ThePokémonfranchise has amassed over 1,000 different types of Pokémon over the nearly three decades it’s existed. The series has had its share of odd and even dark Pokédex entries, like several Pokémon that regularly attempt to steal away children into the spirit world.
This isn’t restricted to the later additions, either: the first generation, fromPokémon RedandBlue,had its fair share ofodd lore drops and background information. SomePokémon started out strange, while others evolved their oddities over time, as they appeared in more and more games. You might be surprised to see how strange these Gen-1 Pokédex entries can get.
10Caterpie (#0010)
Caterpie is an unassuming Pokémon, resembling a caterpillar with large snake-like eyes. You might be surprised to learn that Caterpie is based on thecaterpillar of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly,which looks almost exactly like the Pokémon. In the real-world version, those massive black eyes are fake and meant to trick predators into thinking the caterpillar is a large snake.
Caterpie’s Pokédex entry doesn’t say this, though. Instead, the descriptions note thatthe Pokémon releases a foul odor when its antenna is touched, meant to drive away enemies. Sadly, according toPokémon Sun, this doesn’t seem to help much, and the Dex notes that it still “often becomes their prey.” This entry dooms the poor insect, rendering this defense mechanism apparently useless.
9Ekans (#0023)
Egg Swallowing Gone Wrong
Ekans is, quite obviously, based on real-world snakes. And, just like many real-world snakes, Ekans loves to eat bird eggs, oftengorging itself so much that it struggles to move, according toPokémon Gold.
Based on its Pokédex entry fromUltra Moon, Ekans' egg-eating tendencies can lead to some more alarming repercussions. “Sometimes an egg gets stuck,” reads the entry, “and Ekans faints”—meaningthe Pokémon can literally eat itself into unconsciousness.
8Pikachu (#0025)
The Pikachu In Ruby And Sapphire Aren’t As Bright As The Rest
Pikachu is perhaps the most well-known Pokémon in the entire franchise, thanks largely to its central role in the original TV series. Throughout all the generations,Pikachu are known as clever critters, using their electricity to fend off attackers, roast hard berries to tenderize them, and even (starting withPlatinum)recharge a fellow Pikachu.
Something must have gone wrong inPokémon Ruby & Sapphire,then, becausethe Dex entries for those two games have Pikachu acting significantly less smart. Instead of being clever about their electricity use, the Pikachu in those games accidentally discharge electricity when they’re sleepy and blast new things to test them, so “if you come across a blackened berry, it’s evidence that this Pokémon mistook the intensity of its charge.” Maybe we can just chalk that up to Hoenn regional variations.
7Gengar (#0094)
If You Hear It Approaching, It’s Already Too Late
The first few descriptions of this ghost Pokémonmention that Gengar can cause unsuspecting passersby to feel a chillas it tries to put a curse on them orpretend to be their shadow. According toX & Y,the chill is caused by literally cooling the surrounding air by “nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Pokémon Sunhas adarker look at the Pokémon, though. According to that game, “Should you feel yourself attacked by a sudden chill, it is evidence of an approaching Gengar.There is no escaping it. Give up.” Yikes.
6Wigglytuff (#0040)
Fur So Soft, You Won’t Want To Stop Touching It
Jigglypuff is known for being a prolific singer with a wide vocal range and the ability to lull others to sleep. Its evolution, Wigglytuff, doesn’t have the same singing prowess as its disposal—or at least, that’s not what its Pokédex descriptions focus on. Instead, it’sknown for being able to inflate its “soft and rubbery"body apparently “without limit,” then bounce around like a ball.
But that’s not the strangest part about Wigglytuff. As its Pokédex entry fromPokémon Crystalreveals, its body is covered in “rich, fluffy fur” that’sso incredibly soft “that anyone who feels it can’t stop touching it.“This is true even for other Wigglytuffs, as their “fur feels so good that if two of them snuggle together,” states the entry forGold,“they won’t want to be separated.”
5Psyduck (#0054)
This Poor Pokémon Should Get Headache Medicine
Most people know thatthe unfortunate Psyduck is constantly in pain from headaches. When the headache gets too strong, the Pokémon begins to use a mysterious psychic power that can overwhelm everyone around it.
