Weird new Pokémon with a nut for a head is a big mystery in 'Pokémon Go'
Something new is happening in Pokémon Go.
A mysterious critter has appeared in the game, and it's something Pokémon fans have never seen before. It was first discovered when a programming-savvy fan found an image and a reference to "Pokémon 891" in the game's code.
The newcomer has the body of a sheet-covered ghost and a nut -- the hardware, not the legume -- for a head, with one eye staring out of its central hole. It doesn't have a name and no one's been able to catch one (not exactly), but it's definitely appearing in the game now.
It's not that the unnamed Pokémon can't be caught, but when players do manage to snare one they're greeted with a surprise. The nut-headed critter transforms into Ditto, a shapeless purple blob Pokémon that is unique in that it doesn't evolve like others of its kind.
That's what multiple players have reported on the popular Pokémon Go subreddit. The posts there also suggest that the new creature could be coming and going in waves, appearing in abundance for short periods of time before disappearing.
None of this is confirmed, mind you; it's all anecdotal at this point. All of the sightings seem to have a connection to Chikorita Community Day events that went down in the Asia Pacific and European regions. Official or not, the number of fans reporting in with similar stories suggests at least some of this is right.
The only word from inside the Pokémon camp so far is a tweet from Kento Suga, the global marketing lead for Pokémon Go. And his post only adds to the mystery. (You can see what the newcomer looks like in Suga's attached screenshot.)
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
What does all of this mean? No one knows yet. But it sure looks like Pokémon Go is cooking up a surprise.
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
