Pokémon,[a][1][2][3] also known as Pocket Monsters[b] in Japan, is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, a company founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. The franchise was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995,[4] and is centered on fictional creatures called "Pokémon". In Pokémon, humans, known as Pokémon Trainers, catch and train Pokémon to battle other Pokémon for sport. Games, shows and other works within the franchise are set in the Pokémon universe. The English slogan for the franchise is "Gotta Catch ‘Em All!".[5][6]

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The franchise began as Pocket Monsters: Red and Green (later released outside of Japan as Pokémon Red and Blue), a pair of video games for the original Game Boy handheld system that were developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo in February 1996. It soon became a media mix franchise adapted into various different media.[7] Pokémon has since become the highest-grossing media franchise of all time. The original video game series is the second-best-selling video game franchise (behind Nintendo's Mario franchise)[8] with more than 368 million copies sold[9] and one billion mobile downloads[clarification needed],[10] and it spawned[clarification needed] a hit anime television series that has become the most successful video game adaptation[11] with over 20 seasons and 1,000 episodes in 169 countries.[9] In addition, the Pokémon franchise includes the world's top-selling toy brand,[12] the top-selling trading card game[13] with over 30.4 billion cards sold,[9] an anime film series, a live-action film (Detective Pikachu), books, manga comics, music, merchandise, and a theme park(Poképark). The franchise is also represented in other Nintendo media, such as the Super Smash Bros. series, where various Pokémon characters are playable.

In November 2005, 4Kids Entertainment, which had managed the non-game related licensing of Pokémon, announced that it had agreed not to renew the Pokémon representation agreement. The Pokémon Company International oversees all Pokémon licensing outside Asia.[14] In 2006, the franchise celebrated its tenth anniversary.[15] In 2016, the Pokémon Company celebrated Pokémon's 20th anniversary by airing an ad during Super Bowl 50 in January and re-releasing the first Pokémon video games 1996 Game Boy games Pokémon Red, Green (only in Japan), and Blue, and the 1998 Game Boy Color game Pokémon Yellow for the Nintendo 3DS on February 26, 2016.[16][17] The mobile augmented reality game Pokémon Go was released in July 2016.[18] The first live-action film in the franchise, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, based on the 2018 Nintendo 3DS spin-off game Detective Pikachu, was released in 2019.[19] The most recently released core series games, Pokémon Sword and Shield, that were released worldwide on the Nintendo Switch on November 15, 2019.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary in 2021, the upcoming core series games, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be released in late 2021, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus in early 2022, both for the Nintendo Switch.[20] They are remakes and a premake[21] of the 2006 Nintendo DS games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, respectively.

Contents

1Name

2Concept

2.1Gameplay of Pokémon

2.2Pokémon universe

3Video games

3.1Generations

3.2List of Pokémon main series video games

4In other media

4.1Anime series

4.2Films

4.2.1Pokémon: Original Series

4.2.2Pokémon: Advanced Generation

4.2.3Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl

4.2.4Pokémon: Black & White

4.2.5Pokémon: XY

4.2.6Pokémon: Sun & Moon (Alternate continuity)

4.2.7Pokémon: Journeys (Alternate continuity)

4.2.8Live-action film

4.3Soundtracks

4.4Pokémon Trading Card Game

4.5Manga

4.6Monopoly

5Criticism and controversy

5.1Morality and religious beliefs

5.2Animal cruelty

5.3Health

5.4Monster in My Pocket

5.5Pokémon Go

6Cultural influence

6.1Fan community

7Notes

8References

9External links

Name

The name Pokémon is a syllabic abbreviation of the Japanese brand Pocket Monsters.[22] The term "Pokémon", in addition to referring to the Pokémon franchise itself, also collectively refers to the 898 fictional species that have made appearances in Pokémon media as of the release of the eighth generation titles Pokémon Sword and Shield. "Pokémon" is identical in the singular and plural, as is each individual species name; it is and would be grammatically correct to say "one Pokémon" and "many Pokémon", as well as "one Pikachu" and "many Pikachu".[23]

Concept

See also: Gameplay of Pokémon, List of Pokémon, and Pokémon universe

Gameplay of Pokémon

Gameplay of a Pokémon battle between an Ivysaur and Pikachu in Pokémon Red and Blue

