Core series

The core series^[1]^[2] of the Pokémon games or core games^[3], commonly referred to as the main series or mainline games by fans, is the game series that is developed by Game Freak for Nintendo video game systems, which follow the standard model of a player's journey through a specific region to catch and raise Pokémon, battle Trainers, fight crime, and earn recognition (usually by collecting Badges from Gym Leaders) until they are acknowledged as the strongest Trainer. The series has only been released for handheld systems, although Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! were released on the Nintendo Switch which is both a handheld and a home console.

Counting each game individually, there are currently 30 games in the series internationally, 31 in Japan, and 21 in South Korea. Counting paired individual games as a single release, there are currently 16 games in the series internationally, 17 in Japan, and 10 in South Korea.

Prior to Generation VI, it was standard for the Western releases of the core series games to include the label Version in their title, although this was seldom used by the Japanese releases. In Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, the series is called the Pocket Monsters Series (Japanese: ポケットモンスターシリーズ^[4], Korean: 포켓몬스터 시리즈^[5], Chinese: 精靈寶可夢系列 / 精灵宝可梦系列^[6]), as core series games all contain the full name Pocket Monsters in their title, whereas side series and spin-off games use the abbreviation Pokémon in the title instead. However, the Japanese releases of the Pokémon Stadium series use Pocket Monsters in English subtitles, despite the titles using Pokémon in kana.

Classification

Content model

While there are no strict rules that make a game a core series game, and previously assumed rules are continuously broken, the games generally have a similar plot and mechanics.

The player begins the game in a small town or city of a given region, having no Pokémon of their own. Through a course of events, the player will receive a starter Pokémon from the region's Pokémon Professor; the starter Pokémon is always a choice of three, a Grass, Fire, or Water type, and the character who will become the player's rival will typically choose (or already have) the Pokémon whose type is super effective against that of the player's choice, although some exceptions to this pattern exist.

After this point, the player begins to journey across the entire region (each with their own cities and towns, themselves connected by route), capturing any wild Pokémon he or she chooses to, and using a party he or she assembles to take on the eight Gym Leaders (except in Alola where the player battle in Trials instead) of the region. Alongside encounters with both other Trainers and repeated interactions with their rival, the player must also stop the plans of a villainous team, which often involve the manipulation of Legendary Pokémon.

After all eight Gym Leaders have been defeated, the player can enter the Pokémon League, where the Elite Four and Champion await challengers. The Champion of the region is often introduced prior to the player's Pokémon League challenge, and may aid the player as he or she continues his or her adventure.

Though the game can be considered over as soon as the player has defeated the Champion, there is still post-game content. Often there is a post-game plotline and locations and facilities that could not be previously accessed. Since Pokémon Crystal, there is usually at least one facility specifically dedicated to battling. The overarching goal is the completion of the Pokédex; after this has been done, the player will receive a diploma for completing the regional Pokédex and, starting in Generation III, another for completing the National Pokédex. Another task was added in Generation III in order to fully complete the game: obtaining all Trainer Card stars.

Another element that characterizes a core series game is that the geography of regions includes at least one water route, a mountain, several caves, a forest, as well as a final route leading up to the Pokémon League called Victory Road.

Release model

While releases continue to break patterns, the release of core series games tends to follow a pattern.

When a generation of Pokémon games begins, a pair of games is always released. These paired versions feature virtually the same storyline as each other, but the available Pokémon differ, and some other elements are usually slightly different. This encourages trading, as it is required in order to complete the regional Pokédex.

Most generations feature an "upper version"^[7] title—often referred to by fans as a "third version" or "sister game"—a follow-up game or pair of games released after the first games of the generation that takes place in the same region with added features. These games typically both share and lack certain regional Pokémon that were available in one or both of the original paired versions; thus, a player of an upper version must link together with the original pair to complete the regional Pokédex as well. On the contrary, upper versions typically contain certain Pokémon from different regions that are unavailable in the original pair, thus being more helpful in completing the National Pokédex. Until Generation VII, only a single third version following an original pair was ever released at a time; Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were the first games to be released as a pair. Unlike other generations, Generation V opted for a sequel story instead, and Generation VI entirely forewent follow-up games set in the same region.

Sometimes, a secondary set of paired versions that are remakes of earlier titles may also be released.

Pokémon

Most generations introduce Pokémon that evolve into or from previously released Pokémon. Legendary Pokémon with myths specific to the region are almost always included, and frequently appear in duos and trios.

In all generations, there are some Pokémon that cannot be encountered until after the player enters the Hall of Fame. These may be legendary Pokémon, such as Mewtwo, or simply Pokémon that are not part of the game's regional Pokédex.

Before the release of a new generation, new Pokémon are often used to promote the new games by including them in the anime or in spin-off games.

Box art

The box art for each game features one Pokémon which was introduced in that generation (or, in the case of remakes, the generation of the original games). This Pokémon is referred to by fans as a game mascot, and with the exception of Kanto-based games, it is always the Legendary Pokémon available in that game at the climax of the storyline.

In terms of the artwork itself, the international Pokémon Red and Blue and all releases of the initial paired games of each generation from Generation III onward use their game mascot's original Ken Sugimori artwork for their box art, whereas all other core series games use specially made artwork.

List of core series games

In South Korea, only Pokémon Gold and Silver were released prior to the foundation of Nintendo of Korea and Pokémon Korea in 2006. The first core series game release after this was Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in 2008.

