User:Maxwell the scribblenaut/logs

=The Pokegods: Secrets and Rumors= The early days of Pokemon's popularity have come and gone. The Red and Blue versions have now been analyzed down to their programming code and brought us to a point where there isn't much that we don't know about how they work. Some people may not realize it, but there was a time when this level of extreme understanding and access to information was not possible.

When the Red and Blue versions were first released, the world was a much different place. The Internet was young and unutilized for the masses, and as of yet unable to share the information it does now. ROM hacking was virtually an unknown niche hobby, with many not even taking into consideration the programming that went into the inner-workings of a game. Pokemon itself had not yet reached the popularity it would for anyone to even consider diving into the game's coding in search of its secrets. With this environment in mind, speculation easily arose about what might lay hidden just beyond the borders of the games' set boundaries. What exactly was there, just out of reach, in places that seemed to hold so much promise? What Pokemon may exist beyond the official 150? Perhaps there were secret Pokemon, some more powerful than any encountered in the main game and so rare that almost no one knew of them. Maybe there were Pokemon that even the creators didn't want fans to know about, removed during production or only accessible in the exotic "Japanese version".

This type of speculation dominated the fan community's attention for a long while, with debates raging on just what was true and what was not. Theories and "evidence" abounded, with no one ever being quite sure what to believe. Most importantly out of all of this, did these "PokeGods" exist, and where could I catch one?

Nowadays it seems that if anyone mentions the "PokeGods" they get laughed off as a troll, or ranted at about how anyone that believed in them was gullible or naive. Many of the early web sites discussing the PokeGods have long been abandoned or disappeared along with their host as the owners either learned more or simply stopped caring about Pokemon. Of those that survived to become the "big name" sites frequented today, the PokeGods are an untouchable topic. They are simply ignored, or if they are mentioned, it is only briefly. Because of this, when the newer generation of fans hear about these so-called "PokeGods" and go in search of information, they are only met with sites that haven't been updated in over 10 years and those that react negatively and provide misinformation.

It seems as though many Pokemon fans today want to just shrug off the early days of when everything was mysterious and Gold and Silver were just around the corner. However, to those at the RAGECANDYBAR, the whole "PokeGods" craze was an important part of the Pokemon fandom that shouldn't simply be forgotten. We have decided to salvage and archive some of the old codes and rumors and finally examine them from a more serious perspective. The origins and spread of these early beliefs have been lost for too long, and if they aren't examined now, they could be forgotten forever. This project aims to finally clear up the mystery that has accumulated over the years and provide a definitive repository of information for anyone to access, whether for nostalgia or research of their own.

The PokeGods are (or were) as their name implies, supposedly god-like Pokemon that could find their origin in one of four different categories, though they were often combined or overlapped.

Supposed evolutions of Pokemon that already existed Misnamed MissingNo.-like glitch Pokemon Pokemon planned for the Gold and Silver versions (or any species above 150)


 * "Dimonix" (sometimes "Diminox", "Dimondox", "Dmonix", or "Dimanonix") was a rumored evolution of Onix. It had the most variations of name than any other PokeGod, making it difficult to tell which was the original or most circulated version. However, all variations more or less indicate that this supposed evolution was composed of diamonds. For the purposes of this article, "Dimonix" will be the name used due to no reason other than personal preference. Dimonix, even counting its numerous names, was not a very popular or well-circulated PokeGod. References to it could often be found only on sites that didn't copy-and-paste whole code-lists wholesale. While this seclusion undoubtedly aided in Dimonix having a lack of publicity, it also resulted in the many variations of its name and code. This was likely due to site-owners writing the code down from memory after not being able to find it again.

Seemingly fabricated or just random No matter which group a particular "PokeGod" fell into, almost all of them were claimed to be ridiculously powerful. It was commonly believed that if you managed to obtain one, having it "faint" in battle would result in its actual death (meaning it would die and you could never use it again). For this reason, it was often warned never to use one PokeGod against another due to the risk.

The rumors and codes circulated to obtain such PokeGods were often ridiculously extreme or convoluted in such a way that it would take a person hours to perform and test out on their own. Due to the vagueness of these codes, one could never be entirely sure if they performed a code "correctly", which often times only lent towards a code's perceived truth, since if it was so difficult to perform, many people assumed they might actually be true. Another contributing factor to the difficulty in testing was that some codes would claim to only work if the player had never used any form of cheat device on their game. This cut out a large percentage of the fanbase from even attempting to prove or disprove them as code devices were widely in use.

