10 Terrifying Secrets Hidden In Pokémon Games

Pokémon became a legitimate media phenomenon in very short order.

The video games sold like electronic hot cakes, and following them was a wave of media and merchandise so great that in the western world they called it "PokéMania". Trading cards, an anime, a feature film and Pikachu plastered on every item of clothing imaginable; Pokémon captured a massive audience of primarily children.

It's bright and colourful designs and captivating creatures made it a hit with kids, with adults more than happy to let them lose themselves in this world of imagination. Of course, there has always been push-back to the series from various groups that claim it promotes animal cruelty and even occultism.

Naturally, that is a silly notion... but that's not to say that there isn't murkiness lurking under the surface of this mega-franchise.

Throughout the Pokémon games there are rarely viewed scenes, hidden details about Pokémon's true natures and even rare creatures themselves that are not all happiness and rainbows. If you thought Lavender Town's creepy music was unnerving then that's just the start when it comes to the secret darkness of Pokémon.

There’s a lot of questions to be asked about life after death in this world considering Pokémon has an entire type of monsters that are “ghost” type. The games also, if investigated, feature several ghost people too.

In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Phoebe is the Elite Four’s resident ghost specialist. Apparently this doesn’t just stop at her preferred Pokémon type but she has a powerful connection with all kinds of spirits. During the conversation with her before battle, it’s possible to very briefly spot a female figure on a seat nearby.

We get an odd POV shot from this ghostly being’s eyes and then, almost totally obscured because of the camera view, she lurks ominously behind the player.

Phoebe makes mention of training on Mt Pyre, which itself has a connection to the afterlife. In the original games, the player meets an elderly married couple there. In the remakes, only the old man is present. However, very few players will return here after beating the Delta Episode post-game and, if they do, they’ll find Phoebe laughing and joking with no one else around.

If the correct dialogue options are picked, Phoebe will imply that she is talking with her deceased Grandmother - presumably the lady from the original game and the spectator from your earlier battle. Chilling.