Pokemon
Pokemon
How to catch Ditto, the trickiest Pokemon?
William Davis
Some Pokemon are harder to catch than others, but none is trickiest in Pokemon Go than the elusive Ditto. Ditto is part of Pokemon’s first generation. The number 132 in the National Pokedex, its first appearance was in Pokemon Red and Blue. Ditto is type Normal but this Pokemon is anything but. Ditto is the only Pokemon that can transform into an exact replica of an object or living creature, …
Pokemon
How to get Sylveon in Pokemon Go
William Davis
Pokemon Go has an Eevee evolution for every taste. From the classic Jolteon to the mysterious Umbreon, all are available. One of the most-wanted, however, is Sylveon. Sylveon is one of eight possible Eevee evolutions or Eeveelutions as fans call them. Sylveon is part of Pokemon’s sixth generation and could be first found in Pokemon X and Y. The number 700 in the Pokedex is a fairy type. Despite its …
Pokemon
The best tips and tricks to earn stardust in Pokemon GO
William Davis
Pokemon Go encourages trainers to explore the world around them, visit gyms, take part in combats, and complete their Pokedex. Here is how to obtain the most important resource in the game, Stardust. Stardust is used to power up Pokemon, in combination with candies. Players will earn candies when they catch a Pokemon, transfer it, or walk with it.A trainer will power up their Pokemon in order to be more …
Pokemon
Will Scarlet and Violet have all Pokémon? Here’s what’s confirmed
William Davis
The release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is fast approaching, and it remains unclear if the game will have all Pokemon. The Paldea region will be the stage for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the first installment of Pokemon’s ninth generation. This region is based in the Iberian Peninsula with deserts, mountains, and valleys. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet feature considerable upgrades to the Pokemon universe, like the Terastal Phenomenon and the …
Pokemon
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Gym Leader Iono revealed
William Davis
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have introduced a new Gym Leader, the electric streamer-themed Iono. The highly anticipated Pokémon Scarlet and Violet keep revealing new content about the Paldea region and its habitants. In the most recent trailer, players got to meet Iono. Iono is the leader of Levincia’s gym where she trains Electric-type Pokémon. Iono is a streamer and influencer in Paldea with thousands of followers and fans. Iono dresses …
Pokemon
What is the Terastal Phenomenon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
William Davis
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are bringing the term “shiny” to a new level with the Terastal Phenomenon. The Paldea region, the location for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, keeps innovating with features like the TM Machines and the Terastal Phenomenon. This trait guarantees that Pokémon will not only be prettier, but also stronger. All Pokémon in the Paldea region can Terastallize. When they do, a crown-like Tera Jewel will appear on …
Pokemon
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet introduces new TM Machine
William Davis
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are introducing the TM Machine, a new system to craft Technical Machines. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are two of the most anticipated titles of 2022. The first installment in the ninth generation of Pokémon is taking players to the Paldea region, inspired by the Iberian Peninsula. Like every Pokémon title, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet bring new characters, new Pokémon, and stories for the players. One of …
Pokemon
How to get Ditto in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Steven Rondina
Getting Ditto is important for both IV breeders and shiny hunters, but Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have a new way of acquiring it than in the original DS games. Ditto does not become available in Pokemon BDSP until the Sinnoh Dex has been completed. Unlike in other Pokemon games, this can be done by only seeing the Pokemon versus having to catch them. This means the Pokedex can …
All the Pokemon based on pandas, obvious and subtle
William Davis
Pokemon
Pandas are a frequent inspiration for Pokemon, but fans may not realize just how many there actually are. Despite their rarity, the panda is easily one of the most recognizable animals. These deeply symbolic animals are the crown jewel of zoos all over the world. Pokemon has always taken inspiration from real animals when designing new creatures to catch, and pandas are no exception. Here are three Pokemon with designs …
Is a Dunsparce evolution coming in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Pokemon has long been adding new forms of established Pokemon, and Dunsparce may be lined up to have a new evolution or regional form in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Dunsparce is one the most typically ignored Pokemon in the entire franchise. The gen-two Pokemon doesn’t really do anything particularly well. Its stats are far below-average and its move pool has never been strong. Even when it was introduced, it paled …
What your favorite Eeveelution says about your personality