The PokeGods seem to have appeared in three main waves, each triggered by different reasons and met with a different reaction by the fans.

The first wave was triggered largely by early beta and pre-release artwork for the Gold and Silver versions released in Japan, mostly from the Spaceworld game trade show. This art and sparsely translated information on the upcoming games was found by American fans while Gold and Silver were still in production and mostly unknown to the rest of the world (having been mentioned only very briefly in a Nintendo Power issue dating before the Red/Blue versions were even announced). In an effort to understand and explain this artwork, the concept of the PokeGods was born. Most of the PokeGods and their rumors at this time spread by word-of-mouth, later finding its way onto the Internet and spreading even further.

The second wave began due to the release of later pre-release artwork and information for Gold and Silver, this time directed at English-speaking audiences, as well as the appearances of new Pokemon in the second movie, Revelation Lugia (titled "The Power of One" in America). While this new information helped further some of the older rumors and establish several PokeGods, it also was the start of the end for the PokeGod phenomenon. At this time many people had been playing the Red and Blue versions for nearly two years, and information was readily-available that showed them just what Gold and Silver was. The new Pokemon, rather than being believed to be in the current games, were accurately believed to appear in the upcoming games. Because of all this, only a few of the new Pokemon were rumored as PokeGods, and even then the methods for obtaining them were limited.

The third and final wave of PokeGods appeared just before or after the release of the Gold and Silver versions. Most of these PokeGods were found only on compiled lists, and unlike previous PokeGods, many seem to have been entirely fabricated (as opposed to being derived from pre-existing official artworks). Some sources indicate a few may be fan-given names for Gold and Silver Pokemon, though not enough are available for cross-reference.

How exactly did all this start though? Though the pre-release and beta artwork for Gold and Silver would seem to be the dominating factor, the exact beginnings of the PokeGod phenomenon can actually be found in a much more official source: Mew.

Mew
Mew seems to be the original "Pokegod". The secret, super-powerful Pokemon that held a number greater than 150. Though common knowledge today, to some Mew was just as "mysterious" as the other rumored Pokegods. With lack of official sources, and even the Internet lacking much information on it, people's imaginations were left to wander. Sure, there were the Nintendo contests, but a generally younger fanbase led into a lot of "what if's" which turned into rumors and secret codes spread by word of mouth over the playground. {| cellspacing="0" width="100%" As is more or less common knowledge by now, a pickup truck can be found near the SS Anne if the player prevents it from leaving until Surf is obtained. This truck was the source of many rumors, the most popular being that there was some kind of way to move it, usually by using Strength. Generally, it was assumed that if one was able to move the truck, Mew could be found underneath it. This being said, the actual truck has no ingame use and could not be moved, presumably being there simply as a small easter egg for those who managed to get to the area (or even to intentionally fuel rumors..?) Though not Pokegods themselves, there were common archetypes and elements shared by many of the codes. These elements were present in nearly every code, with other elements and codes sometimes being referenced. These elements were quite likely the most popular seen, which inspired others to emulate them in new codes. This resulted in a type of foundation for what a "good" code would be made up of, with any that did not adhere to these elements usually perceived to be a fake and left to fade into obscurity. These elements are the following:
 * These rumors would end up on the Internet and tended to fall into a few specific archetypes. These Included: Mew under the truck
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The PokeGods City Pretty short and simple, there were several codes circulated that told of hidden cities where people had the PokeGods and would willingly trade them for common Pokemon. Popular names for this type of city were Cloud City, the PokeGod Factory, Pokemon/PokeGod Island, and Brick Town. Other names were thrown around, though they weren't nearly as popular. These cities often differed in what you could find there, but all shared the supposed presence of PokeGods and being able to obtain them easily there.Most versions of these codes said that you had to beat the Elite Four a certain number of times, after which Prof. Oak would show you to the city. Possibly the archetypical example went as follows:

It should be mentioned that what appears to be a typo ("and the riv .") was copied almost every time the code was reposted. It was occasionally corrected to "river" but it was most likely intended to be "rival". The original version without the "riv" typo seems to have been lost.

