Pokémon/WMG/Open Three

General Wild Mass Guessing for the Pokémon franchise. This includes theories that span multiple generations and multiple Canon.

Before adding a new guess, first make sure that it does not belong to one of the more specific Pokémon WMG pages listed on WMG.

Please add new entries to the bottom of the page.

All Pokemon, not just Porygon, are made from data.
Evidence:


 * TMs and HMs are CD-like items. CDs typically contain data, and the idea of teaching a biological entity moves using data is much less plausible than the idea of teaching virtual entities using data.
 * Pokemon can apparently be stored in computers and transmitted through the internet. While this may be some kind of teleporter network, there do not appear to be teleporters anywhere near the various PCs.
 * Porygon is suspiciously similar to most other Pokemon for being a virtually created Pokemon.
 * Poke Balls can apparently store any Pokemon, regardless of mass. If we assume that Pokemon are virtual, then this makes more sense. After all, data does not actually have mass.
 * Pokemon breeding is more or less a mystery. Since data can be copied nearly instantly depending on the machine, it's possible that eggs are generated nearly instantaneously.
 * No matter how powerful a Pokemon attack is, it never kills the Pokemon it's used on. This could be explained as some sort of program.

So it's quite possible that Porygon isn't the only virtual Pokemon, only the first man-made virtual Pokemon. Expanding on this further, Porygon may have been created by modifying the "data" of one or more existing Pokemon species. As for Missingno? An in-story glitch Pokemon caused by Porygon's creators not knowing what they were doing at first.
 * Evidence: Missing No.'s number is 000. they didn't start with 001 until they succeeded.
 * So starting with Porygon, they know how to make pokemon. That's why the number of pokemon available jumped from the original 151 to 252 soon after it's invention!
 * All those "Pokémon are actually virtual data" examples apply just because it's a videogame, but they don't really make sense from an in-world point of view. Many Pokédex entries point out how they exist in a biological sense (evident in many types, like Water or Grass; Tropious is able to produce fruit. The humans eat that fruit. Are they eating virtual data? How does Squirtle create virtual water?). If they can be created by humans, then all humans should be able to create their own freely, without the need to walk around and throw Pokéballs at them. And most of all...if they are virtual, this means there's some kind of electrically-powered machine that constantly keeps them alive...oh crap.

Pokemon don't reproduce sexually.
Instead, Arceus creates the eggs.


 * In Solaceon town, an NPC wonders if someone might be leaving the eggs there, so I kinda pictured that some ninja sneaks into the daycare when no one is looking and puts an egg down next to the female Pokemon, and then leaves without saying a word, much to the Pokemon's confusion. I don't know where the ninja gets the eggs from though...
 * So Arceus is really just a giant Poke-stork and not a god like we all thought before? The place Cynthia takes us in HGSS isn't really Arceus creating something, but just picking up said Pokemon from the mystical Poke-baby factory in the sky? I guess that makes sense.


 * It explains why two different pokemons can breed and then it will be the pre-evolved form of one of them, and other things about it. However, that does not necessarily mean that it is Arceus; maybe it is something else.

The TMs and HMs are how-to DVDs.
The trainer simply lets a Pokemon watch the DVD. Now, if someone more well-versed with DVD technology could help me explain the TMs' one-use nature...
 * It could be related to Flexplay technology, in which the DVD player literally burns away the DVD, making it unusable after one use.
 * Then, why didn't they make a copy?
 * This fits pretty well with the Teachy TV key item in Fire Red and Leaf Green...
 * They explode after use?

An evolution will be made for Pikachu that you can only get by refraining from evolving it into Raichu and instead leveling it to 100.
This is what Ash's Pikachu will become at the end of the series.
 * Of course, if you own a Light Ball, it only makes sense to do this. According to Serebii, the Max ATK and SP ATK of a Level 100 Pikachu with a hindering nature are 376 and 358, respectively. In contrast, a Level 100 Raichu with a beneficial nature tops out at 306 for both. You actually get weaker by evolving in this case, since the Light Ball only works for Pikachu.

Pokemon is set in the future.
The reason Pikachu and other Pokemon are referred to things like "mouse Pokemon" or "bird Pokemon" is because they are what evolved out of those animals. People know about them in the same way we know about dinosaurs. The reason the technology isn't super advanced is because some kind of war set humans back, but some advanced systems still exist (such as the PC system). The way peace and unity was brought to the world was by getting everyone's mind off of humanity. By making people's lives revolve entirely around Pokemon, nobody cared really cared about their civilization anymore. People are taught from an early age that their entire existence revolves around Pokemon, which is why no one in the game seems to care about humanity and just about Pokemon.
 * Oh, great, now I'm wondering how Team Plasma fits into this...

Poke Mart is a communist organization that runs the Pokemon world and created all the Pokemon.
Okay, think about it. There's a Poke Mart in every important town or city, and who would benefit the most from people battling their little monsters and such? Who provides the majority of trainer items? Poke Mart. Also note the seeming lack of actual government in the Pokeverse. The truth must be that there is someone regulating everything. And who better than the shop that provides all of a trainer's needs? The reason Pokemon Centers are free is to throw trainers off their trail. Further proof is the Pokegear in HG/SS. Do not try to tell me the red theme is NOT a communist theme. The stores that sell herbs and such are just there because Pokemart doesn't see any point in marketing to a small villages like those. On to creation of Pokemon. As the central government of the world, they decide what people know. Why do you think that no one knew about Johto Pokemon until three years after Kanto, even though Elm had been there for a while? Same thing goes for Hoenn and Sinnoh. Birch and Rowan are colleagues of Oak, and have been in their respective regions. So why didn't Oak know about these region's Pokemon? It's because Pokemart has to create new Pokemon every so often to keep trainers' attention. Also, ten-year-olds are gullible, so Poke Mart can easily control them. The fossil Pokemon are just set up by Poke Mart for archaeologists to find. They created all the mythology themselves. Team Rocket wanted to take over and set up a capitalistic system. Poke Mart knew and decided to see what would happen if a child defeated them. The other groups were just idiots that Poke Mart let roam free, because they had a new candidate for league champ running around prepared to stop them. The people don't care that you're using super powerful legends because they've been brainwashed. In the Johto storyline, Red is isolated because he is the ultimate communist, and Pokemart was afraid he might lead a march against them, so they ordered him to stay there until he was beaten. That trainer would be their next pawn. And on a related note-
 * OBJECTION! You're talking about an all-powerful chain store engaged in anti-competitive business practices in a universe where there's very little visible government. Why would that be communist as opposed to ultra-capitalistic? The stores accept normal currency, give away nothing for free excluding free-with-purchase promotions, and they way you describe it, are only interested in profit, to the point of artificially inflating the demand for their products by releasing dangerous genetically engineered creations into the wild. Communism does not work that way. Capitalism is what you're describing.
 * The Pokemarts being government run is implied in XD, where they will readily stock an item with a single-person market (Pokeballs) after being told to so so by someone in authority.
 * In that case we're looking at a Keynesianist world.

