Plenty of people out there love Pokémon, from diehard fans to casual admirers of the longstanding and massively popular global phenomenon – tons of people have at least some level of familiarity with it. Though it has a large older following, the games are designed and typically aimed twaords a younger audience. Most of us were children when first introduced to the series, and because of that many people tend to assume that the world of Pokémon is this peaceful, harmonious utopia of child friendly camaraderie and goodness. But they’re wrong. Very wrong.

While it is, in most aspects all of what was described above – there are plenty of darker, sinister elements that are kind of played off or mentioned in passing throughout the games that really aren’t focused on and instead are teased rather briefly. One big one is the Pokédex entries that for the most part are glanced over fairly quickly by the average player. But if you’d take the time to read and go through some of these entries and their many variations, you’d get a much different picture of tons of seemingly innocent and harmless Pokémon that you’ve interacted with over the years.

25 Where’s My Baby? – Drifloon

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In the generally kid-friendly and fun-loving world of Pokémon we still find some pretty crazy things every so often. While most Pokémon look relatively harmless, others are quite fearsome. But in the case of Drifloon, all is not what it seems. It’s a Ghost-type, so you know that there’s going to be some dark undertones in its history.

“It is whispered that any child who mistakes Drifloon for a balloon and holds on to it could wind up missing.”

Yikes. Who would’ve thought that something so cute could be so devious? We tend to think of the world of Pokémon as a relatively safe and peaceful place. But how safe can you be if these things are running around snatching kids on a whim.

24 Kiss Of Death – Haunter

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Those of us who grew up watching the Pokémon animated series probably remember Haunter as a trickster type Pokémon, inclined to mischief along with the rest of its evolutionary line. While that might’ve been highlighted in the show, this Pokémon has a much more sinister background.

“Its tongue is made of gas. If licked, its victim starts shaking constantly until death eventually comes.”

That’s one of Haunter’s Pokédex entries and boy does it give you a taste of just how dangerous this thing can be. They really toned it down in the show. If you think of the amount of young trainers that you’ve fought over the years who’ve used Haunters in battle, then you can probably piece together that just by trying to catch and train these things they’ve been in grave danger.

23 My Soul To Keep – Honedge

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Probably the least sentient looking Pokémon out there, Honedge is a pretty twisted companion. This sword Pokémon isn’t the most immediately threatening looking on this list, but it’s certainly one of the more grim natured we’ll see. Another Ghost-type – you can probably see a pattern developing by now – Honedge proves to be an immediate danger to any trainer not entirely familiar with its biology.

“If anyone dares to grab its hilt, it wraps a blue cloth around that person's arm and drains that person's life energy completely.”

You heard it right, simply touching this guy will most likely end in a pretty nasty end. What’s really scary about this is how out of left field it is, and how it really doesn’t suit such a harmless looking Pokémon.

22 Killer Instinct – Cacturne

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Who wasn’t scared of this seedy Grass-type back when they were kids? If the guys over at Game Freak wanted to introduce a little bit of horror to their young fan base then they succeeded. Cacturne looks like an organic spaghetti western cowboy, possessed by some deranged spirit out on the prowl. It was definitely one of the toughest looking Pokémon you could catch as a kid, though in reality, it isn’t all that strong.

“If a traveler is going through a desert in the thick of night, Cacturne will follow in a ragtag group. The Pokémon are biding their time, waiting for the traveler to tire and become incapable of moving.”

Not only does this vicious Pokémon almost certainly do away with their prey, they also single them out and follow them around in pairs – making escape virtually impossible. If that’s not terrifying then what is?

21 Into The Void – Dusclops

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There’s no way of getting around it, every Pokémon in the Duskull evolutionary line is straight up creepy looking. Dusclops of course, probably being the scariest of the bunch – having a look devoid of life and lacking that charm and warmth that most Pokémon posses. It’s actually pretty tall, at least if you compare it to its potential trainers and comes in at just over 5 feet. Not huge by any standard, but tall enough to stand at eye level with many trainers in the games.

“Anyone who dares peer into its body to see its spectral ball of fire will have their spirit stolen away.”

As is the case with most of these entries, curiosity can very well spell out the end for most trainers dealing with Dusclops if they don’t read up on it first. Why such a menacing and incredibly dangerous life form is still used by trainers is a whole other story.

20 One Of Us – Cofagrigus

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Well, it doesn’t really get any spookier than a living; moving, sentient sarcophagus now does it? Were sure that when they came up with the design for Cofagrigus, they were most likely trying to get a rise out of their younger fan base, which certainly worked as this thing isn’t exactly the most pleasant thing to look at.

