You’ll never see Pokémon’s Nurse Joy the same way again.
Going to the Pokémon Center, the in-game clinic in the world-famous RPG, is supposed to be a happy occasion. You get to heal your Pokémon, swap out the members of your team, see the cool new monsters you just caught, or even battle and trade with friends.
But little did we know that this entire time we’ve been using the Pokémon Center, a monster has been lurking in plain sight… right behind the counter.
▼ “I always thought that the Pokémon Center’s nurse
was a monster that looked like this.”
俺、ポケモンセンターのお姉さんをこんな感じのバケモノと思ってました pic.twitter.com/xpbd9cFqEc
— Taka(バケモノ)P@ブ/ル/ナ/ポをよろしく (@g_taka072) February 28, 2016
▼ Woah, wait… what? You mean that nice woman who heals your Pokémon?
▼ Hmm… I’m not seeing it. Let’s take a closer look and–
▼ OH MY GOD NO NO NO NO DO NOT WANT
Yikes! Letting your Pokémon stay fainted is a better fate than handing them over to that demon! We need to get that thing back to Lavender Town where it belongs, stat!
Here’s how Japanese net users reacted to seeing the horrifying truth behind everyone’s beloved Nurse Joy:
“AAAAAHHHHH!!!”
“CAN’T UNSEE!”
“Yes! I’m glad I’m not the only one who saw the demon!”
“There’s a few other mis-seeings I remember from this game….”
That’s right! Nurse Joy’s “true” form may be the scariest, but she’s not the only one with a shape-shifting sprite. Japanese Twitter users shared a few others:
▼ Like this guy standing outside of Cerulean Cave,
who looks like he’s wearing the opening as a hat.
@g_taka072 pic.twitter.com/reTkG2Oo3j
— BIBLE BLACK (@enemy_stand) February 29, 2016
▼ Or when the main character suddenly grows a mustache.
@g_taka072 自分も金銀で似たようなこと思ってました() pic.twitter.com/TZPuARS0gC
— くろわっ㌠@まったり勢 (@vCROISSANTv) February 29, 2016
Are there any other sprites left in the original Pokémon games that can be hilariously misinterpreted? With the recent re-releases of Pokémon Red, Blue, Green and Yellow, maybe we’ll find some more… hopefully without mentally scarring anyone in the process.
Source: Twitter/@g_taka072 via My Game News Flash
Images: Twitter/@g_taka072
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
We eat at three Japanese family restaurants to find the one with the best-value breakfast
Expensive Japanese nail clippers: Are they worth it?
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan opens new cafe and art gallery in top Tokyo tourist neighbourhood
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
7-Eleven Japan’s giant fried chicken skewer would be too big to eat, so it’s really for cuddling
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases a new Cream Puff Frappuccino for a limited time
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
We eat at three Japanese family restaurants to find the one with the best-value breakfast
Expensive Japanese nail clippers: Are they worth it?
Prominent boob-centric manga artist shocks fans by revealing she’s a beautiful buxom woman
Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki releases new artworks, still wants to make movies
The etiquette rules for visiting Shinto shrines in Japan
Starbucks Japan adds cult drink to its permanent coffee menu due to popular demand
Japanese man drives truck that’s on fire directly to fire station, drops flaming potatoes[Videos]
“Bumping men” are a uniquely Japanese class of criminals that are hard to deal with
Taste-testing every single sakura sweet and cherry blossom drink we could find at Mujirushi
We almost cried on our first visit to this under-the-radar budget Italian restaurant in Japan
Buddhist priest at Japanese temple lodging goes viral for rude responses to tourist’s bad reviews