The number of Pokemon available to catch across all nine generations is seemingly endless, from starters to Legendaries and Mythicals. If you’re wondering what the total number of Pokemon is, here’s all you need to know.
Each new generation like Scarlet & Violet can bring more than a hundred Pokemon to the National Pokedex. On top of that, DLC or mid-generation releases like Pokemon Legends Arceus often add even more creatures into the mix.
We’ll keep this page updated when new games are released – but for now, this is all the information you need to know.
How many Pokemon are there?
There are currently 1025 Pokemon in existence. These refer to Pokemon that appear in the Pokedex and don’t include the 48 Mega Evolutions, 33 Gigantamax forms, or 57 regional variants. If these were to be included, it would bump the number up to 1163.
As of the time of writing, the last influx of new Pokemon occurred in Gen 9’s Indigo Disk DLC for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. The next batch will be added in 2025’s Pokemon Legends Z-A, potentially including new forms exclusive to the Kalos region.
Generation 1 (1996-1999)
Pokemon Red & Blue featured 151 Pokemon. These were the beloved originals that started it all.
While the Gen 1 games had 151 Pokemon, you couldn’t access the final one without attending a special event, as Mew (the first Mythical Pokemon) required extra work to catch.
Pokemon Yellow didn’t add any new Pokemon, though it had a unique version of Pikachu. The game also made it easier to acquire the starter Pokemon.
Pretty much every Pokemon from this generation is iconic, but the standouts are Pikachu, Eevee, Magikarp, the Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle lines, the Legendary Birds, Mewtwo, and Mew.
Generation 2 (1999-2001)
Pokemon Gold & Silver added 100 Pokemon. It also introduced the Dark and Steel-types to the series, helping curb the overwhelming Psychic-type dominance of the previous generation.
Pokemon Crystal didn’t add any new Pokemon, but it made it easier to acquire Suicine and introduced the first female protagonist option to the series.
The notable Pokemon of this generation include Steelix, Scizor, Ho-Oh, Lugia, Espeon, Umbreon, Celebi, and the Legendary Beasts. Unfortunately, the Legendary Beasts are more infamous than loved due to how their roaming mechanics made them an utter nightmare to catch.
Generation 3 (2002-2005)
Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire added 135 Pokemon to the series. These games also introduced Double Battles and weather mechanics, which are still major parts of the competitive battle scene. The Pokemon Ability mechanic also debuted in this generation, drastically altering how individual ‘Mons functioned.
There was also Pokemon Emerald during this generation, but it focused on refining the existing games rather than introducing new content.
Unfortunately, the Gen 3 games weren’t backward compatible with the older titles. However, this was rectified with the release of Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen, bringing Kanto & Johto Pokemon to the later generations.
Notable Pokemon of this generation include Mudkip, Latios, Latias, Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Deoxys, Altaria, Salamence, Metagross, and the Regi trio.
Generation 4 (2006-2010)
Pokemon Diamond & Pearl introduced 107 to the series. These games introduced the Physical/Special split, as well as 3D backgrounds and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing players to engage with people across the world.
The long-abandoned Johto Pokemon made a comeback in Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver, which many fans consider to be the best entries in the series, if not among the greatest RPGs of all time.
Notable Pokemon in this generation include Bidoof, Garchomp, Lucario, Dialga, Palkia, Darkrai, and Shaymin. These were the games that introduced Arceus, the creator god of the Pokemon universe, who would go on to become important in the Gen 8 games.
Generation 5 (2010-2012)
Pokemon Black & White introduced 156 new Pokemon to the franchise. While the Gen 5 games didn’t introduce any major mechanical shake-ups, they did have possibly the best story in the series to date, one that actually delves into the morality of being a Pokemon trainer.
There was also Pokemon Black 2 & White 2. These introduced new fusion forms for Kyruem with Zekrom and Reshiram. They’re also the best Pokemon games for a Nuzlocke run, due to the wide variety of ‘Mons available on the overworld.
Notable Pokemon from this generation include Victini, Zoroark, Amoonguss, the Swords of Justice, Genesect, the Forces of Nature, and the Tao trio.
Generation 6 (2013-2014)
Pokemon X & Y introduced 72 new Pokemon to the franchise. However, this generation is best known for the Mega Evolution mechanic, allowing Pokemon to undergo a second, more powerful evolution mid-battle.
Pokemon X & Y also introduced the Fairy-type, helping to balance out the overwhelming Dragon-type ‘mons that dominated in battle.
This generation also returned to Hoenn in Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. While these games didn’t introduce any new Pokemon, they added more Mega Evolutions, as well as Primal Reversion forms for some Legendary ‘Mons.
Notable Pokemon from this generation include Greninja, Aegislash, Sylveon, Xerneas, Yveltal, Zygarde, and Hoopa.
