Pokemon is for children, right? Wrong. A great deal of the fandom grew up with Pokemon. People stay because they love the characters, some making new friends, others, the battling. The reason that the older people love the battling is because of how complicated Pokemon truely is. For a 'kids' franchise, the mechanics are amazing, I'd be gobsmacked if I ever saw a child in the main demographic, 6-12, truely grasp it.
In alot of ways, it's an adults franchise made to look like a kids one, to sell more games. But there is one great problem with Pokemon's fandom. A great deal of it has next to no comprehension skills. Be them children or adult.
Someone is now going to shout at me. I know it. People don't like the truth. It hurts. But why would I insult a large fanbase like this? The Legendaries and the Pokedex.
Let's go back to 1999. Mew. The first event Pokemon. It was said to be the original one, the one all Pokemon evolved from. But was this exactly stated in the games? No. It was never stated. I link you to it's Bulbapedia (The Pokemon Encyclopedia) entry.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Mew_(Pokémon)
Mew can learn every move, is very powerful and is the last in it's region. But that isn't what I am after, it's the Pokedex entries.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Mew_(Pokémon)#Pok.C3.A9dex_entries
While I'd love to know where the 'Original One' statement started, it is much older, Pokemon Silver is the originator of the entries allegedly to say Mew is the Original One.
'It's DNA is said to contain the Genetic Codes of All Pokemon, so it can use all kinds of techniques'
Mmm. I can see why this assumption started, but, only with children. This is where comprehension comes in. 'It is said" or something to that meaning, 'It's DNA is said to contain' in this case, does in no way say 'It's DNA contains'. It says it might. But Mew learns every move, something touched on frequently because of how unique it is.
Crystal adds to the 'Original One' Myth.
'Because it can learn any move, some people began research to see if it is the ancestor of all Pokémon.'
Again. It doesn't state it. It says there is research into the subject.
Mew was hyped up because it was both secret and one of the main attractions of the first movie, so Mew has alot of magical memories around him. I can see why people would want to believe this.
Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald more or less say the same thing as Silver. Fire Red, however, adds something new.
'A Pokémon of South America that was thought to have been extinct. It is very intelligent and learns any move.'
The South America thing is old, and not important, considering every main game has been in Japan. The fact it is ancient is not too important either, there are alot of Fossil Pokemon now, from sea creatures to dinosaurs. It is very intelligent isn't either, just provides food for thought. If it is intelligent, does that explain why it can learn every move? Would that proceed to cancel out it's 'Original One' status? Would that also explain why Mewtwo cannot learn every move? Alakazam is also said to be incredably intelligent, but the problem here is that Alakazam is given an exact figure, an IQ of 5000, Mew has no exact figure. So, food for thought, no exact facts. Back to the Pokedex.
All of G4, so far, DPPt, say the following:
'Because it can use all kinds of moves, many scientists believe Mew to be the ancestor of Pokémon.'
Again, vague wording. Believe is not Know. The Pokedex is very vague with the Legendary Pokemon, but why? Surely if something is said to be something by the people who created it, it is, correct? Well, no. Game Freak are very smart, and always have been. They left leeway for similar myths and alligations in different areas. Mew has one of these. Arceus. The Original One.
Is Arceus stealing Mew's 'thunder'? No, not at all. Arceus is god, apparently, but it's Pokedex entries are evident that it is not true and it is obvious in comparason to Mew's. Arceus throws comprehension out the window and makes the fandom look stupid. It is just that obvious that the Pokedex is not fact.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Arceus_(Pokémon)#Pok.C3.A9dex_entries
DIAMOND
'It is described in mythology as the Pokémon that shaped the universe with its 1,000 arms.'
PEARL
'It is told in mythology that this Pokémon was born before the universe even existed.'
PLATINUM
'It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world.'
I do mean to be cynical here, but do I even have to explain anything where Mythology is involved? Let alone the fact it is a quadrapedal animal, not 'milleniapedal'? Platinum atleast is a bit better, using the usual, 'It is said' phrase, common to most Legendary Pokemon. I do not want to go into the why of 'Arceus is not god'. My talk about Mew's entries says this for me, I'd be repeating myself.
But one Pokemon breaks the mold. It's entry went from fiction to fact. It is the Legendary Pokemon, Giratina.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Giratina_(Pokémon)#Pok.C3.A9dex_entries
DIAMOND & PEARL
'A Pokémon that is said to live in a world on the reverse side of ours. It appears in an ancient cemetery.'
DP contain the generic 'It is said". When you meet Giratina, it's like a shadowy illusion. Unless Platinum and it's mascot were preplanned, I gather they were going for it being an illusion generated by Arceus here. No facts, just vagueness. Then Platinum comes.
PLATINUM
'It was banished for its violence. It silently gazed upon the old world from the Distortion World.'
All fact, about a Legendary?! PERPOSTERUS! But yes, it happened. Giratina does live in the Distortion World, a new name for the Reverse World, not like they could take that back after Platinum's Distortion World quest, and it was violent. We don't know if it is still violent, but it was then.
This is the first and only(so far) change of the norm.
But back to Mew and Arceus. Why does GameFreak do this? That is an easy question. The legendaries need an interesting story. There are only so many ones you can think up/take from religion or scientific theory. Different places have different myths about the same things. Reuse the same idea, make a new monster.
The point of this artical is to get people to read the pokedex properly, not throw insults, even though I have. The Pokedex does not contain 'facts' about many Legendary Pokemon. It contains myths, legends and hearsay about them. From Moltres bathing in Lava to Palkia & Dialga controlling Space & Time respectively. Pokemon needs reading and comprehension skills, as stated on the current boxes, more than it lets on.
