Death in the Pokémon world

Death is a recurring subject in the Pokémon franchise. Throughout the history of the Pokémon world, many people and Pokémon have been known to have perished. Across the Pokémon world, various burial grounds have been built to honor the dead. Some Fossils are said to be the remains of previously extinct Pokémon. Additionally, some Pokémon are killed and eaten by other Pokémon as well as people.

There also exist ghosts, which are the spirits of dead humans or Pokémon. Ghost-type Pokémon, however, are fully alive creatures often said to be reborn from such spirits. This distinction has existed since Generation I, which introduced Ghost-type Pokémon along with the ghosts of Pokémon Tower. Additionally, in the games and Pokémon the Series, it has been suggested that some Ghost-type Pokémon themselves are able to die.

People and Pokémon are also said to possess life-force, which can be drained, sometimes resulting in death.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

In the core series games

Burial grounds

The Old Cemetery in Galar

The Loyal Three Monument in Kitakami

Kanto

In Kanto, Pokémon Tower houses hundreds of graves of deceased Pokémon in all of its seven floors. Many people visit the building daily to pay their respects to the fallen. Prior to the events of the Generation I games and their Generation III and VII remakes, Team Rocket tried to steal the Cubone to sell their valuable skulls. In the process, a mother Marowak that was protecting her Cubone child was killed. Another NPC theorises the ghosts haunting the tower are those of the Pokémon Team Rocket has killed.

In the Generation II games and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the House of Memories was built to hold graves from the Pokémon Tower when it was converted to the Kanto Radio Tower.

In the Sevii Islands, the southern segment of Memorial Pillar serves as a grave site to an Onix, nicknamed Tectonix, that was loved immensely by its Trainer.

Hoenn

In Hoenn, Mt. Pyre houses the many graves of Pokémon. Many grieving Trainers also visit the Tower to pay their respects. After the Delta Episode in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the player can find Phoebe near the summit, talking to spirits. She says she came to visit her grandmother, upon whom the player character made a lasting impression.

Sinnoh

In Sinnoh, Lost Tower is the resting ground for deceased Pokémon. A Roughneck visits the Lost Tower to mourn the killing of his Pokémon by Team Galactic.

Unova

In Unova, the Celestial Tower is a burial ground for deceased Pokémon. At the top of the tower is a bell, which mourners can ring in remembrance of their lost Pokémon. In Pokémon Black and White, the player can meet Champion Alder here, ringing the bell to comfort the spirit of his very first Pokémon.

Kalos

In Kalos, mysterious stones can be found on Route 10 which are actually the graves of Pokémon who were sacrificed 3,000 years ago in order for their life-forces to energize the ultimate weapon that was used by AZ to end the war.

Alola

In Alola, Hau'oli Cemetery is a graveyard for people and Pokémon alike from across Melemele Island, appropriately filled with tombstones and memorial flowers. People often come here to pay their respects to their deceased loved ones. Some of these people are Trainers missing their dead partners, and in Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, they are willing to battle the player to try to forget about their sadness. After the player has obtained the Ride Pager, they can visit the cemetery at night to meet a woman riding a Machamp. She explains to the player how she's paying respects to her dead husband, who died in an accident years ago. Her Machamp, which originally belonged to her husband, was narrowly saved from dying in the same accident by being recalled back into its Poké Ball at the last second. Overcome by survivor guilt, Machamp came to dislike its Poké Ball and flung it off somewhere.

On Akala Island, Memorial Hill is a burial site for the old, mighty families of Alola. It is said to have been established at this site due to the proximity of the Ruins of Life to the north, the belief being that those buried here wanted to be laid to rest close to the Akala Island guardian deity, Tapu Lele. Being the most notable gravesite in Alola, people from all over the region tend to travel here to see the graves.

Galar

In Galar, the Old Cemetery can be found within the Giant's Bed in the Crown Tundra.

Kitakami

In the land of Kitakami, Loyalty Plaza was home to the burial site of the Legendary Pokémon known as the Loyal Three, Okidogi, Munkidori and Fezandipiti. Above their gravesite was a monument, known as the Loyal Three Monument, that housed three small statues depicting the fallen Pokémon. The monument was destroyed after the Loyal Three burst from the ground one day, having suddenly been resurrected.

Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver

150 years before the events of the Johto-based games, Brass Tower burned down after being struck by lightning, before being put out by a sudden downpour. This fire caused three nameless Pokémon to perish. Ho-Oh, fleeing from its perch, granted new life to the Pokémon, making them into the Legendary beasts, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, before flying off in search of a pure-hearted Trainer.

Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2

Prior to the events of Pokémon Black and White, Alder's first partner Pokémon died of an illness, and in despair over not being able to save it, he began traveling around aimlessly. Before his partner's death, the two of them madly pursued strength. The Pokémon's death changed Alder's outlook on life. The identity of this Pokémon is never mentioned in Black and White, but dialogue in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 reveals that Alder's late partner was a Volcarona, which evolved from a Larvesta.

Pokémon X and Y

3,000 years before the events of Pokémon X and Y, a war broke out between two countries. This long conflict was drawn out and many lives were lost. People treated Pokémon with special powers as mere tools in their conflict, so they gathered lots of Pokémon, including Pokémon with unique powers. In order to emerge victorious, the soldiers believed that they needed even more powerful Pokémon. AZ loved his Floette, which he had received from his late mother, but it was forcefully taken from him by the soldiers and became just another sacrifice in the war. AZ received the body of his beloved Pokémon some time later and, out of unspeakable grief, he built the ultimate weapon to restore it to life. He succeeded, but unable to overcome his despair, he turned the machine into a weapon, with which he destroyed both sides of the conflict, ending the war. His Floette, disgusted with the fact that the machine was powered by the life energy of other Pokémon, left him.

During the events of the games, in a house two spots north of the boutique in Anistar City, an old man can be found depressed due to the death of his wife. He will ask the player to lend him any Pokémon level 5 or under to keep him company for the time being. After leaving a Pokémon with him then entering the Hall of Fame, the player can return to the house only to find that the old man has passed away and left behind a Poké Ball containing the Pokémon lent to him and a letter thanking the player for helping him in his last moments.

