Gotta catch 'em all!
- If you were looking for the Italian anime opening, see Gotta Catch 'em All! (song).
Gotta catch 'em all! is the original English slogan of the Pokémon video games, with references to it abound in Pokémon canon. The Japanese equivalent is ポケモンゲットだぜー！ (Pokémon get da ze~!)
The original pair of Pokémon games released in the US, Pokémon Red and Blue, were labeled with the catchphrase below the Pokémon logo. Just as well, their sequels, Pokémon Gold and Silver, and later, Pokémon Crystal, had the catchphrase in the same position. Pokémon Yellow was the only exception, instead advertising that it was the "Special Pikachu Edition" of the game below the logo.
In the anime
The most obvious reference to the catchphrase in the anime was introduced in the first episode, Ash Ketchum himself. Even promising that he would catch all of the Pokémon in the world, Ash set off on his journey. However, up to the current point in the anime, Ash has only progressed to 50 captures of Pokémon, barely more than than 10% of the total number of Pokémon known.
Another anime reference comes in the lyrics of different songs. It is featured in the original opening theme, as well as in the chorus of the Pokérap. It is also found in the theme for The Johto Journeys, the anime's third season. The lyrics include, in reference to the Pokémon introduced in Gold and Silver, that "you still gotta catch 'em all!".
A final reference was the title of the second-to-last episode of the original series, Gotta Catch Ya Later!. In this episode, both Brock and Misty return to Kanto, leaving Ash to head to the Hoenn region alone.
Retirement
The slogan was retired around 2003, with the release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Instead of the now-familiar phrase appearing below the Pokémon logo, the game's version name appeared there. This held true for the remaining games of Generation III, and would later prove to be the standard with the release of the Generation IV games, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
The retirement was possibly due to the large amount of Pokémon now required to capture to complete the National Dex, 493 as of Generation IV. It may as well have been due to the incompatibility between the Generation II and Generation III games, as all of the Pokémon known as of the third generation were not available between Ruby and Sapphire, unlike what had been the case with Red and Blue and Gold and Silver.
The slogan may also have been taken out of use since it was a target of critics of the game and franchise (with some saying the phrase was an equivalent to 'Gotta Buy 'em All').
An English-language commercial was released that features the phrase in the United States. It it also used as the slogan for the Catch That Pokémon Show in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. This does not, however, mean that the slogan will make a permanent return, rather it's just a reference to the now defunct slogan.
The phrase is heard in the end of the American Diamond and Pearl Versions commercial.
It is also often used on some newer Pokémon merchandise, particularily toys.
Rewards
In the games, the reward for catching all the Pokémon available in the game was a diploma, proof of the feat. However, from the beginning, rumors appeared about a greater reward for attaining the ultimate goal of catching them all. Specifically, in Red and Blue, rumors circulated that after the player had caught the 150 Generation I Pokémon, if they showed their full Pokédex to the Game Freak employees in Celadon Mansion, they would be rewarded with the elusive 151st Pokémon, Mew. These rumors, however, were false, as the only reward offered for capture of 150 Pokémon was the Diploma; Mew was only officially available through Nintendo-sponsored events, though otherwise available through the Mew glitch.
The same was true of the Generation II games, where showing a 249-Pokémon Pokédex (minus Celebi and Mew) would have the same developers give the player another diploma. With the retirement of the slogan, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire only required the player to complete the 200-Pokémon Hoenn Dex (lacking Jirachi and Deoxys) to receive a diploma, though the 386-Pokémon National Dex still remained as a goal for players who wanted bragging rights.
In the Generation IV games, by the time the Elite Four and Champion are defeated, the player will have seen almost all of the Pokémon in the Sinnoh Dex, if not all 150; it is also possible to do this before entering the Hall of Fame. The reward for this is the National Dex, allowing the player to go on a true quest to actually catch them all once more, though this feat, compared to completing just the Sinnoh Dex, is more than three times larger. For this, however, (which only requires 482 of the 493 Pokémon, lacking Mew, Lugia, Ho-Oh, Celebi, Jirachi, Deoxys, Manaphy, Phione, Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus), another diploma is awarded.
