30 Little Known Pokémon Facts

30 Little Known Pokémon Facts 1 Parasect has rare connection to real world Even though Pokémon mythology is based on and reflects reality, most of its locations are extra-terrestrial i.e. they cannot be found within planet Earth. The Kalos and Kanto regions are certainly connected to Paris and Tokyo, respectively, though these games never quote their counterparts from real life. Early Pokedex entries of Parasect happen to be a very rare case where the games draw a reference to a real nation or country. Pokémon Stadium has the Pokedex saying that Parasect spores are applied as medicines in China. That was repeated in the remake, Pokedex of the FireRed for GBA. A strange happening, no doubt. 2 Ash’s Japanese name is a tribute to Pokémon’s creator He is known to American fans as Ash Ketchum with the premiering of the cartoon in the United States in 1998. However, Japanese fans are aware of a different identity of his. From the beginning, Ash was called Satoshi, a common Japanese name, but this too, clearly refers to Pokémon’s creator and boss of Game Freak, Satoshi Tajiri. Meanwhile, Gary Oak, Ash’s one and only original rival, has been named Shigeru, which again is a tribute to Mario and Zelda’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto. This is combining creativity with homage to the creators of one of the most popular games in the world. 3 Game Freak once created a game published by Sega The developer of Pokémon, Game Freak has a perpetual love for Pikachu and has always insisted on developing electric-powered heroes which are predators of Pokémon. Despite Game Freak’s extremely close connections with Nintendo, Game Freak before it created Pokémon manufactured a number of games for several companies. This included Pulseman, a game for Nintendo’s the then rival Sega. The game was not released abroad until recently and that too, on a Wii Virtual Console. It has no sequel either. Game Freak, however, continues to harbour a soft corner for its mascot, the Gen IV Electric/Ghost Pokémon Rotom, bearing a striking and n uncanny resemblance to the hero of Genesis. 4 Pokémon Conquest originally pitched as a Dynasty Warriors game This year, a strange mainstream game, Pokémon Conquest was launched which combined these pocket monsters with Nobunaga’s Ambition, the obscure strategies series. But Tecmo Koei, the original developer, had made a pitch to Nintendo after combining Pokémon with Dynasty Warriors, their more popular franchisee. Nintendo, however, suggested teaming up with Nobunaga because these Warriors games happen to be more violent than it would like Pokémon to be. It was perhaps a strategy to ensure public policy of not escalating violence of any sort, especially when the game involved the participation of young children. Most game manufacturers keep this always in mind. 5 The white “hair” of the male hero in Ruby/Sapphire is actually a hat Each and every kid thinks that all Pokémon series stars are extremely fashionable. As each generation evolves year after year, the designs of the characters changed radically with the changing times and the character seen in the maiden GBA title was a grand stand out because of his shock of snow white hair. The visual shows a very trendy youth in Bermudas worn over trousers with a bag slung fashionably across his chest and a hair that does not match his age because it’s snow white. It turned out that he was actually wearing a hat and the colour of his hair happens to be black. 6 Pokémon Snap was originally for the 64DD and not a Pokémon game For many an early Pokémon fan, the Pokémon Snap surely cuts a soft corner in their minds and hearts. It was a photo hunt that operated on virtual principles and shot players straight into the grand Pokémon world. It, therefore, came as a surprise too many players that photo hunt wasn’t originally created to involve these loveable creatures. A former senior employee of HAL, the developer and Nintendo’s current president revealed that Pokémon was brought into the game after the photography was developed and was set to match the N64 Disc Drive, a revolutionary concept then. But after the add-on flopped both in America and Japan, these plans were shelved. 7 Pokemon Puzzle League was never released in Japan Long-time and loyal fans of Pokémon have always got their favourite Pokémon games as soon as they have hit the markets in Japan. Moreover, there have been certain games that were never marketed outside the country. Pokémon Puzzle League, however, was one such game that broke this practice and rather reversed the norm. It was basically created for the American fans of the Pokémon series as the N64 became very unpopular with Japanese users and the creators decided that it wouldn’t be worth importing the game. It, therefore, remains the one and only Pokémon puzzle that the Japanese fans never got to see as there was no official release. 