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
“Many types of Pokémon live in our country. There have been 150 discovered so far! The grasslands are where there have been the most discoveries. There is a lot of food there, and it must be an ideal environment for them. Most of the Pokémon that live in the grasslands are friendly and calm.”
7. Primeape
“The evolution of Mankey. Always pissed off, Primeape will chase you forever. If you make eye contact, it’s the end for you".”
An experiment was held on Primeape in 1925 in attempt to extract its anger energy. But the professor accidentally dosed too much drugs into the Primeape, and made it weak. The Primeape then crawled into a ball, and fit right into the professor’s eye-glass case. After this incident, a capsule to capture Pokémon was developed, and leads to the modern day Pokéball.
10. Rhyhorn
“Stupid but powerful, one charge from a Rhyhorn can destroy a skyscraper. Not really a good pet.”
16. Charmander, 17. Charmeleon, 18. Charizard
CHARMANDER: “Tail has been on fire since birth. When the fire is out, they are said to die. Smokers often keep them as pets to light their cigarettes.”
CHARMELEON: “Charmander’s evolution. Swing their tail around to attack, and then rip them to pieces with their sharp claws. Their tail power can lift 5 adults (roughly 300kg).
CHARIZARD: “Charmeleon’s evolution. Can fly to heights of 1400m. This number comes from the fact that Charizard’s droppings were found at this height on Mt. Fuji. Can melt rocks with their fire.
24. Nidoran♂
“Has big ears, which flap when listening to sounds far away. Shoot out poison needles when mad. During breeding season, their horn shines rainbow, as an appeal to females. Apparently the females are attracted to bigger horns.”
30. Cubone
“Wears their dead mother’s skull on their head. Cries loudly when sad.”
32. Chansey
“Lays a few eggs everyday. These eggs are full of nutrients, and very tasty. They are very nice Pokémon, and don’t like fighting.”
33. Tangela
“A plant-based Pokémon. Blue vines cover their body, and tangle anything that comes close. Many scientists have tried to cut off all the vines to see the body, but Tangela always resists, and always ends in a failure.”
MOUNTAIN POKÉMON
“Let’s show you the Pokémon that live in the mountains 1000m+ above sea level. Most of these Pokémon have evolved their bodies to adapt to the harsh environment. They occasionally are found in grasslands and in the cities.”
47. Geodude
“A quiet Pokémon that doesn’t harm people. But if you step on them by accident in a cave, they will get mad. You can find them when you go hiking, and due to them being round and easy to hold, people play “Geodude-fights” like they would a snowball fight”
50. Machop
“Their entire body is made of muscle. Although their body is roughly the size of a child, they have the power to throw 100 adults.”
54. Snorlax
“Needs to eat 400kg of food a day. And after they’re done eating, they fall asleep. The heaviest Pokémon found to date (460.0kg). Usually in the mountains, but will occasionally come down to the city.”
[Right] Snorlax is only awake when they eat.
56. Golbat
“The evolution of Zubat. Uses its sharp fangs to suck 300ml of blood at a time.”
WATERSIDE POKÉMON
“Pokémon that live on the waterside can be split into 2 main groups. One are the plant Pokémon, who are weak against fire. The other are the creatures that live in the shallow waters. They use water type moves, and are strong against fire.”
60. Staryu, 61. Starmie
STARYU: “Many Staryu appear at the beach, and at night their center blinks red. Is a hermaphrodite, and even if you cut off a part of their body, they can grow it back. Their evolution has to do with rocks…”
STARMIE: “No studies have progresses surrounding Starmie. Since they are often found at sea, they are put into waterside Pokémon, but due to their geometric structure, many people think they are an organism from space.”
64. Oddish, 65. Gloom, 66. Vileplume
ODDISH: “Also known as Archimendes. At night, they use their 2 root-feet to walk 300m. Why does a plant walk? It has been revealed that they walk to save their species. Oddish sprinkle pollen while they walk.”
GLOOM: “The evolution of Oddish. The smell the pistil gives off is so strong, it makes people 2km away faint. Gloom’s evolution has to do with rocks…”
VILEPLUME: “Scatter tons of allergic pollen from their pedals, which are the biggest in the world. No other Pokémon can come close to where a Vileplume lives.”