“It has been said that they swallow those who get too close and turn them into mummies.”

Turns out this thing isn’t only unsettling, but dangerous as well. What’s up with these games sneaking in such morbid backgrounds for their otherwise harmless characters?

19 Dream Eater – Drowzee

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Not one that got all that much attention when it was first released in Gen I, Drowzee has always been kind of an under the radar kind of Pokémon. But that’s not all that much of a problem for this long-snouted creature. In fact, it might be exactly what this dangerous predator wants. Dreams are a mystery to most of us, but to Drowzee they’re just food.

“It remembers every dream it eats. It rarely eats the dreams of adults because children's are much tastier.”

Imagine reading that as a kid. Not only does this weird anteater-like creature eat dreams, it prefers yours above all else. Though it doesn’t exactly cause direct harm – unlike some others on this list – it’s still an incredibly terrifying Pokémon to deal with.

18 When They Cry – Phantump

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Though we’ve mostly taken a look at Pokémon with somewhat more intimidating or frightening appearances, Phantump is one of a handful of harmless looking Pokémon with surprisingly dark Poké Dex entries. It’s one of the cuter Ghost-types out there and though it looks nice, it has a pretty messed up past – that is, if you believe what the Dex says.

“These Pokémon are stumps possessed by the spirits of children who died in the forest. Their cries sound like eerie screams.”

That’s one of the darkest things we’ve seen so far, and also one of the most tragic. The series seems to have a thing for messing with kids in some pretty twisted ways and this is by far one of the most shocking.

17 Nice And Toasty – Darumaka

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Taking a break from the usual slew of twisted and eerie entries, we take a moment to examine Darumaka, a relatively innocent looking creature that is pretty average – at least compared to most of the Pokémon on this list. While there isn’t anything directly off with Darumaka, there is something incredibly strange about what people do with it.

“Darumaka's droppings are hot, so people used to put them in their clothes to keep themselves warm.”

You know, from where we’re looking, the world of Pokemon is pretty technologically advanced. Even we have a more sanitary way of warming ourselves up in the cold. It’s pretty hard to imagine that no one in this universe thought of hand warmers. Though it could be that the people really do just prefer a more…organic alternative.

16 In the Shadows – Gengar

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Well, we’ve already taken a look at Haunter so why not go ahead and look at its final form, Gengar with this next entry? Much like its counterpart, this Gen I’er was made to be a mischievous devil in the anime, so many older fans grew up completely oblivious to its true nature. Make no mistake, this guy is dangerous.

“To steal the life of its target, it slips into the prey's shadow and silently waits for an opportunity.”

Doesn’t exactly sound like the kind of thing you’d want to keep around you now does it? Like many other Ghost-types we’ve looked at, its actions seem to come straight out of a horror flick, masked by its generally harmless surroundings.

15 Soul Eater – Lampent

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Another relatively harmless looking Pokémon, Lampent certainly isn’t all it seems to be at first glance. Hough not nearly as aggressive as its evolved form, Lampent definitely has a darker side to it that you’d not expect given its innocent appearance and expression. But just hold off from making any assumptions until you’ve read its Dex entry.

“It arrives near the moment of death and steals spirit from the body.”

Like we said, not all that aggressive when compared to others on this list. But you have to acknowledge that this little guy has a pretty grim pastime. Though not directly responsible for the person’s passing, you have to question why it would steal a soul and what it does with those it’s rounded up.

14 World Ender – Yveltal

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Having the pleasure of being the only legendary on our list, Yvetal certainly doesn’t disappoint in terms of flash. This massive bird-like Pokémon leaves an impression on you from the get-go, and is certainly one of the more intimidating legendary Pokémon in recent memory. While many Pokémon – as we’ve seen thus far – are certainly destructive forces in their own right, most don’t come close to this behemoth.

“When its life comes to an end, it absorbs the life energy of every living thing and turns into a cocoon once more.”

You can see why keeping this thing alive would be in everyone’s best interest. Yveltal isn’t just fearsome in life, but in death as well. It can pretty much take anything and everything down with it when it passes and what’s more, it’ll just be reborn later on anyways.

13 Freaky Friday – Kadabra

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Initially introduced in Gen I, Kadabra is one of a handful of Pokémon from that generation who have remained somewhat relevant due to its evolved form, Alakazam, receiving a Mega Evolved form. While Kadabra might be an in between for many trainers out there, it is if anything, notable due to the apparent grim nature of its origin.

“It happened one morning - a boy with extrasensory powers awoke in bed transformed into Kadabra.”