Professor Oak's Gift Often seen in combination with the other types of codes listed, it was common to claim that particular Pokegods or items (such as his 'custom Pokeball') would be given to you by Prof. Oak after fulfilling some sort of requirement. An interesting point is that in later generations the various researchers do give you rare Pokemon after completing certain tasks.

Secret HMs Like the Elemental Stones, HMs beyond the official five were said to exist in the game. No matter what their exact function was, their purpose was always for entering usually inaccessible areas. These areas were also usually "PokeGod Cities", as detailed above. Coincidentally in later generations, some HM's very similar to those mentioned in Pokegods rumors were introduced (Dive and Rock Smash being good examples).

Catch 150 Pokemon Many codes were only said to be possible after completion of the Pokedex (first 150), which was said to be a sort of access code similar to Mr. Psychic and often paired with that access code as well. Some variations said you needed 151 Pokemon (with Mew), 152 Pokemon (usually Pikablu), or some other random amount of PokeGods on top of the official 150.

This type of rumor saw reality in Gold and Silver and the later games in the series, where the player could receive a rare Pokemon, such as a starter, upon completing their POKeDEX to a certain number. This was implemented in conjunction with the "Professor Oak's Gift" type of code.

Mist Stones The Mist stones were a type of evolution stone believed to be capable of evolving every single Pokemon, even those which were already at their final stage of evolution. This stone was said to be found in the Seafoam Island after collecting every item in the area, then using the Itemfinder on literally every tile. Though it was initially said that there was only one Mist Stone, the rumor spread and it eventually became the catch-all secret stone that we know today.

Other secret stones were said to exist, with each evolving a specific Pokemon rather than being capable of affecting any. These stones were typically said to be obtained through use of the same method to obtain a Mist Stone, but in different areas.

"Do this x Times.." Beating the Elite Four x amount of times, talking to certain people x amount of times, or use of elemental stones x number of times. The numbers could vary dramatically and were usually very high. One reason this 'genre' of code may have been so popular is because if the numbers are very high, it is difficult for someone to disprove by personally testing.

One example of these practices is the site created by a guy called "JustinMew". His website was pretty run of the mill for its time and contained various "information" on Pokegods as well as fake screen shots and things ripped from other sites that specialized in making up fake Pokemon. Even though many of the screen shots were very obviously edited, had sprites that hardly matched the style or color palette or were never intended to fool people, there were still people who saw them on this site and others like it and assumed they were real.

What really didn't help the situation is that many people, including JustinMew himself (who told me he made the stuff up) flat out lied about having captured or seen the Pokegods. This being said, it wasn't only JustinMew or site owners in general doing this. You could go to just about any forum and there would always be a handful of people who claimed to have captured this-or-that Pokegod. (I mostly use JustinMew's site as an example because I talked to him and we used to know each other.)


 * and because some people seem to get the impression from this that JustinMew was some kind of Pokegods expert, I want to point out this was NOT the case. His site just happened to be popular. He didn't know any more than me or anyone else, he was just someone who spread rumors that were already being circulated. In fact... he contacted ME looking for information through an earlier version of this very site. And he also doesn't even like/play/care about Pokemon any more, so it will do you no good to try and contact him.

Pokemon Factory
There was a website called "Pokemon Factory" which created fake screenshots of Pokegods and other made-up Pokemon, not necessarily with the intent to fool anyone. Even though these images were watermarked and obviously fake, many became widely circulated and contributed a lot to the spread of Pokegods rumors (sometimes being used as 'proof' that they existed). The following are the names of different Pokegods that were being circulated, I have tried to group them appropriately. (for now I might have some of them in more than one category) Keep in mind that this is by no means a complete list. It should be noted that while the list of Pokegods is fairly large, many of them did not have as much fan 'mythology' around them and were known by name only.

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Evolutions of Pokemon that already existed
With a few exceptions, these seem to come from the idea that one could find the mist stone which was able to evolve every single Pokemon. Mewthree is a bit different because people also thought that pictures of Mewtwo wearing armor from the first movie was Mewthree... (detailed below).
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Flareth is also an interesting case because of all the Eeveeloutions, it was the only one that was thought to evolve again (or at least, the only one that was so widely circulated)

*(also called Cyro Mew, Chrona Mew, Chrono Mew, Crono Mew, or Cyber Mew)

Mewthree

While most PokeGods evolved from common Pokemon, and a few from uncommon or rare Pokemon, Mewthree was one of only two PokeGods rumored to evolve from a Legendary. This is unusual, as it would make sense for evolutions of legendary Pokemon to be more popular due to their relative small number at the time. The fact that only Mew and Mewtwo had any sort of official background may be the reason why they were chosen over the other legendaries to have their mythology developed further under the pretense of the PokeGods.

