Cloning
- This article is about the process of genetic duplication. For the glitch, see Pokémon cloning.
Cloning is a process that creates a genetic duplicate of a being that is or was alive.
Pokémon basis
In an interview with @Gamer magazine, Junichi Masuda and Ken Sugimori revealed that there was originally going to be a Pokémon based on Dolly, the first cloned sheep, but was deemed "too controversial".
In the games
While never officially stated, it is implied that the Pokémon produced from fossils are created via cloning, as even a small trace of DNA (Such as the blood inside a mosquito that has been preserved in amber) can produce a living Pokémon. Devon Corporation and Pokémon Lab appear to have independently created the process around the same time. Fossil Pokémon revived through this method always start at level 20.
In the anime
Cloning has appeared a few times in the anime. Cloning's most prominent appearance is in the first movie, where Doctor Fuji creates both an enhanced clone of Mew as requested by Giovanni in exchange for funding his primary project, a (failed) attempt to duplicate his dead daughter, and 3 test clones of the Kanto Starter Pokémon. Later in the movie Mewtwo itself makes clones of various Pokémon belonging to the trainers that have come to New Island. All of Mewtwo's clones appear to have been created fully grown, unlike Fuji's clones. All cloned Pokémon (excluding Mewtwo) appear identical to a normal Pokémon of their species, except for multiple black horizontal marks on their bodies.
Mewtwo's clones are also featured in Mewtwo Returns. The clones are revealed to be fertile (even ones of species normally not so), and give birth to offspring who are indistinguishable from normal Pokémon, lacking the tell-tale black markings.
Cloning in the style of the games also exists in anime.
