Lore
TCG Quest Log · Pokémon
The Pokémon Lore Codex
Thirty years of myths, legends and history in one place: what the games actually say, what the anime and films added, what fans have theorised, and how to beat every main game. Every entry says where it comes from.
- Official · Games Said in the main-series games or their Pokédex.
- Official · Anime & films From the anime, films or manga, which are separate continuities.
- Fan theory Made up or pieced together by fans, with the evidence both ways.
- Creepypasta Playground myth Internet horror stories and schoolyard rumours, plus the truth.
Nothing matches that. Try a Pokémon, a region, a character or a game.
Creation myths & legendary lore
How the Pokémon world began, according to the games, and the legends each region keeps.
Arceus, the Original One
Source: Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, Legends: Arceus
Sinnoh’s oldest myth, kept in the Canalave Library, says that in the beginning there was only swirling chaos. In the middle of it an Egg appeared, and from the Egg came the Original One. It is the Pokémon we call Arceus, and the myth says it shaped the world with a thousand arms.
The Original One first made two beings to set time spinning and space expanding: Dialga and Palkia. It then made three more to give living things knowledge, emotion and willpower: Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf. A third great dragon, Giratina, was made alongside the first two, but it was banished to a dark, reversed world for its violence.
Arceus carries plates, tablets holding the power of each type, and changes its own type to match the plate it holds. In Legends: Arceus a voice from Arceus pulls the hero back through time to the Hisui region and asks them to meet every Pokémon there. Catching them all, in the most literal sense, is what finally lets the player stand before their creator.
- In HeartGold & SoulSilver, an event Arceus at the Sinjoh Ruins creates a Dialga, Palkia or Giratina for the player: the creation myth acted out in-game.
- Arceus is the only Pokémon whose Pokédex entries openly call it the creator of the universe.
Time, space and the Distortion World
Source: Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Legends: Arceus
Dialga rules time; legend says time began to move when it was born. Palkia holds space in balance and is said to live in a gap between dimensions. The two are honoured at Spear Pillar, the ruined temple at the summit of Mt. Coronet, the mountain range that splits Sinnoh in two.
In Diamond and Pearl, Team Galactic’s leader Cyrus forces one of them to appear at Spear Pillar so he can unmake the world and build a new one without “spirit”. Platinum reveals Giratina, who reigns over the Distortion World: a place where gravity, time and direction make no sense, and which mirrors our own. When Spear Pillar is torn open, Giratina drags Cyrus into its home.
Each of the three has an orb tied to it (Adamant, Lustrous and Griseous). Held, the orb reveals the dragon’s Origin Forme. Legends: Arceus shows those forms in the past, when Hisui’s two rival clans each believed that the deity they called “Sinnoh” was their own: Dialga for the Diamond Clan, Palkia for the Pearl Clan.
The Lake Guardians
Source: Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Legends: Arceus
Sinnoh’s three great lakes each hide a small legendary in a cavern. Uxie at Lake Acuity is “the being of knowledge”, Mesprit at Lake Verity “the being of emotion”, and Azelf at Lake Valor “the being of willpower”. The myth says they gave people those three gifts.
Pokédex lore attaches warnings to them, such as the claim that meeting Uxie’s gaze can wipe away your memories. Team Galactic captures all three to build the Red Chain, the tool that binds Dialga and Palkia. In Hisui the same three help forge a Red Chain again, this time to calm the rift in the sky.
Mew, the ancestor in the jungle
Source: Red, Blue, Yellow (Pokémon Mansion journals) and the Pokédex
Some Pokédex entries call Mew so rare that many experts think it is a mirage. Others say its cells hold the genetic code of every Pokémon, which is why many scientists see it as the ancestor of all Pokémon.
The diaries scattered through the burned Pokémon Mansion on Cinnabar Island tell the other half of the story. A research team found a new Pokémon deep in the jungles of Guyana, in South America, and named it Mew. Months later the diary says “Mew gave birth”, and the newborn was named Mewtwo. The final entries say Mewtwo grew far too strong and dangerous for its creators to control. You meet the result in Cerulean Cave after becoming Champion.
- In the original games Mew could learn every single TM and HM, which fits the “contains all Pokémon” idea.
- The real-world story of how Mew was hidden in the game is under Game history below.
Land, sea and sky: Hoenn’s super-ancient Pokémon
Source: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Hoenn’s legend says Groudon raised the continents and Kyogre filled the seas, and that the two fought a terrible battle in ancient times. Endless rain and blazing drought tore at the land until Rayquaza came down from the ozone layer and calmed them both. The two then fell into a long sleep: Kyogre in the Seafloor Cavern, Groudon deep in the earth.
Team Magma and Team Aqua each want to use one of them to “improve” the world, by expanding the land or the sea. In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire the Red and Blue Orbs return the two to their ancient Primal forms, the shapes they had when the world itself was young.
Rayquaza still lives at the top of Sky Pillar. In the Delta Episode (Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire), the Draconid people’s Lorekeeper, Zinnia, calls on Rayquaza to stop a giant meteoroid. Rayquaza Mega Evolves without a Mega Stone by eating meteorites, and the Draconids’ legend ties the very first Mega Evolution to Rayquaza.
Life, destruction and order in Kalos
Source: X, Y, Sun & Moon, Legends: Z-A
Xerneas shares eternal life. When its own life is ending, it gives that life away and becomes a tree that sleeps for a thousand years. Yveltal is its mirror: when its life ends, it drains the life of everything around it and becomes a cocoon. Zygarde watches over the balance from Terminus Cave and steps in when either side goes too far.
Sun & Moon add that Zygarde is a swarm: dozens of little Cells and a few Cores that can join into a 10%, 50% or Complete form. Legends: Z-A gives Zygarde a Mega Evolution of its own, at the moment Lumiose City needs it most.
The light that was stolen
Source: Sun & Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
In Sun and Moon, Solgaleo (“the beast that devours the sun”) and Lunala (“the beast that calls the moon”) are worshipped at the Altar of the Sunne and the Altar of the Moone. Both start out as Cosmog, the tiny nebula Pokémon that Lillie calls “Nebby”.
Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon reveal Necrozma. Long ago it brought light to Ultra Megalopolis, a city in another world, until that light was taken from it. Wounded and starving for light, Necrozma drained the city’s sky and left it in permanent darkness. In Alola it fuses with Solgaleo or Lunala, becoming Dusk Mane or Dawn Wings Necrozma. At full power it becomes Ultra Necrozma, shining like the sun itself.
The Ultra Beasts come from the same web of other worlds, reached through Ultra Wormholes. Alola’s four guardian deities, the Tapus, protect the islands. They are worshipped, but they are fickle: they bless and they punish.
The Darkest Day and the two heroes
Source: Sword, Shield and their DLC
About 20,000 years ago a meteorite carried Eternatus to Galar. Its energy is the source of Galar’s Dynamax phenomenon and of the “Wishing Stars” trainers use. When that energy ran wild, giant Pokémon rampaged and the sky went dark: the Darkest Day.
Galar’s official history celebrated a human hero, later its first king, who saved the land with a sword and a shield. Sonia’s research in the vault under Hammerlocke tells a different story. Two young heroes fought beside two wolf-like Pokémon, Zacian and Zamazenta, and the legendary “sword” and “shield” were the Pokémon themselves.
Sword and Shield replay the legend in the present. Chairman Rose wakes Eternatus early to give Galar endless energy, the Darkest Day comes back, and the player and Hop finish what the ancient heroes started.
Area Zero and the Terastal crystal
Source: Scarlet, Violet, The Teal Mask, The Indigo Disk
In the middle of Paldea lies the Great Crater and its deepest part, Area Zero. Long ago an explorer named Heath led an expedition into it and wrote of what he saw, and his account became the Scarlet Book and Violet Book. Crystals there make Pokémon Terastallize, glowing like gems and changing type.
The source of that power is Terapagos, a small Pokémon sealed in the crystal at the very bottom of the crater: the Area Zero Underdepths. The Indigo Disk reveals it, and its Stellar Form carries every type at once. Heath’s descendant Briar, a teacher at Blueberry Academy, finally reaches the place her ancestor could only write about.
The professor of Area Zero (Sada in Scarlet, Turo in Violet) built a time machine there to bring back ancient or future Pokémon. The Paradox Pokémon spread from it, along with the legendary partners Koraidon and Miraidon.
Regigigas and the giants that moved continents
Source: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Sword & Shield
Pokédex lore tells of a colossal Pokémon that towed the continents into place with ropes. That Pokémon is Regigigas, which sleeps in the Snowpoint Temple. The ancient people of Hoenn sealed Regirock, Regice and Registeel in tombs marked with Braille, and Regigigas is said to have made them from clay, ice and magma.
Galar’s Crown Tundra adds two more: Regieleki, a body of pure electricity, and Regidrago, whose arms an academic theory in the Pokédex says were once the head of an ancient dragon Pokémon.
One dragon, two truths
Source: Black, White, Black 2, White 2
Unova was founded by twin heroes who shared a single dragon. When the brothers quarrelled (one sought truth, the other ideals), the dragon split in two: Reshiram, who answers to whoever seeks truth, and Zekrom, who answers to whoever pursues ideals. The two dragons fought and scorched the land, then slept for ages inside the Light Stone and Dark Stone.
Kyurem, sleeping in the Giant Chasm, is heavily hinted to be what was left of the original dragon: an empty shell waiting to be made whole. In Black 2 and White 2, Team Plasma uses the DNA Splicers to fuse it with Reshiram or Zekrom. The result is Black or White Kyurem, the closest the world has come to seeing the original dragon again.
The regions
Each region’s real-world inspiration, its games and villains, and the deeper lore hidden in its towns and ruins.