People do know how Pokemon breed. They just don't tell you about it.
Think about it. Your character is only 10 in all of the games. Perhaps there's an almost extreme level of discretion used with telling kids about sex in the Pokemon world. Either that or the process is actually quite horrifying and the less you know about it, the better. However, the latter wouldn't explain why a somewhat quaint-seeming old couple continues the daycare business unless they're desensitized to the process or get some sick kick out of it.
 * This isn't just normal sex we're talking about. Regular sex is (for the most part) two (fairly) equal-sized people animals doing the deed. In this world, there's the quite reasonable possibility of a 47-foot-long, 877 lb. male Wailord breeding with a 2-foot-tall, 24 lb female Skitty, which is something even adults would be disturbed by.

The player character is one of the most dedicated trainers around.
Sure, all the NPCs you see only seem to want to talk about Pokemon, but let's take a closer look. In Gold and Silver, whenever a Pokemon trainer calls you, it's usually to tell you about how they "Almost caught a Ratatta" or "Finally managed to beat a Zubat" and such. Furthermore, Pokemon training is hard work, and not everyone is willing to go through the trouble of Level Grinding. In addition, it's safe to say that the majority of trainers don't go too far from home, so their training options are limited. Where am I going with this? Simply put, in the pokemon world, spending an hour or two a day training is considered to be dedicated. Now enter a young trainer who never gets tired no matter how much walking he/she does, and to whom pokemon training itself is a game. By the pokemon world's standards, you are the ultimate Determinator. Any trainer could be just as powerful as you, but they simply don't put in quite so much effort. The only exception is your rival, who is driven by the urge to best you, the freakishly devoted trainer.
 * This troper has thought for a while that most trainers are just local people with a love of Pokemon (or type of Pokemon, or fishing) who like to battle on the weekends; as their Pokemon are just pets most of the time, they can't really afford to keep or catch six or dedicate their lives to beating the Elite Four.

The reason why Poke Balls don't work sometimes is because the Pokemon doesn't want to get caught.
The Poke Ball tempts the Pokemon to get caught, but the Pokemon resists. Olympus Mons especially don't want to get caught, hence their lower catch rate. When the Pokemon is caught, it's because it gave up on trying to escape you. Yes, that would make the Master Ball unethical. And it is. It is for precisely that reason that they are so rare, and important people only give it to you because they trust you with it and that you'll treat the Pokemon you catch with it well.

The Pokemon you 'Release' in the Boxes... aren't actually released.
Unless you count Released to Elsewhere, that is. When stored, the balls and their contents are turned into data; the 'Release' command deletes that data. Which means you murdered them...

Non-Porygon Pokemon can be duplicated, but doing so causes the effects of Ghost Dubbing.
Porygon's Pokedex entry states it has some form of DRM to prevent copying, but why would other Pokemon, who can be stored as data all the same, be unable to be copied? Simple; they can be copied, it's just that copying will kill the original. Porygon, having no ghost, is an exception, and needs DRM. Scientist are willing to clone fossils because the original is clearly already dead and/or creating a biological clone (which starts at level 5, just like a newborn) is safer than duplicating the computer data.
 * Or most of the pokedex entries are made up of exaggerations, nonsense, etc.

Pokeballs are a Lotus Eater Machine for Pokemon.
This is why they become tamer after being captured; they have blissful dreams in the balls.

The Pokemon nation is a communist meritocracy.
The only ads on the radio are by government operations, and all but a handful of stores belong to the same network that determines if they will sell something based on government classifications (gym badges), indicating a government operation. The police are all allowed to attack anyone who is out at night on sight. The government employs a known mafia leader. People are ranked on how well they are able to command the bloodthirsty hordes of monsters that lurk in every piece of tall grass, cave, and pond, with the most adept being the only visible authority figures.
 * I can see how that may be a meritocracy, but how would it be Communist?
 * Mayby the OP meant to say totalitarian.

The Gym Leaders are shoguns who rule over their towns.
They are the most powerful, and keep their people isolated. Those without Pokemon are not worthy enough to enter their area; they take advantage of the destroyed roads and use them as tests to make sure a bunch of their people do not escape and to make sure only the strong enter. Perhaps they don't want strong people, but since many Gym Leaders happily accept challenges, maybe they just want people to battle them so they can train, gain new experiences and make sure they stay stronger than their populace. When you defeat them and get a badge, you have liberated the town and helped free the region from the dictatorships. Defeating the Elite Four means that you defeated the regime... or did you? The final, strongest trainer you face in the end is the true leader of the organization. These can apply to any region or game, really.
 * Except that in later games, you're usually either Drone Jammed, or there's some arbitrary excuse for the bridge to be broken.

Pokemon is set in a post-scarcity socialist welfare state.

 * Due to the harnessing of powerful Pokemon, energy, food, and labor are plentiful.
 * Pokemon training, breeding, and contests are encouraged to give people something to do if they don't want to have jobs, which are purely optional, but in high demand due to their scarcity and their value as status symbols. The currency is the equivalent of arcade prize tokens, won only through Pokemon-related competitions and exchangeable only for Pokemon-related goods and novelty items created with scarcity in mind, so as to create artificial competition. Everything else is provided by the state.
 * Team Rocket, et al. steal things because they are capitalists or simply fail to grasp the nature of the economy, and the government indulges them because they're harmless as long as they remain nonviolent. Team Rocket's "foreign support" is actually instigated by jealous capitalist rival societies.
 * Wait, So stealing is now capitalism?
 * Alternatively they steal just because even in a socialist utopia, it's still (ostensibly) easier to take things than do work to get them, even when it comes to hobbies rather than livelihood. For example, stealing pokemon rather than catching and training them, stealing money to buy potions, etc. There will always be criminals even in a near-perfect society; this applies to the below as well. But they are rarer, with only a few gangs of criminals (and mostly they are more like extremist ideological groups than Team Rocket's brand of crime), and very little violence outside of pokemon battles (for instance, the ease with with many child pokemon trainers can wander around the world almost completely unmolested).
 * Violent crime is unheard of because people can express their aggression through Pokemon battles, and wild Pokemon are incapable of seriously harming humans, making it safe for kids to travel alone.
 * Violent crime appears often in Pokemon, mostly in past tense or to be speculated.

Every Trainer in the same class look like every other one...

 * ...because that's not their real appearance. Trainers do exams to be in a certain class (Youngster, Bug Catcher, Lass, Psychic...) and receive a bodysuit which gives them that look.
 * How about they think of themselves as a certain "class" and so that's why they're given certain sprites?
 * Yeah they probably also dress similarly due to their conscious identification with their subcultures. Think about how groups such as goths, hipsters, flappers, french aristocracy in the 18th century, etc. all look very similar. They would look subtly different, only that would be too tedious to render in game. You can think of many of the gym leaders as being in these classes- for instance, Whitney is a Beauty, Sabrina is a Psychic or Medium. You can imagine that in the world of pokemon, all of them are like gym leaders, looking like the character model for their class but with slight differences. Hell, the player characters are basically all Youngsters.

