The Pokémon anime, which has captivated audiences with over 1,200 episodes, features numerous Pokémon that, astonishingly, never made it to the screen. Among these, the Porygon evolutionary line stands out due to a unique and explicit ban on its representation in the series.
Various reasons can explain why some Pokémon remain absent from the anime. It might be that they are reserved for future story arcs, or simply do not align with the creative vision of the writers. Occasionally, a single member of a Pokémon family is depicted while others are overlooked. For instance, Coalossal made an exclusive appearance in its Gigantamax form during the Journeys series, with its earlier stages, Rolycoly and Carkoal, only making their debut in Horizons. While fans generally hope to see most Pokémon make appearances, the future for Porygon looks grim due to a significant real-life incident.
The Pokémon Shock Was Attributed to Porygon
A Tragic Incident in a Porygon Episode Resulted in a Ban
In 1997, a controversial episode titled “Electric Soldier Porygon”was aired in Japan. This episode featured a scene where several missiles are launched, and Pikachu attempts to destroy them, resulting in a rapid strobing effect that alternated between red and blue frames. This visual phenomenon led to numerous cases of seizures, convulsions, and even fainting among viewers, an event that has since been dubbed “Pokémon Shock.” As a direct response to this incident, the anime was suspended for four months to prevent any future occurrences.
Despite Pikachu being the source of the problematic strobing effect, the producers of the anime chose not to include Porygon in future episodes, feeling that its appearance would evoke memories of the trauma associated with the Pokémon Shock. Consequently, Porygon’s evolutionary successors, Porygon2 and Porygon-Z, have similarly never been featured in the animated series. Although still images of these evolutions have made brief appearances in some movies, they have never been animated, even in spin-offs related to the original anime.
This prohibition has left many fans feeling that it is an unjust situation, especially given that Pikachu was responsible for the strobing incident. As nearly three decades have passed since the Pokémon Shock, there is an emerging sentiment that it might finally be time to reintegrate Porygon and its counterparts back into the anime. This sentiment was highlighted by the viral spread of a convincingly doctored image showing the character Liko interacting with Porygon.
Will Porygon Ever Make a Comeback in the Anime?
Porygon’s Chances of Appearing Again Are Unfortunately Slim
Although Porygon’s dedicated fans are passionately advocating for its return to the anime, the likelihood of its appearance remains low. With the Pokémon roster expanding to over a thousand unique species, the need to revisit Porygon becomes less pressing. Moreover, Porygon’s classification as a rarity and its artificial nature makes it easy to justify its absence in the storylines.
This is unfortunate, as Porygon’s unique identity, being an artificial Pokémon linked to the digital realm, offers myriad possibilities for compelling narratives, particularly when considering the intriguing progression of its evolutions like the peculiar Porygon-Z. Fans of Porygon rightfully deserve to see their cherished Pokémon animated alongside others. Given the substantial time since the Pokémon Shock, a return for Porygon could resonate positively with audiences, alleviating past concerns. It is to be hoped that one day, this beloved Pokémon will emerge from its long-standing ban and delight fans in the Pokémon anime once more.