Plenty of the entries we’ve seen so far have been twisted in their own right, but this one just seems tragic. What really makes some of these entries stand out is that they introduce a fairly interesting premise that really draws some fans in and makes them hungry to learn more. As grim as this is, it makes for an interesting piece of Pokémon lore.

12 Body Snatchers – Shedinja

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At first glance, Shedinja might seem like an incredibly endearing Bug-type Pokémon. Like many of its kind, it looks relatively harmless and has its own certain charm that is hard to look over. But while most will disregard this Pokémon as simply being cute, closer examination may give way to a far more disturbing reality.

“A discarded bug shell that came to life. Peering into the crack on its back is said to steal one's spirit.”

Though it does resemble a bug, if you look close enough you’ll definitely see the bug shell likeness mentioned in the above Dex entry. What’s really frightening about Shedinja is how it seems to be so docile and adorable, but – intentionally or not – can really do some horrible things to those who don’t know much about it.

11 What’s In The Box? – Palossand

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It’s already not the most visually appealing Pokémon out there, and to add to that, Palossand isn’t exactly one of the friendliest either. If you overlooked this guy due to its rather lackluster appearance and rather subpar stats, then you might’ve missed out on it’s fairly grim Dex entry.

“Buried beneath the castle are masses of dried-up bones from those whose vitality it has drained.”

This shouldn’t be all that much of a surprise anymore given what we’ve already seen on this list. But man, is it still unsettling. In the relatively cheery and lighthearted world of Pokémon, you have things like this going on and what’s more; people seem to be more than okay with it.

10 Friend Or Foe? – Sliggoo

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For a series that’s as old as it is, the Pokémon games have had no shortage of sinister twists added in throughout recent games, mainly by way of their Pokédex entries. One of the newer Pokémon on this list, Sliggo is perhaps one of the more dangerous – though it might not be able to help itself.

“It has trouble drawing a line between friends and food. It will calmly try to melt and eat even those it gets along well with.”

So you can see the problem here, right? While not the most malicious on this list, Sliggo is just as dangerous as the most vicious Pokémon we’ve seen here. In fact, it may be even more of a danger simply because it can have completely earned your trust one minute and then mistake you for lunch the next.

9 Misery Loves Company – Froslass

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Harmless, cute, docile, shy; these might all be words that come to mind when you first look at Froslass. However, she wouldn’t be on this list if she was any of those things. Among the many, many twisted and terrifying natures we’ve uncovered on this list thus far, Froslass’ seems to be the worst we’ve seen. At least it is if you believe its Dex entry from Sun and Moon.

“When it finds humans or Pokémon it likes, it freezes them and takes them to its chilly den, where they become decorations.”

Though the entry makes no indication of whether or not these poor souls are conscious throughout this process, it isn’t really an enviable position to be in. Rather than Pokémon, this has much more of a Twilight Zone vibe to it.

8 Mrs. Robinson – Salazzle

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This next one isn’t violent, it isn’t dark or gory or grim – but man oh man is it weeeird. Salazzle is one of a handful of solely female Pokémon in the franchise. Salazzle is the evolved form of a female Salandit – and is a pretty rare find given how many more males there are in the games. The game’s developers took this into account it seems, and figured the discrepancy in female numbers into its back-story.

“For some reason, only females have been found. It creates a reverse harem of male Salandit that it lives with.”

These games are for kids, yeah? So how many kids out there actually know what a harem is, let alone a reverse harem. This one really feels like it was aimed towards older fans, with the intention to creep them out as much as humanly possible. Job well done, Game Freak.

7 Crybaby – Yamask

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Yet again continuing the trend of Pokemon that used to be humans at one point is Yamask. This Ghost-type is pretty tiny, and doesn’t offer all that much in terms of visual appeal. But one thing you’re bound to notice with it is its big red eyes. Unlike it’s evolved form, Yamask isn’t all that cruel – in fact, it’s rather pitiful.

“Each of them carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. Sometimes they look at it and cry.”

It’s a pretty sad revelation to have. It’s also another concerning instance of humans randomly turning into Pokémon, presumably not by choice either. The next time you look at this little guy and notice its big red eyes you might be inclined to remember just how sad its story is.

6 Came Back Haunted – Banette

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If you thought that this thing was scary then take a look at its horrifying Mega Evolution. As you can probably guess, Banette is yet another Ghost-type Pokémon on our list. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that among all the different types of Pokémon out there, they are probably the most dangerous and tragic.

“An abandoned plush doll became this Pokémon. They are said to live in garbage dumps and wander about in search of the children that threw them away.”

Talk about something taken straight out of a horror movie. Banette seems to be carrying a grudge with it wherever it goes. Think about all of that next time you’re playing in the dark and this guy pops out of nowhere.