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Description
Poké-Cryptids:
The Revised Overview

The world of Pokémon has many bizarre and fantastic creatures in it. Some Pokémon are made from symbiotic relationships between Pokémon and plants, some are actually living machines, and some are so strange that it's surprising that they can be considered Pokémon at all! Hundreds of new Pokémon species are being discovered all the time, and it's almost certain that countless more are still waiting to be found.

But aside from the 700+ species which have currently been confirmed, there are some reports of Pokémon which don't match known species, or seem to be strange versions of known varieties. Here, we enter the realm of Poké-Cryptozoology, the study of Pokémon which have yet to be identified by known Pokémon experts. Most of these "Poké-Cryptids" seem to be too fantastic and unusual to be true, yet people from around the world continue to report sightings of these beasts. So what are they?

Let's first take a moment to identify what a cryptid is. At its simplest definition, a "cryptid" is a creature whose existence has yet to be confirmed by science. Commonly, cryptids are known from eyewitness accounts or folklore, but leave little to no reliable evidence of their existence. As such, these creatures remain an enigma, and occasionally are the source of some tension between the scientific community and the public. Explanations for their identities range from the imaginary to the bizarre, and everything inbetween.

Reviewing a vast majority of these cases, it's possible to group certain cryptids which share similarities in their cases. As such, it's possible to categorize these Poké-Cryptids into five categories:

A. "Physically abnormal versions of known Pokémon", a.k.a: "Freaks"

These cases are of known Pokémon species which exhibit physical abnormalities not normally found in their species. These include accounts of Pokémon of unusual coloration, sizes, or mutants – that is, Pokémon with parts they shouldn't have.
Examples of these Poké-Cryptids include the Pygmy Mammoswine, so-called "Shiny" Pokémon, and the mysterious "Crystal Onyx" - an Onyx composed of massive crystals, with unique type properties.

B. "Relic population(s) of Pokémon known from the fossil record", a.k.a: "Living Fossils"

These cases include supposed examples of surviving wild populations of Pokémon believed to be extinct.*
Examples of these Poké-Cryptids include reports of wild Shieldon in the Sinnoh region, as well as reported sightings of Aerodactyls soaring over the jungles of many different regions. The Pokémon Relicanth was also regarded as a Poké-Cryptid for a long time, until deep-sea expeditions returned with visual and physical proof of this Pokémon's continuing existence.
* - While fossil Pokémon are known to have been revived from places such as the Oreburgh Museum and Cinnabar Island Lab, these are usually monitored and kept in confined habitats, as opposed to being released in the wild. The focus of these cases are most commonly wild, naturally-occurring populations of known fossil species.

C. "Pokémon known from mythology", aka: "Legendaries"

These reports are of Pokémon known to exist from mythology and folk tale, but don't correlate with known species. These Pokémon are primarily region-specific, known and identified from ancient ruins. Despite their mythological basis, however, some people have reported seeing these Pokémon in real life, and so these cases occasionally warrant review.
Examples of "legendary" Poké-Cryptids include Mew, Ho-oh, Celebi, Kyogre, Groudon, Dialga, Palkia, and many other similar Pokémon. Some of these Pokémon, such as Mew, are known to have physically existed, but their continued existence has yet to be confirmed.

D. "Unconfirmed New Species", aka "Fakemon"

These cases are highly criticized by Pokémon experts, as most Pokémon are region-specific, and these cases are often mistaken identity – known species which appear strange and different. However, certain unconfirmed species of Pokémon are reported to have been sighted in many different regions.
Among the more persistent of these cases include the Pokémon "Kokana" and "Papyō", as well as many other cases too numerous to list here.

E. "Other"

This final category of Poké-Cryptids covers those few cases which just don't fit with any of the others. These Poké-cryptids are not known examples of known species, yet have no basis in either the fossil record or in mythology. A common factor in most of these accounts is a "singular identity" – these Poké-cryptids are the only members of their species, and so have unique identities, and occasionally have their own origin stories.
Some commonly known examples of these Poké-cryptids are Mewtwo, Deoxys, Genesect, and the infamous "Missingno".

These 5 categories are the most commonly identifiable, when organizing reported cases. While the existence of these Pokémon is highly speculative, and based primarily on eyewitness accounts, these accounts are still worth examining in some regards. As is commonly known, our knowledge and understanding of the Pokémon world is constantly evolving and growing. Who's to say that, given time, these cases may or may not prove to be real? Whatever the reality is or will be, this categorization system will hopefully prove a valuable asset when identifying reports of undiscovered Pokémon.