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Eevee is a unique Pokémon since it can evolve into eight distinct Pokémon, all representing a different element. The Eeveelution that Eevee turns into depends on what stone it touches, or a few other things depending on the game. Everyone has their favorite Eeveelution, whether it’s because of its appearance or its abilities. But what does your favorite Eeveelution say about you? Jolteon can create up to 10,000 volts of …
7 shocking facts about Pikachu you probably don’t know
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Even your mom knows the name “Pikachu” and in fact, it’s probably the only Pokémon some parents know. That’s because Pikachu has become a huge icon in Japan and is considered the mascot of the Pokémon franchise. While everyone recognizes the electric mouse-like Pokémon, there are still some things you probably didn’t know about the well-known character. Here are seven interesting facts about Pikachu. You probably can’t even begin to …
How to catch and evolve Shelmet, Karrablast in Pokemon
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
Can’t figure out how to evolve your Karrablast and Shelmet in Pokemon Sword and Shield? That’s understandable, because while it isn’t difficult to do so once you understand the process, not everyone knows how. Pokemon has a long tradition of adding new ways for Pokemon to evolve. Originally this was just a matter of trading Pokemon, but each generation adds a new wrinkle to evolving Pokemon. Held items, leveling up …
Grafaiai revealed as new Pokemon coming in Scarlet and Violet
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
A new generation nine Pokemon has been confirmed for Scarlet and Violet, with The Pokemon Company revealing Grafaiai. Grafaiai is a new Pokemon that seems similar to an aye-aye. It marks its territory by using poisonous saliva, which it uses to effectively paint designs onto trees and other landmarks. The new Pokemon was revealed with a faux nature documentary segment discussing its graffiti approach to marking territory. The reveal of …
These are the best cat Pokemon to catch right meow
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Cats are one of the most popular pets in the world. Over 25% of households in the United States alone have at least one cat. But if you can’t get enough cats, you can also own cats in Pokemon! There are a ton of cats throughout the many Pokemon generations, each with their own powers and unique looks. Here are some of the coolest cats in Pokemon. There are tons …
The best Pokemon PFP to use, depending on your mood
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Sometimes we’re just not in the mood to take selfies. When that’s the case, you may want a cute profile pic (PFP) that shows your fandom, whether it’s an anime or a cute Pokemon. It’s time to pick out the perfect Pokemon PFP for you, and we’ve prepared a few categories that should help guide you to the right choice. Looking for something cute? Here are some of the most …
What is the Vaporeon copypasta? Here’s what you need to know
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
When it comes to the most wholesome Pokemon, people commonly think about Eevee and its evolutions. The Eeveelutions have quickly become some of the most popular Pokemon whether it comes to playing the games or just collecting artwork and plush. But the Eeveelutions have unfortunately not been able to escape Rule 34, and that’s particularly true for Vaporeon. The Pokemon community has become increasingly aware of a creepy Vaporeon copypasta …
Pokemon Championship Series 2023 reveals regionals schedule
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Pokemon Worlds is still underway but the Pokemon TCG community is already looking forward to an action-packed 2023 season. The Pokemon Company has announced the entire schedule and it it looks like the season is set to start next month. After years without regionals, the Pokemon TCG community is excited to start planning for a year jam-packed with competitive events leading up to the next Pokemon Worlds competition. Here is …
Cyclizar revealed in new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
A new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer has arrived, showing off the new gen-nine Pokemon Cyclizar alongside new held items and moves including a Hidden Power replacement. The 2022 Pokemon World Championship wrapped up and to celebrate the occasion, The Pokemon Company gave fans an extra taste of upcoming games. A new trailer was revealed during the event that showed off new wrinkles to the game. Just as importantly, it …
The best Pokemon Unite team composition with the current roster
Steven Rondina
Pokemon
There are many options on the Pokemon Unite roster, but a definitive best team composition has emerged in the Pokemon World Championship. Pokemon Unite is a little over one year old at this point and the game’s balance has improved since its introduction. Early on, top-ranked teams essentially ran identical teams of Pokemon. Options are more flexible today judging from the teams at the 2022 Pokemon World Championship, but there’s …
Pokemon stands as the largest cross-media IP in the world by a comfortable margin, but how did it make such explosive gains?