KantoThe Kantō region of Japan (Tokyo and its neighbours)
- Games
- Red & Green / Blue (1996), Yellow (1998), FireRed & LeafGreen (2004), Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Eevee! (2018)
- Villains
- Team Rocket, a crime syndicate led by Giovanni, who is also the Viridian City Gym Leader
- Legends & mythicals
- Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, Mew
Where it all began. A child from Pallet Town gets a Pokémon from Professor Oak, races their rival (Oak’s grandson) across eight Gyms, and stumbles into Team Rocket’s schemes: Pokémon smuggling at Mt. Moon, a casino hideout in Celadon, and a takeover of Silph Co., maker of the Master Ball.
Deep lore
- Pokémon Tower, Lavender Town: a seven-floor graveyard for Pokémon. The ghost that blocks the way is the mother of a Cubone, killed by Team Rocket. Freeing her spirit with the Silph Scope is one of the series’ saddest early moments.
- Cinnabar Island: home of the Pokémon Mansion and its Mewtwo diaries. By Gold and Silver a volcanic eruption has wiped out almost the whole town, and Blaine runs his Gym out of a cave on the Seafoam Islands.
- Lt. Surge, the Electric Gym Leader, says Electric Pokémon saved his life “during the war”. It is the seed of one of the biggest fan theories (see Fan theories).
- Agatha of the Elite Four says Professor Oak was once tough and handsome and a rival of hers, decades ago. It’s a small hint that Oak had a career as a trainer before he became a scholar.
JohtoThe Kansai region of Japan (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe)
- Games
- Gold & Silver (1999), Crystal (2000), HeartGold & SoulSilver (2009)
- Villains
- A revived Team Rocket trying to reach their missing boss over the Goldenrod Radio Tower
- Legends & mythicals
- Lugia, Ho-Oh, Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Celebi
Set about three years after the Kanto games, next door to Kanto. Johto is a land of old towers, shrines and traditions, and the first region you can leave: once you are Champion, all of Kanto opens up as a second adventure.
Deep lore
- The Burned Tower: about 150 years before the games, Ecruteak’s Brass Tower burned down. Three nameless Pokémon died in the fire, and Ho-Oh brought them back as Raikou, Entei and Suicune. Lugia, which roosted on the tower, left for the sea and never returned. Ho-Oh still visits the surviving Tin Tower (Bell Tower).
- Ruins of Alph: stone chambers full of Unown and sliding-tile puzzles of Kabuto, Omanyte, Aerodactyl and Ho-Oh. Hidden messages on the walls are written in the Unown alphabet, and nobody in-game knows who built the place.
- Silver, the rival who steals a starter from Professor Elm’s lab, is Giovanni’s son. HeartGold and SoulSilver show it through Celebi: a trip back in time to the day Giovanni walked away.
- Red, the hero of the first games, waits silently on the summit of Mt. Silver as the last battle in the series’ early history.
HoennKyushu, Japan, plus a lot of tropical sea
- Games
- Ruby & Sapphire (2002), Emerald (2004), Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire (2014)
- Villains
- Team Magma (Maxie) wants more land; Team Aqua (Archie) wants more sea. Emerald pits you against both
- Legends & mythicals
- Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Latias, Latios, the Regis, Jirachi, Deoxys
A region of volcanoes, rainforests and open ocean, where your father Norman is a Gym Leader. Hoenn brought Abilities, Natures and Double Battles, and its lore is about nature’s balance: two teams who both think they can improve the planet, and nearly drown or bake it.
Deep lore
- The Draconids: an ancient people from Meteor Falls who revered Rayquaza. Their legend explains Mega Evolution’s link to meteorites, and their Lorekeeper Zinnia is the heart of the Delta Episode.
- Deoxys: according to the Pokédex, a space virus mutated after being hit by a laser beam, which is how this alien Pokémon came to exist. The Delta Episode brings it down on a meteor.
- Sky Pillar, Mt. Pyre and Sootopolis: the shrines tied to Rayquaza, to the Red and Blue Orbs, and to the Cave of Origin where the two super-ancient Pokémon awaken.
- The multiverse: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire officially confirm that many parallel Hoenns exist. Later games build on this with Ultra Space and Team Rainbow Rocket.
Sinnoh & ancient HisuiHokkaido, Japan
- Games
- Diamond & Pearl (2006), Platinum (2008), Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl (2021), Legends: Arceus (2022, set in the past)
- Villains
- Team Galactic (Cyrus), who wants to erase the world and remake it without emotion
- Legends & mythicals
- Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Heatran, Regigigas, Cresselia, Darkrai, Arceus
Sinnoh is the series’ mythological centre. Its libraries and ruins hold the creation story, its mountain holds the gods of time and space, and Champion Cynthia is a mythology researcher as well as one of the strongest trainers in the series.
Deep lore
- Canalave Library folk tales: one says that long ago people and Pokémon lived together as equals and even married. Another says that people who ate Pokémon gave thanks and sent the bones back to the water so the Pokémon could be reborn.
- Celestic Town: a tiny village built around ancient ruins and a shrine to the creation trio. Cynthia’s grandmother lives there.
- Hisui: Legends: Arceus shows Sinnoh before it had that name. The Galaxy Expedition Team has founded Jubilife Village, and two clans worship “Sinnoh”. A rift in the sky is driving the region’s Noble Pokémon into a frenzy. Hisui has its own regional forms (Hisuian Growlithe, Zorua, Voltorb and more), new evolutions (Kleavor, Wyrdeer, Ursaluna, Basculegion, Sneasler, Overqwil) and a new member of the Forces of Nature, Enamorus.
- Volo of the Ginkgo Guild is a friendly merchant for the whole story, until he reveals that he has been working with Giratina to reach Arceus. His looks, his interest in myths and his family hints strongly suggest he is a distant relative of Cynthia.
UnovaNew York City and the surrounding US north-east
- Games
- Black & White (2010), Black 2 & White 2 (2012)
- Villains
- Team Plasma: publicly “liberating” Pokémon, secretly run by Ghetsis to rule through fear
- Legends & mythicals
- Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem, the Swords of Justice, the Forces of Nature, Victini, Meloetta, Genesect
Unova’s story is the series’ most debated, because it asks whether keeping Pokémon in Poké Balls is right at all. N, Team Plasma’s young “king”, really believes it isn’t. He was raised among abused Pokémon and kept away from people by Ghetsis, his adoptive father.
Deep lore
- N’s Castle rises from under the Pokémon League mid-story. The final battle of Black & White is against N with his legendary dragon, then against Ghetsis himself.
- Black 2 & White 2 are set two years later: the first direct sequels in the main series. Neo Team Plasma, with the scientist Colress, uses Kyurem’s power to freeze Opelucid City.
- Relic Castle: a sand-swallowed palace in the desert. Deep inside lives Volcarona, which the Pokédex says once stood in for the sun when volcanic ash darkened the sky.
- The Forces of Nature: Unovan legend says the troublemakers Tornadus and Thundurus were brought to heel by Landorus, the Pokémon of bountiful harvests. The Abundant Shrine is dedicated to it.
KalosFrance (Lumiose City is Paris)
- Games
- X & Y (2013), Legends: Z-A (2025) and its Mega Dimension DLC
- Villains
- Team Flare: Lysandre’s fashionable club that wants to end the world to “make it beautiful”
- Legends & mythicals
- Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde, Diancie, Hoopa, Volcanion
Kalos introduced the Fairy type and Mega Evolution. Its lore is a love story and a war story, and both centre on one tall stranger: AZ.
Deep lore
- AZ and Floette: about 3,000 years ago, King AZ’s beloved Floette was taken to war and never came back. AZ built a machine that revived it and gave it eternal life. Then, furious at the war, he turned the machine into an ultimate weapon, ending the war by wiping out countless lives. The machine also made AZ immortal. His Floette, horrified, left him, and he wandered for three thousand years.
- Lysandre dug up that weapon under Geosenge Town in X & Y. After the battle, AZ is finally reunited with his Floette when the player battles him in the post-game.
- Legends: Z-A, five years later: Lumiose is being rebuilt by Quasartico Inc. Wild Pokémon live in zones inside the city, and trainers climb the night-time Z-A Royale. Pokémon are suddenly Rogue Mega Evolving, and the cause is a device named Ange, hidden in Prism Tower. Ange is the machine AZ built to give his Floette eternal life, and the shock from Lysandre’s weapon woke it.
- Mega Dimension (DLC): a trainer named Ansha and her Hoopa open distortions to Hyperspace Lumiose, a warped copy of the city that threatens to swallow the real one. Rayquaza, Groudon and Kyogre wait on the other side.
AlolaHawaii
- Games
- Sun & Moon (2016), Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon (2017)
- Villains
- Team Skull (Guzma), a gang of misfits. The real danger is Lusamine of the Aether Foundation
- Legends & mythicals
- Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma, the Tapus, the Ultra Beasts, Magearna, Marshadow, Zeraora
Alola swapped Gyms for the island challenge: trials run by Captains, Totem Pokémon, and a grand trial against each island’s Kahuna. The region had no Pokémon League until Professor Kukui built one, and the player becomes its very first Champion.
Deep lore
- Alolan forms: Pokémon brought to Alola long ago adapted to its islands, like the Ice-type Vulpix of the snowy mountain or the Ghost-powered Marowak. It was the first time the series showed evolution adapting to environment.
- Lillie and Lusamine: Lillie runs away with Cosmog to protect it from her mother, Lusamine, the head of the Aether Foundation, who is obsessed with Ultra Beasts. Lillie’s growth from hiding in a hat to taking charge of her own life is the heart of the story.
- Mimikyu wears a homemade Pikachu costume so it will be liked. The Pokédex warns what happens to anyone who looks under the rag.
- Team Rainbow Rocket (Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon post-game): Giovanni from another world gathers every villain boss from parallel universes: Maxie, Archie, Cyrus, Ghetsis and Lysandre.
GalarGreat Britain
- Games
- Sword & Shield (2019), The Isle of Armor & The Crown Tundra (2020)
- Villains
- Chairman Rose of Macro Cosmos, a villain who means well, trying to solve an energy crisis a thousand years early
- Legends & mythicals
- Zacian, Zamazenta, Eternatus, Kubfu & Urshifu, Calyrex, Glastrier, Spectrier, Regieleki, Regidrago
In Galar, Pokémon battles are a stadium sport watched by crowds. Gym Leaders are celebrities, Champion Leon has never lost an official match, and Dynamax turns Pokémon giant in special places, using energy that leaks from the ground.