During the post-game side story in Lumiose City, Emma reveals that Looker once had a partner Pokémon that was always with him, but the Pokémon died on a case. In previous games, Looker owned a Croagunk, though it is unknown if Croagunk is the Pokémon that died.

Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon

Prior to the events of Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, the island kahuna of Poni Island passed away, leaving the island with no kahuna for several years.

In the games, the ruins of the Alola region relate to the duality of life and death. The Ruins of Conflict in Melemele Island are said to be where life is tested, while the Ruins of Abundance, guarded by Tapu Bulu in Ula'ula Island, are where life grows. By contrast, the Ruins of Hope, home of Tapu Fini, are said to be the end of life's journey, as opposed to the Ruins of Life, Tapu Lele's home, where life is said to be born.

According to the Aether Foundation's research, conducted by professor Mohn, Cosmog can create Ultra Wormholes to protect itself when under extreme stress, this stress can be fatal on the Pokémon. During the events of the games, Lillie actively warns Lusamine that Nebby will die if she makes it use too much of its power to open Ultra Wormholes. The result ended in Nebby evolving into a Cosmoem.

Ten years prior to the events of Sun and Moon, a part of the International Police called the UB Task Force, which contained Looker, Nanu and an unnamed female Faller were tasked in studying the ecology of the Ultra Beasts. The group was tasked to fight and destroy a Guzzlord in the Alola region, this resulted in the female member of the group being killed.

In order to obtain the Eevium Z, the player is tasked by Kagetora to fight all eight Eevee users before him. However, when they get around to looking for Sakura, the Sylveon User, they will instead find her granddaughter, Kira. Kira explains to the player that Sakura had passed away a year prior to the events of the game. Kira takes Sakura's place as the Sylveon User and then proceeds to battle the player.

During Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the player can visit other dimensions via Ultra Warp Ride. One of these alternate dimensions includes the Ultra Ruin, home of the Ultra Beast, Guzzlord. The Ultra Ruin appears to be a destroyed post-apocalyptic version of Alola's Hau'oli City. The air is contaminated and dangerous to breathe in, with most civilians leaving to other planets. There is little to no signs of plant life seen in the Ultra Ruin and no other Pokémon or people appear except for a man in a Guzzlord-themed suit.

In Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, after the player defeats Ghetsis in Team Rainbow Rocket's Castle at Aether Paradise, he will threaten Lillie's life if they don't surrender.

Pokémon Sword and Shield

According to his League Card in Pokémon Sword and Shield, Allister claims to be able to see deceased Ghost-type Pokémon.

A girl named Paula in Hammerlocke asks the player to deliver a letter to a boy named Frank in Ballonlea. The boy turns out to be an old man who was friends with a girl named Paula when he was younger, but she fell ill and hid from him how sick she was. This caused an argument and the boy ended up moving away shortly after. If the player returns to where Paula was, they'll find a Reaper Cloth.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

The Scarlet Book^S/Violet Book^V, containing records from an expedition in the uncharted Area Zero of Paldea, describes a mysterious Pokémon known as Great Tusk^S/Iron Treads^V, who attacked and mortally wounded one of the explorers of the expedition team, forcing them to retreat for a time.

According to a magazine entitled "The Musician's Register", the theme of death pervades the work of Ryme, known as the "MC of RIP", "whose flows are said to bring the dead to their feet". The magazine states that when Ryme was in her teens, her dear Puppy Pokémon passed away, and she poured her grief into a song. When she sang it, her partner came back to her as a ghost Pokémon. This moment is suggested to be what inspired her rap career.

In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, according to an article from a May issue of Occulture magazine, "a leading theory holds that Iron Hands was once an athlete who became mortally wounded but was kept alive by being made into a cyborg."

The Teal Mask

Many years prior to the events of The Teal Mask, Ogerpon killed the Loyal Three after they took its masks and were implied to have killed its friend. The Loyal Three were later somehow revived after Kieran punched their grave site.

The Way Home

Prior to the events of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Professor Sada^S/Turo^V died during an incident that destroyed Research Station No. 4 in Area Zero. The professor threw themself in front of Koraidon^S/Miraidon^V to protect it from the territorial attacks of the other, more aggressive Koraidon^S/Miraidon^V and, during the ensuing destruction, suffered grave wounds that ultimately lead to their death. After the professor's death, their AI duplicate took their place managing the Zero Lab. Upon receiving news of the professor's passing, Director Clavell gave his condolences to the professor's son, Arven, who was upset, though felt a sense of relief after learning more about his parent and their motivations, deciding to say good-bye and move on.

Death appears to be a recurring theme in Area Zero and in The Way Home story arc in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

• Penny makes several references to death during the perilous events of The Way Home, exclaiming that she was scared "half to death" when surprised by a Paradox Pokémon and frequently joking about herself or the group possibly dying or having died during the adventure, or from being nudged for belly rubs by Koraidon/Miraidon in its battle form. Arven also comments on how the mysterious and otherworldly appearance of Area Zero "makes you feel like maybe you already died and went somewhere..."
• White Flower Floette is the only form that spawns in Area Zero; white blossoms, (specifically the white Chrysanthemum flower in Japan), symbolize grief, and are often used in funerals.
• Every Pokémon with a design based on moths can be found in Area Zero, specifically Venomoth, Masquerain, Volcarona, Frosmoth, Slither Wing^S, and Iron Moth^V; moths are often associated with death.

The Indigo Disk

In The Indigo Disk, a few references to death are made between characters interacting in the League Club Room at the Blueberry Academy.

• When Arven and Penny interact, Penny dismisses the need to eat vegetables, saying "It’s not like I’ll die if I don’t eat them, so what’s the point?" to which Arven responds "Your body could get all...mushy and stuff! Till you might seriously die! I’ve read about it in books!"
• When Brassius and Grusha interact, Brassius states "I have faced my own death before. I perished once—as an artist."

Pokédex entries

Several Pokédex entries, as well as other sources, refer to the deaths of people and Pokémon.

