The first Pokémon games came out in 1996 with Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue. Since then, the games have undergone many changes, with each installment introducing new mechanics, moves, and lore.
With such big games and an even bigger franchise, it is easy to forget some previously-established rules. Sometimes there can be a glitch that keeps a part of the game from fulfilling its intended effect. Other times the game can turn its back on its mythos. Subsequent installments may or may not fix these problems, but they always leave a mark that remains a part of the franchise forever.
10 Blue Oak Has No Specialty
Gym Leaders in the Pokémon games are often the final test of their respective towns. While they may have a few Pokémon that deviate from the norm, they are known for specializing in a single type.
In Generation II, Kanto's final Gym Leader, the rival and former champion of Gen I, and the 16th Gym Leader overall, Blue Oak broke this rule. Blue's team is diverse, composed of Pokémon from his Gen I arsenal. No one addresses this oddity, and it's baffling given that Generation V's rival, Cheren, was forced to alter his team to fit the Normal type when he became a gym leader.
9 Rainbow Rocket Giovanni Implies Having Battled A Child
Generation VII's post-game involves battling Team Rainbow Rocket. The opponents are grunts and team leaders from the previous Pokémon games' evil teams. The main difference is that these characters came from a timeline where the protagonist never existed to stop them, as evidenced by their capturing of important legendary Pokémon.
Giovanni of Generation I's Team Rocket is the final challenge. Despite coming from a timeline where the protagonist never existed, as seen through his possession of Mewtwo, he claims battling a child makes him feel nostalgic. It is unlikely he would have a challenger that would make him feel such a way, as there aren't that many other successful characters in the game.
8 Focus Energy Didn't Do Its Job In Generation I
Back in Generation I, the critical hit ratio was based on Speed. The move Focus Energy was supposed to multiply the critical hit ratio by four. This mechanic would allow Pokémon to inflict a crit regardless of Speed and, by doing so, push through stat changes, typing, and sometimes even level disadvantage to cause a hefty amount of damage.
However, a glitch back then made it so that Focus Energy would divide the critical hit ratio by four rather than multiply it. This mistake pretty much made critical hits impossible to get. Fortunately, the move was fixed for the original Pokémon Stadium game, where it worked as intended.
7 Cyrus Somehow Has A Crobat
The Generation IV games pit the protagonist against the evil team known as Team Galactic. Their leader, Cyrus, makes it clear to the player that he does not consider his Pokémon as friends or partners in any shape or form.
Despite this statement, he possesses a Crobat in his final battles, which undoubtedly evolved from the Golbat he had in his initial ones. Golbat only evolves into Crobat with a high enough friendship. Other prominent Crobat users like Janine would be able to develop the required friendship to evolve one, but certainly not Cyrus.
6 Kurt's Poke Balls Don't Properly Function
One of the gimmicks of Pokémon's Generation II was the item known as the Apricorn. There were seven different colors, and a man named Kurt in Azalea Town could turn them into custom Pokéballs that could fulfill unique purposes. Unfortunately, Kurt's interesting inventions hardly worked in their debut generation.
For instance, the Love Ball (made from a Pink Apricorn) should be effective on Pokémon of the opposite gender. However, a glitch made it so that it only works on Pokémon of the same species and gender. The Moon Ball (made from a Yellow Apricorn) was supposed to help capture Pokémon that evolve via Moon Stone. However, a glitch nullified this effect in Generation II, rendering it into an ordinary Poke Ball.
5 Eevee Couldn't Access All Of Its Evolutions In Heart Gold and Soul Silver
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver were remakes of the Generation II games with Generation IV graphics and mechanics. As a result, many of the games' original elements were altered to fit the Generation IV mechanics. Like in the original games, the Pokémon PC's creator Bill gifts the player an Eevee in HeartGold and SoulSilver.
In the original versions, Bill claims that Eevee evolves in new and unknown ways, referencing Umbreon and Espeon, who had debuted that generation. In the remakes, he says Eevee can evolve into seven different Pokémon, which references Glaceon and Leafeon's Generation IV debut. However, Eevee can't become either in Heart Gold or Soul Silver as there are no areas with Ice or Moss Rocks.
4 Lance Has Three Under Leveled Dragonite
Dragonair evolves into Dragonite at the late level of 55. The process is tedious, but Dragonite's strength makes it worth the reward. Generation II's Champion Lance proves to be a daunting foe by packing three Dragonites on his team. However, not a single one of them is level 55 or higher.
As a result, many fans have amusingly accused Lance of using Team Rocket's forced evolution at the Lake of Rage that he helped stop alongside the player. While Lance was neither the first nor last opponent to have under-leveled but powerful Pokémon, he is the most blatant example of the mechanic.
3 It Was Impossible To Catch All 151 Pokémon Legitimately In Generation I
The slogan of the early Pokémon games was "Gotta Catch 'em All." The franchise started with 151 Pokémon. They all required extensive searching and trading with friends due to certain Pokémon only evolving through trade, others being exclusive to one version, and still others only being available once per game.
Nevertheless, all the searching and trading won't lead the player to capture all 151 Pokémon. The 151st Pokémon, Mew, is unavailable through normal means. The only ways to acquire it were through a specific glitch that few people knew about around the time the game came out, or through the many giveaway events.
2 Lumiose City Allows Everyone Else To Pass
Every Pokémon game has roadblocks that keep the player from accessing an area until a task gets cleared. Usually, a person will block the protagonist's way, informing them of something that is happening or needs to get done.
In Generation VI's Lumiose City, a construction worker claims that there is a blackout ahead of the area he is blocking and that no one can go further until the problem is solved. It will remain this way until the player solves the dilemma at a nearby Power Plant. However, the path is well-lit, and NPCs are seen passing through the area with total ease.
1 Roaming Pokémon Can Disappear Without Being Defeated
Generation II introduced the concept of roaming Pokémon. These Pokémon were usually Legendaries that would flee at the start of an encounter unless hit by a trapping move. In any case, they were difficult to track down and capture. If the player knocked them out, they would disappear for good.
Generation III continued this concept in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. Depending on what starter the player picked, they would track down one of the three Legendary Beasts. Like in Generation II, if they got knocked out, they would be gone forever. However, if the roaming Pokémon used Roar to end the battle, that would also cause them to permanently disappear off the map, for seemingly no reason.