People who are passionate about Pokémon would know that it is not only the fight and evolution that define this series, but also the adventures that the Pokémon accompany their trainers on in various regions. However, just as we have a history that often haunts us every now and then, there are many Pokémon that have histories of loss and loneliness that are very difficult to ignore. It is through the work of Satoshi Tajiri that we see the struggles that these Pokémon have had.
5. Lucario – The Aura Pokémon
The case of Lucario is one of loyalty, sadness, and complex emotions. In the episode ‘Lucario and the Mystery of Mew,’ Lucario is seen being loyal to Sir Aaron, a trainer he holds in great esteem, but eventually witnesses him die, leaving him all alone, as Lucario withdraws into his shell of sadness since he is having trouble coping with the emotions. His attachment to aura makes it easier for him to detect emotions, which makes grief even more unbearable.
4. Meowth From Team Rocket
Meowth, who is part of Team Rocket along with James and Jessie, has a rather tragic past that would have been difficult to follow for those who have been through the anime storyline from the start. In the anime episode ‘Go! Hisui, Go!,’ Meowth says that he developed the ability to walk and talk like a human to impress a female Meowth, only to be rejected. His intelligence and hard work were also ridiculed by other Pokémon, leaving him alone. He became the way he is because he is searching for some companionship and meaning in life.
3. Charmander – The Abandoned Pokémon
Charizard’s origin story is one that made us all cry as children because he was exposed in a couple of episodes when the Pokémon anime first came out. Ash’s Charizard started off as a little Charmander, who was abandoned by his first trainer because he thought he was too weak. He had to fend for himself out in the woods, making him angry and bitter. When Ash found him, Charmander is very difficult and refuses to listen, showing how much pain he has been through because of betrayal. Eventually, Ash gains his trust after realizing how hard he’s trying to help him and doing his best to ensure that he survives, and his passion-fueled fights become a reflection of not only his power but also his pain.
2. Gengar – The Misunderstood Spirit Pokémon
Gengar is said to be mischievous and known as a trickster who is always up to playing pranks and popping up in the shadows to frighten others, but this very playful personality hides a tale of loneliness, abandonment, and yearning that is very inhumane. In the anime series episode ‘The Tower of Terror,’ we can see Gengar haunted in a tower, along with other ghost-type Pokémon. His background hints at the fact that Gengar has evolved out of an abandoned Pokémon, who was left alone altogether by his trainee, and he was simply waiting for him, at the same spot for weeks and weeks, only to understand that he was left behind, and the human he trusted would never return. This answers the question of why Gengar opts for pranks as a means to connect with others, though he never succeeds in this endeavor. Unlike any other Pokémon, Gengar finds himself right at the boundary between life and death, which will feel isolating and very sad.
1. Cubone – The Lonely Pokémon
The story of Cubone is a tragic one. Cubone is known by the nickname “Lonely Pokémon,” as he carries around the skull of his deceased mother on his head. This is a heartbreaking reminder of the death he has witnessed. In the episode of the anime series ‘The March of the Cubone,’ this tragedy was made all too real when we watched Cubone’s mother die at the hands of Team Rocket while trying to protect her child, and the Pokémon was left to face the world alone. This sorrow is shown in the games as well, where it states in the Pokédex that Cubone never takes off his mother’s skull.
