How many Pokémon are there in 2022? (2023)

There’s Pikachu and Charizard, right?

In all seriousness, it is a complicated question that used to be very simple; 151, we all know the song. As we get excited for new, cute and cool Pokémon and their epic transformations, the number of Pokémon keeps rising. For the average person, there are formally 905 Pokémon currently registered with the Pokédex. Still, it’s a bit more complicated if you’re an avid Pokémon enjoyer like myself. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are right around the corner, and we have seen a few new Pokémon – I’m excited for Fuecoco – in the latest showcase; this boosts our total up to 922 Pokémon in full, excluding the variations.

With the introductions of Mega Evolutions, Gigantimax, and regional forms, the variations and designs of Pokémon, including their move set and typing, change accordingly, and this does not include the gender differences or the standard forms of Pokémon. I know these variations don’t classify as separate Pokémon, but some really do feel like it. Have you seen Galarian Linoone and Meowth?

It might seem a lot to take in but don’t fret; I will provide everything you need to understand almost every transformation and variation of Pokémon. Let’s dive into the depth of this question, and I will help you know how these Pokémon are categorized and what the different forms mean in the world of Pokémon.

Pokémon – By Generations

Generation I: This is where Pocket Monsters began. Rhydon was the first Pokémon ever made, and it only escalated from there. Pokémon Red and Green took the world by storm, especially Yellow, which was my favorite; I loved seeing Pikachu’s expression, and having him follow me around inspired friendship. It announced the original 151, with the final number being the infamous Mew, and that’s a whole other story in itself.

Generation II: What was next for the series? Well, go bigger and better. The formula worked, and the new generation introduced 100 new Pokémon. One of the most prominent additions, which some argue are the best Legendries, were introduced, Ho-Oh, Lugia, and the legendary beasts – let’s not call them dogs – Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. Gold and Silver games featured two regions; it’s safe to say Pokémon was thriving.

Generation III: Now, this is where the anime picked up speed, and the fans wanted more. Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald brought Groudon and Kyogre to the mix with the Legend Rayquaza. That wasn’t all; the game also featured mystery gifts and secret movements to unlock Regiice, Regirock, and Registeel. It was a solid entry that added another 135 Pokémon to the mix.

Generation IV: Many argue that this was the best generation; the starters were excellent, the anime had the perfect formula, and Sinnoh added 107 new Pokémon. We were introduced to the lore of Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. The Pokémons were unique and fun, especially the new evolutions. My favorite was the Eveeloutions. The new Pokémon were fun, but some are well, you know? Like Drifloon, who takes away with small children, look it up; it’s true. This anime and game introduced a new Generation to Pokémon and succeeded tremendously.

Generation V: It added the most Pokémon in a while; 156. While I am not the biggest fan of this generation, the games were undoubtedly amazing. They featured a lot of new innovative things, including design choices that all the fans loved. Black and White 2 are regarded as one of the best mainline Pokémon games. The legendries like Thunderous, Landorous, and Tornadous were fine, but I didn’t find them very appealing. All in all a solid entry for everyone, but it’s not for me.

Generation VI: The anime for X and Y might be my favorite of all the series. It featured an epic storyline, and the characters were fun and witty, especially Serena, who is loved by almost the entire fandom. The series introduced 72 new Pokémon, but the main selling point was Mega Evolution which I will discuss later. It was a time for a change for the series, and the transition was going smoothly.

Generation VII: Sun and Moon went for innovation, introducing new forms of Pokémon like the Alolan Executor with large necks. The anime strayed from the main formula, and I strayed from the anime, but 88 new Pokémon were added to the roster. This was a time for a change for the series, and It tried a bunch of new things, especially Ultra Beasts, which I am on the fence about. The introductions of variations were the main point of this generation, and it changed the formula quite a bit.