69. Weepinbell
“The evolution of Bellsprout. Their leaves act as blades, cutting up enemies. Weepinbell shoot out a liquid that melts anything from their mouth. They eat very large bugs and birds, but that sight is extremely disturbing.”
72. Slowpoke, 73. Slowbro
SLOWPOKE: “Always spacing out, and you never know what they’re thinking. They live near water, and are good at catching prey with their tails. They can fish, but don’t have any intelligence apart from that. They often dive into the water to look for food, but end up getting fished instead. Some people calm down when they see a Slowpoke, and some get frustrated. Those people that get calmed down must be very busy…”
SLOWBRO: “When a Slowpoke went out to the ocean, they got bit in the tail by a Shellder, and became Slowbro. Noone knows why they didn’t try to take the Shellder off of their tail. They were probably too lazy. Although they learn powerful moves like “Megaton Punch” and “Megaton Kick”, they don’t like fighting. Just like a Slowpoke, they like to daze off and do nothing.”
[Right] A Shellder bights a Slowpoke (image).
FOREST POKÉMON
“To small Pokémon, the forest is a paradise full of flower nectar, fruits, nuts, and more. The insect and small animal Pokémon you see in the forest live off of these things. But due to this food situation, there are not many large Pokémon.”
74. Caterpie
“Covered in green skin. When they shed and get grow, a Caterpie covers itself in string, becoming a cocoon. The fastest evolving Pokémon found so far. Their arch enemy is a Pidgey. When a Caterpie senses the presence of a Pidgey, they try and dig and hide in the ground. But the ones who don’t make it become food. The forest may look peaceful, but there is a strong law in the jungle.”
81. Paras, 82. Parasect
PARAS: “Chinese Caterpillar Fungus grows on their backs. As the Paras grows, so do the mushrooms. They grow up in the forest under dead trees, and then move to the meadows and wetlands.”
PARASECT: “Spew poisonous spores from their mushrooms. In China, they use these spores for herbal medicine. Being the evolution of Paras, they are in the forest Pokémon category, but they are rarely found in the forest".”
85. Pikachu, 86. Raichu
PIKACHU: “Lives in the forest, and likes to eat nuts. Not many Pikachu live in the forest, so they are rare to come across. They have small electric pouches on both cheeks, which electrocute when in danger. Due to their kind personality, high intelligence, and being simply charming, they are the most popular Pokémon amongst researchers. Some people even prevent them from evolving so they don’t change appearance.”
RAICHU: “Their electric shocks reach 100,000 volts, and will even make an elephant faint at touch. Raichu will learn all electric moves. Raichu have never been spotted in the forest.”
[Right] Experiment 1 Let’s measure a Pikachu’s voltage!
88. Ekans, 89. Arbok
EKANS: “Uses their tongue to sense danger. Ekans are carnivorous, and swallow anything whole. Pidgey & Spearow eggs are their favorite, and sometimes Rattata become their meals too. If they swallow a Rattata, they can go foodless for a month. They shed multiple times, and hibernate in the warm forest soil in the winter. They are often spotted in the meadows in the summer.
ARBOK: “The evolution of Ekans. Same as Ekans, Arbok is a venomous snake. The pattern on their stomachs resemble a scary face, and weak-hearted enemies run away just by seeing it. Can paralyze just by staring at an enemy with “Snake Stare”. If you run into one, better not to make eye contact. Raticates are their rivals.
[Bottom] Arbok have different patterns on their stomachs.
OCEAN POKEMON
“Pokémon that live in the ocean have not changed their appearance from the ancient days. That is because there are no large changes in their living environment. Unlike above ground, it is easy to live underwater, so there must have been no need to evolve. Apart from a few exceptins, there are no smart Pokémon underwater.”
90. Gyarados
“Extremely violent. Their move “Hyper Beam” burns anything to the ground. Live very deep in the ocean, and are rarely seen. The most recent spotting was 35 years ago, when a dead Gyarados washed up on the beach. They eat anything, and their teeth can easily crush stones. Gyarados scales are as hard as steel, and jewelry made out of them are extremely pricey.”
