Pokemon games are often designed in a way that makes them more appealing to younger audiences, which means fans of all ages can enjoy these titles equally. Pokemon games are also generally upbeat in tone, as players control a character who stops evildoers of all sorts and does something good for whatever region the game is set in. For example, they might commune with nature and reestablish the natural order of things. Because of this, it may be hard to imagine these stories having references to sadder, moving events as told by NPCs.
Still, many mainline Pokemon games feature sad moments that are worth exploring more deeply. An example of this is the dialogue with an NPC who gives Pokemon Sun and Moon players the TM for Fling. The woman says she lost her husband in an accident, with the latter throwing his Poke Balls before the crash to prevent his partners from being hurt - hence why she gives players Fling, in his memory. There are more occasions similar to this across the games, accounting for some of the saddest moments in the Pokemon universe.
Sad Pokemon Stories Across the Video Game Franchise
Another tragic Pokemon story comes in Pokemon X and Y, where players can find an old man living in Anistar City. When first approaching the character, the man will tell players about how he would like to borrow one of their Pokemon so the creature can keep him company during his last days. This story is sad on its own, but it gets even more emotional when players go back to the house after beating the game. The man is not there anymore, and instead players find a Poke Ball with the monster they gave this NPC earlier, alongside a letter. In the letter, the man thanks players and their Pokemon for making him smile until the end.
Pokemon Sword and Shield also delivered an emotional moment in a side quest that could be easily overlooked. The quest giver is a little girl who wants players to deliver a letter to her friend in another town. Players find the recipient of the letter to be an old man, who reads the note out loud. The content of the letter and the man's reaction imply that it was written by a good friend who had already died, regretting that they had grown apart after a fight.
Yet another story comes from Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, where players can find a man in one of the hotels in Driftveil City. When interacting with the character, he will tell players that he was convinced by Team Plasma to release his Pokemon, and ever since he has only stayed in hotels. The old man admits to feeling lonely, but says that not having a Pokemon around when he grows older and passes away is for the best. He believes the little creatures won't feel sad and alone as a result.
One more sad story from the Unova region begins in Pokemon Black and White, where a random trainer wants to trade with players. If they accept the trade, the player will be able to give their Boldore in exchange for an Emolga. The same trainer can be encountered in Pokemon Black 2 and White 2, and this time they will ask players to trade a fully evolved Gigalith for an Emolga. This implies that, between the events of the two games, the NPC regretted giving away their Emolga and wants it back. There are more sad stories in Pokemon games to dig up, but these are among the saddest individual moments in the series.