Pokémon

2026-11-14T11:41:58Z

Kayaku:

:'' This article is about Pokémon, also known as Pocket Monsters, as a series. For other uses of the words, see [[Pokémon (disambiguation)]]''.
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[[File:Pokémon logo English.png|250px|thumb|International logo of the Pokémon franchises, designed by [[Chris Maple]]<ref>[https://www.ign.com/articles/meet-the-man-who-designed-pokemons-iconic-logo Meet the Man Who Designed Pokémon’s Iconic Logo | IGN]</ref>]]
'''Pokémon''' (Japanese: {{tt|'''ポケットモンスター'''|Pokettomonsutā}} ''Pocket Monsters'', '''ポケモン''' ''Pokémon'' for short), sometimes shortened to '''{{PK}}{{MN}}''', is an overarching media franchise owned by [[Nintendo]], [[Creatures, Inc.]], and [[Game Freak]]. First appearing in 1996 with the release of its [[Pokémon Red and Green Versions|first entries]] on the [[Game Boy]],<ref name="ポケットモンスター赤・緑">[http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/other/gb-rg/ ポケットモンスター赤・緑 (''In English'': Pokémon Red and Green). The Pokémon Company].</ref> the [[core series|game series]] has since inspired an array of media, including an {{pkmn|animated series}}, a [[Pokémon Trading Card Game|card game]], numerous {{pkmn|manga}}, and various {{spin-off games}}.

The series focuses on the creatures known as {{OBP|Pokémon|species}}, as well as their inhabited {{Pkmn|world}}, full of legends, tales, and adventures. Several [[canon|interpretations]] of the world explore different themes and elements. Most commonly, Pokémon coexist with [[human]]s and can be {{Pkmn2|caught}}, [[Pokémon training|trained]], and used in {{Pkmn|battle}}s and other activities. {{Pkmn|Trainer}}s, along with their Pokémon, travel across diverse [[region|lands]] aiming to make their dreams become reality, and the bond — love and trust — between Trainers and their Pokémon is often cited as the key to success.

The Pokémon franchise is the highest-grossing media franchise of all time.

==Etymology==
[[File:RedGreenMenu.png|frame|The limited screen of the [[Game Boy|original Game Boy]] only allowed short words]]
Much as happens with many other {{wp|wasei-eigo|words and phrases borrowed from English}}, the Japanese name for the series, Pocket Monsters, became contracted into "Pokémon" during the development of the original games, likely as much for convenience when referring to it as to save on-screen real estate, considering the small size of the [[Game Boy]]'s screen. The initial romanization of Pokémon, "Pockémon", used by official Japanese media prior to the English localization was derived from the contraction of '''Pocke'''t and '''Mon'''sters, and can be seen explicitly in ''[[EP017|Island of the Giant Pokémon]]'' and ''[[EP025|Primeape Goes Bananas]]'',<ref>[https://dogasu.bulbagarden.net/features/miscellaneous/pockemon.html Pocket Monsters, or "Pockemon" for Short by Dogasu's Backpack]</ref> even in the English dub.

The "Pokémon" name used today came about during the translation of the games for an English or international audience during 1997 and 1998, which was derived from the contraction of '''Po'''c'''ke'''t and '''Mon'''sters. This was suggested by {{wp|Alfred R. Kahn}}, at the time the CEO of [[4Kids Entertainment]], who believed "Pocket Monsters" sounded too similar to the names of other monster collection games.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/08/04/meet-the-man-who-made-pokemon-an-international-phenomenon/ Meet the man who made Pokémon an international phenomenon | The Washington Post]</ref> Despite this, the fact that Pokémon is short for Pocket Monsters has been referenced in English, with a non-playable character (NPC) in {{game2|Diamond|Pearl|Platinum}} asking the player what Pokémon is short for after thinking about the name of the [[Pokétch]], itself a contraction; as well as on the back of a DVD set containing the [[M01|first]], [[M02|second]], and [[M03|third]] {{pkmn|movie}}s.

