Mew (Pokémon)

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Mew
Image:MewPKMN.png
National Pokédex
Mewtwo - Mew (#151) - Chikorita
Johto Pokédex
Mewtwo - Mew (#250) - Celebi
Japanese name Mew
Evolves from None
Evolves into None
Generation First
Species New Species Pokémon
Type Psychic
Height 1 ft 4 in (0.4 m)
Weight 9.0 lb (4.0 kg)
Ability Synchronize

Mew (ミュウ Myū?) is one of the 493 fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the Pokémon media franchise – a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. The purpose of Mew in the games is to battle both wild Pokémon, untamed creatures encountered while the player passes through various environments, and tamed Pokémon owned by Pokémon trainers.[1] In the Pokémon video games, it is a Psychic-type secret Pokémon (#151 out of 150) that was discovered in the first generation of Pokémon: Pokémon Red and Blue and Yellow.

Its name may be a reference to the sound made by cats, the Japanese word for strange or unique (妙 myō?), or the English word mutant (ミュータント myūtanto?).

Contents

[edit] Discovery of Mew

In the Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, and LeafGreen, the discovery and existence of Mew is revealed through 2 out of 4 diaries found in the abandoned Cinnabar Mansion, also called the Cinnabar Mansion Journals. The Cinnabar Mansion Journals are found in several rooms within Cinnabar Mansion and contain information pertaining to the discovery of Mew and the creation of Mewtwo. There are 4 journals in total; only 3 of them refer to Mew (the first two journals tell of Mew's discovery, while the third tells of Mew's "giving birth" to Mewtwo), while the last refers only to Mewtwo. Mew is only available through Nintendo events through a trade, and was only available in Japan, but is now available in the U.S. According to game Pokedexes, it has only been sighted only a few times by people who are pure of heart and have a strong desire to see it. It is still believed to be a mirage by many experts. Its DNA is said to have the codes of all of the Pokemon. Its fine hairs can only be seen through a microscope. It can learn any TM or HM, and can make itself invisible at will and fly. Mew was cloned by Team Rocket, and its clone is the equally powerful Mewtwo, who, in the first Pokemon movie, tried to destroy Mew, but comes back in Mewtwo Returns and assists Mew and Ash, along with Mewtwo's cloned Pokemon. According to Cinnabar Mansion Journal No. 1, Mew was discovered on July 5 (Year Unknown), deep in the jungles of South America (this is supported by Mew's data in the PokéDex). In Cinnabar Mansion Journal No. 2, it is stated that on July 10 (just 5 days after it was first discovered), the newly discovered Pokémon (Mew) was given its name ("Mew") by the scientists that discovered it. The last journal that refers to Mew, Cinnabar Mansion Journal No. 3, states that on Feb. 6, Mew 'gave birth' to Mewtwo. On Faraway Island, there is a sign that appears to be written a long time ago. It says: "...ber, 6th day. If any human...sets foot here...again...et it be a kindhearted pers...ith that hope, I depar..."

[edit] Biological characteristics

Mew appears as a pink feline-esque Pokémon with short arms, long feet, large blue eyes, and a long tail. Its skin is covered with a layer of fine pink hair. In the 3D games, it is shown to be white with pink bits on its feet, tail, and head. It seems to be genderless as well. The Cinnabar Mansion Journals (4 diaries found in Cinnabar Mansion) state that Mew 'gave birth' to Mewtwo, Mewtwo was genetically altered by the author (probably with the aid of his fellow researchers) of the Cinnabar Mansion Journals diary. This is explained in both the plot of Pokémon: The First Movie and Mewtwo's Pokedex entry.

