Pokémon,[a][1][2][3] also known as Pocket Monsters[b] in Japan, is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, a company founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. The franchise was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995,[4] and is centered on fictional creatures called "Pokémon". In Pokémon, humans, known as Pokémon Trainers, catch and train Pokémon to battle other Pokémon for sport. Games, shows and other works within the franchise are set in the Pokémon universe. The English slogan for the franchise is "Gotta Catch ‘Em All!".[5][6]
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The franchise began as Pocket Monsters: Red and Green (later released outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue), a pair of video games for the original Game Boy handheld system that were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo in February 1996. It soon became a media mix franchise adapted into various different media.[7] Pokémon has since become the highest-grossing media franchise of all time. The original video game series is the second-best-selling video game franchise (behind Nintendo's Mario franchise)[8] with more than 368 million copies sold[9] and one billion mobile downloads[clarification needed],[10] and it spawned[clarification needed] a hit anime television series that has become the most successful video game adaptation[11] with over 20 seasons and 1,000 episodes in 169 countries.[9] In addition, the Pokémon franchise includes the world's top-selling toy brand,[12] the top-selling trading card game[13] with over 30.4 billion cards sold,[9] an anime film series, a live-action film (Detective Pikachu), books, manga comics, music, merchandise, and a theme park(Poképark). The franchise is also represented in other Nintendo media, such as the Super Smash Bros. series, where various Pokémon characters are playable.
In November 2005, 4Kids Entertainment, which had managed the non-game related licensing of Pokémon, announced that it had agreed not to renew the Pokémon representation agreement. The Pokémon Company International oversees all Pokémon licensing outside Asia.[14] In 2006, the franchise celebrated its tenth anniversary.[15] In 2016, the Pokémon Company celebrated Pokémon's 20th anniversary by airing an ad during Super Bowl 50 in January and re-releasing the first Pokémon video games 1996 Game Boy games Pokémon Red, Green (only in Japan), and Blue, and the 1998 Game Boy Color game Pokémon Yellow for the Nintendo 3DS on February 26, 2016.[16][17] The mobile augmented reality game Pokémon Go was released in July 2016.[18] The first live-action film in the franchise, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, based on the 2018 Nintendo 3DS spin-off game Detective Pikachu, was released in 2019.[19] The most recently released core series games, Pokémon Sword and Shield, that were released worldwide on the Nintendo Switch on November 15, 2019.
In celebration of its 25th anniversary in 2021, the upcoming core series games, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be released in late 2021, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus in early 2022, both for the Nintendo Switch.[20] They are remakes and a premake[21] of the 2006 Nintendo DS games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, respectively.
Contents
1 Name
2 Concept
2.1 Gameplay of Pokémon
2.2 Pokémon universe
3 Video games
3.1 Generations
3.2 List of Pokémon main series video games
4 In other media
4.1 Anime series
4.2 Films
4.2.1 Pokémon: Original Series
4.2.2 Pokémon: Advanced Generation
4.2.3 Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl
4.2.4 Pokémon: Black & White
4.2.5 Pokémon: XY
4.2.6 Pokémon: Sun & Moon (Alternate continuity)
4.2.7 Pokémon: Journeys (Alternate continuity)
4.2.8 Live-action film
4.3 Soundtracks
4.4 Pokémon Trading Card Game
4.5 Manga
4.6 Monopoly
5 Criticism and controversy
5.1 Morality and religious beliefs
5.2 Animal cruelty
5.3 Health
5.4 Monster in My Pocket
5.5 Pokémon Go
6 Cultural influence
6.1 Fan community
7 Notes
8 References
9 External links
Name
The name Pokémon is a syllabic abbreviation of the Japanese brand Pocket Monsters.[22] The term "Pokémon", in addition to referring to the Pokémon franchise itself, also collectively refers to the 898 fictional species that have made appearances in Pokémon media as of the release of the eighth generation titles Pokémon Sword and Shield. "Pokémon" is identical in the singular and plural, as is each individual species name; it is and would be grammatically correct to say "one Pokémon" and "many Pokémon", as well as "one Pikachu" and "many Pikachu".[23]
Concept
See also: Gameplay of Pokémon, List of Pokémon, and Pokémon universe
Gameplay of Pokémon
Gameplay of a Pokémon battle between an Ivysaur and Pikachu in Pokémon Red and Blue
