Why is Rhydon number one inside the game?
Rhydon is number 112 in the Pokédex but number 1 on the secret list inside Red and Blue.
Case status: Open. The games leave it unanswered, so nobody can say for sure.
What the games say
In the Pokédex, Rhydon is number 112. But the first games kept a hidden list of Pokémon in the game code, and on that list Rhydon sits in the very first spot. That is why many strange Gen 1 glitches turn into Rhydon. The games never explain the order, because players were never supposed to see it.
The Rhydon Pokédex entries are about its drill horn, its tough hide that handles lava, and its brain, which grew when it started standing on two legs. Nothing in the entries says it was first.
The designer has spoken about this, though. In a Game Freak staff interview, Ken Sugimori, the lead Pokémon artist, said that Rhydon, Clefairy and Lapras were among the very first Pokémon designed. (We read that interview in a fan translation, so the exact English wording may differ from the original Japanese.)
What fans think
Fans link the odd number to that design story. If Rhydon was drawn first, putting it first on the list makes sense. That link is a guess that fans like. The developers have said Rhydon was designed early, but they have never said that is why it is number 1.
You may also see a joke online that goes: Rhydon was first, Mew is the ancestor of all Pokémon, Arceus made everything, so Rhydon must secretly be connected to Arceus. It is a fan joke, and we looked: no game says Rhydon and Arceus are linked.
Our verdict
Case status: Open
Open, but with a good lead. The official design story fits the number, and it is the likeliest reason. No official source says that is why, so we keep it open.
The Rhydon and Arceus link is a joke, not a mystery.
What do you think?
Why do you think Rhydon is number one?
- It was designed first
- It is just a coincidence
- It is a secret clue
Pick an answer on the page. Your pick stays on your own device: we do not collect votes or show totals.
Related Pokémon
Sources
- GlitterBerri: Creating the Pokémon (translation of a Game Freak staff interview with Ken Sugimori)
- Rhydon: in-game Pokédex entries