Generation VIII: The Galar region introduced 89 new Pokémon, and Legends Arceus threw a curve ball, introducing seven new Pokémon and showing previous ancient forms of Pokémon. It is a bit confusing, but the generation also added Gigantimax forms which we’ll get to later on. The legendaries weren’t anything to write home about, but it was a solid addition. The changed forms of Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltress were enjoyable and fantastic. It was okay addition to the series, but what we’re honestly waiting for is Generation IX.

Now that makes 905 Pokémon, but from the latest showcase, we can understand that the three starters and their evolutions, along with other Pokémon like Fidough – I love him – make a total of 922 Pokémon as of today. Let’s talk about the various designs and categories of Pokémon, starting with the Legendary Pokémon.

Do note that there’s a difference between mythical and legendary Pokémon. I know western audiences have been told that they are to be the same, but I will explain that as well.

Pokémon Legendaries

These are a group of very rare Pokémon, including some that are one of a kind like Dialga, Palkia, or the infamous Mewtwo. They are powerful, having profound lore and prominent myths in the Pokémon world. They help shape the world or keep it safe. Nothing else defines a legendary Pokémon other than the way the games categorize them, or the anime features them in a special episode or movie.

There are currently 63 legendary Pokémon, including the two from the Paldea region in Generation IX. Legendary Pokémon has always been a series staple and bring excitement to the games by region. The legendries are:

Kanto

1. Articuno
2. Zapdos
3. Moltres
4. Mewtwo

Johto

5. Suicune

6. Entei

7. Raikou

8. Lugia

9. Ho – Oh

Hoenn

10. Regirock

11. Registeel

12. Regice

13. Latios

14. Latias

15. Groudon

16. Kyogre

17. Rayquaza

Sinnoh

18. Azelf

19. Mesprit

20. Uxie

21. Dialga

22. Palkia

23. Giratina

24. Cresselia

25. Heatran

26. Regigigas

Unova

27. Cobalion

28. Terrakion

29. Virizion

30. Tornadus

31. Thundurus

32. Landorus

33. Zekrom

34. Reshiram

35. Kyurem

36. Enamorus; was introduced in Legends: Arceus, and we don’t know his current status in the Pokémon world.

Kalos

37. Xerneas

38. Yveltal

39. Zygarde

Alola

40. Type: Null

41. Silvally

42. Tapu Koko

43. Tapu Bulu

44. Tapu Fini

45. Tapu Lele

46. Cosmog

47. Cosmoem

48. Necrozma

49. Solgaleo

50. Lunala.

Now you can argue that Type: Null and Silvally are basically the same, but I am going by what the Pokédex says, and it categorizes both separately.

Galar

51. Zacian

52. Zamazenta

53. Eternatus

54. Kubfu

55. Urshifu

56. Regieleki

57. Regidrago

58. Clayrex

59. Galarian Articuno

60. Galarian Zapdos

61. Galarian Moltres

62. Glastrier

63. Spectrier.

Mythical Pokémon

These might be the rarest Pokémon out there, with many in the Pokémon world not even sure about their existence. This includes the infamous mew we all believe was under that truck in Pokémon Red. Until generation V in the West, legendries and mythical Pokémon were regarded as the same. Still, afterward, it’s been made more explicit. Mythical Pokémon are usually received through a mystery gift or other special events. They are not part of the game’s story but have distinct lore behind them. You don’t need a mythical Pokémon to complete the Pokédex. There are 22 Mythical Pokémon in total.

Kanto

1. Mew

Johto

2. Celebi

Heonn

3. Jirachi

4. Deoxys

Sinnoh:

5. Manaphy

6. Phione

7. Darkrai

8. Shaymin

9. Arceus; I know the God of all Pokémon is a mythical Pokémon, but hey! I don’t make the rules.

Unova

10. Victini

11. Keldeo

12. Meloetta

13. Genesect

Kalos

14. Diancle

15. Hoopa

16. Volcanion.

Alola

17. Magerana

18. Marshadow

19. Zeraora

20. Meltan

21. Melmetal

Galar

22. Zarude

Ultra Beasts

Now, this is where the series started experimenting a bit. I guess they belong in the legendary category, but honestly, I just feel like these are strong normal Pokémon, and the Pokédex doesn’t lie. They enter through extra dimensions, and we don’t know much about them. Some might consider them legendary, but I don’t think I will ever understand them.