Description
Poké-Cryptids:
The Revised Overview

The world of Pokémon has many bizarre and fantastic creatures in it. Some Pokémon are made from symbiotic relationships between Pokémon and plants, some are actually living machines, and some are so strange that it's surprising that they can be considered Pokémon at all! Hundreds of new Pokémon species are being discovered all the time, and it's almost certain that countless more are still waiting to be found.

But aside from the 700+ species which have currently been confirmed, there are some reports of Pokémon which don't match known species, or seem to be strange versions of known varieties. Here, we enter the realm of Poké-Cryptozoology, the study of Pokémon which have yet to be identified by known Pokémon experts. Most of these "Poké-Cryptids" seem to be too fantastic and unusual to be true, yet people from around the world continue to report sightings of these beasts. So what are they?

Let's first take a moment to identify what a cryptid is. At its simplest definition, a "cryptid" is a creature whose existence has yet to be confirmed by science. Commonly, cryptids are known from eyewitness accounts or folklore, but leave little to no reliable evidence of their existence. As such, these creatures remain an enigma, and occasionally are the source of some tension between the scientific community and the public. Explanations for their identities range from the imaginary to the bizarre, and everything inbetween.

Reviewing a vast majority of these cases, it's possible to group certain cryptids which share similarities in their cases. As such, it's possible to categorize these Poké-Cryptids into five categories:

A. "Physically abnormal versions of known Pokémon", a.k.a: "Freaks"

These cases are of known Pokémon species which exhibit physical abnormalities not normally found in their species. These include accounts of Pokémon of unusual coloration, sizes, or mutants – that is, Pokémon with parts they shouldn't have.
Examples of these Poké-Cryptids include the Pygmy Mammoswine, so-called "Shiny" Pokémon, and the mysterious "Crystal Onyx" - an Onyx composed of massive crystals, with unique type properties.

B. "Relic population(s) of Pokémon known from the fossil record", a.k.a: "Living Fossils"

These cases include supposed examples of surviving wild populations of Pokémon believed to be extinct.*
Examples of these Poké-Cryptids include reports of wild Shieldon in the Sinnoh region, as well as reported sightings of Aerodactyls soaring over the jungles of many different regions. The Pokémon Relicanth was also regarded as a Poké-Cryptid for a long time, until deep-sea expeditions returned with visual and physical proof of this Pokémon's continuing existence.
* - While fossil Pokémon are known to have been revived from places such as the Oreburgh Museum and Cinnabar Island Lab, these are usually monitored and kept in confined habitats, as opposed to being released in the wild. The focus of these cases are most commonly wild, naturally-occurring populations of known fossil species.

C. "Pokémon known from mythology", aka: "Legendaries"

These reports are of Pokémon known to exist from mythology and folk tale, but don't correlate with known species. These Pokémon are primarily region-specific, known and identified from ancient ruins. Despite their mythological basis, however, some people have reported seeing these Pokémon in real life, and so these cases occasionally warrant review.
Examples of "legendary" Poké-Cryptids include Mew, Ho-oh, Celebi, Kyogre, Groudon, Dialga, Palkia, and many other similar Pokémon. Some of these Pokémon, such as Mew, are known to have physically existed, but their continued existence has yet to be confirmed.

D. "Unconfirmed New Species", aka "Fakemon"

These cases are highly criticized by Pokémon experts, as most Pokémon are region-specific, and these cases are often mistaken identity – known species which appear strange and different. However, certain unconfirmed species of Pokémon are reported to have been sighted in many different regions.
Among the more persistent of these cases include the Pokémon "Kokana" and "Papyō", as well as many other cases too numerous to list here.

E. "Other"

This final category of Poké-Cryptids covers those few cases which just don't fit with any of the others. These Poké-cryptids are not known examples of known species, yet have no basis in either the fossil record or in mythology. A common factor in most of these accounts is a "singular identity" – these Poké-cryptids are the only members of their species, and so have unique identities, and occasionally have their own origin stories.
Some commonly known examples of these Poké-cryptids are Mewtwo, Deoxys, Genesect, and the infamous "Missingno".

These 5 categories are the most commonly identifiable, when organizing reported cases. While the existence of these Pokémon is highly speculative, and based primarily on eyewitness accounts, these accounts are still worth examining in some regards. As is commonly known, our knowledge and understanding of the Pokémon world is constantly evolving and growing. Who's to say that, given time, these cases may or may not prove to be real? Whatever the reality is or will be, this categorization system will hopefully prove a valuable asset when identifying reports of undiscovered Pokémon.