List of Pokémon facts for kids

The first 150 Pokémon as they appear in Pokémon Stadium, it begins with Bulbasaur in the top left corner and ends with Mewtwo in the bottom right corner

The Pokémon world is filled with 1,025 amazing fictional creatures! Each one has its own special look, abilities, and powers. These "Pocket Monsters," or Pokémon, were first imagined by Satoshi Tajiri in 1989. They live in a make-believe world called the Pokémon World.

Pokémon designs come from all sorts of things. They can be inspired by animals, plants, or even legendary creatures from myths. Many Pokémon can change into stronger forms, which is called evolution. Others can change their appearance or abilities in different ways. At first, only a few artists, like Ken Sugimori, created Pokémon. But now, a bigger team works together to bring new Pokémon to life!

The many Pokémon are grouped into "generations." Each generation usually comes with new video games and sometimes new game consoles. For example, Generation I had 151 Pokémon and included games like Red and Yellow. Generation IX, the most recent, has 120 new Pokémon and includes games like Scarlet and Legends: Z-A.

All 1,025 Pokémon are listed in the National Pokédex. This is like an electronic encyclopedia that shares lots of information about each Pokémon. There are also regional Pokédexes for different areas in the Pokémon world. These regional lists include Pokémon from older generations too. For instance, the Johto Pokédex (Generation II) lists the 100 new Pokémon from Gold and Silver, plus the original 151 Pokémon. Usually, the first Pokémon listed are the ones you can choose at the start of a game. Then come the Pokémon you find early on, and finally, the very special Legendary Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon.

What are Pokémon?

How Pokémon Began

The idea for Pokémon came from Satoshi Tajiri, who later started the company Game Freak. He thought of it in 1989 when the Game Boy was first released. The creatures in the Pokémon world are also called Pokémon. The name "Pokémon" is a short way of saying "Pocket Monsters" in Japanese.

Tajiri's childhood hobby of insect collecting was a big inspiration for the Pokémon universe. He loved finding and collecting bugs. He also got ideas from TV shows like Ultraman and from playing video games. Tajiri grew up in a town that changed from being full of nature to a busy city. This made it harder to collect insects. He wanted to bring back that outdoor fun through Pokémon and share it with everyone.

The very first Pokémon games, Red and Green, came out in Japan on February 27, 1996. They were for the Game Boy. These games were released internationally as Red and Blue in September 1998. The ability to catch, battle, trade, and care for many different creatures made Pokémon super popular around the world. It has become one of the biggest and best-selling video game series ever!

Playing with Pokémon

When you start a main Pokémon game, you get to choose one of three Pokémon as your first partner. With this partner, you can battle and catch other Pokémon. Each Pokémon has one or two "types," like Fire, Water, or Grass. These types are important in battles because some are strong against others.

Pokémon Types and Battles

For example, a Fire-type attack will do more damage to a Grass-type Pokémon than a Water-type attack would. This battling style is often compared to rock-paper-scissors, but it's much more strategic! Players need to think carefully about which Pokémon and which attacks to use against different opponents.

Pokémon Evolution and Forms

Many Pokémon species can evolve into a bigger and stronger creature. This change usually makes them more powerful and gives them access to new attacks. There are different ways to make a Pokémon evolve. Some evolve when they reach a certain level, others need a special stone, or even have to learn a specific attack. For instance, Bulbasaur can evolve into Ivysaur at level 16.

A great example is the Normal-type Pokémon Eevee. It can evolve into eight different Pokémon, each with a unique type! These include Jolteon (Electric), Flareon (Fire), Vaporeon (Water), Umbreon (Dark), Espeon (Psychic), Leafeon (Grass), Glaceon (Ice), and Sylveon (Fairy).

In Generation VI, a new power-up called Mega Evolution was introduced. There was also a similar change called Primal Reversion. Unlike regular evolution, Mega Evolution and Primal Reversion usually only lasted for one battle in the Generation VI and VII games. The Pokémon would then return to its normal form. However, in the Generation IX game Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Mega Evolution can last through several battles before wearing off. As of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, 73 Pokémon can use Mega Evolution or Primal Reversion.