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Generation 7 (2016-2018)
Pokemon Sun & Moon introduced 81 new Pokemon to the franchise. These numbers don’t factor in the regional variants of existing Pokemon, known as Alolan forms, which added new types and abilities to classic ‘Mons. This generation also debuted Z-Moves, powerful attacks that can be used once per battle.
Gen 7 also introduced the Ultra Beasts: otherworldly Pokemon from another dimension that were incredibly powerful in battle.
We also got Pokemon Ultra Sun & Moon during this generation, which added five new Pokemon to the series: Poipole, Naganadel, Stakataka, Blacephalon, and Zeraora.
Pokemon Go became a smash hit during this generation, which resulted in Pokemon being introduced in mobile games, namely Meltan and Melmetal.
There was also a new set of remakes on the Nintendo Switch, as Pokemon Yellow merged with Pokemon Go to turn into the Let’s Go games. You could transfer Meltan and Melmetal to these games, marking their mainline debut.
Notable Pokemon from this era include the ones mentioned above, as well as Decidueye, Mimikyu, Cosmog, Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma, and the rest of the Ultra Beasts.
Generation 8 (2019-2022)
Pokemon Sword & Shield added 80 new Pokemon to the franchise, and their expansions added a further 8 Pokemon. This generation added the Dynamax mechanic, where Pokemon could temporarily transform into giants for a major stat boost, with some ‘Mons having unique Gigantamax forms with special abilities.
Unfortunately, this generation was also known for “Dexit,” where the National Dex was cut, meaning you couldn’t catch ’em all for the first time in the franchise’s history.
These were also the first games to add paid DLC, in the form of The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra, allowing The Pokemon Company to cash-in during the mid-generation wait without needing to make more games.
We did get another game this generation, in the form of the excellent Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which sent the player back to the ancient days of the Sinnoh region. Pokemon Legends: Arceus added another 7 Pokemon to the series, based on ancient versions of existing ‘Mons, as well as a new Force of Nature.
There were also Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, which existed. Fans panned these for being too similar to their source material, even excluding new content like the Dynamax forms.
Notable Pokemon from this era include Scorbunny, Wooloo, Sirfetch’d, Dracovish, Dragapult, Zacian, Zamazenta, Urshifu, and Calyrex.
Generation 9 (2023-2025)
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet and their DLC added 120 Pokemon to the franchise, bringing the total up to 1025, where it currently sits.
The Gen 9 games were heavily maligned for their poor performance and abundance of glitches at launch. This generation also introduced Terastilization, a mechanic that added a new Tera Type to a Pokemon, which looked fancy, but wasn’t as impressive as previous new battle mechanics.
Tera Types also introduced a new type to the series. Terapagos can use the Stellar Tera Type in battle, though it can only be used by that one Pokemon.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet also introduced Paradox Pokemon: prehistoric or futuristic versions of existing ‘Mons. Unfortunately, these mostly had really lazy designs and they’re not as beloved as regional forms.
Gen 9 is currently ongoing, as it’s expected to continue with the upcoming Pokemon Legends Z-A, set to launch in 2025. Pokemon Legends Z-A is set in the Kalos region from Pokemon X & Y and will bring Mega Evolutions back to the franchise.
Notable Pokemon include Tinkaton, Palafin, Greavard, Gimmighoul, Ogrepon, Terapagos, and Pecharunt.
How many types are there?
Pokemon are currently categorized into 18 separate types, along with Stellar type counted as its own thing. These are the current Pokemon types
- Bug
- Dark
- Dragon
- Electric
- Fairy
- Fighting
- Fire
- Flying
- Ghost
- Grass
- Ground
- Ice
- Normal
- Poison
- Psychic
- Rock
- Steel
- Stellar
- Water
All of these types have been available since Gen 1 except for Dark and Steel-type, which were introduced in Gen 2, and Fairy-type, which was introduced in Gen 6. Stellar-type was added in Gen 9, but it’s exclusive to Tera Types at the moment.
Technically, there’s another type called ???? which existed in the older games. It was initially connected to the move Curse, before that was shifted to Ghost-type in Gen 5.
How many Legendary & Mythical Pokemon are there?
There was a time when Legendary and Mythical Pokemon were special, but that’s no longer the case. As of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, there are 71 Legendary & Mythical Pokemon throughout the franchise.
In essence, Legendary and Mythical Pokemon are the same. The main difference is how they’re acquired, as Legendary Pokemon can be encountered in-game, while Mythical needs some outside method, such as going to live events for Mew or downloading them via special events.
That’s all there is to know about all of the Pokemon. For more information about the franchise, check out our Giovanni in Pokemon Go guide, the best Gen 9 exclusives, and all of the Pokemon TCG sets released so far.
