As the Pokémon universe has expanded for more than 25 years, a handful of the 900+ Pocket Monsters are actually from space or another dimension. Nearly every generation of Pokémon has introduced one or more characters that aren't actually native to their world, or, at the very least, their origin story is unknown. This has made for some phenomenal storytelling between the games, anime, manga, and movies, though not every Pokémon from space or another dimension is as exciting as the concept sounds.
In addition to being from space or another dimension, there are a couple of Pokémon, like Rayquaza, whose habitat location isn't anywhere on the planet, but rather in the ozone layer. Another case is Minior, which is a Pokémon that is supposedly formed in the ozone layer as well, making its origins as close to space as possible without actually leaving the planet's jurisdiction. Other Pokémon like Hoopa, Bronzong, and Gengar are also capable of interacting with other dimensions. What separates these five Pokémon from those originally from space or another dimension is that there isn't concrete evidence in their universe to confirm whether they originally came from.
Better known by fans as Extraterrestrial Pokémon, the term encompasses all Pokémon with origins from outside of their world in terms of both space and inhabiting other dimensions. A common misconception in the Pokémon world is that Magnezone is an Extraterrestrial Pokémon because of its resemblance to UFOs. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Magnezone can actually be found flying around at some of the highest points in the Hisui region, but it is still a Pokémon native to the world because of its evolution from Magneton in areas that have a powerful magnetic field. Nonetheless, it emits a signal via its antenna to an unknown receiver, perhaps an undiscovered Extraterrestrial Pokémon.
Extraterrestrial Pokémon From Outer Space
Extraterrestrial Pokémon that are from space are all part of the same dimension as the Pokémon world seen in the games, animated series, and manga. The Pokémon that immediately come to mind in this category are Clefairy and Clefable, particularly because both of them can be found at Mt. Moon in the original Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue games. Clefairy also needs a Moon Stone in Pokémon to evolve into Clefable, making it even easier to remember the two are associated with space. Likewise, Cleffa, the baby Pokémon in the evolutionary line, is also considered to be from space with those in the Pokémon world believing it arrived on a shooting store.
Other Pokémon that are said to have come from space are Staryu and Starmie due to their bodies being shaped like stars, as well as their multi-colored cores. At night, both Pokémon have been known to congregate, with Starmie emitting radio signals into space and Staryu flashing its core to communicate with the stars. Their regenerative abilities are also substantially stronger than most non-legendary Pokémon in the game, with the use of moves like Natural Cure and Recover.
Deoxys is a multi-form Pokémon from space, with a core that many in the Pokémon world believe to be its central organ and brain. When exposure to a laser beam reached the core, an alien virus was mutated and formed the Pokémon Deoxys. Additionally, Deoxys has been known to mutate further into specialized forms depending on what is needed to survive the environment it's in. In the Pokémon games, this can be triggered when Deoxys interacts with certain meteorites.
Both Lunatone and Solrock are said to have come from space as well, as they draw their power from lunar and solar rays, respectively. Interestingly enough, both Pokémon are said to have arrived at the same time because they were discovered at a meteorite strike site. Additionally, both Pokémon are Psychic- and Rock-types, and both are known as the meteorite Pokémon.
Elgyem, Beheeyem, and Kyurem are said to have come from space as well, but they all landed in the Unova region. Elgyem and Beheeyem are tied to a UFO crash that happened in the Desert Resort area, where they suddenly appeared one day 50 years before the events of Pokémon Black and White. Kyurem, on the other hand, is said to have fallen from space contained inside of a meteorite. However, instead of the Kyurem that many fans have come to know, it is believed in the Pokémon world that Kyurem is actually the husk of the Pokémon that arrived on the meteorite. The original dragon Pokémon would have been what split into Reshiram and Zekrom, leaving Kyurem behind.
Lastly, Eternatus, the Legendary Pokémon from Sword and Shield, is known to have arrived on Earth after crashing from a meteorite in the Galar region 20,000 years before the events of the games. Thanks to some of its body parts falling off, Wishing Stars can be found throughout the region as well. Wishing Stars are also responsible for Dynamax Pokémon as well.
Extraterrestrial Pokémon From Another Dimension
Extradimensional Pokémon often appear in the Pokémon world when significant events occur, often leaving an impact that did or could shape the world at large. For example, Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina all come from their own dimension. Arceus is a bit more tricky to categorize because it created the universe in which the Pokémon world exists from a place where time and space were non-existent. Additionally, Arceus created Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, but the Creation Trio exist within their own dimensions as well. Dialga and Palkia control time and space, respectively, across the four dimensions, while Giratina rules over the distortion world, a parallel dimension of antimatter.
Additionally, Acreus is also said to be the creator of the lake guardians, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. It's unknown whether or not the lake guardians were created in the Pokémon world or arrived there after Arceus created them, but the Pokémon anime has shown the three living inside pocket dimensions that can be accessed through the caves at their respective lakes. At the very least, Pokémon Mesprit, Uxie, and Azelf all have their own dimensions.
In a similar fashion, Unown also have their own dimension referred to simply as the "Unown Dimension." While there have only been two instances in the anime where the Pokémon came from the Unown Dimension, namely Pokémon The Movie 3 and the 263rd episode called Address Unown!, the Unown can also be found in the Ruins of Alph, Solaceon Ruins, Tanoby Chambers, and across the Hisui region in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. However, it is uncertain in the Pokémon world if the Unown originated in those locations, or if they came from another dimension.
Dusknoir is and isn't from another dimension simultaneously, making it own of the most unique cases in the Pokémon series. With the Reaper Cloth item in Pokémon BDSP, a Dusclops can evolve into Dusknoir, and there's nothing that supports either Duskull or Dusclops originating from another dimension. However, the Japanese translation of the Reaper Cloth name suggests that it's an item from the spirit world, and because it alters the genetic material of Dusclops when it evolves into Dusknoir there is evidence to suggest that's why the latter can communicate with the spirit world. Physically, Dusknoir may not be from another dimension, but one could argue that it's genetically not from the Pokémon world.
Lastly, the remaining Extraterrestrial Pokémon that are from another dimension are those that are from Ultra Space. This includes Pokémon like Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo, Lunala, and Necrozma, all of which can create portals to and from Ultra Space but aren't technically Ultra Beasts. Ultra Beasts, however, can travel through the Ultra Wormholes as well, and they're often dangerous due to the sudden changes in their environment. These are the Ultra Beasts known in the Pokémon world so far:
- Nihilego
- Buzzwole
- Pheromosa
- Xurkitree
- Celesteela
- Kartana
- Guzzlord
- Poipole
- Naganadel
- Stakataka
- Blacephalon