Pokémon executive director Satoshi Tajiri first thought of Pokémon, albeit with a different concept and name, around 1989, when the Game Boy was released. The concept of the Pokémon universe, in both the video games and the general fictional world of Pokémon, stems from the hobby of insect collecting, a popular pastime which Tajiri enjoyed as a child.[24] Players are designated as Pokémon Trainers and have three general goals: to complete the regional Pokédex by collecting all of the available Pokémon species found in the fictional region where a game takes place, to complete the national Pokédex by transferring Pokémon from other regions, and to train a team of powerful Pokémon from those they have caught to compete against teams owned by other Trainers so they may eventually win the Pokémon League and become the regional Champion. These themes of collecting, training, and battling are present in almost every version of the Pokémon franchise, including the video games, the anime and manga series, and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

In most incarnations of the Pokémon universe, a Trainer who encounters a wild Pokémon is able to capture that Pokémon by throwing a specially designed, mass-producible spherical tool called a Poké Ball at it. If the Pokémon is unable to escape the confines of the Poké Ball, it is considered to be under the ownership of that Trainer. Afterwards, it will obey whatever commands it receives from its new Trainer, unless the Trainer demonstrates such a lack of experience that the Pokémon would rather act on its own accord. Trainers can send out any of their Pokémon to wage non-lethal battles against other Pokémon; if the opposing Pokémon is wild, the Trainer can capture that Pokémon with a Poké Ball, increasing their collection of creatures. In Pokémon Go, and in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, wild Pokémon encountered by players can be caught in Poké Balls, but generally cannot be battled. Pokémon already owned by other Trainers cannot be captured, except under special circumstances in certain side games. If a Pokémon fully defeats an opponent in battle so that the opponent is knocked out ("faints"), the winning Pokémon gains experience points and may level up. Beginning with Pokémon X and Y, experience points are also gained from catching Pokémon in Poké Balls. When leveling up, the Pokémon's battling aptitude statistics ("stats", such as "Attack" and "Speed") increase. At certain levels, the Pokémon may also learn new moves, which are techniques used in battle. In addition, many species of Pokémon can undergo a form of metamorphosis and transform into a similar but stronger species of Pokémon, a process called evolution; this process occurs spontaneously under differing circumstances, and is itself a central theme of the series. Some species of Pokémon may undergo a maximum of two evolutionary transformations, while others may undergo only one, and others may not evolve at all. For example, the Pokémon Pichu may evolve into Pikachu, which in turn may evolve into Raichu, following which no further evolutions may occur. Pokémon X and Y introduced the concept of "Mega Evolution," by which certain fully evolved Pokémon may temporarily undergo an additional evolution into a stronger form for the purpose of battling; this evolution is considered a special case, and unlike other evolutionary stages, is reversible.

In the main series, each game's single-player mode requires the Trainer to raise a team of Pokémon to defeat many non-player character (NPC) Trainers and their Pokémon. Each game lays out a somewhat linear path through a specific region of the Pokémon world for the Trainer to journey through, completing events and battling opponents along the way (including foiling the plans of an 'evil' team of Pokémon Trainers who serve as antagonists to the player). Excluding Pokémon Sun and Moon and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the games feature eight powerful Trainers, referred to as Gym Leaders, that the Trainer must defeat in order to progress. As a reward, the Trainer receives a Gym Badge, and once all eight badges are collected, the Trainer is eligible to challenge the region's Pokémon League, where four talented trainers (referred to collectively as the "Elite Four") challenge the Trainer to four Pokémon battles in succession. If the trainer can overcome this gauntlet, they must challenge the Regional Champion, the master Trainer who had previously defeated the Elite Four. Any Trainer who wins this last battle becomes the new champion.

Pokémon universe

Pokémon is set in the fictional Pokemon universe. There are numerous regions that have appeared in the various media of the Pokémon franchise. There are 8 main series regions set in the main series games: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar. Each of the eight generations of the main series releases focuses on a new region. Every region consists of several cities and towns that the player must explore in order to overcome many waiting challenges, such as Gyms, Contests and villainous teams. At different locations within each region, the player can find different types of Pokémon, as well as helpful items and characters. Different regions are not accessible from one another at all within a single game, only with the exception of Kanto and Johto being linked together in Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver versions. There are also regions set in spinoff games and two islands in the Pokémon anime (Orange Islands and Decolore Islands), all still set within the same fictional universe.

