Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! artwork illustrating the concept
Walking Pokémon is a mechanic introduced in Generation I.
Description[]
Walking Pokémon are Pokémon that walk alongside the player when they normally would be inside their Poké Balls. Although this mechanic originally occurred only for the Pikachu in Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition, this had later been allowed for all Pokémon since Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version.
List of Walking Pokémon[]
Main[]
Recurring[]
Minor[]
Appearances[]
Core series[]
Generation I gameplay of the player being followed by Pikachu
Pikachu was the first, and for many years, only, Pokémon in the core series to follow the player character around and the player itself could interact with it. This feature was added in Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition for Generation I. Pikachu could not follow the player if it was lulled to sleep, fainted, or sent to a PC.
In the Generation IV games, Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version, whatever Pokémon is the first on the player's party team will follow them around as a walking Pokémon. Occasionally if the player talks to it, not only will they check its happiness like in Yellow, but also see if the Pokémon has picked up an item. If the first Pokémon in the party has fainted, the next in line will replace it until it is revived.
In the Generation VII games, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, the Partner Pokémon, Pikachu and Eevee, always ride on the player; Pikachu rides on the player character's shoulder, while Eevee rides on their head. In addition, the player can ride certain larger Pokémon including Charizard, Arcanine, Onix, Rapidash, Dodrio and Dragonite. In some cases, certain Pokémon will give distinct reactions to certain objects. Like in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver Version, the first Pokémon in the party will also follow its Trainer, technically making two Pokémon accompany the player character as he/she travels.
This feature returns in the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, but is restricted only for the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass DLC content:
- In the Isle of Armor, after clearing all three of Mustard's trials, he will allow the player's lead party member Pokémon to follow them all around the island.
- In the Crown Tundra, the mechanism is the same as that in the Isle of Armor. It is allowed by the town mayor of Freezington upon arrival, but it can be toggled on or off by talking to a Poké Kid in one of the houses. Like that in the Isle of Armor, it is only allowed in the Crown Tundra.
- Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet returns the walking Pokémon gameplay seen in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!.
Anime[]
Ash's Pikachu standing alongside Ash Ketchum in the anime
Pokémon the Series features walking Pokémon far more prominently than in the main games. The most obvious example is Ash Ketchum's Pikachu. During Ash's first day as a Pokémon Trainer, Pikachu adamantly refuse to be inside the Poké Ball after being sent out by Professor Oak, and afterward revealed to Ash that he didn't like being inside the ball, thus Pikachu often rides on Ash's shoulder or head.
Misty's Togepi is another Pokémon in the anime famous for never being recalled to a Poké Ball, and even more notably, having never been seen to be in a Poké Ball at all. Ash found it as an Egg in Grampa Canyon in "Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon", and it was cared for by Brock until it was stolen by Team Rocket, subsequently hatching in Misty's arms. It served as a companion to Pikachu throughout the series from its debut until Misty's departure, and was eventually released by Misty in "A Togepi Mirage!". Some fans do not count it as a walking Pokémon due to the fact that it technically never had any Poké Ball, even though it acted like a caught Pokémon.
Like Pikachu, Dawn's Piplup has also become a walking Pokémon, though he was initially completely fine with staying inside his Poke Ball at the beginning of the Diamond & Pearl series, and has not indicated that he has ever had a problem with it, unlike Pikachu. Since "Journey to the Unown!", Dawn often carries him around in her arms much like Misty did Togepi. In some episodes, however, Piplup instead rides on either her head or her shoulder.
Another example is Iris' Axew, as instead of staying inside the Poké Ball he enjoys riding within Iris' hair. It is unknown if Axew has any dislike of a Poké Ball, as the issue of if he even has one has not been raised in the series and also because when the elder first presented him to Iris he was seen in a basket without a Poké Ball around it.
Manga[]
Pokémon Adventures[]
In Yellow Chapter, Yellow has Red's Pika follow her from "Do Do That Doduo". Pika's Poké Ball was in Red's possession and both Pika and Yellow went to search for Red, who went missing.
Trivia[]
- The walking Pokémon mechanic introduced in is based on the anime, and itself is one of the main contributing factors for its popularity. Although player characters being followed by others in RPG games was common, this context was considered revolutionary by fans in the Generation I era.
- A similar gameplay mechanic known as "Walking Trainers" exists in some games, which instead of Pokémon, has other Trainers follow the player character. This is notably featured in Pokémon Colosseum.
- Most of the recurring walking Pokémon in the anime have not evolved or refuse to do so, although some of them were already evolved before being obtained or caught. The only exceptions are Misty's Togetic, Morrison's Metang, Cameron's Lucario, Sanpei's Greninja, Mallow's Tsareena, Ash's Lycanroc, Ash's Incineroar, Sophocles' Vikavolt, Lana's Primarina, Ash's Melmetal, Ash's Naganadel, Goh's Cinderace, Ash's Lucario, Goh's Inteleon, and Iris's Haxorus, although Togetic was released soon after evolving. Ash's Naganadel evolved while it wasn't under Ash's ownership, but it did return temporarily before being released again.
- Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire is the only series in the anime to date not to have any walking Pokémon besides Pikachu in Ash's regular group.
- Compared to other core games, walking Pokémon in the Pokémon Sword and Shield DLC can only respond with an exclamation mark rather than text bubbles. Another thing is that said Pokémon's speed will vary (ex. Pokémon like Hatterene are very slow-moving and can easily fall behind the player, whereas others like Cinderace are much quicker and can easily match or surpass the player's speed).
- Because of this, many players found the walking Pokémon system in these titles to be very wonky and needing improvement.