Pokémon: What Happened To Red's Father? | Screen Rant

There's a mystery regarding the fate of Red's father in the Pokémon video games, as comments made in the story suggest he's alive, but he's nowhere to be seen. The Pokémon series has only ever given one main character a father, in the form of Norman from Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire, who must eventually be fought in one of the most difficult Gym battles in the series.

All of the protagonists in the Pokémon series have a mother, and each game generally starts with the player interacting with them. There is a distinct lack of father figures in the Pokémon franchise, which also extends to the television shows, as Ash Ketchum's dad has yet to appear in the Pokémon anime. It's unclear why this is the case, but the protagonist only having a mother has become a running part of the series.

Related: Every Upcoming Pokémon Unite Character Joining The Roster

There's a popular fan theory about Pokémon Red & Blue which states that Red and Blue's fathers died in a war. This is known as the Pokémon War theory, and there are references to an armed conflict being fought in the past, as Lt. Surge talks about how his Electric-type Pokémon saved him during the war. The problem with this theory is that Red talks about his father in the present tense in Pokémon Red & Blue. 

In Pokémon Red & Blue, the player can visit the massive Celadon City Department Store, which contains a large amount of items that can be purchased. The third floor has a game shop, with several Super Nintendo consoles hooked up to TVs. If the player examines one of the TVs, then Red will say "A sports game! Dad'll like that!" He talks about his father in the present tense, suggesting that he's still alive. Despite this, Red's father is never mentioned again, nor does he appear in any Pokémon game.

There's a possible explanation as to the fate of Red's father. A leaked build of Pokémon Red & Green from the days when it was still called Capsule Monsters made its way online as part of a leak back in 2019. According to The Cutting Room Floor, there is a sprite labeled Otousan/Father in the game's files. This confirms that a father figure was planned to appear in the Gen 1 games at some point, but they were removed during development. The reason for this is unclear, but it could have been due to memory limitations, as the developers have discussed how Pokémon Red & Green just barely fit onto a Game Boy cartridge. As time went on, the absence of fathers became a part of the Pokémon series, even though Red's father is likely still around.

Next: Pro Pokémon Player Beats Hardest Challenge In Exactly 151 Attempts

Source: The Cutting Room Floor