A skilled biologist and artist has created detailed anatomical artwork of various species from Pokémon, and the results are nightmare fuel. The Pokémon series has often inspired creative projects, like the recent fan art for Scarlet and Violet Legendary Pokémon, and crafts like clay sculpture or crochet. However, these cute projects lack the terrifying response caused by detailed breakdowns of a Pokémon's anatomy.
Pokémon are typically very family-friendly creatures, with even the most ferocious of species not looking truly frightening. A big part of their appeal lies in the strong lines and bright colors of their designs. While some designs, particularly those belonging to older Generations, have received some tweaks and updates over the years, for the most part, every Pokémon is a well-defined entity. Most even have unique silhouettes, with the exception of Voltorb and Electrode (and Jigglypuff seen from above). This has carried through all the way into the designs being previewed in the Scarlet and Violet trailers, with the pig-like Lechonk already enjoying a dramatic surge in popularity. Other new Pokémon to debut in the recent trailer like the Pikachu-like Pawni also continue the franchise's tradition of cute and cuddly designs.
Now, however, a biologist and artist has used those same designs to provide Pokémon fans with a shot of pure nightmare fuel. Reddit user TheChristopherStoll, also known as simply TopherStoll, has been creating a series of anatomical studies of Pokémon, exposing various organs and tissues underneath the familiar cuddly façades. Their recent diagram of Togepi, for example, shows and labels everything from muscles to bone structures and unique aspects of the Spike Ball Pokémon's biology. One label notes that its "body cavity is filled with both blood and interstitial fluid...an open circulatory system." The clinical tone is at odds with the visceral imagery, which easily manages to place the Pokémon in a disturbing new light that few will have viewed it in before.
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Other Pokémon to have been given the same treatment by TheChristopherStoll include Wobbuffet and Girafarig, both of whom enjoy cut-away diagrams that expose their various organs and biological quirks. Wobbuffet's tail is noted in Pokédex entries to be the main body, with the rest being more of a diversion; here, the tail is shown to have a skull, which is a chilling sight for all the logical sense that it makes. The fact that the high-quality illustrations seem to be straight out of an actual anatomical guide only makes the effect more pronounced; 'Pokénatomy Vol. II' feels all too real, like it truly belongs on the shelf of a Nurse Joy or Pokémon Professor. The idea that these creepy examples of Pokémon fan art could be canonical is incredibly striking to the viewer.
It isn't often that the world of Pokémon is explored in as much detail as TheChristopherStoll has. As with many popular franchises, applying realism to the bright and colorful world can uncover darker implications and nightmarish ideas. On the one hand, Pokémon are living creatures. It's only natural that they have internal biology. But to be actually confronted by that truth can still be disturbing to the average fan, because the arrangement of body tissues is simply not something that one would normally associate with the Pokémon name. Of course, TheChristopherStoll's ability as both a biologist and artist is highly integral to the image's overall effect. Gory details aside, the skill visible in the Pokémon art is stunning. Without their talented hand, this nightmare fuel would not be nearly so powerful.
Sources: TheChristopherStoll/Reddit