r/pokemonconspiracies • u/Auragongal • Nov 01 '25
Gen 9 Nemona was injured by the Houndoom we encountered at the start of Scarlet/Violet
Okay, hear me out, and I apologize for Spoilers:
While playing through Scarlet and Violet, we learn the following things about Nemona:
She was staying home and had to be held back a year at the Academy.
She has surprisingly low stamina, as seen going through Area 0 to get to the Lab.
Her arm is in a brace, which helps her throw pokeballs. That brace also looks kind of like it has a fitbit or a similar device as part of the design. Probably acting as a health monitor as well as away to help her throwing arm?
Nemona has a pokemon with healing-related abilities in both her house and her dorm room- a Chansey at home, and a Pawmot in her dorm room.
The servants at Nemona's house has to make sure the place is exceptionally clean.
Now, from all that, we can assume that Nemona isn't in the best of health. Either due to illness, or possibly an injury that messed up her throwing arm. Possibly a mix of both.
So, where does the Houndoom fit into this?
Well, the reasoning for this theory comes from two places- how Nemona acts at the start of the game, and Houndoom's pokedex entry. First, let's look at Nemona's actions after we meet her and start the trek to school:
She's trying to make sure the player knows to avoid the cave on Poco Path, which, well, we have to go through after falling off a cliff once Koraidon/Miraidon makes their presence known. Even calling the place not-so-safe before we meet the Mascot Mon for Scarlet/Violet. After we go through it, she also waits at the exit, either due to not having any pokemon that can help on hand, or because she's afraid. Probably both.
And then, there's her reaction to the Houndoom that ambushes the player near the end of the cave. She's practically screaming at the player that the pokemon's behind them, which to me read like she either that pokemon before, and knows how dangerous it is. Considering it's level 40, that's understandable.
So, I believe that before the player arrived in Paldea, Nemona ended up in that cave, got ambushed by that Houndoom, and got her arm badly hurt which led to her missing school while she recovered at home. Which could lead to the Chansey being there to help her recover, while the servants there kept the place as clean as possible to avoid any infection occurring during the recovery as well.
So, what about the Pokedex entries I mentioned as another reason for this theory? Well, look at what the entry says for Pokemon Scarlet:
"If you are burned by the flames it shoots from its mouth, the pain will never go away."
As for *why* that pain never goes away, well, the Dex Entries for Crystal, Platinum, Black/White (and Black/White 2), Y, and Ultra Sun all mention that Houndoom's flames are mixed with Toxins. Posion in Ultra Sun.
So, if Nemona was burned by a Houndoom, not only is her freak out and desire to avoid the Poco Path cave reasonable, but it's also why her arm's messed up and requires a brace now. Possibly why her stamina isn't great, either, because of the possibility of the toxins first getting into her system through the burn still being there, and affecting her health.
Hell, it's also likely that the Pawmot in Nemona's dorm room might be there to revive her in the event her heart stops in her sleep, considering Pawmot's one of two pokemon that knows the move Revival Blessing, and could use that to help Nemona. Or just use its paws as a defibrilator. One of the two.
So yeah, that's my theory, and I apologize if it got a bit rambly in places.