Pokemon
Pokemon
Is Ash Ketchum leaving the anime after 25 years of Pokémon?
Olivia Richman
When Ash Ketchum finally became a World Champion, Pokemon anime fans had plenty to celebrate. But after the long-awaited moment finally happened, Pokemon fans realized that this may mean Ash Ketchum’s journey is finally over after following him for 25 years. The very first episode of Pokemon aired back in 1997, showing Ash getting his Pikachu and starting out his adventure from Pallet Town. Then on November 11, 2022, Ash …
Pokemon
What is the preorder bonus for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?
William Davis
The release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is around the corner, but there is still time to secure the flashy preorder bonus. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is the first installment of the ninth generation. The game takes place in the Paldea region, where players will get to explore like never before. From the open world map to the non-linear storyline, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are innovating the standard Pokemon formula. …
Pokemon
Version exclusive Pokemon available on Scarlet and Violet co-op
William Davis
Ahead of the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet on November 18, it’s been confirmed that players can catch exclusive Pokemon from the other version through co-op. Exclusive Pokemon is one of the main differences between Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet. Depending on what version players choose, they will get specific Pokemon, meaning that players cannot complete the Pokedex. Unless they play with a friend that owns the other version …
Pokemon
Is Ash Ketchum finally a Pokémon master?
William Davis
Ash Ketchum is officially the number one Pokémon trainer, after becoming the Pokémon World Champion in the Pokémon World Coronation Series. In 1997, Ash Ketchum, a 10-year-old from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region, embarked on a journey to become a Pokémon Master. Twenty five years later, Ash achieved his dream at the Pokémon World Coronation Series when he defeated Leon for the title of World Champion. https://twitter.com/Pokemon/status/1591015158016446464?s=20&t=F61Z-5SViyc2Q0d7nIcW0g The Pokémon …
Pokemon
How to get exclusive content in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
William Davis
New content for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has been revealed, but this time, for players that have played previous Pokemon titles. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are rewarding players that enjoyed previous installments with exclusive content. Players that have saved date from Pokémon Sword and Shield, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl or Let’s Go, will receive an exclusive Rotom phone case. The case will be based on …
Pokemon
Tera Raid Battles for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet dates revealed
William Davis
The first Tera Raid Battles of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have a date, time, and confirmed Pokemon. Ahead of its release on November 18, Pokemon announced the first Tera Raid Battles coming to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. From November 24 through November 27, trainers will get access to The Eevee Spotlight. Eevee will appear more frequently in the Tera Raid Battles with a variety of Tera Types. The next Tera …
Pokemon
Here’s how to get the Dark type Umbreon in Pokemon Go
William Davis
When it comes to Eevee evolutions, you simply must catch them all. We already talked about Sylveon, so it is time to learn how to get Umbreon in Pokemon GO. Umbreon is the Dark type Eevee evolution. Originally from the Johto region, Umbreon appeared for the first time in Pokemon Gold and Silver alongside Espeon. Umbreon and Espeon are the starters in the 2014 game Pokemon Colosseum and have appeared …
Pokemon
What are the best Pokemon per type?
William Davis
There are over 900 Pokémon registered in the National Pokedex, with 100 more potentially joining with the release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. After eight generations of games, this is the ultimate list of the best Pokémon per type. Multiple generations have grown up with the Pokemon franchises. Whether you played the games first or watched a movie, Pokémon is the type of universe that stay with you throughout your …
The easiest way to trade in Pokémon Go
William Davis
Pokemon
Completing the Pokedex is one of the goals of any Pokémon player. Sometimes, it is only possible with a little help from your friends. Trading in Pokémon Go is a simple process that can be done in four simple steps. One important fact to keep in mind is that trading in Pokémon Go can only be done if two players are in proximity to each other. That means it can …
Is spoofing in Pokemon Go safe in 2022?
William Davis
Pokemon
In 2016, Pokemon GO introduced an innovative concept that allowed players to have an immersive experience. Trainers could explore the world around them, catch Pokemon, battle for gyms, and defeat Team Rocket. The limitations of the game are clear, as players can only interact with the area physically around them. To counter the limitations, some players came up with spoofing in Pokemon GO. Spoofing in Pokemon GO means disguising the …
Coin chest Pokémon Gimmighoul revealed for Scarlet and Violet
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
A new Pokémon has been revealed. Gimmighoul is a ghost-type Pokémon that will be coming to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. It’s known as a “coin chest” Pokémon due to its appearance: it has one form that’s basically a treasure chest. Its other form allows the creature within to roam around. In a reveal trailer shared on November 6, Gimmighoul can be seen hiding in plain sight as a treasure chest. …
What is Pokemon Showdown and how to get started?
