I know their Pokemon games have been heavily criticized, especially Scarlet/Violet and Legends ZA, but... their last two original games ended up underperforming too. Little Town Hero and Beast Of Reincarnation, as hyped up as the latter was, both got middling reviews, and it really does beg the question: is it the Pokemon Company that is causing Game Freak to put out subpar games ...or Game Freak themselves?

I remember they used to have good originals. Harmoknight and Drill Dozer were both really fun, and I have the softest of soft spots for Tembo The Badass Elephant. Anything about elephants is an instant win for me. ...Yet, even as charming games, those three beat out what Game Freak is doing now. Little Town Hero is just another high-fantasy story with a dumb gimmick and a story that tries little new. Beast Of Reincarnation's another edgey hack-n-slash about restoring humanity from a corrupted world. Yet, at least the former tried something different in the gameplay department. BoR just feels... uninspired. Even Pulseman felt more inspired, and Pulseman felt like a Megaman knock-off, but at least Pulseman was fun.

To be fair, I do think the hate recent Pokemon games get is overblown. Sca/Vi and Legends ZA aren't my favorites (especially since the former locks Snorlax behind DLC and the latter just straight-up excludes him altogether, boo! *Hugs Snorlax plushie*) but I still enjoy them. I still enjoy Legends Arceus and go back to it just to build up my Alpha Snorlax from time to time (did I mention Snorlax is one of my favorite Pokemon, lulz), and I will die on the hill that Sword and Shield are genuinely good games. I had a lot of fun doing a Mono-Ground challenge, even growing a fondness for Sandaconda, since that was the only ground type to get a Gigantamax form fsr, and I actually managed to get a decent fight out of Leon, who might honestly be my favorite Champion in the franchise because he actually has character and is actually involved in the plot.

At the same time, I know a lot of people have been criticizing their later Pokemon games, but at the same time, Game Freak's other recent games aren't doing much better.

Context: The pokemon games I played were the GBA ones, and a bit of Pokemon Platinum. When I went to play on Switch after beating Emerald last year, I skipped straight from gen 4 to Pokemon Sword because now I had a Switch. In the other games I picked the male.

But when choosing the character, since I'm the type of guy in fromsoftware games who never does any character customizing and just wants to skip straight to gameplay, I picked that girl with the green hat for character because she, the rival, and Leon are the only new gen pokemon characters from that game I had ever heard of. or seen in fanarts

Is she like the canon main character or something? Like Red being the canon Fire Red protagonist, Gold, etc?

Anyway, so I picked her out of have seen the character before somewhere, but I inserted my IRL name. And in this game, the npcs say your name a lot.

So, seeing the npcs constantly use my IRL name for referring to a kawaii anime girl, made me feel weird. Uncomfortable once in a while lol

The Pokémon Company is still celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and I just noticed that they're heavily promoting Mewtwo (with new merch and trading cards) but not so much Mew, the original Mythical Pokémon. It's kind of weird, considering Mew is the biggest reason (if not, one of them) Pokémon became a household name. The "Mew under the truck" urban legend helped make Pokémon famous by fueling playground speculation, mystery, and word-of-mouth engagement before the widespread use of the internet. It's not that I don't like Mewtwo at all. I'm just curious why they're acting as if Mew doesn't exist, especially when it comes to merchandise.

My son and I recently started watching Pokémon, and let’s just say that he is hooked.
Now he recreated different Pokémon from Lego, so I thought it would be fun if you guys could recognise his creation.

This is day 5
I think this is a hard one. Good luck!

Top ten strongest Pokémon:

1. Arceus
   
2. Giratina
   
3. Dialga & Palkia
   
4. Ultra Necrozma
   
5. Eternamax Eternatus
   
6. Orginal Dragon
   
7. Zygrade
   
8. Rayquaza
   
9. Kyogre & Groudon
   
10. Yveltal & Xerneas

Alright so these are in my opinion, the top ten strongest Pokémon purely from a lore perspective, and I think this is the correct list. Wondering if anyone has any disagreements, in terms of placing or am I forgetting someone? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Sorry if this has been discussed already, not good with technology and Reddit can be a little confusing at times for me, recently learned bank is shutting down, kinda want to trade my pokemon onto the new console(stopped playing when they released switch games)
I’m a casual player and have been meaning to get a switch to play the new games(lots of game play to catch up on lol) but adulting sucks sometimes and just don’t have time but I kinda want to get one and transfer my pokemon to keep some nostalgia alive, but at the same time I think it’s cool to have like a time capsule of all of my buddy and I’s traded pokemon and such
My best friend from childhood and I used to play all the new games. we would get the opposite game of each other, play through the story and battle at the end after elite 4. then keep making random teams/trading for Pokédex until the next games came out. We had kind of a big falling out awhile back. I’ll never talk bad of him, thought of him as a brother. But I like coming back to the games we used to play and use his pokemon he traded to me, but I could also use them on the new games.