Ultra Beasts

1. Poipole

2. Naganadel

3. Guzzlord

4. Stakataka

5. Blacephalon

6. Kartana

7. Xurkitree

8. Celesteela

9. Pheromosa

10. Nihilego

11. Buzzwole

Now that we’ve got the categories out of the way let’s get into what we know about the variations. Even the same Pokémon come in different forms, including gender differences, like how the male Rhydon’s horn is larger than the female or how the male Xatu has three lines on its body and the female has two. Some Pokémon have various versions that would exist due to the process of evolution. We will discuss all of them, including other forms of transformation as well.

Basic Pokémon Forms

Pokémon come in all shapes and forms, even the same ones. Many can transform into different types, and others have fixed attributes. These forms can either be purely cosmetic like Vivillon or have small type differences like Burmy and its Wormadam evolutions. Pokémon like Unown come in 28 forms, where Shellos is the same, but its color varies by East and West Sea. This is all done without taking into account the Shiny variants; safe to say, even if their forms vary, the Pokémon remains the same. The Pokémon that have basic form differences are:

Regional Forms

Pokémon species separated from the rest in certain environmental conditions evolve differently by developing unique traits. These were introduced in the Alola region in Pokémon Sun and Moon and have also become a staple of the series. Alolan Sandshrew and Galarian Corsola are great examples, these Pokémon have similar characteristics, but their type and abilities, including their stats, might differ. They are similar enough to be categorized as the same Pokémon, but honestly, some are so different; I mentioned him before, and Galarian Meowth is just out there.

Alola

1. Rattata

2. Raticate

3. Raichu

4. Sandshrew

5. Sandslash

6. Vulpix

7. Ninetales

8. Diglett

9. Dugtrio

10. Meowth

11. Persian

12. Geodude

13. Graveler

14. Golem

15. Grimer

16. Exeggutor

17. Marowak

Galar

1. Meowth

2. Ponyta

3. Rapidash

4. Farfetch’d

5. Weezing

6. Mr. Mime

7. Corsola

8. Zigzagoon

9. Linoone

10. Darumaka

11. Darmanitan

12. Yamask

13. Stunfisk

14. Slowpoke

15. Slowbro

16. Articuno

17. Zapdos

18. Moltress

19. Slowking

Hsui

1. Growlithe

2. Voltorb

3. Electrode

4. Typhlosion

5. Qwilfish

6. Sneasel

7. Samurott

8. Lilligant

9. Basculin

10. Zorua

11. Zoroark

12. Braviary

13. Sliggoo

14. Goodra

15. Avalugg

16. Decidueye.

We don’t know if these forms still exist, though, since Hsui was shown as a time in the past, and many Pokémon like Voltorb have evolved from then.

Paldea: As of right now, we only know of Wooper, but we will surely see more when the game releases.

Mega Evolutions

They are taking the Evolution tree one step further, evolving the Pokémon temporarily into a much stronger form. The Pokémon and trainer require a keystone and a Mega stone specific to that Pokémon. The only Pokémon that doesn’t need the mega stone or a trainer is Rayquaza. These forms change the design and shape of the Pokémon, along with its stats and typing. There are a total of 46 Pokémon as of now capable of Mega evolving and 48 total forms.

