually composed of water and can regenerate
* Diet: Constricts and poisons its prey
* Behavior: Drifts in sea currents and alerts others by flashing its orbs
#0949 	 	
* Inspiration: mushroom
* Habitat: Forests
* Body: Edible mushroom, has 10 tentacles
* Diet: Constricts its prey and sucks out their nutrients
* Behavior: Jumps around and dislikes strangers	#0073 	 	
* Inspiration: Jellyfish
* Habitat: Complex rock formations on the ocean floor
* Body: Virtually composed of water, can regenerate, has 80 tentacles (most are hidden)
* Diet: Constricts and poisons its prey
* Behavior: Alerts and weakens others by flashing its orbs
#0960 	 	
* Inspiration: 
* Habitat: Coastlines and seas
* Body: Stretchy, gooey feel, and it is unknown what it looks like under the sand
* Diet: Unknown
* Behavior: Hides in the sand when sensing danger	#0050 	 	
* Inspiration: 
* Habitat: Tunnels and caves under the earth, also resides in forests
* Body: Thin skin, it is unknown what it looks like under the ground
* Diet: Plant roots
* Behavior: Toils and manures the soil perfectly and dislikes the sunlight
#0961 	 	
* Inspiration: 
* Habitat: Coastlines and seas
* Body: Stretchy and gooey, triplets sharing one body, and is unknown what it looks like in the rock
* Diet: Wraps around its prey and drags it to its den
* Behavior: Vicious temperament and hides from humans	#0051 	 	
* Inspiration: 
* Habitat: Tunnels and caves under the earth, also forests
* Body: Triplets sharing one body, it is unknown what it looks like under the ground
* Diet: Each head fights over who gets to eat first
* Behavior: Toils and manures the soil perfectly, burrows rapidly, causing earthquakes, and attacks unexpectedly on occasion
#1012 	 	
* Inspiration: Living inhabiting a 
* Habitat: Old houses in towns and their outskirts
* Body: Powdery, its swirl pattern is not a weak point
* Diet: Drains the energy of those who touch or ingest its powder
* Behavior: Nocturnal, tends to scatter matcha powder to fix broken objects, and attacks anyone who breaks things	#0854 	 	
* Inspiration: Possessed inhabiting a 
* Habitat: Hotels and houses
* Body: Liquidy, the swirl pattern is its weakness, tastes awful
* Diet: Absorbs the life-force of those who drink it
* Behavior: Patiently waits for its victims
#1013 	 	
* Inspiration: Living inhabiting an Unremarkable or Masterpiece Teacup
* Habitat: Dark places, such as the back of a shelf or the space beneath a home's floorboards
* Body: Powdery
* Diet: Drains the life-force of those who drink it
* Behavior: Searches for prey after sunset and pretends to be tea, trying to fool people into drinking it to drain their life-force	#0855 	 	
* Inspiration: Possessed inhabiting a Cracked or Chipped Pot
* Habitat: Hotels and houses
* Body: Liquidy and has a distinct and enjoyable flavor
* Diet: Absorbs the life-force of those who drink it
* Behavior: Patiently waits for its victims
 	 	 	 	 	
===Descriptions===
The relationships between ecologically similar Pokémon have been described in Pokédex entries and other sources.
Pokémon	Description
 	Pokédex entry from :
* Though it looks like , Toedscool is a completely different species. Its legs may be thin, but it can run at a speed of 30 mph.
 	Pokédex entry from :
* Though it looks like , Wiglett is an entirely different species. The resemblance seems to be a coincidental result of environmental adaptation.
Jacq's memo from the World Pokémon Ecological Society conference:
* This Pokémon that lives on the beach or in the sea of the Paldea region would be Wiglett. Although they appeared to be the Paldean Form of Diglett, we've learned that they live and eat differently as if they are entirely different Pokémon. According to the research, it is said that it is a coincidence that they have similar bodies, as they both burrow in the ground and the sand.
Official website:Wiglett — Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet | Official Website
* It’s said that Wiglett’s resemblance to Diglett might be a mere coincidence—a result of its adaptation to its environment.
