Within the world of The Minish Cap, there exists the phenomenon known as Kinstone Fusion. Many characters across Hyrule possess Kinstones and are searching for people with complementary pieces because a successful fusion of two halves brings good luck to both participants. Most of the characters who are able to fuse with Link throughout the game are human, but there are some notable exceptions such as inanimate doors and statues. When Link is in his Minish form, he is also able to talk to animals, several of which happen to be potential partners for Kinstone Fusion. Scratcher the cat is one such animal who stands out for a number of different reasons.
One interesting thing about Scratcher as a character is that it won’t always have a Kinstone Fusion available. It is relatively easy to understand the basics of Kinstone Fusion, but the further one dives into the intricacies of the system, the more complicated things get. There are 18 Kinstone Fusions that are considered random, meaning that they can be completed by speaking to anyone within a larger pool of characters. I think the reason why this mechanic is in place is because of the way the plot progresses in the game. See, one of the characters in the pool of participants is King Daltus. It makes sense that such an important character would have a Kinstone Fusion available, but after Vaati begins impersonating the king, you are no longer to speak with him. When this happens, the Kinstone Fusion that would’ve been assigned to Daltus is transferred to one of the other characters within the pool, so the player won’t ever permanently miss out on a Fusion.
Anyway, back to Scratcher. This kitty belongs to Julietta, one of the characters Link must hunt down in Hyrule Town to collect an overdue library book. While retrieving the book, you’ll cross paths with Scratcher, who happens to be one of the only NPCs in The Minish Cap, and maybe the Zelda series as a whole, who can simultaneously be your friend and your potential killer. In the same breath that Scratcher will gladly fuse Kinstone Pieces with you, it will also relentlessly attack you. Ezlo actually vocalizes his fear of the cat when Link’s in Minish form, warning him to steer clear of it.
I have revisited The Minish Cap several times, but I can’t recall ever fusing Kinstone Pieces with Scratcher. I must have just avoided it in the past, heeding Ezlo’s instructions and not tempting fate. That might be the reason why Scratcher is on the random Kinstone fusers list in the first place: as a way of rewarding players brave (or stupid) enough to approach the cat and speak to it. So for my next playthrough, I’ll be sure to let this special kitty take a swipe at me so that we can match Kinstone pieces and bring us both some good luck.
