For generations, the world of Pokémon has remained a favorite for people of all ages, thanks to its iconic take on the monster-collecting genre and the wonderful designs it has to offer. No matter if a fan prefers the original video games or the popular anime, there is truly a medium for any fan of the franchise to enjoy. The entire roster of Pokémon featured in the media is always expanding and always evolving, so there is also a species for any fan to make a favorite of.
Though the franchise is wrought with whimsical color palettes and childlike wonder, Pokémon does not shy away from dealing with more serious subject matter. One of the earliest examples lies with Kanto's Lavender Town, a location made infamous due to the ghostly Pokémon Tower where Pokémon souls are laid to rest. A slightly more modern example lies with the entire narrative of Pokémon Black and Pokémon White; in an attempt to make himself the sole Trainer in the Pokémon world, the wicked Ghetsis manipulates an orphaned child into becoming the "king" for his organization.
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10 Cubone's Mother Is Murdered in Cold Blood
Marowak Haunts the Pokémon Tower After Her Death
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Marowak is a common Ground-type Pokémon from the Kanto region, known for its signature skills using its bone club weapon in battle. For some reason, all Marowak had lost their mothers during their time as a Cubone. The exact reason for the demise of their parents is not known, though it is a reoccurring theme in the lives of all Cubone. In Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Yellow, as well as their remakes, one Marowak's story is brought to life.
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Before her death, Marowak lived in peace with her son, Cubone; tragically, their tranquil existence would change forever after encountering Team Rocket. While the Bone Keeper Pokémon was attempting to keep her child safe, Marowak was killed by some of Team Rocket's grunts, leaving Cubone alone. However, their story does not end there, for both Cubone and Marowak's ghost reappear at the Pokémon Tower. The player, depending on the game, may have to fight the ghost to help her ascend to the afterlife; meanwhile, Pokémon: Lets Go, Eevee! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! do not include this battle, but a heartwrenching cutscene where Marowak's spirit meets with her child one last time before ascending.
9 Red and His Friends Are Turned To Stone
The Protagonists Remain in This State for a Long Time
In the FireRed & LeafGreen arc of Pokémon Adventures, veteran Pokémon Trainer Red and his friends Blue and Green must once again face off against the evil Team Rocket. Green is overjoyed to reunite with her long-lost parents, yet they are taken away by a mysterious black hole before they can meet; meanwhile, Professor Oak has gone missing, and is now at the mercy of Giovanni and his followers. Thankfully, Red and his allies are not alone in this fight, for other Trainers such as Yellow and Silver have joined up to help the heroes take down their foes. Even Mewtwo, the Genetic Pokémon created by Team Rocket, agrees to help Red defeat Giovanni.
Pokémon Adventures is well-known for its much darker take on the world of Pokémon, and the finale of the FireRed & LeafGreen arc is no different. After everything that the heroes do to bring peace back to their world and their lives, they are once again met with a new obstacle, and a rather shocking one at that. When the heroes are exposed to a strange light, the three original protagonists, as well as Yellow and Silver, are turned to stone. They remain in this form for a long time, only to be freed near the end of the Emerald arc.
8 Pokémon Adventures: Ruby and Sapphire Has Shocking Casualties
Norman and Steven Die During Hoenn's Disaster
The Ruby & Sapphire arc, based off of the original Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire duo of video games, showcases a much more violent story than the one featured in the games. Ruby, the son of the Gym Leader Norman, wishes to be a top Pokémon Coordinator, though he has a secret talent for battling that he wants to keep hidden. Meanwhile, Sapphire, the daughter of Professor Birch, adores the natural world and dislikes anything relating to the traditional idea of beauty. The two do not get along well at all initially, yet are forced to work together once their destinies become intertwined with the looming threat arriving in Hoenn.
Like the storyline of Pokémon Emerald, both Archie and Maxie succeed in awakening Kyogre and Groudon, though a much darker twist is brought to light in the manga: the two villains are now the puppets of the very ancient beasts they chose to anger. In the process of quelling the rage of Kyogre and Groudon and summoning Rayquaza, Norman grows weak and dies in front of Ruby after the two are able to reconcile. Meanwhile, Steven Stone, who had been controlling the three legendary giants of the region, passes away around the same time, much to the horror of fellow Pokémon Champion Wallace.
