Pokémon has its own version of the chicken or the egg causality dilemma. It comes in the form of two Mythical Pokémon, Arceus and Mew. The former is described as having shaped the universe. The latter is believed by scientists to be the ancestor of all Pokémon. Thus, the question becomes which came first: the creator or the ancestor?
Many Pokémon fans have come forth with potential answers. Some believe that Arceus came first while others believe Mew did. Both sides seem to have good arguments, but it's difficult to say which side has the definitive answer. Some fans have come up with theories that show the answer isn't all that simple. Deciding who's right will require a look at the pros and cons of either Mew or Arceus coming first, as well as any plausible theories on the matter.
It seems natural to believe that the creator of the universe would come first. Arceus is said to have been born from the chaos of the empty void and shaped the universe with its 1,000 arms. It also created other godlike Legendary Pokémon with dominion over time (Dialga), space (Palkia), antimatter (Giratina) and spirit (Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie). If Arceus existed before a functioning universe was conceived, it's hard to imagine it coming from another. It even has monikers like "Alpha Pokémon" and "Original One" that imply it came first.
On the other hand, Mew seems to have an undeniable connection to all Pokémon. Its status as the ancestor of all Pokémon is reflected in-game by its ability to learn every Technical Machine, Hidden Machine and Technical Record, as well as most Move Tutor moves. It can also use Transform to become any other Pokémon. Where Arceus' coming first is mainly based on old stories and hearsay, Mew's status as an ancestor is actually put into practice.
Many fans have come forth with various theories and evidence to help put this dilemma to rest. One possible explanation is that Arceus and the other creator Pokémon are gods who just happen to possess characteristics indicative of Pokémon. This would make them akin to Ultra Beasts -- extra-dimensional creatures that are like Pokémon but aren't necessarily classified as Pokémon. If this is true, Mew can still be the ancestor of all Pokémon on Earth without having to be related to all these other "Pokémon." None of them can breed anyway, so this seems to check out.
This theory sounds good, but there's a small hole in it. Mew can still use Transform to turn into these other creator deities and Ultra Beasts. Mew's ability to use transform is the presumed result of its shared genetics with all other Pokémon. Whether this theory is true or not, Mew's ability to use Transform requires serious consideration.
Another possibility is that Mew was specifically created by Arceus to have all Pokémon's genetic information, including its own. This would be a bit like how Adam and Eve were both created in God's image. This way, Arceus can still be a creator and Mew can still be an ancestor.
One wild theory is that Arceus and Mew created each other, so they are both the first yet not the first. This is possible because Arceus predates Dialga; before Dialga, time had no concrete definition and might not have even been a linear path. If this is the case, either Arceus or Mew could have come first and neither answer would be definitively incorrect.
It's important to remember that whatever the answer is, nobody really has it, not even those living in the world of Pokémon. Both Mew and Arceus are classified as Mythical Pokémon because they're so rare and so little is known about them that many aren't even sure whether they exist. Even Mew is only "believed" by scientists to be the ancestor of all Pokémon, although that may change depending on what can be said about Arceus. Neither legends nor scientific data are thoroughly backed up by incontrovertible truth.
For now, fans must decide for themselves what their own truth is about Arceus and Mew. There's plenty of evidence to support all sorts of possible answers to the dilemma created by the two of them. The world of Pokémon is as mysterious as it is vast, so anything's possible.
