50 Fun Facts About Pokemon

What is the first Pokemon listed in the National Pokedex?

Bulbasaur is #001 in the National Pokedex. Despite Pikachu being the franchise mascot, Bulbasaur holds the honor of being the very first entry.

What type is Pikachu?

Pikachu is a pure Electric-type Pokemon, known for its signature move Thunderbolt. It has been the franchise mascot since the anime debuted in 1997.

Which Pokemon does Ash Ketchum receive as his first partner in the anime?

Ash overslept and missed getting one of the three traditional starters from Professor Oak. Instead, he received Pikachu, who was initially reluctant to obey him.

What are the names of the two human villains from Team Rocket who follow Ash throughout the anime?

Jessie and James, along with their talking Meowth, are the iconic Team Rocket trio. Their names are a play on the outlaw Jesse James.

How many original Pokemon were there in Generation I?

Generation I featured 151 Pokemon, from Bulbasaur (#001) to Mew (#151). Mew was a secret Pokemon added to the game at the last minute by programmer Shigeki Morimoto.

What does Pikachu evolve into?

Pikachu evolves into Raichu when exposed to a Thunder Stone. In Generation VII, an Alolan form of Raichu was introduced that is Electric/Psychic type.

What is the name of the region where Pokemon Red and Blue take place?

Kanto is the setting for the original Pokemon Red and Blue games. It is based on the real Kanto region of Japan, which includes Tokyo.

What is the evolved form of Charmander?

Charmander evolves into Charmeleon at level 16. Charmeleon then evolves into the fan-favorite Charizard at level 36.

Which type is super effective against Water-type Pokemon?

Grass-type and Electric-type moves are super effective against Water-type Pokemon. This is one of the fundamental type matchups in the series.

What is the name of the professor who gives you your first Pokemon in the Kanto region?

Professor Samuel Oak is the Pokemon researcher who gives trainers their starter Pokemon in Kanto. All Pokemon professors are named after trees.

What item is used to catch wild Pokemon?

The Poke Ball is the basic item for catching wild Pokemon. The franchise features many variants including Great Balls, Ultra Balls, and the Master Ball.

Which Pokemon is known as the 'Balloon Pokemon' and often floats away?

Drifloon is the Balloon Pokemon, a Ghost/Flying type introduced in Generation IV. Its Pokedex entries infamously mention it trying to drag children away.

In Pokemon Gold and Silver, what new type was introduced alongside Dark?

Steel type was introduced in Generation II (Gold and Silver) alongside Dark type. Both were added to balance the overpowered Psychic type from Generation I.

What is the maximum number of Pokemon a trainer can carry in their party at one time?

Trainers can carry a maximum of 6 Pokemon in their party. Additional captured Pokemon are sent to the PC storage system.

Which legendary Pokemon is on the cover of Pokemon Red?

Charizard appears on the cover of Pokemon Red (and later FireRed). While not a legendary Pokemon, Charizard is one of the most iconic and popular Pokemon in the franchise.

How many Eevee evolutions (Eeveelutions) exist as of Generation IX?

There are 8 Eeveelutions: Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon (Gen I), Espeon, Umbreon (Gen II), Leafeon, Glaceon (Gen IV), and Sylveon (Gen VI). No new ones were added in Generations VII-IX.

What Pokemon is number 150 in the original Pokedex?

Mewtwo is #150, while its genetic predecessor Mew is #151. Mewtwo was created through genetic manipulation of Mew's DNA.

Which gym leader is the first one battled in Pokemon Red and Blue?

Brock is the Pewter City Gym Leader and the first gym leader in Red and Blue. He specializes in Rock-type Pokemon, including his signature Onix.

What mobile game caused a global phenomenon when it launched in July 2016?

Pokemon Go launched in July 2016 and became a worldwide sensation, reaching 500 million downloads within two months. It used augmented reality to let players catch Pokemon in the real world.

What is the name of the villainous team in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire that wants to expand the ocean?

