Favorite Mysteries of the Pokemon series

[shoz999]

So to those who try to pay attention to every news of Pokemon that GameFreak offers, who remembers Necrozma BEFORE the USUM games were announced? I recall the Pokemon fandom going nuts on the mystery behind Necrozma's role, purpose or what it even is with a lot of people curious of it's odd looking body, the fact that it's pitch-black and releases beams of light chaotically, shows that it has headaches in it's battle animation, is referred to as an Ultra Beast by Looker but Beast Balls aren't effective on it and that the Pokedex says this was a Pokemon that traveled from another world in ancient times. This was pretty much it. There was no relation to Lunala & Solgaleo, the fan term Light Trio never existed back than and Lunala & Solgaleo were just called the Cosmog Duo. Boy were a lot of theories shattered by the USUM game announcements and later the release. Although I do recall one reddit user who had this honestly almost insane theory at the time that Lunala and Solgaleo's body parts put together resemble not only Necrozma's bodyparts but also a dragon and the insane part is how spot-on he was when Ultra Necrozma was revealed. What are the chances of someone getting that right lol? Man, a lot of nostalgic memories of the Pokemon fandom around this Pokemon.

On a different note, who remembers the USUM games marketing heavily on the story this time? The big mystery of what and who Necrozma is and his relation to Alola? I remember the first announcement trailer garnered some negative reception but over time, the marketing started focusing on the story and the reception turned more and more positive. Honestly the Necrozma mystery was alright, could've had better build-up but man, in Pokemon Adventures SMUSUM, the mystery of Necrozma is just handled so well, so freaking well! The foreshadowing is spooky as hell, the build-up is suspenseful and the many people & organizations already involved in the mystery of Necrozma long before our protagonists, Sun & Moon find what's up about Necrozma is just so awesome! I especially freaking absolutely love what happened in the most recent chapter. In the anime's depiction of Necrozma, it feels like fanservice to Pokemon fans, that the Pokemon Company just added Necrozma in because they felt he needed to be there but they couldn't find a reason why he needed to be there and it's disappointing how they tossed out this one very integral "human" aspect of Necrozma's background but here the manga just freaking embraces it and he really feels more than just fanservice to the Pokemon fans but like a legitimate character without a voice that's read from two different viewpoints of the characters around him. I really, really, REALLY want to spoil how Necrozma is done but I won't. I will not but I really want to just spoil the mystery of Necrozma in the manga because Necrozma is just so interesting in Pokemon Adventures. Especially what happened in the recent chapter! Maybe, maybe I'll give one vague little spoiler but there is this really, really intense stare-down between Necrozma and another character and it's just so amazing and that's just the freaking build-up, I can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter and how it all ends. Honestly I felt like the games could've handled Necrozma better but the Adventures depiction might just be my favorite storyline revolving around a mystery of a legendary Pokemon.

 

[RedJirachi]

The egg that Celebi carries. According to some Dex entries, it brings an egg from the future, but they've yet to allude what that egg is and why Celebi carries it. Was this meant to hint at the nature of Pokemon Breeding? Is there a Pokemon they planned for that egg, but never got around to it? Could that egg be Celebi itself, invoking a sort of causal loop? On the subject of time travel, the games have implied that its time travel works on the principle of causal loops/whatever you do in the past already happened. The battle with Giovanni heavily implies the reason he never showed up to Archer was because the then future version of the player character defeated Giovanni. So you had a hand in history. Due to time travel, we also don't know when Celebi appears. Could the reason why it's a Mythical be because Celebi as a species doesn't exist in the present time?

 

[NovaBrunswick]

The egg that Celebi carries. According to some Dex entries, it brings an egg from the future, but they've yet to allude what that egg is and why Celebi carries it. Was this meant to hint at the nature of Pokemon Breeding? Is there a Pokemon they planned for that egg, but never got around to it? Could that egg be Celebi itself, invoking a sort of causal loop? On the subject of time travel, the games have implied that its time travel works on the principle of causal loops/whatever you do in the past already happened. The battle with Giovanni heavily implies the reason he never showed up to Archer was because the then future version of the player character defeated Giovanni. So you had a hand in history. Due to time travel, we also don't know when Celebi appears. Could the reason why it's a Mythical be because Celebi as a species doesn't exist in the present time?

Same thing with the GS Ball. Why was it so important? Why did we never find out what was in it?

 

[shoz999]

Same thing with the GS Ball. Why was it so important? Why did we never find out what was in it?

Good question. Three answers. Games, Anime & Adventures manga.