Pokémon executive director Satoshi Tajiri first thought of Pokémon, albeit with a different concept and name, around 1989, when the Game Boy was released. The concept of the Pokémon universe, in both the video games and the general fictional world of Pokémon, stems from the hobby of insect collecting, a popular pastime which Tajiri enjoyed as a child.[24] Players are designated as Pokémon Trainers and have three general goals: to complete the regional Pokédex by collecting all of the available Pokémon species found in the fictional region where a game takes place, to complete the national Pokédex by transferring Pokémon from other regions, and to train a team of powerful Pokémon from those they have caught to compete against teams owned by other Trainers so they may eventually win the Pokémon League and become the regional Champion. These themes of collecting, training, and battling are present in almost every version of the Pokémon franchise, including the video games, the anime and manga series, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
In most incarnations of the Pokémon universe, a Trainer who encounters a wild Pokémon is able to capture that Pokémon by throwing a specially designed, mass-producible spherical tool called a Poké Ball at it. If the Pokémon is unable to escape the confines of the Poké Ball, it is considered to be under the ownership of that Trainer. Afterwards, it will obey whatever commands it receives from its new Trainer, unless the Trainer demonstrates such a lack of experience that the Pokémon would rather act on its own accord. Trainers can send out any of their Pokémon to wage non-lethal battles against other Pokémon; if the opposing Pokémon is wild, the Trainer can capture that Pokémon with a Poké Ball, increasing their collection of creatures. In Pokémon Go, and in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, wild Pokémon encountered by players can be caught in Poké Balls, but generally cannot be battled. Pokémon already owned by other Trainers cannot be captured, except under special circumstances in certain side games. If a Pokémon fully defeats an opponent in battle so that the opponent is knocked out ("faints"), the winning Pokémon gains experience points and may level up. Beginning with Pokémon X and Y, experience points are also gained from catching Pokémon in Poké Balls. When leveling up, the Pokémon's battling aptitude statistics ("stats", such as "Attack" and "Speed") increase. At certain levels, the Pokémon may also learn new moves, which are techniques used in battle. In addition, many species of Pokémon can undergo a form of metamorphosis and transform into a similar but stronger species of Pokémon, a process called evolution; this process occurs spontaneously under differing circumstances, and is itself a central theme of the series. Some species of Pokémon may undergo a maximum of two evolutionary transformations, while others may undergo only one, and others may not evolve at all. For example, the Pokémon Pichu may evolve into Pikachu, which in turn may evolve into Raichu, following which no further evolutions may occur. Pokémon X and Y introduced the concept of "Mega Evolution," by which certain fully evolved Pokémon may temporarily undergo an additional evolution into a stronger form for the purpose of battling; this evolution is considered a special case, and unlike other evolutionary stages, is reversible.
In the main series, each game's single-player mode requires the Trainer to raise a team of Pokémon to defeat many non-player character (NPC) Trainers and their Pokémon. Each game lays out a somewhat linear path through a specific region of the Pokémon world for the Trainer to journey through, completing events and battling opponents along the way (including foiling the plans of an 'evil' team of Pokémon Trainers who serve as antagonists to the player). Excluding Pokémon Sun and Moon and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the games feature eight powerful Trainers, referred to as Gym Leaders, that the Trainer must defeat in order to progress. As a reward, the Trainer receives a Gym Badge, and once all eight badges are collected, the Trainer is eligible to challenge the region's Pokémon League, where four talented trainers (referred to collectively as the "Elite Four") challenge the Trainer to four Pokémon battles in succession. If the trainer can overcome this gauntlet, they must challenge the Regional Champion, the master Trainer who had previously defeated the Elite Four. Any Trainer who wins this last battle becomes the new champion.
Pokémon universe
Pokémon is set in the fictional Pokemon universe. There are numerous regions that have appeared in the various media of the Pokémon franchise. There are 8 main series regions set in the main series games: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar. Each of the eight generations of the main series releases focuses on a new region. Every region consists of several cities and towns that the player must explore in order to overcome many waiting challenges, such as Gyms, Contests and villainous teams. At different locations within each region, the player can find different types of Pokémon, as well as helpful items and characters. Different regions are not accessible from one another at all within a single game, only with the exception of Kanto and Johto being linked together in Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver versions. There are also regions set in spinoff games and two islands in the Pokémon anime (Orange Islands and Decolore Islands), all still set within the same fictional universe.
