While wholly deserving of their status as a gaming landmark, Pokémon Red and Blue have long since been far surpassed by more modern installments in the franchise. The two games, responsible for almost singlehandedly kickstarting a phenomenon that would eventually become the most successful media property ever, exist today as a reminder of the series’ humble beginnings and a powerful fix for nostalgia junkies.
Various remakes – most recently in 2018 with Let’s Go, Pikachu and Eevee – have come and gone over the years, of course, but it’s the OG Game Boy titles that most will dust off from time to time to relive the original Kanto league. As if any fan worth their weight in Poké Balls could forget, the quest to get all 8 badges and challenge the Elite Four for the right to be crowned Champion began with a face-off against Pewter City Gym Leader Brock.
Reddit user MattOnyx has now decided to breathe some new life into that scene by introducing a mind-blowing twist that’s since gone viral, and you can check it out for yourself over on Reddit.
As you can see, repurposing the otherwise inanimate rocks surrounding Brock in his domain, MattOnyx’s edit imagines them as actually being a camouflaged Onix. The rock-snake Pokémon is famously the final combatant used by its master to prevent Red from obtaining the Boulder Badge and proved to be a huge roadblock for anyone without the foresight to pick Squirtle or Bulbasaur as their starter. Indeed, Charmander is often considered to be the hardest to use in the early game for being weak not only against Brock’s team but Misty’s, too.
Be it braindead easy or maddeningly difficult, the above is a terrific tribute to the Gotta Catch ‘Em All craze either way and we can only hope that recently announced Gen IV remakes – Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl – keep the nostalgia flowing throughout 2021 and beyond. Until then, feel free to regale us with your earliest Pokémon memories in the usual place below!
