Geek Beat #14- Dark Pokémon Backstories

The cute and addicting Pokémon franchise just hit its 23rd anniversary! Despite its innocent appeal, Pokémon has many more unsettling aspects beneath the surface. The following examples are just a few of the subtle ways that Pokémon is a little more twisted than how it appears.

1. We are actually Pokémon

There are many unresolved mysteries about the origins of Pokémon, and each game touches upon these unanswered questions in discreet ways. One of the most compelling revelations to date can be found in the Canalave Library in Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. Here, our hero stumbles upon a book which makes the claim that there was no differentiation between Pokémon and humans and they even married each other. This knowledge brings up a whole set of new questions. How did humans become dominant? Which Pokémon species are descended from human hybrids? What did the wedding ceremony look like? The translated Japanese text found in Canalave:

“Sinnoh Folk Story 3: There once were Pokémon that married people. There once were people who married Pokémon. This was a normal thing because long ago people and Pokemon were the same”.

Along that same vein…

2. Human to Kadabra Metamorphosis

The claims in the Canalave library hold more weight when one looks closely at the spoon loving Kadabra. Kadabra’s Pokedex entry in Sun sheds some light on its humanoid appearance: “A theory exists that this Pokémon was a young boy who couldn’t control his psychic powers and ended up transformed into this Pokémon”. The Emerald and Fire Red entries also assert this theory by stating “It is rumored that a boy with psychic abilities suddenly transformed into Kadabra while he was assisting research into extrasensory powers”. These entries beg another question- what is Abra? An infant?

3. The Girl of the Marvelous Bridge

Kadabra’s origins are dark, but Abra’s motivations are equally so. In Black/White, a mysterious girl occasionally stands on the Marvelous Bridge. If you come across her while making your way from eastern to central Unova, she will vanish without a trace, leaving behind an item. After crossing the bridge, the player will discover she is the ghost of a child who died on the bridge while playing with her Abra. The girl turns up again in Black/White 2 at the “Strange House”, a place which is “known for a sad incident that is said to keep other people away”. Considering Abra’s ability to teleport, it’s easy to wonder what caused this girl’s demise since Abra could have easily rescued her if she tumbled from the bridge.

4. Drifloon Floats Too

Look at Drifloon! Isn’t he cute? Don’t you want to buy him at a carnival stand or use him to decorate a birthday party? Not so fast, Drifloon is not your friend and he doesn’t take kindly to being mistaken for a balloon. Drifloon’s Pokédex entry in Sun states that “it grabs the hands of small children and drags them away to the afterlife. It dislikes heavy children”. Ultra Sun’s entry expands on that, saying “it’s round body is stuffed with souls and expands each time it leads someone away”. Yes, Drifloon is stuffed with the souls that it murders, and those souls are innocent kids that just wanted a balloon.

5. Hypno Steals Children for Sustenance

The benign, tapir-looking Pokémon with a pendulum needs to eat too, as confirmed by its numerous Pokédex entries. The Pokémon Gold and Stadium 2 entries state: “When it is very hungry, it puts humans it meets to sleep, then it feasts on their dreams.” The Moon Pokédex entry goes even further, saying “Anyone having a good dream, it carries off”. Hypno does carry a preference for the dreams of children, with FireRed and X confirming that “there was once an incident in which it took away a child it hypnotized”. Keeping your home a Hypno-free zone is a good safeguard, but the games also confirmed that Hypnos often serve alongside doctors in hospitals to help insomniac patients go to sleep. Yikes.

What are your favorite dark Pokémon backstories? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.