By nature, Mew is known to be a playful, but wise, Pokémon that acts benevolently towards all other Pokémon. Its DNA is said to possess the genetic composition of all existing Pokémon species. If its DNA does contain all the genetic compositions of every other Pokémon, it is safe to say that Mew may have been the first Pokémon and they evolved over time to today's modern species, excluding Arseus, Dialga, Palkia (Arseus being the creation pokémon, Dialga and Palkia being stems of Arseus' power), Entei, Raikou, and Suicune (they having been created by Ho-oh). Also note that there are some theories by Pokémon enthusiasts that Mew is older than even Arseus, but possibly from a different dimension. It is capable to use seemingly all known Pokémon techniques. In addition to its wildly variable techniques, Mew can also transform into another Pokémon in the same manner as Ditto. It is also capable of instant teleportation, summoning giant pink bubbles of psychic energy, and making itself invisible at will.

It should be noted that Mew also bears a resemblance to a fetus. Its tail is somewhat reminiscent of an umbilical cord, it is most often seen in a pose similar to that of the fetal position, and it flies in a bubble that is analogous to an amniotic sac. This "embryonic" form can be thought of as a precursor to all forms of Pokémon, much like how many animals' embryos appear similar in the early stages of development. This lends further support to the hypothesis that Mew is, in fact, the ancestor of all Pokémon, or at least a being with the potential to develop into any form of Pokémon, much like a human stem cell; this may also explain why Mew can transform into other Pokémon and use all other Pokémon techniques.

Mew also strongly resembles the jerboa. The long feet and tail with stubby arms support this, and in addition, its sprite in Pokémon Green has the hunched-over posture characteristic of the jumping rodents.

[edit] In video games

This Pokémon is very difficult to obtain, in spite of having been available since the first generation of Pokémon games. Because of this, many players turn to cheating devices such as a Gameshark in order to obtain Mew, although Mew can actually be caught in the Red, Blue, and Yellow games without any hardware device.

If owners of a Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, or Emerald version went to a Toys "R" Us store in the United States on September 30, 2006, a Mew was transferred into their game pack.[2] The Mew received in this promotion came at level 10 and had the moves "Transform" and "Pound". The name of the OT (original trainer) is listed as "MYSTRY" in the status of the Pokémon page, likely to do with the movie it was given out as a promotion for, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (compare to Jirachi's OT being listed as "WISHMKR" on the Colosseum bonus disk), or could be a reference to Mew being mysterious, but if one paid attention during the transfer, he would see that the trainer you were trading with was named "RED", because Red is the male character in FireRed and LeafGreen, or because the game pack the Mew was transferred from was a FireRed game[citation needed]. Also, the ID number of the Mew was "06930" which may be a reference to the day of the transferring. Unless a user also had this ID number (which is practically impossible) as well as the unknown "secret ID" (5 hidden extra digits), the Mew could not be renamed.

A wild Mew appears after executing the Mew glitch.
A wild Mew appears after executing the Mew glitch.

The only official method of capturing Mew in the American version of the first generation of games (Pokémon Red and Blue and Pokémon Yellow) was to receive one from Nintendo personnel at special events called Pokéconventions where they were handed out to the cartridge-owners that came. Outside of the USA, there have been times where players could send their cartridges to certain authorized personnel (such as local Nintendo importers) who would then transfer Mew to the cartridge. These transfers have sometimes also been accompanied with printed certificates that also have the Mew’s ID number.

Mew ownership certificate
Mew ownership certificate

In Pokémon Emerald, Mew can be caught on a new island called Faraway Island. To get to the island, a player must have downloaded the item "Old Sea Map" from a Nintendo Event. The Old Sea Map acts as a ticket to the island, and a ferry at either Lilycove or Slateport will take the player to Faraway Island. Once there, the player will have to navigate a labyrinth of trees to find Mew in a clearing filled with tall grass. Mew will attempt to hide in the grass, and the player will have to chase it and corner it to battle it. However, the only event for it has been in Japan, for those who pre-ordered tickets to Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.