Deep lore
- The Hammerlocke tapestries and the Slumbering Weald hold the true story of the two heroes. The post-game villains, Sordward and Shielbert, claim descent from Galar’s first king and resent how the new history took the glory from him.
- Galarian forms: Weezing living on city smog, Corsola that died out as the climate changed (Galarian Corsola is a ghost), and Farfetch’d evolving into the knightly Sirfetch’d.
- The Crown Tundra: Calyrex, the ancient King of Bountiful Harvests, lost its worshippers over time. Help it remember its old steed (Glastrier or Spectrier), and it rides again.
- The Isle of Armor: Kubfu trains under former Champion Mustard and becomes one of two Urshifu styles, depending on the tower you climb.
Paldea, Kitakami & BlueberryThe Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). Kitakami is the Japanese countryside; Blueberry Academy sits off Unova
- Games
- Scarlet & Violet (2022), The Teal Mask & The Indigo Disk (2023)
- Villains
- No classic evil team. Team Star are school dropouts with a secret, and the real threat is in Area Zero
- Legends & mythicals
- Koraidon, Miraidon, the Treasures of Ruin, Ogerpon, the Loyal Three, Terapagos, Pecharunt
The first fully open-world main game. Three stories run side by side: the Gym challenge with your rival Nemona, Path of Legends with Arven hunting Titan Pokémon for the Herba Mystica that can heal his dog Mabosstiff, and Starfall Street against Team Star. All three lead to The Way Home, a trip to the bottom of Area Zero.
Deep lore
- Team Star: started by students who were bullied, after the school did nothing. Their leader, “Cassiopeia”, turns out to be the shy hacker Penny, who disbanded the team by recruiting you to beat its bosses.
- The Treasures of Ruin: four calamity Pokémon (Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu, Chi-Yu) sealed in shrines by the stakes scattered across Paldea. Pull all the stakes of one colour and a shrine opens.
- Kitakami (The Teal Mask): the village’s festival honours the Loyal Three, said to have saved Kitakami from a masked ogre. You learn the truth with Ogerpon: the ogre was the guardian, and the Loyal Three were thieves who stole its masks and harmed its human companion. The Mochi Mayhem epilogue reveals the Loyal Three’s master, Pecharunt, which controlled them with poisoned mochi.
- The professor’s fate: the professor you talk to in Area Zero is an AI copy. The real Sada or Turo died some time before the story, and the AI ends it by travelling through its own time machine.
Coming next: Pokémon Winds & WavesWindswept islands and a vast ocean (the region has not been fully detailed yet)
- Games
- Pokémon Winds & Pokémon Waves: Generation 10, announced on 27 February 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, due in 2027
- Villains
- Not revealed yet
- Legends & mythicals
- Not revealed yet
Revealed on Pokémon Day 2026, for the series’ 30th anniversary. So far The Pokémon Company has shown an open world of islands and sea, and three new partner Pokémon: Browt (Grass, the Bean Chick Pokémon), Pombon (Fire, the Puppy Pokémon) and Gecqua (Water, the Water Gecko Pokémon). This entry will grow as official details arrive.
The in-world timeline
Game Freak rarely gives exact dates, so the order below follows what the games say and the gaps are approximate.
- The beginning
Arceus emerges from an Egg in the chaos
Creates Dialga and Palkia (time and space), then Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf. Giratina is banished to the Distortion World.
- The ancient world
Groudon and Kyogre clash
Land and sea fight until Rayquaza descends from the sky and calms them. Both fall into a long sleep.
- Prehistory
Regigigas tows the continents
Ancient people seal the Regi golems in Braille-marked tombs.
- ≈ 20,000 years ago
Eternatus falls to Galar
A meteorite brings the source of Galar’s Dynamax energy.
- ≈ 3,000 years ago
The Kalos war
AZ revives his Floette, builds the ultimate weapon and ends the war, becoming immortal.
- Antiquity
The twin heroes of Unova
One dragon splits into Reshiram and Zekrom. Kyurem is what remains.
- Antiquity
Galar’s Darkest Day
Two young heroes with Zacian and Zamazenta stop Eternatus. Later history credits a single human hero, Galar’s first king.
- Long ago
The Kitakami ogre
The Loyal Three, controlled by Pecharunt, steal Ogerpon’s masks. Legend later turns the story upside down.
- Long ago
Heath’s expedition into the Great Crater
The Scarlet and Violet Books are written about Area Zero.
- The Hisui era
Legends: Arceus
The Galaxy Expedition Team settles Hisui, the hero arrives through a rift in time, and Arceus is met at last. Hisui later becomes Sinnoh.
- ≈ 150 years before Gold & Silver
The Brass Tower burns
Ho-Oh revives three Pokémon as Raikou, Entei and Suicune. Lugia leaves for the sea.
- Modern era
Red & Blue
Mewtwo escapes the Cinnabar lab. Red breaks Team Rocket and becomes Champion.
- + ≈ 3 years
Gold & Silver
Team Rocket tries to reach Giovanni over the radio. Red waits on Mt. Silver.
- Modern era
Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos…
Each region’s story happens in roughly the same modern world. Black 2 & White 2 come two years after Black & White, and Legends: Z-A five years after X & Y.
- Present day
Alola, Galar, Paldea
Sun & Moon show an older Red and Blue at the Battle Tree, so the newer regions sit later on the timeline.
- Many worlds at once
The multiverse
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire and Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon confirm parallel worlds. Remakes and “Ultra” versions can be read as alternate timelines rather than retellings.
Anime, films & manga
Official, but a separate continuity from the games. The stories that shaped how fans picture the world.
Ash’s 25-year journey
Source: Pokémon: the anime (1997–2023)
The anime began in Japan on 1 April 1997 with Ash Ketchum and a Pikachu that refused to go in its Poké Ball. After 25 years, Ash finally reached his dream: he won the Alola League in 2019 and then the World Coronation Series, becoming the world’s strongest trainer. His farewell episodes aired in 2023.
Since then, Pokémon Horizons has followed new leads, Liko and Roy, and the Rising Volt Tacklers airship crew. Its story centres on Liko’s mysterious pendant and the ancient explorer Lucius.
Mewtwo Strikes Back
Source: Pokémon: The First Movie (1998) and its 2019 CG remake
The film expands the Mansion diaries into a full origin story: scientists clone Mew from a fossilised eyelash. The clone, Mewtwo, wakes up asking why it exists, and turns on the humans who made it for a purpose. It builds clones of its own to prove that being born stronger is everything, until a single act of self-sacrifice changes its mind.
It is not game canon, but it shaped how a whole generation thinks of Mewtwo. Later films give the anime its own separate Mewtwo.
Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
Source: Film (2005)
A legend of Sir Aaron, an Aura Guardian who seems to have abandoned his kingdom and his loyal Lucario during a war, turns out to be a story of sacrifice. The film’s Tree of Beginning, a living ecosystem tied to Mew, is a favourite piece of anime-only world-building.
Arceus and the Jewel of Life
Source: Film (2009)
A film-canon answer to “why would a god be angry with people?”. Long ago, a man named Damos borrowed Arceus’s life-giving Jewel of Life to save his dying land. When Arceus came to take it back, Damos’s associate betrayed them both, and Arceus believed Damos had broken his word. Ash’s group travels back in time with Dialga’s help to set the record straight.
Origins, Generations and Twilight Wings
Source: Pokémon Origins (2013), Generations (2016), Twilight Wings (2020), Evolutions (2021)
Short series that stick much closer to the games. Origins retells Red’s journey, ending with a Mega Charizard X. Generations shows famous game scenes from new angles, like Cyrus’s Spear Pillar plan or the Hoenn teams. Twilight Wings adds quiet slice-of-life stories about Galar’s Gym Leaders and Leon.
Pokémon Adventures
Source: Manga (1997 onward)
The long-running manga follows game-inspired heroes named Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal and more. It is famous for darker, higher-stakes takes on each villain team, and for Pokémon that can actually die. Many fans consider it the definitive “story version” of the early games.
The episode you can’t watch
Source: Anime episode, 16 December 1997
“Electric Soldier Porygon” used rapid red-and-blue flashing in one scene, and hundreds of viewers in Japan were taken to hospital, most with symptoms linked to photosensitive seizures. The anime went off the air for four months. Broadcasters adopted new flashing-image guidelines, and Porygon and its evolutions have hardly appeared in the anime since, even though Pikachu caused the flash.
Fan theories
Unofficial lore. Each theory shows the evidence for and against, and how it stands against the games today.
Kanto fought a great war
Not long before Red and Blue, Kanto (or the whole world) went through a major war in which Pokémon were used as weapons. That is why so few adults appear, why children travel alone, and why the region is short of fathers.
Evidence for
- Lt. Surge says Electric Pokémon saved his life “during the war”, and his title is military.
- Most of the trainers in Kanto are children or old people; the hero’s father never appears.
- The ancient Kalos war (X & Y) proves that wars with Pokémon have happened in this world.
Evidence against
- No game ever names a recent war, and Surge’s line can just mean he is a foreign veteran.
- Later games fill regions with adults and families, and mention no post-war rebuilding.
Verdict: A fun lens for the first games, but nothing official backs a recent war.
Cubone is a Kangaskhan baby
Cubone is an orphaned baby Kangaskhan. When a mother Kangaskhan dies, its baby puts on her skull and becomes a Cubone.
Evidence for
- The Pokédex confirms Cubone wears the skull of its dead mother.
- Kangaskhan’s baby looks similar to Cubone in shape and colour.
- Kangaskhan is female-only and its baby never appears on its own, so fans ask what happens to a baby that loses its mother.
Evidence against
- Cubone hatches from Eggs and breeds normally with other Pokémon in Gen 2 and later.
