It takes a real stick-in-the-muk to demand sound science from a world
that contains electric mice, moon creatures, and malevolent balloons.
It's usually easier to just cry wizard and move on, but Reddit user
nameless88 apparently isn't one for easy answers. In early 2013,
nameless noted that the inside of a Pokeball seems to be covered in
mirrors, and hypothesized that "the pokemon is converted into light, and
then bounces around inside the pokeball at lightspeed... Pokemon
possess the ability to convert matter to energy, and the pokeball just
exploits this."
That theory led to a landslide of other ideas, each making more sense than the last. Pokemon convert energy into matter, allowing them to manifest fire, stars, giant hands and such for their attacks. Humans and unconscious Pokemon can't be captured with a pokeball, because they can't execute the conversion. Pokemon store energy as they gain experience, and when they evolve, the massive amount they release is converted into their new bodies. Basically, this theory suggests that Pokemon is more scientifically sound than the entirety of The Core.
5. Cubone is a mutated baby Kangaskhan
That theory led to a landslide of other ideas, each making more sense than the last. Pokemon convert energy into matter, allowing them to manifest fire, stars, giant hands and such for their attacks. Humans and unconscious Pokemon can't be captured with a pokeball, because they can't execute the conversion. Pokemon store energy as they gain experience, and when they evolve, the massive amount they release is converted into their new bodies. Basically, this theory suggests that Pokemon is more scientifically sound than the entirety of The Core.
5. Cubone is a mutated baby Kangaskhan
Sometimes a theory becomes so prominent and widely accepted that fans
start to believe it was developers' intention all along, and we’re just
waiting on some leaked concept art or creator commentary to seal the
deal. One widespread theory on the nature of Cubone's origins fits that
bill: it asserts that when a Kangaskhan dies, her baby takes her skull
and wears it, becoming a Cubone and starting a different evolution path.
Morbid, right?
This theory is supported by the fact that a baby Kangaskhan has a model nearly identical to that of a Cubone, with only slight color differentiation. Further, both Pokemon share a uniquely strong mother-child connection, and no one really knows what happens to a baby Kangaskhan as it ages. The idea has become so popular that some claim it to be fact, and assert that Red and Blue's infamous Missingno glitch was actually intended to be the bridging evolution between Cubone and Kangaskhan before it was removed.
This theory is supported by the fact that a baby Kangaskhan has a model nearly identical to that of a Cubone, with only slight color differentiation. Further, both Pokemon share a uniquely strong mother-child connection, and no one really knows what happens to a baby Kangaskhan as it ages. The idea has become so popular that some claim it to be fact, and assert that Red and Blue's infamous Missingno glitch was actually intended to be the bridging evolution between Cubone and Kangaskhan before it was removed.
4. Slowpoke is omniscient
Slowpoke, second only to Magikarp and Bidoof in terms of mockery, is
regularly ridiculed for its sluggishness--its Pokedex entries describe
it as "incredibly slow and dopey," and say that "awake or asleep, there
is little difference [for Slowpoke]." Slowpoke does resemble these
remarks, sporting a perpetual glaze-eyed stare and only vaguely
responding to being attacked. However, things get complicated when one
notices it's a Psychic type, which are hyper-intelligent, and that it
evolves into one of the smartest Pokemon in the world. One starts to
wonder what exactly is going on in that poke-brain.
The folks at TVTropes came up with a mind blast of an answer: everything. Slowpoke is pokey because it's omniscient, and the constant bombardment of information leaves it detached and unresponsive to the world around it. According to this theory, a Shellder's bite (which is supposed to "inspire" a Slowbro) actually hinders Slowpoke's omniscience by grounding it in the here and now. Suddenly, it makes sense that Slowpoke evolves into the super-smart Slowking--it just needs a little, highly poisonous nibble to focus its thoughts.
The folks at TVTropes came up with a mind blast of an answer: everything. Slowpoke is pokey because it's omniscient, and the constant bombardment of information leaves it detached and unresponsive to the world around it. According to this theory, a Shellder's bite (which is supposed to "inspire" a Slowbro) actually hinders Slowpoke's omniscience by grounding it in the here and now. Suddenly, it makes sense that Slowpoke evolves into the super-smart Slowking--it just needs a little, highly poisonous nibble to focus its thoughts.
