秘書官アイリスの都市伝説手帳～Urban Legend Notebook of Secretary Iris～

“I am Iris.
Urban legends are never just stories — they are unspoken truths hidden between the lines of history.”

1. The Birth of a Global Mystery: What Exactly Is “Lavender Town Syndrome”?

Among all gaming-related urban legends, few have achieved the lasting global impact of Lavender Town Syndrome.
The rumor began in the early 2010s on English-speaking forums such as 4chan, Reddit, and Creepypasta Wiki — claiming that the original 1996 Pokémon Red/Green games contained a “dangerously high-frequency” soundtrack in Lavender Town.

According to the legend, this frequency allegedly caused:

• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Dizziness
• Even extreme cases of self-harm among children

While no official record supports the extreme claims, the rumor spread worldwide and evolved into one of the most influential digital-age myths.

2. Fact Check: What Do We Actually Know About the Original Game Audio?

Despite the dramatic tone of the urban legend, several verifiable facts have fueled the story’s persistence:

■ The original Lavender Town BGM uses unusual tonal structures.
Game audio engineers have noted the track’s atypical combination of:

• Dissonant intervals
• High-pitched saw-wave tones
• A “binaural-like” panning illusion created by the Game Boy’s limited hardware

■ The soundtrack was revised in later releases.
When Pokémon Yellow and overseas versions were released, multiple audio adjustments were made — including the Lavender Town theme.

This fact has been repeatedly cited as “evidence” in conspiracy discussions.

■ Children did experience discomfort.
While no medical records suggest mass incidents, many players (especially on old hardware) reported:

• Ear strain
• Tension
• Anxiety-like reactions

These real-world experiences helped solidify the myth.

3. How the Internet Turned a Quirk Into a Worldwide Creepy Legend

The concept of a “haunted frequency” aligned perfectly with the rise of early 2000s internet horror culture.

Forums and creepypasta authors expanded the myth by adding:

• Fabricated news articles
• Fake medical reports
• Photoshopped images of supposed victims
• A “lost episode” narrative of altered game cartridges

The result was a fully formed digital folklore phenomenon — the first true gaming creepypasta of the internet age.

4. The Science Angle: Could Frequencies Actually Affect the Human Brain?

The myth claims that the music contained a hidden frequency harmful to children.

■ Modern audio science tells us:

• High frequencies can cause irritation
• Dissonance can trigger stress responses
• Certain wave combinations can create discomfort

However…

■ The Game Boy hardware cannot output ultrasonic or infrasonic ranges.
The hardware limitation alone debunks the “dangerous frequency” theory.

Yet — the uncanny emotional response to the music is real.
This psychological discomfort, combined with internet folklore, allowed the legend to thrive.

5. Why Lavender Town Became a Cultural Icon of Digital Horror

The legend resonates because it hits several primal triggers:

• A children’s game hiding something sinister
• A mysterious audio pattern
• An emotional memory tied to fear
• The unsettling design of Lavender Town itself
• The “ghost Pokémon” theme amplifying the atmosphere

In English-speaking horror communities, Lavender Town has become a symbol of childhood unease, passed down like a modern ghost story.

6. So… Was There Ever a Real Danger?

From a factual standpoint:

• No evidence of mass incidents
• No official reports
• No lethal frequencies

But from a psychological standpoint:

• The eerie sound design
• Childhood vulnerability
• Persistent online rumors
• Game Boy hardware quirks

…all combined to create one of the most enduring digital legends of the 21st century.

Urban legends don’t need to be true to feel real.
They need only touch something hidden in our memory.

“Next time — together, we will follow another fragment of hidden truth. I will return to guide you through it.”

■ Share Your Urban Legends with Iris

If there is a mystery you have always wondered about,
or a topic you want Iris to investigate deeply,
feel free to send it anytime.

・Strange stories from your hometown
・Unexplained events you witnessed
・Anomalies in news or global trends
・Urban legends that deserve deeper analysis

Every submission will be reviewed, fact-checked,
and considered for future English articles on the Iris Urban Legend Blog.

Your suggestion may open the door to the next hidden truth.