==Franchise==
{{main|History of Pokémon}}
Pokémon, as a series, was originally conceived by [[Satoshi Tajiri]] as a way to instill in children of the modern, more urbanized Japan the same enjoyment that he felt as a young boy collecting insects and other bugs near his hometown of {{wp|Machida, Tokyo|Machida}}. Initially called [[Capsule Monsters]], or CapuMon for short, Tajiri pitched the series to Nintendo after being inspired by the [[Game Link Cable]]; he pictured an insect crawling across it between two Game Boy systems.

[[File:Spr 1g 006.png|frame|{{p|Charizard}}'s Red and Green sprite]]
With help from [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], the series began development, with the concepts of the original games, {{game|Red and Green|s}}, going into production between 1990 and 1995. At last, in early 1996, the first games in the series were released in Japan, and Tajiri's dream had become reality. Compared to other games of its time, Pokémon was very limited, with comparatively poor graphics and sound. The series was an overnight success though, and Red and Green were quickly followed by an upgraded {{DL|Core series|release model|third version}}, {{game|Blue| (Japanese)}}.

An {{pkmn|animated series}} was produced, to cover the journey players took through the [[Kanto]] region in the games over the course of a year and a half. About halfway through the show's run in late 1997, tragedy struck, and [[EP038|an episode]] of the series was found to be responsible for {{wp|epileptic seizure}}s in more than 600 children due to a flashing strobe effect. No one died of these seizures, and after an investigation was put into place, the series was put on hiatus for four months, later returning to the air to complete the Kanto run in April 1998.

Encouraged by the games' success in Japan and their upcoming release in the United States, [[Game Freak]] began development on sequels to them. Rather than releasing the sequels immediately, however, Game Freak instead chose to draw from the story of the animated series (which differed from the games in that its protagonist was given a {{p|Pikachu}} instead of the standard Kanto [[first partner Pokémon]]) and created a fourth game, {{game|Yellow}}, to buy some more time for development on the announced sequels.

Several {{pkmn|manga}} series were also produced in this early period, including [[Pokémon Adventures]], which Tajiri has stated is closest to his original idea of the {{pkmn|world}} the series takes place in.

The much-awaited sequels were released in 1999 in Japan and 2000 in the US. {{game|Gold and Silver|s}} revamped the Pokémon world, bringing it into full color, introducing one hundred [[new Pokémon]] and addressing many of the issues that had been present in the original games. For example, two new [[type]]s were introduced to address type imbalances. The animated series, manga, and other aspects of the franchise followed suit, bringing their characters into the [[Generation II|second generation]].

Even after the initial worldwide hype for the series died down, the Pokémon franchise remained strong. A third version was produced for Generation II, focusing on the [[Legendary Pokémon]] {{p|Suicune}}. With {{game|Crystal}}, a {{ga|Kris|female player character}} was finally introduced, and the games became fully dependent on the [[Game Boy Color]], abandoning the now long-outdated [[Game Boy]]. [[Generation III]] was announced for the new [[Game Boy Advance]], and at least among {{pkmn|fandom|fans}}, the hype returned.

Despite this, when {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}} were initially released many people considered them, and Generation III in general, a disappointment. {{an|Misty}}, {{Ash}}'s longtime companion in the animated series, left the show and a new girl {{an|May}} joined him. Although 135 new Pokémon were introduced, the games, unlike the Generation II games, were completely incompatible with their predecessors, making 184 of the 251 previously released Pokémon unobtainable without [[cheating]]. This issue was addressed with the unprecedented release of [[remake]]s of the original pair of games, {{game|FireRed and LeafGreen|s}}, which included many of the Pokémon missing from Ruby and Sapphire. In addition, an enhanced version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, {{game|Emerald}}, was released and introduced the {{gdis|Battle Frontier|III}} and many other features that would be enjoyed by those who battled Pokémon competitively, as well as including even more of the Pokémon missing from the prior Generation III games.

