25 Facts About Pokemon You Probably Didn’t Know

Posted by , Updated on March 23, 2024

Since the 1990s, Pokemon has become a worldwide phenomenon. From cartoons to video games, the idea of catching all the little monsters has been an obsession for many. As time went on, they added new Pokemon and additional layers to the mythology. With so much new stuff, it’s hard to keep up. Ready to sharpen your Pokemon knowledge? Here are 25 facts about Pokemon you probably didn’t know.

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25

Rhydon was the first Pokemon ever created.

rhydonSource: http://nintendoeverything.com/rhydon-was-the-first-pokemon-ever-created/

Most people would probably point to Pikachu or Bulbasaur as the first Pokemon. However, according to Ken Sugimori, Rhydon was the first Pokemon ever created by the original team.

24

Pikachu's name is Japanese onomatopoeia for sparkle and squeaking.

pikachuSource: http://www.ranker.com/list/pokemon-name-meanings-and-origins/chris-abraham?var=3&utm_expid=16418821-311.AAszGoDYQ7WZsue0Bhz6ww.2&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Everyone loves the electrified yellow mouse named Pikachu. But where did his name come from? Apparently, it’s a play on words in Japanese between “Pikapika” which means sparkle, and “Chūchū” which means squeaking.

23

Drowzee is based off of a tapir.

tapirSource: http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Drowzee

Drowzee, the sleepy-time, dream eater Pokemon is based on the tapir. In ancient South American folklore, the tapir would eat dreams as people slept.

22

Azurill is the only Pokemon that can change gender.

AzurillSource: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Azurill_(Pok%C3%A9mon)

Depending on its personality value, a female Azurill has a 1/3 chance of evolving into a male Azurill. It’s the only Pokemon to be able to do this.

21

Psychic type Pokemon are weak to bug, ghost, and dark type because they're common fears.

psychicSource: https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/187276-pokemon-sun/74196220

Of course, every Pokemon has a strength and weakness against other types of Pokemon. But many have wondered, why are Psychic types weak against bug, ghost, and dark types? Well, because being afraid of bugs, ghosts, and the dark are all very common phobias.

20

Rock types could still beat a Pokemon with all 18 types.

OnixSource: https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/28o8u8/what_if_a_pokemon_was_all_18_types/

A Pokemon can only be two different types like a grass type and a plant type. However, one Redditor wondered what a Pokemon might be like if it had all 18 types and discovered it would still be weak against rock type Pokemon.

19

Xatu sees both past and future at the same time.

xatuSource: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Xatu_(Pok%C3%A9mon)

In its PokeDex description, Xatu stays still and quiet because it can see both past and future at the same time. Which means Xatu can see all the horrific things that are going to happen and can do nothing to stop it.

18

Slowbro is the only Pokemon that can devolve.

SlowbroSource: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Slowbro_(Pok%C3%A9mon)

Slowbro is the evolution of Slowpoke with Shellder on his tail but if Slowpro somehow loses Shellder, he’ll devolve back to Slowpoke. Of all the Pokemon, he’s the only one that devolves.

17

Slowpoke is considered a delicacy.

SlowpokeSource: http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Slowpoke

Most people probably think Pokemon are just used to fight other Pokemon. But they might be a little disturbed to discover Pokemon are also considered food. In the early versions of the game, Slowpoke tails were worth a lot of money and considered a delicacy.

16

Many Pokemon names include numbers.

moltresSource: https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemon/comments/3aou3u/did_you_know_this_many_pokemon_names_include/

Pokemon has some of the most creative and original names. However, many aren’t aware some Pokemon types have numbers attached to their names. For instance, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres have the Spanish numbers “Uno, Dos, Tres” at the end of their names.

15

Cubone wears the skull of his dead mother.

CuboneSource: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Cubone_(Pok%C3%A9mon)

Honestly, sometimes, Pokemon mythology can take a dark turn and the story behind Cubone is certainly dark. As a ground type Pokemon, Cubone’s face has never been seen because it wears a skull on its head. Is the skull a trophy of its murdered victims? No, it’s the skull of its mother and Cubone is said to make an awful howl when it sees the full moon as it reminds him of his dead mother.

14

Poliwag's swirl is based on tadpoles intestines.

Poliwag and tadpole comparisonSource: http://www.dorkly.com/post/68577/pokemon-you-didnt-realize-were-based-on-actual-things

Obviously, many Pokemon are based on various real-world animals. But you may not have noticed that Poliwag is based on the tadpole. The swirl on its belly is the tadpole’s intestines.

13

Pokemon is short for "Pocket Monster."

pokemon redSource: http://www.gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=6531

In Japan, the original game published by Nintendo was titled “Poketto Monsutaa” or “Pocket Monster.” However, when it was exported to other countries, it had to change its name and so they shortened it to “Pokemon.”

12

Yamask is a dead human.

yamaskSource: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Yamask_(Pok%C3%A9mon)

So, remember when we said Pokemon could get kinda dark? This is one of those times. As a shadow type Pokemon, Yamask is a Pokemon carrying a mask of its time as a human long ago. Since it was once a human, it also has memories of being a human and if you put on its mask, you’ll become possessed by it. Sometimes it’ll look at its own mask and cry as it wanders ancient civilizations.

11

Munna was mentioned in the first game.

munnaSource: http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Munna

Even though Munna wasn’t introduced to Pokemon until the fifth generation, there’s a scene in the first generation Pokemon of a trainer mentioning a pink Pokemon with a floral pattern that matches the description of Munna.