Mewtwo quickly fostered popularity for one reason: it was the most powerful Pokemon legally obtainable in the game. At a time when Mew was still largely whispered rumors, Mewtwo was a bonus Pokemon you could actually see and even catch. It became a rite of passage and instant fame for anyone to complete the game and encounter a Mewtwo, then add it to their team and show it off on the playground. With a Mewtwo's stats alone beating out many Pokemon, combined with its moves and psychic typing, any team would be near-unbeatable. It was simply so powerful that there was no competition-even more so since "real" competitive battling was even less known.

However, rumors soon began to crop of up of a Pokemon even more powerful than Mewtwo. People rationalized that since there was already Mew ("Mewone"), and a MewTWO, there might likely be further numbers of even greater power. Compounded with Mewtwo's already-mysterious origin in the game, the idea of a "Mewthree" became a popular notion.

While the idea of Mewthree briefly coincided with Mewtwo's armored appearance in Mewtwo Strikes Back, it should be noted that the two aren't mutually exclusive. Rumors of Mewthree continued on (albeit less widely-believed) as they did before the movie, while the armored Mewtwo seen in the movie developed its own rumors on how to evolve Mewtwo into that form, which usually had names other than Mewthree to describe it. (More on Mewthree as inspired by the anime can be read under the "From other Official Media" section)

Although Mewthree was the most popular rumored evolution of Mewtwo, there were other rumors for a Mewfour and even higher, though those were typically ignored as too ridiculous to be believed. An evolution with the name "Altanes" was also mentioned which carried a little more weight than the others, but its connection (if any) to Mewthree is impossible to determine.

Flareth

One likely explanation behind this is that while Fire has always been a popular type, Fire-type Pokemon in the Red and Blue versions were few and far between. Combined with the tendency of people to relate any 'new' pokemon to one that already exists, it can be understood how any PokeGod that had a name suggestive of fire would be attached to a pre-existing Fire-type Pokemon. This theory is supported by another Fire-type PokeGod, Charcolt, which was mainly said to evolve from Charizard, but on occasion would instead be said to evolve from Rapidash. Likewise, Flareth was also attached to various existing Fire-type Pokemon. While Flareth was predominately said to evolve from Flareon, less circulated codes stated it could alternatively evolve from Arcanine, Charizard, or Rapidash. Several times the name was offered as the actual name for MissingNo. or Ho-Oh (yet another Fire-type PokeGod). These things considered, it seems that the reason only Flareon was singled out and given a further evolution was because of its popularity as a Fire-type Pokemon.

Another possible explanation can be found in what may have been a possible inspiration for the creation of Flareth: Pikaflare. Or, rather, the early Gold/Silver "Honoguma" artwork which inspired the PokeGod Pikaflare. While the name "Honoguma" does not seem to have been commonly circulated alongside its artwork (which wasn't that well circulated either), it is possible that this discrepancy in its fabled "origin" in comparison to how it is actually obtained could come from it originally being an alternate name for Pikaflare/Honoguma, which at some point became an entirely separate PokeGod. If this is the case, it is likely that once this distinction was made and the connection lost, Flareth was later attributed to being a Flareon evolution due to the "flare" in its name and the popularity of "evolved from" PokeGods. This code seems to be one of the most popular and well remembered of all the PokeGod rumors, most likely because of its simplicity and almost pure usage of established code archetypes. It is also notable for its similarity to both the Mr. Psychic access code and the code for obtaining Charcolt (which even took place in the Celadon department store). All three required having some variation of the three legendary birds and three Geodudes in your active party. The three were sometimes grouped together, which suggests they may have been written by the same person, or that one existed first and inspired the other two.

Either way, Flareth and the various codes to obtain it mark it as one of the definitive PokeGods of the entire phenomenon. The steps of its code closely follow the archetypes that served as the foundation of the most circulated and believed codes, while the sheer number of variations of the code demonstrate the impact a PokeGod's popularity can have on its circulation and evolution. Taking all of this into consideration, Flareth can certainly be considered one of the prime examples of the height of the PokeGod phenomenon. What Mew and Pikablu were for the very beginnings of the First Wave, Flareth was to the Second Wave.

