The Pokémon franchise has numerous mysteries that will likely never be answered by the people at Game Freak. The reasons for this are different depending on whether you are talking about the anime or the video games.

The Pokémon anime was an unprecedented success, to the point where it eventually became an endless cycle of Ash traveling to new regions. The original plan for the series was that Ash would defeat Gary during the final battle of the Pokémon League, in either Kanto or Johto. The trailer for the first Pokémon movie showed clips of Misty with a young child who owns Pikachu, which suggests that the film would have shown a "flash forward" to Ash's adult life.

The Pokémon video games were planned to end with Gold & Silver. This is the reason why those games contain so much content compared to the other Pokémon titles, as Game Freak wanted to end the series with a bang.

The sheer amount of money that Pokémon was bringing in caused Game Freak to abandon their original plans and retool the series so that it could go on forever. This meant abandoning a lot of early plot points and mysteries, as their solution was linked to plans that were now forgotten.

We are here today to ask the questions that the Pokémon franchise has yet to answer. From the identity of Ash & Gary's rivals, to the ball that has remained closed for twenty years.

Here are Twenty Unresolved Mysteries And Plot Holes Pokémon Left Hanging!

20 Who Were The Other Trainers From Pallet Town?

Ranking The Starter Pokémon Header
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In the first episode of the Pokémon anime, Ash Ketchum was given a Pikachu as his starter Pokémon. Professor Oak revealed that the previous three starters had been given to other trainers, one of which was Gary. Ash hears various reports that the other two trainers were ahead of him on his journey and had both managed to earn the Cascade Badge.

The last time we hear about the other two trainers was in "Showdown at the Po-ké Corral" when Profesor Oak revealed that they had abandoned their journeys. We never hear from them again.

So who were the other trainers who started at the same time as Ash? Why did they abandon their journey? What happened to the Bulbasaur and Charmander they took from Professor Oak's Laboratory?

19 Jessie's Mother Loves Mew

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The original leader of Team Rocket was a Madame Boss, who would pass the organization on to her son, Giovanni. One of Madame Boss' most devoted soldiers was a woman named Miyamoto, who was also the mother of Jessie of Team Rocket.

Miyamoto is credited with being the first person to discover a Mew. She would later abandon her child in order to continue her search. The last time Miyamoto was seen was during a mission when she almost caught Mew but was trapped in a blizzard before being able to accomplish her task. Miyamoto keeps sending regular reports to Giovanni, though her current location is unknown.

So what happened to Miyamoto? Did she ever catch a Mew? Will she ever return to the story and make amends with her daughter?

18 The Identity Of The Ghost Girl

Ghost Girl
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Ghost Girl

Pokémon X & Y has one of the most disturbing moments in the entire series. If you travel to the second floor of the Fighting Dojo in Lumiose City, then your character will be frozen on the spot. A mysterious Hex Maniac will appear behind you. This ghostly girl will float around the room and say "No, you are not the one" before disappearing.

It seems that this sequence may be Game Freak finally acknowledging all of the ghost stories that have been built up around Pokémon over the years. Game Freak has decided to get in on the fun by including a ghost mystery of their own.

So what's the deal with the Hex Maniac? Why are you not the one? Who is the one exactly and why is she waiting for them? Is she a ghost or not?

17 Brock Still Doesn't Want To Talk About Professor Ivy

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The reason why Brock left the Pokémon anime initially is a sad one. When Pokémon became a big hit, the creators of the anime thought that Brock's design might be considered racist, so they replaced him with Tracey Sketchit instead. The backlash from the fans convinced the creators to change their minds and bring Brock back for the Johto journey.

Brock left Ash and Misty because he wanted to work with the beautiful Professor Ivy. When he returns to their side, he mentions that something bad had happened between them and that he "doesn't want to talk about it." Brock tends to curl up in a ball whenever someone mentions Professor Ivy's name.

So what happened between Brock and Professor Ivy that caused him to leave?

16 The Origin Of The Meteor Monster

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Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire introduced one of the most frightening and powerful creatures in the series. Deoxys is an alien being that became a Pokémon. In terms of its combat ability, Deoxys is still considered to be one of the most powerful. Deoxys can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Mewtwo, Rayquaza, and God (Arceus) itself.

We still don't know exactly what Deoxys is. According to the Pokédex, Deoxys was an alien virus that was given a physical form when it landed on the Pokémon world. So where did Deoxys come from exactly? Why was it trapped within a meteorite in the first place? Does Deoxys come from a species that is designed to wipe out the inhabitants of whatever world it lands on, like Jenova or Lavos?

15 Ain't Nothing But A G-Men Thang

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Lance is one of the most important characters in the Pokémon franchise. He went from being the leader of the Elite Four in Red & Blue to becoming the Champion in Gold & Silver. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, he is responsible for killing hundreds of innocent citizens in his attempt to purge the world of humans who are unkind to Pokémon.

In the Pokémon anime, Lance appears in several episodes, where he is trying to uncover Team Rocket's schemes for the Lake of Rage. Lance reveals that he is a member of a secret group known as the Pokémon G-Men, who use undercover agents to deal with anyone who is mistreating Pokémon.

