Summary
Not everything makes it off the cutting room floor in the development ofPokemongames. Since the franchise’s very beginning, skilled data miners have searched through the game’s source code for hints about things that didn’t make it to the final game. From completely unused Pokemon designs to gameplay mechanics saved for future generations, there’s been a lot.
However, some hardcorePokemonfans might be surprised to learn that there were evenitems that were cut at some point during development.Whether these were deemed unusable due to changes made in development or not, some of these scrapped items provide clues as to what may have almost been in each game, while some others remain a complete mystery to fans.
6Berry Juice
An Uncommon Item Was Even Rarer Once
Berry Juicehas beena reappearing item in thePokemonfranchiseas a held item that will restore a Pokemon’s health when it falls below 50 HP. It has appeared in nearly every generation except for one: the Third Generation. However, the game’s code indicates that Berry Juice was at one point going to make an appearance, but was for some reason scrapped.
Particularly, fans discovered through data-miningPokemonEmerald,as well asFireRed & LeafGreen,that wild Shuckle and Aipom in Altering Cave were supposed to hold Berry Juice. It’s unknown why the item never made it into the finished product, though wild Shuckle continue to hold Berry Juice in future generations, as recently asPokemon Sword & Shield.
5Slowpoke Tail
Who Knows Where These Tails Come From?
Slowpokehas been a recognizable part of thePokemonfranchisesince its debut in the First Generation, but the Second-Generation games introduced a rather morbid item:Slowpoke Tails. In the Gen 2 games, players could purchase a Slowpoke Tail from a shop in Mahogany Town, though only for the extravagant cost of 9,800 PokeDollars.
However, in the Gen 2 remakesHeartGoldandSoulSilver, Slowpoke Tails are unobtainable, despite existing within the game’s source code. Perhaps the developers realized how pointless it was to offer players the opportunity to buy a worthless item for a huge amount of money, especially when it only sells to buyers and PokeMarts for just over half of that original price.
4God Stone
An Unused Clue To A Legendary Pokemon
There was no lack ofLegendary or Mythical Pokemon in the Fifth-Generation games, with 13 different species total. However, cut content from the games that’s only obtainable via hacking may indicate that more was planned for the generation’s rarest Pokemon. An item known as theGod Stoneis found in the source code forBlack & Whiteand its sequels.
Strangely enough, the God Stone can also be found in the leftover code from subsequent generations, namely Generations Six and Seven. Given its resemblance to the Light and Dark Stones that summon Reshiram and Zekrom, the God Stone was likely connected to Kyurem, who was formed from the leftover parts of the original dragon that Reshiram and Zekrom split from.
3Fairy Gem
Fairy-Types Never Got To Benefit From This Item Type
The Sixth Generation was important inPokemonlore forintroducing the Fairy-type to the metagame. The typing’s attacks are super-effective against Dragon-type Pokemon, but if that’s not enough, players can rely on a held item to increase the strength of Fairy-type moves. While the Ninth-Generation games introduced the Fairy Feather, one other option sadly never made the cut.
TheFairy Gemwould’ve been part of a group of gems, each powering up one of the 18 types in the game. While code indicates the Fairy Gem’s existence at one point in the development of Gen 6, gems as a whole were removed after being introduced only a generation prior. Thankfully, Fairy-type users have other options. For instance, the Fairy Plate, which ismeant for changing Arceus' type.
2Wishing Chip
Dynamax Pokemon Were Almost Made Easier To Catch
Pokemon Sword & Shieldintroduced the mechanic ofDynamaxing, where Pokemon could temporarily increase in size during battle. Outside of trainer battles, Dynamax Pokemon could be caught in Pokemon Dens, which are scattered across Wild Areas in the Galar region. There was almost a way players could influence what they encountered in a Pokemon Den.
TheWishing Chip, an item scrapped fromSword & Shield, would’ve attracted a wild Dynamax Pokemon when tossed into a Pokemon Den. While these were cut from the final game, players could instead obtain Dynamax Crystals, which offer the same function, but only at the base of Watchtower Ruins in the Wild Area, and only through limited-time Events.
1Band Autograph
Pokemon Rock Stars Can Be Quite Pretentious
It seems to be a common theme thata lot of the cut items from throughout thePokemonfranchisewere simply just useless, which is the case with this Eighth-Generation item. This was an item meant to be obtained by the band of Pokemon that plays during the game’s end credits; The Maximizers, consisting of an Obstagoon, two Toxtricity, and a Rillaboom.
The band can be re-encountered in the town of Hulbury where, according to the game’s code, they were going to gift players with aBand Autographafter watching them perform. Sadly, the item cannot be obtained without hackingSword & Shield, but it’s probably for the best. Do Pokemon even know how to sign their own names?