Dimonix

While there were many variants, Dimonix only truly had one code. However, it was also prone to variation and would often be worded differently with each instance, though the basic method of the code remained a constant: A level 60 Onix would have to be traded for a certain number of times. Usually the Onix would have to be traded with another level 60 Onix, with the number of back-and-forth trades being 4, 6, or "a lot". The first broadcast of The Crystal Onix in the United States, which featured the Pokemon, was February 5th of 2000. This is over half a year after the Dimonix codes were being circulated. One could argue that the PokeGod was inspired by the Japanese broadcast of that episode, which actually did precede the rumors by several months, though this is considered unlikely due to the relative "foreign media policy" Japan held at the time. The episode simply couldn't be seen earlier than when it was broadcast in the US due to the lack of inter-cultural media sharing. So is this possible origin debunked? Probably not. But its validity is certainly questioned, which only serves in continuing the mystery of this particular PokeGod.

All this aside, Dimonix largely stands out for one reason: its similarity to Steelix. While most codes for PokeGods at the time required the Mist Stone or simply catching them, Dimonix was one of the few PokeGods involving actual trade with another game. Comparing this with the actual method for evolving an Onix into a Steelix, one of the few Gold and Silver Pokemon to evolve upon trade, it seems like a strong coincidence. In fact, one site even name-switched two of the original Dimonix codes with the name Steelix. However, it is unlikely that Dimonix was ever inspired by Steelix, and that this one site simply believed they were "updating" the code.

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Seemingly fabricated Pokegods
While most PokeGods were believed to evolve from a previously-existing Pokemon, a few seemingly have neither a connection with any of the original 151 Pokemon nor a basis in the coming Gold and Silver Pokemon.
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These PokeGods usually have the most difficult or confusing methods for being acquired, as well as vague implications of their own mythology. This is especially unusual considering many of the PokeGods were never mentioned outside their own codes, yet were presented as if they are familiar to a wide audience. While the reasoning for this is unknown, it is likely that this was mainly a tactic used by their creators and spreaders to instill some sense of sincerity in their existence.


 * Due to our continued research on the PokeGods, many PokeGods once found in this section have been found to have legitimate origins and were moved to the appropriate area. With this in mind, please realize that some of the PokeGods believed to be completely fabricated may actually not be. If any evidence arises suggesting they are not, then they will be moved as well.

Doomsay and Doomsday

These early sites often provided a list of names said to be the American names of Pokemon appearing in the coming Gold and Silver versions, which appeared as follows: The sprites for these entries present horrific ghouls for both Doomsay and Doomsday. Neither depiction is of the Pokemon-style, with each more closely resembling typical RPG monsters (a likely origin). These sprites were usually taken as fake Pokemon, as were most of the Pokemon Factory sprites. However, the designs still furthered the perception that the two PokeGods were extremely powerful and deadly Ghost-types. Interestingly, these fake Pokedex entries provide species numbers that match those provided to Doomsay and Doomsday on the early list. This suggests the sprites were inspired directly from the early coverage site list rather than exclusively by the GameShark code-list. However, many people couldn't overlook the fact that Houndour and Houndoom were a two-stage evolution line, with the final stage having the word "doom" in its name. And while not exactly ghosts, they were still Dark-types, which is a type that carries with it many of the connotations that the PokeGods had.Unlike most other PokeGods, this shift from rumor to actuality is nearly a complete and respectable fit. In fact, many people consider this to be an undeniable fact explaining Doomsay and Doomsday, which is undoubtedly an extension of the widespread belief that many of the PokeGods were simply Gold and Silver version Pokemon seen via early pre-release artwork. However, this theory is likely untrue considering the extreme early appearance of the two names. There is simply no evidence that any artwork of Houndour or Houndoom (official or otherwise) was available online as early as 1998. This theory must then be discarded as simple coincidence as well as post-phenomenon simplification/rationalization.

Like many PokeGods, Doomsay and Doomsday had a diverse history with many variations in what they were believed to be and how they were obtained. However, their history and mythology is far greater and longer than often remembered. While most of the PokeGods ceased to be rumored in the months preceding the release of the Gold and Silver versions, Doomsday continued on to the very end as a Pokemon mentioned on short lists of upcoming "new" Pokemon alongside others that were actually "real". It seems that Doomsday was simply too prevalent during the phenomenon to be ignored during its waning days, so people kept it going if only as a name. This is an ironic end for the Pokemon as it began as nothing more than a name that inspired the PokeGod phenomenon with speculation on what it was, and ended once more as a name; this time one that seemed like a false hope attempting to keep that speculation alive.