Much like the previous generations, [[Generation IV]] was highly anticipated. {{game|Diamond and Pearl|s}}, released in 2006 in Japan and 2007 in the US, received much praise. These games brought with them many enhancements from Emerald, and for the first time, Pokémon could be played online to battle against and trade with other players across the world. This generation was also noted for introducing the [[physical move|physical]]/[[special move|special]] [[move category|category]] split, another improvement which would be enjoyed by those who battled Pokémon competitively. 107 new Pokémon were added as well, bringing the total to 493.

With the precedent set by the earlier release of remakes for the original pair of games, this generation saw much speculation for a remake of the now-outdated Generation II games, and hidden data in the games seemed to indicate that remakes were planned. A third version, {{game|Platinum}}, was released two years after Diamond and Pearl. Due to this, as well as the delay in the release, many became discouraged that the remakes would never come. However, after five years of speculation, {{game|HeartGold and SoulSilver|s}} were finally released in 2009 in Japan and in 2010 elsewhere.

[[File:Spr 5b 006.png|frame|{{p|Charizard}}'s Black, White, Black 2, and White 2 sprite]]
[[Generation V]] constituted a "reboot" similar to that of Generation III. The highly anticipated {{game|Black and White|s}} were set far away from the previous games in a region based on {{wp|New York City}} called [[Unova]]. Initially in the game, only the 156 new Pokémon introduced in this generation were available before beating the [[Pokémon League]], forcing veteran players to rethink old strategies. The games did have the capacity to connect to older games however, and maintained the international connectivity introduced in the fourth generation. The animated series, [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]], and manga series also embraced the new generation with releases of tie-in media. Breaking the traditional format, Pokémon Black and White were followed by two direct sequels, [[Pokémon Black and White Versions 2]], which included many Pokémon from different regions.

[[Generation VI]] started with [[Pokémon X and Y]], which were released worldwide on the same day in October 2013, a first for the franchise. The games introduced many new features, such as fully 3D gameplay including 3D models for every Pokémon, [[Mega Evolution]], the introduction of the {{t|Fairy}} [[type]], [[Trainer customization]], [[Pokémon-Amie]], and new battle formats (such as [[Sky Battle]]s and [[Inverse Battle]]s). The games' [[Kalos]] region was chosen to be based on {{wp|France}} partly because French culture is known for its art and beauty—the main theme of the game. The new [[Super Training]] feature offered a simple way to monitor a Pokémon's {{EV}}s. New ways to improve the player's chance of finding [[Shiny Pokémon]] were also introduced, such as the introduction of chain fishing and the return of the [[Poké Radar]]. With the addition of 72 new Pokémon, the total number of Pokémon in Generation VI is 721.

Although there were no remakes in Generation V, Generation VI saw the release of {{g|Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire}} worldwide in November 2014, remakes of Generation III's Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Similar to Pokémon X and Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were released around the same time worldwide, although the games were released in Europe a week after the rest of the world. In addition to being remakes of the Generation III games, the games included new Mega Evolutions and introduced [[Primal Reversion]].

[[Generation VII]] began with the release of [[Pokémon Sun and Moon]] in November 2016; like Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, these games were released on the same day worldwide except in Europe, where the games' release was delayed a few days. This generation introduced 81 new Pokémon, taking the total up to 802. The games were released on the year of the [[Pokémon 20th Anniversary|20th anniversary of the franchise]]. They are notable for being the first in the core series to lack Gyms, Badges, and HMs. They are also notable for introducing [[regional form|regional variants]], Pokémon species that have unique adapted to the region and have taken on new appearances, types, and on some occasions Abilities. [[Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon]], enhanced versions of Pokémon Sun and Moon, were released worldwide in November 2017. These are the first games to introduce new Pokémon during a generation, excluding [[Mythical Pokémon]] that were already present in the older games' data, bringing the total to 807. [[Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!]], [[remakes]] of {{game|Yellow}}, were released worldwide in November 2018. These are the first core titles for the [[Nintendo Switch]], and the first time a core title has switched to a new system mid-generation.

