RetroGaming @lemmy.world K-TEC UK @lemmy.zip 2mo ago

Gen 1 Pokémon Fans Are In Awe As Cubone’s Face Is Discovered In Old 90s Picture Book | Retro Dodo

retrododo.com Gen 1 Pokémon Fans Are In Awe As Cubone's Face Is Discovered In Old 90s Picture Book

Gen 1 fans of Pokémon, especially those who played Red and Blue versions, can now find a bit more peace regarding the sorrowful character of Cubone. For years, it was known that Cubone never removes its skull helmet due to which nobody has ever seen its real face. However, recent discoveries have proven this notion wrong.

Key Points:

Discovery in Picture Book: A 90s coloring book titled Pokémon Picture Diary: Let's Go With Pikachu! by Keiko Fukuyama features a page showing Cubone playing a Pokémon flute without its skull helmet. This indicates that at some point, Cubone was able to take off the skull.
Additional Evidence: There are also various products released over the years displaying Cubone’s face when its skull is not on, including a Pokémon card and a plush toy where users can unstitch the skull for it to be revealed.

Do you believe that Pokémon’s creators intentionally included these revelations in their products to subtly provide emotional closure or was it merely coincidental? How do you feel about the revelation of Cubone's face being out there for all to see, given its symbolic representation as a motherless Pokémon?

29 comments

Saved you a click:
- Doing gods work
The story behind Cubone never made any sense to me. Maybe I missed something.

But his skull helmet has the whole sad sorry about Mommy attached to it, yadda yadda. Ok, so that story fits for one specimen, or maybe a couple. But is there some massive killing spree on Marrowaks out there that all their mothers die after a single kid? How is this species not extinct?

Their population is cutting in at least half every generation, and for some reason, no offspring are ever seen before their mother perishes, is dead long enough to pry out her skull, and have it somehow fit conveniently as a hat. Or maybe they're pushing down great grandma's skull, I don't know.

But this species never made any sense, because they all have it. If it was just a particular one everything makes sense, but this is some insane shit.
- You're trying to make sense of a cartoon/video game using the "rule of cool" over actual logic. You're gonna give yourself an aneurysm, man.
  
  I just realized that while I typed another reply below lol
- There was a theory going about that they were charmanders, hence the shape of them and the charzard style skull.
  
  There was also the one where they are kid Kangaskans who lost their parent.
  
  But don't Chars die if their tail goes out? Or is this some weird cross evolution mechanic now?
- This level of over analysis about a children's brand was a joy to read
- as silly as it sounds stuff like this is what prevented me from ever clicking with pokemon, even as a kid.
  like sure this all seems kinda fun, and was perfectly fine for something on the fucking gameboy, but then it never really gained any depth?
  
  Then you have the anime, which i actually kinda enjoyed because it had depth to it, they actually explored how things would work instead of it all just being set dressing for a dog fighting game.
- The skull is not from the mom. The logic becomes a lot easier. It's just external bone growth for a helmet similar to a turtle's shell.
  
  That's not what the pokedex entry says
  
  except that they literally say it is.
I think it's another non-mystery that became a fan-made urban legend that took on a life of its own.

Just putting some thought into it, you can easily guess what Cubone looks like without the skull.
Given some of the crazy stuff that has been said in interviews by the original staff, and the weirdness that are the really old Sugimori mangas, I think that once again fans are making a much bigger deal out of a small detail than the original creators ever did.

Don't get me wrong, it's neat as hell, I just see a lot of fandoms engage in absolutely absurd levels of hero worship.

Fans often think much deeper about things over time after the product releases than the original creators did during the comparatively shorter development time. If this provides some sort of emotional closure for you, go right ahead and take it.
Truly, I am in awe. Everything meant so little before this moment. How lucky we are to have lived to see this day. I must never forget this. I will never forget this.
Noooo Cubone!

You've let the cat out of the bag!
- Dr. Claw having a face just feels wrong
  
  Intensely so. What the actual fuck?
  
  I just rejected this toy as non-canon marketing nonsense.
  
  The toy's face does not fit the character/voice at all, IMHO.
For the first time in my life i read cubone es cub one. Like the first of a litter...
Is it intentional? A fun idea but I doubt it myself. The people making the colouring book were likely in a different building or a different continent than the people who created the game.
You know what, that image of Cubone playing the flute is so serene that it’s finally quelled the sadness in my heart since reading those words on Pokémon Yellow all those years ago.
Do you believe that Pokémon’s creators intentionally included these revelations in their products to subtly provide emotional closure?

😂

29 comments