Doomsay and Doomsday are often remembered as nothing more than two "fake" Pokemon that no one could possibly believe were real, considering the extreme dissonance in the style of the Pokemon Factory sprites. However, as shown above, the history of both were far more than that. Neither should be relegated to such a single-faceted explanation of what they were. They began as the subtle bridge between early Pokemon speculation and the PokeGod phenomenon, and ended as a final farewell to that phenomenon. They were definitive of the PokeGod phenomenon in a way that even Mew and Pikablu cannot match, and for that their true history is finally told.

Tricket

Tricket is a unique case in that while it was a relatively popular Pokegod, there were no visual representations of it. With most other PokeGods that saw reasonable popularity, an image (official or otherwise) was generally the starting point or if one did not exist, it would end up being created later on and combined in later circulations. With Tricket this was not the case. This raises the question of how it would be possible for a PokeGod so seemingly random to grab the attention of fans. The answer to this most likely lies in the suggested code for catching it.

As with the code for Pikablu, the code for obtaining Tricket stands out because it was also frequently stated to be "Approved by Nintendo". This code found its way onto sites along with the "Official Pikablu Code", almost as if they were a set. Other than being touted as "Official, Nintendo Approved" the code was relatively well written and structured in such a way that made it seem far more believable than many others, and relatively easy to perform in comparison. To make things even more strange, this code had no variations. Every instance of the Tricket code tended to be copy/pasted exactly, with no "from memory" variants to be found.

This being said, the absence of any kind of artwork may have actually aided in this believability. After reading around different sites, it could be expected that a fan could come to the realization that PokeGods such as Pikablu and Togepi were actually intended to be in the Gold/Silver versions, and later on became advertised as such. Asking Nintendo about them would yield the same answers. Tricket was a different case, though. Lack of official images or commentary on this PokeGod put it fans in the position of "I don't know if it's true.. but it hasn't been proven as untrue either" and lent to making it a little more mysterious.

The code went as follows:

(The owner of this site would like to note this is one of the only codes she actually attempted.. Multiple times for fear of having done it incorrectly)

Upon closer examination, there is one major flaw in the way the code is written that shows why it most likely wouldn't work. Remark about "Scyther in Blue/Pinsir in Red" aside,.the biggest issue is that it requires you to have a party consisting entirely of bugs and still make it to the Elite Four. While possible, the only way this can be accomplished is with the tricky use of an escape rope, since none of the Pokemon required to be in the player's party could learn Surf, Fly, or Strength (you'd have to make sure the last Pokemon center healed at before starting was the one at the Indigo Plateau, and then use an escape rope in any random cave after the code was complete, since in RBY escape ropes took you back to the last center you healed at rather than the cave entrance)

Another interesting thing about this particular code is the fact that the few sentences at the end about "Shadybug" were always copied with it, though they seemed irrelevant to anything. This was generally ignored by most people, as there were no wild stories on how to capture 'Shadybug' or any other details at all relating to it. Both the names of Tricket and "Shadybug" apparently originated from one of the more obscure lists of Pokegods being circulated. Two versions of the list have been found, and what is assumed to be the later of the two included short descriptions of each Pokemon along with the names and numbers. Tricket was listed directly after Shadybug in said list, described only as being the evolution of Shadybug. Shadybug in turn was described as "A bug that protects itself with a leaf". Since there are no actual images or other basis for either Pokegod, figuring out how/why this was apparently debated is a bit fuzzy and it is unclear if the lists came first or if it was the code that inspired the lists.

Merged Pokegods
Zapmolcuno in particular may have been the original source of most of these rumors, due to the unusually large amount of codes for merging the three Legendary Birds either with each other or other Pokemon.A list of some of the most popular and unusual merged Pokegods can be found here.

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GSC Pokemon with Prereleased Pictures

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As is still done with Pokemon games today, before the gold and silver versions were released in Japan there were pictures of a select few Pokemon that were released to the public and were floating around the Internet.