Pokémon	Description
Charmander	The strength of the flame on the end of Charmander's tail is an indication of its health. Its entries in Pokémon Y and Pokémon Shield specifically state that Charmander would die were its flame to go out.
Jigglypuff	When Jigglypuff sings, it never pauses to breathe. If it is in a battle against an opponent that does not easily fall asleep, Jigglypuff cannot breathe, endangering its life.
Primeape	Primeape has been known to become so angry that it dies. However, its said that its face looks peaceful in death.
Farfetch'd	Farfetch'd is thought to be going extinct. There have been attempts at breeding in order to increase the Farfetch'd population. According to sources such as Pokémon the Series and the Pocket Monsters Encyclopedia, Farfetch'd's population decline is caused by humans hunting it for food.
Muk	Muk is speculated to be going extinct due to recent environmental impacts and decreased food sources. Sludge ponds are being built to prevent their extinction. A toxic fluid seeps from Muk's body. The fluid instantly kills plants and trees on contact.
Gastly	Gastly's entry in Pokémon Ultra Moon suggests that it is composed of 95% poisonous gas and 5% the souls of those who have died from the poisonous gas. Its entry in Pokémon Ultra Sun, on the other hand, poses that Gastly was formed by gas emanating from a graveyard possessed by the grievances of the deceased.
Haunter	While floating in total darkness, where nothing is visible, Haunter lurks, silently stalking, planning to beckon, lure in, and take the life of the next living thing that wanders close by. By licking with its gaseous tongue, Haunter saps the victim's life, which causes shaking that won't stop. Those licked by its cold tongue grow weaker with each passing day until they die. It fears the light and revels in the dark. It may be on the verge of extinction in cities that stay brightly lit at night.
Gengar	Gengar is known to take the lives of others by slipping into their shadow and waiting for an opportunity. It often targets people lost in the mountains, but has also been known to take people in the dark corners of rooms in their homes. It apparently wishes for a traveling companion. Since it was once human itself, it tries to create one by taking the lives of other humans. Mega Gengar tries to take the lives of anyone and everyone around it. Gigantamax Gengar's mouth is rumored to lead to the afterlife. It lays traps hoping to steal the lives of those it catches.
Cubone	Cubone wears the skull of its deceased mother.
Marowak	Marowak gets its bones from an unknown place; there is a Marowak graveyard located somewhere in the Pokémon world. The skull of Cubone's deceased mother fuses to its head when it evolves. Alolan Marowak dances in mourning of lost members of its kind. The bones it possesses belonged to its deceased mother; it has transformed the spirit of its mother into its flames. Mounds of dirt on the sides of roads are said to be the graves of Marowak.
Lapras	Lapras was once near extinction due to poaching. In the evenings, this Pokémon used to sing plaintively as it sought what few others of its kind still remained. Due to being so cherished, and following protective regulations, there is now an overabundance of them; the fish Pokémon population has declined in waters with too many Lapras.
Omastar	Omastar died out due to its heavy shell making it too slow to catch and eat enough prey to survive.
Aerodactyl	Aerodactyl is theorized to have gone extinct due to a large meteor impact.
Jumpluff	Once Jumpluff's cotton spores run out, its journey ends, as does its life.
Galarian Corsola	Sudden climate change wiped out this ancient kind of Corsola.
Spoink	If Spoink ever stops bouncing, its heart will stop and it will die.
Rampardos	Rampardos is theorized to have gone extinct due to its small brain and presumed stupidity.
Drifloon	Stories go that Drifloon grabs the hands of small children and drags them away to the afterlife. Some whisper that Drifloon are formed of reincarnated human souls, but these rumors are as yet unconfirmed.
Froslass	Legends suggest that Froslass was formed when the spirit and lingering regrets of a lost woman who died in the snowy mountains possessed an icicle.
Yamask	Yamask arose from the spirits of people that were interred in graves.
Garbodor	The toxic liquid Garbodor can shoot from its right arm is so virulent that it can kill a weakened creature instantly.
Zorua	Hisuian Zorua is a once-departed soul returned to life.
Frillish	Frillish paralyzes its enemies with poison from invsible spikes and causes them to drown.
Jellicent	Fishermen are terrified of Jellicent. It's rumored to drag them into the sea and steal their lives away.
Klang	If Klang's minigear does not return after being launched at an opponent, it will die.
Lampent	Lampent is an ominous Pokémon feared as an emissary of death. It lurks and wanders through cities, pretending to be a lamp, searching for spirits of the fallen, and hangs around hospitals waiting for people to pass on. Once it finds someone whose death is near, it will trail quietly after them, appearing the moment before they die to steal their spirit from their body. The spirits it absorbs fuel its baleful fire.
Cryogonal	It is said that people and Pokémon who die on snowy mountains are reborn into Cryogonal.
Vullaby Mandibuzz	Vullaby and Mandibuzz decorate themselves with the bones of dead Pokémon they've consumed and build nests out of them.
Honedge	Honedge's soul once belonged to a person who was killed a long time ago by the sword that makes up Honedge's body.
Aegislash	Once upon a time, a king with an Aegislash reigned over the land. His Pokémon eventually drained him of life, and his kingdom fell with him.
Yveltal	When Yveltal reaches the end of its life, it'll absorb the life energy of every living thing around it and turn back into a cocoon.
Oricorio Sensu Style	Sensu Style Oricorio summons the dead, or the spirits of the dead, with its dreamy, ethereal dance steps. It can also charm its opponents with its refined dancing. When they let their guard down, it places a curse on them that will bring on their demise.
Araquanid	When small Pokémon end up stucked in Araquanid's head bubble they drown.
Sandygast	Sandygast embodies the grudges of the dead.
Palossand	Buried beneath Palossand's castle are masses of dried-up bones from those whose vitality it has drained; from the hollows in its arms, it fires the bones of its victims.
Minior	If Minior's core stays exposed for too long, it will eventually die; though it may survive if it's put into a Poké Ball quickly enough.
Komala	It remains asleep from birth to death as a result of the sedative properties of the leaves that form its diet.
Mimikyu	Mimikyu's actual appearance is unknown. Several people are said to have died from seeing its true appearance: A scholar who saw what was under its rag was overwhelmed by terror and died from the shock. A gust of wind revealed what hides under this Pokémon's rag to a passing Trainer, who went home and died painfully that very night. A scientist who peeked under Mimikyu's old rag in the name of research died of a mysterious disease. There will be no forgiveness for any who reveal that it was pretending to be Pikachu. It will bring the culprit down, even at the cost of its own life.
Polteageist	Drinking the tea that composes Polteageist’s body can be fatal.
Dracozolt	Dracozolt went extinct due to overgrazing its plant-based food sources.
Arctozolt	Arctozolt went extinct because it moved so slowly.
Dracovish	Dracovish was an apex predator that went extinct due to overhunting its prey.
Arctovish	Arctovish went extinct despite the impervious skin on its face due to breathing difficulties.
Basculegion	Basculegion clads itself in the souls of comrades that perished before fulfilling their goals of journeying upstream.
Greavard	It is said that a dog Pokémon that died in the wild without ever interacting with a human was reborn as Greavard.
Houndstone	A lovingly mourned Pokémon was reborn as Houndstone.
Ceruledge	The fiery blades on Ceruledge's arms burn fiercely with the lingering resentment of a sword wielder who fell before accomplishing their goal. According to the official Pokémon Scarlet and Violet website, Ceruledge gathers the lingering regrets of the fallen into its swords in order to use the move Bitter Blade.
Chien-Pao	The hatred of those who perished by the sword long ago has clad itself in snow and become Chien-Pao.
Poltchageist	Supposedly, the regrets of a tea ceremony master who died before perfecting his craft lingered in some matcha and became Poltchageist.