In alot of ways, it's an adults franchise made to look like a kids one, to sell more games. But there is one great problem with Pokemon's fandom. A great deal of it has next to no comprehension skills. Be them children or adult.
Someone is now going to shout at me. I know it. People don't like the truth. It hurts. But why would I insult a large fanbase like this? The Legendaries and the Pokedex.
Let's go back to 1999. Mew. The first event Pokemon. It was said to be the original one, the one all Pokemon evolved from. But was this exactly stated in the games? No. It was never stated. I link you to it's Bulbapedia (The Pokemon Encyclopedia) entry.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Mew_(Pokémon)
Mew can learn every move, is very powerful and is the last in it's region. But that isn't what I am after, it's the Pokedex entries.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Mew_(Pokémon)#Pok.C3.A9dex_entries
While I'd love to know where the 'Original One' statement started, it is much older, Pokemon Silver is the originator of the entries allegedly to say Mew is the Original One.
'It's DNA is said to contain the Genetic Codes of All Pokemon, so it can use all kinds of techniques'
Mmm. I can see why this assumption started, but, only with children. This is where comprehension comes in. 'It is said" or something to that meaning, 'It's DNA is said to contain' in this case, does in no way say 'It's DNA contains'. It says it might. But Mew learns every move, something touched on frequently because of how unique it is.
Crystal adds to the 'Original One' Myth.
'Because it can learn any move, some people began research to see if it is the ancestor of all Pokémon.'
Again. It doesn't state it. It says there is research into the subject.
Mew was hyped up because it was both secret and one of the main attractions of the first movie, so Mew has alot of magical memories around him. I can see why people would want to believe this.
Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald more or less say the same thing as Silver. Fire Red, however, adds something new.
'A Pokémon of South America that was thought to have been extinct. It is very intelligent and learns any move.'
The South America thing is old, and not important, considering every main game has been in Japan. The fact it is ancient is not too important either, there are alot of Fossil Pokemon now, from sea creatures to dinosaurs. It is very intelligent isn't either, just provides food for thought. If it is intelligent, does that explain why it can learn every move? Would that proceed to cancel out it's 'Original One' status? Would that also explain why Mewtwo cannot learn every move? Alakazam is also said to be incredably intelligent, but the problem here is that Alakazam is given an exact figure, an IQ of 5000, Mew has no exact figure. So, food for thought, no exact facts. Back to the Pokedex.
All of G4, so far, DPPt, say the following:
'Because it can use all kinds of moves, many scientists believe Mew to be the ancestor of Pokémon.'
Again, vague wording. Believe is not Know. The Pokedex is very vague with the Legendary Pokemon, but why? Surely if something is said to be something by the people who created it, it is, correct? Well, no. Game Freak are very smart, and always have been. They left leeway for similar myths and alligations in different areas. Mew has one of these. Arceus. The Original One.
Is Arceus stealing Mew's 'thunder'? No, not at all. Arceus is god, apparently, but it's Pokedex entries are evident that it is not true and it is obvious in comparason to Mew's. Arceus throws comprehension out the window and makes the fandom look stupid. It is just that obvious that the Pokedex is not fact.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Arceus_(Pokémon)#Pok.C3.A9dex_entries
DIAMOND
'It is described in mythology as the Pokémon that shaped the universe with its 1,000 arms.'
PEARL
'It is told in mythology that this Pokémon was born before the universe even existed.'
PLATINUM
'It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world.'
I do mean to be cynical here, but do I even have to explain anything where Mythology is involved? Let alone the fact it is a quadrapedal animal, not 'milleniapedal'? Platinum atleast is a bit better, using the usual, 'It is said' phrase, common to most Legendary Pokemon. I do not want to go into the why of 'Arceus is not god'. My talk about Mew's entries says this for me, I'd be repeating myself.
But one Pokemon breaks the mold. It's entry went from fiction to fact. It is the Legendary Pokemon, Giratina.
http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Giratina_(Pokémon)#Pok.C3.A9dex_entries
DIAMOND & PEARL
'A Pokémon that is said to live in a world on the reverse side of ours. It appears in an ancient cemetery.'
DP contain the generic 'It is said". When you meet Giratina, it's like a shadowy illusion. Unless Platinum and it's mascot were preplanned, I gather they were going for it being an illusion generated by Arceus here. No facts, just vagueness. Then Platinum comes.
PLATINUM
'It was banished for its violence. It silently gazed upon the old world from the Distortion World.'
All fact, about a Legendary?! PERPOSTERUS! But yes, it happened. Giratina does live in the Distortion World, a new name for the Reverse World, not like they could take that back after Platinum's Distortion World quest, and it was violent. We don't know if it is still violent, but it was then.
This is the first and only(so far) change of the norm.
But back to Mew and Arceus. Why does GameFreak do this? That is an easy question. The legendaries need an interesting story. There are only so many ones you can think up/take from religion or scientific theory. Different places have different myths about the same things. Reuse the same idea, make a new monster.
The point of this artical is to get people to read the pokedex properly, not throw insults, even though I have. The Pokedex does not contain 'facts' about many Legendary Pokemon. It contains myths, legends and hearsay about them. From Moltres bathing in Lava to Palkia & Dialga controlling Space & Time respectively. Pokemon needs reading and comprehension skills, as stated on the current boxes, more than it lets on.
