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Game intro

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The game intro is the series of cutscenes displayed before the start of a game.

In the core series

Generation I

Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue

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In Pokémon Red, Green, and Blue, as well as international Pokémon Red and Blue, the game intro starts with the Game Freak logo and a shooting star, then stars of different colors fall below this logo.

After this, there is a short Pokémon battle cutscene (on a blank background):

Due to an oversight, when Pokémon Blue is played in color, Jigglypuff appears purple instead of pink. This is a leftover from the battle between Gengar and Nidorino, as both are purple Pokémon.

At the end of the game intro, the player character Red appears below the Pokémon game logo. He throws his Poké Ball up sometimes (he does not move; only the Poké Ball moves).

The respective starter Pokémon with the same color as the current version appears with Red at first: BulbasaurG, CharmanderR, or SquirtleB. Some Pokémon then appear together with the player character, one Pokémon at a time. In each game version, there is a separate list of 16 Pokémon that can appear in this logo scene.

When the games are played in color, all these Pokémon from the logo scene have an unusual color palette. Specifically, they share the same color palette as the player (including dark purple and light pink colors). This is the same palette used in normal gameplay for Mew, Mewtwo, and Jynx.

Pokémon Yellow

In Pokémon Yellow, the same Game Freak logo (with stars) from earlier games appears as well.

After this, these cutscenes featuring Pikachu appear:

  • A small Pikachu silhouette running towards the player
  • Pikachu jumping while doing a flying kick
  • A larger version of the Pikachu running towards the player, this time colored red
  • Surfing Pikachu
  • A larger version of Pikachu running towards the player
  • Flying Pikachu (a Pikachu flying with balloons)
  • Pikachu looking at the player and then using an electric move

At the end, a smiling Pikachu with a "Pika!" speech balloon appears below the game logo. He says his name "Pikachu" once, voiced by Ikue Ohtani. This is the main cry used by the starter Pikachu in places such as the Pokémon summary.

Generation II

Pokémon Gold and Silver

In Pokémon Gold and Silver, the game intro starts with a star quickly moving in a spiral, which turns into the Game Freak logo.

Then, three Shellder appear underwater. The camera goes upwards, revealing three Magikarp swimming, and then a Lapras travelling on the water. The camera goes left and quickly transitions into a forest where a Jigglypuff is singing in a forest. A Pikachu appears and attacks Jigglypuff by jumping into it.

In another cutscene, the three Johto starter Pokémon appear one at a time (Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile) while a Charizard outline appears in a black screen. The black screen then changes to white, revealing Charizard; it then uses a fire move.

The game logo then appears, with respective Legendary Pokémon: Ho-Oh flyingG or Lugia swimmingS.

Pokémon Crystal

In Pokémon Crystal, the game intro starts with a Ditto, which transforms into the Game Freak logo.

Some Unown appear in a black screen, one at a time. They utter some noise and release some form of energy. There is also a separate scene with some grass, where Suicune eventually appears running for less than a second. Wooper and Pichu appear in the grass, startled by the sound of Suicune running.

More Unown appear at once in the black screen. After that, Suicune appears more clearly running on the grass, until it jumps and an Unown teleports in front of it. After Suicune looks at it, more Unown appear and surround Suicune.

The word "Crystal" appears written by Unown letters. After that, a red-eyed purple Suicune silhouette is seen continuously running under the Pokémon Crystal logo.

Generation III

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the game intro starts with some plants dripping dew on a puddle. Then, the Game Freak logo appears and disappears. The camera goes up, where mountains are seen in the horizon, then a small silhouette of an Eon duo Pokémon is seen flying.

Afterwards, a player character is seen riding a bicycle. The flying Legendary Pokémon (LatiosR or LatiasS) is fully revealed as it appears flying closer, and then the player character slows down the bicycle and turns their head to look at it.

  • In Pokémon Ruby, Brendan is seen riding a red bicycle on the grass, while a forest is seen on the background. The sky is clear, and there are mountains seen behind the forest.
  • In Pokémon Sapphire, May is seen riding a green bicycle on the grass, while the ocean is seen on the background. The sky is cloudy, and there are no mountains seen.

After a quick Poké Ball-like transition, a Sharpedo and then a Duskull move on the screen. The player character (BrendanR/MayS) throws two Poké Balls, sending Torchic and Mudkip out to battle. There is a Double Battle between them and the two foes (Sharpedo and Duskull). The Pokémon logo appears on a screen changing from black to white, and then the respective super-ancient Pokémon appears (GroudonR or KyogreS) with the full game logo.