In the spin-off games

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.

Pokémon Masters EX

It is stated that Lear's mother, the queen of the kingdom which Lear, Rachel, and Sawyer are from, passed away when Lear was young. Her cause of death is unknown, though Sawyer says in his sync pair story that it came as a shock. Sawyer also says that the queen saved his Honchkrow's life: at one point, when he was a Murkrow, he snuck into the royal treasure room and scratched up some of the queen's precious jewels. Many people thought he deserved punishment for it, but the queen was merciful and spared him that punishment.

In the Villain Arc, Team Flare takes into their custody some Team Rocket Grunts that had infiltrated their organization as spies. Malva requests that they be punished in such a way that they never cause trouble for Team Flare again, and when she and Lysandre have cornered the last two spies, she says that they have "taken care of the other spies", implying that all the other ones were killed in some way. Lysandre then bids these two spies farewell before attacking them with his Volcanion, implying that these two spies have been killed as well.

During the story event Midnight Battle Ball, a Pumpkaboo leads Morty, Caitlin, Hilbert, and the player - Scottie or Bettie - from the villa to a cave. Knowing that Pumpkaboo are said to carry wandering spirits to the place they belong, Morty suggests that the cave could be a bridge to the afterlife. After the group successfully returns to the villa, Hilbert complains that Morty didn't tell them that Pumpkaboo carry spirits to their resting place before they started following it, to which Morty replies, "I thought it might be rude to say no if that's what it was really trying to do."

In Allister's sync pair story, he says that when he was four years old, he was badly injured in an accident and was "wandering near death's doorstep", but Pokémon led him back to the world of the living.

In Looker's sync pair story, he mentions that Pokémon lives have been lost to the evildoers that he pursues in his line of work.

Tina mentions in the Paulo chapter of the Villain Arc that she once visited a Pokémon graveyard and listened to the stories of the Trainers who had come to visit the graves, which made her appreciate the limited time she has with her Pokémon. In addition, she mentions that ghost Pokémon hang out around Pokémon graves in one of her Pokémon Center conversations.

Pokémon Sleep

In Pokémon Sleep, an entry in the Sleep Style Dex references death.

Pokémon	Description
Cubone	Cubone has been found crying in its sleep. Perhaps the tears come because it's dreaming of its deceased mother.

Detective Pikachu Returns

In Detective Pikachu Returns, it is revealed that Rachel Meyers' mother Emma Meyers was killed at the Pokémon Unity Lab two years prior by a Pokémon rampaging because of R. This motivates Howard Meyers to support policies and research that will protect everyone else from the dangers of Pokémon.

Later, Detective Pikachu remembers that when they got into the car accident that caused Harry Goodman to go missing, Harry was thrown out of the car and lost consciousness. Realizing that Harry was dying, Pikachu begged Mewtwo to save him. Mewtwo accomplished this by placing Harry's consciousness in Pikachu's body, with their strong bond allowing the two consciousnesses to coexist in the same body. After retrieving all of Mewtwo's cells that had been used in R, Harry asked Mewtwo to turn him back into a human. However, Mewtwo admitted that forcibly separating their consciousnesses could kill both Harry and Pikachu. Harry didn't want to risk his partner's life, so he asked Mewtwo to wait for Tim to figure out another way to separate them safely. Mewtwo then informed him that the balance between Pikachu's and Harry's consciousnesses had been disrupted when Pikachu used a move earlier to protect Tim, and if Harry's consciousness remained this strong, Pikachu's consciousness would disappear. Mewtwo restored the balance between their consciousnesses to save Pikachu, but it came at the cost of Harry forgetting everything he had remembered.

Unfortunately, Harry remembering who he is again upsets the balance between their consciousnesses again. Throughout the final chapter, as Tim and Harry search for Harry's body, which had been stolen by Unitas, they face the ticking clock of Pikachu's consciousness gradually fading. Ultimately, Mewtwo takes the risk and separates Harry and Pikachu's consciousnesses, and they both manage to survive.

In animation

Pokémon the Series

A deceased Totem Trevenant in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon

On two separate occasions the plot of a villainous team arc has ended in a situation that ambiguously implies the death of a primary antagonist. In Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl, Pokémon Hunter J and her team are on board their ship when it is destroyed by the lake guardians' attacks in The Needs of the Three!; and in Pokémon the Series: XY, Lysandre disappears after the Zygarde's final attack in Rocking Kalos Defenses!.

