How accurate are “official” pokedex descriptions? Pokemon are incredible creatures, but I seriously doubt Larvitar can eat an entire mountain, and even if it could, I doubt every single Larvitar has done that just so it can grow.

Yes, admittedly, some of the pokédex entries in the official Regional Dexes are … questionable at best. In some cases, this is because many researchers use aides who are rather young and imaginative. The minimum age for becoming a research assistant in the field of pokémonology is actually about ten due to … odd circumstances a few years ago. That may or may not have involved myself.

In any case, the consequence of this is that older researchers such as Professor Rowan may rely on younger aides to do fieldwork and write up initial observations. This isn’t to say that Professor Rowan never does any work himself; rather, it’s to say that sometimes, the help that he receives to manage otherwise unmanageable amounts of work are, well, students. The Symposium does its best to verify information before approving it for the National Dex, but now and then, odd details can slip by us, unfortunately. That’s why we constantly update the National Dex to the best of our collective abilities.

The other reason why pokédex entries may seem a little off is because the field of pokémonology is well-stocked with rather colorful professors. Take Professor Westwood V, co-inventor of the original Kanto Dex, for example.

…

…I’m not quite sure how one would describe Professor Westwood V, actually.

In other words, yes, if it seems a little unlikely, it probably is, but I can at the very least assure you that all of the information in this pokédex is highly accurate.

Disclaimer: Note that my partner said “highly,” not “completely.” —LH