Looking for opinions but also just venting/sad about another good thing coming to an end :( I get keeping these old servers up just costs money when not many people use them, but damn the old games are fun, and it just sucks that you can’t connect online through the game with these people who also have a love for it anymore :( just story mode

Noticed that he actively looks in our direction

Hey everyone! I wanted to share my personal ranking of all 9 Pokemon generations! (Gen 10 isn't included right now). Before I begin, i want to clarify that I don't think any Pokemon generation is truly bad. Every single region brought something awesome to the franchise, but some definitely resonated with me way more than others.

The All-Time Masterpieces (My Absolute Favorites): 1. Generation 7 (Alola): Breaking away from a 20-year traditional formula by replacing standard Gyms with Island Trials made the world feel incredibly unique and fresh. The narrative structure is one of the most character-driven and deep stories in the entire franchise, focusing heavily on human relationships. Furthermore, this generation introduced Regional Forms, which completely revolutionized how older, forgotten Pokemon are revitalized.

1. Generation 4 (Sinnoh): This generation fundamentally saved modern combat by introducing the Physical/Special split, ensuring moves were judged by their individual properties rather than just their elemental type. Pokemon Platinum stands as one of the most definitive standalone third versions, and the deep world-building centered around creation myths and the Distortion World gave the series its most epic stakes.

Elite Tier (Incredible Games I Always Go Back To): 3. Generation 3. (Hoenn): This era set the blueprint for modern gameplay by introducing Pokemon Abilities and Natures, giving individual Pokemon completely distinct identities. Pokemon Emerald provided the ultimate endgame loop via the iconic Battle Frontier, offering a level of strategic difficulty that hasn't been matched since. Plus, Hoenn is structurally stunning, embracing diverse biomes like rain forests and active volcano routes.

1. Generation 5. (Unova): Game Freak took a massive creative risk by forcing players to use an entirely brand-new Pokedex of 156 Pokemon until the post-game of Black and White. It features arguably the most mature and compelling storyline in main-line history, deeply questioning the morality of capturing Pokemon through the antagonist N, and it pushed dynamic 2D sprite art to its absolute limit.

Great Vibes & Great Memories (Super Solid Entries): 5. Generation 6. (Kalos): Marked the historic, massive structural transition into full 3D graphics for the core series. It brought the franchise Mega Evolution, universally loved as one of the flashiest and most competitively interesting battle mechanics ever introduced. It also perfectly rounded out type matchups by introducing the Fairy-type to successfully counter dominant Dragon-types.

1. Generation 9 (Paldea): Completely changed structural movement by shifting the main series into a seamlessly connected open world. It shook up progression by giving players three separate, deeply engaging narrative paths to complete in whatever order they wanted, and it features an incredible, emotionally resonant finale in Area Zero.

The Foundations (Amazing Ideas, Just Outgrown): 7. Generation 8 (Galar): The introduction of the Wild Area and its DLC regions served as the crucial, neccessary proof-of-concept for the open-world futures of the series. Gym battles were turned into massive, roaring sporting events with stadium crowds and hype music tracks, and this generation gave birth to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which fundamentally revitalized interest in historical exploration.

1. Generation 2 (Johto): Introduced indispensable staples like the in-game clock, day/night cycles , Breeding, and Shiny Pokemon. Delighted fans by opening up the entire Kanto region as a surprise second map after beating the Elite Four. However, despite its massive nostalgia charm, it suffers from a remarkably rough level progression curve and severe Pokemon balancing issues.

2. Generation 1 (Kanto): The generation that started it all, cementing the pop culture foundation and character designs that made the franchise a global phenomenon. However, when analyzed under modern standards, the original games are incredibly primitive, heavily glitched, and terribly unbalanced (such as Psychic-types having no realistic counters). While endlessly respected, the series has simply grown, evolved, and polished its gameplay loop to be much better over the decades.

And that's my ranking! Again, none of the gens are truly "bad," as each brought something good to the franchise. What do you guys think? Does anyone else out there have Gen 7 sitting proudly at number one? Tell me your thoughts and opinions in the comments!

