Summary
Pokemonis a franchise that has been around for decades. First introduced in 1999 withPokemon Red & Blueand went on to spawn a long-running anime series, manga,trading cards, hundreds of other games and a lot more.
With every popular media franchise, there are tons of theories that fans have developed that explain inconsistencies in the series or help build the world even further. Some theories are purely speculation, but others are expanded on information that has been mentioned in either the games or the anime. Each theory is given a likely mark out of ten, the higher the score, the more likely this theory is to be true.
10Graveler & Machoke Were Meant To Be Traded With One Another
The Evolved Forms Have Similar Features When Traded
Pokemonthat require being traded to evolvehas been around since the start of the franchise inPokemon Red & Blue. There are four in Generation 1: Haunter, Kadabra, Machoke and Graveler. The first two make a lot of sense as they look quite similar to their evolved states.
Graveler and its pre-evolution are very much rocks with limbs, but Golem gains a lizard appearance out of nowhere, a trait which Machoke has. Machamp doesn’t appear to be based on a reptile at all, but it does have four arms, just like Graveler. There is a theory that Graveler and Machoke were meant to be traded together in order to evolve, and their data was mixed up which explains why Golem gains some reptilian features and Machamp has four arms and a similar mouth to Graveler.
9Team Rocket Create Porygon To Sell At The Game Corner
The Game Corner Is Owned By Team Rocket
It is no secret in the original games that Team Rocket own the Celadon City Game Corner and they use it as a front for their secret headquarters. It is a plot point in the story after all. One of the prizes awarded to the player are Pokemon and the most expensive of these is Porygon.
Most of its Pokedex entries state that it is a manmade or artificial Pokemon, but it is never explained who actually made it. All signs point to Team Rocket. The only way to acquire Porygon in Generation 1 is through a Rocket-owned building, the evil organization does employ scientists after all. The theory goes that these scientists create Porygon as a way to generate Team Rocket income in the Game Corner.
8There Are More Than 8 Gyms
In a Pokemon game, the trainer battles their way through eight gyms,but there are only eight gyms. There is no choice about which ones to do. In the anime, there appears to be more than eight gyms, Gary Oak shows badges which do not belong to the same eight that Ash and Red from the games take on throughout their journeys.
This theory states that there are a lot more than just eight gyms in each region, the towns and cities in the games are very small and there aren’t too many locations. In reality, these places will be much larger and, in fact, there are hundreds of gyms around each region. It is apparent that Gary Oak ventured to some of these places where Ash and Red did not in Kanto.
7Venonat Was Supposed To Evolve Into Butterfree
The Two Pokemon Look Very Similar
These Pokemon look very similar. Butterfree has the same shape antennae, eyes, mouth, hands, feet and color scheme as Venonat and the theory is that Butterfree was meant to be the evolved form of Venonat rather than Venomoth.
The theory why this was switched upon the release ofRed & Blueis that Venomoth (the original evolution of Metapod) was not appealing enough to be one of the earlier found Pokemon and there needed to be a cuter-looking match to the menacing Beedrill also found early on in the game. Whatever the reason is, there is no doubt that Venonat and Butterfree look suspiciously too similar to not be related at all.
The Rest Of The Anime Series Was A Dream
This theory delves into the reality of Ash Ketchum being in a coma, and his ventures with Pikachu were largely a dream he conjured in his sleep.When Ash protects Pikachuin the first episode of the anime series against the army of Spearow, the big explosion caused by a lightning charged Thunder Shock attack causes Ash to go into a coma.
Fans theorize that after this event there was a tonal shift to the setting, and things started to get more lighthearted. The main character’s dreaming also explains why Team Rocket always failed their attempts. Ash encountered many legendary Pokemon, and he never grew old despite having many adventures around the Pokemon World. It is certainly an interesting thought.
5Ditto Are Failed Clones Of Mew
They Are The Only Pokemon To Learn Transform
Ditto is a very interesting Pokemon. There isn’t another like it in the world, there isn’t much to its design being a pink blob with minimal facial features. There is speculation that this Pokemon is a failed clone of the Mythical Pokemon Mew, the rarest out of the Original 151.
It is a fact in the franchise that Mewtwo is a clone of Mew, so there must have been attempts at the cloning process which weren’t initially successful. The information which backs this theory is that both Mew and Ditto are the only Pokemon that learn to transform, they are the same colors (both normal and shiny) and they both have completely even stats. There has been no confirmation by Game Freak which states this theory is true, but there is more than enough evidence to suggest that it is true, or at least was going to be true at one point.
4Giovanni Is Ash’s Father
Explains Why Jessie & James Were Never Successful
A very popular theory that dates back to the 90s is that Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, is the true father to Ash Ketchum. There isn’t a lot of evidence to suggest that this is true. Ash and Giovanni met in the anime, and it was never mentioned. The only real thing that fans have to support this theory is that Ash’s dad is not revealed and someone has to be.
In the last episode of Ash’s story in the anime, his dad is mentioned and leaves Ash a hat, his mother states that he is off on his own journey and Ash just missed him. This all but squashes the theory that the Rocket Boss is Ash’s real father. Evidence to support the claim is that Giovannisent Jessie & Jamesto keep an eye on their son, so they were never really looking to capture Pikachu after all.
3Blue’s Raticate Died
The Pokemon Disappeared After The Battle On S.S. Anne
When battling the rival throughoutPokemon Red & Blue, he always has a Raticate, up until the battle on the S.S. Anne. The next time the rival is encountered is in the Pokemon Tower, a graveyard for Pokemon, and in the battle with Blue, his Raticate is missing and never seen again.
The theory states that Blue’s Raticate died in the battle with Red on the S.S. Anne, and he visited the Pokemon Tower to lay his teammate to rest. There is certainly a lot of evidence to suggest this is the case, but in reality, Blue just put his Raticate in the box, as it is a Pokemon which isn’t particularly useful in the later stages of the game.
2Suicune, Raikou & Entei Were Originally Eeveelutions
Vaporeon, Jolteon & Flareon Share Typings
The legend that is explained inPokemon Gold & Silveris that three Pokemon perished in a fire in what is now known as the Burned Tower in Ecruteak City and the legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh revived them into the Legandary Beasts, Vaporeon, Jolteon & Flareon. But there is no explanation of what species the original Pokemon are.
It is theorized that they were Vaporeon, Jolteon & Flareon,the three original Eeveelutions. They share the same types as Suicune, Raikou and Entei; they are all four-legged beasts. It makes perfect sense. Another factor is that Ecruteak City has ties to Eevee. The Kimono Girls that the player encounters in the game each have an Eeveelution and the player battles them all in the same city which hosts the Burned Tower.
1The Pokemon War
Lt. Surge Mentions He Fought In A War
When battling the third gym in Kanto, Lt. Surge mentions that his Electric Pokemon saved him in the war. But what war is he talking about? Fans have speculated that there was a Great War before the events ofRed & Blue, which is backed up by the fact that there aren’t many male adults in the Kanto region. Including the father of the playable character, Red. They all either died or are perhaps still fighting in this war.
There is no further information on this war. A Pokemon game set in this war setting would be amazing, but with this plot point left behind by the Pokemon Company, this is now just a pipe dream.
Pokemon
Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