What you might not realize, though, is thatPsyduck is completely unaware of its own powers. Research from the time ofPokémon RubyandSapphireshowed that when the Pokèmon launches this accidental attack, they go into an altered state of mind with brainwaves similar to that of a deep sleep, a discovery that apparently “spurred controversy among scholars.”
If you wish that someone would justgive this poor critter some headache medicine, rest assured that it’s been tried. The Pokémon’s Pokédex entry fromPokémon Legends: Arceusstates:
“Suffers perpetual headaches. If the agony grows too great, Psyduck’s latent power erupts, contrary to Psyduck’s intent.Ergo, I am exploring ways to ease the pain.”
SinceArceustook place about 150 yearsbefore the events ofDiamond & Pearl,where Psyduck continues to suffer from its headaches, it seems that the effort to ease its pain has been in vain.
4Bellsprout (#0069)
It’s Not As Cute And Helpless As It Looks
There are plenty of cute Pokémon in the series, but none are quite asdeceptively adorable as Bellsprout. The first two games note that Bellsprout is carnivorous and traps bugs, but over the years, the bell-shaped plant has gotten more and more powerful, with eachPokédexentry giving itmore terrifying abilities.
InPokémon Gold,the Pokémon changed from being a passive hunter that traps its prey toan active one capable of flinging its vines “blindingly fast.“ByRuby and Sapphire, Bellsproud had developed the ability tospit a corrosive fluid from its mouththat “melts even iron.”
FireRedadds that its bud’s resemblance to a human face may indicate that it’s a type of “legendary mandrake plant.” Legends of the mandrake plant indicate that it punished any human who pulled it from the soil, which makes you wonder who that corrosive spit is really meant for.
3Starmie (#0121)
Evidence Points To It Being An Alien
Staryu is based on a starfish, adopting many of thereal-world animal’s features—like the ability to regrow limbs. Its descriptions largely focus on this aspect of it, though there are some hints that not all is as it seems, like itstendency to pulsate at the rhythm of a typical human heartor communicate with stars.
Its evolution, Starmie, is a whole other story, though. Starmie has a glowing gem-like core that can shine in different colors in a way that’sdescribed as otherworldlyin many of the games' Pokédex entries. This is meant literally, with the description fromFireRedreading:
“This Pokémon has a geometric body. Because of its body, the locals suspect that it is an alien creature.”
Further pointing to the Pokémon’s alien origins is the belief that its core sends some sort of signal to the stars—either electric waves (inCrystal) or radio signals (inDiamond, Pearl & PlatinumandBlack & White1 and 2).Pokémon Sundecides not to attempt to categorize the waves, calling them simply “enigmatic signals,” but adding that it has “been known to cause headaches in those who approach it.”
2Mr. Mime (#0122)
Believe It Or Not, There’s No Winning
Mr. Mime has always beenone of the stranger Pokémon from the original 151. The creature is oddly human-like, resembling a small clown, complete with pointy shoes. According to all the Pokédex entries that it’s amassed throughout the series, this Pokémon is adept at pantomime from the moment it’s born, pretending to create objects in the air that aren’t actually there.
Past this, though, the descriptions seem to branch off into two possibilities. In some games, the Pokémon is credited with using a special, powerful force toharden the air into objects,literally creating them from thin air. In others, Mr. Mime usesthe power of suggestionto make its audience believe there’s something there, and “Once believed, the imaginary object does become real,” according toPokémon Emerald.
In both cases, if you interrupt the pantomime or appear unimpressed, Mr. Mime will get upset and will “slap around the offender with its broad hands,” says its description inRed & Blue.In other words, with it comes to Mr. Mime,you’re doomed no matter what you do.
1Omanyte (#0138)
A Journey From Extinction To Invasive Species
Omanyte is a long-extinct Pokémon thatcan be resurrected inPokémon Red & Blue.Most of the Pokédex entries throughout the series talk about this fact, or the Pokémon’s unique shell and tentacles.
In a twist that’s much too realistic for comfort,the ancient Pokémon has gone from a scientific marvel to an invasive species.According to its Pokédex entry fromPokémon Sword, “Because some Omanyte manage to escape after being restored or are released into the wild by people, this species is becoming a problem.” This entry shows how thePokémongames have changed and evolved—sometimes in strange ways—from their humble origins in the first games.