93. Tentacool, 94. Tentacruel
“Shoot out a mysterious light beam from their eyes as transparent as crystal. Plankton are their main food, and their bodies are made of 99% water.”
“Tentacruel use their 80 tentacles to wrap around fish and feed on them. If you get stung by their venomous stingers, your whole body will be paralyzed. Due to this, they are called “The Ocean’s Gangster.”
97. Lapras
“Intelligent enough to understand human speech. Very calm, and like to carry people on their backs more than fighting. There are not many in existence, so not much is known about them. Some claim the turtle that carried Urashima Taro [Japanese folk story] was a Lapras.”
[Bottom] Lapras loves to swim with humans on their backs.
98. Shellder, 99. Cloyster
“Their shells are harder than diamond, but their insides are surprisingly soft.”
“Said to be Shellder’s evolution. Their shells are very hard, and can’t be destroyed even with napalm bombs. A Cloyster’s shell only opens when they attack.”
100. Poliwag, 101. Poliwhirl, 102. Poliwrath
POLIWAG: “Their lubricious black skin is thin and wet. You can see a part of their spiral organs through their skin. Are a part of the tadpole family.”
POLIWHIRL: “The evolution of Poliwag. Tadpoles become frogs when grown up, but for some reason Poliwhirl stayed a tadpole, only gaining muscle. Their 2 legs developed, and they live on land. But they seem to prefer water more.”
POLIWRATH: “Good swimmers, like to swim freestyle or butterfly. Even Olympic swimmers can’t keep up (only their muscles needed to swim developed, they aren’t that fast at running). Said to be the evolution of Poliwhirl, and is unsurprisingly still in tadpole form. Will they ever become a frog? We must wait for more research.”
[Left] A see-through Poliwhirl model (owned by Professor Oak).
105. Magikarp
“Their power and speed are completely useless. If anything happens, all they do is “Splash”. Although they are the world’s weakest and pitiful Pokémon, recently a groundbreaking study revealed that dragon cells were contracted from a Magikarp. Hopes are high for future studies.”
SKY POKÉMON
“Pokémon that fly must find food from high up, so their vision has developed a lot. Many of them are good at parenting, and often go to forests, grasslands, or the ocean to find small bugs and fish, and feed their cute chicks.”
111. Magnemite
“Always levitating, Magnemite emit electromagnetic waves from their units. They are unlike any other flying Pokémon, but they can’t be categorized anywhere else so we just put them in here. Hopes for future research are high.”
113. Doduo, 114. Dodrio
DODUO: “A double-headed Pokémon discovered 3 years ago. Most likely a mutation. Don’t like to fly. They are better runners than flyers, and can top 100km/h on ground. There is a chance they will devolve and lose their wings in the near future.”
DODRIO: “A very rare Pokémon that isn’t spotted often. Their 3 heads represent happiness, sadness, and anger. In the deep ares of Central & South America, there is said to be an ancient religion whose symbol was a Dodrio. The evolution of Doduo.”
When a Doduo’s two heads get in a fight, it can’t walk.
115. Farfetch'd
“Always carries around a root of a plant to make their nest. But recently, researchers found out the root is also the Farfetch’d’s emergency food. Word spread that if you cook a Farfetch’d and it’s root together, it becomes a delicacy, and their numbers dropped rapidly.”
CITY POKÉMON
“Sadly, Pokémon in the city are greatly affected by the pollution and toxins that are released from factories. Most of these Pokémon are very filthy, but they are not to blame. We should think of them as reflections of how we live our lives.”
116. Grimer, 117. Muk
GRIMER: “Sludge got struck by X-Rays from the moon, and transformed into Grimer. They love to eat filthy things. They were originally often found behind factories, but recently appear anywhere.”
MUK: “You can’t notice them usually because they are mixed with the ground. If you touch their body, you get heavily poisoned. A Muk’s cells were studies, and scientists found substances that are unthinkable to exist in any living organism. Thought to be the evolution of Grimer.”
118. Porygon
“In 1995, Siplh Co., a company that studies and develops Pokémon & goods, used their highest levels of technology to create the first man-made Pokémon. A very rare Pokémon, but for some reason they are now handled at the prize exchange shop at the slot machines. The government is currently investigating the situation.”
