Pokémon is a franchise adored by fans all over the world. It's got a world full of colorful characters and cute creatures that appeal to young and old alike and have touched all forms of media. The games and anime showcase incredible and lighthearted adventures throughout the Pokémon world, but the manga offers a different look into the pocket monster universe. A look that shows the darker and gruesome side of Pokémon, revealing that the series is much more horrific than most fans realize.
The Pokémon games and anime often gloss over the darker details of its lore, but it does acknowledge them, like in the case of Drifloon, a creepy balloon Pokémon that kidnaps children and Cubone wearing the skull of its dead mother. However, in the Pokémon Adventures manga series, the dreadful and ghastly aspects are front and center. The series debuted in Japan in 1997, and tells its own unique story loosely based on the mainstream games.
What stands out about Pokémon Adventures is that it actually kills its characters, human and pocket monster alike. There is one instance where the character Blue is battling the Gym Leader Koba, using Charmeleon and Arbok respectively. The battle ends when Charmeleon slices Arbok in half, and readers are given a disgusting look at the snake Pokémon's bone structure and insides. There's also another instance where the characters are in Lavender Town and are descended upon by zombified Pokémon, and the writers don't hold back in showing off a decomposing Psyduck. For those interested in seeing more, there is a list of the Pokémon that died or came close in the manga series.
The interesting thing regarding Pokémon Adventures is Satoshi Tajiri's, the creator of Pokémon, thoughts regarding it. Typically, Pokémon is aimed at a younger audience despite being adored by fans of all ages, but, according to an interview with Viz Kids, Tajiri has stated, "This is the comic that most resembles the world I was trying to convey." This says a lot about what the franchise was intended to be at its inception, probably before The Pokémon Company realized its largest demographic was young children. Most long-term fans can say Tajiri's sentiment is reflected in the earlier games, and even to this day the newer games acknowledge the darker side of Pokémon, shown by Pokédex entries of Pokémon too dangerous for any Trainer to handle.
It might not look like it on the surface, but Pokémon is horrific. Sure, the creatures and characters might look and act adorable, but the reality is that many aspects of the franchise are demented and terrible, and this is what Pokémon Adventures does not shy away from. Considering the franchise's creator's thoughts on the series, it seems the manga is the truest reflection of the world of Pocket Monsters.
Source: Viz Kids