Gotta catch 'em all!

For other uses, see Gotta catch 'em all! (disambiguation).

The original logo for the phrase

The phrase logo as of Pokémon X and Y

"Gotta catch 'em all!" is an English slogan for the Pokémon franchise, including the English language Pokémon video games. The slogan is most prominently used on the box art for Generation I and Generation II core series games, but it is also featured multiple times in Pokémon the Series and in advertising for core series games through Generation VI. The Japanese equivalent is "Get Pokémon!" (Japanese: ポケモンゲットだぜー！ Pokémon get da ze~!, also spelt ポケモンＧＥＴだぜー！)

History

The slogan "Gotta catch 'em all!" was created by Norman J. Grossfeld, the president of 4Kids Productions (a former subsidiary of 4Kids Entertainment) from 1994 to 2009. He introduced the slogan, along with three or four alternatives, during a pitch meeting with representatives from Nintendo, Hasbro, and 4Kids Entertainment (then known as Leisure Concepts, Inc.). According to Grossfeld, during the meeting, one lawyer from either Nintendo or Hasbro rejected the slogan due to concerns over it being too declarative, but they were overruled as the other participants in the meeting liked "Gotta catch 'em all!" the best. The participants had also considered the slogan "Catch 'em if you can", one of Grossfeld's alternative suggestions. Grossfeld even had a song written that incorporated the "Catch 'em if you can" slogan that ultimately went unused.^[1] Interestingly, a translation of this original slogan ended up being used on the Brazilian boxarts for Pokémon Red and Blue and Pokémon Gold and Silver.

In the core series games

The first pair of Pokémon games released in North America, Pokémon Red and Blue, were labeled with the catchphrase below the Pokémon logo. Their sequels, Pokémon Gold and Silver, and later, Pokémon Crystal, had the catchphrase in the same position. Pokémon Yellow was the only exception, instead advertising that it was the "Special Pikachu Edition" of the game below the logo.

The slogan was taken out of the box art for Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, although pre-release versions of the box art indicate that the slogan was initially intended to be kept, but was dropped sometime between January 2003 and March 2003. The slogan has not reappeared in any Pokémon game box art since, but has appeared in promotional materials such as the trailers for Pokémon Diamond and Pearl^[2] and Pokémon X and Y.

Variations

In the core series games, there is a known variation: "Gotta catch even more!" is written in the box blurb of the Game Boy Color release of Pokémon Gold and Silver. This sentence is not found in the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console releases or in Pokémon Crystal.

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Trading Card Game

In Pokémon Trading Card Game, Hood in the Lightning Club references this slogan by saying: "Got all the Legendary Pokémon cards? Yeah! Gotta catch 'em all!(TM)" Additionally, one of the decks found in the Auto Deck Machine is named Replace 'Em All Deck. Both instances were added in the English localization; they are not seen in the Japanese original text.

Pokémon Play It! series

In the "What's a Pokémon?" lesson from both Pokémon Play It! and Pokémon Play It! Version 2, Julie says this about the Trading Card Game: "There are seven symbols and seven types of Pokémon. Catch 'em all!"

PokéROM

The slogan of PokéROM is "Gotta learn 'em all!"

Pokémon Project Studio

The slogan of Pokémon Project Studio Red and Blue is "Gotta make 'em all!"

Pokémon Pokopia

In Pokémon Pokopia, when Gimmighoul is found for the first time in Rocky Ridges, its dialogue balloon says, "Treasure! Gotta catch it all. ♪"

In animation

Pokémon the Series

The most noticeable reference to the catchphrase in Pokémon the Series was introduced in the first episode by the main protagonist, Ash Ketchum himself, promising that he would catch all of the Pokémon in the world, before setting off on his journey. The motto also seems to be a pun for Pokémon photographers, as Robert's grandfather "caught them all" and Todd "catches" Pokémon.