Lance is the only member of the Pokémon G-Men we learn about. What happened to the group? Do they still operate? Who else was a member that we weren't aware of?

14 Mewtwo's Raison D'être

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The first Pokémon movie explained why Mewtwo was created. The scientist responsible was trying to master cloning technology so that he could bring his dead daughter back from the grave. Mewtwo just happened to be the most successful result of the experiment.

Pokémon Red & Blue is vaguer concerning the origins of Mewtwo. You can find scraps of a journal scattered around the Pokémon Mansion, which was written by Mr. Fuji. The English localization of the game omits Fuji's involvement and instead attributes Mewtwo's creation to a team of scientists.

We still don't know why Mewtwo was created in the video games. Mr. Fuji does not discuss Mewtwo's creation when you encounter him. The Pokédex claims that Mewtwo was created after years of horrific experiments, so why did they take place?

13 Runaway Couriway Train

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Pokémon fans have been eagerly awaiting a new game that allows you to travel to a second region. Pokémon Gold & Silver allowed you to return to Kanto, which meant that you could retrace Red's steps and go on a new journey throughout the region. Fans have been hoping to do this again for a while now, with no success.

In Pokémon X & Y, Couriway Town has a train station that doesn't do anything. No trains show up or depart at any point in the game. Players thought that the train would allow you to visit some new area or region, but it never does. All you can find in the train station is a message from Professor Sycamore, which could have been written anywhere.

Why does Couriway Town have a train station that goes unused?

12 Tobias' Is A Cheating Scumbag

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Ash Ketchum is destined to keep on losing and traveling to new regions forever, or at least for as long as the Pokémon anime will continue. This means that he will always be defeated during a Pokémon League battle against an opponent of equal strength, who just about manages to squeeze a win on Ash.

The exception to this rule was Tobias. Ash's entire journey in Sinnoh was pointless because his opponent in the tournament used a Darkrai and a Latios. Ash's team never stood a chance against two Legendary Pokémon.

Who is this Tobias guy and how did the manage to acquire two Legendary Pokémon? What were the other four Pokémon on his team? If he is so powerful, then why hasn't he defeated Cynthia yet?

11 The Bird-Types & The Beedrills

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This is something that is never going to receive an official answer. Not in a million years will Game Freak explain the bizarre reproductive practices of the Pokémon world.

We understand why Game Freak isn't going to be drawing pictures of two Pikachus doing in like they do on the Discovery Channel. The real question we have involves the bizarre coupling options available to Pokémon.

The most infamous example of this is Skitty and Wailord being able to reproduce, as they belong to the same egg group. How does a Pokémon the size of a cat mate with a creature the size of a submarine? This also includes the likes of Seviper and Zangoose, who are a snake and a mongoose respectively? How do they get it on?

10 Ash Needs To Find Maury Povich

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One of the enduring mysteries of the Pokémon anime is the identity of Ash Ketchum's father.

The early episodes of the anime explained that Ash does indeed have a father, who is on a Pokémon journey of his own. There are two main candidates for the position, though there is no solid evidence for either of them.

Professor Oak is a long-time associate of Delia Ketchum and seems to spend a lot of time with her in the present day. It's possible that they had an affair but kept it quiet, as Oak was married with children (one of whom would become a parent of Gary), so they concocted a story about Delia meeting a trainer who left on a Pokémon journey and never returned.

The other possible candidate is Silver. Ritchie encountered an adult trainer named Silver, who had been on a similar journey to Ash Ketchum and seemed to have heard of him. These clues are slim, but they are all the fanbase has.

9 Phoebe's Ghostly Admirer

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Pokémon has been a popular subject of creepypasta for a while now. These are usually linked to Lavender Town or haunted video game cartridges that kill people like the VHS tape from The Ring. 

It seems that Game Freak has finally acknowledged these Internet ghost stories and is now actively feeding them. The Ghost Girl of the Lumiose City Hotel is one, and the mysterious girl in Phoebe's room is another.

Once you reach the Elite Four in Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, you will face off against Phoebe, who uses Ghost-type Pokémon. If you watch closely during her cutscenes, then you will see a little girl watching the battle, who isn't there once the match concludes. Who is this girl?

8 ???? > Genesect

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Extinction is meaningless in the world of Pokémon. Thanks to modern science (and the Jurassic Park franchise) it is possible to bring a Pokémon back to life from a fossil. All you need is a piece of ancient rock in order to bring a dinosaur Pokémon into the world.

In Pokémon Black & White, it is revealed that Team Plasma has revived an ancient and powerful Bug-type Pokémon. They didn't stop there, as they used technology to increase the strength of this Pokémon. The resulting creation was Genesect, which is a robotic insect Pokémon that carries a giant cannon on its back.

So what kind of Pokémon did Team Plasma discover that formed the basis for Genesect? How come no one else has discovered its fossil?

7 Purrloin Scratch Fever

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It seems that many of Ash's traveling companions had a phobia of specific kinds of Pokémon. Misty was terrified of Bug-types due to their appearance, while Iris was scared of Ice-types due to the power they held over Dragon-type Pokémon.

