Bye-bye, Butterfree: Pokemon Black/White to only have new Pokemon until you've beaten the game

Pokemon? Without Pikachu?

Great, Nintendo. You just broke the world. Do you have any idea how much it's gonna cost to fix this?

Over on his blog (translation via Andriasang), GameFreak's Junichi Masuda revealed that you won't see hide nor hair nor flaming tail of your favorite classic critters until you "beat" Black or White - which we're guessing involves mopping the floor with its Elite Four, Fantastic Five, Superior Six, or whatever we're calling them these days.

Masuda explained that he hopes this will allow the latest Pokemon generation to recapture the feel of the first games in the series by presenting an unpredictable, unexplored world full of fresh faces.

But are they cuddly travel companions or hideous, pock-marked pocket monstrosities? You be the judge. Click through the link for a few images of the Pokemon class of 2011. We're particularly fond of the one that looks like a rabid raccoon crossed with Futurama's Hypnotoad. And for some reason, we feel compelled to give all glory to him. Weird.