Each main series region in the Pokémon universe is based on a real world location. The first 4 introduced regions (Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh) are based on parts of Japan, with later regions being based on parts of the United States (Unova and Alola), France (Kalos) and the United Kingdom (Galar).[25]

Pokemon world in relation to the real world

Pokémon regionReal world location basis

Kanto

Sevii Islands

Kantō, Japan

Izu Islands & Bonin Islands, Japan

JohtoKansai, Japan

HoennKyushu, Japan

Sinnoh

Battle Zone

Hokkaido, Japan

Sakhalin, Russia

Unova New York City, United States

Kalos France

Alola Hawaii, United States

Galar

Isle of Armor

Crown Tundra

United Kingdom

Isle of Man, United Kingdom

Scotland, United Kingdom

Video games

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Main articles: Pokémon (video game series) and List of Pokémon video games

Generations

See also: Timeline of Pokémon

Core series release timeline

1996Red and Green

Blue

1997

1998Yellow

Red and Blue

1999Gold and Silver

2000Crystal

2001

2002Ruby and Sapphire

2003

2004FireRed and LeafGreen

Emerald

2005

2006Diamond and Pearl

2007

2008Platinum

2009HeartGold and SoulSilver

2010Black and White

2011

2012Black 2 and White 2

2013X and Y

2014Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

2015

2016Sun and Moon

2017Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

2018Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!

2019Sword and Shield

2020

2021Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

2022Legends: Arceus

A rival battle between a Bulbasaur and a Charmander in Pokémon Red and Blue.[26]

All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by the Pokémon Company International are divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological divisions by release; every several years, when a sequel to the 1996 role-playing video games Pokémon Red and Green is released that features new Pokémon, characters, and gameplay concepts, that sequel is considered the start of a new generation of the franchise. The main Pokémon video games and their spin-offs, the anime, manga, and trading card game are all updated with the new Pokémon properties each time a new generation begins.[27] Some Pokémon from the newer games appear in anime episodes or films months, or even years, before the game they were programmed for came out. The first generation began in Japan with Pokémon Red and Green on the Game Boy. As of 2021, there are eight generations of main series video games. The most recent games in the main series, Pokémon Sword and Shield, began the eighth and latest generation and were released worldwide for the Nintendo Switch on November 15, 2019.[28][29][30] The upcoming core series games, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl will be released in late 2021, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus in early 2022, both for the Nintendo Switch.[20] They are remakes and a premake[21] of the 2006 Nintendo DS games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, respectively.