8 Pokemon had a game on SNES (kind of) Pixelated qualities mark many a Pokémon game and they are all associated with SNES, However, the series really did not take off till the N64 replaced the Super NES. The latter incidentally was the principal home console of Nintendo. In spite of this, a single game created for a 16-bit system hit the markets in Japan only. Picross NP as it was called was a puzzle collection series based on franchises of Nintendo, with a single volume created on Pokémon. What is more interesting is the fact that the game came to be based on a Pokémon Picross game that had been originally formulated for another game, Game Boy. 9 Gold and Silver was planned to include a skateboard It is truly a grand moment for the trainer when he is granted a bike to ride in a game so that he traverses the game at a much faster pace. Historically, however, when Silver and Gold first made their appearance in Japan, Game Freak, their developer wanted to add to the frolic and fun by also introducing a skateboard and we see Gold here dancing merrily on one. This was eventually weeded out for no known reasons but game players and watchers feel that a skateboard certainly would have added to the speed of the game and add to its enjoyment. 10 Ruby/Sapphire is the only game in the main series where you see the star’s father It is indeed strange that one hardly gets to see a father figure in any of the Pokémon series. It seems as if there are no fathers in this world. Every main game except for Ruby/Sapphire is dominated by a mother figure and a father is always missing. Generation III, however, changed the concept by introducing a father for the first time but then again he is a Gym Leader waiting for you to defeat him. After Norman, however, the series continues to leave its protagonists in a fatherless state. One wonders how they were created without fathers! Immaculate Conception? 11 Brock has opened his eyes on three different occasions in the anime We all have been introduced to the Ash’s various interesting companions on his travels. But who could replace Misty and Brock, his first and original friends, who have simply captured our hearts. Those who have been with the anime from the beginning have in all probability noticed that Brock keeps his eyes perpetually closed. However, as joke, he briefly opened them thrice. God! His eyes are as wide and round as his grin and make quite a ghastly sight! It sure gives you the creeps and we sure hope that he keeps them closed as always. Shuteye Brock is more acceptable. 12 Victini is the only Pokémon with the Pokédex number 000 When a new Pokémon game is launched, it brings in a new Pokédex to carry descriptions of all old and new monsters. The game’s region does not really matter here but the Pokédex always has to start at one. It was Black/White that finally changed the rule by introducing Victini, the cute Fire/Psychic. His spot in the Unova Pokédex is the 000 and 494 in the National Pokédex. The Pokedex is a helpful tool to refer to while identifying new and old monsters for those who have been introduced to the series at later stages and remembering its number is essential. 13 Game Freak got its start as a magazine Game Freak, the developer of Pokémon, launched several games earlier on but not too much commercial success or critical acclaim. It was long before its monsters became popular worldwide and its senior most employees knew how to manufacture games that Game Freak was started sometime in the early Eighties as a magazine for small game enthusiasts. It was the creators of game Freak magazine who would later on give birth to Pokémon as the story goes. It was a transformation from writing on games to manufacturing them but the original name eventually stuck. From pen to game manufacturing, as the story goes. 14 Ash sees Ho-Oh in the first episode of the anime, years before it appears in Gold/Silver When the Pokémon anime series began, Ash as a trainer was having a terribly tough time trying to train the ever disobedient Pikachu. What inspired him to keep trying? Pokémon, who was to become a legend later on as we all know, remained unidentified then and wasn’t officially introduced in this series for a few more years? Initially, the presence of the bird which later on became the legendary Ho-Oh of Generation II was also kept vague. This is perhaps the hallmark of most hit serials where the script keeps changing perpetually and adjustments made according to its rising popularity. 15 The Swords of Justice legendaries in Black/White are based on the Three Musketeers Each Pokémon is unique to its own in terms of its origin, though a couple of recent ones seem to have a distinct French background. It could have escaped your notice that Cobalion, Virizion and Terrakion, which have been nicknamed The Swords of Justice, respectively correspond to Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Keldeo, the more recently released Pokémon corresponds to the relatively more inexperienced and youngest Musketeer, d’Artagnan. This shows that Pokémon’s creative strategy is shifting more towards the world classics in order to increase its global appeal. This becomes more apparent in the recent movie, Kyurem vs The Sword of Justice. 