27 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Pokémon

On February 27, 1996, Pocket Monsters Red and Green was released for the Game Boy in Japan. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the goal was to capture and collect these powerful pocket monsters, or Pokémon, and train them to battle one another. You could also trade Pokémon with other trainers.

It wasn’t long until Pokémon became a huge domestic and international success. Re-releases and sequel games, anime, movies, books, etc. soon followed. As of 2024, Pokémon is Nintendo’s second best-selling franchise of all time, behind Mario.

In honor of Pokémon Day on February 27, here are 27 things you may not know about Pokémon.

1. Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri drew inspiration for the franchise from his childhood hobby of collecting insects.
2. The flashing strobe effect, featured in the 1997 episode “Dennō Senshi Porygon“, caused over 700 viewers to suffer from seizure-like symptoms. The incident caused the anime to go on a four-month hiatus. Consequently, this episode has been banned from airing in Japan and internationally.
3. Many of the regions in the Pokémon universe are based on real-world places and locations. Kanto is based on the real-life Kantō region in Japan, and New York City was a big inspiration for the Unova Region.
4. There’s a popular fan theory that a large-scale war occurred in the Kanto region before the start of the original Pokémon games. Many fans believe this due to the lack of adults in the game and a quote from Lt. Surge in Red and Blue:
   • “Hey, kid! What do you think you’re doing here? You won’t live long in combat! That’s for sure! I tell you, kid, electric POKÉMON saved me during the war! They zapped my enemies into paralysis! The same as I’ll do to you!”
5. Although Arceus is considered the oldest Pokémon in the game universe, Rhydon was actually the first Pokémon designed.
6. Pikachu’s name is a combination of pikapika (Japanese onomatopoeia for sparkle) and chūchū (the squeaking sound a mouse makes).
7.  According to former Pokémon anime director and storyboard artist Masamitsu Hidaka, Brock was temporarily removed from the anime due to concerns that American fans might view his eyes as a racist stereotype.
8. In episode 49 “So Near, Yet So Farfetch’d”, the Pokédex entry for Farfetch’d revealed that humans almost hunted the wild duck Pokémon to extinction for food. This confirmed that humans do consume Pokémon.
9.  Drifloon’s Pokédex entry states that any child who mistakes this Pokémon for a balloon and holds on to it will be carried away to the underworld. Thankfully, Drifloon is really light and can be easily resisted.
10.   Originally, Professor Oak was supposed to be one of the final bosses in Red and Blue. Although this idea was scrapped, there are ways to battle Oak in the games by using glitches or GameShark code manipulation.
11.  Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee are named after Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, respectively. Their Japanese names, Ebiwalar and Sawamular, are believed to be references to Japanese kickboxer Tadashi Sawamura and Japanese boxing champion Hiroyuki Ebihara.
12.  The development of Red and Blue took six years. Game Freak almost went bankrupt due to financial difficulties. Investments from Creatures, Inc. allowed Game Freak to complete the game, acquiring a third of the franchise’s rights in return.
13.  There’s a myth that shortly after the release of Red and Blue in Japan, children and young teens became ill or even committed suicide after reaching Lavender Town. It’s rumored that the high-pitched theme produced sounds that caused discomfort in children. Currently, there’s no proof that these events ever happened.
14.  Banette was originally a plush doll that became a Pokémon after harboring resentment over being discarded. It seeks revenge against the child who abandoned it.
15.   Republican politician Herman Cain quoted the lyrics to “Power of One” from the movie “Pokémon 2000” during a speech.
16. Lampent arrives near the moment of death and steals a person’s spirit from its body. It hangs around hospitals waiting for people to die.
17.  The names of the Legendary Birds incorporate the Spanish words for one, two, and three: Articuno (uno), Zapdos (dos), and Moltres (tres).
18.  Yamask are Pokémon that originated from spirits buried in graves. Each retains memories of their past life and carries a mask resembling their human face. Sometimes, they look at it and cry.
19.  In the anime, Pikachu was originally intended to learn a language, but the producers decided against it.
20. Cubone wears the skull of its deceased mother on its head. It will also cry when it sees something resembling its mother during a full moon.
21. Initially, fans nicknamed Marill “Pikablu,” believing it to be an evolved form of Pikachu/Raichu, primarily due to their similarities.
22. Pokémon Puzzle League is the only Pokémon game not released in Japan. Launched in the US for the Nintendo 64, it never reached Japan due to the console’s low popularity there.
23. Ash Ketchum’s Japanese name, Satoshi, is a homage to Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri. Shigeru Okido, the Japanese name of Ash’s former rival Gary Oak, references Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.
24. In 1999, several parents sued Nintendo, claiming that the Pokémon card games were causing their children to develop gambling addictions.
25. Spoink constantly bounces around on its tail, because the bouncing motion keeps its heart beating. If a Spoink stops bouncing, it will die.
26. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot unlock Mew in the original Pokémon games by moving the truck at S.S. Anne. However, there is a glitch that allows you to unlock Mew.
27. The infamous glitch Pokémon, MissingNo., wasn’t actually supposed to exist. It’s actually a programming error that wasn’t accounted for. Its mysterious appearance captured the imagination of fans and became a popular legend.