A Pokemon player accidentally predicted Husian Voltorb's form over a decade ago.
Yesterday, a post on the Pokemon Legends Arceus subreddit pointed out that sometime in 2011, a little while after the release of Gen 2 remakes HeartGold and Soul Silver, one particular player made an astonishingly accurate prediction that Voltorb would one day gain a grass/electric-type form.
Their theory eventually rang true - in Pokemon Legends Arceus, released last week (a whole 11 years after this forum post was first made), players got to meet Hisuian Voltorb, a Grass/Electric form of the Poké Ball-inspired creature.
Way back in 2009's SoulSilver, Voltorb's Pokedex entry reads that "it was discovered when Poké Balls were introduced. It is said that there is some connection." Pokemon Legends Arceus takes place shortly after the invention of Poké Balls, but while modern versions of the balls seem to be made of metal or plastic, in ancient Hisui, they're crafted from apricorns, a fruit that appears to be a blend of apricot and acorn.
11 years ago, information about ancient Poké Balls didn't stem from Pokemon Legends Arceus. Instead, it came from an NPC, Kurt, known for his Poké Ball expertise and his apricorn-crafted Poké Balls. Based on this information, the person at the time asserted that Voltorb was actually partly made up of apricorns, a theory which Pokemon Legends Arceus just partially confirmed this past week.
As a result, Hisuan Voltorb in Pokemon Legends Arceus is identified as a grass/electric-type Pokemon, which the Reddit user in question correctly guessed over a decade ago. Perhaps more Pokemon secrets are awaiting us in the past, just like the Hisui region in Arceus.
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