123. Gastly, 124. Haunter, 125. Gengar
GASTLY: “A thin, gas life-form. When surrounded in its gas, an Indian elephant falls in 2 seconds. Not much is known about Gastly, and there are theories that they are a result of photochemical smog, or that they are an ultra-dimensional life-form, but no-one knows their real background. But, we decided to add them to the “city Pokémon” category.”
HAUNTER: “The evolution of Gastly. If you feel you’re being watched in the dark but nobody is around, it is said that there is a Haunter there.”
GENGAR: “Due to the moves it learns and its bodily features, Gengar is said to be the evolution of Haunter, but nothing backs this up. When you are lost in the mountains, They will sometimes appear from the darkness to take your life. Some mountains have shrines that worship Gengar.”
[Top Right] Gengar appears from the darkness to take your life.
MYSETERIOUS POKÉMON
“Precognition, psychokinesis, clairvoyance... Unfortunately, these types of paranormal phenomenons are not proven with today’s science. In the world we are exploring too, there are supernatural Pokémon, and they are still largely a mystery. Let me tell you about them with the information available today.”
126. Abra, 127. Kadabra, 128. Alakazam
ABRA: “Sleeps 16 hours a day. During their sleep, an Abra still uses all sorts of psychic powers. Not many exist, and it is rare to come across one. Even if you do, they will teleport the moment they feel danger, so you probably won’t be able to catch it. Evolves into Kadabra.”
KADABRA: “‘One morning, a psychic child woke up to find out he had become a Kadabra.’ This novel ‘Metamorphosis’ won the <2nd Pokémon Literary Award> just recently. If Pikachu is the ‘idol Pokémon’, Kadabra is the ‘expert Pokémon’.”
ALAKAZAM: “Doesn’t like physical attacks, and uses psychic powers freely to defeat the enemy. Said to be the evolution of Kadabra, but there is no evidence. Alakazam does not change their facial expression at all during battle.”
129. Clefairy, 130. Clefable
“Due to their cute appearance, Clefairy is a popular pet choice. Not only are they popular amongst humans, but for some reason to Pokémon too. But there are not that many in existence, and have only been reported to be caught in caves in Mt. Moon. Clefairy is good at “Metronome”, and often gets surprised by their own moves being so strong".”
“Like Clefairy, Clefable doesn’t like fighting. Maybe due to this, their hearing is very advanced, and they can hear a needle dropped from over 1km away. The moment they hear any danger, they run away.”
133. Jigglypuff, 134. Wigglytuff
JIGGLYPUFF: “With their round, big eyes, they lure you in, sing you a song, and before you know it, you’re asleep. At first they are cute, but they can learn a lot of moves. If they ever get mad, they inflate like a balloon.”
WIGGLYPUFF: “Their fine hairs are charming. Their furs are very luxurious. Regarding moves, they learn a lot like Jigglypuff, but can also learn ‘Hyper Beam’.”
135. Drowzee, 136. Hypno
DROWZEE: “Said to be the descendant of the legendary animal that eats dreams, the tapir. Known to be the first Pokémon to use the ‘Hypnosis’ to ‘Dream Eater’ combo. Herbivorous, and eats a lot with its 4 stomachs. Due to their appearance, they are not that popular with girls. Has a habit of mumbling quietly to themselves.”
HYPNO: “The evolution of Drowzee. Holds a pendulum like object, and uses ‘Psychic’. For some reason, many children go missing in cities that Hypno appear in.”
EXTINCT POKÉMON
“Pokémon are said to have existed from 2 million years ago, and have evolved according to their environments. What did ancient Pokémon look like? Let’s recreate their appearance with recently found fossils.”
138. Aerodactyl
“The ancestor of birds. 1.8m long, and soars through the sky with their big wings while crying in their high pitch voice. Said to have a large brain judging from their skull fossils. Can also be said to be carnivorous from their large fangs. Their dropping fossils solidify this.”