- Alolan Marowak and the Pokédex treat Cubone and Marowak as their own species, with no link to Kangaskhan.
Verdict: The skull part is canon. The Kangaskhan part is a theory that breeding mechanics have mostly sunk.
Gengar is Clefable’s shadow
Gengar is the living shadow of a Clefable, or Clefable is what a Gengar looks like in the light.
Evidence for
- Their silhouettes are strikingly alike: round body, pointed ears, stubby arms.
- Clefairy and Clefable are linked to the moon, while Gengar hides in shadows on moonlit nights.
Evidence against
- No Pokédex entry or game ever links the two.
- They have different types, stats and evolution lines.
Verdict: Purely a design observation. Still one of the most shared theories ever.
Ditto are failed Mew clones
Ditto are the leftovers of the experiments that created Mewtwo: imperfect clones of Mew.
Evidence for
- Ditto and Mew share a pink-purple colour and both can use Transform.
- Ditto turn up in Cerulean Cave, where Mewtwo hides, and in Yellow inside the Pokémon Mansion where Mewtwo was made.
- Ditto can copy any Pokémon, the way Mew is said to carry all their DNA.
Evidence against
- Ditto live wild across many regions in huge numbers, far more than one lab could ever have made.
- Mew’s stats are even (100 each) while Ditto’s are weak (48 each), which is no closer than any other Pokémon.
Verdict: Clever and widely loved, but never addressed by Game Freak.
Butterfree and Venomoth were swapped
Early in development, Venonat was meant to evolve into Butterfree and Caterpie’s line into Venomoth, and the designs were swapped.
Evidence for
- Venonat’s red compound eyes and blue-purple body match Butterfree, not Venomoth.
- Metapod’s cocoon shape and Caterpie’s green body fit Venomoth’s moth design.
Evidence against
- No developer has ever confirmed it.
Verdict: Still unconfirmed after almost 30 years, and still one of the most convincing on looks alone.
Ash has been in a coma since episode one
Ash was hit by lightning (or attacked by Spearow) in the first episode and the whole anime is a dream, which is why he never aged.
Evidence for
- Ash stayed 10 years old for 25 years of adventures.
- Episode one ends with a storm and a near-death moment.
Evidence against
- The anime kept a consistent world and ended Ash’s story with him achieving his dream: World Champion.
- Not ageing is a normal cartoon convention, not a story clue.
Verdict: A classic internet theory with no support in the show.
Red died on Mt. Silver
The silent Red in Gold and Silver is a ghost: he died climbing Mt. Silver, and that is why he never speaks, only says “…”, and vanishes after you beat him.
Evidence for
- Red stands alone at the summit in a blizzard, says nothing and disappears.
- Nobody in Johto seems to know where he went.
Evidence against
- Red also says nothing in the first game; he is a silent protagonist.
- Red appears alive, and older, in later games, such as the Battle Tree in Sun & Moon, where he battles alongside Blue.
Verdict: Fun campfire story, firmly contradicted by later games.
Volo is related to Cynthia
Volo, the merchant villain of Legends: Arceus, is an ancestor or relative of Sinnoh Champion Cynthia.
Evidence for
- Volo’s hair, face, battle music and team (with Garchomp, Spiritomb, Togekiss, Lucario and Roserade) mirror Cynthia’s.
- Both are obsessed with Sinnoh’s myths and with the creation Pokémon.
- Cynthia comes from Celestic Town, the village of ruins tied to the creation myth.
Evidence against
- The game never states it outright.
Verdict: As close to confirmed as a hint can be. Most fans treat it as canon.
Mew or Arceus: who came first?
The games call Arceus the creator of the universe and also call Mew the ancestor of all Pokémon. Fans reconcile it like this: Arceus made the world, and Mew was the first Pokémon to live in it.
Evidence for
- Mew’s Pokédex entries talk about genetics, while Arceus’s talk about creating the universe.
- Both can be true at once if they describe different things.
Evidence against
- The games never put the two claims side by side.
Verdict: Both statements are official. How they fit together is fan interpretation.
Voltorb are living Poké Balls
Voltorb and Electrode are Poké Balls that came to life, maybe because of a factory accident or a strange energy.
Evidence for
- Pokédex entries say Voltorb was first discovered around the time Poké Balls were introduced, and hint at a connection.
- Legends: Arceus introduces Hisuian Voltorb, which look exactly like that era’s wooden Apricorn Poké Balls. It is a strong hint that Voltorb take after whatever balls exist at the time.
Evidence against
- No entry says outright that a ball turned into a Pokémon.
Verdict: Hisuian Voltorb turned a joke theory into a strongly hinted one.
Paradox Pokémon aren’t really from the past or future
The Paradox Pokémon of Scarlet & Violet aren’t real ancient or future Pokémon. They match what the professor imagined, shaped by sightings and tabloid articles about them.
Evidence for
- Their names and Pokédex entries come from a book of legends and a paranormal magazine, not from fossils or records.
- Area Zero’s crystal (Terapagos) has unknown powers over Pokémon.
Evidence against
- The games keep it deliberately open; officially they come through the time machine.
Verdict: Game Freak leaves the door open on purpose.
Kyurem is the original dragon’s empty shell
When the original dragon split into Reshiram and Zekrom, the body left behind became Kyurem.
Evidence for
- Kyurem can absorb either dragon with the DNA Splicers, creating Black or White Kyurem.
- Its design is a “hollow” mix of both: grey, cold, missing pieces.
Evidence against
- The exact wording stays mysterious; the games never say it outright.
Verdict: Widely accepted and very strongly implied by Black 2 & White 2.
Professor Oak was once a great trainer
Before becoming a researcher, Oak was a top trainer, maybe even a Champion.
Evidence for
- Agatha of the Elite Four calls Oak her old rival, who was “tough and handsome” decades ago.
Evidence against
- There is no confirmation that he was ever Champion.
Verdict: The “strong trainer” part is canon; the “Champion” part is not.
What is under Mimikyu’s rag?
Mimikyu’s true form is so horrifying that seeing it is deadly, and it may be something like a lost spirit.
Evidence for
- The Pokédex describes a scholar who looked under the rag and died of shock (or fell ill).
- Only its eyes and shadowy claws ever show.
Evidence against
- Everything beyond the Pokédex warnings is guesswork.
Verdict: The creepy part is official; what it actually is remains a mystery on purpose.
People eat Pokémon
In a world with few or no ordinary animals, humans must eat Pokémon.
Evidence for
- Sinnoh’s Canalave Library has a folk tale about people who ate Pokémon and returned the bones to the water.
- Slowpoke tails are treated as a pricey delicacy in several games.
- Alolan Pokédex entries show Pokémon hunting other Pokémon, like Mareanie feeding on Corsola.
Evidence against
- Modern games keep it vague and mostly show berries, bread and sandwiches.
Verdict: Confirmed in folklore and Pokédex text, if rarely shown.
Creepypastas, rumours & real glitches
The stories passed around playgrounds and forums, and what is actually true.
Lavender Town Syndrome
The internet legend says that after Red and Green came out in Japan, many children who heard Lavender Town’s music fell ill or harmed themselves, because of high-pitched tones only children could hear. It spread widely around 2010.
The truth: there are no records of any such incident. The music really is eerie, which helped the story feel believable, but it is pure creepypasta.
Buried Alive and the White Hand
A companion to Lavender Town Syndrome: a supposed hidden Pokémon called “Buried Alive”, a rotting zombie-like figure said to appear in Pokémon Tower in an early Japanese build and to frighten players to death.
The truth: the images that circulate are fan-made edits of Red and Blue sprites. No such Pokémon exists in any version.
Pokémon Lost Silver
A story about a second-hand copy of Pokémon Silver with an old save file. The player character is named “…”, every Pokémon in the party has a sad name, and playing reveals a ghostly, tragic tale about the previous owner.
The truth: a creepypasta that inspired fan-made playable hacks. Nothing like it exists on a real cartridge.
Pokémon Black (the creepypasta)
Long before the real Pokémon Black, this tale described a bootleg copy of Red with an extra Pokémon called Ghost. Its only move was “Curse”, and it killed every trainer it fought.
The truth: fiction. The real Black and White (2010) have nothing to do with it.
Mew is under the truck
In Red and Blue there is a lone pickup truck near the S.S. Anne in Vermilion City that you can only reach with special tricks. Schoolyards everywhere “knew” that using Strength on it revealed Mew.
The truth: the truck is just scenery, and Mew was never under it. The rumour lived on for years anyway, passed from playground to playground.
Pikablu
Before Gold and Silver came out, early pictures of a round blue mouse spread as “Pikablu”, Pikachu’s secret Water-type evolution or cousin.
The truth: it was Marill. Its round design and mouse ears made the rumour easy to believe.
The “Pokégods”
A late-90s rumour mill of secret Pokémon you could unlock: hybrids like “Venustoise”, Pikablu and dozens more, each with an elaborate (and impossible) unlock method.
The truth: none of them exist. A few names later turned out to be real new Pokémon, like Togepi or Marill, which only fed the rumours.
MissingNo.
A real glitch in Red and Blue. Talk to the old man in Viridian City, fly to Cinnabar Island and surf along its east coast, and a broken-looking Pokémon called MissingNo. appears. Encountering it multiplies the sixth item in your bag.
The truth: this one is real. It happens because the game reads leftover data (your name, as typed for the old man’s tutorial) as a wild encounter table. It can corrupt your Hall of Fame data, so save first.
The Mew glitch
Unlike the truck, there really is a way to catch Mew in Red and Blue without an event. Interrupt a trainer battle by flying away, then fight a trainer whose Pokémon has a precise Special stat, and a wild Mew appears.
The truth: real. It was found in 2003, years after release, and works on original cartridges.
Behind the games
The real-world history: how Pokémon was made, how it grew, and what each generation changed.