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the game intro starts with a shooting star with sparkles, which transitions into the Game Freak logo.

Like in Pokémon Red and Green, there is a battle between Gengar and Nidorino, except this time in higher quality and located in a forest (in the earlier games, this battle had no background or visible location).

This battle transitions into a black and white version of CharizardFR/VenusaurLG. This Pokémon is soon colorized (a red palette is applied to Charizard / a green palette is applied to Venusaur), and the game logo appears. In the FireRed background, there is some fire erupting; in the LeafGreen background, there are some leaves in the wind.

Pokémon Emerald

In Pokémon Emerald (like in Ruby and Sapphire) the game intro starts with some plants dripping dew on a puddle. Then, the Game Freak logo appears and disappears. The camera goes up, where mountains are seen in the horizon, then a small silhouette of an Eon duo Pokémon is seen flying.

This bicycle scene was changed in Pokémon Emerald. Brendan or May (only one of them at a time) appears in this intro, wearing the Emerald-style clothes and riding a red bicycle (May no longer has a green bicycle in the game intro). The background is taken from Ruby (a forest and mountains), no matter whether Brendan or May is currently in the scene. While the player character is riding the bicycle, Manectric and Torchic are running with them, and Volbeat and Flygon are flying with them as well. Torchic eventually trips and falls to the ground, but quickly tries to catch up again. Unlike the previous games, there is no Latias or Latios reveal in the Emerald intro.

In Pokémon Emerald, the Double Battle from Ruby and Sapphire does not appear. Once the bicycle scene is done, there is a quick Poké Ball-like transition, after which Groudon and Kyogre appear, one at a time. Those two Pokémon's appearances are based on their earlier ones in Ruby and Sapphire, except with an enhanced animation (including floating rocks with Groudon, and bubbles with Kyogre). After a short animation of clouds surrounding the sun, thunders from the clouds reveal Rayquaza's silhouette as well. Rayquaza is fully revealed once it shoots an energy beam in the direction of the player. Rayquaza then appears with the full game logo.

Generation IV

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl

In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, some sparkles appear at the start of the intro, falling from the top DS screen to the bottom one. The Game Freak logo appears at the top, and the text "Game Freak presents" text at the bottom.

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl are the first core series games where the Pokémon logo appears at the start (rather than at the end) of the game intro. In those games, the Pokémon logo remains in black and white at the top screen during most of the game intro.

While the black and white Pokémon logo is shown above, scenes from the Sinnoh overworld appear at the bottom screen. Some of these scenes use a regular camera angle, while others have a tilted camera angle. These scenes often have subtle differences from actual gameplay.

In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, these are the overworld locations seen at the game intro:

  • The north of Route 204
    In the game intro, Aroma Lady Taylor is facing south near the stairs and thus would be easily avoidable by the player (rather than facing east near the grass, where the player must battle her to proceed in the game), Bug Catcher Brandon is blocking the way between fences at the west in a way that would make the small area behind the fence permanently inaccessible to the player (while in actual gameplay he is near the east grass instead), and there is a Youngster (possibly Youngster Tyler) near the east grass where Bug Catcher Brandon is located in normal gameplay.
    Twins Liv & Liz, the east cuttable plant, and the Awakening item ball are absent from the game intro.
  • The south of Floaroma Town (seen once the camera moves north from Route 204)
    In the game intro, there is a Bug Catcher west of the Pokémon Center, a female character between the Pokémon Center and Poké Mart, and a young girl near the Poké Mart (they are not seen in the normal gameplay) .
    In the game intro, the female character near the Pokémon Center and the male character between the two west patches of flowers are absent.
    The male character near the sign and the female character near the flower shop have different sprites (or are different characters) between the game intro and the normal gameplay.
    The house to the west of the flower shop is smaller in the intro and has four rows of flowers at the east; in normal gameplay, this larger house has only three rows of flowers there.
  • A small portion of the east of Route 205 (seen once the camera moves east from Floaroma Town)
  • The northwest of Route 205
    There are two groups of three Starly quickly flying in the game intro.
    In the game intro, the Bug Catcher near the exit of Eterna Forest is absent, although a Bug Catcher (possibly the same) is found near the place where Picnicker Siena is located in normal gameplay.
    In the intro, a Picknicker (possibly Siena) is located in place of Battle Girl Kelsey (which is absent from the intro).
    In the intro, Camper Jacob appears to be in the bridge instead of near the sign near it.
    Hikers Daniel and Nicholas appear to be absent from the intro as well, although a Hiker (possibly one of them) is seen north of the ledge near the four trees.
    Picnicker Karina and the four Underground air ducts near her are also absent from the intro.
    In the intro only, there is a male character near the bottom level of the stairs south of the bridge.
    Aroma Lady Elizabeth is nearer the grass in the game intro.
    The Antidote (west of the grass patch north of the bridge) and the Poké Ball (at the lower level, west of the bridge) item balls are absent from the game intro.

