THE DARK SIDE OF POKÉMON - THE LOST POKÉDEX
Pokémon might be the single most iconic thing to ever come out of Japan. Like, who doesn’t like Pikachu? Not only inside, but even outside of Japan, Pokémon is loved by people of all ages. And with the recent release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus and the announcement for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, the franchise continues to gain more and more fans.
Today, Pokémon is associated mainly with a younger audience, with cuter & cooler Pokémon being introduced with every new title. Information about even the newest Pokémon can be found all on the internet, making your smartphone basically your version of a Pokédex. But turn back the clock 20+ years, and there were no people who had the ability to have a GameBoy in one hand and iPhone in the other. What people did have, however, were books.
Kids in the 90s and 00s would often play video games while referring to these books, called “kouryaku-bon” in Japanese. Pokémon was no exception, and many books both official and non-official were released featuring the smallest details from all of the Pokémon games. One book, however, took it much farther than others when it came to details. Which Pokémon tasted the best? Which Pokémon are the results of human experiments? Which Pokémon come to kill you at night? Everything can be found in the 1996 “Pocket Monster Zukan”, or the “Pokédex”. And to make it even weirder, the book is official, with Nintendo, Creatures Inc, GAME FREAK, Famitsuu, and all the big names involved.
To Pokémon maniacs, this 1996 Pokédex is one of the holy grails of anything related to the game. Even though it is only available in Japanese, thanks to those like Dr.Lava, DidYouKnowGaming, Nob Ogasawara, and a large enough group of Pokémon enthusiasts outside of Japan, the book has been translated online into English after roughly 25 years.
The Pokédex is split into 6 parts, 1. Pokémon Encyclopedia, 2. Fields & Dungeons, 3. Complete Data File, 4. Trading & Online Battles, 5. Pokémon Journal, and 6. Development Staff & Interviews. Through these chapters, we are given all the details about individual Pokémon, the game itself, and even the faces behind the game.
Throughout this article, we present you some of the wildest descriptions, most unexpected origins, behind the scenes stories of development, and more. Pokémon fans, get ready to have your minds blown.
We have selected some of the wildest, weirdest, and obscure Pokémon and their descriptions from the encyclopedia, in order of appearance below.
GRASSLAND POKÉMON
7. Primeape
10. Rhyhorn
16. Charmander, 17. Charmeleon, 18. Charizard
24. Nidoran♂
30. Cubone
32. Chansey
33. Tangela
MOUNTAIN POKÉMON
47. Geodude
50. Machop
54. Snorlax
56. Golbat
WATERSIDE POKÉMON
60. Staryu, 61. Starmie
64. Oddish, 65. Gloom, 66. Vileplume
69. Weepinbell
72. Slowpoke, 73. Slowbro
FOREST POKÉMON
74. Caterpie
81. Paras, 82. Parasect
85. Pikachu, 86. Raichu
88. Ekans, 89. Arbok
OCEAN POKEMON
90. Gyarados
93. Tentacool, 94. Tentacruel
97. Lapras
98. Shellder, 99. Cloyster
100. Poliwag, 101. Poliwhirl, 102. Poliwrath
105. Magikarp
SKY POKÉMON
111. Magnemite
113. Doduo, 114. Dodrio
115. Farfetch'd
CITY POKÉMON
116. Grimer, 117. Muk
118. Porygon
123. Gastly, 124. Haunter, 125. Gengar
MYSETERIOUS POKÉMON
126. Abra, 127. Kadabra, 128. Alakazam
129. Clefairy, 130. Clefable
133. Jigglypuff, 134. Wigglytuff
135. Drowzee, 136. Hypno
EXTINCT POKÉMON
138. Aerodactyl
141. Kabuto, 142. Kabutops
LEGENDARY POKÉMON
143. Articuno, 144. Zapdos, 145. Moltres
147. Dratini
149. Dragonite
150. Mewtwo
The Faces Behind Pokémon
Final Words From the Team
Tajiri: Having Pokémon you want to spend time with in your bag. I think this is the type of game that everybody has been waiting for. Find your favorite combination of the many Pokémon and their many moves, and enjoy the game in an infinite number of ways.”
Masuda: All Pokémon have different cries and roars. Please at least once try the game with headphones.
Sugimori: Please check out the pixel-Pokémon that I spent a lot of time building. Trade a bunch with your friends, and find all the monsters.”
Ota: Once you clear the game, try it again with your own twist added to it, and make a unique collection of Pokémon. Should be fun.”
Morimoto: Try a bunch of moves in different combinations. There are a lot of cool effects. My favorite is “Metronome”.
Watanabe: I actually drew some of the things on the outer part of the screen, so please try and play on a Super GameBoy when you can.
Fujiwara: The first is to clear the game. But that’s not all. The real goal is the complete the Pokédex.
Nishino: You might want to give up during the game. But I want you to try and capture all 150 Pokémon.
Nishida: Playing against your friends is fun, but don’t get too caught up with winning and losing. Just take care of your cute Pokémon!
Other Images
So… was that the kind of Pokédex you were expecting? Did you expect Gengar to be a deadly killer? Did you expect Farfeth’d to be a delicacy? Did you expect Cubone to have such a sad backstory? Probably not. Some things mentioned in this book are literally only ever mentioned here. Nowhere else. But the thing is, the book is official, naturally making everything mentioned in this book true.
Next time you play Pokémon, think about these things… it might elevate your gaming experience to the next level. Or demote it to the next level. That’s up to how you interpret it all. But one thing is for sure: Pokémon is great.
Text & Research by Casey Omori & Allesandro Nobile
About The Author:
Alessandro Nobile’s life started with a Super Nintendo.
Now he’s in Japan studying the language and exploring local culture.