- 1980s
A bug collector’s idea
Satoshi Tajiri grew up catching insects in the fields around Machida, on the edge of Tokyo, before the suburbs swallowed them. He started Game Freak as a self-published game magazine and turned it into a developer. When he saw the Game Boy’s link cable, he pictured little creatures crawling along it from one player’s Game Boy to another. That image became the heart of Pokémon: collecting, and trading with a friend.
- 1990–1996
Capsule Monsters
The project was first pitched as Capsule Monsters. The name couldn’t be trademarked, so it became Pocket Monsters, shortened to Pokémon. Development took about six years. Game Freak was a tiny studio and money was tight, with Nintendo and Creatures Inc. backing the project. Ken Sugimori led the art, and Junichi Masuda composed the music and worked on the programming.
- 1996
Red & Green launch in Japan
Pocket Monsters Red and Green came out on 27 February 1996, now celebrated every year as Pokémon Day. Two versions with different Pokémon meant friends had to trade to complete the Pokédex. Sales started slowly and then exploded through word of mouth and the magazine CoroCoro Comic.
- 1996
The secret 151st Pokémon
Programmer Shigeki Morimoto slipped Mew into the game near the end of development, using space freed when debugging tools were removed, without most of the team knowing. Rumours spread, and CoroCoro ran a contest giving away 20 Mew. The hidden Pokémon turned a hit into a legend.
- 1996
Blue, and the Trading Card Game
Japan got Pocket Monsters Blue in October 1996, first by mail order through CoroCoro. Its cleaner graphics and code became the basis for the Western Red and Blue. The same month, Media Factory launched the Pokémon Trading Card Game in Japan. Wizards of the Coast brought it to the West in January 1999, and The Pokémon Company took it over in 2003.
- 1997
The anime and Space World
The anime premiered on 1 April 1997 and made Pikachu the face of the series. At Nintendo Space World 1997, Game Freak showed an early Gold & Silver with many Pokémon and maps that never shipped. A playable copy of that demo leaked online in 2018 and revealed dozens of beta designs.
- 1998
Pokémania goes global
Red and Blue reached North America in September 1998 (Europe followed in 1999) with the slogan “Gotta catch ’em all!”. Pokémon Yellow followed the anime with a Pikachu that walks behind you. The same year, Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures founded the company that became The Pokémon Company, to run the brand.
- 1999
Gold & Silver
Released in Japan in November 1999, Gold and Silver added a real-time clock with day and night, breeding, held items, Shiny Pokémon, the Steel and Dark types and 100 new Pokémon. Satoru Iwata, then at HAL Laboratory and later Nintendo’s president, helped write compression tools that made room for a whole second region: Kanto.
- 2000
Crystal
The first game where you could choose to play as a girl (Kris). It also added animated sprites, the Battle Tower and a deeper Suicune story.
- 2002
Ruby & Sapphire
The jump to Game Boy Advance brought Abilities, Natures, Double Battles and Contests. It also broke compatibility: Pokémon from Gen 1–2 could not come along, so the old Pokémon were unavailable until FireRed and LeafGreen (2004), the first remakes.
- 2006
Diamond & Pearl go online
The DS games split every move into physical or special by the move itself rather than its type, a change that rebuilt competitive play. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and the Global Trade Station let players trade with strangers worldwide for the first time.
- 2009
HeartGold & SoulSilver
A beloved remake where your lead Pokémon walks behind you. It came with the Pokéwalker, a step counter you could carry a Pokémon in.
- 2010
Black & White: a fresh start
A deliberate reboot: only new Pokémon until the post-game, a brand-new cast, seasons and fully animated battle sprites. Black 2 & White 2 (2012) became the first direct sequels in the main series.
- 2013
X & Y go 3D and worldwide
The first fully 3D main games, and the first released worldwide on the same day (12 October 2013). They brought the Fairy type, Mega Evolution and outfit customisation.
- 2016
Pokémon GO
Niantic’s phone game launched in July 2016 and briefly became one of the most-played apps on Earth, sending millions of people outside to catch Pokémon on real streets. It still runs, with events every month.
- 2016
Sun & Moon break the formula
Gyms were replaced by the island challenge, and the games added Z-Moves and regional forms. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (2017) followed with an alternate take on the story.
- 2018
Let’s Go on Switch
The series’ first home-console main entry: a Kanto remake with GO-style catching, the Poké Ball Plus controller and the mythical Meltan, discovered through Pokémon GO.
- 2019
Sword & Shield and “Dexit”
The first new-region main games on a home console brought Dynamax and the open Wild Area. It was also the first time not every Pokémon could come along, a decision fans nicknamed “Dexit”. Instead of a third version, the games got an Expansion Pass with two DLC areas, which brought back many missing Pokémon.
- 2020
Pokémon HOME
A cloud box that links Pokémon from Bank, GO and the Switch games, so a Pokémon caught years ago can still travel forward.
- 2022
Legends: Arceus and Scarlet & Violet
Legends: Arceus (January) reinvented catching with sneaking, throwing and alpha Pokémon in the distant past. Scarlet and Violet (November) were the first fully open-world main games, with the Terastal mechanic. They drew heavy criticism for their performance, yet sold over 10 million copies in their first three days, a record for Nintendo at the time.
- 2023
Farewell, Ash
After 25 years and a World Championship, Ash Ketchum’s story ended, and the anime moved on to Pokémon Horizons. Scarlet and Violet’s two DLC chapters, The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk, added Kitakami and Blueberry Academy.
- 2025
Legends: Z-A
Released on 16 October 2025 for Switch, with a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. A whole game set in Lumiose City, with real-time battles and the return of Mega Evolution. The Mega Dimension DLC followed on 10 December 2025 with Hoopa and new Megas, and raised the level cap above 100 for the first time.
- 2026
30 years of Pokémon
Pokémon Day 2026 marked the 30th anniversary. The Pokémon Presents announced Pokémon Winds and Waves, Generation 10, for Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027, and FireRed and LeafGreen came to Switch. Pokémon Champions, a dedicated battle game, launched on Switch on 8 April 2026, with mobile versions planned.
- Design trivia
Number one is Rhydon
The National Pokédex starts with Bulbasaur, but Red and Green’s internal list (the order in the game’s code) starts with Rhydon. Many fans read that as a sign it was one of the very first designs. Today there are 1,025 species, ending with Pecharunt.
Walkthroughs
The story route through every main region, with every Gym Leader and League member, their ace’s level and what to bring. Contains story spoilers.
KantoRed, Blue & Yellow · FireRed & LeafGreen · Let’s Go, Pikachu! & Eevee! · 1996–2018
Before you start
- Bulbasaur makes the first two Gyms easy. Charmander has the hardest start: catch a Mankey or Nidoran♂ early, or use Metal Claw (FireRed & LeafGreen) against Brock.
- In Red, Blue and Yellow the Psychic type is badly overpowered: Ghost moves don’t affect it because of a bug, and Bug moves are weak. Bring hard-hitting physical attackers for Sabrina.
- Let’s Go has no wild battles (you catch by throwing balls, as in GO), lets two players share the adventure, and adds post-game Master Trainers for every species.
Step by step
- Pallet Town to Viridian CityPick your first Pokémon from Professor Oak; your rival takes the one that beats yours. Deliver Oak’s Parcel from the Viridian Poké Mart to get the Pokédex.
- Viridian Forest and BrockCross the forest (Pikachu lives here) to Pewter City. Brock’s Rock team falls to Water, Grass or Fighting moves.
- Mt. Moon and MistyTeam Rocket is digging for fossils: take the Dome (Kabuto) or Helix (Omanyte) Fossil. In Cerulean City, beat Misty with Grass or Electric Pokémon (Oddish or Bellsprout nearby, or a Pikachu).
- Nugget Bridge, Bill and the S.S. AnneHelp Bill in his Sea Cottage for an S.S. Ticket. Aboard the S.S. Anne in Vermilion, beat your rival and get HM01 Cut from the captain. Lt. Surge’s Gym hides its door behind a trash-can switch puzzle; bring a Ground type (Diglett from Diglett’s Cave).
- Rock Tunnel, Lavender and CeladonGet Flash from Oak’s aide on Route 2 (after catching 10 Pokémon), cross the dark Rock Tunnel and reach Celadon City. Erika’s Grass team hates Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison and Bug.
- Rocket Hideout and Pokémon TowerThe Game Corner poster hides Team Rocket’s base. Beat Giovanni for the Silph Scope, then climb Pokémon Tower to free the Marowak ghost and rescue Mr. Fuji, who gives you the Poké Flute to wake the Snorlax blocking the roads.
- Fuchsia City and the Safari ZoneTake Cycling Road or the Silence Bridge south. Koga’s Poison team falls to Ground and Psychic. In the Safari Zone, find HM03 Surf and the Gold Teeth (the Warden gives HM04 Strength for them).
- Saffron City and Silph Co.Bring a drink for the thirsty gate guards. Inside Silph Co., find the Card Key, beat your rival and Giovanni, and receive a Lapras and the Master Ball. Then take on Sabrina; the Fighting Dojo next door gives you Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan.
- Cinnabar IslandSurf south past the Seafoam Islands (Articuno). Read the Mewtwo diaries in the Pokémon Mansion, find the Secret Key and answer Blaine’s quiz. His Fire team falls to Water, Ground and Rock. Revive your fossil at the lab.
- Giovanni’s GymBack in Viridian City, the final Gym Leader is the Team Rocket boss himself, with Ground types. Water, Grass and Ice clean house.
- Victory Road and the LeagueStrength boulder puzzles lead to the Indigo Plateau. Stock up on Full Restores and Revives: the four Elite Four battles and the Champion come back to back.
Gym Leaders
The League
After the credits
- Cerulean Cave: Mewtwo waits at the bottom.
- The legendary birds: Articuno (Seafoam Islands), Zapdos (Power Plant), Moltres (Victory Road in Red & Blue; Mt. Ember in FireRed & LeafGreen).
- FireRed & LeafGreen: the Sevii Islands story leads to the National Pokédex and trading with Ruby & Sapphire.
