Imagine it. You’ve just finished your night shift at the Pokémart and you’re on your way home, when suddenly you hear a joyful yet eerie song. You quicken your pace but it’s too late. You feel hair-like arms enwrap your body and pull you closer, the singing getting louder all the while. You turn to face this creature of terror and fright, only to see what looks like some pudgy pumpkin with a pink side fringe…. Its name is Gourgeist, and it takes great joy in seeing its prey suffer. Just one of many unassuming Pokémon with, quite frankly, terrifying Pokédex entries. And if you think that’s creepy, buddy you ain’t heard nothing yet. As a kind of Halloween special, I thought it would be fun to compile some of the scariest Pokémon in one list. From obsessive jealousy, to wearing the bones of your victims, there will be something here for everyone, Pokémon fans and horror fans alike.
Yamask
If Gourgeist is an honourable mention, let’s truly begin with the chilling confirmation that humans can become Pokémon. Yamask, introduced in Black and White, is said to “arise from the spirits of people interred in graves”, and the mask it holds is apparently the image of its face from when it was human. If the realisation that a spirit can become a Pokémon isn’t enough to send a chill down your spine, it gets even more spooky and actually quite sad. Yamask is said to retain the memories of its past life, and will often look at its mask and cry. Not only that, but in its dex entry for Pokémon Shield, we learn that its spirit is from a human of a bygone age and spends its days searching for anyone who may remember them. So, not only is Yamask spooky as it basically confirms the existence of real ghosts in the Pokémon world, but it is also quite heartbreaking at the same time. A harrowed lost soul, searching for kinship in anyone who might might remember it.
Sliggoo
If you thought this list would just be filled with the obvious ghost-type Pokémon, you’d be wrong. Next up is the dragon-type Sliggoo. What might look like a gooey purple snail with a cheery expression on its slimy face is actually one of the more dangerous Pokémon to hang around with. Firstly, it’s gooey body is actually a dangerous substance that can dissolve literally anything. Secondly, it’s Pokédex entry in Pokémon Sun reveals that Sliggoo find it difficult to tell the difference between friends and food, so will likely try to dissolve and eat you at any random moment. The dex entries also make it quite clear that Sliggoo is blind, and only has a “tiny brain”, so probably wouldn’t even think twice while eating you, even if you were its closest friend.
Mimikyu
Mimikyu has become a fan favourite since its debut in Pokémon Sun and Moon, perhaps for its cute yet crude Pikachu disguise which appears to be its entire shtick. You see, nobody knows what Mimikyu looks like beneath its disguise; its dex entries for Pokémon Sun, Ultra Moon, and Shield, reveal that anybody who catches a glimpse of Mimikyu’s real self promptly dies in terrible and painful ways. The entries also make it quite clear that Mimikyu is a very lonely Pokémon, disguising itself as Pikachu in order to try and get closer to trainers and other Pokémon. Mimikyu also has two forms, its regular form, and its “busted form” which it turns into after being hit by an attack. Its busted form looks like the regular Mimikyu, but with its faux neck snapped. So, now, it looks like a Pikachu after a decapitation gone wrong. It is said that, once in its busted form, Mimikyu will try to repair its disguise “as if its life depended on it”, and will cry due to the difficulty of getting it right. Once its disguise is fixed, however, Mimikyu will “mercilessly seek revenge” on whoever damaged it in the first place. The Mimikyu seen in the anime is shown to actively hate Pikachu out of jealousy and its own want for the popularity that Pikachu has. So, basically, don’t get on the wrong side of Mimikyu.
Tsareena
You might be thinking “how bad could any vengeful damage be after a quick trip to a Pokémon Center? Nurse Joy has us all covered!” But for this next Pokémon, no amount of potions or full heals would suffice. Tsareena is a grass-type Pokémon also introduced in Sun and Moon (they really popped off with scary Pokémon in Gen VII). While it may look like a bog standard grass-type, all green and flowery, it’s Tsareena’s long legs you should be wary of. It’s dex entries for Sword and Shield make note of how merciless it is in its kicking and stomping and that the wounds it inflicts from these attacks will never heal. Because kicking is Tsareena’s preferred method of attack, that’s a lot of damaged victims that can never heal. On top of that, Tsareena is often depicted as very aggressive, and it views poor old Quaquaval as its rival for seemingly no reason. I imagine many Quaquaval’s careers have been put to a stop by Tsareena’s stomps.