10

Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee got their names from famous fighters.

bruce leeSource: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Hitmons

As fighting type Pokemon, Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee get their names from famous fighters. Hitmonchan is a reference to Jackie Chan while Hitmonlee is a reference to Bruce Lee. Their Japanese names also make references to famous Japanese fighters.

9

Arcanine was intended to be a legendary Pokemon.

arcanineSource: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Arcanine_(Pok%C3%A9mon)

Originally, the developers planned to have Arcanine be a legendary Pokemon. They showed their hand a little bit in the Pokemon cartoon episode “Pokemon Emergency!”. However, in the game, Arcanine was never a legendary Pokemon, making many believe the developers backed away from this idea.

8

The move Splash is a mistranslation for Hop.

PoingSource: https://www.vgfacts.com/forums/thread-636.html

The Japanese word for “Splash” can also mean “Hop” which is why there are Pokemon types like Spoink that have no association with water but can still use the move Splash.

7

Pikachu and Meowth are exact opposites.

meowth and pikachuSource: https://pokemondb.net/pokebase/109804/is-this-a-coincidence-or-is-it-just-me

Pikachu and Meowth are exact opposites in almost every way. Pikachu looks like a mouse while Meowth looks like a cat. They’re both mortal enemies in the Pokemon cartoon. Also, Pikachu is #25 in the Pokedex while Meowth is #52.

6

Clefairy was almost the face of Pokemon.

clefairySource: https://pokemondb.net/pokebase/242298/clefairy-original-going-pokemon-mascot-ashs-first-pokemon

Originally in the comic book, Clefairy was the face of Pokemon. But, when it was being adapted from the video game to a cartoon, the producers decided they wanted Pikachu to be the face of Pokemon, thinking it would be more relatable to young viewers.

5

Ditto was a failed attempt to copy Mew.

dittoSource: http://www.gamesradar.com/ditto-fail-poke-clone-mew/

In the Pokemon mythos, humans were desperately trying to copy Mew and in their failed attempts created Ditto, the pink slime, instead. Of course, we all know they did finally copy Mew into Mewtwo.

4

Each Spinda has a unique pattern of spots.

spindaSource: https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/989552-pokemon-black-version/55866135

All Pokemon are different in their own way but Spinda is a special case. Each Spinda has a unique pattern of spots on it based upon its personality. Some have theorized there are 8 billion different possibilities of where its spots will be.

3

Fishing is possible in Pokemon red and blue gyms.

gameboy pokemonSource: https://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/107263/has-fishing-surfing-on-the-gym-statues-in-pokemon-gen-i-ever-been-explained

If you’re ever playing the old Pokemon red or blue games, go to one of the gyms and try to fish near the statues. Supposedly, the statues have an identity crisis and think they’re water.

2

Smeargle can use almost every move in the game.

SmeargleSource: https://pokemondb.net/pokebase/264913/does-smeargle-have-any-use

While Smeargle may have horrible stats, it has the ability to learn almost every move in the game.

1

Wobuffet's main body is a decoy.

wobuffetSource: http://aminoapps.com/page/pokemon/5249593/theory-wobbuffets-decoy-body

Pokemon fans have theorized Wobuffets body is actually a decoy and his real body is the black tail. If you look closely, the tail has two eyes and the Pokedex explains it’ll protect its tail at all costs.



Photo: Featured: Jarek Tuszyński, Pokemon collection, CC BY-SA 4.0 25. Su-May via flickr. CC BY 2.0, 24. Pixabay.com (Public Domain), 23. Jeffery J. Nichols (User:Arctic.gnome), Malayan Tapir standing, CC BY-SA 3.0, 22. Bulbapedia (Fair Use: Illustrative Purposes Only), 21. NeferiusX via DeviantArt. CC BY 3.0, 20. Onix fighting Pikachu image via Pokemon Wiki used to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of this image falls under the US copyright laws for fair use. 19. Eurritimia via flickr. CC BY 2.0, 18. Image of slowbro via heroes wiki used to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of this image falls under the US copyright laws for fair use. 17. Image of Slowpoke via aminoapps.com used to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of this image falls under the US copyright laws for fair use.16. Zac Zellers via flickr. CC BY 2.0, 15.Image of Cubone via Kotaku.com used to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of this image falls under the US copyright laws for fair use.14. Combination of poliwag image via aminoapps.com used here to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of this image falls under the US copyright laws for fair use; and DrDeniseStanley, Developing internal organs of a tadpole, CC BY-SA 3.0, 13. Pexels.com (Public Domain), 12. Bulbapedia (Fair Use: Illustrative Purposes Only), 11. Bulbapedia (Fair Use: Illustrative Purposes Only), 10. Walter Lim via flickr. CC BY 2.0, 9. Arcanine via bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net used here to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of this image falls under the US copyright laws for fair use 8. Poing image via pokemon.wikia.com used here to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of this image falls under the US copyright laws for fair use. 7. Combination of Meowth via thegamer.com and Pikachu via Nowloading.co used here to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of these images falls under the US copyright laws for fair use. 6. Clefairy via aminoapps.com used here to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of these images falls under the US copyright laws for fair use.5. codl via flickr. CC BY 2.0, 4. Bulbapedia (Fair Use: Illustrative Purposes Only), 3. Mike Mozart via flickr. CC BY 2.0, 2. Smeargle via supercheats.com used here to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of these images falls under the US copyright laws for fair use. 1. Wobuffet via Pinterest used here to illustrate the subject of the narration. It’s believed the use of these images falls under the US copyright laws for fair use.