Pikablu (Marill)

One common theory as to why the name "Pikablu" arose was that soon after the release of the original Red and Green versions, artwork for Marill was leaked either accidentally or intentionally by someone at Gamefreak. Some person at Nintendo (of America?) then saw it and coined the name "Pikablu" to describe it for lack of a released name... Or so the story went.

This supposed evidence was so widespread and well-known that it even received mention in the official Nintendo Power magazine. When the NPC's statement was written in for confirmation, the Nintendo Power editorial staff simply said that it was incorrect. As time went on, there became no doubt in the minds of the young Pokemon fans that Pikablu was real. Unlike most of the other PokeGods, Pikablu was inspired by an actual Pokemon, and because of that there were official references to it. Seeing these references hardened the belief of many that Pikablu was out there somewhere.

The first of these official references came during the summer of 1999. A "special music video" was shown on Kid's WB as a promotion for the 2 B.A Master Pokemon CD. This video was created for the song "What kind of Pokemon are you?" and contained scenes from the Pikachu's Summer Vacation short, even though the movie had not yet been shown in America, and none of the GS Pokemon featured in it had been announced. This gave even more exposure to "Pikablu", which was not mentioned by name, but shown in both the music video and the commercials preceding it. Even though name "Pikablu" and countless codes were already in circulation by this time, the video was significant because it was the first solid proof for many that this blue mouse Pokemon--whatever its name actually was--did indeed exist. This considered, there was still the lack of an official name or any other information, encouraging the rumors to continue.


 * Later on, as more official references to the coming Gold and Silver Pokemon were released, belief in Pikablu slowly diminished. Rumors of Pikablu adapted and the PokeGod shifted from being believed to be in the current games to being one of the many PokeGods presumed available in the sequels. Many fan sites were closely following the updates on Gold and Silver and publishing what information they could, as well as speculation of their own. It was at this time that Marill's Japanese name, Mariru, became commonly-known. Past beliefs still held sway, however, with these same sites suggesting that "Pikablu" would be its American name. It wasn't until Pokemon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back that belief in Pikablu finally reached a sudden stop. Marill was widely advertised to make its official debut in the "Pikachu's Summer Vacation" short playing before the movie, with pre-release screens on the Internet and trailers both highlighting the new Pokemon. Many people cried out "I knew it!" and excitedly awaited the movie to see "Pikablu" at last.

Imagine the young fans' surprise as the short specifically identified the Pokemon as "Marill", and, while a skilled swimmer, was nowhere near as powerful or rare as once believed. Disappointment was heavy with many, while others immediately took to their sites and vehemently declared that it was NOT Pikablu, but Marril (as the name was spelled at the time), and that anyone that continued to use the old name was very much incorrect.It was this event that suddenly shook many away from their pre-conceived notions. With "Pikablu" an incorrect belief, then what else might be as well? As simply as it started, Pikablu faded away and in the minds of many was nothing more than a common Pokemon.

While the name "Pikablu" is still occasionally used, it is met with vague amusement or irritation. The origins of the once widely-sought "PokeGod" became muddled and many simplified it as "childish stupidity". This assessment is an unfair and naive assumption, as perhaps no Pokemon other than Mew has garnered so much speculation and attention from both official sources and the fans. To overlook the history of Marill before it became Marill is ignoring an important part of what it means to be a Pokemon fan. The sense of wonder and excitement over a new Pokemon, and speculation of what it's "all about" is a defining feature of the fandom to this day.

Information relating to codes on how to obtain Pikablu can be found [http://www.blue-reflections.net/ragecandybar/projects/pokegods/pikablu.html HERE. ]

Pikaflare (and other Pikachu/Pikablu Clones)

Because of Pikablu having such a big influence, it was only a matter of time before rumors began to crop up of another "Pikachu". With Pikachu as an Electric-type, and Pikablu as a Water-type, the most logical choice for a "new" Pikachu was a Fire-type. An Electric-Water-Fire trio was already seen with the three Eevee evolutions and the Legendary Bird trio (though Articuno was Ice). Some people even went so far as to believe that Pikachu, Pikablu, and Pikaflare were a new trio planned for Gold and Silver. Taking this into consideration, the conclusion of there being a "Pikaflare" or "Pikared" was inevitable, with or without the Honoguma artwork as a basis.Houou (Ho-oh)

Red or Blue would not yet have been able to advance too far into the games to really see what Pokemon they held. This short time-difference resulted in very little surprise at the sight of the golden bird Pokemon, as many simply assumed it was another Pokemon they would encounter later on.However, as time passed and the games were played through (and in some cases beaten), people began to realize that the golden bird didn't seem to actually be in the games. Attention returned to the mysterious Pokemon as many began to wonder what exactly it was and where they could catch it. As the Gold and Silver versions had yet to gain sufficient coverage to be widely known about, many people couldn't comprehend that Ho-Oh and the other newly-introduced Pokemon would be found in sequels rather than Red and Blue. After all, Americans had only just been introduced to the games, so they had no reason to expect sequels. In reaction to that, players simply assumed that Ho-Oh was hidden somewhere in the games and needed only be found.

