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Pokemonis not a series you exactly expect deep lore from. That’s not to say it doesn’t exist, it’s just far from the main focus of the series. What is always a fun thought experiment is to define the difference between an animal and a Pokemon. Where’s the line there?
Yet, at the same time, a literal god exists that is both a Pokemon the progenitor of the universe? It’s best not to look too deep into it. Since you’re here though, we’re going to dive in anyway, and question if the god of the universe is actually the first Pokemon or not.
The Case For Bulbasaur
On a decidedly smaller scale than a god or the act of creationism,we have the humble Bulbasaur. One of the three original starters, fans have loved and adored Bulbasaur since its inception, becoming one of the most popular starters in the whole series.
Why exactly should they be considered as the first Pokemon? Well, becausethey occupy the very first slot of the very first Pokedex, of course! In fact, they hold the very first spot of the national dex too.
There’s no guarantee they’re the first Pokemon you’ll encounter yourself, but it does implyBulbasaur is the first Pokemon Professor Oak decided to catalogue, which goes a long way to calling them the first Pokemon in some regards.
The Case For Mew
Mew tows a line that is difficult to explain. Arceus is, rather explicitly, a god, or at least a god-like figure. They created the concept of space-time, and the Pokemon that represent that. YetMew has next to no actual lore, and seems to bear no relation to Arceus.
This is important to note becauseMew in-game is theorised to be the ancestor of all Pokemon. They can transform into any other Pokemon, including Arceus, and learn just about every move without fail. This either means Mew is somehow older than their god, or Pokemon scientists got Mew’s age way, way off.
Of course,the early games also claimed Mew came from real-world Guyana, so it’s fair to take any Mew lore with a grain of salt.
The Case For Rhydon
Why would Rhydon be the first Pokemon? They’re number 112 in the Pokedex, they’re already the evolved form of Rhyhorn, and, as nice as they are, there’s nothing decidedly special about them. How could they be the first Pokemon?
Easy -they were literally the first Pokemon ever designed. One of the earliest Pokemon ever shown off, Rhydon has been stated as the first Pokemon ever created many times, andin the original game is even given index number 001despite being number 112 in the Pokedex.
Depending on the question you want answered,Rhydon pretty firmly fits the bill of the first Pokemon,seeing as they were the first ever created.
The Case For Arceus
Arceus occupies a unique part of the lore that no other Pokemon has come close to. Mew is shrouded in plenty of mystery, but nothing beyond them being a living ancestor to all Pokemon has ever been claimed.Arceus is the god of all Pokemon, and quite likely the entire world of Pokemon.
In the original Gen 4 games, as well as Heartgold and Soulsilver, Arceus was never possible to meet legitimately. That said,they still featured the most lore a mythical Pokemon ever has, with two unique locations dedicated to them across the games.
All of this implied thatthey could bring Pokemon into existenceand that they were at the head of the very concept of space-time and alternate worlds.
Legends Arceus confirms all this. Arceus drags you from whatever universe you dwelled in to make you save another, far in the past. They also give you a phone. You see the world before Pokemon were common to people, and you see Arceus use you as the vessel to bridge people and Pokemon.
It’s hard to deny, from a lore perspective, that a figure with that much power isn’t the creator of everything.
Arceus is what you would call the first Pokemonfrom a definitive lore standpoint.