Almost no one gets starters at age ten in the games.
There are trainers younger than ten and new trainers older then ten. You also almost always get your starter out of causality; In RBYFRLG, you're eleven. In GSCHGSS, Elm gives you a mon to go run an errand. In RSE, it's a thank you gift for saving Birch. In DP, you and your friend go to look for a Gyarados but get attacked and use them for self protection. The "ten year old" rule only applies to Pokémon Platinum and the anime, and manga that ran with the idea.
 * It's possible. The main charecter in B/W is sixteen when he/she and his/her friends are given their starters.

The journeys happened differently in two universes.
BW has basically confirmed the fact that there are two parallel universes. It's not just rebooting or different Pokemon appear for some reason. Here's the theory part: The first games (FireRed, HeartGold, Ruby, Diamond) happen in White. In Black, though, other games happen (LeafGreen, SoulSilver, Sapphire, and Pearl). The protagonists' events differ in each world (maybe they do so and so, maybe they have this Pokemon, etc). Heck, maybe even they have different protagonists (let's say in the Black continuity, Red is Blue's rival and saved Kanto, but in White, Leaf did). Diamond and Pearl could be divergent from the Red and Blue timelines
 * It'd make more sense to have Pearl in place of Platinum, and have Yellow, Crystal, Platinum, and "Grey" take place in a third universe (perhaps one created by making a better world.)
 * HeartGold and SoulSilver both have Red possessing a Pikachu, implying Pokemon Yellow is canon and Leaf never existed at all. Black and White both reference Giratina, implying Platinum is canon in both. The only games that aren't accounted for are third gen and Pokémon Colosseum. It seems the timeline is more on the lines of
 * Yellow-Heart Gold-Ruby-Platinum-White
 * Yellow-Soul Silver-Sapphire-Platinum-Black
 * Yellow-Crystal-Emerald-Platinum-"Grey"
 * Red having a Pikachu doesn't necessarily mean that Yellow is canon. He could have just caught it in Viridian Forest instead of starting with it.
 * But it would make sense. Pikachu is his strongest Pokemon, and with your rivals(and likely yourself), their starter is their powerhouse. Plus, it would explain why he has the Kanto starters(you can only capture them in-game when you play Pokemon Yellow.)
 * What? How did BW confirm that there are parallel universes?
 * Two obscure but very revealing lines. Talk to everyone on the second floors of the buildings in the Black version's Opelucid City. Someone will mention "another world". A guy in Black City's Pokemon Center also talks about White Forest despite there being no such place in Black.

The 'rules' for Pokemon and human interaction were set up at the beginning.
Right. In the Headscratchers page, numerous people have asked why Pokemon obey their trainers. Here's my theory: Arceus set up rules for partnerships between Pokemon and humans, essentially following the Trainer role. Pokeballs? Well, Arceus (or maybe one of the other Legendaries under its command, I dunno which one would fit) showed humans how to turn Apricorns into the pre-pokeball catch method, and then they figured out how to make Pokeballs by the same method. This is also why the Legendaries can be caught in the games- they follow the 'rules' as well, although they don't use their full power on behalf of the trainer. This also explains why when you catch them, you don't trigger a disaster as in the second movie- the rules as they apply to Legendaries also means they can focus effort on doing their job, while still being with you.

Baby Pokemon are not supposed to exist in nature.
They are the result of what happens when humans start messing with things they REALLY shouldn't be messing with. Before humans started trying to make Pokemon breed, Pokemon didn't breed. Arceus simply created new Pokemon to prevent species from dying out (except in those cases where it was their time to go extinct). However, humans screwed with the balance of nature when somebody got the following thought into their heads: "Hey, if we put a male Pokemon and a female Pokemon together in an isolated space, what will happen?". The result was Pokemon Eggs, things that were never supposed to exist, and certain species, like Pikachu, mutated in their eggs and became entirely new species that were incapable of breeding as a result of their mutation. Have you noticed how, even in Heart Gold and Soul Silver, that one chick STILL says that Professor Elm discovered that Pikachu is an evolved Pokemon? That's because he REALLY DID. He was the first person to breed two Pikachu in a controlled environment, producing a Pichu.

Unfortunately, the so-called "Baby Pokemon" were so cute, people wanted more of them. This led to further experimentation by scientists, who created the alleged "Incenses"... which are actually horrible, species-specific drugs that cause Pokemon who wouldn't usually do so to mutate inside their Eggs as well.
 * Explain wild Cleffa/Mantyke/Budew/Mime Jr.? Especially since 3 of those need an incense to breed in the daycare.
 * Someone dropped some incense, which was later found and equipped by a wild female of the appropriate species.
 * Going with the idea of dropped incense, it's possible that the incense also mutates the Pokemon holding it, and by the Diamond and Pearl games, there are enough mutated Pokemon to produce Baby Pokemon in the wild. As for Cleffa... the Pokemon may not have been aware of their ability to breed themselves. But once humans started making them do it, word spread through the grapevine and wild Pokemon began breeding on their own.
 * And they weren't breeding on their own before? Humans didn't catch Pokemon until much later, and breeding was implemented later on.

Baby Pokemon do exist in nature.
However, the way they breed is completely different from how Pokemon eggs are made
 * In nature: Pokemon eggs are a rare method of breeding. They normally breed in a logical manner(mammalian Pokemon get preggers, reptilian Pokemon lay eggs, fish Pokemon externally fertilize, ect). For the most part, interspecies breeding doesn't happen.
 * In day cares: In order to get eggs faster, the Day Care people give them drugs that speeds up the process. The result is that all Pokemon there lay eggs, and Pokemon are so flexible size difference doesn't matter anymore.

Red and Leaf truly are silent protagonists.
May, Dawn, and Ethan/Lyra are just varying amounts of quiet. Red, however, was silent for almost all of his journey, and Leaf becomes quiet at around the halfway point of hers.
 * Makes sense, and is basically canon if you count Red not saying anything when you meet him on Mt. Silver. You can't be sure with Leaf, Kris, Lyra, Gold/Ethan, May, Brendan, Dawn or Lucas.
 * Apparently, in RSE, you only talk in "Yes" and "No", if the characters' responses are anything to go by. So Brendan/May would count. Leaf could be a silent protagonist since she's in the same games as Red. In HGSS and DPPt, you really don't talk much, so it's hard to tell, though that could be evidence in itself.
 * What do you mean, Red and Leaf are silent? They both talk to Copycat, as do Ethan, Kris, and Lyra.
 * Who says they do? No one can figure out what's going on in that scene anyway. However, Red does talk in the non-canonical Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
 * There's also talking in the Union Room, and telling Primo what you think of him.
 * Keep in mind, there are ways of communicating without talking. Answering yes and no would be as simple as nodding or shaking one's head. More complicated phrases could be relayed by writing, or sign language. Red and Leaf may be mutes, physically incapable of speech.
 * They talk to their Pokemon, some of the in battle text is actually their speech. So no, they can't be mute.