There is another method of acquiring Mew in the first two generations of games without help from promotional events or cheating devices. In Pokémon Red and Blue and Pokémon Yellow there exists a multi-step process called the Mew glitch,[3] although the "glitch" does not ruin the game in any way. Since the games only had a single memory region for battle data (because it was assumed that only one battle could occur at any given time), the player could overwrite the original trainer battle data by battling other trainers or wild Pokémon. By creatively choosing opponents, the player could fill the battle data memory region with the data of his or her choice. Returning to the area where the player first flew or teleported away would cause the game to interpret the crafted battle data as genuine, triggering a battle with a wild Pokémon at level 7. Typically, players chose Mew as the Pokémon, as it could not normally be captured.

As a Pokémon in battle, Mew rivals its genetic counterpart Mewtwo as a strong, capable Psychic-type Pokémon, especially in the first generation of games when competition against Psychic-types was minimal due to a somewhat imbalanced elemental system; Mew, Mewtwo, and Alakazam (the strongest non-legendary Psychic-type at the time) often dominated the competition. Each of Mew’s base stats are at a very strong 100, just like fellow secret legendary Pokémon Celebi, Jirachi, Manaphy and Sheimi.

Shiny Mew in Pokémon Emerald
Shiny Mew in Pokémon Emerald

Mew is considered even better than Celebi, Jirachi, Manaphy and Sheimi thanks to its compatibility with every Technical Machine and Hidden Machine, allowing for any variety of moves. Indeed, Mew can be viewed as Pokémon’s “wild card”. In addition, Mew can learn any move available from the specialized tutors in Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen and Pokémon Emerald, and in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness its movepool is extended even further. After completing that game’s main story, a man appears in Mt. Battle asking the player to show him a Mew, and he will quiz the player with some questions. If the player answers them all correctly, the man will teach Mew up to four moves of the player’s choice out of a list of 100. Among these, six moves are entirely new to Mew: Faint Attack, Fake Out, Hypnosis, Night Shade, Trick, and Zap Cannon.

Mew floats playfully in front of the camera in Pokémon Snap
Mew floats playfully in front of the camera in Pokémon Snap

In Pokémon Snap, Mew is the sole Pokémon to be found in the 7th course, Rainbow Cloud. Mew cannot be photographed, as it is covered by a green bubble that lights up whenever the player readies the camera. Only with careful lobbing of fruit and pester balls can Mew be stunned long enough for a clear picture to be taken.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, Mew will appear randomly between floors 36 and 98 of the "Buried Relic" Dungeon, if the player has the "Music Box" item in the toolbox. The Music Box is obtained by defeating Regirock, Regice, and Registeel on the 15th, 25th, and 35th floors, respectively, and obtaining the Rock Parts, the Ice Parts, and Steel Parts, which will automatically form the Music Box. The player must also possess the Friend Area "Final Island" in order for Mew to join his or her team. It possesses the ability to float, so it can go over everything except walls. There is only one Mew, so trying to obtain it as soon as possible is a very common thing players do. You may only obtain "Buried Relic" after you complete story mode. To get "Buried Relic" you must ask Lombre and Shiftry about it after you see the mail proclaiming it. Turning the game off in this dungeon without quicksaving results in the loss of all your items and Poké (the money used in this game).

In Pokémon Ranger, Mew appears in a Ranger Net Mission available after beating the game's main story line and beating the other two Ranger Net Missions first. Mew is particularly difficult to catch as you must sneak up on it, or it will fly away, and even if you do get it in battle, it can flee very quickly. It also interferes with captures by teleporting away from the capture line, but a ghost Poke-Assist stops it from teleporting away from the capture disc. The place to get the Poke-Assist is at the Jungle Relic, where a Shedinja can be captured there.

In both Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, there is a small chance that when a Pokeball is thrown, Mew will appear out of it and quickly fly away. Getting Mew from a Pokeball will give the player who opened it 10,000 bonus points.

[edit] In the Pokémon anime

Mew was first seen in the opening title sequence in the first season.