141. Kabuto, 142. Kabutops
KABUTO: “Said to be the ancestors of horseshoe crabs and turtles. Protected by their hard shell, Kabuto doesn’t like to fight. They aren’t that fast, but they’re good swimmers. The other day, their fossil was found over 1000m above sea level, telling us that the area used to be under the sea.”
KABUTOPS: “Said to be the evolution of Kabuto. Freely swims the sea, and uses their sharp sickle-arms to capture enemies and suck their fluids out. Kabuto and Kabutops’ relationship is said to be like Gizmo and Gremlin. The area where their fossils were found was from 2 million years ago, and are said to be the oldest Pokémon.”
LEGENDARY POKÉMON
“Many Pokémon appear in mythology and legendary worlds. The most famous might be the ‘Firebird Legend’. Until recently, not many people believed the existence of these legendary Pokémon. However, the discovery of Dratini changed that. More and more researchers are setting off to explore these Pokémon.”
143. Articuno, 144. Zapdos, 145. Moltres
ARTICUNO: “If you ever see Articuno flying around with its long tail in the winter mountains, you are said to die from its beauty.”
ZAPDOS: “There is said to be a zapping noise when Zapdos flies. Said to be the holy bird that controls heaven. Is lightning Zapdos’s anger?”
MOLTRES: “The famous ‘Fire Bird Legend’, in which you gain immortality from drinking its living blood, is said to be Moltres. If Moltres actually exists, you will be overwhelmed by her flaming wings.”
147. Dratini
“Legendary Pokémon exist! The visitor at the Safari Park who happened to fish up a Dratini became the person of the moment, and word spread quickly to the world. After this discovery, most people began to believe that all legendary Pokémon exist, leading to the great Pokémon exploration boom. Dratini is almost 2m long as a kid, and sheds to grow.”
149. Dragonite
“Soars the skies with large body, and can do a lap around the world in 16 hours. Said to be the incarnation of the God of Destruction.”
150. Mewtwo
“There is a saying that a mad scientist kept on genetically modifying a Pokémon and created a brutal, violent monster… Could this be true?”
The Faces Behind Pokémon
FROM THE LEFT: Data Manager Nishino, Programmer Watanabe, Programmer Morimoto, Main Programmer Ota, Game Design & Director Tajiri, System Engineer & Sound Composer Masuda, Character & Chief Graphic Designer Sugimoto, Graphic Designer Fujiwara, Graphic Designer Nishida [honorific titles omitted!]
Satoshi Tajiri - Director
“Take care of the cute Poliwag!”
Ken Sugimori - Character Designer
”I want to get kicked by Hitmonlee!”
Junichi Masuda - System Engineer & Composer
”I want a pet Slowpokeee”
Takenori Ota - Main Programmer
”I see a Charmander in the streets at night…”
Shigeki Morimoto - Programmer
”I’m gonna take care of my Dittoooo”
Tetsuya Watanabe - Programmer
”Run, Run Rapidash!”
Motofumi Fujiwara - Graphic Designer
”Get a Parasect!”
Koji Nishino - Data Manager
”Snorlax is like my child”
Atusko Nishida - Graphic Designer
”I love Pikachu♡”
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
Top
“Instead of trading diaries, lets trade Pokémon”
”Such a cute Jigglypuff, I’m so happy!”
Bottom
The Trading & Battle Rules
1. You must trade with another trainer.
2. Use the Pokémon you traded.
3. Give the Pokémon you got to another trainer.
4. Give the Pokémon back to the original owner.
5. Show off your rare Pokémon.
6. Give your crush a Pokémon with your name.
7. Create some drama outside of the game.
8. Finish the game before playing outside.
9. Follow the rules.
10. Make a lot of friends.
GROWER SHOP
Have you been unable to win your recent battles? Let me take care of your weak Pokémon, and I’ll make them stronger for you! With a special training method our company developed, we’ll pull out your Pokémon’s full potential.
Head south from Cerulean City, on the 5th street. Call now, at XX23-4108.
”My Bulbasoar grew so much in 1 week!”
SCARIER THAN CATS, NICER THAN MONSTERS. THAT’S POKÉMON.
List of Pokémon that evolved when traded.
“Why are they fighting inside of the cables…”
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.
