The 'A Wild X Appears!' meme is a direct homage to the iconic random encounter mechanic in the Pokémon video game series, dating back to the 1996 Red and Blue versions. In the games, this phrase signals the start of a battle when a player encounters a creature in the tall grass. Online, the phrase evolved into a versatile snowclone used to describe the sudden arrival of a person, a specific behavior, or a new topic within an internet forum or comment section. Often accompanied by a screenshot of the retro 8-bit text box, the meme perfectly captures the feeling of a surprise confrontation, whether it is humorous, awkward, or legendary.