Pokémon Guide

Pokémon Generations: Every Region, Game, and What Changed

Pokémon is organized into generations, each one a new region, a new batch of Pokémon, and usually one headline mechanic. Here is the full timeline and what makes each era distinct.

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The nine generations at a glance

National Pokédex numbers run continuously, so each generation simply continues where the last left off.

Gen	Region	Main games	Year	New species	Dex range
I	Kanto	Red, Blue, Yellow	1996	151	#1–151
II	Johto	Gold, Silver, Crystal	1999	100	#152–251
III	Hoenn	Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald	2002	135	#252–386
IV	Sinnoh	Diamond, Pearl, Platinum	2006	107	#387–493
V	Unova	Black, White, B2W2	2010	156	#494–649
VI	Kalos	X, Y	2013	72	#650–721
VII	Alola	Sun, Moon, Ultra S/M	2016	88	#722–809
VIII	Galar	Sword, Shield	2019	96	#810–905
IX	Paldea	Scarlet, Violet	2022	120	#906–1025

What each generation introduced

Generation I (Kanto) started it all with 151 Pokémon and the original red-and-green rivalry. There was no breeding, no held items, and Special was a single stat, but the core loop of catch, train, and battle was already perfect.

Generation II (Johto) added day-and-night cycles, breeding and eggs, held items, and two brand-new types, Dark and Steel, which were created specifically to rein in the dominant Psychic type.

Generation III (Hoenn) introduced Abilities and Natures, the two systems that still define how a Pokémon performs, along with double battles and a much bigger focus on weather.

Generation IV (Sinnoh) made the single most important competitive change ever: the physical/special split, which decoupled a move's damage category from its type. It also brought online trading and battling to the Nintendo DS.

Generation V (Unova) is still the largest single batch of new Pokémon (156) and the only region whose original games used an all-new regional dex before the national one. It added seasons that changed the map month to month.

Generation VI (Kalos) moved the series to full 3D models, added the Fairy type to balance Dragons, and introduced Mega Evolution, a mid-battle power spike for chosen Pokémon.

Generation VII (Alola) replaced gyms with island trials, introduced regional forms (Alolan Raichu, Alolan Vulpix) that gave old Pokémon new types, and added the one-per-battle Z-Moves.

Generation VIII (Galar) brought the giant-sized Dynamax and Gigantamax forms, an open Wild Area, and the Legends: Arceus spin-off that reinvented catching entirely.

Generation IX (Paldea) went fully open world, letting you tackle gyms in any order, and introduced Terastallization, which lets a Pokémon change to a single chosen type mid-battle.

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