If you play Pokémon Go, you might have noticed that each creature you catch is assigned a specific height and weight. Even two of the same specimen - two Pikachus, for instance - can be different sizes.
But you may not have noticed that your Pokémon are straight up defying the laws of physics.
In fact, as some Reddit users have found in the weeks since the game's release, many Pokémon come in proportions that just do not make sense. A 12-foot-long Arbok can weigh less than a pound. A 3.6-foot tall Vileplume can weigh literally nothing.
And there are plenty more telling examples:
Can we all just take a minute to realize that Pidgeot is a 5' tall bird that only weighs 5 lbs? from pokemongo
This all leads to one big question: Does a Pokémon's weight or height actually mean anything in the game?
When it comes to strength and battle skills, we still have no concrete answers. Some players have found that lighter, smaller Pokémon are more powerful than larger, heavier ones. Some have found the exact opposite.
But according to tech blog Twinfinite, there's at least one use for super-lightweight Pokémon: They can help players earn special achievement medals. The Youngster medal, for instance, requires players to catch a certain number of Rattatas that weigh no more than 1 kilogram. The Fisherman medal is awarded for catching Magikarp that weigh no more than 1 kilogram.
Aside from these specific medals, there doesn't seem to be much meaning behind Pokémon heights and weights. We even asked Niantic Labs, the creators of the game, but a rep said they couldn't offer any specifics. For now, at least, trainers with absurdly proportioned Pokémon are left in the dark.