‘Pokemon’ Fans Are Loving These Never-Before-Seen Rejects

There are hundreds of Pokemon out there, but the franchise was not always so sure about its monsters. When the series stepped out, audiences did not have a bevy of video games and anime series to hang their fandom on. Now, millions have dedicated themselves to all things Pokemon, and those fans are admittedly in love with some never-before-seen Pokemon rejects.

So, if you ever wondered what Scyther was meant to look like originally, the team at NHK has got all the answers for you.

Recently, the Japanese TV network aired a show that revealed a slew of rejected Pokemon designs. The black-and-white sketch reveals a total of 13 Pokemon, and some of them will look very familiar. However, there are others that are not so cut and dry.

In the top row, the third creature from the left is none other than Scyther. The famous grass-type Pokemon looks far more like a dragon in this design, and they are not the only ones embracing this design change. Even Lapras underwent a few design changes as Pokemon narrowed its cast down. As it turns out, Gengar and Nidorino got some design alterations as Pokemon Red and Blue figured out how exactly its opening credits were going to work out.

While the NHK program showing off these Pokemon has ended, its reveal of all these new pocket monsters have got fans feeling good. For many, the overall similarities between these rejected designs and the ones which earned final approval are close enough to overlook. Still, for characters like Scyther, their marked differences only make it easier to see how far Pokemon came even before it went live.

In fact, fans have fallen in love with Gyarados in these designs, and it is easy to see why. The fabled Magikarp evolution is a favorite in the franchise, but its original design proves Gyarados is pretty terrifying. As you can see above to the bottom right, the water dragon Pokemon was once a terrifying worm-like monster with massive teeth, and fans know Team Rocket would have never stepped to a Gyarados if that is what the creature ended up looking like.

So, what do you make of these designs? Do you wish they had made it to the actual series? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!