Ancestral Forms

An Ancestral form is a temporary transformation possible in the Hafod region that affects certain Pokémon. Found around the region are fragments of an ancient text known as the Pokénogi, a collection of stories from a Hafod of the distant past, found in the present day as a number of scrolls. Once players use a scroll item on select Pokémon, the Pokémon transforms and stays in that form until the player removes the scroll item from the Pokémon. 

The history and origins of Ancestral Forms are not fully known, with different characters and groups having their own beliefs on where the phenomenon originated. Olwen, professor at Odl y Môr University and leading researcher into the Pokénogi, tells the player several pieces of important information relating to Ancestral Forms. She explains that, by finding fragments of stories from ancient Hafod, trainers can unlock a latent power within their Pokémon. The energy of the characters found within these fragments appears to bind itself to certain Pokémon, resonating with a dormant aspect within the Pokémon, unlocking an alternate form. 

Olwen explains that there is not a concrete answer on how this energy transfer and form change works but that there is some sort of invisible energy flowing across the land of Hafod, radiating from beneath the ground. Olwen theorises that it may relate to the original dragons of Hafod, though they have not been proven to exist. 

Team Wild has several doctrines relating to the phenomenon. They erroneously believe that the energy required for a Pokémon's transformation into their Ancestral Form comes can be used to transform the land of Hafod to a primordial, untouched state. They worship this energy, an embodiment of Hafod's inherent wild state.