Banette
Let’s get into the nitty gritty, the proper haunting Halloween stuff. As someone who was afraid of Toy Story as a youngster, this particular Pokémon from Ruby and Sapphire hits especially close to the fear receptors. Banette is said to be a toy thrown away by a child, turned alive by literal hatred. May dex entries also make it apparent that each Banette holds a grudge for their previous owner, and spends its days seeking the one who threw them away. If you think that’s scary (it is; let’s face it, Banette is basically Annabelle from the Conjuring movies), that’s only half of it. Banette’s mouth is zipped shut and it is said that if it were to be unzipped, it’s cursed energy will escape. You might be thinking “okay I’ll just keep the mouth shut then”, and that’s fine as long as you never want to Mega Evolve it. In Mega Banette’s dex entry from Pokémon Ultra Sun, it states that Mega Banette is unable to control its curses, and its trainer may be cursed in the line of fire.
Froslass
If any of you have been watching that new Ed Gein show on Netflix, this Pokémon and its terrifying traits may ring familiar. Froslass is an ice/ghost-type Pokémon first seen in Diamond and Pearl. First off, it evolves from Snorunt after giving it a dawn stone. Snorunt is not a ghost type, which begs the question: what are you doing with that stone? Once that realisation sets it, now get this: Froslass’ dex entry in Platinum states that it uses its -58°F breath to freeze its prey and use them as decorations in its lair. Now that’s all well and good, if not a little creepy, if we’re talking about a Rattata or two, but Ultra Sun’s entry notes that she often goes after male hikers and notably goes for those she finds handsome. So imagine stumbling upon a cave filled with frozen corpses used as decoration. If that’s not enough, Froslass is apparently the soul of a woman who died in the mountains, and would come down to nearby settlements and knock on random doors. Creepy or what?
Gengar
You know that feeling you get when it’s as if your whole body becomes cold for no discernible reason? Pokémon put that down to Gengar, a ghost/poison-type from all the way back in Red and Blue. Perhaps the original ‘scary Pokémon’ (just look at that menacing Cheshire grin), Gengar is said to lower the temperature of any room it is in. And you usually won’t even know it’s there as it tends to lurk in the shadows, like literally in shadows. Why does Gengar do this? To steal your life force, laughing all the while. And don’t think you’re safe if you’re its trainer. It’s dex entry from Ultra Sun states that it will try to take the lives of anyone and everyone. Truly nightmare material. And if you think that’s bad, according to Sword and Shield’s dex entries, in its Gigantamax form, Gengars huge mouth is actually a portal to the afterlife, and you can hear your deceased loved ones calling out to you. (A bit of BTS: when I was writing this one, someone walked past my house, laughing. So if I can’t sleep tonight, that’ll be why).
Palossand
You know when you were younger, and you thought sinking sand would be a more important aspect of your life, and now you’ve grown up and you don’t really hear about it anymore? Allow me to reignite those fears. Palossand is a ghost/ground-type Pokémon introduced in Sun and Moon (surprise, surprise). Quite literally known as the “beach nightmare”, Palossand is said to control sand itself and uses this power to pull down victims, before sucking out their souls. Moon’s dex entry goes as far to say that below each Palossand, you will find “masses of dried-up bones”. Not body-horror enough for you? Well, according to Violet’s dex entry, Palossand will then fire these bones at its opponents.
Vullaby
Another non-ghost type, you might think that Vullaby is a bit of a goofy looking Pokémon. A small fat bird wearing a nappy (diaper, for non-English readers) and small wings it can’t even fly with. I mean, it’s known as the “Diapered Pokémon”, so it’s practically begging for you to underestimate it. But it is that very nappy/diaper that is the source of its malice. If you look a bit closer, you can see that what it’s wearing is actually a skull. In Sun’s dex entry, it details that these bones are of its prey that it has previously consumed. A lot of the dex entries also point out the fact that these Pokémon grow quickly, and so the bones must be replaced on occasion. It’s basically a more harrowing version of Cubone. Also, Vullaby evolve very late (at level 54), so that’s a lot of skulls it’ll need to get through.
So what have we learned? It ain’t all sunshine and rainbows in the world of Pokémon. From Kanto to Paldea, there are many Pokémon that will happily cause you strife and dismay, if not just sucking out your life force at a moment of whim. I’ve definitely learned that Gamefreak really leaned into the spookiness of their franchise circa Gen VII, which is odd, considering the setting for Sun and Moon is this tropical island paradise, where seemingly everything is bright and happy. You can truly never leave your back unguarded in this world we all know and love; and isn’t that exciting? In that age old question of ‘which fictional world would you live in?’, I see a lot of people answer ‘Pokémon’. I should hope that this list might make you think a little bit more the next time you’re asked.
