Since its inception in 1996, Pokémon has been consistently growing and adapting, adding new ideas, regions, types, moves and most importantly new Pokémon whenever necessary to keep the overall product a fresh commodity.
While some generations have proven to be very popular with the masses, with creative character designs, some have not been so well-received. 8 different generations of Pokémon have arrived and contributed to this franchise over the years, with some making more of an impact than others. What is important to note, however, is that the strength of a generation’s Pokédex doesn’t necessarily reflect its overall standing.
8 Generation VI: X & Y Tried To Compensate For Lack Of New Additions With Mega-Evolutions
Pokémon X and Y provided the lowest number of new Pokémon out of all of the generations, 72. However, this is compensated for by the inclusion of Mega Evolution, which coincidentally is Professor Sycamore’s field of expertise.
While Mega Evolution is an intriguing inclusion, adding fresh and more powerful takes on previous Pokémon, it doesn’t completely distract from how bare the rest of the Pokédex is, in terms of new additions.
7 Generation VI: Black & White Initially Made The Pokédex Exclusively New Additions
156 new Pokémon were introduced to Pokémon Black and White, more than any other generation. While the sheer number of additions naturally bulked out every type overall within the National Dex, the catch was that the Pokédex was exclusively Gen V Pokémon. This is a problem as although it’s always nice to have fresh new experiences and encounters, not many of these new Pokémon actually stood out.
Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2 ultimately fixed this, however, adding 300 Pokémon from other Regions to the Unova Pokédex, even before the National Pokédex is available.
6 Generation VIII: Sword & Shield Had A Huge Expansive Pokédex With Interesting Designs
The newest and most recent generation of Pokémon, Sword and Shield brought 89 new Pokémon to the table with an expansive Pokédex of 400. By this point, the Pokédex appears to be more evenly spread out in terms of typing, with competitive players using a vast range of combinations across all types.
While the seemingly British influence on some of the Pokémon designs fit with the aesthetic and atmosphere of the Galar region, some designs can be seen as a bit of a stretch, with cake, apples, and ice cubes all getting Pokémon forms. The Galarian regional variants of some more familiar Pokémon are pretty intriguing though, with Galarian forms of Meowth, Mr. Mime, and Farfetch’d evolving into Perrserker, Mr. Rime, and Sirfetch’d respectively for some fresh takes on original Pokémon.
5 Generation IV: Diamond, Pearl & Platinum Introduced New Evolutions To Original Pokémon Favorites
The Sinnoh Dex varies from Diamond & Pearl to Platinum. In Diamond & Pearl, the Dex is 150 strong while in Platinum, there is a regional Pokédex of 210 Pokémon. In both cases, 107 of these Pokémon were new additions to the generation.
Professor Rowan’s specialty in this generation is Pokémon evolution and form changes, which translates over to the Pokédex, with several instances of evolved forms of Pokémon from previous generations. Examples of this include Rhyperior, Tangrowth, Togekiss and Electivire from Rhydon, Tangela, Togetic, and Electabuzz respectively, among others.
4 Generation VII: Sun & Moon Brought Unique Twists On Previous Pokémon & Fresh Design Ideas
Sun and Moon brought 88 new Pokémon to the table but the selection and variety on show are up there with some of the best in terms of fitting with its general theme, which in Alola’s case, is a group of beautiful and mysterious islands.
Within the new additions to the series are Ultrabeasts. In the anime, they have a story surrounding them and the concept of inter-dimensional Pokémon appearing with new undiscovered mannerisms and personalities is an intriguing one and certainly adds a new dimension to this generation of Pokémon. Alolan variants give new type combinations to previous Pokémon, with Alolan Vulpix being white and Ice-type as an example.
3 Generation II: Gold, Silver & Crystal Added To The Original Group Of Pokémon While Adding Extra Types
With 100 new additions to the Pokédex and using all of the previous 151 Pokémon as well, the second generation Pokédex was stacked and exciting. Steel and Dark types were introduced, with Steel evolutions for Onix and Scyther in Steelix and Scizor respectively.
Professor Elm’s research focus is on breeding and that is incorporated into the Pokédex with pre-evolutions being introduced for Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Clefairy, among several others. Legendary Pokémon also started to become more heavily featured and more sought after, with the introduction of Ho-oh and Lugia, as well as the legendary dog Pokémon, Raikou, Suicune, and Entei.
2 Generation I: Red, Blue & Yellow Introduced Pokémon To The World With An Original Yet Limited Selection
The first generation of Pokémon games holds a sense of nostalgia for all Pokémon fans, the most original of whom will still be familiar with the initial 151 but not many more since. Looking at this generation’s Pokédex now though, the type coverage and distribution lack balance somewhat compared to the other generations. Dragon and Ghost especially only had one evolution line each.
However, it certainly inspired future regional variants of some Pokémon from recent generations, such as from Galar and Alola. The novelty of the 151 Pokémon from this generation has held up over the years and while people complain about weird designs or characteristics nowadays, there is no disputing that these were original.
1 Generation III: Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald Continued Pokémon’s Strong Momentum With Appropriate Additions
Gen III’s Pokédex is 202 strong, with 135 new additions and then a select few added from previous generations. The new additions give much-needed bulk and coverage to several types, allowing for full teams of Ghost, Steel, Dark, and Dragon types especially, for the first time in the series.
Arguably the best generation for starter Pokémon and their evolution lines with Sceptile, Blaziken, and Swampert all being formidable tanks, Gen III is the best for balance and variety in typing. Additionally, the stories surrounding the Legendary Pokémon Kyogre and Groudon are captivating, more so than the legendaries from the previous two generations.
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