Riddles of the Pokémon Games

By: Tre Brock (author, Zablocki Bros. LLC) on August 16th, 2013 03:56 AM.

Vermillion city gym

Just like most kids of the ninety's I love all things Pokémon, especially the games. The basis of the games is that you're a kid starting a journey to become a Pokémon master and collect them all. Really the entire game is one giant collection of puzzles and riddles you must successfully complete in order to become a Pokémon master. I'm going to point out some of the more riddle-like puzzles.

The most common place to encounter riddles is in the gyms of the game. You commonly have to perform a task in order to either face the gym leader or make your path to the gym leader easier. The first example of this, from any of the games, is from the originals (red, blue, and green). When you enter Lieutenant Surge's gym you are met with a puzzle. You have to look in all of the trashcans to find two consecutive switches to open the doors in front of the gym leader and face him. Another puzzle from one of the gyms of the first games is found in the final gym where you face Giovanni. You have to pass through arrows that send you spinning towards a platform where you stop. You must make your way to the leader through the maze. This is a very common type of puzzle found throughout the games several times.

Aside from the riddles of the gyms, many Pokémon of the games are shrouded by riddles and puzzles. One such Pokémon is the unown in the gold and silver games. To get to these Pokémon you must solve a puzzle that triggers a trap, making you fall into an area occupied by the unown. Another interesting riddle-like puzzle from the games come in crystal version at the radio tower when you answer five questions asked by the lady in the lobby. The five questions she asks are (answers at bottom):

1. Can you check the Town Map with your Pokégear?
2. Nidorina can only be female. True?
3. Kurt, the Poke Ball creator, uses apricots as ingredients?
4. It's impossible to use a TM on Magikarp. True?
5. In Professor Oak's popular show, Pokémon Talk, is he on with Marie?

If you answer these questions correctly you receive a radio card.

My favorite of all of the riddles from the games comes in the first generation games in the Cinnabar Island Gym. In the gym you walk up to Pokémon quiz machines and you are asked a question. If you answer it correctly you get to move on without battling, but if you get it wrong you must battle. The questions are as follows (answers at bottom):

• A. Caterpie evolves into Butterfree?
• B. There are 9 certified Pokémon League badges?
• C. Poliwag evolves 3 times?
• D. Are thunder moves effective against ground element-type Pokémon?
• E. Pokemon of the same kind and level are not identical?
• F. TM28 Contains Tombstone?

Answer them all correctly and you make it through without tiring yourself out with battles.

The answers to the question are as follows:

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No
4. Yes
5. No

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. No
• D. No
• E. Yes
• F. No