List of Pokémon main series video games

GenerationTitleRelease dateSystem

Generation I

1996–1999

Kanto region

Pocket Monsters: Red and GreenFebruary 27, 1996JPGame Boy

Pocket Monsters: BlueOctober 15, 1996JP

Pokémon Red and BlueSeptember 28, 1998NA

October 23, 1998AUS

October 5, 1999EU

Pokémon YellowSeptember 12, 1998JP

October 19, 1999NA

September 3, 1999AUS

June 16, 2000EU

Generation II

1999–2002

Johto region

Kanto region

Pokémon Gold and SilverNovember 21, 1999JP

October 13, 2000AUS

October 14, 2000NA

April 6, 2001EU

April 23, 2002KOGame Boy Color

Pokémon CrystalDecember 14, 2000JP

July 29, 2001NA

September 30, 2001AUS

November 2, 2001EU

Generation III

2002–2006

Hoenn region

Kanto region

Pokémon Ruby and SapphireNovember 21, 2002JP

March 18, 2003NA

April 3, 2003AUS

July 25, 2003EUGame Boy Advance

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreenJanuary 29, 2004JP

September 7, 2004NA

September 23, 2004AUS

October 1, 2004EU

Pokémon EmeraldSeptember 16, 2004JP

April 30, 2005NA

June 9, 2005AUS

October 21, 2005EU

Generation IV

2006–2010

Sinnoh region

Johto region

Kanto region

Pokémon Diamond and PearlSeptember 28, 2006JP

April 22, 2007NA

June 21, 2007AUS

July 27, 2007EU

February 14, 2008KONintendo DS

Pokémon PlatinumSeptember 13, 2008JP

March 22, 2009NA

May 14, 2009AUS

May 22, 2009EU

July 2, 2009KO

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilverSeptember 12, 2009JP

February 4, 2010KO

March 14, 2010NA

March 25, 2010AUS

March 26, 2010EU

Generation V

2010–2013

Unova region

Pokémon Black and WhiteSeptember 18, 2010JP

March 4, 2011EU

March 6, 2011NA

March 10, 2011AUS

April 21, 2011KO

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2June 23, 2012JP

October 7, 2012NA

October 11, 2012AUS

October 12, 2012EU

Generation VI

2013–2016

Kalos region

Hoenn region

Pokémon X and YOctober 12, 2013WWNintendo 3DS

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha SapphireNovember 21, 2014JP, NA, AUS

November 28, 2014EU

Generation VII

2016–2019

Alola region

Kanto region

Pokémon Sun and MoonNovember 18, 2016JP, NA, AUS

November 23, 2016EU

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra MoonNovember 17, 2017WW

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!November 16, 2018WWNintendo Switch

Generation VIII

2019–present

Galar region

Sinnoh region

Pokémon Sword and ShieldNovember 15, 2019WW[31][32]

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining PearlLate 2021

Pokémon Legends: ArceusEarly 2022

In other media

Anime series

Main articles: Pokémon (anime) and List of Pokémon episodes

Release timeline

1997Indigo League

1998

1999Adventures in the Orange Islands

The Johto Journeys

2000Johto League Champions

2001Master Quest

2002Advanced

2003Advanced Challenge

2004Advanced Battle

2005Battle Frontier

2006Diamond and Pearl

2007Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension

2008Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles

2009

2010Diamond and Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors

Black & White

2011Black & White: Rival Destinies

2012Black & White: Adventures in Unova

2013Black & White: Adventures in Unova and Beyond

XY

2014XY: Kalos Quest

2015XYZ

2016Sun and Moon

2017Sun & Moon: Ultra Adventures

2018Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends

2019Journeys

SeasonTitleEpisodesOriginally aired

First airedLast aired

1Indigo League82April 1, 1997January 21, 1999

2Adventures in the Orange Islands36January 28, 1999October 7, 1999

3The Johto Journeys41October 14, 1999July 27, 2000

4Johto League Champions52August 3, 2000August 2, 2001

5Master Quest65August 9, 2001November 14, 2002

6Advanced40November 21, 2002August 28, 2003

7Advanced Challenge52September 4, 2003September 2, 2004

8Advanced Battle54September 9, 2004September 29, 2005

9Battle Frontier47October 6, 2005September 14, 2006

10Diamond and Pearl52September 28, 2006October 25, 2007

11Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension52November 8, 2007December 4, 2008

12Diamond and Pearl: Galactic Battles53December 4, 2008December 24, 2009

13Diamond and Pearl: Sinnoh League Victors34January 7, 2010September 9, 2010

14Black & White50September 23, 2010September 15, 2011

15Black & White: Rival Destinies49September 22, 2011October 4, 2012

16Black & White: Adventures in Unova4525October 11, 2012April 18, 2013

Black & White: Adventures in Unova and Beyond20April 25, 2013September 26, 2013

17XY48October 17, 2013October 30, 2014

18XY: Kalos Quest45November 13, 2014October 22, 2015

19XYZ47October 29, 2015October 27, 2016

20Sun & Moon43November 17, 2016September 21, 2017

21Sun & Moon: Ultra Adventures49October 5, 2017October 14, 2018

22Sun & Moon: Ultra Legends54October 21, 2018November 3, 2019

23Journeys63November 17, 2019TBA

Pokémon, also known as Pokémon the Series to Western audiences since the year 2013, is an anime television series based on the Pokémon video game series. It was originally broadcast on TV Tokyo in 1997. More than 1,000 episodes of the anime has been produced and aired, divided into 7 series in Japan and 22 seasons internationally. It is one of the longest currently running anime series.[33]

The anime follows the quest of the main character, Ash Ketchum (known as Satoshi in Japan), a Pokémon Master in training, as he and a small group of friends travel around the world of Pokémon along with their Pokémon partners.[34]

Various children's books, collectively known as Pokémon Junior, are also based on the anime.[35]

