Pokémon

Recent Japanese Pokémon Tournament Full Of Monsters You Rarely See

This weekend’s Japanese National Championships proves that competitive Pokémon plays almost like an entirely different game in the franchise’s home country. While every Japanese top eight team had some common picks you might spot at other tournaments around the world, players made plenty of choices that are almost never seen anywhere else. As an example,…

Pokémon Go Revamping Gyms, Adding Co-op Raids

In celebration of its anniversary, Pokemon Go is undergoing some major changes. Before you get too excited, no, player-vs-player battles aren’t among them. Gyms, though, are about to get more accessible, and you’ll soon be able to team up with friends to go on raids against mega-powerful Pokemon. The gym overhaul should launch at some…

Pokémon‘s First Japanese Theme Song Returns

When the original Pokémon TV anime debuted in Japan on September 8, 1998, the theme song was “Mezase Pokémon Masutaa” or “Aim to be a Pokémon Master.” Now in 2017, the theme is back! The current series Pokémon Sun Moon began using the theme this week to mark the 20th anniversary of Pocket Monsters. If…

A ‘Core’ Pokémon Game Is Coming To The Nintendo Switch (Eventually)

Many were disappointed about the 3DS exclusivity of Ultra Sun and Moon, but worry not, Pokémon fans. Your console hybrid will get some pocket monster goodness too! While there’s no footage to show off yet, or an exact release date, Nintendo announced that a Pokémon game will be making its way to the Switch. “Game…

Next month in Japan, Pokémon is getting totally official “real escape games” in eight cities across the country to promote the upcoming Pokémon film. 

Competitive Pokémon Player Risks It All With Fragile Ultra Beast, Wins Tournament Anyway

Pheromosa, an Ultra Beast known for its fragility and power, normally seems like a risky pick for competitive Pokémon. But this weekend, Andrew Nowak won the Madison Regional Championships largely thanks to an uncommon Pheromosa moveset. The perennial glass cannon, Pheromosa is often used to get important one-hit-knock-outs before getting KO’d itself. It uses attacks…

Pokémon GO Gets First Real-World Event And More 

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Pokémon GO, the app is getting both in-game events and a real-world festival in Chicago. The in-game Solstice Event starts June 13, 2017 and will feature XP bonuses for accurate throws, discounted Lucky Eggs, and Fire-type and Ice-type Pokémon. A new collaborative group gameplay-centric update will follow. Then on…

Pikachu, That’s A Bad Place For A USB Cable 

Pikachu. Electricity. Plugs. Make sense, sure. But why did the people who made this Pokémon product stick the cable there? Via China’s Octinn, this PVC Pikachu knock-off has ears that double as plugs to put in electrical sockets. It’s not clear whether or not this is licensed, but the lack of Pokémon Company copyright notices is suspect.…

Oh hey, Pokémon Gold and Silver are coming to the 3DS eShop on September 22nd, same day as the Switch version of Pokken. Like other Virtual Console versions of Pokémon, you will be able to battle and trade wirelessly.

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon Only Announced For 3DS Later This Year [Update]

Despite rumors that a mainline Pokémon game would appear on the Nintendo Switch, developers Game Freak only announced that souped-up versions of the latest games will be releasing on 3DS hardware. For many, this news will be disappointing, but it’s not without precedent. In the past, Game Freak has stated that they “believe that Pokémon…

The Pokémon Fighting Game Is Coming To Nintendo Switch

Hey, at least it’s not another mobile spin-off. Here’s the trailer for Pokkén Tournament DX, which will be available starting on September 22nd 2017: The Switch version of the game will come with all of the DLC characters: DX will also include 3 vs 3 team battles, online ranked matches and friend-only group matches.

Nintendo is holding a Pokémon Direct tomorrow at 10am Eastern. Feels like time for Pokémon Switch, doesn’t it? Nintendo says the presentation will be eight minutes.

Look At Squirtle’s Little Raincoat

Build-A-Bear is killing it with their Pokémon line. Available this week as a special online exclusive, the $60 Squirtle set includes a plush water Pokémon capable of making six different Squirtle sounds. Along with a very fetching rain slicker, Squirtle can also wear its Ultra Ball Hoodie and comes with an exclusive trading card. Sadly…

Game Freak Is More Than Just A Pokémon Developer

The studio is always experimenting with new projects

Oh hey, here’s another Pokémon tune! This time, it’s Magnemite (known as “Koiru” in Japanese) who gets the song. 

Introducing A New Pokémon App Called Pokéland

In Pokéland, toy Pocket Monsters duke it out on various in-game islands. Think Pokémon Rumble, but for smartphones. Slated for iOS and Android, this app requires an internet connection and uses your Nintendo Account (meaning that your Mii can appear in Pokéland). The app is going into an Android-only alpha test in Japan. The test…

That’s A Good-Looking Pikachu Train

Since 2012, the Pokémon With You train has been making kids happy in Eastern Japan. Now, in 2017, it’s time for the train to get a makeover. Over the years, Japan has seen various Pocket Monster trains, including a Pokémon-covered bullet train. Originally, the Pokémon With You train was inaugurated to help lift spirits in…

Australian Pokémon Are A National Treasure

Pixel God Paul Robertson has drawn up an exhaustive catalogue of Australian Pokémon based on national foods, sayings, places, plants and animals, some of which could kill you, some of them which (probably) wouldn’t For those outside the antipodes who don’t understand many/all of these, niboswald has started annotating them so that you can read…

Pokémon Played Baseball And It Was Insane

For the first time in 18 years, the Pokémon anime featured baseball—er, “Pokébase.” That, and some truly bonkers animation. The last time a Pokémon anime featured baseball, it wasn’t nearly as bananas. This time, though… Pokémon Sun Moon airs every Thursday in Japan at 6:55pm. Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing…

Whoa, Your Pokémon Can Die In The New Magikarp Game

Magikarp Jump, a game about raising Pokémon’s most useless monster, is out today for iOS and Android. It is just as much a game about training Magikarp as it is a game about losing your Magikarp in horrible ways. I have been playing the game for about two hours, and I am terrified about making…