Ten Pokedex Entries That Will Make Your Skin Crawl
Introduction
What device is synonymous with Pokemon? If you said the Pokedex, you'd be correct! First introduced in Generation I all the way back in 1996, the Pokedex has served as a guide for all aspiring trainers. A way to learn more about the now over 1,000 creatures that inhabit this expansive world. But, many dark, depressing, and downright bizarre secrets are locked within its depths. So, today, I wanted to look at some of those Pokedex entries that make our skin crawl with ten disturbing Pokedex entries in the vast and diverse world of Pokémon.
Cubone
Let's start with the most well-known of these dark entries, the heart-wrenching tale of Cubone. This little Pokémon, carrying the skull of its beloved mother, adds a layer of profound sadness to its story. The Generation III description captures this feeling with its poignant words: Cubone "pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of its mother in the full moon, it cries. The stains on the skull the POKéMON wears are made by the tears it sheds."
It's a heartbreaking reminder of love and loss. Thinking of how much Cubone is going through tugs at my heart and makes me feel for his struggle. I can only say that somebody needs to hug my man. Seriously.
Drifloon
This one's gotten a lot of exposure for a different reason. While Cubone describes a tale of sorrow and despair, Drifloon's story is less sad and more malicious. According to many entries, Legends Arceus, for example, Drifloon, is said "to lure away young children and carry them off to the afterlife." The first of our many ghost Pokemon on this list, it's easy to see why one is slightly creepy. Imagine your child is playing outside one day, only to disappear under mysterious circumstances. Although, if you're a more heavy-set fellow like me, you should be good as it does that Drifloon is known to "dislike heavy children."
Drampa
Bullying is wrong. This is something we can all agree on. Drampa takes things to a whole new level because in Ultra Sun, "If a child it has made friends with is bullied, Drampa will find the bully's house and burn it to the ground." Let me reiterate. It will find the bully's house and BURN IT TO THE GROUND. Of course, you have to ask. Are you really a true friend if you're unwilling to commit arson for someone you care about?
Yamask
And back to depressing. Now, tons of Pokémon are said to have once been human, with many being ghost-type. Our entry here is no exception. Yamask is said to carry "a mask that used to be its face when it was human." Kinda dark but not the worst until you read the last bit. "Sometimes they look at it and cry." So, just being a person who had died and is now a yamask. Not only do you have to continue living your life (or whatever it is, ghosts have), but you are also forced to carry around the only reminder you have of your past life. An eternal reminder of what you had and what you have lost.
Shiinotic
Shiinotic is an interesting one. On the surface, it looks harmless. But be cautious, for behind those soulless black eyes lies a monster. You find yourself wandering deep in the forest, completely lost. You look around and see nothing but darkness. But then, you see it. The flickering spores of Shiinotic. You may be tempted to approach, but watch out! According to its entry in Sword, these flickering spores are used to "lure in prey and put them to sleep. Once this Pokémon has its prey snoozing, it drains their vitality with its fingertips." And while you may think that this only applies to other Pokémon, Shield clears this up when it says if YOU "see a light deep in a forest at night, don't go near. Shiinotic will make you fall fast asleep." A true monster.
Phantump
Haunting us since Generation VI is a ghost/grass Pokemon that takes creepiness up to a whole 'nother level. According to legend, these Pokemon are stumps possessed by the spirits of lost children who died in the forest. It is also said to imitate a child's voice to get people hopelessly lost in the forest. But what makes this especially said is that it isn't for any nefarious purpose as, in Ultra Sun, Phantump is said to do this because it is" trying to make friends with them." Yeah, no thanks.
Palossand
While its pre-evolution Sandygast could earn a spot in its own right, Palossand is the epitome of viciousness. Known as the beach nightmare, it drags smaller Pokémon down into the sand, where they are drained of their vitality and left with nothing but dried-up bones beneath the sand. But it gets worse. The entry for Scarlet makes it infinitely more terrifying by stating that it drains them of vitality 'whenever it pleases,' implying that it doesn't drain them immediately but can keep them down there until the mood strikes it. And that's not all! Palossand can fire its victims' bones at attackers through the hollows in its arms, which is, frankly, pretty terrifying.
Hattrem
Everyone gets emotional sometimes, whether it be the sadness that accompanies a funeral or the elation you feel when you say I do. Just make sure not to bring these strong emotions around hattrem. To Hattrem, strong emotions feel like loud noises, and, like any sane person, it'll do whatever it takes to quiet the noise. Violently. It does this by using the braids on its head to get the point across. And how strong are those braids? Looking at its entry from Shield, they have enough power behind them to knock out a professional boxer. So, unless you want to find yourself coldcocked on the ground, you better learn to keep your emotions in check.
Shedinja
Shedinja is one of my favorite Pokémon and a strange one at that. As a result of the evolution of Nincada into Ninjask, the seemingly dead husk isn't as dead as you may think. A Pokémon that flies without so much of a flutter of its wings, with its inside appearing as nothing but a hollow, dark void. While this is creepy enough, Shedinja goes a little further because it's in the business of stealing souls. It is believed that this creature can steal the soul of anyone unfortunate enough to peer into the hole on its back. This is unfortunate, considering that we have to face the back of this Pokemon to battle.
Cacturne
And last but certainly not least, we have Cacturne. For anyone looking to traverse the desert, it may be better to travel during the day. Cacturne is a Pokemon that primarily operates at night, remaining unmoving during the day to avoid losing moisture to the blazing desert sun. But once the sun descends beneath the horizon, you have best watch your back, for you may find yourself with a few unfriendly shadows named Cacturne following close behind, waiting for you to tire before making their move.
Now, this one's self-explanatory. It's not creepy in a dead kid or soul-stealing kind of way but more in the same vein as Palossand and Shiinotic. It's the thought of several of these Pokemon following behind you in the darkness, waiting for their chance to strike as your body gives in to exhaustion.
And while they may not be the tallest at 1.3 m (4′03″), they certainly make up for it in the weight department, being 77.4 kg (170.6 lbs). So maybe think twice about traveling in the desert alone at night.
Conclusion
And that's the list! I hope you all enjoyed it because I certainly know I did. I tried to do something different this time and had a lot of fun with it. But I'd like to hear your thoughts! Was there a Pokemon that you think deserves a spot up here? Why? Leave your comments down below.
