The Pokémon series has a long history of Pokémon that are suspicious and who often impersonate other objects or Pokémon in the games. These Pokémon imposters can be labeled as suspicious or “sus”. Here’s a list of imposter Pokémon and what makes each one sus. 

Voltorb/Electrode:

Let’s first take a trip back to Generation 1, where they’re a couple of sus Pokémon to talk about. First up is Voltorb and Electrode. If you have ever played the original Pokémon Red or Blue, you’d probably associate these Pokémon most with Kanto’s Power Plant as these Pokémon were hidden among actual items in the plant as Poké Balls, but instead of giving you an item, interacting with one of them will result in an annoying “Bzzzt!” and the start of a battle. Even worse, these Poké Ball imposters come armed with the powerful Self-Destruct move, which can ruin the plans of Trainers aiming to catch these Electric Pokémon. In newer games and remakes like Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, it has become easier to tell a Voltorb or Electrode from an actual item, but this video captures how annoying these imposter Pokémon were in the original games. 

Ditto:

Probably the most infamous Pokémon on this list, Ditto was the first Pokémon to have access to the Transform move which lets it copy another Pokémon’s appearance, stats, and moves, leading to it temporarily becoming a mirror of the Pokémon it used it on. While many players see it as a gimmick, Transform definitely gives Ditto a unique niche in battle. Outside of battle, however, Ditto has used its transformation powers to cause constant confusion and mischief in both games like Pokémon Snap and the anime series. It has even been known to turn into people in the anime and in games such as Pokémon Masters! Definitely sus! Log into Pokémon Masters or Pokémon Go today if you want to see this imposters’ mischief-causing power first hand!

Foongus/Amoonguss:

Moving forward to Generation 5, there were new Pokémon to annoy us by impersonating items, those being Foongus and Amoongus. First appearing on Route 6 in Pokémon Black and White, Foongus appeared the same as any other Poké Ball item until interacted with. While not as annoying as Voltorb in terms of using Self-Destruct, Foongus do have the ability Effect Spore which has a 10% chance of leaving your Pokémon with Poison, Paralysis, or Sleep after it makes a physical attack against Foongus, which could very much put you in a tight spot. Later when you reach Route 10 in the games, you’ll also have to deal with imposter Amoonguss among the items as well as Foongus! Amoonguss can be especially annoying because besides having the ability Effect Spore, they also have access to the moves Toxic and Synthesis, letting them poison your team and restore their health which can make catching them quite tricky. So when walking down Route 10 beware… there might be Amoonguss among you!

Zorua/Zoroark:

Even more sus than Foongus and Amoonguss in gen 5 are the infamous Zorua and Zoroark. You first encounter Zorua in the Game Freak building in Pokémon Black and White. There is a girl in the lobby that will tell a story about Zorua and show you a picture. If you listen to her tale, Zorua will be registered in your Pokédex. Sitting next to the girl is a young boy that doesn’t talk. If you have the Event Celebi from the 13th movie in your party, the Celebi will come out from its Poké Ball when you talk to the boy and the boy will reveal himself to be a Zorua in disguise! Later, in Lostlorn Forest, you’ll find a woman living alone in a small trailer, who doesn’t talk. If you approach the trailer with one of the Event Shiny Legendary Beasts from the 13th movie in your party, the woman will reveal herself to be a Zoroark and attack you. After catching or defeating Zoroark, the trailer and entire landscape of Lostlorn Forest will change, revealing that it was an illusion all along! Zorua and Zoroark’s Illusions also extend to their shared ability, Illusion, which will have them appear as the last non-fainted Pokémon in your party. The Illusion fades after Zorua or Zoroark is hit once, but it can still be used to take the opponent by surprise and gain the upper hand in battle. These Pokémon give a whole new meaning to sus with their sneaky Illusions!

Fomantis/Lurantis:

Jumping to Generation 7, we have the Grass-Type Pokémon Fomantis and Lurantis. Unlike most of the other Pokémon on this list, these Pokémon don’t have any gameplay features that make them suspicious, instead it’s all in their Pokédex entries, specifically that of Lurantis. In Pokémon Ultra Sun, Lurantis’ Pokedex entry reads “For self-protection, it pretends to be a bug Pokémon. Both of its arms bear keen-edged petals.” This dex entry reveals to us that Fomantis and Lurantis are actually Grass Pokémon despite their insect-like appearance, which makes sense given their typing. Other Pokémon like Bonsly and Sudowoodo have different appearances than their typing would suggest but I decided to include Fomantis and Lurantis instead because they use their appearance to stay hidden from presumably other Bug Pokémon. The real-life inspiration for Lurantis, the Orchid Mantis, is interesting because it is the opposite of Lurantis in that it is an insect that pretends to be an orchid flower. Very sus!

Mimikyu:

Last, but certainly not least in our list of Imposter Pokémon is Mimikyu. Mimikyu was a no-brainer for this list as it is the “Disguise” Pokémon (very sus). Its Pokémon Sword Pokédex entry reads “It wears a rag fashioned into a Pikachu costume in an effort to look less scary. Unfortunately, the costume only makes it creepier.” Disguising itself as a regular Pikachu is definitely sus, and while it means no harm, its broken-necked Busted Form definitely leaves an impression on those who thought it was a Pikachu. Though it may be sus, Mimikyu is definitely a fan-favorite Pokémon (it even has its own theme song)!

And there you have it, a list of sus Pokémon and what makes them suspicious! There are definitely more Pokémon imposters than just those in this list. Did I miss any sus Pokémon? Do you think Fuecoco is sus? Let me know in the comments below!

Edited by bobandbill and Siddhar.