• GS Ball in the games, your given the mysterious GS Ball at the Goldenrod Pokemon Center and you go to Kurt. Kurt cannot figure out what's the deal with this ball and ask you to go to the Shrine to place it there. When you do that, Celebi comes out indicating that the GS Ball is a Pokeball that's meant to capture Celebi.
• GS Ball in the anime. Kids were hyped to see the GS Ball from the anime but we never saw it again when Ash gave Kurt the GS ball and as of now, we know why and what was in the GS Ball. Inside that GS Ball, according to the anime producers, is Celebi and there was meant to be one or several episodes in the anime centered around Celebi. However, they shelved these episodes because of the upcoming Pokemon 4Ever movie which also featured Celebi. Realizing that a movie featuring Celebi was in production, they just shelved the storyline hoping kids would forget it. Unfortunately for them, they did not.
  
• GS Ball in the Adventures manga, the GS Ball is a very integral part of the GSC storyline. So in the Adventures manga, they go into even greater detail on what the GS Ball does and even what it's made of. It's a special type of Pokeball made partly from the feathers of Lugia & Ho-Oh and the GS Ball's purpose is to "capture time itself" or more specifically, capture Celebi. I freaking love this portrayal of the GS Ball because not only is it utilized in the manga so well but it's actually an important part of the main story as opposed to being treated as a side story that the producers have planned for the anime.

 

[RedJirachi]

The GS Ball isn't a mystery any more, though the anime obfuscated things

Who's Ash's father? They mentioned him once in Episode 2 and never brought it up. Yet there's some extracanonical work by one of the major anime writers about him(and the series), so this isn't just how for some reason Japanese video games and anime often don't include a father, just the mom(looking at you My Hero Academia). The father was likely meant to be a character. But no-one knows what happened in the writing process to that idea. Where they never able to figure out a role? Disagreements on the character?

On a similar but not really related mystery, Pokemon Chronicles has Silver, who already is an Ash parallel but he even mentions he knows Ash. Why? Does Silver know Ash, and if not why the reaction when it was mentioned to him? Why even bring it up for a one shot character? And does Brendan truly exist in the anime canon? We see him in intros for movies, but never in the series itself. If he exists, is he Professor Birch's kid? May has the same family as the main character May in the games, Brendan would be Birch's son in that scenario. Sure, Professor Birch never mentions him. But Oak never mentions his son/daughter in any series, and we know they must exist because he has grandchildren. The anime never goes into Birch's personal family life, so there's nothing confirming or denying it. If it does parallel the games, have Brendan and May ever met?

 

[NovaBrunswick]

On a similar but not really related mystery, Pokemon Chronicles has Silver, who already is an Ash parallel but he even mentions he knows Ash.

Silver isn't really an Ash parallel, Gold (Ethan) would be. Just like Red.

Who's Ash's father? They mentioned him once in Episode 2 and never brought it up. Yet there's some extracanonical work by one of the major anime writers about him(and the series), so this isn't just how for some reason Japanese video games and anime often don't include a father, just the mom(looking at you My Hero Academia). The father was likely meant to be a character. But no-one knows what happened in the writing process to that idea. Where they never able to figure out a role? Disagreements on the character?

Wasn't there a Broadway play once where it was implied Giovanni had dated Delia (Ash's mother), and thus might be his father? Giovanni is Silver's father in the games and manga, so Norman isn't the only father in the Pokémon franchise.

 

[Redstar45]

Silver isn't really an Ash parallel, Gold (Ethan) would be. Just like Red.



Wasn't there a Broadway play once where it was implied Giovanni had dated Delia (Ash's mother), and thus might be his father? Giovanni is Silver's father in the games and manga, so Norman isn't the only father in the Pokémon franchise.

That was English Broadway play....it is not a canon and if you reading the shudõ novel....he was a failure Pokemon trainer alongside his own father too and there's a unwitting rules of the Pokemon world that trainers is dangerous choice for job for young peoples at such tandable age (10 years old)

 

[anjunajake]

I would like to know more of the back stories on some of the wars alluded to in the games. In RBY it's heavily alluded to that there was a "great war" of sorts. The most obvious reference being Lt. Surge speaking of how his Raichu saved his life in the war. Many people also attribute this to the lack of middle aged adults, and men in the games. Did Red and Blue's parents die in the war? What region did Kanto go to war with? What was it over? Could be a great story for a future more "mature audience" aimed Pokemon game/anime that I know we're likely never going to get. But it's fun to think about.

There's also a 3,000 year old war referenced in the X and Y games. One NPC says: "This palace was built after Kalos won a war with neighboring regions. I'll best a lot of people and Pokémon lost their lives..." The minstrel in Parfum palace says: "The kalos region, now upheld as fair, from ancient days an ugly past doth bear. The woes of war did knock every door, till man nor Pokémon could take no more."

There's so many times I wish Pokemon had a separate/parallel series aimed at a more mature audience. Imagine the potential. When you look at some of the dex entries, you know the potential and ideas are there.

 

[Leonhart]

Who's Ash's father? They mentioned him once in Episode 2 and never brought it up. Yet there's some extracanonical work by one of the major anime writers about him(and the series), so this isn't just how for some reason Japanese video games and anime often don't include a father, just the mom(looking at you My Hero Academia). The father was likely meant to be a character. But no-one knows what happened in the writing process to that idea. Where they never able to figure out a role? Disagreements on the character?

