- For the TCG pack, see Generations (TCG).
- Not to be confused with Pokémon Generations, an animated mini-series.
Generation began as an unofficial term used to group Pokémon media released during a certain time period in real life, although the term has sometimes been used officially. The length of each generation is considered to be three or four years.
Description[]
The start of a generation is determined when a set of new Pokémon are introduced and then included within the first paired games of the core series. More recent generations have not added all species of Pokémon in the first pair of games, but would introduce a few more species in other games of the core series or even as downloadable content for the initial pair of games within the core series. The first games of the core series always add new gameplay mechanics, even more than an upper version of paired games within the core series, so the Pokémon series becomes more complex as time goes on.
The first few generations each released their games from the core series on a different Nintendo handheld, more specifically the latest one released at the time; however, since Generation V, this has not always been the case, since its games in the core series were released on the Nintendo DS, just as the Generation IV games in the core series had been. Unusually, Generation VII games of the core series were released on two different consoles, with Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon being for the Nintendo 3DS and the Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition remakes, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, for the Nintendo Switch.
Remakes do not become part of the same generation as their original counterparts. The first remakes, Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version, although set in the same time period and region in the Generation I games, are part of Generation III based on the time period under which they had been released while also retaining the Pokémon and several features that had been introduced since the release of the original games. A notable exception is Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, which has only the Generation I Pokémon, but it does introduce two Mythical Pokémon: Meltan and its evolved form, Melmetal.
The start of a generation affects all new releases, namely the spinoff games, the anime Pokémon the Series, the manga Pokémon Adventures, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game by including the Pokémon in it from said generation.
Features[]
Pokémon[]
The addition of more Pokémon is the main thing that determines the start of a new generation. The Pokémon are carried over into subsequent generations. Since Generation VIII, with how many species of Pokémon there are, not all of them from games in previous generations make it over to newer games in the core series, but all of them can be stored in Pokémon HOME.
Some Pokémon are introduced as evolutions of existing Pokémon, either as the previous form of the Pokémon itself, acquirable through methods such as Pokémon breeding, or as the evolved form of a Pokémon. As examples, Electabuzz and Magmar, introduced in Generation I, would receive Elekid and Magby as their respective pre-evolved forms in Generation II, as well as Electivire and Magmortar as their respective evolved form. In some cases, a Pokémon introduced can be an alternate evolution, as is the case with Eevee's many evolutions.
Pokémon receive new traits each generation. An example of this is Abilities, introduced in Generation III, which affect either the Pokémon or the battle in some way. Each generation makes adjustments to a Pokémon's usable moves, of which more are introduced each generation, and the methods to learn the moves. Throughout the generations, the Pokédex, and therefore the Pokémon on them, is more advanced, with the player having more options to sort the Pokémon, such as by color.
Regions[]
Something that marks each generation is also the region where the Pokémon journey takes place. Each region has a different plot, protagonists, Pokémon Professor, villainous team, and first partner Pokémon. Remakes of games from earlier generations retain the same region but with added mechanics and at least a few added locations.
Although Generation II does introduce the Johto region, where it mainly takes place, the entire Kanto region is also explorable during later parts of the player's journey.
Types[]
There are rare cases in which a generation introduces another type, such as Dark and Steel in Generation II or Fairy in Generation VI.
The addition of more types has affected the types of some Pokémon, such as Magnemite and Magneton going from pure Electric type to Steel/Electric type since Generation II or Clefairy changing from Normal to Fairy since Generation VI.
Items[]
Each generation introduces more items, such as more varieties of Poké Balls, or replaces existing items. Some generations introduce another group of items, such as Berries in Generation III.
Graphics[]
The main technical improvement with the start of a generation is the graphical capabilities of games, especially if games in the generation have been released on a newer Nintendo console. The first few seasons of Pokémon the Series design Pokémon with more detail than in the core series, of which the earliest entries had been released for the Game Boy. Although graphics on par with the anime can be displayed on the Nintendo 64, the latest Nintendo home console during the Game Boy era, the Pokémon designs in Pokémon Stadium, a Nintendo 64 game, is more closely based on their appearance in the Game Boy games than the anime.
Since Generation III, it has been possible to see Pokémon at roughly the same detail as in the anime. Furthermore, Generation VI is the first generation to have 3D graphics for its installments within the series, increasing only further with Nintendo Switch and the release of Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield for the console.
List[]
There are currently nine generations, and they are labeled numerically by a roman numeral. Overall, generations allow for Pokémon media with uniform characteristics to be separated into groups.
