Pokemon brainteaser so difficult even die-hard fans can’t solve it

To master this brainteaser, you’ll need to channel your inner Pokemon champion.

Pokemon has captivated us for nearly three decades, becoming an entertainment juggernaut since its inception.

It doesn’t matter whether you were trading cards and tuning into the anime in the ’90s, or if the latest games have enthralled your offspring – the Pokemon phenomenon is undeniable.

Yet knowing Pikachu and his pals won’t be enough to overcome this devilishly tricky challenge; a deep knowledge of the first 151 Pokemon and an eagle eye for minute details are essential.

Cast your eyes on the viral video below, which was shared on TikTok by the Pokemon Search Games account to test your mettle. The screen bursts with slightly wriggling Pokemon images, and your mission is to spot three very particular ones among them in the tricky brainteaser.

To figure out which ones to seek, you’ll need to put your thinking cap on.

As indicated in the video’s caption, you need to find the “three non-starter Pokemon”. For those well-versed in the Poke-verse, ‘starter Pokemon’ are those offered as initial companions in the games, changing with each new series iteration.

In this puzzle, the omnipresent Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander are not your targets – these are the trio of starter Pokemon from generation one.

The challenge here is not just a test of sharp vision but also Pokemon knowledge – it’s about finding three hidden Pokemon that aren’t the easily recognisable starters.

For those puzzle solvers who are struggling, here’s a hint: you should be looking for Mew, Machop, and Cubone, but it’s only useful if you’re up-to-speed with your Pokemon roster. Armed with this intel, give the puzzle another shot and keep reading for the solution.

Answer

To spot the elusive non-starter Pokemon, observe carefully as the starter Pokemon on your screen shift, revealing Mew, a pale pink creature with an extended tail, near the top left corner beneath the yellow path in the background. Once you’ve located Mew, move right to discover Cubone, a charming brown Pokemon adorned with a skull, and then find Machop below Mew towards the centre.

Commenters found this challenge especially tough, even those well-versed in Pokemon lore struggled. One person exclaimed: “Oh my days, hardest one yet! Took me five minutes, I checked the comments and still couldn’t find them! Got them eventually though.”

Another chimed in, “I only found two, so I’ve decided to believe that the third one is a ditto that has transformed itself into one of the starters.”

Meanwhile, a confused soul questioned the reality of their search, asking: “Am I being gaslit?”