20 Gaming Facts That Will RUIN Your Favourite Franchise

Ever since it first arrived in Japan in 1996, Pokémon has been delighting fans of all ages from around the world.

With the roster of titular pocket monsters including adorable additions like Pikachu, Eevee, and Piplup, it would be understandable for anyone to believe that the Pokémon games are as colourful and wholesome as the designs of these fan-favourite characters would suggest. However, taking a closer look at some of the critters found in this franchise reveals that this world can be deeply disturbing.

Despite its whimsical appearance, for example, sentient balloon Pokémon Drifloon is described as grabbing small children and taking them to the afterlife. Their entry in Pokémon Moon takes this horrifying image further, stating that its soul "spills out with a screaming sound" when popped.

More unsettling is Phantump, a haunted tree stump that's said to be possessed by the souls of children who got lost in the forest. This ghost-type Pokémon is described as wandering the woods in search of friends, with some entries noting that it can imitate the voice of a child to lure others to their doom.

For a franchise popular with younger audiences, there's an awful lot of dead children.