As shown in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, some Ghost-type Pokémon, despite their name, can still die. This was first mentioned in Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?, where Acerola revealed that her Shiny Mimikyu, Mimikins, is in fact the ghost of a deceased Mimikyu. Later, in A Timeless Encounter!, it is revealed that Professor Kukui had once befriended a Totem Trevenant that he nicknamed Elder. It is later revealed that Elder has since died, its body now a regular tree, though the circumstances of the death weren't revealed. Giratina is another Ghost-type whose life has been in danger, in Giratina and the Sky Warrior. However, despite this, it still appears that many Ghost-type Pokémon, particularly ones who are more similar to traditional ghosts, are indeed immune to the ravages of time and can live on indefinitely; for instance, a Yamask shown in A Night in the Nacrene City Museum! was told to be millennia old.

Original series

2,000 years before The Ghost of Maiden's Peak, a war took place and soldiers were shipped overseas from Kanto to the battlefield. A maiden was in love with one of the soldiers who was sent to war, and she swore to wait on the cliff until her love returned, but he never did. According to legend, she died while standing there, and her body became a part of the cliff itself.

Prior to The Crystal Onix, Mateo and Marissa's grandfather passed away, after which Mateo inherited his grandfather's store on Sunburst Island and continued the family tradition of sculpting Pokémon figures from glass.

300 years before A Shipful of Shivers, a ship captain died after a storm caused his ship to sink.

Prior to Great Bowls of Fire!, the original Gym Leader of the Blackthorn Gym passed away. The Gym Leader's Dragonite did not feel the same after he passed. As a result of his passing, Dragonite volunteered to take the Gym Leader's place protecting the Dragon Holy Land. Additionally, other people, including Clair, have since served as the new Gym Leader of the Blackthorn Gym.

Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sappire

Prior to Taming of the Shroomish, Alex's grandfather passed away, after which the Shroomish that had played with Alex and his grandfather seemingly disappeared from the area. In the present, Alex, now an adult, after finding the Shroomish living in his grandfather's abandoned mansion, decided to demolish the stately home to instead make way for a forest that would house the Shroomish, as a tribute to his grandfather.

Pokémon the Series: XY

Years before Seeking Shelter from the Storm!, an old lady named Lacy passed away. Before her passing, Lacy was regularly visited by a wild Espurr. She gave it food and played with it. When Espurr noticed her developing health issues, Lacy gave the Pokémon her favorite pendant necklace as a keepsake, which was a precious gift she had received from her husband. The next time Espurr returned to the mansion, Lacy was nowhere to be seen. Remembering the good times Espurr had with Lacy, it decided to stay in the mansion, all the while wondering where Lacy had gone. Years later, the mansion was visited by Ash and his friends, who were seeking shelter from a storm. Eventually, Espurr befriended the group and asked them to help it find Lacy. Right at that moment, Lacy's granddaughter Elise showed up and explained that Lacy had passed away, much to Espurr's sadness. Elise had initially planned to tear Lacy's mansion down, but after meeting Espurr, she decided to renovate it instead, asking Espurr if it wanted to visit Lacy's grave with her, to which Espurr happily agreed.

Over 200 years before Scary Hospitality!, Lon passed away from old age in his former childhood home, an old mansion known as the "Scary House" near Laverre City, where his spirit kept on living.

Prior to A Watershed Moment!, Henny's grandfather, Chapman, died of an illness. Before he died, Chapman made a video explaining how the desolate wasteland surrounding the Chapman Research Lab was once a beautiful forest inhabited by a variety of Pokémon before mysteriously drying up. Determined to help the forest grow back, Chapman constructed a robot, Robon, to help the forest regrow. Chapman requested anyone who watched his video to help Robon and his Chesnaught in their efforts.

The Legend of X, Y, and Z!

Aila as a statue

A long time before The Legend of X, Y, and Z!, the village Oracle Olympica had made a prediction that Yveltal would descend upon the land and absorb the life-force of all living things. Once Aila's father heard the prophecy, he ordered Jan to defeat Yveltal in order to protect the city, with his daughter's hand in marriage as his reward for success. Aila tried to stop Jan, knowing that Yveltal was extremely dangerous. As Jan set off, a screeching noise was heard, and he saw that Yveltal had appeared behind Aila. Jan fired several arrows from his bow at Yveltal before ordering Talonflame to attack, only for his Pokémon to be turned into stone. Jan continued to attack Yveltal, but another Oblivion Wing turned Aila to stone as Jan was thrown off the cliff.

Yveltal turned itself into a cocoon and absorbed all of the life-forces around it. This left the land barren and allowed Yveltal to enter a long slumber. Jan was approached by Olympica, who told him that the precious few that survived had left. Olympica informed him that there was a chance of rescuing Aila if he found Xerneas. Olympica instructed him to find a forest that glimmered like a rainbow, as wherever Xerneas was, that forest flourished.

Jan arrived in a forest and purple fog surrounded them. An old man approached him, and mentioned that the people of a man called Veofum came and dragged Xerneas in its tree form away. Veofum was the ruler of a small kingdom with the goal to manipulate Xerneas's power. Jan rode Gogoat and arrived at the kingdom. Veofum wasn't happy that nothing was flourishing and ordered his advisor to set the tree on fire. Jan rode into the kingdom and shouted at them to stop. Soldiers stopped him as he begged them to put out the fire, as it would cause Xerneas to suffer. Lightning started to strike and several Zygarde Cells appeared, combining into Zygarde 50% Forme. Everyone started to run away as Zygarde destroyed the kingdom with Land's Wrath, leading to the demise of Veofum and his people.

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon

The subject of death was dealt with directly several times in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, with some Pokémon being seen dying, as well as showing a main character dealing with the death of a parent (as opposed to the usual instance of absent parents almost never being mentioned).

