Pokemon Scarlet and Violet finally right a 16-year-old wrong from Diamond and Pearl

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Many have lived with Mindy's cruelty for far too long

Gengar sits on some stairs in Pokemon
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet feature a throwback to a 16-year-old Diamond and Pearl meme fans have been salty about since it first tripped them up.

Back in the day, heading to Snowpoint City in Diamond or Pearl meant potentially stumbling across an NPC called Mindy. She’s willing to trade you a Haunter for a Medicham, which feels like a dang good deal as the Ghost-type should evolve into Gengar once traded, right? Well, that’s typically the case, but not here, as Mindy’s Haunter is holding an item that prevents them from evolving. What’s worse, she openly pours salt in the wound as you stand there doing your best Psyduck impersonation. 

It’s a menacing trick that has bamboozled young and old generations, as Mindy returned for Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, tormenting a new generation of Pokemon trainers. 

Everyone is so salty about it that there’s an entire subreddit dedicated to cursing her name. 

While playing Pokemon Scarlet or Violet, though, you’ll eventually come across an innocuous NPC in Levincia city who will trade you a Haunter for a Pincurchin. If you decide to take them up on their offer, the ghost-type Pokemon will evolve into a Gengar after being traded. The transaction may seem non-eventful if you don’t know the back story, though it’s offered relief to plenty who have been suffering for years due to Mindy’s treachery.  

slaps_mindys_head_thats_how_you_trade_a_haunter from r/FuckMindy

Game Freak is on a bit of a tear with Pokemon Scarlet and Violet when it comes to healing age-old ills. Pokerus - a portmanteau of 'Pokemon' and 'virus' - is nowhere to be seen, meaning that one of the oldest training tricks in the book has been cured. The game does include a track from Ed Sheeran, mind you, though fans have swiftly sorted that out. 

The real star of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is an apathetic Gym Leader called Larry. 

Iain Harris
Iain Harris
News Editor, Games

I joined GamesRadar+ in May 2022 following stints at PCGamesN and PocketGamer.Biz, with some freelance for Kotaku UK, RockPaperShotgun, and VG24/7 thrown in for good measure. When I'm not running the news team on the games side, you'll find me putting News Editor duties to one side to play the hottest JRPG of 20 years ago or pillaging the depths of Final Fantasy 14 for a swanky new cloak – the more colourful, the better.