A new seven part anime series called Pokémon: Twilight Wings aired on YouTube in 2020.[36] The series was animated by Studio Colorido.[37]

Films

Main article: List of Pokémon films

Release timeline

1998Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back

1999Pokémon: The Movie 2000 - The Power of One

2000Pokémon 3: The Movie - Spell of the Unown

2001Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi - Voice of the Forest

2002Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias

2003Jirachi—Wish Maker

2004Destiny Deoxys

2005Lucario and the Mystery of Mew

2006Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea

2007The Rise of Darkrai

2008Giratina and the Sky Warrior

2009Arceus and the Jewel of Life

2010Zoroark—Master of Illusions

2011White—Victini and Zekrom

Black—Victini and Reshiram

2012Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice

2013Genesect and the Legend Awakened

2014Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction

2015Hoopa and the Clash of Ages

2016Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel

2017I Choose You!

2018The Power of Us

2019Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution

2020Secrets of the Jungle

Release timeline

2019Pokémon Detective Pikachu

2020

TBAuntitled Detective Pikachu sequel

There have been 23 animated theatrical Pokémon films (latest film to be released on December 25, 2020[38]), which have been directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Tetsuo Yajima, and distributed in Japan by Toho since 1998. The pair of films, Pokémon the Movie: Black—Victini and Reshiram and White—Victini and Zekrom are considered together as one film. Collectibles, such as promotional trading cards, have been available with some of the films. Since the 20th film, the films have been set in an alternate continuity separate from the anime series.

List of Pokémon animated theatrical films

Pokémon: Original Series

#English titleJapanese titleJapanese release dateNorth American release date

1Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes BackMewtwo Strikes Back[39] (ミュウツーの逆襲, Myūtsū no Gyakushū)July 18, 1998November 10, 1999

2Pokémon: The Movie 2000 - The Power of OneMirage Pokémon: Lugia's Explosive Birth (幻のポケモン ルギア爆誕, Maboroshi no Pokemon Rugia Bakutan)July 17, 1999July 21, 2000

3Pokémon 3: The Movie - Spell of the UnownEmperor of The Crystal Tower: ENTEI (結晶塔の帝王 ENTEI, Kesshōtō no Teiō ENTEI)July 8, 2000April 6, 2001

4Pokémon 4Ever: Celebi - Voice of the ForestCelebi: The Meeting that Traversed Time (セレビィ 時を超えた遭遇（であい）, Serebyi Toki o Koeta Deai)July 7, 2001October 11, 2002

5Pokémon Heroes: Latios and LatiasGuardian Gods of the Capital of Water: Latias and Latios (水の都の護神 ラティアスとラティオス, Mizu no Miyako no Mamorigami Ratiasu to Ratiosu)July 13, 2002May 16, 2003

Pokémon: Advanced Generation

#English titleJapanese titleJapanese release dateNorth American release date

6Jirachi—Wish MakerWishing Star of the Seven Nights: Jirachi (七夜の願い星 ジラーチ, Nanayo no Negaiboshi Jirāchi)July 19, 2003June 1, 2004

7Destiny DeoxysVisitor from the Sky-Splitting: Deoxys (裂空の訪問者 デオキシス, Rekkū no Hōmonsha Deokishisu)July 17, 2004January 22, 2005

8Lucario and the Mystery of MewMew and the Aura Hero: Lucario (ミュウと波導（はどう）の勇者 ルカリオ, Myū to Hadō no Yūsha Rukario)July 16, 2005September 19, 2006

9Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the SeaThe Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea: Manaphy (ポケモンレンジャーと蒼海（うみ）の王子 マナフィ, Pokemon Renjā to Umi no Ōji Manafi)July 15, 2006March 23, 2007

Pokémon: Diamond & Pearl

#English titleJapanese titleJapanese release dateNorth American release date

10The Rise of DarkraiDialga VS Palkia VS Darkrai (ディアルガVSパルキアVSダークライ, Diaruga Tai Parukia Tai Dākurai)July 14, 2007February 24, 2008

11Giratina and the Sky WarriorGiratina and the Bouquet of the Frozen Sky: Shaymin (ギラティナと氷空（そら）の花束 シェイミ, Giratina to Sora no Hanataba Sheimi)July 19, 2008February 13, 2009