[[Generation VIII]] started with the release of [[Pokémon Sword and Shield]] for the Nintendo Switch worldwide in November 2019. This was the first generation not to feature all Pokémon and moves from previous games, and when it was announced that not all Pokémon were usable in the new games, a controversy started within the fanbase. Another 84 Pokémon were introduced in this game, bringing the total up to 893. With the release of the [[Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass|two downloadable content (DLC) expansions]], known as [[The Isle of Armor]] and [[The Crown Tundra]], 5 more Pokémon were introduced, including more Galarian Pokémon, fused Pokémon, and Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, bringing the total up to 898 Pokémon. In November 2021, {{g|Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl}} came out. In January 2022, {{g|Legends: Arceus}} came out, it introduced 7 new Pokémon, and nineteen new forms.

[[Generation IX]] began with the release of [[Pokémon Scarlet and Violet]] on the Nintendo Switch worldwide in November 2022. This generation continued the trend of not including every Pokémon and moves. This generation was the first to include seamless open-world gameplay and multiplayer. 105 new Pokémon were introduced in this game, bringing the total to 1010. [[The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero|Two DLC expansions]] were released in 2023, named [[The Teal Mask]] and [[The Indigo Disk]], introducing 15 more Pokémon to bring the total up to 1025 Pokémon. In October 2025, [[Pokémon Legends: Z-A]] was released, introducing 26 new Mega Evolutions.

==Creatures==
{{main|Pokémon (species)}}
The creatures themselves, which are based on various plants, animals, objects, and other concepts, inhabit virtually every corner of the {{pkmn|world}}, no matter which canon's interpretation is seen. Many make their homes in forests and on rural [[route]]s stretching across the various regions, while still others are native to cities and other urban centers. Currently, there are {{numpkmn}} known as Pokémon.

Typically, Pokémon that are owned by a person are kept in [[Poké Ball]]s, which allow for them to be quickly sent into battle or to perform a task while keeping them safe and making them easier to transport, with the balls typically being able to fit into a pocket. Many Pokémon owned by Trainers, however, choose to remain outside of their Poké Ball and travel with their Trainer [[walking Pokémon|on foot]].

Pokémon begin their lives by hatching from {{pkmn|Egg}}s (with the exception of most [[Mythical Pokémon|Mythical]] and [[Legendary Pokémon]]), and many of them will [[Evolution|evolve]] to grow stronger and larger during their lives. Most Pokémon are not immortal, as can be seen from the Pokémon gravestones found in various {{cat|burial grounds}}. Though their abilities far surpass those of normal animals, the majority of Pokémon are not immortal (as those who do not follow the series as closely may deduce).

Many Pokémon are much more powerful than others, and some, due to this, have [[legendary Pokémon|passed into legends]] that are told in the Pokémon world. It has not been consistently illustrated whether or not these Pokémon really do have the power that their legends state, though the general consensus is that, in the wild, a Pokémon's abilities are truly those of the legends, while a Trainer who captures one in a Poké Ball will limit its strength.

Many Pokémon may also be influenced by {{wp|yōkai}}, which are special creatures in Japanese folklore with strange abilities, sometimes even created from inanimate objects.