I don't think they ever really planned anything with him to start with. The fact that he was only mentioned in one episode makes me think that his character was always meant to be expendable, and that while the writers could've done something with him in the future if they had wanted to, they were more invested in writing Satoshi's story than they were in expanding the roles of his parents.

 

[NovaBrunswick]

I would like to know more of the back stories on some of the wars alluded to in the games. In RBY it's heavily alluded to that there was a "great war" of sorts. The most obvious reference being Lt. Surge speaking of how his Raichu saved his life in the war. Many people also attribute this to the lack of middle aged adults, and men in the games. Did Red and Blue's parents die in the war? What region did Kanto go to war with? What was it over? Could be a great story for a future more "mature audience" aimed Pokemon game/anime that I know we're likely never going to get. But it's fun to think about.

Since R/B/Y came out in 1996, Lt. Surge could've been old enough to have served in the Vietnam War, as he's said to be from America.

 

[RedJirachi]

Since R/B/Y came out in 1996, Lt. Surge could've been old enough to have served in the Vietnam War, as he's said to be from America.

That's what I think when they were implying the Great War. Lt Surge looks like a stereotypical Vietnam soldier, the timing works as well.

Meta-wise, what's with Pokemon having a general lack of fathers for their main characters?

 

[NovaBrunswick]

Meta-wise, what's with Pokemon having a general lack of fathers for their main characters?

Or any kind of media, really. Fathers just seem to be strangely absent in many popular movies and TV shows - see Toy Story, for instance.

 

[RedJirachi]

With Toy Story it was probably because they wanted to pay as little attention to the CGI on humans at the time. And when that improved, Andy's dad wasn't there so it kind of stuck.

Is there a relationship between Ditto and Mew? They share a lot in common; same weight, equal stats across the board, same color both normal and shiny, they're the only two Pokemon with Transform as a move. It's never been officially stated if they're related yet they have enough in common that it's plausible.

 

[Redstar45]

With Toy Story it was probably because they wanted to pay as little attention to the CGI on humans at the time. And when that improved, Andy's dad wasn't there so it kind of stuck.

Is there a relationship between Ditto and Mew? They share a lot in common; same weight, equal stats across the board, same color both normal and shiny, they're the only two Pokemon with Transform as a move. It's never been officially stated if they're related yet they have enough in common that it's plausible.

It hasn't been confirmed by gamefreak or debunk yet

 

[Twilight-Kun]

I think the Lumiose ghost girl would’ve been explained and explored further in a third Kalos game (Pokemon Z?), but that never came out, so she’s still a true mystery.

She also showed up when you first battle Phoebe in ORAS, as the POV when you speak to her

Also could've sworn she showed up in Castelia City in BW in one of the buildings, but I may be mixing it up with the unused Lock Capsule event

 

[shoz999]

She also showed up when you first battle Phoebe in ORAS, as the POV when you speak to her

Also could've sworn she showed up in Castelia City in BW in one of the buildings, but I may be mixing it up with the unused Lock Capsule event

1. I believe that's an entirely different girl. If I recall correctly, they even show what she looks like which is a girl around the age of a youngster.
2. I believe I know what your talking about but that's never happened in Castelia City. Your talking about the empty building right? Creepy vibe there to be honest. Not a single NPC in sight at the office building.

 

[Twilight-Kun]

1. I believe that's an entirely different girl. If I recall correctly, they even show what she looks like which is a girl around the age of a youngster.

Makes sense, since ORAS is 8 years or so before XY

Sure, ghosts aging is a little silly, but it's Pokémon, where ghost pokémon can die again, so...

 

[NovaBrunswick]

With Toy Story it was probably because they wanted to pay as little attention to the CGI on humans at the time. And when that improved, Andy's dad wasn't there so it kind of stuck.

Some people think Woody is Andy’s father reborn as a toy, which may explain why he is strangely absent.

She also showed up when you first battle Phoebe in ORAS, as the POV when you speak to her

Also could've sworn she showed up in Castelia City in BW in one of the buildings, but I may be mixing it up with the unused Lock Capsule event

I think you’re talking about the girl who appeared on the Marvellous Bridge in B/W. I don’t think I remember any ghosts in Castelia.

 

[Leonhart]

Is there a relationship between Ditto and Mew? They share a lot in common; same weight, equal stats across the board, same color both normal and shiny, they're the only two Pokemon with Transform as a move. It's never been officially stated if they're related yet they have enough in common that it's plausible.

I did wonder at some point whether Metamon (Ditto) was some kind of failed clone of Mew that was supposed to be a Mewtwo prototype of some kind. The similarities between Mew and Metamon are just too hard to ignore.

 

[RedJirachi]

What Pokemon were reincarnated into the legendary beasts? Pokemon Generations doesn't really answer it because they use generic animal shadows for their pre-legendary status.