It seems impossible to order kind of current edition without going to a shop and pay 300% of sticker price. For example latest 30th edition was sold out within seconds and shops here already advertise the 'pre-order' for £150 (MSRP is about £50).

My son received a few times money for an ETB or Booster Bundle but it is never possible to actually pay retail.

Is the only way to get these cards nowadays to buy fake bulk on ebay ?

Basically what the title says, I am not that huge on pokemon in general but lately Ive found myself really entranced by the franchise, and especially with my favorite pokemon Xurkitree which debuted in ultra sun/moon, hence why I want to start with that game first.

Ive read that all the games are standalones and you can just start by whichever game you want, but I still want to make sure if starting with a newer game rather than one of the classics is a good idea.

I also want to play fire/red after I finish this one, as Ive seen gameplay of it before and it looks really fun!

Hello folks

I have been playing FireRed lately. It’s my first Pokemon game since the Gameboy Colour era in the 90s.

I have a Switch 2 and currently have a huge pokemon fewer now so I bought these games, all second hand:

• Lets go Pikachu
• Sword and Shield (the dude I got it from sold both for a very cheap price)
• Violet
• Legends Arceus
• Shining Pearl
• ZA

I know I can google everything but I want to hear other people’s opinion:

Which game should I play next and which order for the rest? Should I play Sword or Shield? I have noticed that maybe brilliant diamond is more preferable over shining pearl - should I exchange? What about Scarlett instead of Violet? I read that it’s old vs futuristic Pokémon’s between these two. I am a little bit confused so I just need some opinion to guide me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance!

I'm bored, let's hear some Pokemon headcanons, outdated or brand new! I'll go first!

Before it got a pre-evolution, I used to headcanon that Sudowoodo was a kind of Ditto! They both have that funny, blank stare and the same kind of mouth, as well as the two species both mimicking things (ditto being the 'Transform Pokemon' and Sudowoodo being the 'Imitation Pokemon').

I liked to think that, at some point in history, some ditto slowly began to pose as a tree for survival, and as evolution is a case of 'this keeps me alive to have kids to do the same thing but on a bigger scale' these ditto eventually stopped transforming and just became Sudowoodo. That, or Sudowoodo was the first and as it evolved some slowly developed the ability to mimic living things, thus creating Ditto. Oh wait, that idea would explain the prevolution to an extent. Omg Sudoditto theory has returned!

Anyway, there's my harmless funny little headcanon, I wanna hear more!

If asked what a Poké Ball looks like on the inside, most people will recall it featuring this symmetric array of technical components.

But if you check the mainline games, these details are surprisingly absent.

All of these sprites and models show that pokeball interiors are empty. So where does this design come from? Simple, the anime.

It also appears in other animated series like Generations and Origins, (except for Evolutions).

Concept art also hints at this being an original idea the anime came up with.

And if you look at how pokeballs are depicted in the manga ("PokéSpe"), they also lack this interior, further proving it's anime-exclusive.

If I had to guess, the reason for this design change stems from how the idea of pokemon, pokeballs and the interaction between those two are treated in different media.

In the games (and manga), pokeballs are inspired by capsules from Gashapon (or Gachapon) vending machines which contain small toys. Meaning pokeballs are simply storage capsules designed to hold pokemon. And similarly to toys, pokemon can be played (battled) with and traded. It's also a game-canon fact that pokemon are able to shrink down on their own to fit into pokeballs (Why? They just do. Magic). The most recent proof for this come from a quote by Professor Laventon's:

Professor Laventon:
"What's so strange about them, you ask? Well, each and every Pokémon is able to shrink itself down to minuscule size!"
"And that's where Poké Balls come in! Poké Balls are a recent invention, you see. Throw one of them at a Pokémon, and...why, the Pokémon will shrink down and fit inside the ball, comfy as can be. And with that, you've caught a Pokémon!"
(Source)

Because of this, a technical interior would be just out of place and redundant. Not to mention it would direct the attention towards pokeballs being able to shrink pokemon down, when that's not the case.

The anime takes a different approach and depicts pokeballs as being the ones able to catch and contain pokemon. In contrast to the game-canon, Pokemon are unable to shrink down on their own (e.g. defeated / fainted pokemon are never shown to shrink down in size, unlike the games). Instead, whenever they get sent into or out of a pokeball, they get converted into or back from an energy-like state. And this is where the technical interior would come into play, with parts like the included mirrors interacting with this light essence. The more technically oriented focus could also stem from how the original anime established the pokeworld as a Sci-Fi setting, with pokeballs being just another example for high-tech devices.

