Death in the Pokémon world
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Death is a recurring subject in the Pokémon franchise. Throughout the history of the Pokémon world, many people and Pokémon have been known to have perished. Across the Pokémon world, various burial grounds have been built to honor the dead.
There also exists ghosts which are spirits of dead humans or Pokémon. Ghost-type Pokémon, however, are described as fully alive creatures often reborn from such spirits. This distinction has existed since Generation I, which introduced Ghost-type Pokémon along with the ghosts of Pokémon Tower. Additionally, in the games and anime, it has been suggested that some Ghost-type Pokémon themselves are able to die.
In the games
Burial grounds
In Kanto, Pokémon Tower houses hundreds of graves of deceased Pokémon in all of its seven floors. Many people visit the building daily to pay their respects to the fallen. Prior to the events of the Generation I games and their Generation III and Generation VII remakes, Team Rocket tried to steal the Cubone to sell their valuable skulls. In the process, a mother Marowak that was protecting her Cubone child was killed. During the events of the Generation II games and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the House of Memories was built to hold graves from the Pokémon Tower when it was converted to the Kanto Radio Tower.
In the Sevii Islands, the southern segment of Memorial Pillar serves as a grave site to an Onix, nicknamed Tectonix, that was loved immensely by its Trainer.
In Hoenn, Mt. Pyre houses the many graves of Pokémon. Many grieving Trainers also visit the Tower to pay their respects. After the Delta Episode in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the player can find Phoebe near the summit, talking to spirits. She says she came to visit her grandmother, upon whom the player character made a lasting impression.
In Sinnoh, Lost Tower is the resting ground for deceased Pokémon. A Roughneck visits the Lost Tower to mourn the killing of his Pokémon by Team Galactic. In Unova, the Celestial Tower is a burial ground for deceased Pokémon. At the top of the tower is a bell, which mourners can ring in remembrance of their lost Pokémon. In Pokémon Black and White, the player can meet Champion Alder here, ringing the bell to comfort the spirit of his very first Pokémon.
In Kalos, mysterious stones can be found on Route 10 which are actually the graves of Pokémon who were sacrificed 3,000 years ago in order for their life forces to energize the ultimate weapon that was used by AZ to end the war.
In Alola, Hau'oli Cemetery is a graveyard for people and Pokémon alike from across Melemele Island, appropriately filled with tombstones and memorial flowers. People often come here to pay their respects to their deceased loved ones. Some of these people are Trainers missing their dead partners, and in Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, they are willing to battle the player to try to forget about their sadness. After the player has obtained the Ride Pager, they can visit the cemetery at night to meet a woman riding a Machamp. She explains to the player how she's paying respects to her dead husband, who died in an accident years ago. Her Machamp, which originally belonged to her husband, was narrowly saved from dying in the same accident by being recalled back into its Poké Ball at the last second. Overcome by survivor guilt, Machamp came to dislike its Poké Ball and flung it off somewhere.
On Akala Island, Memorial Hill is a burial site for the old, mighty families of Alola. It is said to have been established at this site due to the proximity of the Ruins of Life to the north, the belief being that those buried here wanted to be laid to rest close to the Akala Island guardian deity, Tapu Lele. Being the most notable gravesite in Alola, people from all over the region tend to travel here to see the graves.
In Galar, the Old Cemetery can be found within the Giant's Bed in the Crown Tundra.
Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2
Prior to the events of Pokémon Black and White, Alder's starter Pokémon died of an illness, and in despair over not being able to save it, he began traveling around aimlessly. The Pokémon's death changed Alder's outlook on life. The identity of this Pokémon is never mentioned in Black and White, but dialogue in Pokémon Black and White 2 reveals that Alder's late partner was a Volcarona, which evolved from a Larvesta.
