Pokemon games have been around for more than a quarter of a century, with the franchise featuring many songs that will instantly make players feel nostalgic. Whatever generation they grew up with, there will be a collection of songs that takes them back to a time, place, and console where they experienced a standout route, town, or battle for the very first time. But within the music of the Pokemon games lies a set of very haunting tracks.
Most of the time, these songs are associated with haunted places that involve a vast collection of Ghost-type Pokemon, like in Pokemon Red and PokemonBlue's Lavender Town or the Totem Mimikyu trial in Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon. However, some players may not have realized particular Pokemon outside the Ghost-type have a peculiar vibe due to the situation they play over.
1 Viridian Forest
Most of the forests in the Pokemon games have an ethereal feel to them with their music, like Eterna Forest in Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl or Santalune Forest in Pokemon X and Pokemon Y. However, there are some that verge on being more foreboding than dreamlike. Ilex Forest in Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver and Petalburg Forest in Pokemon Ruby and Pokemon Sapphire encapsulate this, but none more so than Viridian Forest in Red and Blue.
As it's the first major destination in a new trainer's journey, the music's vibe perfectly matches the dark, unfamiliar maze filled with Pokemon that a trainer has most likely never encountered. It has a way of putting players on edge while encouraging them to explore the depths of the forest further.
2 Ruins Of Alph
When players come across the Ruins of Alpha in Gold and Silver, it really is a peculiar site. Unlike other caves in the games, it's filled with mysterious Pokemon known as Unown, which resemble characters from the Latin alphabet. In addition, the Ruins of Alph theme is eerie, consisting of a haunting melody matching the dark, claustrophobic environment.
On top of that, if a trainer turns on their Pokegear radio while inside or near the ruins, they'll hear the Mysterious Transmission on channel 13.5, which transmits bizarre noises. It almost sounds like Unown are talking to each other in a secret language. There's more of a chance Unown will also appear when the transmission plays.
3 Scary House
Nestled away on Route 14 in Pokemon X and Pokemon Y lies the Scary House, which has an equally spooky theme. The area, also referred to as the Laverre Nature Trail, is eerie enough, with Haunter floating around in the grass. Unfortunately, the route itself seems to be stuck in perpetual Autumn. The haunting theme only plays once the player and their allies decide to enter said Scary House and listen to a ghoulish tale from a man who once sought shelter there.
Said man finds another huddled in the corner, petrified of a "horde of faceless men" that only he can see. The players' friends seem underwhelmed with the haunting story, but the menacing theme and the fear exhibited by the man are pretty creepy nonetheless.
4 Abandoned Thrifty Megamart
Trial 6 in Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon is not to be messed with, as it sees the player confront a Totem Mimikyu in an abandoned Thrifty Megamart. Situated on Ula'Ula Island, the supermarket was destroyed by Tapu Bulu and is now home to an abundance of spooky Pokemon like Shuppet, Haunter, and Gengar.
As trainers complete the trial, a haunting melody cuts in and out of low-quality speakers, with an additional undercurrent of unsettling electrical noise. That's creepy enough, but added to the trial at hand, it makes the experience of searching the abandoned Thrifty Megamart even more terrifying.
5 Slumbering Weald
The Slumbering Weald in Pokemon Sword and Shield contains one of the most beautiful songs in the franchise. Until it drops, that is, and the menacing disembodied howls of Zacian and Zamazenta fill the thick fog of the forest. This theme occurs once more when players encounter the box legendaries in their Hero of Many Battles form, which sees them covered in scars and scratches.
The unsubstantiated fear is amped up during said battle when the player and their newly obtained starter face off with one of the Pokemon Sword and Shield Legendaries. However, moves won't work against it as it's shrouded in a mysterious forcefield, making the situation even more harrowing as the legendary wolf envelops the player in an even more disorientating fog.
6 Area Zero Theme
The main goal of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is to uncover the secrets that lie within the Great Crater of Paldea. Once the player does so, entering what becomes known as Area Zero certainly leaves an imprint; thanks in large to its hauntingly breathtaking music. Otherworldly, creepy, and beautiful all at the time, the Area Zero theme matches the overwhelming dread of what lies at the bottom of the crater.
Sending chills down the spine in a mysterious way, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet provide a rare instance where players will want to stop and take in the music, mixed with the choral highs and punchy lows. The Area Zero theme creates such a memorable atmosphere that's both hard to forget and creepily disturbing in a way that's hard to explain.
7 Old Chateau
Unlike X and Y's Scary House, trainers can explore the Old Chateau in Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl. Unfortunately, players get stuck with one hell of a harrowing song full of ghoulish sounds and effects while they do so. It makes trainers feel as though they're being haunted as they explore a place they probably shouldn't be.
All the distortion and pitch changes in Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl's Old Chateau make it sound like the Ghost-type Pokemon and spirits residing there are trying to communicate somehow. The Old Chateau theme would fit right at home in a horror movie, that's for sure.
8 The Drought
Unlike Kyogre, a Legendary Pokemon that gets a pretty beefed-up theme with Heavy Rain in Pokemon Sapphire, Groudon's Drought in Pokemon Ruby is far more menacing. The ear-piercing crescendos make it sound like the player is in a race against time against the Legendary Pokemon's actions, which is even more terrifying when it's revealed what Groudon can do.
That, coupled with the dialogue between Team Magma's Maxie and Team Aqua's Archie, makes for a tense situation that needs to be quelled as soon as possible; just as the song suggests. It's one of the creepiest pieces of music in the Pokemon franchise, not to mention one of the most memorable.
9 Lavender Town
When thinking of the creepiest song in the Pokemon games, Lavender Town is a popular choice among players, especially those who have been with the franchise since its inception. While it's undoubtedly less horrifying than players remember, its connotations precede itself. The song is more melancholic than frightening, lending to the fact that Lavender Town is home to the Pokemon Tower: a gravesite for Pokemon.
With it being the prominent gravesite for the creatures in the Kanto region and their spirits residing in the town, the theme is somewhat reminiscent of Frédéric Chopin's Piano Sonata No 2 in B flat minor, one of the most recognized compositions of the Funeral March genre. It's a great piece of music, albeit an incredibly creepy one.