3. Dittos are corrupted Mews
Generation I's favorite legendary critter, Mew could be regarded as
the ultimate Pokemon, since it's technically all of them at once: its
genetic code contains the DNA of every Pokemon in existence, and it can
transform into any one at its leisure. There's only one other Pokemon
capable of pulling that trick: Ditto, the mimic blob, and that's not the
only similarity they share. In fact, they have enough in common that
some have theorized Ditto are Mew. They’ve just been corrupted.
The evidence for this one is simple, but compelling. Ditto and Mew are the only two Pokemon that can use Transform. They have the same coloration, both in their normal and Shiny forms. They--stay with me here--weigh the same amount, at 8.8 pounds. Altogether, these small commonalities create a semblance that's actually pretty convincing. What corrupted the Ditto-Mews is anyone's guess--maybe they were failed clones (there's established lore in Pokemon that scientists have tried to clone Mew, that's why Mewtwo exists), or transformed so much that they forgot what they used to be.
The evidence for this one is simple, but compelling. Ditto and Mew are the only two Pokemon that can use Transform. They have the same coloration, both in their normal and Shiny forms. They--stay with me here--weigh the same amount, at 8.8 pounds. Altogether, these small commonalities create a semblance that's actually pretty convincing. What corrupted the Ditto-Mews is anyone's guess--maybe they were failed clones (there's established lore in Pokemon that scientists have tried to clone Mew, that's why Mewtwo exists), or transformed so much that they forgot what they used to be.
2. Arceus used the Unown to create the universe
When a creature gets a nickname like "The Original One," there's a
good chance it's going to be a god allegory, and Arceus is no exception:
born at the beginning of existence, its Pokedex entry claims it "shaped
the universe with its 1,000 arms," which seems pretty godlike. However,
given that it's an equine Pokemon with only legs to speak of, one
wonders just what those "arms" were--and some point to Unown as Arceus’
tools of creation.
Unown, weak while alone, but can alter reality when brought together: for instance, a group of them are able to create Entei and a crystal palace out of thin air. This theory suggests that Arceus uses the Unown to work its will, like in the Sinjoh Ruins, where clouds of Unown appear when Arceus manifests the egg of one of the creation trio Pokemon. For the still skeptical, consider the following: the sound made by a plethora of Unown is heard as an Azure Flute--the very item that allows for an encounter with Arceus in the wild. Coincidence?
Unown, weak while alone, but can alter reality when brought together: for instance, a group of them are able to create Entei and a crystal palace out of thin air. This theory suggests that Arceus uses the Unown to work its will, like in the Sinjoh Ruins, where clouds of Unown appear when Arceus manifests the egg of one of the creation trio Pokemon. For the still skeptical, consider the following: the sound made by a plethora of Unown is heard as an Azure Flute--the very item that allows for an encounter with Arceus in the wild. Coincidence?
1. Pokemon don't say their names--language was created around their battle cries
Language is weird. Just as often as words are created to describe
something, the characteristics of that thing become influential in the
formation of those words. An onomatopoeia, for instance, is a word that
imitates the sound it describes, like boom or screech. It is effectively
the source of its own name, and language changes to conform to that.
Nope, this isn't your 10th grade English class, this idea just applies
perfectly to the theory that Pokemon aren't saying their names at
all--instead, the sounds they make influence language.
Think about it: what is the likelihood that a fire salamander would not only recognize a pun-tastic word-smush as its name, but have the vocal ability to mimic it? Isn't it more believable that early humans heard "Charmander" and saw it light stuff on fire and started to associate that to "charring" stuff? Oakham's razor (Oakham's razor?) says that humans likely integrated the cries of Pokemon into language organically, showing how important Pokemon are to the development of human society. …and you just learned something from magic fighting energy monsters.
Think about it: what is the likelihood that a fire salamander would not only recognize a pun-tastic word-smush as its name, but have the vocal ability to mimic it? Isn't it more believable that early humans heard "Charmander" and saw it light stuff on fire and started to associate that to "charring" stuff? Oakham's razor (Oakham's razor?) says that humans likely integrated the cries of Pokemon into language organically, showing how important Pokemon are to the development of human society. …and you just learned something from magic fighting energy monsters.