Each main series region in the Pokémon universe is based on a real world location. The first 4 introduced regions (Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh) are based on parts of Japan, with later regions being based on parts of the United States (Unova and Alola), France (Kalos) and the United Kingdom (Galar).[25]
Pokemon world in relation to the real world
Pokémon region Real world location basis
Kanto
Sevii Islands
Kantō, Japan
Izu Islands & Bonin Islands, Japan
Johto Kansai, Japan
Hoenn Kyushu, Japan
Sinnoh
Battle Zone
Hokkaido, Japan
Sakhalin, Russia
Unova New York City, United States
Kalos France
Alola Hawaii, United States
Galar
Isle of Armor
Crown Tundra
United Kingdom
Isle of Man, United Kingdom
Scotland, United Kingdom
Video games
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Main articles: Pokémon (video game series) and List of Pokémon video games
Generations
See also: Timeline of Pokémon
Core series release timeline
1996 Red and Green
Blue
1997
1998 Yellow
Red and Blue
1999 Gold and Silver
2000 Crystal
2001
2002 Ruby and Sapphire
2003
2004 FireRed and LeafGreen
Emerald
2005
2006 Diamond and Pearl
2007
2008 Platinum
2009 HeartGold and SoulSilver
2010 Black and White
2011
2012 Black 2 and White 2
2013 X and Y
2014 Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
2015
2016 Sun and Moon
2017 Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
2018 Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
2019 Sword and Shield
2020
2021 Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
2022 Legends: Arceus
A rival battle between a Bulbasaur and a Charmander in Pokémon Red and Blue.[26]
All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by the Pokémon Company International are divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological divisions by release; every several years, when a sequel to the 1996 role-playing video games Pokémon Red and Green is released that features new Pokémon, characters, and gameplay concepts, that sequel is considered the start of a new generation of the franchise. The main Pokémon video games and their spin-offs, the anime, manga, and trading card game are all updated with the new Pokémon properties each time a new generation begins.[27] Some Pokémon from the newer games appear in anime episodes or films months, or even years, before the game they were programmed for came out. The first generation began in Japan with Pokémon Red and Green on the Game Boy. As of 2021, there are eight generations of main series video games. The most recent games in the main series, Pokémon Sword and Shield, began the eighth and latest generation and were released worldwide for the Nintendo Switch on November 15, 2019.[28][29][30] The upcoming core series games, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be released in late 2021, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus in early 2022, both for the Nintendo Switch.[20] They are remakes and a premake[21] of the 2006 Nintendo DS games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, respectively.
List of Pokémon main series video games
Generation Title Release date System
Generation I
1996–1999
Kanto region
Pocket Monsters: Red and Green February 27, 1996JP Game Boy
Pocket Monsters: Blue October 15, 1996JP
Pokémon Red and Blue September 28, 1998NA
October 23, 1998AUS
October 5, 1999EU
Pokémon Yellow September 12, 1998JP
October 19, 1999NA
September 3, 1999AUS
June 16, 2000EU
Generation II
1999–2002
Johto region
Kanto region
Pokémon Gold and Silver November 21, 1999JP
October 13, 2000AUS
October 14, 2000NA
April 6, 2001EU
April 23, 2002KO Game Boy Color
Pokémon Crystal December 14, 2000JP
July 29, 2001NA
September 30, 2001AUS
November 2, 2001EU
Generation III
2002–2006
Hoenn region
Kanto region
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire November 21, 2002JP
March 18, 2003NA
April 3, 2003AUS
July 25, 2003EU Game Boy Advance
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen January 29, 2004JP
September 7, 2004NA
September 23, 2004AUS
October 1, 2004EU
Pokémon Emerald September 16, 2004JP
April 30, 2005NA
June 9, 2005AUS
October 21, 2005EU
Generation IV
2006–2010
Sinnoh region
Johto region
Kanto region
Pokémon Diamond and Pearl September 28, 2006JP
April 22, 2007NA
June 21, 2007AUS
July 27, 2007EU
February 14, 2008KO Nintendo DS
Pokémon Platinum September 13, 2008JP
March 22, 2009NA
May 14, 2009AUS
May 22, 2009EU
July 2, 2009KO
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver September 12, 2009JP
February 4, 2010KO
March 14, 2010NA
March 25, 2010AUS
March 26, 2010EU
Generation V
