1. In Pokémon Puzzle League, you can unlock Mewtwo by holding Z and entering the code B, Up, L, B, A, Start, A, Up, R. The code spells out 'Bulbasaur.'
2. Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee have different names in the Japanese version of the game that reference Japanese sporting figures.
Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee are thought to have been named for Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee in the American version of the game. In the Japanese version, their names are Ebiwalar and Sawamular, which are thought to refer to the Japanese kickboxer Tadashi Sawamura and Japanese boxing champion Hiroyuki Ebihara.
3. The Pokédex entries for Drifloon state that the Pokémon tricks children into thinking it's a balloon and carries them away.
4. The Pokémon Drowzee is based on the tapir. According to Japanese folklore, tapirs eat dreams and nightmares.
5. Poliwag's signature swirl pattern is meant to look like the visible intestines of tadpoles.
6. The move "Splash" is a mistranslation of the Japanese word "hop," which is why it's a normal-type move and not a water-type.
7. When Paras evolves into Parasect, the parasitic mushroom on its back actually takes over the host, which explains the Pokémon's blank, white eyes.
8. The electric-type sheep Pokémon Mareep is thought to be a reference to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick.
9. The Pokémon Koffing and Weezing were originally going to be named "Ny" and "La" because of the smog that New York and Los Angeles are known for.
10. It's thought that Ditto is a failed attempt at cloning Mew. The Pokémon share similar moves, stats, and coloring, and are found in the same cave as the successful clone of Mew, Mewtwo.
11. One of Farfetch'd's Pokédex entries implies that humans nearly hunted the Pokémon into extinction, which confirms that people in the Pokémon universe eat Pokémon.
12. Pikachu's name is a combination of the Japanese onomatopoeia for sparkle, pikapika, and the sound of squeaking, which is expressed as chūchū.
13. Magneton is made up of three Magnemites and should logically weigh three times as much, but Magnemite weighs in at 13.2 pounds and Magneton weighs 132 pounds.
14. Slowbro is the only Pokémon that can de-evolve. Its pokédex entry says that if the Shellder on its tail is removed, it will revert back into a Slowpoke.
15. The various settings in the Pokémon games before Generation IV all seem to resemble real-world locations in Japan.
16. There's a theory that right before the games, the world of Pokémon was embroiled in a massive war.
17. Wobbuffet's various Pokédex entries seem to imply that what appears to be its body is actually a decoy, and that the small black tail with two eyes is its actual body.
18. Likewise, there's a theory that the faces on Vanillite, Vanillish, and Vanilluxe are decoys, and the ice crystals seen near their false faces are their actual facial features.
19. It's thought that psychic-type Pokémon are weak to bug-type, ghost-type, and dark-type Pokémon because they are common fears.
20. Some Pokémon go through major evolutions after being traded. It's thought that these evolutions could be caused by fear of abandonment, and that the Pokémon is trying to quickly improve so that their trainers will love them again.
21. The location Lavender Town is known to cause a sense of uneasiness in some players.
22. The "diapered Pokémon" Vullaby is labeled as a dark-type Pokémon in the Pokédex. This may be due to that fact that it appears to be wearing a human skull.
23. It doesn't make sense that Pokémon would shout their own names in human language. Instead, it's thought that human language in the Pokémon universe evolved from Pokémon battle cries.
