What is Pokemon #591? Viral Pokedex meme explained

Screenshot of Who is that Pokemon anime silhouette segment.Game Freak / The Pokemon Company

Over the past year, the 591st Pokemon has exploded as part of a viral Among Us meme. If you’ve seen the phrase thrown around and have been confused, this is everything you need to know about the 591 Pokemon meme.

Making its debut over 25 years ago, Pokemon is now eight generations deep, and has amassed 898 ‘mons to its ever-expanding roster. Yet throughout 2020 and 2021, people have become obsessed with the 591st character in the franchise. But why?

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The Gen V monster has seen an explosion in online searches as a part of a viral meme. Below we will explain the origins of the pun, and why people are suddenly interested in the Unova region’s most joke-worthy monster.

Screenshot of Google Search for Pokemon 591st.Google
A meme has sent users searching for the 591st Pokemon.

Who is the 591st Pokemon?

If you feel the need to jump on the bandwagon and give Pokemon number 591 a Google, you’ll land on the same page that we all do: Amoonguss.

The cheeky little Poison/Grass-type mushroom made its debut all the way back in Pokemon Black & White, first released in 2011.

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It, as well as its evolution, Foongus, are two of the title’s most lovable ‘mon, but also apparently one of the most meme-able.

 

Pokemon Pokedex entry for Amoonguss screenshot.The Pokemon Company
The Gen V Pokemon has become an Among Us meme due to its similar name.

What is the Pokemon #591 meme?

The Pokemon 591 meme is by no means new, and has been kicked around since 2020 on Reddit and Twitter. It centers around asking others to Google search “what is Pokemon #591.”

The joke is that Amoonguss’s name is a play on the massively popular online multiplayer title, Among Us, which has sparked its own wave of “sus” memes. Due to their names being so similar, many have jokingly designated the Pokemon as the unofficial second mascot of the game.

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The Gen V creature has also become integrated into memes about the online multiplayer, such as a viral Reddit post from September 2020 which depicted the mushroom as the game’s space crew member avatar.

So, despite not being the flashiest Pokemon in the world, due to Among Us’ massive shift in popularity, Amoonguss has now taken on a new life of its own.

Just be careful in case it gets too fiesty, though. After all, it looks pretty sus!

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