Third version is always canon. (Yellow counts as the third version).
Following off the above. In the Generation 2 games and their remakes, what did Red have? Pikachu, unevolved (as it would be from Yellow) yet still at the highest level, indicating that it was likely his starter, and all three R/B starters at full evolution, as can only be legitimately gained in Yellow without trading. What events did the Generation 2 remakes add to the original story? The Unown rooms, Eusine, and the player character being somehow chosen by Suicune, among other things, plus even more Legendary involvement and the Kimono Girls' ascension from nobodies. Not only that, but the newer generations work in the storylines of both of their earlier installments into the third version, with even more storyline beyond that. As for Generations 3 and 4, the "canon" remakes were clearly skipped, but would have been to Yellow and Crystal what the existing remakes were to the base installments.
 * Basically confirmed, though Yellow is arguable. Emerald and Platinum change the story and add plot elements. The third games also combine the Pokemon from the first two.
 * Yellow's the fourth, not the third.
 * So would that make Blue the canon version? That makes sense since it fixed a lot of stuff.
 * Except that in HG/SS, Steven states that he's the champion of Hoenn, not Wallace.
 * He WAS champion of Hoenn in Emerald before he quit and Wallace took the spot. (Heart) Gold and (Soul) Silver probably take place before Gen III, when he still was Champion.
 * Or, more likely, it takes place after Emerald.
 * And then Cynthia referenced the battle with Giratina in B/W. If that line appears in what's already being called "Gray" (you know it's coming, people), we can count this as confirmed.
 * More Steven/Wallace discussion: It appears that former Champions keep the title of Champion, though they are replaced in the league by the new Champion. The exception to this rule is Red, since he was busy training in Sevii and eventually Johto.

The Pokeworld is a Crap Saccharine World.
Think about it. There are so many cults and mafias running amuk with dangerous monsters at the palm of their hands. These Pokemon themselves are dangerous, as Pokedexes, move descriptions, and in-game events can show. Even certain regions, ala Orre, are depressing horrid places. Eleven year olds are allowed to carry around dangerous monsters which could kill them by accident, or if they do not trust you enough. These naive children can also accidentally harm others. Kids can run around on their own (though most don't until they're in their mid to late teens from the looks of it), with little protection from pedophiles, Mind Rape, etc. other then their Pokemon. Parents tend to neglect their children quite frequently, or pay little attention to them. Pokémon Black and White, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and a few manga, basically confirm this.

The Pokemon Regions are actually puppet states or colonies of a larger power.
And the closest thing they have for a government is a police force.
 * Well, the first part is somewhat true. The regions are a part of a country, Pokepan.

If you hatch a Pokemon and you don't have a Poké Ball, you carry it until you buy more.
Or it walks with you.
 * Confirmed several times in the anime. Togepi and Manaphy come to mind immediately.
 * And eggs from the Day Care place give you free Pokeballs. Case in point: Phanpy.
 * Free? No, you have to pay for the day care.

Most Legendaries aren't unique.
Let's examine the evidence:
 * In Gen IV,you can get the legendary birds in HG/SS and Platinum.
 * Not only can you find the Regis in Hoenn and Sinnoh, but other trainers are using them. And if Regis are created by Regigigas, there's probably more than one of it.
 * Any legendary owned by another trainer couldn't be unique (except snaggable legendaries from the Game Cube games.)

The manufacturers of the Pokeballs are from the universe before the main Pokemon universe.
Why else can you catch Pokemon like Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus? Eons ago, their universe suffered a cataclysm. They survived the end, and Arceus emerged from the ruins. They were scientists who knew how their universe worked, and thus could get Arceus and its brethren to be powerless against their tech.

The reason why Gamefreak never made a game set in the Orange Islands was to prevent the outbreak of a Robot War.
Think about it. We've already got six games set in the Kanto/Johto region: RBY and GSC. If an Orange Islands game was added, we'd have an additional O. And that would spell CYBORGS.
 * Oh Crap.

The player character is a crimial mastermind.
When he collects money from the people he beats, he is forcing them to pay him off. His reasons for battling Team Rocket are because he wants to muscle in on their territory. Defeating the villainous team of the game makes you the land's top crime lord. And the poor Prof. doesn't have a clue. And neither does the rest of the ignorant population.

Team Rocket bribes the police to stay out of their business.
Would explain the lack of police. And when there are police, they're morons. Looker was just not as easily taken in.
 * So, he's Too Dumb To Bribe, then? I like him already.

Regular animals existed at some point, and might continue to exist.
Look at some of the species names of Pokémon. They must have gotten the names of the animals these are similar to from somewhere. Perhaps they live in a Leviathan-esque world, and the Pokémon world would be similar to the Darwinists.
 * Not to mention the fact that normal fish were shown in the episode where the St. Anne sunk, which Ash commented on.

The world is more financially stable than we realize.
The reason why we only see the bizarre fringes of their society is because we're playing as a kid. Most kids aren't concerned about politics, the economy, what have you.

All of the player characters are actually magical girls.
They spin whenever they change clothes, it's only natural.
 * So then... Anything is possible when you make a Poké Contract with Professor Kyuubey?

The player characters and the pseudo-rivals are related.
Notice how you have a mom but no visible dad, but the pseudo-rivals have dads but no seen moms? Hmmm...
 * Not true in the case of Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, where both sets of parents are present and accounted for.

The Pokedex isn't supposed to be factual.
It is a work in progress, after all. Notice how in Diamond and Pearl you can "see" Dialga/Palkia without actually running into one? I think the professor tells the Pokedex holders to write down information about Pokemon regardless of how likely it is to be true. Same goes for Pokemon species. When they update it to the National Dex, the main thing they're doing is upgrading memory. This also explains why Pokemon that are likely not native to the region the games are in are at the start of the Pokedex for that region; those were the first each group got a chance to document.
 * By your logic, Victini was discovered before the Unova starters.

Pokémon uses a post scarcity economy - Different logic than above
Thanks to the "store as data" revolution, common items can be duplicated with the click of a mouse (hence the lack of food production or real animals; most food, including dead meat, is easily duplicated). The few things that are still of value are Pokémon (because, as living beings, they can't be duplicated properly, ala Ghost Dubbing, while Porygon and Castform have DRM, see the above one with the subject I think I added), skills (such as Pokémon training skills, Police Officers, repairmen), creativity (hence why Silph, Devon, and the Pokétech companies exist), Knowledge with its application (Professors), and personality (hence the various attendants, radio hosts, teachers, presenters, and entertainers). As for Moomoo Milk's multiple production sites, LTIC Real Life Milk has micro-organisms that enhance the flavor. (Many of these are killed alongside the harmful ones during the quicker and thus cheaper super pasteurization, but are preserved in the slower and thus more expensive normal pasteurization. Microorganisms presumably can't be copied, due to being alive and being way too small to properly store as data (never mind that their DNA is still incredibly complex). The same is true for Slowpoke tails; as Slowpoke can regenerate their tails, part of the tail may still be alive as well, giving it flavor. Biological old-fashioned cloning is still valid, but still results in the equivalent of a new born.