Some Pokémon, like Castform, Rotom, and Lycanroc, have "form changes." These changes might give them new stats or types, but they are not considered new species. Also, some Pokémon look different depending on their gender. Pokémon can be male, female, only male, only female, or have no known gender.

While Pokémon games are mostly for younger players, each Pokémon also has hidden traits. These include things like their "natures" and "characteristic traits." These deeper details are for players who really enjoy battling and want to explore advanced strategies. These individual stats help make each Pokémon unique, just like training a real pet! Every Pokémon game also introduces a few "Legendary" and "Mythical" Pokémon. These are very powerful, rare, and hard to catch. In Sun and Moon, "Ultra Beasts" were introduced. These are powerful and rare creatures from another dimension that appeared in the Alola region.

Designing Pokémon

The evolution mechanic is clearly shown through Eevee (center) and its eight evolutions. Each one needs a different method to evolve.

Where Do Designs Come From?

During the creation of the first games, Red and Green, all Pokémon were designed by Ken Sugimori and a small team. This team included Atsuko Nishida, who designed Pikachu! By 2013, a team of 20 artists worked together on new Pokémon designs. A group of five people chose which designs would be used, with Sugimori and Hironobu Yoshida giving the final approval. Sugimori also creates the official artwork for the games and the Legendary Pokémon seen on the game boxes.

Yoshida shared that many more Pokémon designs are created than are actually used in the games. Sometimes, a design that was not chosen for one game might be used in a later generation. Shigeru Ohmori, the director of Sun and Moon, mentioned that creating new Pokémon has become challenging because so many have already been made over the years. Each new set of Pokémon brings both excitement and discussion among fans.

Pokémon designs often look like real-life creatures, but they can also be inspired by everyday objects. Director Junichi Masuda and graphic designer Takao Unno have said that ideas for Pokémon can come from anywhere! The many different animals and cultures around the world provide endless ideas. When a Pokémon is designed, the environment it would live in is also considered. For example, Comfey, which looks like a flower necklace (a lei), fits perfectly in the Hawaii-inspired Alola region from Sun and Moon. Masuda explained that every part of a Pokémon's design has a purpose. Sometimes, designers even create a Pokémon's footprint first and then design the creature around it!

Designers also get ideas from how the game works. They might think about interesting combinations of Pokémon types. A Pokémon's type can be decided at different stages: sometimes after the design is finished, and sometimes the Pokémon is designed specifically for a certain type. Every Pokémon also has a specific height and weight.

The first Pokémon designs in Generation I were simpler. Later games introduced more complex and themed designs. For instance, Sneasel was inspired by the Japanese yōkai called kamaitachi. These mythical creatures have fast, sharp claws and hunt in groups. You can see these ideas in Sneasel's design and characteristics. Pokémon introduced in Generation VI were heavily influenced by the culture and fauna (animals) of Europe, especially France. However, by 2013, Sugimori expressed a wish for Pokémon designs to return to their simpler beginnings.

Creating Starter Pokémon

Masuda believes that the first partner Pokémon are among the most important in the franchise. Yoshida even calls them "the face of that generation" because they are often featured on the game packaging. The three Pokémon players choose at the start of each game are always Grass-, Water-, and Fire-types. Masuda thinks this trio is the easiest for new players to understand. Their designs are based on animals that people can easily recognize and are made to look unique from other Pokémon. Each starter also has its own distinct personality.

In a 2009 interview, Masuda said that simple Pokémon take about six months to design. More important Pokémon in the games can take over a year. He also stressed that designers should have a lot of freedom. They are encouraged to be as creative as possible, without being told exactly what kind of Pokémon to make. After a Pokémon is designed, it goes to the "Battle Producer." This person decides what moves and stats the Pokémon will have in battles.

Exploring Pokémon Generations

Pokémon Generations Overview

Here's a quick look at the different Pokémon generations, showing when they were released and how many new Pokémon were introduced:

Understanding the Pokédex

The National Pokédex organizes all Pokémon by a special number. To help understand the different types of Pokémon, here's a key:

For a full list of all Pokémon species, you can visit the detailed articles for each generation, such as Generation I Pokémon or Generation IX Pokémon.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Pokémon para niños