In That's Why the Litten is a Scamp!, an old Stoutland was living in an abandoned house with a wild Litten. By One Journey Ends, Another Begins..., its health had gotten so bad that it had to be taken to Nurse Joy for treatment. After being discharged, Stoutland disappeared, leaving Litten upset. In Memories in the Mist!, it appeared as an apparition, confirming that it had passed away after One Journey Ends, Another Begins...

In Showering the World with Love!, several Minior fade away into the atmosphere due to no longer being protected by their shells, similar to how Minior are explained to "die off" if their core is exposed for too long in their Pokédex entry for Pokémon Moon.

Prior to the series, Hapu's grandfather, Sofu, and Kiawe's grandfather both passed away. The two appeared as apparitions created by Tapu Fini in Run, Heroes, Run!, observing Kiawe and Ash before fading away. Following his grandfather's passing, Kiawe inherited Charizard and took on the Akala grand trial to earn his grandfather's Z-Ring. Similarly, Hapu would later replace Sofu as the island kahuna of Poni Island.

Pokémon Journeys: The Series

In Distant Blue Sky!, Ash met the ghost of a boy named Sunny who had died of an illness before getting to set off on his journey as a Pokémon Trainer.

Pokémon movies

In Mewtwo Strikes Back, shortly after gaining consciousness, Mewtwo destroyed the lab on New Island, presumably killing everyone inside.

In The Uncut Story of Mewtwo's Origin, the clones of the Kanto first partner Pokémon and Amber died inside their test tubes.

In Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, Celebi appeared to die after being freed from the Iron-Masked Marauder's control. Ash attempted to heal Celebi in the Lake of Life and tried to feed it Berries that it liked, to no avail. However, a portal appeared and other Celebi from the past and future traveled through it and successfully revived Celebi.

At the end of Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias, Latios had to sacrifice himself to save Alto Mare, and turned into the new Soul Dew, just like his father in the past.

Prior to Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, Sir Aaron is said to have died fighting in a war between two unknown armies. During the events of the movie, Lucario sacrificed itself to save Ash and the Tree of Beginning to protect the balance between Pokémon and nature. The two appeared to reunite in the afterlife.

Prior to White—Victini and Zekrom and Black—Victini and Reshiram, the King of the People of the Vale died shortly after borrowing the power of his friend Victini in order to move his castle and the People of the Vale to the cliffside where Eindoak Town would later be founded. The King died before he was able to shut down the Protecting Pillars, thus trapping Victini in the space around the castle.

Prior to I Choose You!, a Luxray owned by Sorrel and his family froze to death after he and Sorrel got lost in a forest during a blizzard.

50 years before The Power of Us, Harriet's Snubbull died in a fire while retrieving the key to the power plant.

Prior to Secrets of the Jungle, Chrom and Phossa Molybdenum had died in a car explosion after being ran off the road and left behind by Doctor Zed. Before Zed could reach them, Chrom and Phossa sent their son down a nearby river in a cradle to protect him, ensuring his survival. He was found and raised by one of the Zarude, who gave him the name Koko.

Pokémon Generations

In The Reawakening, Eusine recounts a tale told in Ecruteak City of how the Burned Tower burned down during a time of constant war, causing three nameless Pokémon to perish in the flames. According to the tale, after the fire went out, a sparkling rainbow came down from the sky, said to be the Legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh, who used its rainbow-colored shining power to restore the three Pokémon, transforming them into the Legendary beasts, three Legendary Pokémon who people would later call Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. However, people lashed out in fear of the Pokémon and their power to manipulate life. In response, the Legendary beasts and Ho-Oh fled, as if in sorrow over the people's reaction to them.

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Several deaths have occurred during or prior to the events of the Pokémon Adventures manga.

Red, Green & Blue arc

Red's Poliwhirl shatters an unknown trainer's Graveler by freezing it after getting it wet in the Pewter City Gym.

After two Magmar had set the Pewter Museum of Science on fire, Red battled them and encased them in sand with his Sandshrew. He then withdrew his Pokémon, declaring that he can no longer attack the helpless Magmar. Giovanni thanked Red and gave him an Old Amber. The two then said goodbye and Red went on his way. Suddenly, the two Magmar broke free and lunged at Giovanni, who then ruthlessly used his Cloyster to freeze the Magmar and split them in half, killing them.

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

It's revealed that in the past, in a snowy region, a young Pryce watched as his two Lapras fell to their deaths in an avalanche. Pryce then noticed a crackling sound in his pocket, which turned out to be a Pokémon Egg. The Egg hatched into a baby Lapras, which began looking for its now-deceased parents in vain. With tears in his eyes, Pryce begged the Lapras to forgive him. Pryce then decided to capture Celebi in order to travel in time and reunite his Lapras, La Glace, with its parents in the past.

Ruby & Sapphire arc

Ruby embraces his deceased father

Ruby and Courtney stood in front of the Cave of Origin while attempting to use the Red and Blue Orbs to stop the battle between Groudon and Kyogre. During the battle, Courtney was grabbed by a tentacle and knocked to the ground. Just before she was dragged away, Courtney sent a message to Ruby alerting him that his father, Norman, was arriving with Rayquaza to help stop the fight. The tentacle then dragged Courtney into the collapsing Cave of Origin, which subsequently crushed her to death, to Ruby's horror. After the battle, Norman and Steven suddenly become unresponsive.

Later, Wallace reveals that Steven had fallen in the battle, guessing that he died from the strain of controlling the legendary giants. In Sootopolis City, Norman collapses and dies from exhaustion in front of Ruby, who shouts his father's name in anguish. Suddenly, an explosion bursts forth from the Cave of Origin's ruins. Maxie and Archie emerge from the ruins and attack Ruby, asserting that anyone who stands in their way will die. Maxie and Archie loom over Ruby, who is being restrained by Archie's Tentacruel's tentacles. Ruby then realizes that they were the ones who dragged Courtney into the Cave of Origin and to her death. Maxie and Archie confirm this, and claim that she deserved it. They both pick up the Red and Blue Orbs and prepare to use them to restart the battle between Groudon and Kyogre. Even though Norman is now dead, Maxie has his Houndoom torch his corpse just to be safe. As his father's body is set aflame, Ruby cries out.