The Psychic Gym Leaders/Elite Four Members of each region have predicted that the player is The Chosen One, and are taking steps to protect the player.
Think about it. Whiting out leaves the player unarmed and helpless in a variety of places, including the middle of forests and the open ocean, vulnerable to attacks from wild Pokemon, other Trainers, and the weather. But every time you white out, you wake up at the Pokemon Center. While it's possible that a kind wandering Trainer might take you there, the odds of it happening every time, especially in places where there's little to nobody around, are quite slim - hence the following WMG:

The Psychic Gym Leaders/Elite Four Members are susceptible to visions (or their Pokemon are) and they pass on the information gleaned from said visions to the Champion and the rest of the Elite Four, who acts on them. When the various bad guys formed teams and began to establish themselves, the Psychic/s had visions of the terrors they would wreak. At the same time, they saw the player as the only one who could finally end the teams, so they began to organize constant watches on the player so the player would be kept safe. Thus, if the player whites out, there will always be someone nearby who will get them back to the nearest Pokemon Center. They can't risk you dying prematurely, so they have to watch out for you.

The Pokemon world is the real world.
Notice how they keep mentioning the real world countries, like AFRICAN Elephant, CHINA, AMERICA. Also note that the 'Regions' are exactly that, regions. Not countries. Each 'region' is stated to be based on a real life region, ie Kanto=Kanto, Johto=Kansai, Hoenn=Kyuushu, Shinnoh/Sinnoh=Hokkaido, Isshu/Unova=New York/Jersey, Orre=Arizona. These places just have different names and are shaped differently in the Pokemon world, but the countries are the same.

Cherish Balls don't have the power limiter effect of other balls.
OK, think about this- Cyrus planned to use the Red Chain because Poke Balls reduce the natural power of the Pokemon they catch, so says his computer at least- so Dialga and Palkia wouldn't have been able to access their full abilities. Only event Pokemon can activate certain things like Celebi's time-traveling miniquest. Event Pokemon all come in Cherish Balls. It would be a logical guess that Cherish Balls don't put that limit on the Pokemon inside them so they can do all those things.

Pokemon aren't trying to escape capture, they are judging if you are worthy of them.
That's why legendarys are hard to catch. Masterball? You must be worthy if you have the ultimate ball. Also a possible explanation for why you can't catch fainted pokemon.
 * That is one explanation, although there are other variants too, such as:
 * They are not usually trying to escape capture, although it might happen sometimes.
 * It is valid for most pokeballs, but the master ball is cheating.

Mitsumi knew who Kaisei was before DPA started.
She has a Dusknoir. He's the only one who knows how to find Giratina. You find Reaper Cloths the same place you find Giratina. Selling those could be how he supports himself, too, despite being a lowly Ruin Maniac, as well as how he and Rowan met.

Pokemon are real life animals, altered by nanomites, from the US Government. Pokemon started in the US and is set in the Future. Poke Earth is Earth.
Poke Earth mentions the real world multiple times, but has only once had a real life area, Kanto, itself having all its names and some of its geography changed. Real animals are also mentioned multiple times, but never seen. Pokemon are stored in a PC. BW Pokemon evolve in a way that look more like Digivolution than normal Pokemon Growth. This... doesn't add up, or does it?

The US Government developed Nanotech, to restructure animals from the core, but also to make them digital, for easy storage. These animals are developed to be fearsome, killing machines. Obviously, some animals aren't as fierce as others, hence Pokemon like Emolga. The Nanotech became virus-like and spread. Why the US being the makers? Pokemon from New York/Unova evolve by breaking the monster down, restructuring them, then rebuilding them. Japanese Pokemon evolve in a more growth-like way. The Japanese Pokemon got less viral influence, which also explains the bizarre monster strength and leveling in BW in comparison to GR/GS/RS/DP.

Eventually the Nanomachine Virus spread to the entire planet, and all animals were changed to Pokemon. This is where and when the claims of 'Enough electricity to render an elephant unconscious' comes from. Some of these Pokemon were incredibly powerful, and they altered geography and destroyed society at large.

Eventually, humanity rebuilt, from the ground up, likely hundreds of years later. Not much of the past is remembered, only little things. Most things, like the humble Pokeball, needed to be rediscovered out of necessity. Eventually, humanity gets to the same level as in the 90's, developing things like the PC system, TMs and the electronic Pokeball. The Pokedex is back-engineered from old tech found. Those outlandish and cruel claims? Scientific research in the pas;, the Pokedex has a full scan function contingent upon capture to unlock the data. This is where the PC comes in...

Also, anything mythical like Arceus or Dialga that has odd and wild claims? The Pokedex has knowledge of local myths. These pokemon are post devistation.

There was a giant war in Asia before the start of R/B
Let us look at the evidence. The people in Lt Surge's gym note how he was like in the Army. It is also stated that he saved one of the trainer's lives during the war. Its indicated he has been in Vermillion for a while now. We can also see from official game artwork of his time in the war, along with where he was deployed. All of this concludes that some war in Asia, perhaps the resumption of the Korean War started. He was in the American Army. If the plane entry is correct, he likely flew an A-10, as those are ground attack planes. The trainers in his Gym are some of his former buddies and veterans of the same war. The war only was concluded recently as Surge and his friends still speak of it in the near present tense. Surge, while shipped to Japan to await the invasion of the now occupied Korea and Russian Far East, caught a Pikachu which became his lifelong buddy. Judging by the artwork, it looks like the Korean war resumed, and that Surge was part of the amphibious landing behind Chinese/North Korean lines at Vladivostok. Japan is only just recovering from the devastation, and the lack of young adult males in both Unova and Japan is because many were killed during the war.

There are gods higher than Arceus
This is solely based off of the term "Archeus," pronounced identical to Arceus, which is the astral plane that watches over all of creation. It is also, however, the lowest astral plane. I don't really know what sort of gods could be higher than Arceus, but notice that its Pokedex entries don't explicitly say that it created the universe, just that it "shaped" it -- meaning their might be another god that created the stuff he shaped it from, or something (Primal Chaos?).

The games aren't actually giving you a Power of Friendship Fantastic Aesop on Pokemon, but something that actually makes sense.
Then what are they telling you? Think about this. In (Heart)Gold/(Soul)Silver, the rival character just wants to become stronger and have stronger Pokemon. He views the NPC enemies (Team Rocket) as weak and pathetic, and thinks you're an idiot and a weakling for not following his path. Sound familiar? That's right! The "friendship" speeches are actually telling you to keep it simple and have your favorite Pokemon in your party, instead of ridiculous things like four Gengars and two Snorlax, or a team of Legendaries, or hacked Sableyes with Wonder Guard. Unless you find that fun, but who would find THAT fun?