| Title | Timespan | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Generation I | 1996-2000 | The first generation has 150 main species of Pokémon and the elusive Mythical Pokémon, Mew, which would not be revealed until later. All 151 Pokémon are native to the Kanto region, where most media released within Generation I takes place. |
| Generation II | 1999-2002 | The first Pokémon that was revealed for the second generation was Togepi, which had hatched from a Pokémon Egg that Ash and his friends had found in Pokémon the Series. 100 new species of Pokémon were added in total, ranging in the National Pokédex from number 152 (Chikorita) to 251 (Celebi), all native to the Johto region, where a lot of the media in Generation II takes place. |
| Generation III | 2002-2006 | Similarly to Generation II, the first Pokémon to have been revealed for Generation III was in the anime, more specifically Kecleon in "The Kecleon Caper". The third generation introduced 135 species of Pokémon, ranging from number 252 (Treecko) to number 386 (Deoxys). Most of the media within Generation III takes place in the Hoenn region, where the 135 species of Pokémon are native. |
| Generation IV | 2006-2010 | A lot of the media in Generation IV takes place in Sinnoh. The first Pokémon that had been revealed was Munchlax, in Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys. The fourth generation introduced 107 species of Pokémon, ranging from 387 (Turtwig) to 493 (Arceus) in the National Pokédex. |
| Generation V | 2010-2013 | The fifth generation had first been announced on the Japanese Pokémon website in early 2010, and its first two Pokémon, Zoroark and its pre-evolution named Zorua, would be revealed roughly two weeks later. Generation V introduces 156 species of Pokémon, more than any other generation, with the Pokémon ranging from number 494 (Victini) to 649 (Genesect) in the National Pokédex. All of the Pokémon and most of the media released during Generation V takes place in Unova. |
| Generation VI | 2013-2016 | Most media of the sixth generation takes place in Kalos, a region based on France. The generation introudced only 72 species of Pokémon, fewer than in any other generation, and they range from number 650 (Chespin) to 721 (Volcanion) in the National Pokédex. Besides Pokémon, the most notable features that had been introduced during the generation is the Fairy type and Mega Evolutions. |
| Generation VII | 2016-2019 | The seventh generation takes place in the Alola region. The first games, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, were revealed in a Pokémon Direct during the Pokémon 20th Anniversary, on February 27, 2016. Magearna was the first Pokémon revealed for Generation VII, shortly before the games had been. Unlike previous generations, five more Pokémon were introduced in the next paired games, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, as well as two Mythical Pokémon in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, Meltan and Melmetal. The generation introduced 88 species of Pokémon in total, ranging from number 722 (Rowlet) to 809 (Melmetal) in the National Pokédex. The most notable feature introduced in the seventh generation is regional forms, in which existing Pokémon have a different appearance within certain regions. |
| Generation VIII | 2019-2022 | Like the previous generation, the first paired games of Generation VIII, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, were revealed during a Pokémon Direct. The games take place in Galar, a region based on England. 96 species of Pokémon had been added in total, ranging from number 810 (Grookey) to 905 (Enamorus) in the National Pokédex. The games introduce the Dynamax mechanic, which grows a Pokémon to a gigantic size, and the similar Gigantamax, which also alters the Pokémon's appearance. The generation introduces Pokémon Legends: Arceus, set in a different region, Hisui, which is the old civilization of what would become the Sinnoh region many years later. |
| Generation IX | 2022-present | Much like the two previous generations, Generation IX had its first paired games, Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, introduced during a presentation titled Pokémon Presents on February 27, 2022. The games take place in Paldea, based on Spain. Generation IX follows similarly in line to the previous generation from having downloadable content expansions instead of upper versions of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet and a separate Legends game altogether. |
Media[]
Generation I[]
| Pokémon introduced |
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|---|---|
| Total Pokémon | |
| Region introduced | |
| Core series | |
| Spinoff games | |
| Anime series | |
| Anime seasons | |
| Films | |
| Manga arcs | |
| TCG series |
|
| TCG sets |
Generation II[]
| Pokémon introduced |
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|---|---|
| Total Pokémon |
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| Region introduced | |
| Core series | |
| Spinoff games | |
| Anime series | |
| Anime seasons | |
| Films | |
| Manga arcs | |
| TCG series |
|
| TCG sets |
Generation III[]
| Pokémon introduced |
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|---|---|
| Total Pokémon |
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| Region introduced | |
| Core series | |
| Spinoff games | |
| Anime series | |
| Anime seasons | |
| Films | |
| Manga arcs | |
| TCG series |
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| TCG sets |
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Generation IV[]
| Pokémon introduced |
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| Total Pokémon |
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| Region introduced | |
| Core series | |
| Spinoff games |
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| Anime series | |
| Anime seasons | |
| Films | |
| Manga arcs | |
| TCG series |
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| TCG sets |
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Generation V[]
| Pokémon introduced |
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|---|---|
| Total Pokémon |
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| Region introduced | |
| Core series | |
| Spinoff games | |
| Applications | |
| Anime series | |
| Anime seasons | |
| Films | |
| Manga arcs | |
| TCG series |
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| TCG sets |
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Generation VI[]
| Pokémon introduced |
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|---|---|
| Total Pokémon |
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| Region introduced | |
| Core series | |
| Spinoff games |
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| Applications |
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| Anime series | |
| Anime seasons | |
| Films | |
| Manga arcs | |
| TCG series |
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| TCG sets |
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Generation VII[]
| Pokémon introduced |
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|---|---|
| Total Pokémon |
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| Region introduced | |
| Core series | |
| Spinoff games | |
| Applications |
|
| Anime series | |
| Anime seasons | |
| Films | |
| Manga arcs | |
| TCG series |
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| TCG sets |
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Generation VIII[]
| Pokémon introduced |
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|---|---|
| Total Pokémon |
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| Regions introduced | |
| Core series | |
| Spinoff games | |
| Applications | |
| Anime series | |
| Anime seasons | |
| Films | |
| Manga arcs | |
| TCG series |
|
| TCG sets |
|
Generation IX[]
| Pokémon introduced |
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|---|---|
| Total Pokémon |
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| Regions introduced | |
| Core series | |
| Spinoff games |
|
| Anime series | |
| Anime seasons | |
| Manga arcs | |
| TCG series |
|
| TCG sets |
|