Five Unused Gen 2 Pokemon That Deserve Life in Gen 9
The only thing better than a classic piece of pop culture is the history of its creation. For the untouchable Pokemon video game franchise, this notion boils down to one ever-mystifying variable: character outtakes. Throughout the series’ eight generations, it’s safe to say Game Freak has knocked its Pokemon designs out of the park, creating monsters ranging from badass to adorable to straight-up hilarious.
However, not all Pokemon are created equal — that is, not all of them made it into the games we grew up with. The Gen 2 titles (Gold, Silver, and Crystal ) are particularly known for their cut content, which recently went viral when a 1997 demo revealed a treasure trove of unused data. This leak served as a glance into an alternate reality, showing us a Gen 2 Pokedex interspersed with never-before-seen (and mostly never used) Pokemon — some brand new, others beta designs of established favorites.
For me, it was the faces between the Quagsires and beta Kingdras that left a lasting impression — the Pokemon that, had it not been for a change of heart or communal developer vote, may have become a mainstay of my childhood. Instead, they passed that baton to Dunsparce, Heracross, and other great Pokemon that would help define the series for decades to come.
After cycling through this data myself, I can confidently say I prefer how the final games turned out. Still, though, there is a handful of unused creatures that I would love to see make a comeback. With the Gen 9 games likely already in early development, here are five of these unsung heroes that deserve a second opinion.
Wolfman/Warwolf
Yes, you read that right; it’s the translation of what was likely placeholder text, but this Pokemon’s name is literally just “Wolfman.” Too bad it didn’t have a counterpart named Mummy or CreatureFromBlackLagoon.
There’s something so endearing about this Pokemon’s juxtaposition; it’s very huggable, and yet it’s wearing the pelt of a dead wolf, so maybe hugs are a bad idea. Perhaps it was intended to be Gen 2’s Cubone, a comfortable mesh of cute and morbid. Wolfman evolves into Warwolf, which is more directly intimidating, though I can’t help but laugh at how its wolf coat changes from happy to angry. Why the fuck was it happy to begin with?
Like Cubone, Wolfman also brings the appeal of a hidden identity. Who’s in there looking out at us with those dead white eyes? Is it some horrible ghost like the one inside Mimikyu? Is it the wolf’s child copying Cubone’s love for the familial macabre? Is it beta Wooloo putting a twist on the “wolf in sheep’s clothing” concept? Sadly, we’ll probably never know.
Given their ice typing, affinity for hiding parts of their bodies, and general furriness, it’s safe to assume these Pokemon were later repurposed into Swinub and Piloswine. I love the Swinub evolutionary line, but looking at these adorable lost werewolves makes me sad; they are arguably the most plausible of the Johto outtakes, embodying the peculiar yet charming character modeling that made the region so memorable.
Come on, Game Freak, give us Wolfman in gen 9 (and don’t change its name, you cowards! In fact, make its female form called Wolfwoman.).
Mikon
One problem with the beta Gen 2 Pokedex is its obsession with baby Pokemon. It’s like the developers came up with that concept and said “well fuck, we can probably do that for EVERY Gen 1 Pokemon!”
And boy did they try, making baby forms for a whopping 17 of the original 151. Some of these ideas were solid and ultimately made the final cut (Magby, Elekid, Cleffa), but others … well, let’s leave it at this: they made one for Paras.
All of that said, my list includes two unused baby Pokemon — the first one being Mikon, a precursor to Vulpix and Ninetales. This Pokemon works for me because, unlike Doduo’s strange three-headed baby outtake, Mikon is consistent with its evolutionary line’s numeric progression; it starts with three tails, grows to six, and ends up with nine (a nod to the mythical shape shifting foxes that inspired it). What’s more, it’s really cute, and it deserves a second look in gen 9 for its plush toy implications alone.
How they revived Mime Jr. ahead of this awesome little witch fox is beyond me.
Kurusu/Akua/Akueria
Notably, the original Gen 2 Pokedex had significantly different starter Pokemon. Not only were Cyndaquil and Totodile absent, Chikorita had one of the weirdest and most inconsistent second forms of any Pokemon ever. Seriously, what the fuck is that thing, and how does it bridge Chikorita with Meganium?
Speaking of Meganium, it’s likely the reason Kurusu was cut from the final game. Game Freak already had a sauropod dinosaur for its grass starter, so to include a plesiosaur would have been both repetitive and thematically inconsistent (the original fire starter was always planned to be a terrestrial, non-prehistoric mammal). Had they also made the fire starter a long-necked dinosaur, I’d have been interested, but we ultimately won out with Typhlosion and Feraligatr. Imagine a Pokemon world without those two.
Still, the Kurusu line is really cool, and even though parts of its final form were undoubtedly recycled for Samurott and Goodra, I would love to see it revived with a slight makeover. I’m actually surprised they didn’t bring it back as a Gen 5 counterpart to Lapras.
Kōnya
Poor Kōnya was cut from two straight Pokemon games, and then it was left to die on the cutting room floor. This was an almost criminal misstep for Game Freak. Meowth was one of the stars of the original Pokemon series, known for its role as the wisecracking mascot of Team Rocket. Much like those of the equally popular Pikachu and Jigglypuff, a baby form would have rounded out Meowth’s evolutionary line nicely. Persian just feels cooler as a third-stage pokemon in my opinion.
These matters aside, you can tell that Kōnya had a big personality waiting to be introduced. Look at the way it squints with its smooshed face; it might just be purring and expressing genuine affection, or maybe it’s pretending as it plots a sneak attack. Here’s what’s key about both of those possibilities: they feel like something a real cat would do, and that’s one field where Kōnya will always trump its successors without even truly existing.
Hey, if anything, you know Kōnya would have produced some memorable episodes of the anime.
Kotora/Raitora (and an unnamed third stage)
Pichu, Yamper, Elekid, Blitzle. There is no shortage of adorable first-stage electric pokemon, but I’d happily consider sacrificing one of them to bring Kotora to life (Evanescence intensifies).
Just … fuck. What were they thinking when they cut this perfect creature? This cute, mouse-shaped tiger that looks like it wouldn’t harm anyone (though I assume it could shock the absolute shit out of someone)? Raitora is even better, pouncing at you with its tiny paws and rounded fangs like a pocket-sized saber-toothed cat.
Kotora had a chance to be in Gen 1 and 2, but it ended up being the icon we never got. This was a Macy’s Parade float in the making, a potential franchise mascot. And therein lies the little tiger’s tragic flaw; I’m certain it was cut because of its similarities to Pikachu (maybe Electabuzz as well). This is merely speculation, but if it’s true, does that mean we could have played as Kotora in Super Smash Bros? Does that mean there would have been Pokemon Yellow: Special Kotora Edition? Does that mean Lt. Surge would have used Raitora and provided an interesting balance to his exaggerated masculinity? No disrespect, Pikachu, but these questions aren’t going anywhere.
If Game Freak brings back Kotora in Gen 9, I will use six of them during my first playthrough.
- As an honorable mention, here is the unused Ditto evolution, Animon, because it makes me laugh:
If you want to learn more about the Gen 2 that never was (and other random Pokemon trivia), I highly recommend you check out Dr. Lava, the undisputed master of lost Pokemon.