Pokemon dont die like humans do
Except for wild pokemon who are either preyed on and/or die of natural causes

It explains why you never see a pokemon die (the marowak ghost being an exception) and why there are pokemon burial places (celestial tower, mt pyre .etc).

when a pokemon is "caught" they become linked to the trainer and the trainers life force eventually when the trainer dies (resetting the data anyone?) the pokemon either die immediately or die over time via depression.

it all depends on the person playing the game pokemon that were HM slaves or placed in the pc are easily forgotten and die instantly. while pokemon (like your level 100 blaziken you forgot to migrate) live on in your memory and therefore die when you forget them.
 * Jossed as far as the games go. Alder's first Pokemon died of illness.
 * Not to mention trainers who actually outright state the deaths of their Pokemon as early as the first generation...

Storing a Pokemon in the PC isn't as inhumane as some think it is.
Going against the above WMG, being "stored in a box" on the PC isn't meant to be taken literally. The Pokemon are actually at the professor's lab and are taken care of. One hint towards the PC boxes NOT just being like literally put in a box and left there is that if an injured Pokemon is sent to the box, when you take it out, it will be fully healed without needing to use the Pokemon Centers.
 * Which only happens in gen 2 on. Everything (Pokerus not dieing off) indicates that PC stored Pokemon are really in suspended animation.

Every one of your Pokemon is a Combat Sadomasochist.
Why would they constantly appear to you in the Poke-wilds? Why would they be willing to take so much pain from so many battles? Why would Pokemon get happier the more they're used in battle? Simple: they get off on it. This could also explain why some Pokemon just aren't used for battles, or why they "faint" in battle instead of outright dying.
 * That means any Pokemon that evolves via happiness is Too Kinky to Torture.

The Old Man who gives you tours in the first city (other than your hometown) is the protaganist from the previous game.
Think about it: He says he was quite the hot-shot trainer in his day, and he seems to know quite a bit about Pokemon. He is the default male protaganist from the previous generation of Pokemon who has retired from training and moved to the small town where you first visit, giing tours to the new trainers starting their journeys.
 * Not possible. In Gold and Silver, you fight Red (the previous protagonist) at the end of the game. FRLG takes place at the same time as RSE, so Gold can't be the old man in either. DPPt takes place the same time as HGSS, so only three years after RSE and FRLG. So the previous protagonist wouldn't be so aged.

Psychic types and Fighting types are the closest related to humans

 * Besides looking the most like us (most fighting types are humaniod, and many psychic types are), they seem to symbolize humanity. Intelligence (psychic types) are what separate humans from animals in the real world, and our bodies (fighting) are also something we have alone. So it's possible that humans, psychic, and fighting types all share a common ancestor and/or are genetically similar. This would make psychic/fighting types (like the medicham family, and gallade), the closest to a complete human.
 * On the other hand, humans themselves may be the 18th type of pokemon, kind of like
 * Or they're what happens when you don't have a type. Meaning that, prior to Gen V, we may have been able to use the move Curse.

Pokemon gyms have other, more central responsibilities that aren't discussed in-game.
For normal trainers, gyms are just a place to go to prove your strength, however gym trainers are members who are actually using the facilities to help strengthen their Pokemon. Gyms usually specialize by type, which is a detriment in battle against challengers, but helpful for meeting the specific needs of a particular type.

The various puzzles help sort members by rank. Newer members, after passing more basic training, have to earn rank and show their work by defeating weak challengers so that older members aren't bothered in their training and have more time to heal their pokemon as stronger challengers come.

Pokeworld humans are an egg-laying species.
Just like everything else.
 * Jossed, a woman was pregnant in Time-Warp Heals All Wounds.
 * Not jossed, egg-laying creatures carry their eggs inside them for a while before laying. And if it's not true for the anime, maybe it's still true for the games - maybe Mew giving birth was an accident of Mewtwo's origins/EarlyInstallmentWeirdness.

Item Balls actually exist, and that how you store all your gear.
Back in the Kanto series of the anime, Ash caught a rice-ball in his pokeball, so there is a precedent for storing things besides pokemon. Plus, you carry a ridiculous amount of gear in your backpack, this is how. Also, consider how Brock, and now Cilian are able to carry picnic tables, even if they were foldable, that would take up a lot of room. Same for the Bikes in the games. This is also how Wes and Michael store their respective rides. With Item balls.

Pokemon hatched from eggs are always level 5 because of superior breeding processes.
The Pokemon in the wild who are under level 5 didn't get the care the mother (and father) got in the Day-Care Center, and didn't develop as well before they were far enough along to hatch.
 * Actually, eggs hatch with the pokemon at level one ever since Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.

The Pokemon Professors are evil and trying to take over the world through genetic engineering
This Troper was never a big Pokemon fan, and for years believed the plot of the series was similar to Jurrassic Park, where the professors had genetically bred Pokemon, with the intention of being ready to fight each other (and presumably other nations), and the main characters are basically trying to keep the population of the Pokemon under control.

Pokemon who evolve through trading do so because they are excited!
We know emotions can trigger evolution, so maybe when certain Pokemon get traded, the excitement of having new friends and seeing new places gets them to evolve.
 * This is Fanon (maybe even Word of Dante) as stated in ABeginnersGuideToPokemon.

The reason Marril are more common in Hoenn and Sinnoh is because they're invasive species
In the Johto based games, Marril are relatively rare, but in Hoenn they're everywhere there's fresh water. In Diamond and pearl however they were limited to the Great Marsh - until Platinum where they could be found just as easily on normal routes, with lots of water in them. Of course this can apply to any pokemon from previous generations that appear in the wild and in greater numbers than their debut generation, like the Ralts family in Sinnoh.

Pokemon introduced in a region is not specifically from that region
Just because a pokemon is introduced in a region during a certain generation doesn't mean it's native to that region, Case in point: Snorlax, Chansey, and Sudowoodo. There are only two Snorlax in Kanto during Generation I, it's believed that these two Snorlax migrated to the Kanto region to find food, meanwhile it's pre-evolution Munchlax is found in Sinnoh. With Chansey, they're found in the wild in Sinnoh, whereas they are purely Safari Zone Pokemon in generation I, because they were imported from Sinnoh. Sudowoodo are found everywhere in Sinnoh, where they can blend in easily, meanwhile a solitary Sudowoodo in Johto obviously doesn't fit in with the area.
 * Supported by those lines that had only one line in one generation and had two (or Three!) in the next. Rosellia, I'm staring at you.
 * Sinnoh is an island presumably far away from Kanto. How would Snorlax and Sudowoodo migrate? I don't think they'd swim; Snorlax is certainly not the athletic type and Sudowoodo would just die.
 * Snorlax can Surf. Sudowoodo could have been a transplant (no pun intended) or ship stowaway.

Evolutionary release harmful radiation of some kind
Most of the Pokemon who evolve from a Stone lose the ability to learn new moves naturally. but you already knew that.

