The History of the Pokémon World · Chapter I
Most of this history is legend even inside the games: told by elders, carved on ruins, sung by minstrels or written in old books. Every line below is quoted from a game or retold closely, and each one says where it comes from. Legends are captioned as legends, a character's guess as speculation, and where the games disagree with each other, the page says so.
The games rarely give dates, so the chapters run roughly from the oldest stories to the most recent, each placed by its main story. A chapter without a stated date says so. Quotes from older games are shown in modern capitalisation.
ISinnohMyth
The Original One
In the beginning · A creation myth: the games always tell it as one.
Sinnoh's creation myth: a churning chaos, an Egg, and the Original One that made time, space and spirit, then slept.
Sinnoh myths tell of the beginning.
“In the beginning, there was only a churning turmoil of chaos.”
MythPokémon Platinum · Canalave Library book, “The Original Story”
“At the heart of chaos, where all things became one, appeared an Egg. Having tumbled from the vortex, the Egg gave rise to the Original One.”
MythPokémon Platinum · Canalave Library book, “The Original Story”
A mythology researcher in Canalave Library gives it a name.
“But it all starts with Arceus, the first. It is known as the Original One.”
Pokémon Platinum · A mythology researcher, Canalave Library
“From itself, two beings the Original One did make. Time started to spin. Space began to expand.”
MythPokémon Platinum · Canalave Library book, “The Original Story”
Sinnoh's deities of time and space are Dialga and Palkia.
“It is said that time flows when Dialga's heart beats.”
MythPokémon Platinum · Pokédex: Dialga
“From itself again, three living things the Original One did make.”
MythPokémon Platinum · Canalave Library book, “The Original Story”
Canalave's researcher reads the three as Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf.
“The two beings wished, and from them, matter came to be. The three living things wished, and from them, spirit came to be.”
MythPokémon Platinum · Canalave Library book, “The Original Story”
“The world created, the Original One took to unyielding sleep...”
MythPokémon Platinum · Canalave Library book, “The Original Story”
Plates found in Hisui add a third being.
“The other side of this world was given by the Original One to its raging third.”
MythPokémon Legends: Arceus · Plate inscription
“It was banished for its violence. It silently gazed upon the old world from the Distortion World.”
MythPokémon Platinum · Pokédex: Giratina
Sources
- Pokémon Platinum · Canalave Library book, “The Original Story”
- Pokémon Platinum · A mythology researcher, Canalave Library
- Pokémon Platinum · Pokédex: Dialga
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus · Plate inscription
- Pokémon Platinum · Pokédex: Giratina
- Pokémon Diamond and Platinum · Pokédex: Arceus
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus · Arceus
- Pokémon Platinum · Pokédex: Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf
Arceus
Dialga
Palkia
Uxie
Mesprit
Azelf
GiratinaThe rest of the history
- II · Sinnoh and Hoenn · Long agoThe Giant Who Moved ContinentsPokédex legends say Regigigas towed the continents with ropes and shaped Regirock, Regice and Registeel. In Hoenn, an ancient people sealed them away because they feared them.
- III · Hoenn · Thousands of years agoThe Primal ClashPrimal Groudon and Primal Kyogre clash until Rayquaza descends. A thousand years later a meteor makes Sootopolis, and Rayquaza Mega Evolves for the first time.
- IV · Kalos · 3,000 years agoThe Ultimate WeaponA war three thousand years ago. A king builds a machine to bring his Floette back, turns it into the ultimate weapon to end the war, and Floette leaves him.
- V · Galar · Long agoThe Darkest DayA meteorite falls on Galar 20,000 years ago. Long ago, the Darkest Day: a black storm ended by two young heroes whose sword and shield were really Pokémon. And Calyrex, a king of plentiful harvests.
- VI · Unova · UndatedTruth and IdealsOne dragon and the twin heroes found Unova. The brothers quarrel over truth and ideals, the dragon splits in two, and their sons' battle destroys Unova.
- VII · Kitakami · A long, long time agoThe Ogre's True StoryKitakami honours three heroes who fought an ogre. The mask maker's family kept the true story: the three stole the ogre's masks, and the ogre was Ogerpon.
- VIII · Johto · 1,500 to 150 years agoThe Burned TowerThe Ruins of Alph, about 1,500 years old. Two towers built 700 years ago. About 150 years ago lightning sets one ablaze for three days, and Ho-Oh revives three Pokémon that died in it.
- IX · Hisui · A long-gone eraAlmighty SinnohSinnoh when it was called Hisui. Two clans worship “almighty Sinnoh”, each meaning a different deity, until a space-time rift opens; afterwards the land is renamed Sinnoh.
- X · Alola · Long agoThe Blinding OneUltra Megalopolis's ancestors tried to control Necrozma's light, and it stole all the light it could find. Long ago it also battled the tapu in Alola.
- XI · Kanto · No year givenThe Mansion JournalsJournals in Cinnabar Island's Pokémon Mansion: a new Pokémon found deep in a jungle in Guyana, named Mew, and the newborn named Mewtwo.
- XII · Paldea · From about 2,000 years agoArea ZeroAn empire that sought the treasure of Area Zero, a nation unified 800 years ago, Heath's expedition 200 years ago, and a time machine that draws Pokémon from the past or the future.
A separate continuity
Anime & Movies
The anime and the films are a separate continuity. These stories are not part of the games' history above, and some contradict it. They are summaries of the films, not game text.
- Pokémon: The First MovieMewtwo is a clone, made by scientists from a fossilized eyelash of Mew.
- Lucario and the Mystery of MewSir Aaron seals Lucario inside his staff and gives his life to stop a war.
- Arceus and the Jewel of LifeArceus lends the Jewel of Life to Damos, and is betrayed.
- Hoopa and the Clash of AgesHoopa Unbound once ran rampant, and was sealed away in the Prison Bottle.