For as long as Pokémon has been around, there’s always been some pretty dark takes on what really goes on in its universe: What do the people of the Pokémon world eat if “normal” animals don’t exist? Do our lovable pocket monsters actually hate their existence? And now, YouTuber Ryan Higa (known as nigahiga) has decided to reimagine Pokémon based on these horrifying questions, as a straight-up horror movie told by one young Pikachu.
The Pikachu, played by Higa himself in a Pikachu onesie, comes home one day to find his Pikachu mother on the floor as a trainer stands over her limp body. The trainer then chases after him, trapping him inside the small, enclosed Poké Ball. The Pikachu is forced to battle a Charizard as a crowd of humans cheers them on. He’s nearly beaten to death, but wakes up to find Nurse Joy smiling over him.
Initially, he mistakes this healing as an act of kindness, but he quickly learns that there’s a dark side. Refuse to battle, and you are trapped for the rest of your days in the tight Poké Ball. Pikachu must fulfill his trainer’s wishes in order to avoid this fate — even if it means taking on his own mother.
While this video definitely puts a terrifying spin on Pokémon, let us remember that the interior of Poké Balls are perfectly calibrated to be a friendly Pokémon environment, and that your favorite ’mons love you very much. All of these imagined horrors are definitely not canon, at least as far as we know.
Make sure to give your Pokémon some extra treats in Pokémon Amie or Refresh, just in case.