After a battle with Maxie and Archie, the two attempt to escape in Wallace's aircar. Maxie and Archie decide to let their opponents live, assured that with the power of the Red and Blue Orbs they can easily get rid of them later. Seeing what happened, Sapphire decides to use the New Mauville generator in addition to Plusle and Minun's electric energy to stop Archie and Maxie. By summoning the electrical energy stored inside the generator, Plusle and Minun shoot a powerful attack at the aircar. Maxie and Archie try to escape, but the attack reaches them and surrounds the car in a dangerous field of electricity.

Ruby gives Sapphire his Pokégear and has her put up the aircar's shield to protect Maxie and Archie. Stating that enough people have died, Ruby decides to simply retrieve the Red and Blue Orbs now that Maxie and Archie cannot move. Sapphire questions Ruby's motives, as no Pokémon they have could possibly move through the electrical field and survive. Ruby states that he has one Pokémon that can and sends out Celebi. The Pokémon passes through the electrical field and takes the Red and Blue Orb from Maxie and Archie's hands.

An exhausted Ruby lies with Sapphire right next to him. As Celebi flies past them, Ruby sees images of Courtney, Steven, and Norman. Celebi smashes the Red and Blue Orbs to pieces, which break into two gemstones. Ruby and Sapphire begin floating into the air, while Celebi stays behind. Ruby and Sapphire suddenly wake up in the Pokémon Association's headquarters, where they are thanked by their friends and allies.

Ruby is shocked to see that Steven and Norman are alive, and sees Courtney flying past the airship as well. Courtney states that she feels like she had come back from the dead, and decides to take this second chance to pursue a life of Contests again. Ruby realizes that he had passed through a time slip and ended up in a slightly different future. Looking at Celebi's empty Poké Ball, Ruby guesses that Celebi joined his team because it knew that all of this would happen.

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc

When the Devon Corporation came to the Embedded Tower in hopes of capturing Rayquaza so that the Pokémon Association could study it, Aster fought alongside Rayquaza in order to stop them. Though the battle went unseen, Rayquaza was successfully captured and taken away along with several Key Stones that Aster had collected. When Zinnia arrived at the tower, she found the area in flames and that Aster had died during the battle. Traumatized by Aster's death, Zinnia began to cry so much that her voice eventually gave out. She also took a partially burnt cloak belonging to Aster as a memento. With Aster dead, the title of Lorekeeper was passed down to Zinnia.

Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon arc

Sun's great-grandfather passed away the night before Sun arrived in Alola. Faba, a member of the Aether Foundation, had the body be carried to a funeral home elsewhere so the island could be converted into Aether Paradise. When Sun objected to this, Faba revealed that the boy's great-grandfather received the island from a now-missing member of the Aether Foundation. With the man's passing, the Aether Foundation had chosen to take the island back. Faba halfheartedly stated that if Sun made 100 million yen, he could buy the island back.

Five years later, Sun met with Faba again. Using his Spoink piggy bank, Sun gave Faba all the money he had collected and promised that once he finished another set of jobs, he would have all the money he needed. Faba laughed at Sun's dedication, revealing that the island had already been converted into Aether Paradise, and the 100 million yen wouldn't nearly be enough to return the island back to its previous state.

Sun's great-grandfather was ultimately buried at Memorial Hill.

Magical Pokémon Journey

Main article: Sandy (MPJ)

In Magical Pokémon Journey, the spirit of a young girl named Sandy owned a Raichu in her former life. They were separated when her parents left it in a box by the sea. They promised to meet, but before they did, they were both killed by a tidal wave.

The Electric Tale of Pikachu

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu, the Black Fog is an ancient giant Haunter that terrorized the people of Saffron City and has killed many people and Pokémon by eating their souls. The Black Fog had killed Sabrina's Pokémon when she was younger. As Ash attempted to capture the Black Fog with an Ultra Ball, the Haunter killed itself with Self-Destruct. According to Sabrina, in the ancient times, Pokémon were once treated as if they were gods, and the Black Fog had become accustomed to the treatment, so it would rather die than let itself be caught by a human. Despite hating the beast for over the last ten years, Sabrina could not help herself from feeling sorry for it and broke down in tears.

Pokémon RéBURST

Karuta arrives to find his mother dead

In Pokémon RéBURST, after healing the sick people of his dying village, Karuta arrived at his house to find that his mother had died that morning.

Some time later, Ryouga finds a statue that is revealed to be his deceased father turned to stone. The manager of Arcades tells him that if he can touch the statue, he can gain the power of Arcades, but at the cost of suffering the same fate as his father. Karuta and the others protest against this, but Ryouga claims that he needs to in order to beat Fraud. Before he can touch the statue, the manager stops Ryouga and says that he has to pass a test in order to gain the power of Arcades.

Ryouga agrees to the test and has his friends help him try and stop the caretaker from moving, but all attempts to beat her end in vain. As Ryouga continues the test, Rug discovers a tracer on Yappy's person. Realizing that they are being tracked by Fraud, Karuta and Rug go to buy time for Ryouga before Fraud arrives. They find Fraud there on the island, but are easily defeated by his powerful Reshiram Burst. Before falling unconscious, Rug tells Fraud that Ryouga is going to get the power of Arcades, intriguing him.

Later, Karuta and Rug are taken to a hospital while Ryouga battles Fraud at the Eternal Tower for their final battle. The fight ends in Ryouga's favor after Fraud turns into a statue from having abused the stolen power of Arcades too much.

Movie adaptations

Arceus and the Jewel of Life

At the climax of the story, when his plan is foiled, Marcus kills himself by activating a mechanism causing the temple to collapse, resulting in a rockfall that is shown burying and killing him.

Life-force

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.

The terms life-force (also spelled life force), life energy, and vitality refer to the energy that keeps organisms alive and healthy. Aura is also occasionally referred to as life-force.

Notably, the ultimate weapon was powered by the life-force of Pokémon. The energy used to power the ultimate weapon later inspired the Devon Corporation to develop and harness Infinity Energy, also derived from the life-force of Pokémon.

