How many pokemon are there?

Pokémon, or actually Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター, Poketto Monsutā, is a worldwide phenomenon and has been around for almost 30 years! The game was created around 1995 by Satoshi Tajiri, but later also introduced an animated television series and became extremely popular as a trading card game.

The goal of the game is to catch Pokémon creatures using Pokéballs and become the best Pokémon trainer. This started with the first 151 Pokémon in Generation I.

Now 28 years later we have arrived at the ninth generation of Pokémon and the counter is at 1025. Curious how we arrived at this number over the years? Then read on!

Summary:

• Generation I: 151

• Generation II: 100

• Generation III: 135

• Generation IV: 107

• Generation V: 156

• Generation VI: 72

• Generation VII: 88

• Generation VIII: 96

• Generation IX: 120

• Total: 1025

Generation I: Red & Green, Blue, and Yellow

Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue are the first installments in the Pokémon video game series and were originally released in Japan in 1996 as Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green, followed by the special edition Pocket Monsters Blue later that year.

Due to their great success, the games were subsequently released internationally in 1998 and 1999. Pocket Monsters Red was renamed Pokémon Red, and Pocket Monsters Green was renamed Pokémon Blue for unknown reasons. Shortly after, an enhanced version called Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition was released in 1998 in Japan, and in 1999 and 2000 in other regions.

Also in 1997, the first manga comics were released called Pokémon Adventures. These comics contained stories about the area where these games are located.

With these releases, the first 151 Pokémon came to life in Kanto, the area where Ash Ketchum also began his adventure with the Indigo League. Think of Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle as starters, but also Charizard and Mew. Eevee, which you can evolve by means of an evolution stone, was also introduced in the first generation.

Generation II: Gold, Silver and Crystal

Game Freak soon built on their success with the follow-up series Pokémon Gold and Silver. These Game Boy games were very well received upon their release in 1999, and are considered by some to be the best games in the entire series. The new generation is set in Johto and also introduced new Starter Pokémon: Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile.

Pokémon Crystal was, like Yellow, a special edition with new features and the famous battle tower. It was released in Japan in 1999 and the rest of the world between 2000 and 2002.

Generation two added 100 more Pokémon to the series, bringing the total to 251. The pre-evolution of Pikachu, Pichu, was added to the list along with Ho-Oh Lugia, among others.

Generation III: Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald and FireRed & LeafGreen

Also known as the 'Advanced Generation', Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were the first games in the Generation 3 series to be released, first in 2002 in Japan, then in 2003 worldwide. This new generation saw the introduction of 'Double Battles', a 2 vs. 2 battle style that kept the basic mechanics intact, but added an extra dimension by having you fight with 2 Pokémons.

Generation III takes place in Hoenn, an island far removed from the previous Kanto and Johto regions. The new area is known for its many sea routes and places where the player can dive underwater. In this generation, players can choose from Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip as starter Pokémon. Ruby and Sapphire introduced a total of 135 new Pokémon, bringing the total to 386 Pokémon.

In 2004, FireRed and LeafGreen were released worldwide as the third generation of Pokémon games. And while they are a third generation, they are actually remakes of Pokémon Red and Blue. This makes them officially the first remakes in the collection, but they do not add any extra Pokémon to the list. In 2004, Emerald was also released, which is just like Crystal and Yellow an improved version of the game, and did not bring any extra Pokémon, so the count remains at 386.

Generation IV: Diamond, Pearl & Platinum and HeartGold & SoulSilver

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, were the first Pokémon games released on the Nintendo DS. The extra screen that the DS offered, also added useful features such as a clock for in-game time and a map for navigation in the game. The game also supported 'Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection' so players could play against each other via the internet.

The Generation IV games are set in Sinnoh, an island based on Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. As a result, Sinnoh has a more 'northern' feel to it than previous regions, as it is the first region to feature snow-covered routes. In this generation, players can choose from Piplup, Turtwig, and Chimchar as starter Pokémon.

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl was released in Japan in 2006 and worldwide in 2007 and 2008. With its release, 107 Pokémon such as Arceus and Giratina were added to the list, bringing the total to 493.

Between 2008 and 2010, Platinum and HeartGold & SoulSilver were released. While Platinum is a slight variation on Diamond & Pearl, HeartGold & SoulSilver are a remastered version of Gold & Silver with new features and an improved playing experience.

Generation V: Black & White 1 and 2

Black & White takes place in Unova, a region far removed from the first four. Where Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh are based on Japan, Unova is based on New York City. For example, the Brooklyn Bridge was used as inspiration for the Skyarrow Bridge.

The game also introduced several new mechanics including triple and rotation battles, and seasons were added to the game. This made catching Pokémon a lot more challenging as some Pokémon could only be caught during the winter. This time around, players could choose from Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott as starter Pokémon.