The line was chanted by Team Rocket in the Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver episode The Psychic Sidekicks! while driving their newest mecha and planning to steal lots of Pokémon.

The reference was used as the title of the penultimate episode of Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver, Gotta Catch Ya Later!. In this episode, both Brock and Misty return to Kanto, leaving Ash to head to the Hoenn region alone.

The line was later said by Meowth in The Lotad Lowdown.

The line was mentioned by James in the Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire episode Exploud and Clear!.

The slogan was referenced in the English-language version of Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys; Brock says the phrase when collecting food from a haywire robotic vending machine during a power outage (with "them all", in this instance, being hot dogs).

The "Gotta catch 'em all!" phrase appears in the opening animation for Pokémon Chronicles and is also seen in the Who's That Pokémon? segment in Pokémon the Series: XY. However, in certain international versions, the line is replaced with respective Pokémon the Series: XY localized logos.

In music

This phrase is featured in the original opening theme, as well as in the chorus of the Pokérap. It is also found in the theme for The Johto Journeys, the third season of Pokémon the Series. The lyrics include, in reference to the Pokémon introduced in Gold and Silver, that "you still gotta catch 'em all!". A new, remixed version of the original theme was used as the opening for the first season of Pokémon the Series: XY.

The Pokérap GS uses the catchphrase quite prominently.

There's a Pokémon soundtrack by HAL Laboratory named Pokémon Gotta Catch the Sound!, which includes the Pokémon Snap music theme Gotta Snap Em’ All.

The line is referenced in the song Can't Stop (Catchin' 'Em All) several times.

The line from the original Pokérap is sampled in the song, Catchatronic, which promoted the return of the slogan after a long absence.

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

In the VIZ Media edition of Pokémon Adventures Volume 14, Professor Oak makes a reference to the slogan, saying that Crystal "truly catches them all".

In the guidebooks

Nintendo Power

In some Nintendo Power guidebooks, there are section names such as "Gotta Get 'Em All"^[3] or "Catch 'em All".^[4]^[5] They are about different ways to obtain Pokémon.

In merchandise

The slogan for the 1999 Burger King promotional Pokémon toys was "Gotta catch 'em here!", a reference to the franchise's slogan.

In promotional material

The slogan was temporarily retired from the Pokémon games around 2003, with the release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Instead of the now-familiar phrase appearing below the Pokémon logo, the name of the game version appeared. This held true for the remaining games of Generation III, and would later prove to be the standard for subsequent generations with the release of the Generation IV games, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. However, the slogan is still used in certain promotional materials for those games.

An English-language Diamond and Pearl commercial was released that features the phrase in the United States. It is also used as the slogan for the Catch That Pokémon Show in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. This did not, however, mean that the slogan made a permanent return, rather it was just a reference to the then defunct slogan.

On the Pokémon Black and White official website, the slogan is referenced in the "Pokémon" section of the site. A link to the new Pokémon is labeled with the phrase "See 'Em All."

The slogan is alluded to in Pokémon 1008 ENCOUNTERS, a promotional video uploaded on January 12, 2023 that celebrates the number of Pokémon surpassing one thousand. The video ends with the phrase, "Did you catch 'em all?"^[6]

The promotional blurb for the 151 expansion of the Pokémon Trading Card Game contains the phrase "Gotta Catch ’Em All!"

Pokémon Gotta Catch ’Em All Hunt

Bulbanews

Bulbanews has an article related to this subject:

Pokémon announces GottaCatchEmAll.com

As part of the marketing campaign for the then upcoming global release of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, a website was launched for the Pokémon Gotta Catch ’Em All Hunt that ran from September 14, 2013 to October 12, 2013.^[7] This website was known about prior to its official release due to the accidental early uploading of its promotional video a week prior, replacing the expected Genesect and the Legend Awakened trailer. Participants were encouraged to scour the internet to various Pokémon-related sites for various codes that could be input into the website "www.gottacatchemall.com". These codes would unlock a variety of items such as virtual Poké Balls that would reveal Pokémon from the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games. Additionally, the website would run sweepstakes for U.S. residents, where participants could win prizes such as a 1 Nintendo 3DS, 9 Pokémon Trading Card Game Figure Boxes (in one of three designs), 20 Black 2 & White 2 Official National Pokédex Guide books, 16 Pokémon Plush Toys, 4 Pokémon X download codes, and 4 Pokémon Y download codes.^[8] The site required the first name of the user, their respective e-mail address, a username and the code "XY1012" to open. This code could be found from the "Catchatronic" -- Pokémon "Gotta Catch ‛Em All" Mix music video. A list of rewards can be found below.^[9]

Clue	Answer	Pokémon	Prize
Our XY Advice? Leave luck to heaven.	Pokémon X or Pokémon Y page on Nintendo.com	Xerneas	Mega Blaziken wallpaper
The Green Robot is your gaming guide.	Destructoid	Clauncher	Alarmset (Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile)
From Abomasnow to Zweilous, look up your lyrics.	AZlyrics	Bunnelby	Mega Mawile wallpaper
4-sided Pokémon Perfection.	Perfect Square - Viz Media	Noivern	Pokémon Adventures wallpaper
Only a special system will break this code!	Nintendo.com/3ds/pokemon	Yveltal	Phone alert (Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle)
I don’t wanna grow up. I’m a Pokémon kid.	Toys 'R' Us	Spritzee	Unique TCGO Booster Pack code
Watch Your Pokémon.	Pokémon episodes on Pokémon.com	Helioptile	Mega Absol wallpaper
You can always get the latest Buzz here.	Buzzfeed	Pangoro	Phone alert (Charizard, Jigglypuff, Meowth)
Our game is covering new ground.	Newgrounds	Sylveon	Digital Pokémon Black and White volume 3 (manga)
Go FIGURE where this collectible code is hidden.	Tomy Collections (Takara Tomy)	Litleo	Mega Lucario wallpaper
It's like what you see before movies, but for games.	GameTrailers	Talonflame	Mega Ampharos wallpaper
N/A	Pokémon XY Region page	Chespin	Ringtone (Pokémon Theme)
Go Home.	N/A	Fennekin	Phone alert (Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig)
It’s all in the cards.	Trading Card Game on Pokémon.com	Froakie	Unique TCGO Booster Pack code
Stream radio online to get lucky	N/A	Skrelp	Ringtone (Rival Destinies)
I want my geek TV.	multiplayerblog.mtv	Pancham	Ringtone (Black and White)
We’re picking up something on our radar.	GamesRadar	Gogoat	Ringtone (It's Always You and Me)
Put your finger on the gaming pulse	VentureBeat	Dedenne	Phone alert (Chimchar, Piplup, Turtwig)
Stop here for Pokémon games and gear!	GameStop	Honedge	Ringtone M15 short - credits)
If you're as obsessed as us, you've probably got a complex.		Inkay	Digital Pokémon Black and White volume 2 (manga)
Today’s topic: Pokémon fashion!	HotTopic	Swirlix	Digital Pokémon Black and White volume 1 (manga excerpt)
"Keeping you informed on all the latest Pokémon news!"	GameInformer	Malamar	Phone alert (Eevee, Psyduck, Wobbuffet)
"Let's get this Pokémon party started."		Fletchling	Digital Pokémon Black and White volume 5 (manga)
Crave gaming news?	CraveOnline	Skiddo	Phone alert (Mudkip, Torchic, Treecko)

The site also contained a new logo for the phrase "Gotta catch 'em all!". This new logo was used for all videos prior to the launch of the Nintendo Switch on The Pokémon Company International's YouTube channel, along with a Pikachu saying "Pika!". This logo was also used in the Who's That Pokémon? animation segment in Pokémon the Series: XY.