Team Aqua wants to expand the ocean by awakening Kyogre, while their rivals Team Magma want to expand the land using Groudon. Team Aqua is led by Archie.

Which Pokemon is known for sleeping and blocking paths in the game?

Snorlax is famous for blocking Route 12 and Route 16 in the original games. Players need a Poke Flute to wake it up. At 1,014 lbs, it is one of the heaviest non-legendary Pokemon.

What type was added in Pokemon X and Y (Generation VI)?

The Fairy type was introduced in Generation VI to balance the overpowered Dragon type. Several existing Pokemon like Clefairy, Jigglypuff, and Marill were retroactively given the Fairy type.

What is the name of the region in Pokemon Sword and Shield?

Galar is the region in Pokemon Sword and Shield, based on Great Britain. It introduced Dynamaxing and featured stadiums inspired by British football culture.

Which Pokemon evolves based on the time of day in Gold and Silver?

Eevee evolves into Espeon during the day and Umbreon at night when it has high friendship. This mechanic was introduced with the day/night cycle in Generation II.

What is the trio of legendary birds from Generation I?

Articuno (Ice/Flying), Zapdos (Electric/Flying), and Moltres (Fire/Flying) are the legendary bird trio. Their names contain the Spanish words for one, two, and three (uno, dos, tres).

What move does Magikarp famously learn that makes it seem useless?

Magikarp is notorious for only knowing Splash, a move that literally does nothing. However, training a Magikarp to level 20 rewards you with the powerful Gyarados.

What stone is used to evolve Eevee into Flareon?

A Fire Stone evolves Eevee into Flareon. Similarly, a Water Stone gives Vaporeon and a Thunder Stone gives Jolteon. These were the original three Eeveelutions.

In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, what is the name of the open-world region?

Paldea is the region in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, based on the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). It was the franchise's first fully open-world mainline game.

Which Pokemon can Mega Evolve into two different forms depending on the game version?

Charizard has two Mega Evolutions: Mega Charizard X (Fire/Dragon, physical attacker) and Mega Charizard Y (Fire/Flying, special attacker). Mewtwo also has two Mega forms, but Charizard is the more iconic example.

What is the name of the feature in Pokemon Gold and Silver that lets players breed Pokemon?

The Pokemon Day Care was introduced in Gen I for leveling, but breeding was added in Gen II. Players leave two compatible Pokemon and can receive an Egg. It was renamed to Pokemon Nursery in Gen VII.

Who created Pokemon?

Satoshi Tajiri created Pokemon, inspired by his childhood hobby of collecting insects. The protagonist Satoshi (Ash in English) is named after him. Ken Sugimori designed the original Pokemon.

What is the Ghost-type Pokemon that is actually a dead Marowak in Pokemon Red and Blue?

In the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town, players encounter the ghost of a Marowak that was killed by Team Rocket. It cannot be caught and must be put to rest. It's one of the most emotional moments in the original games.

What is the rarest type combination in Generation I?

Ghost/Poison was exclusive to the Gastly line (Gastly, Haunter, Gengar) in Generation I. This typing was unusual because it made them weak to Psychic despite being Ghost-types.

What does 'EV' stand for in Pokemon competitive training?

EVs (Effort Values) are hidden stats gained by defeating specific Pokemon. Each Pokemon species yields specific EVs, and a Pokemon can have a maximum of 510 total EVs, with 252 max in any single stat.

What is the chance of encountering a shiny Pokemon in Generation II through V?

The base shiny encounter rate in Generations II through V was 1 in 8,192. Starting in Generation VI, this was doubled to 1 in 4,096. Various methods like the Masuda Method and Shiny Charm can further increase odds.

In competitive Pokemon, what does the ability 'Intimidate' do when a Pokemon enters battle?

Intimidate lowers the opposing Pokemon's Attack stat by one stage when the ability holder enters battle. It's one of the most competitively valuable abilities, commonly seen on Gyarados, Landorus-Therian, and Incineroar.