- Let’s Go: Master Trainers, Mewtwo and Mew (via the Poké Ball Plus).
Johto (and Kanto again)Gold, Silver & Crystal · HeartGold & SoulSilver · 1999–2009
Before you start
- Chikorita has the hardest early game (Flying, Bug and Ghost Gyms). Catch a Geodude or a Mareep to cover it.
- Whitney’s Miltank is the most famous wall in the series: Rollout plus Milk Drink. Trade a Drowzee for a Machop in Goldenrod, or bring a Geodude or Onix, whose Ground typing resists Rollout.
- Johto has a day/night clock and days of the week, so some Pokémon and events only appear at certain times.
Step by step
- New Bark TownPick a Pokémon from Professor Elm and fetch the Mystery Egg (it hatches into Togepi) from Mr. Pokémon. A red-haired boy steals the remaining starter that beats yours: that’s your rival, Silver.
- Violet CityClimb Sprout Tower and beat Falkner’s Flying team with Electric or Rock types.
- Union Cave, Slowpoke Well and AzaleaTeam Rocket is cutting off Slowpoke tails. Clear the well, then beat Bugsy with Fire, Flying or Rock moves.
- Ilex Forest and GoldenrodHerd the runaway Farfetch’d back to the charcoal maker’s apprentice to earn HM01 Cut, then reach Goldenrod, Johto’s big city. Get a free Bicycle and face Whitney (see the tip above).
- Ecruteak CityIn the Burned Tower, the three legendary beasts wake up and flee across Johto. Morty’s Ghost team ignores Normal and Fighting moves; use Dark or Ghost. The Kimono Girls give you HM03 Surf.
- Olivine and CianwoodJasmine is caring for a sick Ampharos in the lighthouse. Cross the sea to Cianwood: beat Chuck (Fighting) with Flying or Psychic types and fetch the medicine. Chuck’s wife gives you HM02 Fly.
- Jasmine’s GymBack in Olivine, Jasmine’s Steelix falls to Fire, Fighting or Ground.
- Mahogany Town and the Lake of RageCatch or defeat the Red Gyarados, then raid Team Rocket’s hideout with Lance. Pryce’s Ice team falls to Fire, Fighting, Rock and Steel.
- Radio Tower takeoverTeam Rocket seizes the Goldenrod Radio Tower to call their missing boss. Clear it floor by floor. In HeartGold & SoulSilver, then beat the five Kimono Girls in Ecruteak and meet the cover legendary (Lv. 45): Ho-Oh at the Bell Tower or Lugia at the bottom of the Whirl Islands.
- Blackthorn CityCross the slippery Ice Path. Clair’s Dragon team is weak to Ice; she only hands over the badge after you pass the Dragon’s Den quiz.
- Victory Road and the LeagueThrough Tohjo Falls and Victory Road to the Indigo Plateau. Karen (Dark) and Lance (Dragon) are the toughest.
Gym Leaders
The League
After the credits
- Take the S.S. Aqua to Kanto: eight more Gyms, three years after the first games (Blaine now runs his Gym from the Seafoam Islands).
- With all 16 badges, Professor Oak opens Mt. Silver. At the summit: Red (Pikachu Lv. 88 in HeartGold & SoulSilver).
- Catch Suicune after chasing it around both regions, and the other version’s legendary (get its wing from a man in Pewter City; it is Lv. 70).
HoennRuby, Sapphire & Emerald · Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire · 2002–2014
Before you start
- Mudkip is the easy mode: Marshtomp’s Water/Ground typing has only one weakness (Grass).
- Emerald changes the eighth Gym to Juan (Water, Kingdra Lv. 46) and makes Wallace the Champion (Milotic Lv. 58). Winona’s ace is Lv. 33 and Tate & Liza’s Lv. 42 there.
- Hoenn has a lot of water. Keep a Surfer and a Diver (HM08 Dive) on the team for the second half.
Step by step
- Littleroot TownSave Professor Birch from a wild Poochyena by grabbing a Poké Ball from his bag, then battle his child, your neighbour, on Route 103.
- Petalburg and RustboroMeet your father Norman and help Wally catch a Ralts. Cross Petalburg Woods to Rustboro and beat Roxanne’s Rock team (Torchic users: catch a Shroomish or Lotad).
- Dewford TownRecover the Devon Goods in Rusturf Tunnel, then sail with Mr. Briney. Brawly (Fighting) falls to Flying and Psychic. Deliver the letter to Steven in Granite Cave.
- Slateport and MauvilleDeliver the goods to Slateport’s museum (both teams show up). Wattson’s Electric team falls to Ground.
- Mt. Chimney and LavaridgeFollow the teams through Meteor Falls to Mt. Chimney, where they try to use a meteorite on the volcano. Flannery’s Fire team falls to Water, Ground and Rock.
- NormanYour father’s Normal team falls to Fighting. His Slaking has Truant: it only attacks every other turn. Wally’s father then gives you HM03 Surf.
- Weather Institute and FortreeChase the teams out of the Weather Institute, get HM02 Fly from your rival, and borrow the Devon Scope from Steven to pass the invisible Kecleon. Winona’s Flying team falls to Electric, Ice and Rock.
- Mt. Pyre and MossdeepAn orb is stolen at Mt. Pyre, and you chase the team into its hideout. In Mossdeep, Tate & Liza fight a Double Battle with Psychic types (bring Dark, Ghost or Bug). Right after, the Space Center is attacked.
- Seafloor Cavern and SootopolisDive to the Seafloor Cavern, where Groudon or Kyogre awakens and the weather goes wild. Climb Sky Pillar to wake Rayquaza and calm the clash, then beat the eighth Gym in Sootopolis with Grass or Electric.
- Victory Road and the LeagueWally waits at the end of Victory Road with the Ralts you helped him catch, now fully evolved. The Elite Four sit on Ever Grande City’s cliffs.
Gym Leaders
The League
After the credits
- Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire: the Delta Episode. Zinnia, Mega Rayquaza and the meteoroid, with Deoxys at the end.
- Emerald: the Battle Frontier, plus Steven in Meteor Falls.
- Catch Latias or Latios, the three Regis (solve the Braille puzzles) and the other super-ancient Pokémon.
SinnohDiamond & Pearl · Platinum · Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl · 2006–2021
Before you start
- Chimchar evolves into Monferno at Lv. 14 and learns Mach Punch, which handles Roark’s Rock types.
- Platinum changes the Gym order: Roark 14, Gardenia 22, Fantina 26 (third), Maylene 32, Wake 37, Byron 41, Candice 44, Volkner 50. Platinum also adds Giratina and the Distortion World to the story.
- Cynthia’s Garchomp is the most famous Champion ace in the series. Ice moves do four times damage to it, but it is fast: bring a sturdy Ice type or an Ice move on a bulky Pokémon.
Step by step
- Twinleaf Town and Lake VerityWild Starly attack you and your friend at the lake. Grab a Pokémon from Professor Rowan’s briefcase. He lets you keep it.
- Oreburgh CityThrough Jubilife (get your Pokétch) to the mining town. Roark’s Rock team falls to Water, Grass, Fighting and Steel.
- Floaroma, Eterna and GardeniaChase Team Galactic out of the Valley Windworks, cross Eterna Forest with Cheryl, and beat Gardenia’s Grass team with Fire or Flying (Starly is ideal). Cynthia gives you HM01 Cut.
- Veilstone and MayleneRide Cycling Road and take on Maylene’s Fighting team with Flying or Psychic types.
- Pastoria and Crasher WakeTeam Galactic is up to something at the Great Marsh. Wake’s Water team falls to Grass and Electric.
- Celestic Town and HearthomeStop a Galactic bomb threat in Celestic, where Cynthia’s grandmother gives you HM03 Surf. Fantina’s Ghost team falls to Ghost and Dark.
- Canalave CityRead the creation myths in the library. Byron’s Steel team falls to Fire, Fighting and Ground. Team Galactic then attacks the three lakes.
- Snowpoint CityTrek through the snow to Candice, whose Ice team falls to Fire, Fighting, Rock and Steel.
- Galactic HQ and Spear PillarFree Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf in Veilstone, then climb Mt. Coronet. Cyrus summons Dialga (Diamond) or Palkia (Pearl); catch it to end his plan. In Platinum, Giratina pulls everyone into the Distortion World.
- Sunyshore and the LeagueVolkner’s Electric team falls to Ground. Victory Road leads to the Elite Four and Cynthia.
Gym Leaders
The League
After the credits
- The Battle Zone (Platinum: the Battle Frontier), Heatran at Stark Mountain and Regigigas in Snowpoint Temple.
- The National Pokédex opens the other half of Sinnoh’s Pokémon. Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl add Ramanas Park, where you catch legendaries from older games.
- Rematch the Elite Four at higher levels.
HisuiLegends: Arceus · 2022
Before you start
- Sneak up through tall grass and throw from behind for much higher catch rates. Back strikes also make battles start in your favour.
- Alpha Pokémon (big, red-eyed) are far above the level of the area. Avoid them early, and come back later for strong team members.
- Research tasks (catching, seeing moves, defeating) raise your star rank, which controls which Pokémon obey you. Aim for research level 10 on each species.
Step by step
- ArrivalA voice from Arceus sends you through a rift in the sky to ancient Hisui. Professor Laventon finds you on the beach, and you join the Survey Corps of the Galaxy Expedition Team in Jubilife Village.
- Obsidian FieldlandsLearn to catch and survey. Calm the frenzied Noble Kleavor with Forest Balm (warden: Lian).
- Crimson MirelandsMeet the Pearl and Diamond clans’ leaders. Calm Lilligant, the Lady of the Bridge (warden: Arezu).
- Cobalt CoastlandsCalm Arcanine, the Lord of the Isles (warden: Palina).
- Coronet HighlandsCalm Electrode, the Lord of the Hollow, after Melli finally backs down.
- Alabaster IcelandsCalm Avalugg, the Lord of the Tundra (warden: Gaeric). The village then turns on you and you are banished.