16 Pokemon game for the Sega Pico It sure made news when Sega opted out of the global console market and started publishing games using Nintendo hardware. Pokémon, on the other hand, managed to cross an even steeper barrier: It loaded a game manufactured by Nintendo on a console by Sega. The Pico, as it was called, flopped in the United States, but Japanese kids being brought up on the concept of edutainment were still vouching for it. Thus, Pokémon made a couple of special appearances in a game series for Pico. This comprised Pico touch pads that taught Japanese kids to write Japanese katakana and hiragana alphabets. 17 The first legendary birds each have a pun you might have missed Names from the English language are quite commonly used in the Pokémon series and are adorned with cute puns. More intelligent and well read viewers and players of the Pokémon series have been able to interpret them and also enjoyed them immensely. However, to the majority of Pokémon fans, especially children, these might have remained unknown. Take for example the first three birds in the series. They were called Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres which in Spanish mean the numbers 1, 2 & 3. This shows the creativity and deep thinking that go into the making of such an all time winner. 18 The Kanto region is based on a region in Japan with the same name Till Gold/Silver hit the market, Pokémon fans in America had no idea of the place in Red/Blue. Once this was revealed, Pokémon players who had some idea of Japanese geography were taken aback. The region’s name was Kanto, in which major Japanese Japanese cities like Yokohama and Tokyo are to be found. In addition to this, Pokémon’s Kanto brought other famous Japanese areas within the ambit of the game. These included Mount Silver in place of Mount Fujiyama. The following generations of Pokémon creators and players have been inspired by other major Japanese regions when constructing, studying or learning their maps. 19 A republican politician unintentionally quoted Pokemon Herman Cain had his own pizza joint before taking up politics and eventually became the republican presidential nominee in 2011. In one of his speeches, he unintentionally used a quote from the lyrics of the song, Power of One from the movies Pokémon 2000. Cain was heard saying that life is and can be impossible and a challenge and things are not easy when so much is on your line. But yes, all of us can make a huge difference because we are all here with a particular mission tailor made for each individual. This was the first time that the word Pokémon was uttered by a presidential candidate in a public speech. 20 Brock for some reason thinks rice balls are donuts Pokémon, together with its anime have now become universal property, given their worldwide popularity. However, the fact that it was purely a Japanese creation becomes apparent and it owes its roots to Japan. This pops up because of a running joke early in the series. Brock constantly makes simple rice balls called Onigiri that is generously served to the group. American children, however, are unable to understand what Onigiri is and by mistake, think that donuts are being served. This undoubtedly implies that Brock isn’t the expert nutritionist that he claims he is and understanding of Japanese cuisine remains somewhat shaky to Americans. 21 Clefairy was almost the mascot for the series As the unstoppable march of the Pokémon series goes on and its popularity increases day by day, one simply can’t think of anybody but Pikachu following Ash. In the initial planning stages, however, when the anime was being created, it was decided that a Clefairy would accompany Ash, with the clawed and pink guy lending support to Ash on all his adventures. Eventually and subsequently, the idea was changed before the airing of the show. The first few episodes had a Clefairy accompanying the Ash in the Red/Blue manga. This is of course, typical of most hits where changes are constant. 22 Ninetales is based on the same Japanese legend as a beast in the Naruto anime Ninetales was a grand favourite as the first generation of Pokémon’s hit the market. It had those crazy fire attacks and was so cute in terms of appearance. It was also an inspirational creature. Japanese mythology is famous for its magical fox that pops up quite frequently and is known for its trickery and shape-shifting. Then there’s the strong fox that breathes fire and has nine tails! Ninetales is based on this and also inspires the beast Kurama, that remains locked within Naruto, the ever popular star. Actually, Japanese folklore has vastly inspired the creation of the Pokémon series and most characters are based on it. 23 Limited edition Waffles and Pop-Tarts Pokémon has not been confined to appearing on currency alone. It has made its way into waffles also, much to the delight of children. When Pokémon hit the top of the popularity charts in the United States, Kellogg’s made use of these pocket monsters to create “Limited Edition” Pop-Tarts and Eggo Waffles which also featured some favourites from Gen I. These Pop-Tart sprinkles were shaped like Gen I starters and added a wonderful touch, with children especially loving Gengar’s ever smiling face on the waffles. However, do remember that these have long since been withdrawn from the market and eating them could be risky. 