There are about 900 different pocket monsters to capture, collect, and train across the Pokemon franchise, but some are more popular than others. Some of the most popular creatures throughout the franchise's history are Eevee and its many evolutions, which are collectively referred to as Eeveelutions. Recently, one Pokemon fan decided to draw Vaporeon--one of the original three Eeveelutions--in the style of a more dramatic video game franchise: Monster Hunter.
Monster Hunter is a series of action RPG titles that task players with creating a custom character and exploring a world in search of powerful monsters. Like Pokemon, most of the gameplay mechanics revolve around said monsters and the impact they have on the world. However, unlike Pokemon, Monster Hunter players must fight monsters, kill them, and make new gear out of the creatures' bodies.
Redditor shunixe shared a drawing of the Water-type Eeveelution Vaporeon reimagined in the more realistic and threatening style of Monster Hunter. In Pokemon, Vaporeon is depicted as a blue fox-like creature with a number of fins around its head and another fin at the end of its tail. This piece presents a version of the creature covered in thick crocodilian scales, possessing webbed feet, and equipped with vicious-looking spikes.
This design also seems to lean into Vaporeon's nature as a Water-type Pokemon by having some parts of its body appear to be made entirely of water. Both the Pokemon's light blue neck ruff and the edges of its leg and back fins seem to blur into the water at the edges. Meanwhile, its tail transforms from flesh to water construct about halfway down. This design choice may be inspired by the fact that Vaporeon has been shown transforming entirely into water in the Pokemon anime.
Other fans appear to be excited by the redesign, though for a variety of different reasons. Several users complimented shunixe's work and expressed a desire to see them draw more Eeveelutions or even work on official Monster Hunter designs.
Another user asked why an official Monster Hunter and Pokemon crossover hadn't happened yet. A second user replied to explain that Monster Hunter's decision to present its monsters as dangerous animals the player is required to kill and butcher clashes too heavily with Pokemon's family-friendly tone. The odds are good that any crossover which requires the player to kill Pokemon is dead on arrival. However, they mentioned that a crossover that requires Monster Hunter players to defend a location from or drive off a powerful Pokemon like Groudon might work with both franchise's tones.