2010–2013
Unova region
Pokémon Black and White September 18, 2010JP
March 4, 2011EU
March 6, 2011NA
March 10, 2011AUS
April 21, 2011KO
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 June 23, 2012JP
October 7, 2012NA
October 11, 2012AUS
October 12, 2012EU
Generation VI
2013–2016
Kalos region
Hoenn region
Pokémon X and Y October 12, 2013WW Nintendo 3DS
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire November 21, 2014JP, NA, AUS
November 28, 2014EU
Generation VII
2016–2019
Alola region
Kanto region
Pokémon Sun and Moon November 18, 2016JP, NA, AUS
November 23, 2016EU
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon November 17, 2017WW
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! November 16, 2018WW Nintendo Switch
Generation VIII
2019–present
Galar region
Sinnoh region
Pokémon Sword and Shield November 15, 2019WW[31][32]
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Late 2021
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Early 2022
In other media
Anime series
Main articles: Pokémon (anime) and List of Pokémon episodes
Release timeline
1997 Indigo League
1998
1999 Adventures in the Orange Islands
The Johto Journeys
2000 Johto League Champions
2001 Master Quest
2002 Advanced
2003 Advanced Challenge
2004 Advanced Battle
2005 Battle Frontier
2006 Diamond and Pearl
2007 Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension
2008 Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles
2009
2010 Diamond and Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors
Black & White
2011 Black & White: Rival Destinies
2012 Black & White: Adventures in Unova
2013 Black & White: Adventures in Unova and Beyond
XY
2014 XY: Kalos Quest
2015 XYZ
2016 Sun and Moon
2017 Sun & Moon: Ultra Adventures
2018 Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends
2019 Journeys
Season Title Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 Indigo League 82 April 1, 1997 January 21, 1999
2 Adventures in the Orange Islands 36 January 28, 1999 October 7, 1999
3 The Johto Journeys 41 October 14, 1999 July 27, 2000
4 Johto League Champions 52 August 3, 2000 August 2, 2001
5 Master Quest 65 August 9, 2001 November 14, 2002
6 Advanced 40 November 21, 2002 August 28, 2003
7 Advanced Challenge 52 September 4, 2003 September 2, 2004
8 Advanced Battle 54 September 9, 2004 September 29, 2005
9 Battle Frontier 47 October 6, 2005 September 14, 2006
10 Diamond and Pearl 52 September 28, 2006 October 25, 2007
11 Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension 52 November 8, 2007 December 4, 2008
12 Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles 53 December 4, 2008 December 24, 2009
13 Diamond and Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors 34 January 7, 2010 September 9, 2010
14 Black & White 50 September 23, 2010 September 15, 2011
15 Black & White: Rival Destinies 49 September 22, 2011 October 4, 2012
16 Black & White: Adventures in Unova 45 25 October 11, 2012 April 18, 2013
Black & White: Adventures in Unova and Beyond 20 April 25, 2013 September 26, 2013
17 XY 48 October 17, 2013 October 30, 2014
18 XY: Kalos Quest 45 November 13, 2014 October 22, 2015
19 XYZ 47 October 29, 2015 October 27, 2016
20 Sun & Moon 43 November 17, 2016 September 21, 2017
21 Sun & Moon: Ultra Adventures 49 October 5, 2017 October 14, 2018
22 Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends 54 October 21, 2018 November 3, 2019
23 Journeys 63 November 17, 2019 TBA
Pokémon, also known as Pokémon the Series to Western audiences since the year 2013, is an anime television series based on the Pokémon video game series. It was originally broadcast on TV Tokyo in 1997. More than 1,000 episodes of the anime has been produced and aired, divided into 7 series in Japan and 22 seasons internationally. It is one of the longest currently running anime series.[33]
The anime follows the quest of the main character, Ash Ketchum (known as Satoshi in Japan), a Pokémon Master in training, as he and a small group of friends travel around the world of Pokémon along with their Pokémon partners.[34]
Various children's books, collectively known as Pokémon Junior, are also based on the anime.[35]
A new seven part anime series called Pokémon: Twilight Wings aired on YouTube in 2020.[36] The series was animated by Studio Colorido.[37]
Films
Main article: List of Pokémon films
Release timeline
1998 Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back
1999 Pokémon: The Movie 2000 - The Power of One
2000 Pokémon 3: The Movie - Spell of the Unown
2001 Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi - Voice of the Forest
