An explanation of the origin of the most mysterious move of the 2nd generation Pokemon

World Pokemon has grown since the introduction of nine generations filled with myriad species, moves and mechanics that have contributed to its enduring charm. Of all Pokemon moves, however only one of them has ever had a type classification ??? and had unique mechanics unlike any other. While it may have since become ghostly, the move known as the Curse still exemplifies a mysterious part of the franchise's history involving the hidden lore of carved Pokémon.

Introduced in Gen 2, Curse is a move that initially stood out for its crisp typing and dual effects dependent on its user. Existing in a strange limbo between attack, status, and stat boosts, the origins of Curse and its strange effects can be traced back to the existence of the beta Gold and silver A Pokemon known as Naravara that was probably removed for being too dark and mature for the franchise.

Relatives

One Leaked Pokemon Legends: ZA Starter is Clear Odd One Out

A recent leak seems to be hinting at the identity of the Pokemon Legends: ZA starters, but one of these rumored starters stands out from the rest.

Curse's weird effects aren't up to Pokemon standards

Dynamics Noroi

The only move affected by its user's type, Curse, is a damaging move when used by Ghost-type Pokemon. This move cuts the user's HP in half and then afterwards causes the opponent to lose a quarter of their HP each turn, which seems to embody the concept of a gruesome ritual sacrifice that causes the victim to suffer over time. This is accompanied by an animation that resembles a nail being driven into an enemy, a visual motif that will make even more sense in the context of Norawara's obvious Haunted Doll inspiration.

If the user isn't a ghost type, Curse will instead lower the user's speed by one stage while raising their attack and defense stats by one stage, resulting in a popular offensive strategy for normal Pokemon. One might assume that this unique effect reflects the ghosts' lack of abilities, but it's actually a play on the Japanese name for the Noroi movement. This word can be a synonym meaning both “curse” and “dumb” or “slow” in the language, so this variation of the move is unrelated to the original concept.

Naravara and her ambitious evolution method were probably too dark for Pokemon

Pokemon based on a sacrificial doll is a hard sell to a younger audience

Noravari's design is believed to be a simple doll pierced with a pin, reminiscent of traditional magic and ritual practices associated with curses. There was also apparently a game mechanic tied to the concept of sacrifice: Norawara could only learn the move Curse if he hadn't progressed in his evolution, Kyongpan, a Pokemon inspired by Jiangshi. This is due to the fact that the curse would have been learned at max level 100, causing Narowara to be stuck in her base form after rejecting the evolution with each level up.

Not only does this seem like a very esoteric concept for a game accessible to a younger audience, but it also pushes the boundaries of content in a series that has already been plagued by controversy over aspects like Kadabra's magic-inspired design.

Narawara lives on thanks to the curse and the Bonet line

It's not necessarily surprising that Norowara never made it Pokemon Gold and Silver officially, but his legacy lives on in the Curse moves and Ghost-type Pokemon that are remembered after his morbidness. Generation 3's Shuppet and Banette draw heavily on the same themes, depicting haunted toys, while Pokemon Scarlet and VioletGrevard has a surprisingly dark backstory regarding his status as a sick and neglected dog Pokemon spirit. Curse to this day represents the dark side of the franchise, and yet there remains the possibility that an idea like Narowaro could be revived.