Just a Myth

[Oryx]

Do you feel like the myths in the Pokemon world are true? For example, the myth that Mew is the creator of every species - do you take myths such as those to be real and definite as to how Pokemon were created, or do you take them similar to myths in real life?

Now take this to what would be considered an "urban legend" in Pokemon, as opposed to a widely accepted myth, such as some Pokedex entries (A Magikarp living for many years can leap a mountain using Splash). Do you put just as much stock in the Pokedex entries? Why or why not?

Feel free to also discuss anything related the myths/urban legends of Pokemon being true or not here.

 

[CliveKoopa]

Some myths I believe to be true like Arceus creating the Pokemon World but not all of them. Most of the myths described in the in-game pokedex are silly and unrealistic.

 

[curiousnathan]

Some myths I believe to be true like Arceus creating the Pokemon World but not all of them. Most of the myths described in the in-game pokedex are silly and unrealistic.

But aren't the myths, silly and unrealistic too?

 

[moon]

I think what bulbapedia says about Mew makes most sense - that Mew was a very common pokémon living loooong time ago. And I believe that Mew competed out every other pokémon (the fossil pokémon) and soon was the only common pokémon in the world (except for the legendaries). And from it, other pokémon eventually evolved. That's why Mew is said to be the "mother" of all pokémon. Just like we probably evolved from something crawling up from the oceans a while ago.

About the pokédex entries... I don't think of them as facts, really. More like rumors or things you usually say about a pokémon to make it interesting. Like the curse a Ninetales put on you if you touch their tails. Nah. There are probably real life "myths" about animals too, that can be compared to the pokédex entries.

 

[TheRedeemed]

Some of the myths in the Pokemon world I take to be true, like the Mew one, and some others...

As for the Ninetails curse, I think its only if you make it angry, and in Japanese folklore a kitsune looses power when you grab one of its tails.

 

[Zeffy]

Most Pokedex entries aren't real, so I don't really depend on them for facts that much. I do believe about Mew being the "mother" of all Pokemon, and most of what Bulbapedia says about it are close enough to being truth.

 

[Ein-ENB-]

I don't believe them in full, but every myth, ever legend, comes from some where. The pokemon world is deep, I'm sure if they actually gave enough information on the history the world, the people who used to study pokemon, even the history of pokemon, connections would be easy to make, ect ect. Blah blah. I probably sound like a loon.

 

[Kotowari]

I don't consider most of the "(urban) legends" to be 100% true, but I'd rather see them as partially true with some core of truth. Like Blaziken being able to leap a 9-floured building, or Magikarp being able to jump a mountain. It was probably someone who saw a Magikarp/Blaziken jump really high compared to the rest of its kin, but exactly said height? I don't think so.
I can believe the the legend of Mew to some extend, biologically/evolutionarily speaking.

I suppose most Legendary Pokémon have some scientific (Pokémon-wise) explanation for their power as well. It dependsa bit on how the Pokémon world (and the universe it's located in) was created: like ours (through a big bang)? Or is it truely ruled by divine creatures (who can take a physical form and turn out to be beatable)?
There are a whole lot of complications to that when you consider the multiple worlds/realms that seem to link to the Pokémon world...

 

[Neptune Vasilias]

I believe in the myths. I mean, if we don't believe in them, what else is there to believe in Pokemon?

Of course, it's otherwise for the Pokedex. Most of it sounds more like harmless trivia or opinions from the creators of the device so I'm not gonna put much into what it says.

 

[Yoshikko]

Like most people here I believe in some but they'd still be urban legends to me. Just like in real life where you believe in some and not in others. Seeing how many of those myths were based off folklore, I just consider them to be that in the games as well.

 

[Mr. Mammoth]

This was an interesting topic. I do believe the myth that Arceuas created the pokemon universe, it kinda makes sense to me.

As for the pokedex entries... I can kinda understand some of them. Like the fact that Larvitar can eat a mountain if it is really hungry seems a bit strange, but if you think about it, Larvitar evolves into Pupitar, a pokemon heavily resembling a cocoon. After that it evolves into Tyranitar, a giant, Godzilla-like creature, now the Larvitar is obviously becoming a Tyranitar inside it's Pupitar-shell. And the power that would have to be stored in a body to transform something as small as Larvitar into something as big as Tyranitar has to be huge. Not as huge as a mountain, but still pretty close.

 

[PlatinumDude]

In the Pokemon universe, I believe in the myth that Arceus created the world, and subsequently, everything in it.

As for the Pokedex entries, they're just tidbits of trivia about the Pokemon's behavior, as outlined above.

 

[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

Like IRL, I don't pay attention to myths. Whether they're true or not, I really don't have a strong opinion either way. For me, all I care about is the here and now (which would be the Pokemon I'm currently working with) and I don't give one whit whether Arceus created the Poke-universe or whether it was Picknicker Liz or that scientist who got shipped off to the Tiksi Branch that created it.

Myths in general just don't interest me, and myths about the Pokemon world are no different.

 

[Niprop]

The Mew myth was actually directly disproven in Generation IV, though not in the way one would think. The fact that Regigigas crafted the Regi trio out of inanimate material proved that not every Pokémon is genetically traceable back to Mew (that is unless, Regigigas's entry itself is a myth). This is further elaborated on in generation V, where both the Vanilish and Trubbish lines are stated to have risen from chemical reactions.

As for the other dex' statements, while many of them sound rather fishy, one would assume there's a grain of truth in each of their basis. Though Machamp would likely destroy itself trying to punch at a rate of 1,000 punches in two seconds, it quite possibly could manage to pull multiple punches within 0.002 seconds if needed.

 

[Barrels]

Ah, mythological debates. :P Given the frequency with which Pokémon breaks the laws of physics, sanity and common sense, I'm inclined to believe most things Bulbapedia tells me. Maybe I'm just gullible like that.

But let me put it another way: if we're talking general game canon, then I'm including the Mystery Dungeon games, and if we're including the Mystery Dungeon games, then I've got to accept that a human can be magically turned into a Pokémon (along with the fact that the space-time continum is controlled by a set of gears, and that Sharpedo Bluff was eroded naturally, and that there are items which can transform Pokémon into health drinks... but I think I've made my point).

My threshold of belief is pretty much broken by that point. Jewel of Life? Sure, why not. Guardians of the Water Capital? They sound cool. Eggs in vortexes? Could happen, I guess.

But Legendary Musketeers? Now you're just being silly. ;)