This Generation 5 Pokémon Has a Horrible Reason for Being Near Hospitals

An unexpectedly dark Pokémon likes to haunt hospitals, but not for the reasons you’d expect. Almost all Ghost-type Pokémon have some sort of tragic past or story, but there are some that are genuinely terrifying. One of these Pokémon is Lampent, the intermediate evolution of the Chandelure line. Lampent is a Ghost/Fire-type Pokémon that first appeared in Pokémon Black and Pokémon White along with its gorgeous pre-evolved form Litwick and the unexpectedly popular Chandelure. However, although this evolutionary line appears to resemble animated luminaries, These Pokémon keep a dark secret.

Lampent doesn’t look like a sinister Pokémon based on its oil lamp appearance, but is part of a line that actually consumes the souls of the deceased. Unlike other Ghost-type Pokémon that interact in some way with human spirits, Lampent pursues the dying and does not help their souls move to the afterlife, instead using the souls as fuel for its fire. What’s more, Lampent’s nature is well known in the Pokémon world, to the point that the Pokédex refers to it as an emissary of death.

Lampent’s Pokédex entry is pure nightmare fuel

Lampent hangs near hospitals to be close to the dying, but for a sinister purpose

According to Lampent’s entry in White Pokémonfrom the Pokédex,”comes close to the moment of death and steals the spirit from the body.” This is similar to Litwick, which absorbs the life force of humans it encounters to keep its flame burning, but Lampent appears to actively seek out the dying. Several Pokédex entries mention that Lampent hangs (literally, since they’re lamps) near Hospitals being near places of death is also naturally attracted to those who are close to death, as other Pokédex entries note that. Lampent quietly begins to stalk those he discovers are close to death.

To be fair, there are many others Ghost-type Pokémon like Graveard which sucks the life force from the living, but Lampent actively uses the souls it absorbs as fuel for its fire. While Lampent’s Pokédex entries don’t mention what happens to the souls it burns, Chandelure’s Pokédex entry may provide a disturbing hint. Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2of The Pokédex entry notes that “the spirits burned in [Chandelure’s] sinister flames lose their way and wander this world forever.” So, it seems that Lampent and Chandelure can steal the souls of the dead and then sentence them to die.

What Makes Lampent Tradition So Horrible

Lampent’s Pokédex entries make the Pokémon look like a predator of the dying

Based on Lampent’s various Pokédex entries, it appears that Lampent actively seeks out dying humans and even goes to hospitals looking for people close to death. As people die, Lampent absorbs their souls and burns them with a sinister fire. Assuming that Lampent’s flames work similarly to Chandelure’s, the souls it burns are then prevented from passing on to the afterlife or reincarnate or follow whatever destiny the Pokémon world normally holds for people.

Lampent’s description makes him sound like a grim reaper, an apex predator of human souls who actively torments the dying and then condemns them when they’ve passed a good measure. It’s no wonder that Lampent is called the emissary of death by the Pokédexas the people know, they are not only destined to die if they encounter Lampent, but they are also about to become fuel for his terrible fire. This is what makes Lampent one of the most terrifying Pokémon of all time, an impressive feat given the Pokémon the franchise’s love of spooky stories and dark lore.

Source: The official Pokémon YouTube channel