==Names==
''Pokémon''
{| class="roundtable" style="background:#{{Pokémon color}}; border:3px solid #{{Pokémon color dark}}"
! style="background-color:#{{Pokémon color light}}" | Language
! style="background-color:#{{Pokémon color light}}" | Name
! style="background-color:#{{Pokémon color light}}" | Origin
|-
| Japanese
| ポケモン ''Pokémon''
| From an abbreviation of ポケットモンスター ''Pocket Monsters''
|-
| English and other Latin script languages
| Pokémon
| From the transcription of the Japanese name with the accented {{wp|é}} represents the Japanese {{wp|Mid front unrounded vowel|/e/}} sound and marks it as not {{wp|Silent e|silent}}
|-
| Korean
| 포켓몬 ''Pokémon''
| From an abbreviation of 포켓몬스터 ''Pocket Monsters''
|-
| Chinese (Traditional)
| 寶可夢<ref group="lower-alpha" name="寶可夢">Games (2016–present); Taiwan (2016–present), Hong Kong (2017–present), and mainland China (2011–present)</ref> ''Bǎokěmèng'' / ''Pokémon'' / ''Bóuhómuhng''
| rowspan="2" | From the transcription of Japanese name while incorporating 寶 / 宝 ''bǎo'' (treasure) and 夢 / 梦 ''mèng / muhng'' (dream)
|-
| Chinese (Simplified)
| 宝可梦<ref group="lower-alpha" name="寶可夢" /> ''Bǎokěmèng''
|-
| Chinese (Taiwan)
| 神奇寶貝<ref group="lower-alpha" name="神奇寶貝">Taiwan (1998–2016) and mainland China (2001–2011)</ref> ''Shénqíbǎobèi''
| From 神奇 ''shénqí'' (magical) and 寶貝 ''bǎobèi'' (treasure; baby)
|-
| rowspan="2" | Chinese (Hong Kong)
| 小精靈<ref group="lower-alpha" name="寵物小精靈">Hong Kong (1998–present) and Mainland China (1998–2002)</ref> ''Síujīnglìhng''
| From 小 ''síu'' (small) and 精靈 ''jīnglìhng'' (spirit; elf)
|-
| 寵物小精靈<ref group="lower-alpha" name="寵物小精靈" /> ''Chúngmaht Síujīnglìhng''
| From 寵物 ''chúngmaht'' (pet), 小 ''síu'' (small), and 精靈 ''jīnglìhng'' (spirit; elf)
|-
| rowspan="2" | Chinese (mainland China)
| 神奇宝贝<ref group="lower-alpha" name="神奇寶貝" /> ''Shénqíbǎobèi''
| From 神奇 ''shénqí'' (magical) and 宝贝 ''bǎobèi'' (treasure; baby)
|-
| 小精灵<ref group="lower-alpha" name="寵物小精靈" /> ''Xiǎojīnglíng''
| From 小 ''xiǎo'' (small) and 精灵 ''jīnglíng'' (spirit; elf)
|-
| Arabic
| بوكيمون ''Bukimun''
| Transcription of English name
|-
| Cyrillic script languages
| Покемон ''Pokemon''
| Transcription of English name
|-
| Greek
| Πόκεμον ''Pókemon''
| Transcription of English name
|-
| rowspan="2" | Hebrew
| פוקמון ''Pokemon''<ref group=lower-alpha name=nf>2020–present</ref>
| Transcription of English name
|-
| פוקימון ''Pokimon''
| Transcription of English name
|-
| rowspan="2" | Hindi
| पोकेमॉन ''Pokemŏn''<ref group=lower-alpha name=nf/>
| rowspan="2" | Transcription of English name
|-
| पोकेमोन ''Pokemon''<ref group=lower-alpha>Until 2019</ref>
|-
| Bengali
| পোকেমন ''Pōkemon''
| Transcription of English name
|-
| Telugu
| పోకీమాన్ ''Pōkīmān''
| Transcription of English name
|-
| Tamil
| பொகெமொன் ''Pokemoṉ''
| Transcription of English name
|-
| Urdu
| پوکيمون ''Pokémon''
| Transcription of English name
|-
| Thai
| โปเกมอน ''Pokémon''
| Transcription of English name
|-
| rowspan="2" | Vietnamese
| Pokémon
| Same as English name
|-
| Bửu Bối Thần Kỳ<ref group="lower-alpha">Phương Nam Film</ref>
| From ''thần kỳ'' (神奇) and ''bửu bối'' (寶貝), derived from the Sino-Vietnamese readings of the former Chinese name of 神奇寶貝 ''Shénqí Bǎobèi''
|}