12Arceus and the Jewel of LifeArceus: To Conquering Space-Time (アルセウス 超克の時空へ, Aruseusu Chōkoku no Jikū e)July 18, 2009November 20, 2009

13Zoroark—Master of IllusionsPhantom Ruler: Zoroark (幻影の覇者 ゾロアーク, Gen'ei no Hasha Zoroāku)July 10, 2010February 5, 2011

Pokémon: Black & White

#English titleJapanese titleJapanese release dateNorth American release date

14AWhite—Victini and ZekromVictini and the Black Hero: Zekrom (ビクティニと黒き英雄ゼクロム, Bikutini to Kuroki Eiyū Zekuromu)July 16, 2011December 10, 2011

14BBlack—Victini and ReshiramVictini and the White Hero: Reshiram (ビクティニと白き英雄 レシラム, Bikutini to Shiroki Eiyū Reshiramu)July 16, 2011December 10, 2011

15Kyurem vs. the Sword of JusticeKyurem vs. the Sacred Swordsman: Keldeo (キュレムVS聖剣士 ケルディオ, Kyuremu tai Seikenshi Kerudio)July 14, 2012December 8, 2012

16Genesect and the Legend AwakenedExtremeSpeed Genesect: Mewtwo Awakens (神速のゲノセクト ミュウツー覚醒, Shinsoku no Genosekuto Myūtsū Kakusei)July 13, 2013October 19, 2013

Pokémon: XY

#English titleJapanese titleJapanese release dateNorth American release date

17Diancie and the Cocoon of DestructionDiancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (破壊の繭とディアンシー, Hakai no Mayu to Dianshī)July 19, 2014November 8, 2014

18Hoopa and the Clash of AgesThe Archdjinni of the Rings: Hoopa (光輪の超魔神 フーパ, Ring no chōmajin Fūpa)July 18, 2015December 19, 2015

19Volcanion and the Mechanical MarvelVolcanion and the Exquisite Magearna (ボルケニオンと機巧のマギアナ, Borukenion to karakuri no Magiana)July 16, 2016December 5, 2016

Pokémon: Sun & Moon (Alternate continuity)

A reboot to the film franchise began with the release of the 20th movie, Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, in Japan on July 15, 2017. It was followed by a continuation, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us, which was released in Japan on July 13, 2018.

#English titleJapanese titleJapanese release dateNorth American release date

20I Choose You!I Choose You! (キミにきめた！, Kimi ni kimeta!)July 15, 2017November 5, 2017

21The Power of Us[40]Everyone's Story (みんなの物語, Minna no Monogatari)July 13, 2018November 24, 2018

22Mewtwo Strikes Back: EvolutionMewtwo Strikes Back:Evolution[41] (ミュウツーの逆襲 EVOLUTION, Myūtsū no Gyakushū EVOLUTION)July 12, 2019February 27, 2020

Pokémon: Journeys (Alternate continuity)

#English titleJapanese titleJapanese release dateNorth American release date

23Secrets of the JunglePocket Monsters the Movie: Coco (劇場版ポケットモンスター ココ, Gekijō-ban Pokettomonsutā Koko)December 25, 2020[42]2021[43]

Live-action film

Main article: Detective Pikachu (film)

A live-action Pokémon film directed by Rob Letterman, produced by Legendary Entertainment,[44] and distributed in Japan by Toho and internationally by Warner Bros.[45] began filming in January 2018.[46] On August 24, the film's official title was announced as Pokémon Detective Pikachu.[47] It was released on May 10, 2019.[19] The film is based on the 2018 Nintendo 3DS spin-off video game Detective Pikachu. Development of a sequel was announced in January 2019, before the release of the first film.[48]

Soundtracks

Main article: List of Pokémon theme songs

Pokémon CDs have been released in North America, some of them in conjunction with the theatrical releases of the first three and the 20th Pokémon films. These releases were commonplace until late 2001. On March 27, 2007, a tenth anniversary CD was released containing 18 tracks from the English dub; this was the first English-language release in over five years. Soundtracks of the Pokémon feature films have been released in Japan each year in conjunction with the theatrical releases. In 2017, a soundtrack album featuring music from the North American versions of the 17th through 20th movies was released.

YearTitle

June 29, 1999[49]Pokémon 2.B.A. Master

November 9, 1999[50]Pokémon: The First Movie

February 8, 2000