Pokémon X and Y
Three thousand years prior to the events of Pokémon X and Y, a war broke out between two countries. This long conflict was drawn out and many lives were lost. People treated Pokémon with special powers as mere tools in their conflict, so they gathered lots of Pokémon, including Pokémon with unique powers. In order to emerge victorious, the soldiers believed that they needed even more powerful Pokémon. AZ loved his Floette, which he had received from his late mother, but it was forcefully taken from him by the soldiers and became just another sacrifice in the war. AZ received the body of his beloved Pokémon some time later, and out of unspeakable grief, he built the ultimate weapon to restore it to life. He succeeded, but unable to overcome his despair, he turned the machine into a weapon, with which he destroyed both sides of the conflict, ending the war. His Floette, disgusted with the fact that the machine was powered by the life energy of other Pokémon, left him.
Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon
Prior to the events of Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, the island kahuna of Poni Island passed away, leaving the island with no kahuna for several years.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
According to his League Card in Pokémon Sword and Shield, Allister claims to be able to see deceased Ghost-type Pokémon.
Pokédex entries
Some Pokédex entries refer to the deaths of people and Pokémon.
- The strength of the flame on the end of Charmander's tail is an indication of its health. Its entries in Pokémon Y and Pokémon Shield specifically state that Charmander would die were its flame to go out.
- Primeape has been known to become so angry that it dies. However, its said that its face looks peaceful in death.
- Gastly's entry in Pokémon Ultra Moon suggests that it is comprised of 95% poisonous gas and 5% the souls of those who have died from the poisonous gas. Its entry in Pokémon Ultra Sun, on the other hand, poses that Gastly was formed by gas emanating from a graveyard possessed by the grievances of the deceased.
- Gengar is known to take the lives of others by slipping into their shadow and waiting for an opportunity. It often targets people lost in the mountains, but has also been known to take people in the dark corners of rooms in their homes. It is said that Mega Gengar tries to take the lives of anyone and everyone around it. Gigantamax Gengar's mouth is rumored to lead to the afterlife, and it is said that it lays traps hoping to steal the lives of those it catches.
- Cubone wears the skull of its deceased mother.
- Marowak gets its bones from an unknown place; there is a Marowak graveyard located somewhere in the Pokémon world. The skull of Cubone's deceased mother fuses to its head when it evolves.
- Alolan Marowak dances in mourning of lost members of its kind. The bones it possesses belonged to its deceased mother; it has transformed the spirit of its mother into its flames. Mounds of dirt on the sides of roads are said to be the graves of Marowak.
- Omastar died out due to its heavy shell making it too slow to catch and eat enough prey to survive.
- If Spoink ever stops bouncing, its heart will stop and it will die.
- Legends suggest that Froslass was formed when the spirit and lingering regrets of a lost woman who died in the snowy mountains possessed an icicle.
- Yamask is said to have arose from the spirits of people that were interred in graves.
- Hisuian Zorua is a once-departed soul returned to life.
- If Klang's minigear does not return after being launched at an opponent, it will die.
- Lampent appears the moment before someone dies to steal their spirit from their body.
- It is said that when Yveltal reaches the end of its life, it'll absorb the life energy of everything around it and turn back into a cocoon.
- Sandygast is said to embody the grudges of the dead.
- If Minior's core stays exposed for too long, it will eventually die; though it may survive if it's put into a Poké Ball quickly enough.
- Basculegion clads itself in the souls of comrades that perished before fulfilling their goals of journeying upstream.
In the anime
In the early seasons of the anime's English dub, several references to death were removed by 4Kids Entertainment.[citation needed]
On two separate occasions the plot of a villainous team arc has ended in a situation that ambiguously implies the death of a primary antagonist. In Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, Pokémon Hunter J and her team are on board their ship when it is destroyed by the lake guardians' attacks in Unlocking the Red Chain of Events!; and in Pokémon the Series: XY, Lysandre disappears after the Zygarde's final attack in Rocking Kalos Defenses!.
As shown in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, some Ghost-type Pokémon, despite their name, can still die. This was first mentioned in Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?, where Acerola revealed that her Shiny Mimikyu, Mimikins, is in fact the ghost of a deceased Mimikyu. Later, in A Timeless Encounter!, it is revealed that Professor Kukui had once befriended a Totem Trevenant that he nicknamed Elder. It is later revealed that Elder has since died, its body now a regular tree, though the circumstances of the death weren't revealed. Giratina is another Ghost-type whose life has been in danger, in Giratina and the Sky Warrior. However, despite this, it still appears that many Ghost-type Pokémon, particularly ones who are more similar to traditional ghosts, are indeed immune to the ravages of time and can live on indefinitely; for instance, a Yamask shown in A Night in the Nacrene City Museum! was told to be millennia old.