''Pocket Monsters''
{| class="roundtable" style="background:#{{Pokémon color}}; border:3px solid #{{Pokémon color dark}}"
! style="background-color:#{{Pokémon color light}}" | Language
! style="background-color:#{{Pokémon color light}}" | Name
! style="background-color:#{{Pokémon color light}}" | Origin
|-
| Japanese
| ポケットモンスター ''Pocket Monsters''
| From ポケット ''poketto'' (pocket) and モンスター ''monsutā'' (monsters)
|-
| Korean
| 포켓몬스터 ''Pocket Monsters''
| From 포켓 ''poket'' (pocket) and 몬스터 ''monseuteo'' (monsters)

|-
| Chinese (Traditional)
| 精靈寶可夢<ref group="lower-alpha" name="精靈寶可夢">Games (2016–2019); Taiwan (2016–present), Hong Kong (2017–present), and mainland China (2011–present)</ref> ''Jīnglíng Bǎokěmèng'' / ''Jīnglìhng Pokémon'' / ''Jīnglìhng Bóuhómuhng''
| rowspan="2" | From 精靈 / 精灵 ''jīnglíng'' (spirit; elf) and the transcription of Japanese name while incorporating 寶 / 宝 ''bǎo'' (treasure) and 夢 / 梦 ''mèng / muhng'' (dream)
|-
| Chinese (Simplified)
| 精灵宝可梦<ref group="lower-alpha" name="精靈寶可夢" /> ''Bǎokěmèng''
|-
| Chinese (Taiwan)
| 神奇的口袋中的寶貝<ref group="lower-alpha" name="神奇寶貝" /> ''Shénqí de Kǒudài zhōng de Bǎobèi''
| Literally "magical treasures in the pocket"
|-
| Chinese (Hong Kong)
| 寵物小精靈<ref group="lower-alpha" name="寵物小精靈"/> ''Chúngmaht Síujīnglìhng''
| From 寵物 ''chúngmaht'' (pet), 小 ''síu'' (small), and 精靈 ''jīnglìhng'' (spirit, elf)
|-
| rowspan="2" | Chinese (mainland China)
| 神奇的口袋中的宝贝<ref group="lower-alpha" name="神奇寶貝" /> ''Shénqí de Kǒudài zhōng de Bǎobèi''
| Literally "magical treasures in the pocket"
|-
| 宠物小精灵<ref group="lower-alpha" name="寵物小精靈"/> ''Chǒngwù Xiǎojīnglíng''
| From its Cantonese name with 宠物 ''chǒngwù'' (pet), 小 ''xiǎo'' (small), and 精灵 ''jīnglíng'' (spirit, elf)
|}

===Notes===
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==See also==
* [[History of Pokémon]]
* [[List of Pokémon]]
* [[Satoshi Tajiri: The Man Who Created Pokémon]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
;Official websites
* [https://pokemon.com Pokémon.com] (English)
* [https://pokemon.co.jp Pokémon.co.jp] (Japanese)
* [https://pokemon-gl.com Pokémon Global Link]

;Official social-media website accounts
*''[https://facebook.com/Pokemon Pokémon]'' on {{wp|Facebook}} (English)
*''[https://instagram.com/pokemon Pokémon]'' on {{wp|Instagram}} (English)
*''[https://threads.net/pokemon Pokémon]'' on {{wp|Threads (social network)|Threads}} (English)
*''[https://x.com/Pokemon Pokémon]'' on {{wp|Twitter|X (Twitter)}} (English)
*''[https://pokemon.tumblr.com Pokémon]'' on {{wp|Tumblr}} (English)
*''[https://youtube.com/Pokemon Pokémon]'' on [[YouTube]] (English)
*''[https://twitch.tv/pokemon Pokémon]'' on [[Twitch]] (English)
*''[https://facebook.com/PokemonCoJp Pokémon]'' on {{wp|Facebook}} (Japanese)
*''[https://x.com/Pokemon_cojp Pokémon]'' on {{wp|Twitter|X (Twitter)}} (Japanese)
*''[https://youtube.com/PokemonCoJp Pokémon]'' on [[YouTube]] (Japanese)
*''[https://pin.it/6hqhtf2iM Pokémon]'' on {{wp|Pinterest}} (English)[[Category:Pokémon meta]]

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[[zh:宝可梦（品牌）]]

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