You Probably Fell For These Pokémon Myths
The "Pokémon" games have been going strong for over 25 years, but it's hard to deny that players interact with the titles a lot differently nowadays when compared to the franchise's beginnings. If you'll allow yourself to don your rose-tinted nostalgia goggles for a moment or two, try to think back to the era of gaming in the late 90s and early aughts. Back then, the internet was a primitive resource that people couldn't pull up at the drop of a hat. Couple that with games of this type being filled to the brim with secrets, cheat codes, and optional side content, and it could genuinely feel like these games had an infinite amount of depth.
Few game series benefitted from that magical combination more than the early "Pokémon" entries. With the creature-collecting titles being the talk of the town amongst the youth generation, it's no surprise that all manner of out-there rumors about secrets within the games ran rampant on the playground. These rumors are easily disprovable nowadays thanks to modern information conveniences, but it's still fun to look back at some of the most classic myths from the beloved RPG franchise that many players might have fallen for. How many of these had you duped?
Voice commands in Gen 4
One of the most novel things about "Pokémon Diamond" and "Pokémon Pearl" is how much they took advantage of the Nintendo DS' unique features. Between turning "Pokémon" into a dual-screen experience and using the system's built-in Wi-Fi capabilities to offer battles with other players over the internet, it's clear that the titles were designed with the hardware specifically in mind. As such, it's not surprising that many fans fell for a myth regarding the games' use of the DS microphone.
After the Gen 4 titles launched, a rumor circulated that players could use the DS' built-in microphone to shout special commands during battles. As Reddit user u/dino_score noted, one common variations of the rumor suggested that saying "Wake up!" or "Snap!" could help a player's Pokémon recover from respective status conditions like Sleep and Confusion sooner, while another variation recalled by u/ErrickJohnson suggested that calling out "Gotcha!" would increase the odds of catching a wild Pokémon.
Of course, there's no evidence that shouting these commands does anything during battle. As it turns out, the only uses for the DS microphone in "Pokémon Diamond" and "Pokémon Pearl" are voice chat during battles and trades with other players, certain trap minigames in the Grand Underground, and recording a custom cry for Chatot, a Pokémon that mimics humans. In any case, the Nintendo 64's "Hey You, Pikachu!" bombed and that game's whole shtick is talking to Pokémon through a microphone, so take that for what it's worth. Maybe The Pokémon Company took that as a sign.
Flying to space in Gen 3
"Pokémon Gold" and "Pokémon Silver" may have given players the freedom to go to a second region, but some players of the Gen 3 trio of "Pokémon Ruby," "Sapphire," and "Emerald" were convinced that they could leave the Pokémon world entirely and travel to space. A popular schoolyard rumor suggested that if players could get the scientist NPC from the Space Center in Mossdeep City to count up to 100 successful rocket ship launches, they would be granted a rocket ride up to space themselves.
This rumor may sound ludicrous, but there were some justifiable reasons why players may have believed it possible. For one thing, the scientist counting up as real-world time progresses is an intriguing detail to implement for such a minor NPC. For another thing, the space-based Legendary Pokémon Deoxys and Jirachi debuted in this generation. Seeing as these two Pokémon were not obtainable through normal gameplay, it makes sense that some players might suspect a secret way to obtain them.
Players may not be able to travel to space in the Gen 3 titles, but that did end up changing with their 3DS remakes. "Pokémon Omega Ruby" and "Pokémon Alpha Sapphire" feature a postgame story campaign that delves into the weird nature of the Pokémon timeline, but also notably features a scene in which players use Rayquaza to travel up to space and battle Deoxys. Now, that's a callback for the fans.
Pikachu's secret evolution in Gen 2
Avid "Pokémon" players today know Marill as the adorable and delightfully round Water/Fairy-type that first debuted in the "Pokémon Gold" and "Pokémon Silver" games. However, there was a time when many fans were absolutely convinced that Marill was a secret Water-type evolution of Pikachu.
The misconception arose primarily due to how "Pokémon Gold" and "Pokémon Silver" were released. Not only did the pair of games debut in Japan nearly an entire year before they came out in North America, but several Johto Pokémon were teased in the anime years before the games were released. When fans got their first look at Marill, a rumor emerged that it the Pokémon was secretly obtainable in the original Gen 1 games. Not only that, but it was actually a creature named "Pikablu" — an evolution or cousin of Pikachu that had somehow been evolved through the use of a Water Stone.
The true details surrounding Marill's identity were cleared up relatively quickly when more info regarding Gen 2 made it to the States. Still, that didn't stop many fans from temporarily falling under the impression that there was a secret extra creature in "Pokémon Red," "Blue," and "Yellow." Interestingly enough, there is at least one reference to Marill's "alter ego" in official media: the Topps trading cards for "Pokémon the First Movie" released in North America even referred to the 'Mon as Pikablu.
Mew hiding under the truck in Gen 1
This is it — the "Pokémon" rumor that nearly every player of "Pokémon Red," "Blue," and "Yellow" heard back in the day. Many "Pokémon" fans were absolutely convinced that the suspicious truck near the S.S. Anne in Vermillion City was actually covering a Mew, and if they could find a way to move the truck — usually involving a combination of HMs — the mythical creature would be theirs for the keeping.
It's not too hard to see why this rumor took off like it did. Even today, the purpose of Gen 1's mysterious truck — which is only temporarily accessible to players by playing through the game in a very specific sequence — remains a mystery. Such a strange, niche detail that many players won't ever encounter by chance seems like it would be the perfect place to hide the rarest Pokémon from the original games.
While Mew was actually obtainable through special Gen 1 events, the elusive creature is not found under the truck, nor does there seem to be any way to move the truck. Still, the notoriety of this rumor earned it a place in "Pokémon" history, and even subsequent games have made references to it. The truck has been retained in both sets of the original games' remakes. "Pokémon FireRed" and "Pokémon LeafGreen" even add a collectible Lava Cookie item near the truck as a nice little nod.