On January 12, 2022, The Pokémon Company released a video commemorating all 1008 species in the franchise!
Over the years, Pokémon introduced many different species, each with their own elemental powers and attributes. Each set of series installments, known as Generations, have featured new characters and settings that previously did not exist. There are typically around 100 new species, though depending on the installments there could be more or less. The First Generation’s Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan) established 151 different species for players to catch, train, and befriend.
Generation 2’s Pokémon Gold and Silver added 100 more, bringing the total to 251. With Generation 3, Ruby and Sapphire added 135 more, accumulating 386 in all. Diamond and Pearl of Generation 4 contributed 107 additional species, while Generation 5’s Black and White brought in 156 new species to add up to 649. The Sixth Generation had only 72 in X and Y, making for 721 species altogether.
RELATED: ONE PIECE ODYSSEY REVIEW [PC STEAM] – AN EPIC JOURNEY CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF THE STRAW HAT CREW
Starting in Generation 7, the series broke old trends by introducing new species mid-Generation. Pokémon Sun and Moon added 81 new species, but Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, as well as Pokemon GO, Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee, introduced more Pokémon that were not part of the initial set of games (such as Poipole, Naganadel, Blacephalon, Stakataka, Zeraora, Meltan, Melmetal). Generation 7 ended with 88 new species, meaning there were 809 altogether.
Generation 8 continued the element of bringing in new species mid-Generation via Sword and Shield’s DLC and Pokemon Legends: Arceus, with the ending total of 905 species. With the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, 103 new species were introduced, bringing the grand total of species to 1008.
Pokémon: Did You Catch ‘Em All?
To celebrate almost 26 years’ worth of Pokémon species created over the years, the creative team has released a video showcasing all of them. Starters, early-game mammals, birds, bugs, fossils, gifts, Legendary and Mythical species, and more are featured, with the first 905 categorized according to how they were originally obtained. Every encounter and evolution method are also represented, along with any alternate forms if applicable. (Yes, that includes every possible Spinda pattern.)
RELATED: SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE WILL SADLY NOT INCLUDE SPIDER-MAN NOIR, CONFIRMS NICOLAS CAGE
Eagle-eyed viewers can also spot clever touches within the video beyond the Pokémon themselves. Just like how every region in the series is represented, every supported language of the video games can be seen: English, Japanese, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. This is significant for the Korean and Chinese part of the fandom; South Korea and China never had a full set of officially translated games until Generation 4 and 7 respectively.
Even the release date of the video carries importance in the context of the franchise. It is the birthday of Junichi Masuda, one of the founders of Game Freak and current CCO at The Pokémon Company. He has directed and composed music for several Pokémon games, along with confirming a popular method for obtaining Shiny Pokémon. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and their remakes, playing on Masuda’s birthday will have diamond dust in Snowpoint City.
Paldea rounds off the last of the Pokémon, designating each of its species by their National Dex number. For the big 1000 mark, there could not have been a species more fitting for that number than the evolution of Gimmighoul, Gholdengo. Notably, Scarlet and Violet are the first installments since Black and White to introduce 100+ new creatures into the base game. Given that the previous two Generations have introduced new options mid-Generation, Scarlet and Violet could contribute even more to the grand total.
How do you feel about the Pokémon franchise having reached over 1000 species? Have you completed an entire PokéDex? Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
kEEP READING: CRUNCHYROLL ANNOUNCES THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME: THE MOVIE TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE
