Remember the last time you fell down the rabbit hole, browsing through endless pages of Pokémon trivia and facts, only to notice something oddly…vintage about Bulbapedia?
If you’ve been on the famed Pokémon encyclopedia recently, you might’ve thought your eyes were playing tricks on you—or worse, your screen had suddenly lost its ability to display colors.
Before you start adjusting your monitor’s settings or blaming your eyesight, let’s dive into why Bulbapedia decided to throw us back to the era of black-and-white television.
So, why did Bulbapedia turn monochrome?
Bulbapedia turned black and white for a straightforward reason: an April Fools’ prank orchestrated by the site’s temporary Editor-in-Chief, Larry. He humorously declared that the original colors were too harsh on his eyes, hence the decision to switch the entire site to a grayscale theme, reminiscent of the Pokémon Black and White era. This change was intended as a playful jest, catching users off guard with a nostalgic throwback to simpler, monochromatic times.
This unexpected twist left many users bewildered, scratching their heads as they navigated through a seemingly colorless Pokémon world.
A Prank from the Editor-in-Chief
On a day like any other, fans seeking their daily dose of Pokémon lore were met with a site that looked nothing like the colorful compendium they were accustomed to. The homepage, along with every article and image, had been stripped of color, leaving many to wonder if this was a technical glitch or something more deliberate.
“Hello everyone, Larry here. Please read today’s Message from the Editor. It pertains to changes I have made in my new role as Editor in Chief. Thank you.”
This was the first clue that greeted visitors, leading them to a message that clarified the situation. The full statement from Larry, the temporary Editor-in-Chief, read,
“Hello everyone. It’s me, Larry. La Primera asked me to take over as Bulbapedia Editor-in-Chief for the day… The old colors hurt my eyes so I’ve made the site plain, like me. If you’ll excuse me, I’m busy reviewing the pages for Normal-type Pokémon. There’s a lot of them, so it’s exhausting.”
Larry’s quirky confession revealed the change as a harmless joke, aligning with the tradition of April Fools’ pranks across the internet. However, the monochrome makeover did more than just startle users—it sparked conversations about usability, accessibility, and nostalgia for the simpler times of gaming.
Bringing Back the Colors
For those left squinting at their screens or yearning for the site’s usual vibrant hues, fear not. The prank was temporary, and getting back the original look of the site was simpler than you might think.
For images, a quick “open in new tab” solved the problem instantly, showcasing them in their full, colorful glory, and for those who couldn’t wait for the prank to end?
Several fixes were suggested:
#1 Wait It Out: Patience is a virtue, and in this case, waiting until April 2nd would restore the site’s color palette automatically.
#2 Technical Tweaks: For the tech-savvy, adding a specific filter to uBlock Origin or applying a custom stylesheet via Stylus allowed users to bypass the grayscale filter, bringing back the site’s colorful appearance.
#3 Disabling Scripts: Another workaround involved turning off scripts in the browser, which could immediately revert the site to its original state.
Ironically, some users found the black-and-white theme easier on the eyes, highlighting how subjective user experience can be, especially when it comes to visual design.
So, did you fall for Bulbapedia’s monochrome prank or see right through the grayscale guise? Were you one of the folks who appreciated the nostalgic nod to Pokémon Black and White, or were you scrambling for a way to bring back the colors?
Share your thoughts and let us know how you reacted to this playful change.
