Pokémon are getting creepier by the generation…
Pokémon games have always catered to kids. You play as a kid, you get a team of cute monsters, battles are mostly straightforward, gameplay is paced pretty slowly, and the dialogue is simple. The games also have a characteristically sunny, optimistic vibe to them. Even with the dreaded enemy Team lurking about, gameplay is normally upbeat and cheerful. We’ve come to expect this from Pokémon games.
Nintendo does know its player-base is broader than just 10 to 14-year-olds though. They’re starting to show that in the details of the games, especially with Pokédex entries, which are darker than ever. I was surprised to see some creepy Pokémon descriptions while playing Moon, and some Reddit users have revealed even more. Check out some of my favorites.
Mankey
“It can spontaneously become enraged. Everyone near it clears out as it rampages, and the resulting loneliness makes it angrier still.”
Primape
“It has been known to become so angry that it dies as a result. Its face looks peaceful in death, however.”
Um. What? Previous Dex entries have mentioned Mankey’s anger issues, but this is on another level. Poor Mankey just needs an anger management course and some friends.
Gengar
“Should you feel yourself attacked by a sudden chill, it is evidence of an approaching Gengar. There is no escaping it. Give up.”
Damn. That’s grim.
Frosslass
“When it finds humans or Pokémon it likes, it freezes them and takes them to its chilly den, where they become decorations.”
That’s fucked up, Frosslass. Although, now that I think about it, Frosslass does look pretty evil…
Psyduck
“As a result of headaches so fierce they cause it to cry, it sometimes uses psychokinesis without meaning to.”
Golduck
“It is said that the red part of its forehead grants supernatural powers to those who possess one, so it was over-hunted in the past.”
How sad… We’ve always known Psyduck has constant headaches, but most PokéDex entries say they give the Pokémon its psychic powers. And apparently there’s more to Golduck’s red jewel than just providing more power to the Poké. Greedy humans.
Sharpedo
“It has a sad history. In the past, its dorsal fin was a treasured foodstuff, so this Pokémon became a victim of overfishing.”
Mimikyu
“Its actual appearance is unknown. A scholar who saw what was under its rag was overwhelmed by terror and died from the shock.”
We kinda knew this from Mimikyu’s reveal, but that’s still brutal. Apparently it’s even creepier in the Pokémon TV show currently airing in Japan.
Possibly more disturbing than the regular PokéDex entries, the new entries for Mega Evolutions are extra super creepy dark. Check out the post from Reddit user espeonguy below.
Do you like these new Pokedex entries? Or do you think they’re a little much for what is technically a children’s game?