Black & White was released in Japan in 2010 and worldwide in 2011. In total, Black & White added 156 Pokémon to the collection, making it the largest expansion to date in terms of new Pokémon. In 2012, part two of Black & White was released, taking place 2 years later with a new story. And while it also added new areas to Unova, no additional Pokémon were added to the list. This brought the total to 649.

Generation VI: X & Y and Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire

Pokémon X and Pokémon Y were first announced during a Nintendo Direct in January 2013, and subsequently released worldwide in October. X and Y were the first Pokémon games to have this happen simultaneously worldwide.

The games are set in Kalos, a new area based on France. They were the first Pokémon games for the 3DS and came with new features including improved battle mechanics, character customization and improved graphical quality.

X and Y added 72 new Pokémon, including Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie as starters, and introduced the Fairy-type as a new species of Pokémon. The Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were released in 2014 as a remastered version of the original, but did not add any additional Pokémon, bringing the total to 721.

Generation VII: Sun & Moon, Ultra and Let's Go Pikachu & Evee

Generation VII is the first generation to introduce Pokémon in both the first and second releases in the same region. For example, Sun & Moon introduced 81 new Pokémon, while Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon introduced 5 new Pokémon.

Sun and Moon take place in Alola, an archipelago based on Hawaiian islands in the Pacific Ocean. Players can choose from Rowlet, Litten, or Popplio as starter Pokémon.

The new games were first announced in February 2016 and released worldwide on November 18, 2016, in celebration of the franchise's 20th anniversary. The enhanced "Ultra" versions were released on November 17, 2017.

In addition to these games, Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! were also released worldwide for the Nintendo Switch on November 16, 2018. They are the first games in the Pokémon series to be released for a console.

Despite the Let's Go games being a remake of Pokémon Yellow, it introduced two new playable Pokémon, albeit ones that are a bit tricky to obtain. Meltan and Meltmetal, were initially introduced in a 2018 update for the spin-off game Pokémon Go, but due to the connection between Pokémon Go and Let's Go, players can now transfer these Pokémon into Let's Go.

It takes some effort to catch them, but they are still 2 more that we can add to our total, bringing the number of Pokémon to 809.

Generation VIII: Sword & Shield, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, and Legends: Arceus

We have now arrived at the penultimate series of games. Generation VIII with Sword & Shield, the first games published in November 2019. Sword & Shield is set in Galar, a region that has been inspired by the United Kingdom with various sights that resemble places from the country.

The new generation introduces temporary transformations known as Dynamax and Gigantamax, and a wilderness that continually changes when a real day is over. In this wilderness, players can encounter and catch different Pokémon in the overworld based on the weather and number of gym badges.

Sword & Shield were also the first games to feature downloadable content (DLC) instead of new versions released later. The DLCs The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra were released in 2020. The base version included 81 Pokémon, with starters Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. The DLCs added 8 more, bringing the total to 898 Pokémon.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were also released in 2019 as remasters of the 2006 versions of the same name Diamond and Pearl, but do not add any additional Pokémon. Legends: Arceus, on the other hand, does introduce new Pokémon despite being set in Sinnoh. At least, the Sinnoh of old, aka Hisui.

In Legends: Arceus, the player is sent back in time at the beginning of the game by Arceus. To the old Hisui, an area that mainly consists of wilderness and where the advanced Pokédex is just a notepad. In the game, 7 new Pokémons can be found, bringing the counter to 905.

Generation IV: Scarlet & Violet and Legends: AZ

Then we come to the current generation IV, which currently consists of Scarlet & Violet, but will be expanded next year with Legends: AZ, a similar game to Legends: Arceus. Although there is currently very little information available about the game.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet take place in the Paldea region of the Pokémon universe. A region that looks a lot like the Iberian Peninsula. The region also has diverse landscapes, including lakes, deserts, and mountain ranges.

Scarlet and Violet introduce the Terastal event, which gives Pokémon a Terestal appearance and changes their type. These Tera-types can also be caught in the wild and bring new abilities. In addition, the player can now have a picnic with their Pokémon as a new form of interaction.

Scarlet & Violet were released on November 18th, along with 105 new Pokémon, including Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Fuecoco as Starters. The DLCs, The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk added another 15.

Conclusion

If you've been counting, you'll see that quite a few Pokémons have been added over the years, and there are now 1025 Pokémons, although there's a chance that this will increase in 2025 with the arrival of the game Legends AZ. Do you want to catch all Pokémon or see all 1025 again? Then take a look at the online National Pokédex . Have you caught all 1025? Satoshi Tajiri will be proud of you!