	Original versions		Upper versions
Generation I	Japan
	Red	Green	Blue
	Red	Green	Pikachu
	International
	Red	Blue	Yellow
Generation II	Gold	Silver	Crystal
Generation III	Ruby	Sapphire	Emerald
Generation III	FireRed	LeafGreen
Generation IV	Diamond	Pearl	Platinum
Generation IV	HeartGold	SoulSilver
Generation V	Black	White
Generation V	Black 2	White 2
Generation VI	X	Y
Generation VI	Omega Ruby	Alpha Sapphire
Generation VII	Sun	Moon	Ultra Sun	Ultra Moon
Generation VII	Let's Go, Pikachu!	Let's Go, Eevee!
Generation VIII	Sword	Shield

Timeline

Main article: History of the Pokémon world

Several pieces of content in the core series Pokémon games depend on the games having a timeline, but a complete timeline cannot be drawn from the games themselves. On May 7, 2014, Game Freak employee Toshinobu Matsumiya's Twitter account posted a timeline of the core series Pokémon games;^[8] the tweet was subsequently deleted.

The plot of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and Pokémon Red and Green are contemporaneous. They are then followed by the equally contemporaneous plot of Pokémon Gold and Silver and Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, which are set three years later. Pokémon Black and White are set an unspecified amount of time after those games. Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 are set two years after those games, and are contemporaneous with Pokémon X and Y. Pokémon Sun and Moon and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon take place two years after the events of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 and at least 10 years after the events of Pokémon Emerald.

It is unknown if the aforementioned timeline also applies to all solitary versions and remakes. Furthermore, Zinnia suggests that there are alternate universes.

Unused trademarks

Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak have trademarked several titles in the Japan Patent Office which have not currently been used but which fit the naming scheme of the core series games. The following information comes from the Japan Platform for Patent Information (Japanese, English):

Pocket Monsters: Topaz (Japanese: ポケットモンスタートパーズ) [application number 2002-063587, registration number 4677891]
Pocket Monsters: Tourmaline (Japanese: ポケットモンスタートルマリン) [application number 2002-063588, registration number 4684698]
Pocket Monsters: Moonstone (Japanese: ポケットモンスタームーンストーン) [application number 2002-063590, registration number 4684699]
Pocket Monsters: Brown (Japanese: ポケットモンスター茶) [application number 2008-093270, registration number 5222905]
Pocket Monsters: Grey (Japanese: ポケットモンスター灰) [application number 2008-093272, registration number 5222907]
Pocket Monsters: Vermilion (Japanese: ポケットモンスター朱) [application number 2008-093273, registration number 5222908]
Pocket Monsters: Purple (Japanese: ポケットモンスター紫) [application number 2008-093274, registration number 5222909]
Pocket Monsters: Crimson (Japanese: ポケットモンスター紅) [application number 2008-093275, registration number 5222910]
Pocket Monsters: Scarlet (Japanese: ポケットモンスター緋) [application number 2008-093276, registration number 5222911]
Delta Emerald^[9] (Japanese: デルタエメラルド) [application number 2014-035118, registration number 5701924]

Topaz, tourmaline, moonstone, and emerald (by virtue of Delta Emerald) are all names of minerals, while the rest are names of colors. Additionally, vermilion, crimson, and scarlet are all shades of red.

Contrary to what is sometimes reported, the name WaterBlue was not trademarked by Nintendo, Creatures, or Game Freak. According to the Japan Platform for Patent Information, ウォーターブルー and WATER BLUE (application number 2010-060625, registration number 5386853) are trademarks of Meiji Seika, a Japanese pharmaceutical company. However, Game Freak's Junichi Masuda did mention "WaterBlue" in 2004 on a blog post explaining the company's choice of "FireRed" and "LeafGreen" as both Japanese and international titles for the remakes of Red and Green.^[10]^[11]

Connectivity

In addition to the core series games, each of the side series games allow players to transfer their Pokémon to and from the core series:

Pokémon Stadium: Allows players to transfer their Pokémon from the Generation I games to battle in 3D.
Pokémon Stadium 2: Allows players to transfer their Pokémon from the Generation I and II games to battle in 3D.
Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire: Allows players to store their Pokémon from the Generation III games.
Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness: Allows players to transfer their Pokémon from the Generation III games to battle in 3D. Players can also transfer Pokémon caught in these games to their main series games.
Pokémon Battle Revolution: Allows players to transfer their Pokémon from the Generation IV games to battle in 3D.
My Pokémon Ranch: Allows players to store their Pokémon from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (and from Pokémon Platinum in Japan).
Pokémon Dream World: Allows players to store their Pokémon from the Generation V games.
Pokémon Dream Radar: Allows players to receive the Forces of Nature in their Therian Formes in Black 2 and White 2.
Poké Transporter: Allows players to transfer their Pokémon from the Generation V games, and later the Generation I and II games on the Virtual Console, to Pokémon Bank.
Pokémon Bank: Allows players to store their Pokémon from Generation VI and VII games.
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire Special Demo Version: Allows players to receive a Steelix and/or a Glalie with their respective Mega Stones in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
Pokémon GO: Allows connectivity to Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.
Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon Special Demo Version: Allows players to receive a Greninja with the ability Battle Bond in Sun and Moon.

Additionally, some spin-off games allow players to receive special Pokémon:

Pokémon Channel: In the European and Australian versions of the game, it allows players to receive a gift Jirachi in the Generation III games.
Pokémon Ranger series: Allows players to receive a special Manaphy Egg in the Generation IV games.