William Davis
Pokemon
Pokemon is one of the most popular franchises in the world with games, anime shows, and even jets bedecked in Pokemon artwork. Creative Pokemon fans have taken the elements that they love the most about the game and created their own spin-offs, like Pokemon Showdown. Pokemon Showdown is a web-based battle simulator developed by Guangcong Luo, also known as Zarel. In this game, trainers join single or double battles. There …
How to get a top-tier Tyranitar in Pokemon Go
William Davis
Pokemon
Tyranitar is one of the few Pokemon that has managed to stay relevant across multiple games. Whether it is a main game like the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, or a mobile spinoff like Pokemon Go, Tyranitar is an ace that any trainer must consider for their team. Tyranitar is a Rock Dark type from the Johto region. It appears for the first time in Pokemon Gold and Silver. Since …
What is the best starter in Pokemon Legends: Arceus?
William Davis
Pokemon
Choosing a starter in Pokemon is arguably the most important decision a trainer will make. The Pokemon trainers end up picking will determine how easy or difficult the beginning of the game is. If you are about to start Pokemon Legends: Arceus, we’ll tell you what the best starter in the game is. Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes place in the Hisui region that becomes Sinnoh later in time. According to …
How to find and defeat Giovanni in Pokemon Go
William Davis
Pokemon
No hero journey is complete without a villain and Pokémon Go features one of the most iconic villains in the entire franchise. Here is everything you need to know about how to find and defeat Giovanni in Pokemon Go. Originally from Kanto, Giovanni made his first appearance in Pokémon Red and Blue as the Viridian City Gym Leader, specializing in Ground type Pokémon. Giovanni is the former head of Team …
These are the creepiest Pokemon to ever exist
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
It’s Halloween weekend, which means it’s time for ghosts, ghouls, and… Pokemon? You probably think of Pikachu and Charizard when you first hear the word “Pokemon” but there are actually some terrifying Pokemon that are downright creepy (and some disgusting). Here are the creepiest Pokemon in the ever-growing Pokedex. This iconic ghost Pokémon is from Gen 1. While Gengar may not look super scary aside from his sharp-toothed grin, Gengar …
How to change teams in Pokemon Go in two easy steps
William Davis
Pokemon
In Pokemon Go, players do not pick a starter but they have a decision as important to make. Teams in Pokemon Go make the game competitive and help with a sense of community. In Pokemon Go, trainers that reach level five and visit a Gym will get to pick what team to join. Team Instinct is the yellow team led by Spark, which values optimism and intuition. Blue belongs to …
All the ways to get Mega Energy in Pokemon Go explained
William Davis
Pokemon
Originally introduced in Pokemon X and Y, Mega Evolutions allow Pokemon to reach their final and stronger version. Mega Evolutions are possible in Pokemon Go, but to get there, players must first earn enough Mega Energy. In a regular Pokemon game, the Mega Evolutions are possible using Mega stones. In Pokemon Go, trainers need Mega Energy and there are multiple ways to get this resource. The first way to get …
The weakest Pokemon ever, according to the lore
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
The weakest Pokemon are much better at making trainers smile than winning any trainer battles. There are over 920 Pokemon before the release of Scarlet and Violet, but not all of them are created equal. Some Pokemon have consistently been weak in the show or in the game, making them a bad choice for any team. Here are some Pokemon you shouldn’t bother catching. Abra may be a cool psychic …
LeonHart shows secret card collections for Pokémon employees
Olivia Richman
Pokemon
Pokémon TCG content creator LeonHart is known for getting his hands on rare Pokémon cards but he recently surprised fans with a pretty crazy find. YouTuber LeonHart recently got a box of Pokémon cards that were originally given to a former Pokemon Company employee. Accoding to LeonHart, one of the perks of working for the Pokemon Company is that you get entire TCG sets when expansions are released. This is …
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.