2002 Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias
2003 Jirachi—Wish Maker
2004 Destiny Deoxys
2005 Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
2006 Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
2007 The Rise of Darkrai
2008 Giratina and the Sky Warrior
2009 Arceus and the Jewel of Life
2010 Zoroark—Master of Illusions
2011 White—Victini and Zekrom
Black—Victini and Reshiram
2012 Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice
2013 Genesect and the Legend Awakened
2014 Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction
2015 Hoopa and the Clash of Ages
2016 Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel
2017 I Choose You!
2018 The Power of Us
2019 Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution
2020 Secrets of the Jungle
Release timeline
2019 Pokémon Detective Pikachu
2020
TBA untitled Detective Pikachu sequel
There have been 23 animated theatrical Pokémon films (latest film to be released on December 25, 2020[38]), which have been directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Tetsuo Yajima, and distributed in Japan by Toho since 1998. The pair of films, Pokémon the Movie: Black—Victini and Reshiram and White—Victini and Zekrom are considered together as one film. Collectibles, such as promotional trading cards, have been available with some of the films. Since the 20th film, the films have been set in an alternate continuity separate from the anime series.
List of Pokémon animated theatrical films
Pokémon: Original Series
# English title Japanese title Japanese release date North American release date
1 Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back Mewtwo Strikes Back[39] (ミュウツーの逆襲, Myūtsū no Gyakushū) July 18, 1998 November 10, 1999
2 Pokémon: The Movie 2000 - The Power of One Mirage Pokémon: Lugia's Explosive Birth (幻のポケモン ルギア爆誕, Maboroshi no Pokemon Rugia Bakutan) July 17, 1999 July 21, 2000
3 Pokémon 3: The Movie - Spell of the Unown Emperor of The Crystal Tower: ENTEI (結晶塔の帝王 ENTEI, Kesshōtō no Teiō ENTEI) July 8, 2000 April 6, 2001
4 Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi - Voice of the Forest Celebi: The Meeting that Traversed Time (セレビィ 時を超えた遭遇（であい）, Serebyi Toki o Koeta Deai) July 7, 2001 October 11, 2002
5 Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias Guardian Gods of the Capital of Water: Latias and Latios (水の都の護神 ラティアスとラティオス, Mizu no Miyako no Mamorigami Ratiasu to Ratiosu) July 13, 2002 May 16, 2003
Pokémon: Advanced Generation
# English title Japanese title Japanese release date North American release date
6 Jirachi—Wish Maker Wishing Star of the Seven Nights: Jirachi (七夜の願い星 ジラーチ, Nanayo no Negaiboshi Jirāchi) July 19, 2003 June 1, 2004
7 Destiny Deoxys Visitor from the Sky-Splitting: Deoxys (裂空の訪問者 デオキシス, Rekkū no Hōmonsha Deokishisu) July 17, 2004 January 22, 2005
8 Lucario and the Mystery of Mew Mew and the Aura Hero: Lucario (ミュウと波導（はどう）の勇者 ルカリオ, Myū to Hadō no Yūsha Rukario) July 16, 2005 September 19, 2006
9 Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea The Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea: Manaphy (ポケモンレンジャーと蒼海（うみ）の王子 マナフィ, Pokemon Renjā to Umi no Ōji Manafi) July 15, 2006 March 23, 2007
Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl
# English title Japanese title Japanese release date North American release date
10 The Rise of Darkrai Dialga VS Palkia VS Darkrai (ディアルガVSパルキアVSダークライ, Diaruga Tai Parukia Tai Dākurai) July 14, 2007 February 24, 2008
11 Giratina and the Sky Warrior Giratina and the Bouquet of the Frozen Sky: Shaymin (ギラティナと氷空（そら）の花束 シェイミ, Giratina to Sora no Hanataba Sheimi) July 19, 2008 February 13, 2009
12 Arceus and the Jewel of Life Arceus: To Conquering Space-Time (アルセウス 超克の時空へ, Aruseusu Chōkoku no Jikū e) July 18, 2009 November 20, 2009
