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Okay, let’s get this out of the way… There are over 1,000Pokemonin the National Pokedex (specifically 1,025). The Pokemon train is going to keep making stops and picking up new passengers as long as it has steam. Meanwhile, we try-hard trainers have no choice but to run forlornly alongside it, throwing Pokeballs in hopes of catching all those travelers.
The model of Pokemon generally involves releasing games in pairs, so thatto get all the Pokemon of that generation, you must have both games. While this is a marketing tactic, it’s also intended to foster trading and community, which is what Pokemon is all about. But if you want to get all the Pokemon yourself, you’ll need quite a selection of games.
The Real Challenge
What makes getting all the Pokemon muchmore challenging is the legendaries. While newer generations tend to include Pokemon from previous generations, they mainly serve to introduce new ones. This is particularly true for legendaries, which are the most exclusive kinds of Pokemon out there.
Not only are they almost always restricted to the game that they’re the face of, but several of them wereonly available the first time around through time-sensitive events. There are workarounds, but you’re better off just finding someone who was fast enough to nab that pesky Pokemon while it was still available.
First Step: Get The Remakes (And BW With XY)
As the series has progressed,several generations have been remadewith improved gameplay, graphics, and content. Whether or not the remakes have been as well-received as their original counterparts, it can’t be denied that they all have more Pokemon from previous games and a smoother experience. So, as a start, you’ll need the following:
These games fully cover most of the Pokemon introduced over seven generations, withthe Ultras and ORAS deserving particular attention. In each of those games, you can catch over 400 Pokemon, including most of the legendaries, so make your way through those first before traveling through the others.
Second Step: Get The Newer Generations
Despite all the remakes that have been released, Pokemon has continued to introduce new pairs with new Pokemon and new regions. The latest entries at the moment areSword and Shield, followed by Scarlet and Violet, which introduce the Galar and Paldea regions, respectively.
Both gens host a whopping catalog of over 400 Pokemon, with availableDLC increasing that number to around 600. So, another good early set to play would beSword and Shieldwith DLC for a chance to catch more than half of the Pokedex before going throughScarlet and Violet(also with DLC) to get all the new Pokemon, and then doing short visits through the remakes (and BW with XY) to get the others.
Third Step: Get Legends And Crystal
Now we come to what could be called the two outliers in the series:Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Crystal. The latter tends to receive a lot of praise for not only being the first tertiary title in a generation, but also for being one of the most beloved entries in the entire series.
It’s in good company withPokemon Legends: Arceus, which understandably and effectively transformed Pokemon intoan open-world game where Pokemon are very real threatsto the trainer and team strategies are much more flexible. It also includes all of the Pokemon introduced in Gen 4.
The Illusive Legendaries
While both games host around 200 Pokemon for you to catch, you mainly need them for theirhighly exclusive legendaries, Arceus and Celebi. Arceus can be caught after completing the Pokedex and then responding to the event prompts to challenge it.
Celebi can be officially caught in theVirtual Console release of Pokemon Crystalby beating the Elite Four and then pursuing the event in Ilex Forest. However, with the discontinuation of the Nintendo eShop, it’ll be a challenge.
Fourth Step: Event Pokemon And Pokemon GO
Despite all the games that have been released, the Pokemon series stillopts to introduce event-exclusive Pokemon. This means that if you don’t react fast enough to gain access to the event while it’s live, you’ll likely miss out on your chance to get those Pokemon legitimately.
This exclusive list includes names such asVictini, Zarude, and Marshadow. Your best bet is to find someone who’d be willing to trade their own temporarily just so that you can complete your Pokedex, but they’ll be unlikely to do it for free.
A Chance With Pokemon GO
Your last resort is to pick up and check in withPokemon GO. This app-based AR game may seem like the obvious choice to fill the Pokedex sinceit has over 1,000 Pokemon that are availableto catch (leaving only a few to catch elsewhere).
However, Pokemon GO is highly dependent on your region, weather conditions, internet connection, and current events. Still,it has the most new and recurring events outof the previous games, so you’ll have a better chance at obtaining unobtainable Pokemon there.
In Conclusion
If you want to catch the 1,025 current Pokemon in the National Pokedex, you would need to play 18 games:
