Game Theory: Nurse Joy is a Pokemon!

Nurse Joy, a beloved character from the Pokémon anime since episode two, appears to be human but the video will prove she is actually a fully catchable Pokémon.

This is a double feature day with Food Theory, which analyzes what Pokémon humans in the game universe are most likely to eat.

Nurse Joy runs all the Pokémon Centers in the anime universe and appears in Pokémon Yellow and Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee games.

While other fan theories debate Ash's age or Ditto's relation to Mewtwo, Nurse Joy has been hiding in plain sight as the anime's secret for 2.5 decades.

Nurse Joy has an iconic look: pink and white nurse's outfit, blue eyes, striking pink hair that curls in front and forms two large hoops in back.

Nurse Joy isn't just one character but hundreds or thousands of identical individuals running Pokémon Centers throughout the world.

• In episode 2, one Nurse Joy refers to another as 'sis,' suggesting they are sisters • In the Orange Islands, a Nurse Joy claims to be the second cousin of the sister-in-law of the Saffron City Nurse Joy • The family relation explanation doesn't account for such extreme physical similarity across different regions

Identical children are the norm for Pokémon species, not for humans, making a Pokémon explanation far more sensible than genetic coincidence.

All Nurse Joys are female, which would be statistically impossible for humans but is expected for certain Pokémon species.

• In Diamond and Pearl episode 28, Nurse Joy's daughters Paige and Marney are identical to their mother • Their father Carsten does not appear to pass on any genetic traits to his daughters • Normally, children share half their genetics with mother and half with father, creating a blend of both

When Pokémon breed, babies are always the same species as the mother and look like miniature versions of their parents, exactly matching what we see with Nurse Joy's children.

Some Pokémon species are exclusively one gender, including Jinx, Kangaskhan, and Chansey—all female, supporting the theory that Nurse Joy is an all-female Pokémon species.

Brock can notice slight differences between Nurse Joys, similar to how Ash's Pikachu differs slightly from Richie's Pikachu—variations within the same species.

In Generation 7, Sun and Moon introduced Regional Variants where Pokémon adapt to their environments. An Orange Islands Nurse Joy has notably tanned skin compared to mainland versions.

The tan-skinned Nurse Joy could be a Shiny variant, which has been part of Pokémon since Generation 2, allowing identical species to have different color palettes.

By being a Pokémon, Nurse Joy's identical appearance, identical children, all-female composition, and variant forms are all perfectly explained.

Nurse Joy talks like a human using regular words and sentences rather than repeating her name like typical Pokémon, and she looks completely human.

• Team Rocket's Meowth physically manipulated his body to walk on two legs • Meowth taught himself to speak English with a Brooklyn accent • He did this because his love interest Meowtha said she preferred humans

This proves that Pokémon have the ability to speak clear, articulate English if they choose to do so.

While speech is explained by Meowth's example, the fact that Nurse Joy looks completely human still seems to be the deal breaker for the theory.

Jinx, Mr. Mime, and the Machop family are humanoid Pokémon that could easily pass for human-like beings in modern society.

• Froslass's entry describes the soul of a woman lost on a snowy mountain possessing an icicle to become this Pokémon • Yamask and Phantump are spirits of humans • Kadabra's entry states a boy with extra-sensory powers awoke transformed into Kadabra

The Diamond and Pearl library books reference folktales stating that Pokémon once married people, there was no distinction between them, and a Pokémon in the forest would shed its hide to sleep as a human.

Certain Pokémon chose to give up their special powers for the ability to grow mentally, learn, and communicate like humans, transforming into human form.

Chansey is Nurse Joy's iconic Pokémon companion and the most logical candidate for what evolved into her human form.

• Chansey is described as a kindly Pokémon that lays nutritious eggs and shares them with injured Pokémon and people • Blissey's evolved form has a compassionate nature and will nurse sick Pokémon back to health • Both designs feature simple smiles, tall thin bodies, blue eyes, and iconic pink hair

In ancient times, Chansey could help both wild Pokémon and people equally, but modern society created a separation where humans capture and battle Pokémon, making it impossible for Chansey to help both groups.

Chansey evolved to look and act human, learned to speak like humans, and built a global Pokémon Center empire to continue its core purpose of caring for both Pokémon and their trainers.

Nurse Joy is the secret final evolution of Chansey, the human form that a compassionate Pokémon species chose to adopt to better serve both humans and Pokémon.

This theory raises the question of whether Officer Jenny, another identical character found throughout the anime, follows the same pattern of being an evolved Pokémon species.

Food Theory explores the Pokémon food economy, analyzing which Pokémon would be eaten, their roles in the food chain, and the economic implications.

This is just a theory, a game theory, but it provides a compelling explanation for one of the anime's longest-standing mysteries.