7 N Is Merely a Pawn to His Adoptive "Father"
Ghetsis Uses the Young Man for His Ultimate Plan
Pokémon Black and Pokémon White are infamous for the themes that the narratives tackle in their wake. The bond between a Trainer and their Pokémon is powerful, but what if this relationship actually hinders the Pokémon? In his many speeches, Team Plasma's Ghetsis preaches the importance of "liberating" Pokémon, the act of Trainers releasing their Pokémon into the wild. While it is true that some Pokémon would prefer to live in the wild away from humanity, there are also several Pokémon who have been raised alongside humans and wish to stay by their side.
In truth, Ghetsis does not care at all about Pokémon, nor their well-being. Years ago, he encountered an abandoned child alone in the forests of Unova, a boy with the ability to communicate with Pokémon. Thus, he took the child, now named Natural Harmonia Gropius (or simply "N") to his palace, where the Team Plasma leader stated that N would become their "king". However, Ghetsis would forbid N from leaving the castle for most of his life, only to interact with Pokémon who had been abused or neglected by their previous Trainers; when N was allowed to leave his home as a young adult, he had adopted a twisted perception of the world around him, a perspective specially crafted by the man who acted as his "father".
6 The Horrors of the Distortion World
A Realm That Giratina Is Forced To Haunt
Long ago, the Renegade Pokémon, Giratina, was banished into a reverse form of the universe due to its violent nature. From its shadowy prison, it peers into the Pokémon world in silence. However, this ancient Ghost/Dragon-type would find itself back in the Pokémon world eons after its banishment, thanks to the plans of Team Galactic in Pokémon Platinum. Unhappy with the way of the world and wanting to start anew, Cyrus summons Giratina from its prison in order to create this perfect new world...by destroying the current one.
Unfortunately for Cyrus, Giratina is not as willing to work with him as the Team Galactic Leader had assumed. After emerging from the Distortion World, the Renegade Pokémon takes Cyrus away into the alternate dimension. The hero, be it Dawn or Lucas, must then travel into the Distortion World to face off against Giratina, though this new realm proves to be a dizzying journey. In the end, right after Giratina is stopped, Cyrus never returns to his original world, adamant on creating the "perfect" universe he desires so much.
5 Lucario Meets the Same Fate as Its Trainer
Both Characters Sacrifice Their Lives for the World
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Many eons ago, the town of Rota and the Cameran Palace were facing their most dangerous threat yet. Two neighboring kingdoms waged a violent war nearby, and their battle was soon to continue in Rota; if the war did not come to an end, Rota would fall. Sir Aaron, an Aura Guardian working for the Cameran Palace, selflessly gave his own life to power the Tree of Beginning, in which Mew could soothe the troubled hearts of the armies. However, Sir Aaron would leave behind his Pokémon, Lucario, who believed its Trainer to have betrayed it.
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Generations later, Lucario is reawakened by Ash and must navigate a world both familiar and unfamiliar to it. Though the Aura Pokémon does not harbor any more trust towards humanity (save for its loyalty to Queen Rin and her descendants), it joins Ash on a journey to the Tree of Beginning, where Mew has whisked away Pikachu and Meowth. Over the course of the journey, Lucario reflects on its life and the memories it shares with Sir Aaron, even learning the truth behind the Aura Guardian's final actions. In order to save its new friends and the Tree of Beginning, Lucario sacrifices its own life at the end of the film, just like Sir Aaron.
4 The Heartbreaking Story of AZ and Floette
A Man Once Built a Machine To Revive His Beloved Friend
Eons ago, the young king of the Kalos region was given a Fairy-type Pokémon as a companion. Floette and the king were the best of friends, though dark forces would soon come to surround the two. A terrible war was raging in the Pokémon world, causing soldiers to seek out especially powerful Pokémon to fight for their side; to the young king's horror, his Floette would be taken away as a soldier for the war. Years later, he is given a small coffin containing his beloved Pokémon friend.