Pokémon: Indigo League
Two thousand years prior to the events of The Ghost of Maiden's Peak, a war took place and soldiers were shipped overseas from Kanto to the battlefield. A maiden was in love with one of the soldiers who was sent to war, and she swore to wait on the cliff until her love returned, but he never did. According to legend, she died while standing there, and her body became a part of the cliff itself.
Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon
The subject of death was dealt with directly several times in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, with some Pokémon being seen dying, as well as showing a main character dealing with the death of a parent (as opposed to the usual instance of absent parents almost never being mentioned).
In Showering the World with Love!, several Minior fade away into the atmosphere due to no longer being protected by their shells, similar to how Minior are explained to "die off" if their core is exposed for too long in their Pokédex entry for Pokémon Moon.
In the movies
Several deaths have occured during or prior to the events of many of the Pokémon movies.
- In Mewtwo Strikes Back, shortly after gaining consciousness, Mewtwo destroys the lab on New Island, presumably killing everyone inside.
- In The Uncut Story of Mewtwo's Origin, the clones of the Kanto starter Pokémon and Amber died inside their test tubes.
- In Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, Celebi appears to die after being freed from the Iron-Masked Marauder's control. Ash attempts to heal Celebi in the Lake of Life and tries to feed it Berries that it likes, to no avail. However, a portal appears and other Celebi from the past and future travel through it and successfully revive Celebi.
- At the end of Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias, Latios had to sacrifice himself to save Alto Mare, and turned into the new Soul Dew, just like his father in the past.
- Prior to the events of Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, Sir Aaron is said to have died fighting in a war between two unknown armies. During the events of the movie, Lucario sacrifices itself to save Ash and the Tree of Beginning to protect the balance between Pokémon and nature. The two appear to reunite in the afterlife.
- Prior to the events of I Choose You!, a Luxray owned by Sorrel and his family froze to death after he and Sorrel got lost in a forest during a blizzard.
- Fifty years prior to the events of The Power of Us, Harriet's Snubbull died in a fire while retrieving the key to the power plant.
In the manga
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Pokémon Adventures
Gold, Silver & Crystal arc
It's revealed that in the past, in a snowy region, a young Pryce watched as his two Lapras fell to their deaths in an avalanche. Pryce then noticed a crackling sound in his pocket, which turned out to be a Pokémon Egg. The Egg hatched into a baby Lapras, which began looking for its now-deceased parents in vain. With tears in his eyes, Pryce begged the Lapras to forgive him. Pryce then decided to capture Celebi in order to travel in time and reunite his Lapras, La Glace, with its parents in the past.
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc
When the Devon Corporation came to the Embedded Tower in hopes of capturing Rayquaza so that the Pokémon Association could study it, Aster fought alongside Rayquaza in order to stop them. Though the battle went unseen, Rayquaza was successfully captured and taken away along with several Key Stones that Aster had collected. When Zinnia arrived at the tower, she found the area in flames and that Aster had died during the battle. Traumatized by Aster's death, Zinnia began to cry so much that her voice eventually gave out. She also took a partially burnt cloak belonging to Aster as a memento. With Aster dead, the title of Lorekeeper was passed down to Zinnia.
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Trivia
- The Japanese name of the Fainting status condition is ひんし near death.
- The Japanese name of the move Oblivion Wing is デスウイング Death Wing.
- Vulpix's Pokédex entry in Pokémon Moon suggests that it can spew flames that seem to resemble the spirits of the deceased, which are sometimes mistaken for real ghosts.
- On the official Pokémon Scarlet and Violet website, it is stated that Ceruledge gathers the lingering regrets of the fallen into its swords in order to use the move Bitter Blade. [1]
References
See also