24 Pokémon have even appeared on money Such is the worldwide popularity of the Pokémon series that Pikachu, the adorable electric mouse has found its way into currency note faces. In Niue, an island of the South Pacific, which prints its own currency despite accepting the currency of New Zealand, the local government engraved Pikachu on their coin of one dollar in 2001. These were part of a series of special coins that Niue created for collectors. It is indeed a matter of great pride for the Pokémon series as so far no other game series has made it to official currency faces.Another feather to the cap of Pokémon. 25 Pokémon Crystal was able to communicate with cell phones in Japan Thanks to advanced Japanese technology, Pokémon Crystal was fitted with a special attachment that enabled players to hop online for collecting special items. Game Freak was seriously attempting to hook up with the Net much earlier on in the history of Pokémon. This particular feature, however, was abandoned in the United States because American-made average cell phones weren’t as advanced as their Japanese counterparts. Nowadays, it’s a common site to see young Japanese children expertly playing Pokémon games on their cell phones which their American counterparts are unable to do. The series’ potential has increased manifold with this advancement. 26 Nintendo’s home consoles have appeared in many of the mainline games As you start playing Pokémon games, you come across a host of secrets that constantly keep intriguing you. They lie hidden within the games but the ever favourite Easter egg makes a compulsory appearance as you start playing the games. In a number of mainline entries that the series has, the principal character is the owner of a home console manufactured by Nintendo that usually matches the Generation with its same history. As technology develops further, it’s about time we expected a Wii U in our bed and living rooms. These consoles will now become part of living and bed room décor. 27 Meowth almost appeared in the first Smash Bros Ever since it was created, Pokémon undoubtedly has been an indispensable and integral part of Super Smash Bros, a Nintendo brawler. This also includes Jigglypuff and Pikachu which can be played in all the 3 releases. Initially, developers and creators of Smash thought of creating a 3rd Pokémon, Meowth, based on the character’s popularity. Of course, ultimately he didn’t make it. His role was, however, altered to be one of the numerous Pokémon which launch their attack when a Poké Ball is thrown. This is typical of cartoon games creations where alterations and additions are constantly made to increase the game’s popularity. 28 Rhydon was the first Pokémon created It’s common knowledge that Arceus is the grand old man in the Pokémon series and the first to make its appearance in this game universe. However, many don’t know that Rhydon was the maiden Pokémon to be designed ever. If you closely review early Capsule Monsters designs, you will find Rhydon appearing multiple times looking very much the same as seen in his final form. That’s why Rhydon statues appear randomly while you are playing certain games and underscore his importance. Of course, Rhydon makes such frequent appearances in most games that it’s very difficult to simply ignore his importance. 29 Originally in Red/Blue, you could battle Professor Oak Professor Oak, the permanent supplier of wisdom and wisdom in the entire Pokémon series is a committed character and his scientific wisdom and knowledge surpasses all. It was decided initially, however, that you could fight against him while playing the original games. Game Shark hacks reveal, Pokémon is present at a high level as a team to battle it out in standard trainer battles, but becomes inaccessible minus the device. We guess that at some junction, the game developers decided to make Professor Oak the only support source and he has remained so ever since. Professor Oak, in sum, continues to be wisdom and help personified. 30 Gold and Silver were planned as the final Pokémon games Satoru Iwata, Nintendo President and Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of Pokémon Company were interviewed and both said that Silver and Gold were supposed to be the final Pokémon games as they were being developed. Ishihara even went on to say that that he had no intentions of adding any more Pokémon characters or titles. With the company’s entry into the Twenty First century, its business focus, too, would change entirely and it would start manufacturing something totally different. He had to, however, alter his plans completely after Silver and Gold’s resounding success which raked in huge revenues and he stuck to his original business plan.

2 Ash’s Japanese name is a tribute to Pokémon’s creator

Murtaza Rangwala

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