In his grief, the king built a machine that brought Floette back to the land of the living; however, his rage had not yet quelled. To avenge her death, the king turned the machine into the ultimate weapon of legend and absorbed the lives of many Pokémon to power it. When used, this terrible creation wiped out countless soldiers and Pokémon, thus ending the war that had destroyed the king's life. This act, however, horrified Floette, and she left the king, who had become immortal thanks to the power of the weapon. The former king, now known as AZ, would wander the earth aimlessly for centuries, constantly searching for Floette.
3 Team Flare and the Ultimate Weapon
Lysandre Dooms Himself and Xerosic Nearly Destroys Emma
The descendant of AZ's brother, Lysandre, is deeply concerned with the idea of beauty, or at least his version of it. Despite his ancestor AZ's warnings, Lysandre and the rest of Team Flare uncover the buried ultimate weapon and plan to use it to create a new world without the ugliness of strife or the bitterness of despair. However, using this machine would sacrifice countless innocent lives, something that troubled Lysandre but not enough to cease his plans. In the end, his plan would fail, and he would be buried under the rubble that was once Team Flare's headquarters.
Following his leader's failure, Xerosic sets his own plans into action, starting with Emma, a local street orphan. Emma believes that she is simply helping the scientist run some tests while she is asleep; in reality, she is placed in a superpowered suit that Xerosic uses to control her and wreak havoc throughout the city. Looker and the player thankfully uncover this plot and free Emma from Xerosic's plans, though the damage has sadly already been done. To everyone's surprise, Xerosic does not fight against his arrest, adding further mystery to his character.
2 Pokémon Are Forced To Fight Their Newborn Clones
Mewtwo's Pain Brings More Suffering
Created in a laboratory by Team Rocket's scientists, Mewtwo awakens to a new world repulsed by how the humans perceive it as nothing more than an experiment, especially after its time in a dream world with its fellow clones. In its rage, it destroys the lab, though it is taken away by Giovanni in the aftermath. Mewtwo places its trust in the Team Rocket leader, though breaks free after realizing that Giovanni simply wished to use the Genetic Pokémon's powers for his own gain. Mewtwo then takes to rebuilding the ruins to create its own palace, and vows to rid the world of humanity.
After tricking several Trainers, including Ash, into visiting its abode, Mewtwo captures everyone's Pokémon. These Pokémon are used to create clones, beings who only know of fighting as soon as they are born. The original Pokémon are thus forced to fight against their clones, shocking the humans watching and creating a somber atmosphere. Meowth, however, does not fight its clone, realizing that the two are not so different.
1 Ash Is Turned To Stone in the First Movie
The Legendary Trainer Temporarily Dies for the First Time
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It has not been long since Ash began his journey as a Pokémon Trainer, yet he has already made lifelong friends and forged lasting friendships with his Pokémon, especially the spirited Pikachu. However, their trip to meet a self-proclaimed "Pokémon Master" goes awry when they discover it is Mewtwo, a creature who holds great bitterness in its heart towards humanity and wishes to create a new world without them or their Pokémon allies. The other Pokémon, Mewtwo's clones, thus fight brutal matches against the Pokémon they are made from, distressing those around them.
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Ash wishes to put a stop to this strife, and leaps in front of Mew and Mewtwo just as the two strike great psychic energy blasts at the other. In the process, Ash is turned to stone; this event even shocks Mewtwo, who had never seen a human act so selflessly. Pikachu and the other Pokémon, clone or otherwise, are driven to tears, mourning the brave Pokémon Trainer. However, their tears are what revives Ash in the end, delighting the bystanders and helping Mewtwo see humanity in a new light.
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Pokemon
Expanding across a multitude of media, including TCGs, video games, manga, live-action movies and anime, the Pokémon franchise is set in a shared world of humans and creatures with a wide variety of special abilities.
Created by Satoshi Tajiri
First Film Pokemon: The First Movie
Latest Film Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
First TV Show Pokémon
Latest TV Show Pokémon Horizons
First Episode Air Date April 1, 1997
Video Game(s) Pokémon GO , Pokemon X and Y , Pokémon Legends Arceus , Pokémon Scarlet and Violet , Pokémon Sword and Shield , Pokémon Diamond & Pearl , Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl , Pokemon Red and Blue , Detective Pikachu , Detective Pikachu Returns , Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! , Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!
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