Back by popular demand! (Click here for numbers 10-6!) If you grew up in the early 2000s, the phrase “Pika pii!!” likely fills your mind with nostalgia. Even so, through all those late nights hunched over the Gameboy Color, you may have missed some of the oddities of the Pokémon world. Below are five more rarely noticed peculiarities of the Pokémon games and TV show. Feel free to add things you’ve noticed in the comments section below.



Butterfree and Venomoth: switched at birth?

Even moderate Pokémon fans remember that Metapod evolves into Butterfree and Venonat into Venomoth.But could it be that two of the most basic Pokémon were swapped right before release? Take a look at the diagram below. Notice how Butterfree’s eyes, mouth, and antennae resemble Venonat’s. Venomoth’s eyes and form seem to follow from Metapod’s as well—the former’s forehead appears to fit into the ladder’s cocoon. To top it off, the suggested evolution lines follow similar color schemes. Did this just blow your mind?

A little close to home…

Think that Pokémon exist on some planet far, far away? Think again. The TV series and games take place here on Earth. The first game references real-world places twice: Lt. Surge is called the “Lightning American,” and science journals read that researchers discovered Mew in the forests of Guyana. This raises some serious questions. If these events are happening in our own backyards, how did animals acquire these elemental powers? Normal wildlife doesn’t seem to exist in the TV show, so did all creatures turn into Pokémon? Or did these monsters invade our ecosystems and rid the world of normal animals? Maybe they crossbred? This is scary…

People eat Pokémon

I know I’ve already covered the weirdness the trainer-Pokémon relationship, but this often missed fact makes it even stranger: people eat Pokémon. That’s right, your childhood friends are actually a Pokéworld delicacy. The Pokédex says that Farfetch’d tastes delicious with leeks, and Professor Oak tells Ash that his Krabby is too small to eat. We stuff these creatures into little balls, force them to fight one another, and cook them when we’re hungry…could someone please explain why they’re still partial to humans?

The original Elite Four Champion was…Professor Oak?

Remember the thrill of defeating your rival to become Pokémon League Champion? It seems as though that final battle was almost against Professor Oak. Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow contain data for Professor Oak’s team, suggesting players were originally supposed to battle him. Though players can face him only through glitching, his team is almost identical to your rival’s team at the Pokémon League. Defeating the Pokémon professor would be awesome, but would it feel as satisfying as besting your rival on the highest stage possible?

The Pope offers Pikachu his blessings

If you were worried that your childhood pastime contains blasphemous subliminal messaging, you can put your fears to rest: the Vatican approves of Pokémon. Conservative Christian and Jewish groups have criticized the series’ theme of Pokémon evolution, claiming that it contradicts the teachings of Genesis and encourages Darwinist thinking. The Vatican formally addressed the controversy in 1997, announcing through its satellite television network that the games and trading card game are “full of inventive imagination” and have no “harmful moral side effects” (Source: People). This, of course, raises a significant question: which Pokémon does the Pope use on his team?

So what do you think? Any strange things you’ve noticed about Pokémon over the years? Let me know in the comments section below! As always, please like, share, or reblog this post if you enjoy it. Be sure to check me out on Twitter and Facebook as well. Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to subscribe for new content every Wednesday! Click here for numbers 10-6!

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Comment question of the week

What’s your favorite Pokémon? Mine’s Jolteon: it’s fast, powerful, and awesome!