Cilan was one of Ash's traveling companions in Unova. He was a Gym Leader who decided to go on a Pokémon journey of his own. It was revealed that Cilan was scared beyond the concept of rational thought by a Pokémon called Purrloin, which resembles a purple cat.

Cilan eventually reveals his phobia to Ash and Iris. He does eventually tell them why he is afraid of Purrloin, but he does so off-screen. So why is Cilan so scared of Purrloin? What did one of them do to him that was so terrible?

6 Mewtwo's Mysterious Mission

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Mewtwo debuted in an episode called "The Battle of the Badge" where he was used by Giovanni during a Gym battle. Gary Oak challenged the Viridian City Gym, only to have his team flattened by a mysterious Pokémon clad in armor.

Ash is spared from seeing his team destroyed by Mewtwo, as Giovanni is forced to leave the Gym due to an "accident" that he is told about over the phone. Giovanni leaves the Gym in the hands of Jessie & James, which means that they have to battle Ash instead.

Giovanni goes to Mewtwo and tells it that he has an "emergency assignment" that it needs to complete. So what was this emergency assignment that Mewtwo needed to deal with? It surely succeeded in its mission, as nothing could stand up to Mewtwo at this point in the Pokémon franchise. How did Mewtwo help to further Team Rocket's ends?

5 The Instrument That Led You To God

20- Arceus
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Pokémon Diamond & Pearl introduced the literal God of the Pokémon world to the series. Arceus is said to be the creator of the universe itself, which also makes it the founder of humanity, as well as Pokémon. Game Freak directly distributed Arceus through events, but there was originally going to be a whole lot more to finding the God Pokémon...

Players have gone through the files of Pokémon Diamond & Pearl and discovered an item called the Azure Flute. This would allow you to play a song while on the Spear Pillar which would allow you to ascend to the heavens and challenge Arceus. This item was never officially distributed and the event goes unused.

Junichi Masuda has claimed that the Azure Flute wasn't used because it was too complicated. This explanation doesn't add up, however, as the Celebi event in Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver was far more complicated than the Azure Flute, and that was distributed. Was the Azure Flute never released due to potential comparisons to religious iconography?

4 Gary's Badge Collection

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In order to be able to enter the Pokémon League tournament, a trainer needs to travel across the region and collect eight Gym Badges. The Pokémon Origins anime clarified that the Gym Leader will only use an amount of Pokémon equal to the trainer's experience, hence why Brock only uses two Pokémon against Red, who has yet to earn any badges.

It seems that Gary Oak is so amazing that he found other Gyms that Ash missed. Gary shows off his ten Gym Badges to Ash, which doesn't even include the Earth Badge, as Gary was unable to defeat Giovanni and claim one of his own.

Gary clearly has the Boulder, Cascade, and Rainbow badges. Where did he find the other seven?

3 Stand By Red

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There have been numerous instances where animals/places from real life are mentioned in the Pokémon world. America is referenced several times (like in Mew's Pokédex entry) and chickens can be seen floating above a Pokémon's head if they are confused.

One of the most unusual references happens at the start of Pokémon Red & Blue. If the player investigates the TV in their home, they will be given a description of a movie that sounds a lot like Stand By Me. 

The reason for its inclusion is due to the fact that Stand By Me was a huge hit in Japan. What is never explained is who made it in the Pokémon world? Is there a version of Stephen King in Pokémon? Did the plot of the Pokémon version of Stand By Me include Pokémon?

2 The Mysterious Lock Capsule

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The release of Pokémon Bank and its future support will allow gamers to easily move their Pokémon from one game to another. This has even included support for the Virtual Console versions of Pokémon Red & Blue, which allows you to bring a team of first-generation Pokémon into the modern games.

It seems that Game Freak had plans for an item that would be passed between different generations of Pokémon games. There is an unused item in HeartGold & SoulSilver called the Lock Capsule. This item was meant to be passed to Black & White, where it could be unlocked. The item inside the Lock Capsule was going to be the TM for Snarl.

Why wasn't the Lock Capsule included in the final versions of HeartGold & SoulSilver and Black & White? 

1 The GS Ball Is Still Not Open

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The reason Ash originally traveled to the Orange Islands was that he was asked to pick up a mysterious Pokéball that could not be opened and return it to Professor Oak. This Pokéball had the letters "GS" written on it and it was colored both gold and silver.

The content of the GS Ball was one of the biggest mysteries of the series. Ash was sent to Johto in order to ask a Pokéball expert named Kurt to open the GS Ball. Ash left the GS Ball with Kurt and never found out what was inside. Masamitsu Hidaka explained in an interview that the GS Ball was originally going to contain Celebi, but these plans were abandoned when Celebi was chosen to star in one of the Pokémon movies.

This still leaves the possibility that the GS Ball could return at some point. A lot of fans thought that the release of HeartGold & SoulSilver would prompt the return of the GS Ball and finally reveal its contents... but it never happened. We will likely never see the GS Ball being opened in the Pokémon anime.