Since the release of the first Pokemon games, the titles have always been color-coordinated to match one of the main Pokemon found within the game. The first generation of Pokemon games were Pokemon Red, Pokemon Green (in Japan), and later, Pokemon Blue. Each color corresponds to the final evolution of the Kanto starter Pokemon: Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. From 1998 to 2000 a special edition Pokemon Yellow game was released in various countries and regions. The game more closely followed the anime, with players having a Pikachu companion and Team Rocket appearing as villains in-game.
It seems that Pokemon Yellow was supposed to have a companion game, Pokemon Pink, if leaked source code tells fans anything. The source code for Pokemon Yellow leaked last summer, leading to lots of speculation about the never-announced Pokemon Pink game. Pokemon Pink was most likely supposed to release alongside Pokemon Yellow and feature a pink Pokemon on the cover, just like Pokemon Yellow features Pikachu. While there was never any official statement regarding Pokemon Pink released, there is some information available that shows what the game could have been if it were not scrapped (presumably) during production.
Pokemon Yellow Source Code Hints at Pokemon Pink
The discovery of the unused files for Pokemon Pink first happened last April and were analyzed by a Twitter user named Dr. Lava. According to them, there were lots of different files that hinted at an unfinished Pokemon Pink game, including the phrase “Pocket Monsters Pink and Yellow” as a header in the Pokemon Yellow source code. There were also numerous files with the word “pink” included, heavily hinting at an alternate version of Pokemon Yellow that would have been pink.
One of the most intriguing discoveries in the Pokemon Yellow source code is the existence of a picture containing Pikachu and pink Pokemon Clefairy cuddling up to each other. Obviously, Clefairy would be an interesting choice for a Pokemon Pink game because it is pink, cute, and can be a powerful Pokemon. The picture in the source code is very similar to the marketing tactic used for Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! where Pikachu and Eevee were adorably photographed together. With this in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Pokemon games had a plan to use that marketing strategy long before the release of the Let’s Go! Nintendo Switch exclusives.
What Pokemon Pink Could Have Been
Despite there not being an official statement to confirm or deny the existence of Pokemon Pink, fans have still speculated about what the unreleased game could have been. While the photo of Pikachu and Clefairy definitely suggests that Clefairy was the pink Pokemon of choice, it’s not the only pink Pokemon in the Kanto region. Other pink Pokemon could have been the star of Pokemon Pink, including Jigglypuff, Chansey, or even Mew.
Alternately, there’s a running theory that Pokemon Pink could have been marketed toward young girls. The ’90s and early 2000s heavily relied on gender stereotypes between boys and girls, so it’s possible Pokemon Pink could have had a target audience of girls. This could explain the choice of the color pink, as well as the supposed decision to use a cutesy Fairy-type Pokemon to market the game. Some fans have even said that players would have been a female protagonist in-game, furthering the assumption that Pokemon Pink was supposed to be marketed toward girls.
Luckily, gaming has come quite a long way since then and girl gamers aren’t the spectacle they used to be. Recent statistics show that women make a large part of the video game population, so the need for Pokemon Pink has definitely passed. However, it would still be interesting to see what the game would have been if it were not scrapped.
Pokemon Yellow is available now for Game Boy and Game Boy Color.