Death in the Pokémon world
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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. Many Ghost-type Pokémon are said to be the result of the death of a Pokémon or human, although some Ghost-type Pokémon themselves have been known to be able to die.
In the games
Generation I introduced the Pokémon Tower, which 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. Aside from graves, the tower is home to wild Cubone as well as many Ghost-type Pokémon. In Generations I, III, and VII, 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.
Prior to the events of Pokémon Black and White, Alder's starter 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, much like Cheren did. 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 and White 2 reveals that Alder's late partner was a Volcarona, which evolved from a Larvesta.
In the anime
Pokémon: Indigo League
Two thousand years prior to the events of 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.
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 the movies
In The Uncut Story of Mewtwo's Origin, the clones of the Kanto starter Pokémon and Amber died inside their test tubes, unlike Mewtwo, whose genetic makeup and overall power kept him alive.
Prior to the events of 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 sacrifices itself to save Ash and the Tree of Beginning to protect the balance between Pokémon and nature.
Prior to the events of 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.
Trivia
- 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.