What is Pokémon?

What is Pokémon? It’s hard to believe that someone has no knowledge of Pokémon, even if it’s just knowing that your kid likes collecting the cards, watching the show, or playing the games. Still, there’s a lot to know about the sensational franchise, so let’s take a look at its history, the number of games it has, the different types of Pokémon, the movies, and more.

Before we set off on a quest to be a Pokémon master, be sure to learn all about the creature collecting series with our positively packed Pokédex of premium guides. Speaking of which, you need to know how to evolve certain Pokémon to 100% your Pokédex, so make sure you read our Scyther evolution, Misdreavus evolution, Buneary evolution, and Gloom evolution guides. We have plenty more where that came from, too.

Here’s what you need to know about Pokémon:

What is Pokémon?

Pokémon – otherwise known as Pocket Monsters in Japan – is a creature-collecting videogame series. Published by Nintendo and developed by Game Freak, the very first Pokémon games – Red and Green – came out in Japan on February 27, 1996, for the Game Boy, with the Blue version following on October 15 of that year.

In the West it took another two years for the Pokémon games to arrive, with Blue and Red releasing in the US on September 28, 1998, and the European launch following a week later on October 8. As for the iconic Pokémon Yellow, that game came out in Japan on September 12, 1998, arriving in the US on October 19, 1999, and Europe on June 16, 2000.

These games launched alongside the Pokémon anime series and the Pokémon Trading Card Game, creating what we now know as the Pokémon media empire. Across multiple formats, the ethos of Pokémon is “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” as players work to complete the Pokédex and catalog every single Pokémon available in each game.

Today, there are nine different generations of games and a whole bunch of spin-offs across an array of platforms, many movies, a bunch of TV shows, and an abundance of trading cards – we’re talking thousands, with many ‘mon having multiple different cards. Pokémon is one of the top three earning media franchises in the world, with an estimated accumulated wealth of $98.8 billion since its debut, putting it ahead of Star Wars, Marvel, Barbie, and even Mickey Mouse.

Of all that money, the various Pokémon mobile games – Pokémon Go, Pokémon Masters Ex, etc – are responsible for $6.1 billion. The movies, meanwhile, account for almost $1.2 billion.

How many Pokémon are there?

There are 1,025 Pokémon so far, though that number is sure to increase when the tenth generation arrives. You also have an additional 59 regional forms, 48 mega evolutions, 32 gigantamax Pokémon, and multiple Pokémon that naturally have different forms, such as the Unown forms that spell the alphabet.

How many Pokémon types are there?

There are 18 different Pokémon types, of which fairy is the most recent, debuting in generation six ( the Nintendo 3DS games, X and Y). To help you more, we have listed the different types and links to our respective guides about them below.

Pokémon types are fascinating to learn about, all of them boasting different strengths and weaknesses. To have the best shot at becoming a Pokémon master, you need to know the ins and outs of each type, which is why we have guides detailing their strengths, weaknesses, and resistances below.

• Water Pokémon weakness
• Fairy Pokémon weakness
• Dark Pokémon weakness
• Dragon Pokémon weakness
• Ice Pokémon weakness
• Electric Pokémon weakness
• Fire Pokémon weakness
• Normal Pokémon weakness
• Ghost Pokémon weakness
• Steel Pokémon weakness
• Ground Pokémon weakness
• Rock Pokémon weakness
• Psychic Pokémon weakness
• Bug Pokémon weakness
• Poison Pokémon weakness
• Flying Pokémon weakness
• Fighting Pokémon weakness
• Grass Pokémon weakness

How many Pokémon generations are there?

There are nine generations of Pokémon, each one adding new pocket monsters to the ever-growing Pokédex while also taking you to a new region each time – all of these are inspired by real-life locations, including Japan, North America, the UK, and most recently, Spain. Below, we tell you the names of all the regions and games for each generation.

We can offer more detail on each region in our full Pokémon regions guide, covering information such as their real-life influences. The most recent region is Paldea, a beautiful place influenced by the Spanish countryside.

How many Pokémon games are there?

There are 38 mainline Pokémon games, including different versions of each, such as Pokémon Green Version, Pokémon Platinum, and Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. This does not include the DLC expansions added to Pokémon Sword and Shield or the DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

To learn which of the many games is worth your time, be sure to check out our guide to the best Pokémon games. Oh, and make sure you check out our new Pokémon game guide to stay up to date with all of the latest news surrounding a Pokémon Legends: Z-A release date.

How many episodes of the Pokémon anime are there?

The Pokémon anime currently has 1,269 episodes. These range from the original series debuting on April 1, 1997, to the current season called Pokémon Horizons.

How many Pokémon movies are there?

Pokémon has 24 animated movies and one live-action. The most recent movie is Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, starring the mythical Pokémon Zarude. You can find each film listed below, alongside its original release date in Japan and North America.

And that, dear trainers, concludes the answer to that all-important question: what is Pokémon? If you’re getting ready to dive into the games, be sure to check out our guides to the strongest Pokémon and Shellder’s evolution.