Which Pokemon was the first to be designed for the franchise?

Rhydon was the first Pokemon ever designed by Ken Sugimori. Evidence includes its #001 internal index number in Red and Blue, and early sprite placeholder data. Rhydon statues appear throughout Gen I games.

What move has the highest base power in the entire series (excluding Z-Moves and Max Moves)?

Explosion has a base power of 250, making it the highest base power move in the series (excluding special mechanics). However, the user faints after using it, making it a last-resort option.

Which generation introduced the Physical/Special split, separating moves by individual move rather than type?

Generation IV (Diamond and Pearl, 2006) introduced the Physical/Special split. Before this, all moves of a type were either physical or special. This was a massive competitive balance change.

In the Pokemon Trading Card Game, what was the most valuable card from the original Base Set?

The 1st Edition Holographic Charizard from the Base Set is the most iconic and valuable card from the original run. A PSA 10 Gem Mint copy sold for $420,000 in 2022. The Pikachu Illustrator card is more valuable overall but was a separate promotional card, not from the Base Set.

What is the only Pokemon type that has no weaknesses due to its ability (Levitate excluded)?

Pure Electric types with no secondary typing only have one weakness: Ground. However, the question refers to Eelektross, which is pure Electric with the ability Levitate, making it immune to Ground and thus having zero weaknesses. It was the only Pokemon with no weaknesses until Fairy-type was introduced.

Which Elite Four member in Generation I specializes in Dragon-type Pokemon?

Lance is the Dragon-type specialist and final member of the Kanto Elite Four. In Generation I, the Dragonite line was the only Dragon-type family, so Lance also uses Gyarados and Aerodactyl.

What programming bug in Pokemon Red and Blue allows players to encounter MissingNo?

The Old Man glitch works because the game stores the player's name in the wild encounter data buffer during the tutorial. Flying to Cinnabar Island's east coast, where encounter data isn't refreshed, causes the game to read the player's name as encounter data, producing MissingNo and other glitch Pokemon.

What is the base stat total of Arceus?

Arceus has a base stat total of 720, with 120 in every single stat. It was the highest BST in the game until Mega Evolutions and Eternamax Eternatus. Arceus is known as the 'Original One' who created the Pokemon universe.

In competitive Pokemon (Smogon Singles), which tier sits between OU and RU?

The Smogon tier system goes: Ubers > OU (OverUsed) > UU (UnderUsed) > RU (RarelyUsed) > NU (NeverUsed) > PU > ZU. UU sits directly between OU and RU.

What is the only Pokemon move that can hit a target during the semi-invulnerable turn of Fly in Generation I?

In Generation I, Thunder could hit Pokemon during the semi-invulnerable turn of Fly. Swift, despite being described as never missing, could not hit during Fly in Gen I. Gust and Twister gained this ability in later generations.

What was the internal development code name for Pokemon during its creation at Game Freak?

Pokemon was originally conceived as 'Capsule Monsters' (Kapuseru Monsutaa) by Satoshi Tajiri. Trademark issues forced a name change to 'Pocket Monsters,' which was then shortened to 'Pokemon.'

Which Pokemon has the highest base Speed stat of any non-Mega, non-legendary Pokemon?

Ninjask has a base Speed of 160, the highest of any non-Mega, non-legendary Pokemon. It also has the ability Speed Boost, which raises its Speed by one stage at the end of each turn.

In Generation I, Psychic-type Pokemon were only weak to which type(s)?

While Psychic was supposed to be weak to Ghost and Bug, a programming error in Generation I made Psychic immune to Ghost instead of weak to it. Combined with the only Bug moves being weak (Leech Life, Pin Missile, Twineedle), Psychic had effectively no real counters.

How many years did it take to develop the original Pokemon Red and Green before their Japanese release in 1996?

Development of Pokemon Red and Green took approximately 6 years, from 1990 to 1996. Game Freak nearly went bankrupt during this period. Satoshi Tajiri and his team worked without salary at times, sustained by side projects.