13 Zoroark—Master of Illusions Phantom Ruler: Zoroark (幻影の覇者 ゾロアーク, Gen'ei no Hasha Zoroāku) July 10, 2010 February 5, 2011
Pokémon: Black & White
# English title Japanese title Japanese release date North American release date
14A White—Victini and Zekrom Victini and the Black Hero: Zekrom (ビクティニと黒き英雄ゼクロム, Bikutini to Kuroki Eiyū Zekuromu) July 16, 2011 December 10, 2011
14B Black—Victini and Reshiram Victini and the White Hero: Reshiram (ビクティニと白き英雄 レシラム, Bikutini to Shiroki Eiyū Reshiramu) July 16, 2011 December 10, 2011
15 Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice Kyurem vs. the Sacred Swordsman: Keldeo (キュレムVS聖剣士 ケルディオ, Kyuremu tai Seikenshi Kerudio) July 14, 2012 December 8, 2012
16 Genesect and the Legend Awakened ExtremeSpeed Genesect: Mewtwo Awakens (神速のゲノセクト ミュウツー覚醒, Shinsoku no Genosekuto Myūtsū Kakusei) July 13, 2013 October 19, 2013
Pokémon: XY
# English title Japanese title Japanese release date North American release date
17 Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (破壊の繭とディアンシー, Hakai no Mayu to Dianshī) July 19, 2014 November 8, 2014
18 Hoopa and the Clash of Ages The Archdjinni of the Rings: Hoopa (光輪の超魔神 フーパ, Ring no chōmajin Fūpa) July 18, 2015 December 19, 2015
19 Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel Volcanion and the Exquisite Magearna (ボルケニオンと機巧のマギアナ, Borukenion to karakuri no Magiana) July 16, 2016 December 5, 2016
Pokémon: Sun & Moon (Alternate continuity)
A reboot to the film franchise began with the release of the 20th movie, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, in Japan on July 15, 2017. It was followed by a continuation, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us, which was released in Japan on July 13, 2018.
# English title Japanese title Japanese release date North American release date
20 I Choose You! I Choose You! (キミにきめた！, Kimi ni kimeta!) July 15, 2017 November 5, 2017
21 The Power of Us[40] Everyone's Story (みんなの物語, Minna no Monogatari) July 13, 2018 November 24, 2018
22 Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution Mewtwo Strikes Back:Evolution[41] (ミュウツーの逆襲 EVOLUTION, Myūtsū no Gyakushū EVOLUTION) July 12, 2019 February 27, 2020
Pokémon: Journeys (Alternate continuity)
# English title Japanese title Japanese release date North American release date
23 Secrets of the Jungle Pocket Monsters the Movie: Coco (劇場版ポケットモンスター ココ, Gekijō-ban Pokettomonsutā Koko) December 25, 2020[42] 2021[43]
Live-action film
Main article: Detective Pikachu (film)
A live-action Pokémon film directed by Rob Letterman, produced by Legendary Entertainment,[44] and distributed in Japan by Toho and internationally by Warner Bros.[45] began filming in January 2018.[46] On August 24, the film's official title was announced as Pokémon Detective Pikachu.[47] It was released on May 10, 2019.[19] The film is based on the 2018 Nintendo 3DS spin-off video game Detective Pikachu. Development of a sequel was announced in January 2019, before the release of the first film.[48]
Soundtracks
Main article: List of Pokémon theme songs
Pokémon CDs have been released in North America, some of them in conjunction with the theatrical releases of the first three and the 20th Pokémon films. These releases were commonplace until late 2001. On March 27, 2007, a tenth anniversary CD was released containing 18 tracks from the English dub; this was the first English-language release in over five years. Soundtracks of the Pokémon feature films have been released in Japan each year in conjunction with the theatrical releases. In 2017, a soundtrack album featuring music from the North American versions of the 17th through 20th movies was released.
Year Title
June 29, 1999[49] Pokémon 2.B.A. Master
November 9, 1999[50] Pokémon: The First Movie
February 8, 2000
#1
I think the uglyist pokemon TM is gabodor
-1point
#2
I think the ugliest pokemon is Corpfish
-1point
#3
magikarp
-1point