Mew in the Pokémon movies
Mew in the Pokémon movies

Mew and Jet Black are vital characters in the Birth of Mewtwo CD drama. A Rocket agent, Miyamoto, is dispatched to the Andes Mountains to capture Mew. It appears before Miyamoto at sunrise, however, Miyamoto (Musashi/Jessie's mother) is then swallowed up by an avalanche. (Miyamoto continues to search for Mew, however, she has failed to find Mew once more. Her last documantary stated that she found Miniryuu, Hakuryuu, and Kairyuu but she might've just been hallucinating because of the cold. Her origin is unknown) Later on, Dr. Fuji and his colleagues go to the Amazon and retrieve Mew's fossilized hair from a shrine, which is used to create Mewtwo.

In both Pokémon: The First Movie and the video games, scientists attempted to clone it because the Pokémon was extremely rare. The experiment was perfect because they thought it was the world's most powerful pokemon. According to the diaries on Cinnabar, Mew wound up somehow giving birth to Mewtwo, although it is highly possible that this was a metaphor for Mew being the subject they were trying to clone. Nevertheless, Mew ended up being confronted by Mewtwo in a large-scale Pokémon battle, of which neither won, due to the interference of Ash Ketchum. Mewtwo appeared to be able to translate Mew's (and most other Pokémon) meows into actual speech.

The events of Pokémon: The Movie 2000 are said to have been set in motion by an Ancient Mew card.

Mew appears in The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon movie as a mirage Pokémon.

In Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, the backdrop revolves around Mew's mysterious history and how this extremely rare Pokémon came to be so powerful. Also, at the beginning of the movie, a Pokemon "family tree" is shown. The first Pokemon on it is Mew, and the last being Ho-oh.

[edit] In the Pokémon Trading Card Game

Mew is a speciality figure in the trading card game and appears in the following sets:

  • Southern Islands (Psychic-type)(#01/18)
  • Expedition (Psychic-type)(#019/165)
  • EX Legend Maker (Psychic-type)(#10/92)
  • EX Legend Maker (as Mew EX, a Psychic-type) (#88/92)
  • EX Holon Phantoms (as Mew EX, a Psychic-type) (#100/110)
  • EX Holon Phantoms (Psychic-type) (#111/110, as a box-topper)
  • EX Dragon Frontiers (as Mew Star, a Water-type "Delta Species" Mew)

Mew EX from Legend Maker is the Mew which (so far) has abilities which are most similar to its video game counter-part. Mew EXs Poke-body allows it to use any attack on any Pokémon in play; similar to the video game where Mew can learn almost any attack in the entire game. This version of Mew was featured primarily in the Mewtric deck, the deck that won the 2005 World Championships. It was played alongside several Manectric EX's.

In addition, Mew appeared twice promotionally in the early stages of the game, once as the Psychic-type Blackstar Promo #8 and #9, and again as the Psychic-type Blackstar promo #47, commonly referred to by fans as the "Lilypad Mew" because of its artwork.

Mew has also appeared once as "Ancient Mew" as a promo for Pokémon: The Movie 2000. The card is generally considered unusable in battle, as the card is written in Medieval Runic and must be translated before use. In addition, the reverse of the card does not use the standard design, causing the Ancient Mew to stand out conspicuously when shown face down with other cards (this altered back also makes the card illegal for play in any Pokémon organized Play tournament). Ancient Mew's HP is 30, and its technique is "PSYCHE" which requires two Psychic Energies to do 40 damage. The Pokémon information near the base of the card reads "NEW SPECIES" and "LITTLE GOD...OR EVIL".

A non-holofoil Mew can also be obtained in the new Pokémon movie Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.

[edit] References

Notes
  1. ^ Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire Review (page 1) Ign.com. URL Accessed June 1, 2006.
  2. ^ Mailbag: The Mystery of Mew!, Pokémon.com. URL last accessed March 4, 2007.
  3. ^ Mew Capture Glitch. Retrieved on January 13, 2006.
Publications
  • Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0439154049.
  • Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-930206-15-1.
  • Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 193020650X
  • Mylonas, Eric. Pokémon Pokédex Collector’s Edition: Prima’s Official Pokémon Guide. Prima Games, September 21 2004. ISBN 0761547614
  • Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Emerald Version Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., April 2005. ISBN 1930206585

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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