1. Venusaur

2. Charizard (Two Forms)

3. Blastoise

4. Alakazam

5. Gengar

6. Kangaskhan

7. Pinsir

8. Gyarados

9. Aerodactyl

10. Mewtwo (Two forms)

11. Ampharos

12. Scizor

13. Heracross

14. Houndoom

15. Tyranitar

16. Blaziken

17. Gardevoir

18. Mawile

19. Aggron

20. Medicham

21. Manectric

22. Banette

23. Absol

24. Latias

25. Latios

26. Garchomp

27. Lucario

28. Abomasnow

29. Beedrill

30. Pidgeot

31. Slowbro

32. Steelix

33. Sceptile

34. Swampert

35. Sableye

36. Sharpedo

37. Camerupt

38. Altaria

39. Salamence

40. Metagross

41. Rayquaza

42. Lopunny

43. Gallade

44. Audino

45. Diancie

Honestly, Mega Evolution might be the most welcome and fun addition to the series. I mean, did you see Dark Charizard with the blue flame? It’s just so cool.

Gigantimax

It is a new form taken by Pokémon under particular circumstances in a special arena under a power spot. It increases the size of the Pokémon and changes its design dramatically for some Pokémon. It was introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield; it adds new G-max moves and worked to introduce G-Max Raid Battles in the game. Suppose a Pokémon does not have a Gigantimax form; it Dynamaxes, which just increases its size. It’s not the best addition to the game, but it’s something to chew on. There are 32 Pokémon capable of Gigantimaxing.

1. Charizard

2. Butterfree

3. Pikachu

4. Meowth

5. Machamp

6. Gengar

7. Kingler

8. Snorlax

9. Eevee

10. Lapras

11. Snorlax

12. Garbodor

13. Melmetal

14. Corviknight

15. Orbeetle

16. Drednaw

17. Flapple

18. Appletun

19. Sandaconda

20. Toxtricity

21. Hatterene

22. Grimmsnarl

23. Alcremie

24. Copperajah

25. Duraludon

26. Venasaur

27. Blastoise

28. Rillaboom

29. Cinderace

30. Inteleon

31. Urshifu (Both forms).

Conclusion

Pokémon have a wide variety to them, and honestly, if I go into details of all of their variations, we will be here a while. As for the answer, well, according to the Pokémon universe, we know of 922 Pokémon. That’s because even if the forms, variations, and designs of some Pokémon change, their base characteristics remain the same, and that’s what makes a Pokémon what it is. Alolan Vulpix lives in snowy peaks, very different from normal Vulpix, but they both possess the same characteristics. But if we go further into it, there are a total of 405 variations and forms of Pokémon, making the total design variations 1328. Let’s see what’s more in store, though. Maybe we’ll cross the 1000 mark this generation, I don’t believe so, but we’ll see what happens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Ash’s Greninja come in?

It’s Grenninja’s special ability, Battle bond. Now some believe it to be a variation of form; I am not so sure myself, but it does technically change the form, so I deem it worthy. The move increases the base stats of the Pokémon and technically works as Mega Evolution.

Why are regional variants not separate Pokémon?

I have touched on this above, but I’ll get into detail. This is due to the shape, characteristics, and behavior of these Pokémon. The process of evolution changed the shape, typing, and even behavior of a few of them. Still, it also showed something fascinating; some regional forms are the original ones. Hear me out, Alolan Executor is known to be the original one. Still, the three legendary Galarian birds might be the originals as well. This is due to their Pokedex entries, which specify why they were named, and their shiny forms, which are designed as the original. This speculation can be made for other Pokémon as well as Farfetch’d, but with that said, the regional forms don’t change the Pokémon; it shows their evolution throughout the ages. Many argue that the regional variants aren’t new Pokémon because Game Freak didn’t want the number of Pokémon to be more significant. While that may be true, the lore does explain it well.

How many Pokémon will there be?

We don’t know, but the franchise is thriving, and sales are going through the roof. Game Freak is changing the formula, and everyone’s excited about what’s new to offer. Generation IX just introduced Terrastalizing, which enhances and changes typing of Pokémon. With every new game, fans get even more excited. If the trend continues, I believe we will surely go beyond even 2000 Pokémon. After all, I bet you didn’t know, but they are 1414 Digimon; Pokémon is pretty behind and much more prominent.