- The Red ChainGet help from Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf to forge the Red Chain. At Spear Pillar, face Origin Dialga or Palkia and seal the rift.
- Post-game: Volo and ArceusGather the plates. Volo reveals himself and fights you alongside Giratina. Then complete your research to meet Arceus at the summit of Mt. Coronet.
Noble Pokémon
After the credits
- Catch every Pokémon in Hisui (the Pokédex lists 242) to meet Arceus.
- Find all 28 Unown and 107 Spiritomb wisps, and the Forces of Nature with Enamorus.
- Alpha versions of most species roam after the credits.
UnovaBlack & White · 2010
Before you start
- In the Dreamyard, a man gives you the elemental monkey (Pansage, Pansear or Panpour) that beats the first Gym Leader you’ll face.
- Only new Pokémon appear until the post-game, so you can’t lean on old favourites.
- The Elite Four can be fought in any order, and all of their aces are Lv. 50.
Step by step
- Nuvema TownPick your Pokémon with your friends Cheren and Bianca, and meet Professor Juniper. In Accumula Town, Ghetsis gives a speech about “liberating” Pokémon, and a strange young man named N challenges you.
- Striaton CityThe triplet Gym Leaders Cilan, Chili and Cress: you face the one whose type beats your starter.
- Nacrene and CasteliaLenora (Normal) runs a museum Gym; use Fighting. In the big city of Castelia, beat Burgh’s Bug team with Fire, Flying or Rock.
- Nimbasa CityElesa’s Electric team falls to Ground. The Ferris wheel ride with N comes with a twist.
- Driftveil and MistraltonClay (Ground) falls to Water, Grass and Ice. Skyla (Flying) falls to Electric, Ice and Rock.
- Icirrus and Dragonspiral TowerBrycen (Ice) falls to Fire, Fighting, Rock and Steel. At Dragonspiral Tower, N awakens his legendary dragon.
- Relic Castle and OpelucidTeam Plasma hunts for the stone that holds the other dragon, and it ends up in your hands before the League. Drayden (White: Iris) uses Dragon types; Ice moves are king.
- The League and N’s CastleBeat the Elite Four, and N’s Castle rises from the earth. Your stone awakens Reshiram or Zekrom. Defeat N, then Ghetsis.
Gym Leaders
The League
After the credits
- Hunt down Ghetsis’s Seven Sages with Looker.
- Challenge former Champion Alder (Lv. 77) and Cynthia at Undella Town.
- Catch Kyurem in the Giant Chasm and the Swords of Justice.
Unova, two years laterBlack 2 & White 2 · 2012
Before you start
- Your old friend Cheren is now the first Gym Leader. Bring a Fighting type for him (Riolu from Floccesy Ranch is a favourite).
- Roxie’s Poison team falls to Ground and Psychic.
- Pokémon World Tournament: after the story you can fight every Gym Leader and Champion from earlier games.
Step by step
- Aspertia CityBianca gives you a starter for Professor Juniper; your rival Hugh is looking for a stolen Purrloin. Cheren runs the Normal Gym.
- Virbank and CasteliaRoxie, a punk rocker, uses Poison; then Burgh is back in Castelia.
- Nimbasa, Driftveil and MistraltonElesa (Electric), Clay (Ground) and Skyla (Flying), each with new Gym puzzles. Neo Team Plasma’s Plasma Frigate starts turning up along the coast.
- Opelucid City frozenNeo Team Plasma, with the scientist Colress, freezes Opelucid. Drayden’s Dragon team is next.
- Humilau CityMarlon’s Water team falls to Grass and Electric.
- Giant ChasmGhetsis has Kyurem absorb N’s legendary dragon, creating Black or White Kyurem. Defeat it and Ghetsis to free the dragon, then catch Kyurem.
- The LeagueChampion Iris (Dragon types) waits at the end.
Gym Leaders
The League
After the credits
- Pokémon World Tournament, Black Tower (Black 2) or White Treehollow (White 2).
- Visit N’s Castle and meet N one last time.
- Catch legendaries from Hoenn and Sinnoh hidden around Unova, such as the Regis, Latias or Latios, the Lake Guardians and Heatran.
KalosX & Y · 2013
Before you start
- Fletchling (Route 2) evolves into Talonflame and handles the Bug and Grass Gyms.
- You receive your Mega Ring and a Lucario from Korrina at the Tower of Mastery: the Mega Evolution tutorial.
- Kalos is generous with Exp. Share (it gives Exp. to the whole team), so you will out-level most fights. Turn it off for a tougher run.
Step by step
- Vaniville and AquacordeYour friends Shauna, Tierno and Trevor bring your first Pokémon; your neighbour is your rival.
- Santalune CityViola’s Bug team falls to Fire, Flying and Rock.
- Lumiose CityProfessor Sycamore gives you Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle. Lumiose is huge: Clemont’s Gym is locked for now.
- Cyllage CityGet a fossil (Tyrunt or Amaura) at the Glittering Cave. Grant’s Rock team falls to Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground and Steel.
- Shalour CityKorrina (Fighting) battles you before and after giving you the Mega Ring. Use Flying, Psychic or Fairy.
- Coumarine and LumioseRamos (Grass) falls to Fire and Flying; then Clemont (Electric) falls to Ground.
- Laverre and AnistarValerie (Fairy) falls to Poison and Steel; Olympia (Psychic) falls to Bug, Ghost and Dark.
- Team FlareStorm Lysandre Labs and the Geosenge Town base. The ultimate weapon rises; catch Xerneas (X) or Yveltal (Y).
- Snowbelle City and the LeagueWulfric (Ice) falls to Fire, Fighting, Rock and Steel. Then the Elite Four and Champion Diantha.
Gym Leaders
The League
After the credits
- Looker’s detective missions in Lumiose City.
- Zygarde in Terminus Cave, Mewtwo in the Unknown Dungeon and the Kanto birds.
- Battle AZ after the credits, and his Floette finally returns to him.
Lumiose CityLegends: Z-A and the Mega Dimension DLC · 2025
Before you start
- Battles are real-time: you move your trainer, and moves have cooldowns. Dodge, keep your distance, and use Mega Evolution when your Mega gauge is full.
- At night the Battle Zones open, where Z-A Royale trainers fight. Earn points and a Challenger’s Ticket to unlock each promotion match.
- Rogue Mega Evolutions are boss fights. Dodge their big attacks and hit them with type advantage while they recover.
Step by step
- Welcome to LumioseA Pancham runs off with your bag. Escape your first night-time Battle Zone with Taunie/Urbain, then move into Hotel Z with Team MZ.
- Rank Z to VEnter the Z-A Royale and climb through promotion matches against Yvon, Xavi and Rintaro, while Taunie/Urbain shows you the city.
- Mega EvolutionA mysterious Pokémon leads you on, and you learn about Mega Rings and Mega Stones. Your first Rogue Mega fights: Slowbro, Camerupt and Victreebel.
- Canari, Ivor and GwynnBeat the streamer Canari for Rank E, handle Rogue Mega Beedrill, Hawlucha and Banette, then find Ivor’s missing sister Gwynn before your Rank D match against Ivor.
- The Rust SyndicateWork off a debt for Corbeau’s Rust Syndicate (Rogue Mega Mawile, Barbaracle and Ampharos), then beat Corbeau himself for Rank C.
- Jacinthe and the SBCThree more Rogue Megas (Froslass, Altaria, Venusaur), then Jacinthe for Rank B.
- Rank ARogue Mega Dragonite, Tyranitar and Starmie, then track down the elusive Grisham for Rank A.
- Prism Tower’s dark turnA strange light from Prism Tower: the machine Ange goes rogue and fuses with Mega Floette. Work with everyone you’ve met in Operation Protect Lumiose, and fight alongside Zygarde, which Mega Evolves to end it.
- After the storyThe Infinite Z-A Royale, then the threats of “the one that gives” (Xerneas) with ex-Team Flare member Mable, “the one that takes” (Yveltal) with Grisham and Vinnie, and a final choice with Zygarde.
- Mega Dimension (DLC)Survey Hyperspace Lumiose with Ansha and her Hoopa for the Rust Syndicate, stop the distortion from swallowing the city, then meet Rayquaza, Groudon and Kyogre beyond the emerald, ruby and sapphire distortions.
Rogue Mega Evolutions, in story order
After the credits
- Catch Eternal Flower Floette and its Mega Stone from your rival in the Infinite Z-A Royale.
- Mega Dimension raises the level cap above 100 for the first time in the series and adds new Megas such as Mega Chimecho and Mega Baxcalibur.
AlolaSun & Moon · Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon · 2016–2017
Before you start
- There are no Gyms. Each trial ends with a Totem Pokémon that calls allies and has boosted stats. Each island ends with a grand trial against the Kahuna, which gives you a Z-Crystal.
- Z-Moves are a once-per-battle super attack. A super-effective Z-Move can take out a Totem in one hit.
- Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon swap some Totems (Araquanid, Alolan Marowak, Togedemaru, and a Fairy trial with Ribombee) and add Ultra Necrozma, the toughest story fight in years. Bring Dark, Ghost, Ice or Fairy moves.
Step by step
- Melemele IslandPick your Pokémon from Kahuna Hala and meet Lillie and her Cosmog. Clear Ilima’s trial in Verdant Cavern (Totem Gumshoos or Alolan Raticate), then Hala’s grand trial.
- Akala IslandLana’s Water trial (Totem Wishiwashi), Kiawe’s Fire trial (Totem Salazzle) and Mallow’s Grass trial (Totem Lurantis), then Olivia’s grand trial. You visit Aether Paradise on the way to the next island.
- Ula’ula IslandSophocles’s Electric trial (Totem Vikavolt) and Acerola’s Ghost trial (Totem Mimikyu). Raid Po Town and Guzma’s mansion, then Nanu’s grand trial.
- Aether ParadiseTeam Skull and Lusamine kidnap Lillie and Cosmog. Rescue her with Gladion and Hau.