As time went on and coverage of Gold and Silver began to become commonplace in publications, new images of Ho-Oh began to be seen. For the longest time the only visualization people had of the Pokemon was its short appearance in the first episode of the anime, which would only have been seen once by most people as the series had yet to reach a point of re-runs. It was now that people could finally put an image the Pokemon they'd long speculated on. realizing that it helped foster the PokeGod phenomenon nearly as much as Mew. Both were instrumental in creating the sense of mystery and "something hidden" that made Pokemon so popular. Because of this, it's fair to say that Ho-Oh is one of the most important Pokemon of the Red and Blue era, whether related to the PokeGod phenomenon or the franchise itself.Bruno

The most notable aspect of this code is the mention of a "dog". Considering Snubbull is based on a bulldog and easily resembles a dog, this is our first clue that "Bruno" was Snubbull all along. The later corrections and updates of the PokeGods name only confirms it.

Moving on, there are other indications of Bruno's connection to Snubbull that can be found. While the above code was the most widely-seen method for obtaining a Snubbull (due to its inclusion in the spread list), there do exist several other codes that are more obscure. Most of them are only found on a single site or handful at best. While variations and alternatives of a main code to obtain a particular PokeGod were common, Snubbull's gallery of codes is notably different in that you can more easily chart at which point they most likely were created. This information can be inferred because nearly each code uses a different name for Snubbull, revealing the PokeGod's name being updated and adapted to a new code with each new update on the actual Pokemon.

On a final note, some details of the Bruno code perhaps coincidentally resemble the actual event of the three Legendary Beasts encountered in the Gold and Silver versions, where the player drops down into a lower level where the Beasts reside on three platforms and will flee if approached. At the time, the Beasts were commonly believed to be dogs. While this may be a coincidence, the proximity to Gold and Silver's release may suggest yet another corruption of official Japanese information; in this case, someone may have played the Japanese game and adapted the event to the popular PokeGod rumors still in full-swing in the United States, where Gold and Silver were still largely unknown.

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From other Official Media

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Magazines
- Luigi - Yoshi

Somehow, people actually thought that Yoshi was a real Pokemon though some claimed it was an "easter egg that only changed the picture" usually being said to evolve from Dragonite. Luigi was said to be the evolution of Lickitung, but both of these originated from April fools jokes (The Luigi one even being from Nintendo Power).

The Anime
Venustoise {| border="0" cellpadding="5" Venustoise was shown on the anime series, not as a real Pokemon, but as an illusion created by Gastly in order to scare Ash's Bulbasaur and Squirtle in "The Ghost of Maiden's Peak".

Lots of people assumed this was a real Pokemon, even though it only appeared on screen for a few seconds. To this day, Venustoise has never been, and most likely never will be an obtainable Pokemon in any game, as it was obviously only intended to be a joke. It has never had any other appearances in official media other than the few seconds it was on screen.

Of course, even though it was obviously not real, there was (and to an extent, still is) no shortage of rumors that supposedly told you how to catch it. Mewthree
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Glitch and Missingno-like Pokemon
There was a particular list of gameshark codes commonly being circulated which claimed to be codes for the Pokegods. The Pokemon obtained through these codes are actually different types of MissingNo, or "glitch Pokemon". For example, the Pokegod, "Mysterio" or "Millenium" is actually the glitch Pokemon "M" (also called "M block").
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A contributing factor to this could be the fact that there are MissingNo. that have Kabutops fossil, Aerodactyl fossil and un-ID'ed "GHOST" sprites. Similarly to M, some of the other pokegods were different "missing number" Pokemon which take up slots in the programming but are not named "MissingNo".

Pokemon in this category include:

Anthrax Millenium Mysterio Ruin Psybir Psybird Doomsay Doomsday