How many Pokémon are there in 2024?

How many Pokémon are there? The answer isn’t as simple as you might think. When it comes to Pokémon Trading Card Game and videogame series, it’s often said that you’ve gotta catch ’em all. But establishing just how many Pokémon there are to catch can be tricky.

While we think Pokémon is at its best in the trading card game and the many Pokémon TCG expansions, where you can gaze in wonder at the most powerful Pokémon cards or the rare Pokémon cards you’ve just found in a booster pack, it’s the franchise’s mainline videogames that herald each new ‘generation’ of Pokémon.

It’s not unusual for a generation to add anywhere between 70 to 150 of the cuties. With nine generations, the total number of Pokémon is enormous – and the competition for the title of cutest Pokémon gets more cut-throat with every passing year – but here’s your answer…

As of January 31, 2024, there are 1,025 Pokémon. That’s the simplest and strictest answer, counting only distinct species of Pokémon.

Of those, 66 are Legendary Pokémon:

But you could count differently, and include different forms of Pokémon as separate entries. There are currently 59 alternate forms, including distinctive regional form Pokémon from Galar, Hisui, Alola, and Paldea.

These regional variant Pokémon have different typing, appearance, and abilities, to match the environments in which they live, such as the gorgeous white Vulpix of the Alola region.

Additionally, a few Pokémon – namely Palafin, Tatsugiri, and Gimmighoul – have their own special variant forms.

On top of that, there are 48 different Mega Evolutions that some Pokémon can evolve into during battle, granting radically new appearances and abilities for a limited time. Plus, there are 32 different Gigantamax forms open to some Pokémon, each of which sees the creature grow massively in size.

Count these tricky edge cases, and you’ll find well over 1,100 Pokémon. And if you ask how many Pokémon cards are there, the number goes through the roof! But we think it’s best to stick to the basic count and see the alternate forms as just what they are – variations, rather than entirely separate species.

If you want a bit more detail and classification numbers for each, check out our sister site Pocket Tactics’ excellent national and regional Pokédex.

But which generation introduced your favorite Pokémon? We’re pleased you asked. There’s a handy table above with the key info – and you can read on for our expert run-down of the most notable Pokémon in each generation:

Gen 1 Pokémon

The starting set – first introduced in Japan with 1996’s initial Game Boy games, Pokémon Red and Green – includes the franchise’s original Gen 1 Pokémon roster of 151 critters. All the classics are here: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Jigglypuff, Snorlax, Mew, and, of course, Pikachu.

Generation I also introduced four Legendary Pokémon to the franchise. Three make up a Legendary trio of birds, native to the Kanto region: Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. And the final is none other than that most infamous, genetically-enhanced clone, Mewtwo.

Many Pokémon from this generation are featured on some of the best Pokémon cards of all time. And why wouldn’t they be? Everyone loves a classic.

Gen 2 Pokémon

There were a cool 100 more Gen 2 Pokémon. While they might not have the kudos of being in the original class, there are many famous names among them. Slowking was added as an evolved form of Slowpoke, Cleffa quickly became a staple of the TCG, and even the new starters, like Totodile, have their fans.

Five new Legendary Pokémon were introduced in this generation, including the trio of beasts Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, alongside ‘guardian of the seas’ Lugia, and ‘guardian of the skies’, Ho-Oh.

Gen 3 Pokémon

Adding another 135 Pokémon, the most notable Gen 3 Pokémon include the Flying-Ground-type Flygon, and the Pikachu-esque pair Plusle and Minun.

But it’s through its eight new Legendaries that this generation really shines. The trio of golems Regice, Registeel and Regirock were added, alongside the pair of birds Latias and Latios. Its trio of super-ancient, weather-specialist Pokémon – Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza – quickly became fan favourites, too.

Gen 4 Pokémon

Taking it down a peg, there were 107 new Gen 4 Pokémon, including videogame starters Empoleon, Infernape, and Torterra, as well as Lucario, who might be best known now as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The generation also introduced an abundance of new evolutionary forms, such as Leafeon and Glaceon for Eevee, and Magmortar for Magmar.

As for Legendaries, Generation IV added the trio of Lake Guardians Uxie, Azelf, and Mespirit, the creation trio Giratina, Palkia, and Dialga (all with vaguely metaphysical abilities), and standalones Cresselia, Heatran, and Regigigas. That makes for a total of nine.

Gen 5 Pokémon

A whopping 156 new beasts joined the Gen 5 Pokémon, the most of any generation so far. Many of them are dual-types, such as Archeops, and some have gone on to become firm favourites in the TCG, including Zoroark.

And it didn’t skimp on the Legendaries, either, adding another nine, in the form of three trios. These were the musketeer-inspired Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion, the geography-themed Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus, and Tao trio of Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem.