- Poni IslandHapu becomes Poni’s Kahuna and gives you its grand trial. Clear Vast Poni Canyon (Totem Kommo-o), wake Cosmog as Solgaleo or Lunala at the Altar, and follow Lusamine into Ultra Space.
- Mount LanakilaKukui’s brand-new League. Beat the Elite Four, then the final challenger to become Alola’s first Champion.
Island Kahunas
The League
After the credits
- Hunt Ultra Beasts with Looker and Anabel (Sun & Moon), or fight Team Rainbow Rocket (Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon).
- Battle Tree: team up with, or against, Red and Blue.
- Catch Tapu Koko, Necrozma and the other Tapus.
GalarSword & Shield, The Isle of Armor & The Crown Tundra · 2019–2020
Before you start
- Gym Leaders Dynamax their ace for the final three turns. Save your own Dynamax for the same moment.
- Version differences: Bea (Fighting) and Gordie (Rock) in Sword; Allister (Ghost) and Melony (Ice) in Shield.
- Opal quizzes you during her Gym mission and her battle: right answers boost your Pokémon, wrong ones lower its stats.
Step by step
- Postwick and WedgehurstChampion Leon gives you and his brother Hop your first Pokémon. A trip into the misty Slumbering Weald goes wrong.
- The Wild Area and MotostokeCross the open Wild Area (Max Raid Battles here). At the opening ceremony, Chairman Rose welcomes the Gym challengers.
- Turffield and HulburyMilo’s Grass Gym (sheep-herding trial), then Nessa’s Water Gym (switch puzzle).
- Motostoke GymKabu’s Fire Gym. Water, Rock and Ground win it.
- Stow-on-Side and BallonleaBea or Allister, then Opal’s Fairy Gym with its quiz.
- Circhester and SpikemuthGordie or Melony, then Piers and Team Yell in Spikemuth, where there is no Dynamax at all.
- Hammerlocke and the Champion CupRaihan fights Double Battles with weather. In Wyndon, the semi-finals pit you against Marnie and Hop. Bede crashes the finals, and then you face Nessa, Bea or Allister, and Raihan at full strength.
- The Darkest DayOn the day of your title match, Rose wakes Eternatus. Climb Rose Tower and the Energy Plant, and with Hop and the legendary heroes catch Eternatus. Then face the unbeaten Champion Leon.
Gym Leaders
The League
After the credits
- Sordward and Shielbert’s scheme, then catch Zacian or Zamazenta in the Slumbering Weald.
- The Isle of Armor: train Kubfu with Mustard. The Crown Tundra: Calyrex, the Regis and Dynamax Adventures.
- The Battle Tower and the Galarian Star Tournament.
PaldeaScarlet & Violet, The Teal Mask & The Indigo Disk · 2022–2023
Before you start
- Do the three stories by level, mixing them as you go: Cortondo (Katy) and the Stony Cliff Titan first, then Artazon and the Open Sky Titan, then Team Star’s Dark crew.
- Gym Leaders Terastallize their ace into their Gym’s type, so plan for that type even if the Pokémon normally has another.
- Titans give Arven’s Herba Mystica, which upgrades your Koraidon/Miraidon: dash, swim, jump, glide and climb.
Step by step
- Naranja/Uva AcademyDirector Clavell gives you your first Pokémon, and you meet the legendary Koraidon (Scarlet) or Miraidon (Violet). Your rival Nemona is the student Champion.
- Victory Road (Gyms)Eight Gyms, each with a Gym Test first. Recommended order below.
- Path of Legends (Titans)With Arven: Stony Cliff (Klawf, Lv. 16), Open Sky (Bombirdier, Lv. 20), Lurking Steel (Orthworm, Lv. 29), Quaking Earth (Great Tusk or Iron Treads, Lv. 45), False Dragon (Dondozo & Tatsugiri, Lv. 57).
- Starfall Street (Team Star)Beat 30 Pokémon in 10 minutes using auto-battle, then the boss and their Starmobile: Giacomo (Dark, Lv. 21), Mela (Fire, Lv. 27), Atticus (Poison, Lv. 33), Ortega (Fairy, Lv. 51), Eri (Fighting, Lv. 56).
- The Pokémon LeagueAn interview, the Elite Four in a fixed order, then Top Champion Geeta, then your champion battle with Nemona.
- The Way HomeWith Arven, Nemona and Penny, descend into Area Zero. Find the four research stations, unlock the Zero Lab and face what waits there.
- The Teal Mask (DLC)A school trip to Kitakami with Carmine and Kieran: the festival, Ogerpon and the Loyal Three.
- The Indigo Disk (DLC)Exchange to Blueberry Academy, climb the BB League, and go into the Area Zero Underdepths to meet Terapagos.
Gym Leaders
The League
After the credits
- The Academy Ace Tournament, rematches, and Tera Raids up to 6 stars (plus 7-star events).
- Catch the Treasures of Ruin by pulling the coloured stakes.
- Snacksworth’s legendaries (The Indigo Disk) and the Mochi Mayhem epilogue with Pecharunt.
Trainer guides
The rules every game shares: types, Natures, IVs and EVs, breeding, shiny hunting and evolution.
Type matchup calculator
Pick a Pokémon’s type (one or two) to see its weaknesses, or switch to an attacking move. Uses the chart from X & Y onward.
Pick a type above.
Show the full 18 × 18 type chart
| Attack ↓ · Defend → | Nor | Fir | Wat | Ele | Gra | Ice | Fig | Poi | Gro | Fly | Psy | Bug | Roc | Gho | Dra | Dar | Ste | Fai |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | ½ | 0 | ½ | |||||||||||||||
| Fire | ½ | ½ | 2 | 2 | 2 | ½ | ½ | 2 | ||||||||||
| Water | 2 | ½ | ½ | 2 | 2 | ½ | ||||||||||||
| Electric | 2 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 2 | ½ | ||||||||||||
| Grass | ½ | 2 | ½ | ½ | 2 | ½ | ½ | 2 | ½ | ½ | ||||||||
| Ice | ½ | ½ | 2 | ½ | 2 | 2 | 2 | ½ | ||||||||||
| Fighting | 2 | 2 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ½ | |||||||
| Poison | 2 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Ground | 2 | 2 | ½ | 2 | 0 | ½ | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| Flying | ½ | 2 | 2 | 2 | ½ | ½ | ||||||||||||
| Psychic | 2 | 2 | ½ | 0 | ½ | |||||||||||||
| Bug | ½ | 2 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2 | ½ | 2 | ½ | ½ | ||||||||
| Rock | 2 | 2 | ½ | ½ | 2 | 2 | ½ | |||||||||||
| Ghost | 0 | 2 | 2 | ½ | ||||||||||||||
| Dragon | 2 | ½ | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Dark | ½ | 2 | 2 | ½ | ½ | |||||||||||||
| Steel | ½ | ½ | ½ | 2 | 2 | ½ | 2 | |||||||||||
| Fairy | ½ | 2 | ½ | 2 | 2 | ½ |
Rows attack, columns defend. 2 = super effective, ½ = not very effective, 0 = no effect, blank = normal.
How Pokémon stats work
- IVs
- Hidden genes from 0 to 31 in each stat, fixed when the Pokémon is created. Judges in later games rate them, and Hyper Training with Bottle Caps raises them to 31 at Lv. 50 or 100.
- EVs
- Points earned from battles and vitamins. Up to 252 per stat and 510 total. At Lv. 100, every 4 EVs add 1 point to a stat. Each defeated Pokémon gives fixed EVs (for example Zubat gives Speed).
- Natures
- Raise one stat by 10% and lower another by 10% (five Natures are neutral). From Sword & Shield on, Mints change the stat effect.
- Abilities
- Each Pokémon has one or two regular Abilities and sometimes a Hidden Ability. Ability Capsules and Patches switch between them.
- Breeding
- Two compatible Pokémon (or anything with Ditto) make an Egg of the mother’s species. Destiny Knot passes 5 IVs from the parents; an Everstone passes the Nature. Egg moves come from the parents.
- Catching
- Lower HP, a status condition (sleep and freeze work best) and the right ball help. Quick Balls on turn one and Dusk Balls at night or in caves are the classic choices.
Every way to evolve
- Level up
- The classic. Some need a minimum level plus a condition, like Tyrogue’s stats or Galarian Yamask’s damage taken.
- Stones
- Fire, Water, Thunder, Leaf, Moon, Sun, Shiny, Dusk, Dawn and Ice Stones. Eevee alone uses five of them in newer games.
- Trade
- Kadabra, Machoke, Graveler and Haunter evolve when traded; others need a held item during the trade (Onix + Metal Coat → Steelix). Legends: Arceus replaces trading with a Linking Cord item.
- Friendship
- Level up with high friendship (Golbat, Chansey, Riolu, Eevee to Espeon or Umbreon by time of day).
- Time and place
- Day or night (Rockruff), near special rocks or magnetic areas (Eevee, Magneton), or in certain weather (Sliggoo in rain). Newer games swap some of the places for stones.
- Moves
- Level up knowing a move: Piloswine, Yanma and Tangela with Ancient Power, or Eevee into Sylveon with a Fairy move and high affection.
- Strange ones
- Turn the console upside down (Inkay), land three critical hits in one battle (Galarian Farfetch’d), collect 999 coins (Gimmighoul), walk 1,000 steps with Let’s Go (Pawmo), or spin around holding a sweet (Milcery).
Natures at a glance
Each row raises a stat by 10% and each column lowers one. The diagonal is neutral.
| −Attack | −Defense | −Speed | −Sp. Atk | −Sp. Def | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +Attack | Hardyneutral | Lonely | Brave | Adamant | Naughty |
| +Defense | Bold | Docileneutral | Relaxed | Impish | Lax |
| +Speed | Timid | Hasty | Seriousneutral | Jolly | Naive |
| +Sp. Atk | Modest | Mild | Quiet | Bashfulneutral | Rash |
| +Sp. Def | Calm | Gentle | Sassy | Careful | Quirkyneutral |
