Fear–the source of all psychological terrors that torture the minds of many. But perhaps some of the greatest fears are those that tap into and infect some of people’s most treasured childhood memories.

In the early 2010s, a certain genre of storytelling peaked in popularity on the internet–creepypastas. Creepypastas were (and still are) terrifying Internet tales that haunted the minds of children and adults alike, and of the most popular were those based off of popular childhood icons. These icons could’ve been from books, cartoons, or most prominently of all, video games.

The Pokémon franchise was no stranger to creepypastas, holding some of the most iconic of all times. Examples included Lavender Town Syndrome, Strangled Red, and Gary’s Raticate. But perhaps the eeriest and most mysterious of them all was Hypno’s Lullaby, based off of the psychic-type Pokémon, Hypno.

The context behind the creation of the story actually came from an official source. In Pokémon FireRed, Hypno’s Pokédex entry reads, “It carries a pendulum-like device. There once was an incident in which it took away a child it hypnotized.”

This entry shocked many players, especially considering the kid-friendly nature of the game. However, it would ultimately be the inspiration for the infamous lullaby. 

Hypno’s Lullaby reads as follows:

“Come little children, come with me

Safe and happy you will be

Away from your homes, now let us run

With Hypno, you’ll have so much fun

Oh, little children, please don’t cry

Hypno wouldn’t hurt a fly

Be free, be free be free to play

Come down in my cave with me to stay

Oh, little children, please don’t squirm

Those ropes, I know, will hold you firm

Hypno tells you this is true

But sadly, Hypno lied to you

Oh, little children, you mustn’t leave

Your families for you will grieve

Their minds will unravel at the seams

Allowing me to haunt their dreams

But surely, all of you must know

That it is time for you to go

Oh, little children, you weren’t clever

Now you shall stay with me forever”

The premise of the whole poem was horrifying enough, with Hypno kidnapping loads of children and their fates left… open-ended. But what is even more bone-chilling is the lack of information on the origins of the creepypasta itself. 

Many authors of famous creepypastas such as Ben Drowned, the NES Godzilla Creepypasta, and Sonic.EXE, have revealed themselves. However, Hypno’s Lullaby is an astonishing exception, remaining anonymous for over eleven years now. Information on when or where the creepypasta was first published is extremely scarce at best, but it is likely that it first emerged sometime in 2010. 

However, there still remains one relic from (presumably) around the time the lullaby was first written: a video bringing the words of Hypno to life.

Proceed with caution…

Hypno’s Lullaby