Magikarp has always been depicted in a negative light in the Pokémon games, according to a Pokémon player. Since the Pokémon games have been around for over two decades and have spawned numerous video games, fans have discovered or realised a few minor details about the series. For example, the English names of the pocket monsters or physical characteristics, such as the discovery by a fan that the Pokémon Porygon is composed of 50 polygons, can all be examples of this. The Pokémon Magikarp appears to have yet another interesting tidbit unearthed by a fan.
In the Pokémon universe, Magikarp has become a beloved, albeit underpowered, character. Splash is a disappointing move for a water-type Pokémon like this one. “But nothing happened,” appears immediately after this move is used in combat. Even in the heat of battle, Magikarp will flop around if it does not use this move. Every Magikarp fan knows that over time, this diminutive Pokémon will grow up to be the terrifying Gyarados, the ultimate Pokémon. Unevolved Magikarp can be seen as undesirable due to its weak characteristics, however. Even so, the most recent Pokémon games have made an effort to at least slightly alter this. Z-Moves were first introduced in Pokémon Sun & Moon in 2016, and allow a Pokémon to perform more powerful moves when equipped with a specific crystal. Z-Splash, a move that boosted Magikarp’s Attack stat by three stages, became Magikarp’s signature move with this new game feature.
In spite of the inclusion of Z-moves in some games, a Pokémon fan contends that video games have always been cruel to Magikarp. In the Pokémon subreddit, a user known only as theleeman14 posted their findings. A Pokémon fan compiled a list of Magikarp Pokédex entries from various games and highlighted the use of negative language in each one. Pokedex entries are “so unnecessarily brutal to Magikarp in most of their entries” by theleeman14, who posted the list.
According to an examination of the entries by theleeman14, a number of insults have recurred over time. Words like “weak,” “pathetic,” “useless,” and “worthless” are used in these insults. Since Magikarp evolves into Gyarados, the Pokédex entries leave fans thinking that the descriptions are excessively harsh. It’s not uncommon for Pokémon players to think of Magikarp as an underdog who rises to the occasion after sticking by its trainer’s side through many a battle.
The fact that Magikarp has appeared in so many different video games shows how widespread its appeal is. Despite this, it’s almost a given that it will appear in future games as well. Whether or not these future games show more respect to the iconic little fish will be seen in time.