Gen 6 Pokémon

After the previous generation’s bumper supply, there were just 72 new Gen 6 Pokémon, marking a change towards lower turnout in future generations. But the vast majority of the new Pokémon are brand new species, rather than evolutionary forms of previous creatures. You might recognise Greninja, Aegislash, and Delphox among its roster.

Generation VI went less trigger-happy with Legendary creatures than previous gens, too. There are just three: the poster children Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde. The generation did boast three Mythical Pokémon though: the crystal fairy Diancie; the djinn Hoopa; and the steam-powered Volcanion.

Gen 7 Pokémon

Carrying on the trend of smaller rosters, 88 Gen 7 Pokémon were added. But this gen made up for the low quantity with a good dollop of quality – there’s no filler, all thriller in this Pokédex. Most notable is the disguise-wearing Mimikyu, and the incredibly weird Dhelmise, which is a ship’s anchor and wheel, all wrapped together in seaweed.

Generation VII was also the first to introduce new regional forms of previous Pokémon, adding new types and abilities to those creatures living in the generation’s Alola region. The best of them is undoubtedly the Alolan version of Exeggutor, which adds a huge neck to the usually stubby palm plant. It also had Ultrabeasts – extradimensional Pokémon with some truly outlandish designs.

Generation VII also brought eleven new Legendaries: the four guardian deities Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini; Type: Null and its evolutionary form Silvally; the psychic pair Cosmog and Comoem; and Solgealeo, Lunala, and Necrozma as the life-giving light trio.

Gen 8 Pokémon

There were 96 new pocket monsters among the Gen 8 Pokémon, 89 in the Galar region with Pokémon Sword and Shield, as well as 7 from Pokémon Legends Arceus. There are some fetching additions: the cute, monkey-like Grookey, the electric-poison type Toxel, and the hilarious lump-creature that is Snom.

And Legendaries haven’t been forgotten, either, with eleven more added in this generation. These include the heroic guard dogs Zacian and Zamazenta; the extraterrestrial Eternatus; the martial arts-inspired Kubfu, Urshifu; the snowy Glastrier, Spectrier, and Calyrex; the titans Regidrago and Regieleki; and the lovely Enamorous.

While there were more monsters in Generation 8 than the previous couple of Pokémon gens, in one way it marked a notable change for the series – Sword and Shield is the first mainline Pokémon title where you can’t import every Pokémon released so far. As of the Crown Tundra DLC, there are still 231 pocket monsters missing.

Gen 9 Pokémon

The latest batch of pocket monsters to grace our screens are the Gen 9 Pokémon, and we’re still getting to know the 103 new critters released in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet – as well as the extra seven revealed in February 2023. That takes our total to 110 Pokémon, whew.

As well as fun designs like an aquatic wiggly Diglett (Wiglett) and a long-awaited evolution for Giraffarig, the Paldea region is home to the ‘Primal Pokémon’, futuristic or ancient relatives of modern ‘mons, with strange names like Great Tusk and Iron Moth.

There are eight Legendary Pokémon in this newest generation thus far. This includes Koraidon and Miraidon, the sleek lizards that are also your main way of getting around quickly in Paldea, plus four new ‘Ruinous Pokémon’: Wo-Chien, Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu, and the tiny, fiery fish Chi-Yu. Two of the Pokémon in the DLC, the mask wearing Ogerpon and the crystal turtle Terapagos, are also Legendary.

How many Pokémon types are there?

As of 2023, there are 18 official Pokémon types – for a full, detailed breakdown check out our complete Pokémon types guide, complete with a chart of matchups.

In short, the Pokémon types are:

• Normal
• Fire
• Water
• Grass
• Electric
• Ice
• Fighting
• Poison
• Ground
• Flying
• Psychic
• Bug
• Rock
• Ghost
• Dark
• Dragon
• Steel
• Fairy

These types can apply to both actual Pokémon and specific moves in the videogames – and in both cases dual types are possible. This means a given Pokémon or move could be Fighting/Flying type, as opposed to just one or the other.

Pokémon can also change their type via evolutions, either from a single type to dual type, or vice versa – or even changing their type altogether, losing their original type in their new classification.

Remember that Pokémon types work a little different in the Pokémon TCG, as some get rolled together and/or renamed for tabletop simplicity – for more info read our guide to Pokémon card types.

Now you know how many Pokémon there are and what Pokémon types they can fit into, you’re probably wondering which are the strongest. Well, luckily we have handy guides to the best Pokémon cards of all time, the most powerful Pokémon cards, and the best Pokémon decks to play in the TCG. We can also point you to the best Pokémon booster boxes to expand your collection – and how to tell if you’ve found fake Pokémon cards.