The Pokémon series' main fantasy is that every creature wandering the wilds has magic-like abilities, but sometimes humans still step in to forge their own super-powered monsters. While many artificial Pokémon's origins lie in man-made objects that came to life without humans' knowledge, some were deliberately created for specific purposes.

The most famous artificial Pokémon is Mewtwo, Generation 1's only Legendary and star of Pokémon: The First Movie. Mewtwo was created in the Pokémon universe by Mr. Fuji, an aged NPC in Red and Blue who was once a researcher known as Dr. Fuji. In The First Movie's original home-video release, a bonus short detailed Dr. Fuji's movie-universe backstory, including his introduction to cloning via his attempts to clone his deceased daughter.

Related: 10 Pokemon That Were Too Scary to Be In Detective Pikachu

Mewtwo's origin story is dark stuff, and a few other man-made Pokémon also have disturbing backgrounds, but not all of them share this trait. Others, like Golurk, were created for perfectly normal reasons. Read on for the lore of each artificially made Pokémon, via Bulbapedia.

Every Artificial Pokémon's Origins And Lore, Explained

Pokemon Who Created Mewtwo In Red And Blue

The following list includes only Pokémon whose physical forms were deliberately crafted by humans. Pokémon like Muk and Deoxys are excluded, since they have their origins in human-made materials but formed their own bodies. Rotom is left out, too, since it has a form outside of the human-made objects it possesses, and so are other Ghost-types that exhibit their own forms outside of the objects they inhabit (Polteageist, Cofagrigus, etc.). Sword and Shield's Galarian fossil Pokémon miss the mark more narrowly than any others: While their deformed bodies are created by misguided scientists, the pieces used by those scientists were originally natural creatures. Finally, Pokémon that merely resemble man-made objects, like Klefki, don't count, either.

Baltoy & Claydol

As Claydol's name implies, these two Pokémon were once clay figures made by ancient humans. According to Claydol's Ruby and Sapphire Pokédex entry, they were given life when exposed "to a mysterious ray."

Banette

Banette was once an abandoned plush toy. It was brought to life by a dark, ghostly energy that seeks out the child who left it behind.

Related: Pokémon: 20 Pokédex Entries That Will TERRIFY Children

Castform

The weather-sensing Castform changes its appearance depending on the current climate. It was engineered by scientists at Ruby and Sapphire's Hoenn Weather Institute for this purpose, but it apparently escaped into the wild, since it appears in later games' tall grass.

Douse Drive Genesect, preparing to attack in Pokemon

Genesect

One of Gen 5's Mythical Pokémon, Genesect is a robot-like entity, reconstructed from an ancient fossil by Team Plasma. A popular fan theory suggests it may once have been a Kabutops, based on the two Pokémon's relatively similar appearances.

Golett & Golurk

Like the real-world mythical golems they're based on, Golett and Golurk's Pokédex entries say they were forged out of clay in order to protect ancient people.

Magearna

Magearna is artificial in every sense: Its metallic body was constructed "more than 500 years ago," according to its Pokédex entries, to house its true self, an artificial soul called the Soul-Heart. It can understand human speech and intuit people's feelings, making it useful for taking care of people.

Related: Pokémon: Why Klefki Should Never Have Been Made

Mewtwo

Mewtwo was created by Kanto scientists via gene-splicing experiments on the DNA of the Mythical Pokémon Mew. The exact nature of its "birth" is unclear, but what is sure is that it went on to become the most powerful Pokémon in the region.

Pokemon Sword and Shield Porygon Z

Porygon, Porygon2, & Porygon-Z

Created in Kanto's Cinnabar Lab, Porygon is made entirely of computer data, allowing it to exist in cyberspace. When traded with an Upgrade disc, it evolves into the enhanced Porygon2, which can then evolve into Porygon-Z via a Dubious Disc.

Trubbish & Garbodor

Two of Gen 5's most hated Pokémon, Trubbish and Garbodor are literal garbage bags. According to Trubbish's White Pokédex entry, they were created by a "chemical reaction" between garbage bags and industrial waste.

Type: Null & Silvally

Pokémon Sun and Moon's Aether Foundation created Type: Null to battle Ultra Beasts, monsters from other dimensions. It's comprised of traits from a number of different Pokémon types, allowing Silvally to change its type by holding a Memory item.

Related: What Makes A Pokémon Design Good

Voltorb & Electrode

While technically unconfirmed, Voltorb's Sapphire Pokédex entry says it's rumored to have been created when a Poké Ball was "exposed to a powerful pulse of energy." Given other Pokédex entries state it was discovered around the time Poké Balls were first invented, it's safe to say this is most likely true.

Next: Pokémon's Mew And Ditto Connection Theory Explained

Source: Bulbapedia