The mythology of Pokémon is as vast as it is mysterious. This is a franchise whose lore has never been at the front & center of either the action or story– and how can it be when the series is one of the most archetypal monster catching simulators out there. So basic, in fact, many erroneously assume Game Freak were the first to embrace the genre wholesale.
Although Pokémon is an undeniably simple series, it’s not lacking in depth by any means. There’s more to the gameplay than meets the eyes, but the franchise’s lore is surprisingly dense, filled with countless references to real world mythology. Pokémon’s lore offers audiences a rare opportunity to reflect on the finer details of the franchise, all framed through real life mythology.
10 Sinnoh’s Cosmic Egg Creation Myth
According to Sinnoh lore, the Sinnoh region was the first to be created in Pokémon’s universe, which is the series’ way of explaining why Sinnoh has so much mythology regarding the franchise’s cosmology. It’s said that a cosmic egg hatched out of nothing, giving life to Arceus– the first Pokémon and the closest thing Pokémon has to a creator figure.
Cosmic egg myths are present in many cultures, with the Orphic Egg playing a key role in Greek mythology. In the context of Pokémon, Sinnoh’s cosmic egg only leads to Arceus’ birth, putting him on an explicitly higher pedestal than other creatures (to the point where he’s also known in-universe as The Original One.)
9 Mew Was A Species
Given how Legendary Pokémon are often depicted in the games, it’s easy to assume there’s only ever one of each at any given time. In some Generations, this outright has to be the case for the plots to work or make sense. Generation I makes a rather explicit point of Mew and Mewtwo being the sole members of their species, but this in itself makes it easy to take for granted the information that’s really being conveyed in Cinnabar Mansion.
Most people’s takeaway is that Mewtwo is a clone of Mew, when what’s actually fascinating is the confirmation that Mew was a species– and one that’s very much a common ancestor for all life.
8 Pokémon Might Be A Single Species Broken Down Into Sub-Species
There are hundreds of different species of Pokémon, and it’s only a matter of time before there are thousands. Everyone has their favorite Pokémon family and line, but there actually might be more in common between these different species than meets the eye. In truth, it’s more than likely that each “species” is a subspecies of the greater Pokémon species.
Pokémon are often seen as analogous to animals, but given their relationship with Mew, they’re more analogous to humans. Given how extreme Pokémon evolutions can be (and the many things that can influence evolution,) it’s entirely possible every Pokémon is just a very heavily evolved Mew.
7 The Pokémon/Human Connection
The Mew implications aren’t over quite yet. According to more Sinnoh lore, humans and Pokémon were once considered the exact same species– to the point where humans could even marry Pokémon openly. This would make Mew a common ancestor for both Pokémon and humans, along with suggesting that humans are also heavily evolved versions of Mew.
At the same time, this same Sinnoh lore conversely implies that humans stemmed from Pokémon, evolving independently enough where there was no longer any biological overlap. If taken at face value, this is quite clearly what happened as evidenced by the Trainer relationship seen in-game.
6 Ho-Oh & Lugia, The Guardians Of Sky And Sea
Game Freak has always done a great job in ensuring that Legendary Pokémon have a certain mystique and aura of superiority over other creatures in the franchise, both in terms of design and lore. In Generation I, Mew was myth given form while Mewtwo was an experiment gone wrong. Generation II chose to pivot in a more mystical direction.
Ho-Oh and Lugia serve as the Guardians of Sky and Sea respectively. Ho-Oh governs the skies while his Trio– comprised of Entei, Raikou, and Suicune– roam the Earth. Lugia, on the other hand, commonly watches over bodies of water while its trio– Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres– represent ice, fire, and lightning specifically .
5 The Primal Era
Although the citizens of Sinnoh might be right in their belief that Sinnoh was the first region created, it’s unlikely said region was actually created by Arceus. While Arceus created the universe, Generation III establishes that Kyogre and Groudon created the known world– specifically, it was Groudon who shaped all land.
Kyogre and Groudon famously battle it out during this era, forcing Rayquaza to descend from the heavens and divine peace between the two godly beasts. Notably, this is one of the few formative moments in Pokémon’s history that has definitive proof of happening. Archie & Maxie’s plans more or less confirm they’re repeating history.
4 The Legendary Titans And The Prehistoric Ages
The three-age system is a means of classifying prehistory into three specific eras: the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. Rather interestingly, the Regi family of Pokémon can be examined as a means of detailing Pokémon’s own prehistory. Given how they were introduced in Generation III (same as Kyogre & Groudon,) this connection is likely no coincidence.
The three Regi coincide with their own three-age system, detailing the changing of the world throughout their side quest. Regirock represents the early Stone Age, Regice represents the Ice Age, and Registeel represents the Iron Age. Regigigas’ introduction in Generation IV would later clarify that it molded the three Regi– once again connecting the world’s creation back to Sinnoh.
3 Writing Was Developed A Mere 1500 Years Before Generation II
The history of writing dates back all the way to Mesopotamia (circa 3400 - 3100 BC,) with proto-writing dating back even further. It can be difficult to put into perspective just how storied the history of the written form is, which is perhaps why Pokémon opts for a simpler solution: writing was developed 1500 years ago.
The Pokémon alphabet is based on the Unknown alphabet found in the Ruins of Alph. Considering Pokémon’s world seems to be based on reality, this is a rather odd detail. That said, it’s entirely possible forms of writing existed before the Unknown alphabet became the norm (as evidenced by different languages & cultures existing,) or the Unknown language applying solely to Johto.
2 The Creation Of Mewtwo
There are many oddities surrounding Mewtwo’s birth that might actually lend evidence to the human/Pokémon connection. Although Mewtwo is considered a clone of Mew (created via Mew’s DNA,) Mewtwo isn’t hatched– instead born to Mew in a natural, almost human sense.
Most details of Mewtwo’s appearance focus on how artificial he looks in comparison to Mew, which is fair enough, but his traits are also profoundly human. Mewtwo can walk, has thumbs, and can even communicate with a higher level of intellect than most Pokémon. Mewtwo is considered a clone of Mew, but perhaps Mewtwo is also the step between Pokémon and man.
1 The History Of The Pokéball
Using fruit based technology, Pokéballs were first invented in the Johto region. By hollowing out an Apricorn, they can be fitted as a proper home for different Pokémon. Considering how much lore Generation II adds to the series, it makes sense that Pokéballs would be tied to Johto (there’s even evidence to suggest that Kanto Pokémon League is actually Johto’s.)
It should be pointed out, however, the roles Orbs play in the series. Perhaps early inspirations for Pokéballs, Orbs could be used to control certain Pokémon in ancient history. It’s entirely possible the idea to hollow out Apricorns in the first place stems from Orbs.