Pokémon, either in its anime or video game form, has accompanied millions of fans ever since they were kids, and it doesn't seem like it'll be stopping anytime soon. The world is colorful and the concept is addictive, easily explaining its success.
10 Best Pokemon Games For Exploration, Ranked
Pokemon fans who enjoy their games with a hefty side of exploration won't be disappointed by the following titles.
But the world of Pokémon is not without its dark side - which becomes clear for those who dare to look a bit deeper into it. Though this series looks like it's still targeting the kids it was made for, it also features various themes and events that clearly aren't meant for young people. Let's look at some of the darkest secrets in the Pokémon world.
People Used To Marry Pokémon
Lore Writers, Please Calm Down
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
- Released
- April 27, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- Game Freak
- Franchise
- Pokemon
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, JRPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo DS
- How Long To Beat
- 41 Hours
They say knowledge is power, and it might be, but that might also imply power too great for one to handle. Like, for example, should players visit the Canavale library in the Japanese version of Pokémon Platinum, Diamond & Pearl, they might come across a collection of history books telling the very strange story of early people-Pokemon relationships.
Yes, it turned out there was a time (hopefully very, very long ago) when people used to straight-up marry Pokémon. Though that might, in hindsight, not feel much worse than forcing them to fight each other for entertainment purposes, it's still pretty darn creepy. Thankfully, this was all localized out of the Western versions of the game.
Drifloon Is The Stuff Of Nightmares
Just The Worst
Drifloon looks like a cute helium balloon turned alive and sentient. He's mostly that, except for the fact that it's not helium making him float, but rather the souls of dead people it's taking to the afterlife. Yes, even though Ash uses a bunch of Drifloons for transportation in the show, that doesn't mean they are trustworthy.
Pokemon Black and White Did Something Better Than Almost Any Other Games in the Series
Fifteen years later, the Gen 5 Pokemon games continue to reign supreme in one respect that has helped them stand out amongst other generations.
Those souls that they carry aren't there just because, as the Drifloons themselves are likely responsible for the event that causes these souls to leave their bodies. And, just because it never stops getting worse when it comes to these critters, they're usually carrying the souls of children.
Nobody Knows What The Mimikyu Looks Like
Actually, One Person Found Out, But Finding Out Was Their Cause Of Death
The Mimikyu clearly exists to torment fans of Pokémon. Its intriguing design is clearly modeled after fan-favorite Pikachu, but it's also clearly not a Pikachu. Though it doesn't look scary per se, there's obviously something wrong about this creature hiding underneath some Pikachu-shaped rags.
And nobody knows exactly what it looks like, except for one person. That person, however, died because of it. It's not known whether they died out of shock from having seen the Mimikyu's true, horrific appearance, or if they were killed because the Mimikyu values its privacy that much. Either way, pretty messed-up.
The Suspicious Old Man Who Exists To Mess With The Minds Of Sleuths
He's Not From Around Here
Pokemon Sun and Moon
- Released
- November 18, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Franchise
- Pokemon
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- 3DS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 33 Hours
As this list sure has proven, the lore writers of Pokémon games have gotten used to inserting dark and creepy stuff into these games for more attentive players to find. They're aware of that, so they put a mysterious old man in Pokémon Sun & Moon just for the purpose of messing with the minds of players and Redditors alike.
Jokemon: The Silliest Looking Pokemon In The Franchise, Ranked
There's been plenty of questionable Pokemon designs over the years, but some of them are just downright silly.
The only thing he does is peek at players from behind a wall, and when confronted, he'll say he's nothing but a mysterious old man, and that people should not look more into it. Now that's how to pull off a creepy mystery that's actually hilarious and not excessively dark.
The Ghost Girl
What's Her Deal? Who Knows
People who've played Pokémon X & Y realized that some areas of the game are haunted by a ghost girl who shows up floating to players without ever revealing her motives, only ever saying "No, you're not the one," before leaving.
In spite of the community's knack for solving similar mysteries, nobody ever found out what she was meant to be doing in the game. The mystery got even weirder when a similar ghostly girl began appearing once more in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and doing the exact same thing.
The Original Pokémon Games Are Full Of Disgraced People
Localization Hides Many Dark Secrets
While roaming the many cities of the Western versions of Pokémon Red & Blue, players will come across NPCs that originally had much darker reasons to be there. In Pokémon Red and Green - the two versions that came out in Japan originally, players would come across a myriad of people who weren't merely asleep by the road.
They were passed out drunk. They'd also encounter a lot of shady gamblers and creepy men peeking at women inside the local Gym. So, this time, there's no Pokémon paranormal-related stuff, just regular human darkness, which got greatly sanitized for the Western release of the game.
The Great Pokémon Leak Revealed A Lot Of Scary Stuff
And An Especially Creepy Romance
In August of 2024, Pokémon devs Game Freak got hacked, and a lot of very messed-up Pokémon lore got out for the unsuspecting public to gasp about. The people at Game Freak were really into writing a lot of weird fanfic-level material. One of the strangest stories involved a Typhlosion who tricked a young girl into believing he was a shapeshifting human in disguise.
They got into a relationship that led to the two getting married without the girl's parents knowing about it. If that's not bad enough, the girl and this Typhlosion would go on to have a child, which the girl's father would then kill. Luckily, this backstory was caught and heavily criticized before going anywhere.
The 45 Most Horrifying Pokedex Entries Across The Pokemon Games
There are some truly terrifying Pokemon out there, and their horrifying Pokedex entries only drive that home.