This is because the radiation from the Stone retards parts of the brain, preventing the Pokemon from learning new moves naturally.

Eevee is exempt from this because the radiation sets it's unstable DNA into a stable pattern. The radiation also causes an effect similar to The Incredible Hulk, making them stronger but less smart and/or nice, so perhaps it contains a type of gamma radiation?

Norman is the father of all the Pokemon Protagonists
In every generation, except the third, the protagonist has a missing dad and Norman is the only one who is ever shown. He just really got around.
 * If he really got around, does that mean that he's Ash's father too?

Drone Jams are paid for.
There's some sort of company which employs people specifically for blocking travelling trainers. Gym leaders and the like pay for them (hourly, maybe). It's an easy job and they're paid plenty. Hence why there's so damn many.

Big old Pokemon Multiverse theory.
I don't just mean the Unown and Giratina's reality, I mean the whole The Multiverse she-bang. Okay, in Pokémon Black and White, it's all but outright stated that the two games takes place in parallel universes. Their single dividing point is the founders. The brother who stood for truth was victorious in the Black timeline, and thus Opecluid became advanced. The brother who stood for ideals was victorious in the White timeline, and thus Opecluid remains traditional.

In both universes is a version of previous games. Heartgold and Ruby would take place in the same universe. After all, there's only one Kyogre and Groudon, and one of them is in Hoenn. Reflecting this, Soulsilver and Sapphire are from the other universe. Which one takes place in which Gen V game, I cannot define. But I can guess. Heartgold may be in White, since its legendary has a "tradition" and thus ideal theme. Both universes share Pokemon Yellow as their Kanto-era, since Pokemon Trainer Red possesses a Pikachu in both games. Similarly, Platinum remains a constant in both realities, since Cynthia mentions the Gen IV protagonist. Somewhere, there's a third universe, where the events of Crystal, Emerald and the future Grey take place.

What happened to Diamond/Pearl/Red/Blue? The first two may have never existed, or they seperated due to the course Cyrus took in life. Pokemon Blue and Red might as well be the same game. What happened to them? Heh... Remember good old Missingno? Well, there was A glitch. An aberration. Something that should not have existed, but somehow did. It rose from the sea and destroyed all things. A lone survivor did what he needed to in order to stop it, and creation feared him for it. A piece of the world is missing.

The Pokemon animeverse diverged thousands of years before all this. Somewhere in Sinnoh, Arceus Itself pitied a king, giving him the Jewel of Life. Red never existed, so this reality adorned a different champion-Ash Ketchum. Team Rocket is more withdrawn. Where the many manga universes originate from, it is unclear. One differentiated with Cyrus's lifecycle, and Charon's absolute lack of little Rotom. And finally, there's an alternate(maybe) universe without the human race.

Dialga, Palkia, Giratina and Arceus don't have counterparts. Rather, they exist in every parallel universe. You see, Dialga and Palkia are the embodiments of time and space respectively, so they use avatars in the many universes. Giratina exists in its single universe, which looks different depending on who enters the universes. Giratina is, in a way, the protector of the bonds between universes. Arcues is the creator of it all, and spends most of its time sleeping. The sole exception is when someone extremely horrible is born.

Glitch Pokemon originate from before the universe existed.
Before Arceus was born, there was only a void of swirling chaos. When time and space began, this chaos was splintered. Aspects of the chaos crashed into the early universe. Over the eons, these remnants gained sentience. These became glitch Pokemon. Their bizarre nature is attributed to their origin as beings of chaos. That's why they glitch out reality.

Mew is from our universe
Which is how Arceus could be bolth a descendant of Mew and the creator of the pokemon universe. (Some) Pokemon world humans could have come from our universe as well, which is why they know about real world animals etc., or Mew or Arceus could have found ways to tell them about these things.

Pokemon hide when they have sex.
This is the true reason why no-one knows where eggs come from. Pokemon don't want any human spying on them during sexy times, so they hide from people. They also check if there's some surveillance equipment. After all, you don't want scientists studying you during sexy times. Why should Pokemon be any different?

Pokémon were originally Human Beings
Besides manmade ones, like Mewtwo and Porygon, Pokémon were originally Human Beings who were turned into their animal forms because of Arceus. This could clearly explain why Pokémon can perfectly understand Human speach.

Pokeballs that can carry humans exist, but are severely restricted.
How restricted? Only EMTs and the like can use them, and only for moving severely injured people around.
 * ...Then why wouldn't they just use Heal Balls on the injured person and then release it?
 * Because, in the games at least, heal balls are 5 times more expensive than normal pokeballs and can only be used once. Therefore, for the sake of the hospital's budget, EMTs only use normal human pokeballs. Additionally, human heal pokeballs may not have been invented yet, since, for example, no "heal dusk" pokeballs or "ultra dive" pokeballs appear to exist for pokemon, let alone humans.

Potions, Heal Balls, etc. are not magical.
They're basically field medicine. Very advanced field medicine, and they work by sealing wounds and such, but more serious injuries like severed limbs, severe breaks, spinal damage and so on need trained professionals to treat. Hence Pokemon Centres and hospitals.
 * Then, what will Revive be, is that one magic?

The political power of Gym Leaders varies per region
Because why wouldn't it? And the regions in the spin-off games don't even have gyms.

Eventually, when we get Pokemon games made for a handheld with an arbitrary excess of power and game card storage space, players will be allowed to re-encounter Pokemon they released.
Any Pokemon the player released would be kept in the Pokemon storage file, possibly with abbreviated data (like removing the "Met:" and relationship values) until space was needed for more Pokemon to be stored in the PC and it was overwritten (even encountering and KO'ing the Pokemon wouldn't delete/overwrite it). This would take a lot of Pokemon on this hypothetical future game card, so unless you released a lot of Pokemon and had fairly full PC boxes, they wouldn't be overwritten. Certain pokemon (Legendary Pokemon, and Pokemon that you had for a long time/used a lot in battle, or had high Friendship values) would be the last to be overwritten. A trainer would have a chance comparable to meeting a Shiny Pokemon to run into each Pokemon they had released, by mechanics such as replace-by-species, traveling in the "Met:" area, or (and this is by far the least likely) traveling in the area with Pokemon of the same species that has the highest level available while still being at a level equal to or lower than the released Pokemon (this last mechanism would likely only happen when Game Freak has done so many versions that they get bored of trying to design new, likable mechanics to leave in the game space and tried something like this just for the heck of it).

This would allow players to recapture Pokemon they may have regretted releasing (with either a 1:1, 0:1, or random chance of it still having the item it held the last time you saw it) while re-enforcing the idea that Pokemon are merely knocked out in battle and are actually released, rather than never knowing if you've ever met the same wild Pokemon twice and released Pokemon are Released to Elsewhere. The mechanic could be interpreted as your Pokemon wanting to return to you (and possibly being accepted back into the team), your Pokemon wanting to test your skill and help you along your path toward becoming a stronger trainer, your Pokemon wanting to beat you for having mistreated it and the forcing it to leave the only home it had, you jerk, random chance, or any of the myriad other reasons for meeting a wild Pokemon that you once trained.