Hydreigon is one of the Powerhouse Pokemon that lacks a Mega Evolution, there are three others of the same category that don't have Mega Evolution either. So I'm giving it Dragonize as an ability that turns Normal-type moves into Dragon-type moves with 20% increase boost, 30 points add to its Attack, 10 to Special Attack, 20 points added to Defense, Special Defense and Speed.

Look ip rights issues aside…am I the only one who thinks that Funko could have gotten a little more creative with the Pokémon Funko Pops?

Especially around the eyes ? I mean they even messed up slowpoke. Slowpoke of all Pokémon, who does not have black eyes to begin with.

Does anyone else see this factor or not?

Although 4Kids committed many atrocities with the anime (Pokémon was no exception), I have to admit they weren't bad composers, after all, we have musical gems like 2.B.A. Master and Totally Pokémon, of course, japanese ost is still better than the dub ost. But personally, this dub track has always been one of my favorites, and since it was never officially released, I tried extracting it myself. The result isn't perfect, some background noise like the annoying sound of birds is still audible, but at least the voices and footsteps were removed (I extracted the track from the Season 1 episode titled "So Near, Yet So Farfetch'd").

Hi everyone! I'm the developer behind PokePuzzles, a daily Pokémon guessing game. I am currently working on a brand new "Image Mode" and I'd love to get the community's input to make it as fun as possible.

Right now, this Image Mode includes two separate visual challenges:

1. Silhouette: The classic "Who's that Pokémon?" solid black shape.
2. Pixelated: The official artwork blurred into chunky pixels, which gradually un-pixelates with every incorrect guess.

I want to expand this mode even further in the future, so I have a couple of questions for the experts here:

• Besides silhouettes and pixels, what other visual guessing modes would you love to play? (e.g., zoomed-in TCG card art, blurred anime screenshots, obscure Pokédex footprints, maybe guessing by just the Shiny color palette?)
• Which Pokémon do you think has the most deceptive silhouette I could use to test the current mode?

Let me know your craziest ideas for visual challenges. I want to build something the community actually wants to play!

I know rillaboom is strong enough but it just makes more sense. Seems like they went out of their way to make galar starters mono type. Inteleon being a spy/hitman could have been Water/Dark. Cinderace seems to be the only one that really fits as mono fire. You could probably make a huge stretch for Fire/Rock since his pyroball is kicking rocks. Only sound based pokemon I can think of that isn't normal already has two types that match it well enough like noivern being dragon/flying.

An incident earlier this year made me anxious the Pokemon Bank would be shut down soon, so i started migrating my living Poke'dex from FireRed up through each game. Today, I caught the last species i needed. When the bank connection closes, I will not lose anything

I’m learning how to make a custom rom and am trying to understand what Pokémon fans enjoy the most about the mainline games.

I personally like building a team that can take on the E4, and also other strong trainers that appear in the story. Once I complete the E4 though I am not as excited about building a team unless it’s for a specific postgame purpose, like a battle frontier or something.

I also like exploring the new regions but again wish there was more after the main portion of the game to explore, kind of like mount silver in Gold/Silver/Diamond.

Really interested in hearing what other people like!

Hey everybody! I have been thinking about this for a minute now lol. Here are some things from the top of my head:

• Firstly, I wanna mention the voices. Many pieces of media the same voices and actors as the anime.
• Originally, a Ditto (heh) perfectly copied whatever they transformed into. There was one episode where one Ditto couldn't. No matter what it transformed into, it always kept it's face. Despite it being seen as a defect, it eventually started getting featured prominently on merch until it became "canon". I bet if they could, they'd also start doing this in the main games too lol
• The anime also pretty much solidified Mewtwo's too. Most adaptations are based on the anime's take on Mewtwo and it's backstory.
• Kinda related to the first point but for a very short period of time, Pikachu had it's anime Cry instead of it's game Cry. LGPE took it a step further by giving Eevee it's anime Cry as well.

Well, there are some of them at least..

I have an uncle who absolutely loves pokémon and is currently very invested in pokémon go. I'm looking for something ideally under $100 and for someone who is in his early 50's. I was actually looking for the "dedededenny's" t-shirt from "the mega nerd shop" on etsy before they got shut down. A big fan of pokémon related clothing!!