In the core series games

Item descriptions for the Miracle Seed describe it as an item imbued with life-force that boosts the power of the holder's Grass-type moves.

According to its move description, Dragon Energy converts the user's life-force into power to attack opposing Pokémon.

Several Pokédex entries, as well as other sources, also refer to life-force, life energy, or vitality, without explicitly referring to death.

Pokémon	Description
Charmander	The flame on its tail indicates the strength of Charmander's life force. If it is healthy, the flame burns brightly; if it is weak, the flame burns weakly.
Galarian Corsola	Galarian Corsola absorbs others' life-force through its branches.
Feebas	While Feebas's body is in tatters, it has a hardy and tenacious life force that enables it to live anywhere.
Jellicent	Jellicent's favorite food is life energy. The crown on female Jellicent's head gets bigger and bigger as it absorbs more and more of the life-force of other creatures.
Litwick	While shining a light and pretending to be a guide, Litwick leeches off the life force of any person or Pokémon who follow it, which becomes the fuel that it burns. Its flame is usually out, but it starts shining when it absorbs life force from people or Pokémon. The younger the life this Pokémon absorbs, the brighter and eerier the flame on its head burns.
Honedge	If anyone dares to grab its hilt, Honedge wraps its old cloth around that person's arm and drains that person's life energy completely.
Yveltal	When this legendary Pokémon's wings and tail feathers spread wide and glow red, it absorbs the life force of living creatures.
Magearna	According to the official Pokémon Sun and Moon website, Magearna’s real body is the spherical construction in its chest called the Soul-Heart, created by a scientist who gathered the life energy from Pokémon.
Sinistea	Sinistea absorbs the life-force of those who drink it by getting into their body and stealing their vitality from within. It waits patiently, but opportunities are fleeting—it tastes so bad that it gets spat out immediately.
Spectrier	As it dashes through the night, Spectrier absorbs the life-force of sleeping creatures.
Ceruledge	According to the official Pokémon Scarlet and Violet website, cuts from Ceruledge's flaming great swords leave wounds from which life energy will flow, which Ceruledge then absorbs to restore its own health.
Gimmighoul	Chest Form Gimmighoul sucks the life-force out of scoundrels who try to steal its treasure, while Roaming Form Gimmighoul survives by draining the life-force from humans who try to pick up its coin.
Wo-Chien	Wo-Chien drains the life-force from vegetation, causing nearby forests to instantly wither and fields to turn barren.
Poltchageist	Poltchageist sprinkles some of its powdery body onto food and drains the life-force from those who so much as lick it. The official Pokémon Scarlet and Violet website similarly claims that after a target is sprinkled with some of Poltchageist’s powdery body or eats food dusted with it, Poltchageist drains their life-force and absorbs it as energy.
Sinistcha	Sinistcha pretends to be tea, trying to fool people into drinking it so it can drain their life-force. Its ruse is generally unsuccessful.

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Vibrant Forest is a rescue team camp in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, previously a Friend Area named Energetic Forest in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, described as "a vibrant area where elemental energy -- the life force for all things -- rises from the earth."

Pokémon Conquest

Life Force is an Ability in Pokémon Conquest that regenerates the user's body, restoring HP every turn.

Pokémon Masters EX

During the Curious Tea Party costume event in Pokémon Masters EX, the player and Lillie are given a choice to go through a darkened path with a certain Pokémon. One of these choices is Litwick, who, if chosen, feeds off of the life energy of Lillie and the player, causing them to get dizzy.

New Pokémon Snap

In New Pokémon Snap, an entry in the Photodex references life-force.

Pokémon	Description
Torkoal	The flames burning inside Torkoal's shell are its life-force, and it lives near the lava lake inside Fireflow Volcano because the heat keeps its flames strong and healthy.

Pokémon Sleep

In Pokémon Sleep, an entry in the Sleep Style Dex references life-force.

Pokémon	Description
Haunter	If a sleep-fogged Haunter licks you with its gaseous tongue, it may end up stealing your life-force.

In the manga

Pokémon ReBURST

In Pokémon ReBURST, Captain Yaza's ararebo uses the life-force of Fire-type Pokémon to catch fire, greatly increasing its strength and damaging capabilities.

Trivia

• The Japanese name of the fainting status condition is ひんし near death.
  • In an interview, Satoshi Tajiri explained that Pokémon were designed to faint instead of die in the core series games to avoid children developing an abnormal understanding of death and dying, as he felt they do when playing other video games, and to encourage children to treat death with respect.
• In the English dub of Showdown in Pewter City, instead of saying Brock's mother left the family to Brock's care, Flint tells Ash that she died after trying to raise the family on her own. This resulted in an inconsistency in the dub, as Brock's mother, Lola, appears in A Family That Battles Together Stays Together!, as well as in several other episodes afterward.
• The name of the move Memento (particularly its German name, Memento-Mori) is a reference to the Latin phrase memento mori, meaning "remember that you will die".
• In the Canalave Library in Sinnoh, a folk tale describes people eating Pokémon that they've fished up and then putting the bones back into the water, allowing the Pokémon to resurrect completely so that the cycle can start once more.
• In the first level of Victory Road in Sinnoh, Veteran Edgar's post-battle dialogue involves a remark about death. This was toned down in Pokémon Platinum, and changed altogether in Diamond and Pearl and their remakes.
• The Japanese name of the move Oblivion Wing is デスウイング Death Wing and the Japanese name of the move Night Slash is つじぎり Crossroad Killing.
• Vulpix's Pokédex entry in Pokémon Moon states that it can spew flames that seem to resemble the spirits of the deceased, which are sometimes mistaken for real ghosts.
• On the back of Gigantamax Garbodor's body, there's a protruding skeleton of a deceased fish that appears to be a Magikarp.
• The Loyal Three are the only deceased Pokémon to be shown being revived onscreen in the core series games.
• Roughneck Kirby from Lost Tower implies that Team Galactic killed his Pokémon leaving him only with Cleffa.

Related articles

• Death on Wikipedia
• Deceased characters
• Fossil

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