* Though It May Closely Resemble Diglett, It’s a Completely Different Pokémon: It may look like Diglett, but it’s actually a completely different species of Pokémon. Wiglett pokes a part of its body out of the sand to feed in the ocean. It’s still unclear what the rest of its body hidden in the sand is like or how long it might be.
 	Pokédex entry from :
* A variety of fish Pokémon, Wugtrio was once considered to be a regional form of .
 	Pokédex entry from :
* Poltchageist looks like a regional form of , but it was recently discovered that the two Pokémon are entirely unrelated.
Official website:
* It may resemble at a glance, but Poltchageist is actually an entirely different species of Pokémon.
* Though Ecologically Similar to Sinistea, It’s a Completely Different Pokémon: Poltchageist has a swirl pattern similar to the one that’s known to be Sinistea’s weak point. However, one thing that sets these species apart is that Poltchageist’s swirl is not its weak point. After a target is sprinkled with some of Poltchageist’s powdery body or eats food dusted with it, Poltchageist drains their life-force and absorbs it as energy.
===Base stats comparison===
==In animation==
===Pokémon Horizons: The Series===
 made its debut in Quaxly, We Can Do It. Two Wiglett appear, each under the ownership of a different .
 made its debut in Song Within the Mist as a member of Lucius's 's pirate crew. The same Toedscruel reappeared in Lapras's Feelings for its Friends.
A Wiglett appeared in Transform! Hero of the Seas, Palafin, playing around with Liko's Sprigatito. In the episode, it was mistaken to be a white Diglett by Roy.
A Wiglett appeared in A Challenge from the Explorers, under the ownership of an .
Multiple made their debut in The Flower Tower.
 made its debut in Showdown! The Paldea Elite Four, under the ownership of Kofu.
 made its debut in HZ069, under the ownership of Carmine.
===Pokémon: Paldean Winds===
Three wild Wiglett appeared in Breathe Together.
==Trivia==
* The concept of ecologically similar Pokémon was first introduced with the reveal of before the release of .
* These Pokémon are similar to the Paradox Pokémon in that they bear a striking resemblance to certain Pokémon but are nonetheless completely different species.
* These Pokémon are all part of a two stage evolutionary line.
* Some ecologically similar Pokémon have unique distinctions:
** The and families are the only ecologically similar Pokémon that share a type, the only ones to share Egg Groups with each other, and the only ones to have multiple forms.
*** Additionally, they are the only ones which are named after the inverse of their counterparts, with Poltchageist's evolved form being named after 's unevolved form Sinistea, and vice versa.
** Before the release of The Indigo Disk, the and lines were the only ecologically similar Pokémon where the original counterparts were unavailable in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
* In the code of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Toedscool and are referred to as "OKAKINGU" (hill king, from Koiking, 's Japanese name) and "OKAGYARADOSU" (hill ), respectively, suggesting that they may have replaced a scrapped evolutionary line based on Magikarp and Gyarados.
* The newer Pokémon of each ecologically similar pairing always have the type advantage against their original counterpart. For example, the type of Wiglett's line is strong against the type of 's.
** In Poltchageist's case, however, both its line and its counterpart's are super effective against each other, since moves are super effective against Ghost-type Pokémon.
* The Pokédex entries for the legendary birds imply that their similarities to the Kantonian legendary birds could be a coincidence, and that they might actually be completely different Pokémon that were given the same names based on their physical appearance. However, they are still categorized as the same species.
===Origin===
While and are described as "ecologically similar", it may be more accurate to describe the pairs of similar Pokémon in this group as "morphologically similar", as while they have similar physical characteristics, many of them occupy very different ecological niches. The concept resembles and in , both of which can lead to separate organisms independently developing similar or identical characteristics and body plans.
==In other languages==
Though It May Closely Resemble Diglett, It’s a Completely Different Pokémon
Though Ecologically Similar to Sinistea, It’s a Completely Different Pokémon
==References==
==Related articles==
* Regional form
* Paradox Pokémon
Category:Pokémon groupings
Category:Terminology
Category:Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
es:Pokémon ecológicamente parecido
fr:Espèce convergente