 * This ideas was considered by some unofficial game writers (I don't know if anyone implemented it, though).

The Pokemon games/anime/manga take place in a post apocalyptic world.
Some nuclear incident or national disaster wiped out all animal life on earth. In order to save what little was left of the earths ecosystem, the remaining scientists used the remaining samples of DNA of the worlds animals to biogenetically engineer new creatures(pokemon) to support and recreate the ecosystem by giving them elemental powers. After awhile the pokemon got loose and began to populate, thus becoming wild. After time the ecosystem finally healed, and people began treating the pokemon the same as they had treated animals, but with benefits. And so the pokemon world was created. Proof exists in the fact that some pokemon are called "mouse pokemon" (pikachu) or "fish pokemon" (magikarp and feebas) because those were the animals whose DNA was used to create them. It makes sense if you think about the fact that there are some plant life among other things that don't exist in our world, and that the role of animals is assumed by pokemon.

You can't capture fainted Pokemon because it's against the rules.
Literally. Because, related to the above WMG that Pokemon are testing a new trainer's worthiness, Pokemon who are "captured" let that happen because they decide that they respect that trainer. If they don't want to be caught they pop back out and either flee or keep "testing" the trainer. Thus, to respect the wild Pokemon's autonomy, they can only be captured if they have energy left to struggle. If they've "fainted" then they're too weak to struggle if they don't want to be caught and thus it's against the rules because it doesn't let the Pokemon make a choice. Trainers that are caught attempting to capture fainted Pokemon can get their licenses revoked and usually their own Pokemon will stop them from attempting it in the first place. Also, Pokemon haven't necessarily fainted, in some cases they may be too weak to fight but they can still do things to help their trainer (like using HM moves).

Pokemon die.
You just have the ability to resurrect them via revives and Centers. Which is why humans are beneficial to Pokemon - they give them the ability to live again and take revenge on the thing that just attacked them, in exchange for the Pokemon assisting in battle. In addition, a trainer provides the support for a Pokemon to get stronger. Fighting amongst Pokemon is always there, even without humans, but no Pokemon can become strong without risk of dying - unless there is a human to resurrect it constantly and give it the strength to continue. Unfortunately, this is rendered a little shaky given that the Japanese term is "near death", but who knows, it might be a euphemism considering that since they can easily be resurrected, it's a cheap death. However, Revives and Centers cannot resurrect Pokemon deaths by non-battle means (Alder's starter dying, etc.).

Arceus is a Time Lord.
Because he can be.

Making Pokemon battling illegal would destroy the economy of the game's universe.
The ethics have been brought up many times, it's even been referenced in the game and was the main plot point for Black and White. Capturing wild animals and making them fight each other has obvious ethical problems and everyone knows this, but nobody challenges this because it would destroy the economy. Think about it: in the game (and to a lesser but still noticable extent, the show) everything revolves around Pokemon battling and training. Most of the items you can buy are used for Pokemon training, capturing, and battling: Pokeballs, potions, antidotes, evolution stones, etc. If Pokemon battles were made illegal, hundreds of thousands of people, including scientists who develop the technology and people who sell and supply them, would lose their jobs.

The reason the games are allways released in a pattern,
is because Satoshi Tajiri has autism, and it is very common for autistic people to do certain things in a pattern.

Pokemon and animals both exist at the same time, but animals are nearly extinct
Pokemon are much stronger than most animals, and, as a consequence, animals are barely present in the wild (their rarity is why the main character does not see them in her/his travels, by the way). Humans, however, have kept at least some animal species alive in captivity, and, though animals are rare at best in the wild, most people in the pokemon world have either heard about them through stories, school, or media or actually have seen live animals in zoos or special reserves (or in theoretically in the wild). Humans also still raise animals for food, since pokemon are more dangerous and intelligent than most animals. Pokemon are still used as food, but a beef burger is cheaper than a tauros burger, for example.

Some Pokemon anime/movie characters have counterparts in the game universe.
This has a base in the Japanese versions of the games. It's just that due to Gameplay and Story Segregation, we don't actually see them fully, we just see them as generic NPC Trainers. Would explain the presence of equivalents to in D/P/Pt. As for the ones involved in the movie-driven events which are only released in Japan for now, they have clear Original Trainer ID numbers, so it's pretty likely that they exist (or once existed) in this world too, with their Pokemon being in possession of the player characters. It's up to you to imagine what they could all be doing (or have done in their lives).

Note that this could extend to entire locations as well; the shiny Beasts have Crown (as in Crown City) as their OT in the Japanese distributions, and an equivalent to Eindoak exists within the Dream World. In the latter's case, though, whether it can be real or not... that's another story. And supposedly, only your Pokemon know it.

Pokemon have promoted MUCH better parenting skills
All from raising your Pokemon to be their best.

Oak already has full Pokédex
He just likes to fucking with people

The Pokeball system is actually Summon Magic.
When you catch a Pokemon, you are not actually putting it inside the Pokeball, but rather teleporting it somewhere else. When you send out a Pokemon, you are summoning it to wherever you are.

The reason why Roserade cannot use Vine Whip/Power Whip despite what its Pokédex entry says
Roserade has vines hidden in its arms/bouquets, but prefers to use them as extendable hands (I imagine it must be pretty hard to pick up objects and such with bunches of flowers attached to the ends of your hands). Since the species only uses its vines for hands (and to capture prey, which have to be smaller than them since Roserade are only 3 feet tall), they have not yet learned to use the vines in combat against larger Pokémon.

The Sevii Islands are part of the Orange Islands
The OI are mostly named after citrus, right? Navel Rock. As for the rest of the SI, notice how I used the word "mostly." Also, they mostly have Kanto and Johto Pokémon — the OI season of the anime was between Kanto and Johto.

The six-Pokémon limit is an attempt to prevent Pidgey/Rattata/Zigzagoon/Bidoof/etc. zerg rushes.
Exactly What It Says on the Tin.

In the pokemon universe, there are four timelines.
As of generation 5 we know there are 2 alternate universes. Game Freak is lying to us about this. there are four known alternate universes.what was the dividing point was when Unova was created, spliting the universe into three.
 * Black universe: this universe contains the games Red, Fire Red, Gold, Heart Gold, Ruby, Diamond and Black.
 * White universe: this universe contains the games Green, Leaf Green, Silver, Soul Silver, Sapphire, Pearl and White.
 * "Grey" universe: this universe contains the games Blue, Crystal, Emerald, Platinum and a "grey" version of Unova where that great battle with Reshiram and Rekrom ended in a draw.
 * Between the White and Black universes, one of them has it where the girls are chosen as the player character and the other with boys. The grey universe can go either way.
 * the distortion world, battle frontiers, pokemon ranger games and orre games are canon to all three of these timelines.
 * The fouth timeline is the Mystery Dungeon world.