For a long while, pivoting a video game franchise into a larger brand seemed impossible. Iconic titles like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Resident Evil received TV and film adaptations, with the most common result being catastrophic failure. That was the norm from the 1990s all the way into the 2020s; and it probably shouldn’t have been.
While Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li and Silent Hill: Revelation were irredeemably bad, Pokemon showed that a video game series can be adapted into many different mediums. Here’s a quick history of the franchise and its future outlook.
Pokemon explodes with Game Boy games, quickly expands
Pokemon first arrived in Japan in 1996 with the release of Pokemon Red and Green; a pair of titles for the Nintendo Game Boy. The two games were largely identical, but each one had a handful of Pokemon that were exclusive to those titles. This encouraged players to collect and trade these monsters with others who purchased the games.
Later on in 1996, the game was reimagined as a trading card game. Then in 1997, an anime adaptation launched in Japan.
Both of those rapid-fire expansions earned strong success domestically. More importantly, it primed Pokemon for an overwhelming global push.
In 1998, the franchise officially crossed over into North America, Europe, and Australia. The games were killer apps for the Game Boy but it wasn’t just a video game. An accompanying anime aired new episodes daily, and the trading card game exploded out of the gate. This made it difficult to ignore Pokemon to the point where characters like Ash Ketchum and Pikachu were universally recognizable. Just like that, the franchise was unstoppable.
Pokemon expands beyond Nintendo consoles, grows even further
For decades, Pokemon video games were among the top-selling games each year they came out. The Pokemon TCG was one of the biggest in the industry. The anime was a constant, without even mentioning its many spin-off movies. Licensing characters for toys and apparel was a golden goose for all involved.
But the franchise was still positioned to grow further.
Almost all of the games were exclusive to Nintendo’s gaming hardware, but mobile gaming was on a sharp rise of its own. The franchise also released a long list of spin-offs, successfully turning the series into everything from a pinball game to a beat ‘em up. The Pokemon Company had dabbled with PC and mobile games previously, but started actively partnering with other studios in the 2010s.
The biggest example of this was Pokemon GO. The Pokemon Company partnered with AR game studio Niantic was an instant hit, being downloaded hundreds of millions of times. It was far from alone, however. Battling-focused gacha game Pokemon Masters, MOBA adaptation Pokemon Unite, and puzzle game Pokemon Cafe launched in the following years.
It wasn’t just licensed mobile games, though. Games like Detective Pikachu and New Pokemon Snap gave players fresh and varied ways to enjoy the familiar franchise.
Modern Pokémon games see mixed response, but sales remain strong
Though Pokémon has many lifelong fans, the mainline releases have long attracted controversy within the fandom. Though the first few generations were generally beloved, opinions on new and modern games releases vary wildly. Starting with the Nintendo Switch, critical response to the games wavered.
Reviews for Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee were lower than previous entries in the series. That pattern held with Pokémon Sword and Shield, which were also met with extreme backlash on social media.
Though each mainline game made every monster from previous generations available up until Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, this ended with Sword and Shield. Several fan favorites, including Beedrill and the Unovan starters, were made unobtainable in the game. The mega evolution and Z-move battle mechanics were also removed from the games. It’s unclear why or what methodology was used to determine which of the little monsters were left out.
Reviews sank further from there, with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, then Pokémon Scarlet and Violet garnering the lowest review averages for mainline games.
Despite this, the games were still an enormous commercial success. Pokémon Sword, Shield, Scarlet, and Violet ranked among the best-selling games in franchise history. Its publisher may have heeded some of the fan criticism however, as the company opted against releasing a new mainline game or expansion in 2024. This was the first year without a major game release since 2015.
