Top 10 Darkest Moments from Pokemon

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Darkest Moments from Pokémon.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the creepiest, weirdest, or most depressing scenes from the “Pokémon” anime.

Which of these scarred you for life? Let us know in the comments below!

“Pokémon the Movie: Diancie & the Cocoon of Destruction” (2014)

After the legendary Yveltal woke up from its nap, no one was safe from its Oblivion Wing attack. Not people, not Pokémon, and no, not even Ash and Pikachu. Yveltal’s beam just barely nicked the electric type’s tail, but that was still enough to turn Ash’s partner into a glorified statue. Then, as if killing off Pikachu wasn’t bad enough, Ash is forced to watch as his oldest friend hardens in his arms. Since that’s how he died back in the first “Pokémon” movie, that’s bound to dredge up some old trauma, too. Thankfully, Xerneas turned this downer around and gave this movie the happy ending it deserved.

“The Battle Of The Badge”

This feels less like a Pokémon battle and more like a horror film. Sure, no one expected the eighth gym to be a pushover, but Mewtwo’s entrance takes that idea several steps too far. From the moment he steps out of the shadows, it’s all-too-clear that there’s something off about him. That unsettling aura only becomes more apparent when he ruthlessly dismantles Gary’s team with a single attack. Suddenly, Giovanni’s claims about creating the ultimate Pokémon don’t seem so far-fetched anymore. After all, the fact that Mewtwo made even Gary Oak quiver in fear is a pretty damning piece of evidence.

“Scare at the Litwick Mansion!”

In one of their most ambitious schemes yet, Team Rocket recruits a gang of Litwick to scare Ash and the others out of their Pokémon. Surprisingly, the plan works perfectly. The only issue is that the Litwick take their new occupation very, very seriously. As a result, the entire episode becomes a haunted thrill ride of eerie setpieces. It all builds towards the spine-tingling reveal that, to them, this wasn’t a game, it was life and death. The Litwick drain life energy in hopes of dragging humans into the so-called Ghost World. Ash and the others make it out with their lives, but something tells us they won’t be befriending more Litwick any time soon.

“Abra & the Psychic Showdown”

As early as her first ever appearance, it’s frighteningly obvious that Sabrina is not your average Gym Leader. The show fully commits to her psychic shtick, with downright hair-rising results. And yet, by the time Ash walks away with the Marsh Badge, “Pokémon” has transformed her from terrifying to tragic. At least, partially. Sabrina’s disturbing cadence takes on a whole new meaning when put in context of her misunderstood childhood. Psychic powers or not, that kind of isolation is hard to bounce back from. Mind you, she’s still very scary. If anything, her penchant for turning people into dolls becomes creepier than ever.

“Lulled to La-La Land!”

Don’t let its cutesy looks fool you, this mushroom Pokémon is anything but friendly. See, Morelull has a nasty habit of, well, lulling people to sleep. Afterwards, it treats itself to a full-course meal of its victim’s life force. For such a small Pokémon, Morelull certainly has a big appetite, too. Ash and his companions learned that part firsthand when they were drained down to their skin and bones. Morelull technically had good intentions, but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch Pikachu become a raisin. All things considered, it’s probably for the best that this adorable leech didn’t end up sticking around for too long.

“Ghoul Daze!”

At this Trainer School, finding Ghost Pokémon is all in a day’s work. The operative word there being Ghost “Pokémon.” As Conway soon discovered, dealing with an actual spirit is a very different story. The creepy girl decides to cause mischief, spook the students, and, oh yeah, almost walk Conway off a cliff. As it turns out, the ghost is determined to lure others into the spirit world, even if she has to kill them to do it. It’s a good thing a friendly Dusknoir foiled her plans, or else a good chunk of the student body would’ve become the same ghosts they were studying.

“Pokémon: Lucario & the Mystery of Mew” (2005)

In a franchise first, this “Pokémon” movie doesn’t just try to kill off Ash, it nearly wipes out the entire human cast altogether. That’s right, the Tree of Beginning consumes everyone, including Brock, May, Max, Jessie, and James. To really rub it in, each trainer spends their final moments saving their Pokémon from the same fate. Calling it heart-breaking would be an understatement, and their partner’s collective grief doesn’t help. To be fair, at that point, there’s nothing the Pokémon can do but cry. Of course, Mew doesn’t let any of the trainer’s deaths stick, but that doesn’t make this any less soul-crushing in the moment.

“Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us” (2018)

When it comes to a character's demise, there’s poignant, and then there’s tragic. Snubbull’s definitely leans towards the latter. The Pokémon die in a burning windmill, only leaving behind a key for its trainer to remember it by. Clearly, the franchise isn’t afraid to tackle the realities of death anymore. In fact, the main series has a particularly beautiful example involving an elderly Stoutland. But, unlike what happened there, Snubbull had so much life left to live for. The movie makes it painfully clear that Harriet’s partner left too soon, and that even in a world like “Pokémon’s,” there’s nothing anyone can do to bring it back.

“Pokémon: The First Movie” (1998)

There’s never been a Pokémon battle quite like this. Instead of exciting or emotional, the ferocious clones deliver one of the most vicious stretches of violence the series has ever seen. If seeing two Pikachu tearfully slap the shocks out of each other doesn’t break your heart, then nothing will. Still, the saddest part is that most of the original Pokémon just can’t compete with their supercharged copies. So, not only is this scene needlessly brutal, but it’s all for naught, too. It gets so bad, that it’s almost a relief when Ash’s sacrifice finally makes it all stop.

“The Tower of Terror”

Sabrina’s got nothing on Lavender Town. Within a day of arriving, Ash and Pikachu were haunted by Ghost types, crushed by a chandelier, and had their spirits taken out of their bodies. Let that last one sink in for a bit. A ten-year-old and his partner were killed by three Ghost types. And this is them just trying to play around! No matter how badly Ash wants to beat Sabrina, it’s not worth that kind of trauma. Misty and Brock thought as much, and that’s why they waited outside. The craziest part of this whole thing is that, even after defying death itself, Ash still agrees to take Haunter with him.