After the overworld scenes are done, the male player character Lucas is seen walking towards the camera, then Turtwig appears and uses a leaf move. The female player character Dawn is seen walking towards the camera as well, with the rival Barry in the background, then Chimchar appears and uses a fire move. Lucas and Dawn appear both walking together the same way as before, then Piplup appears and uses a bubble move.

The black and white Pokémon logo disappears from the top after the starters scene. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, both the top and bottom screens together form an image of the Mount Coronet below a purple sky. The camera zooms in the mountain, and a diamondD/pearlP symbol appears at the bottom, while the Pokémon logo appears with the normal colors (rather than the previous black and white version) at the top, and forms the full game logo.

At the end, a CGI rendering of the respective creation trio Pokémon (DialgaD or PalkiaP) appears at the bottom screen, below the game logo (with normal colors).

Pokémon Platinum

Platinum's game intro starts much the same as that of Diamond and Pearl:

Some sparkles appear at the start of the intro, falling from the top DS screen to the bottom one. The Game Freak logo appears at the top, and the text "Game Freak presents" text at the bottom. The Pokémon logo remains in black and white at the top screen during most of the game intro.

While the black and white Pokémon logo is shown above, scenes from the Sinnoh overworld appear at the bottom screen. Some of these scenes use a regular camera angle, while others have a tilted camera angle. These scenes often have subtle differences from actual gameplay.

In Pokémon Platinum, these are the overworld locations seen at the game intro:

There are no Starly flying anywhere in these overworld scenes, unlike in Diamond and Pearl.

Two characters introduced in Platinum appear as full body sprites in front of the Eterna City scene: Looker and then Charon.

In Pokémon Platinum, the scene with Sinnoh starters from earlier games was changed. After the overworld scenes are done, the black and white Pokémon logo disappears, then both Dawn and Lucas (wearing their Platinum-style outfits) appear running together: Dawn at the top screen and Lucas at the bottom screen. Dawn's background is filled with small houses and a cloudy sky, while Lucas's background is filled with tall buildings and a clear sky. Then they appear to battle each other, as each throws a Poké Ball. Dawn's Pokémon are Infernape, Piplup, and Grotle; Lucas's Pokémon are Prinplup, Chimchar, and Torterra. Then an Infernape appears using a fire move twice (once in each screen) and a thunderbolt quickly strikes in both screens as well.

In this game, the scene with Mount Coronet at the end does not appear. Instead, after Dawn and Lucas's battle, Cyrus looks at the player from the top screen. A swirling black portal appears, from which Giratina looks at the player with red eyes and smiles. The camera then enters the portal.

At the end, a CGI rendering of Origin Forme Giratina (much like Dialga or Palkia from earlier games) appears at the bottom screen, below the game logo (with normal colors).

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the game intro is similar to the ones from Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. Much like in those games, this intro displays the player characters and rival (as full body sprites), the three starter Pokémon, and some overworld scenes appear as well. Most of the elements from the Generation II game intros are not seen in HeartGold and SoulSilver, except for the Ho-OhHG/LugiaSS at the end.

At the start of this intro, the white text "Game Freak presents" is seen on a black background. Once the opening animation starts, the text remains for a moment, before disappearing.

This short scene appears at the bottom screen, while the top screen displays the top portion of the sky:

  • In HeartGold, the sun rises in the twilight sky, with some clouds. The sky is above a body of water, with pine trees at the sides. The sun stops, and seconds later Ho-Oh flies into the direction of the camera, and both screens become completely white.
  • In SoulSilver, the moon rises in a clear night sky, without any clouds. The sky is above a body of water, with rocks at the sides. The moon stops, and seconds later Lugia flies into the direction of the camera, and both screens become completely white.

In another scene, the camera moves quickly above the grass in both screens, until it stops and the bottom screen becomes completely black. At the top screen, Ethan is standing near some small houses. The camera moves right, and Lyra is also standing with a similar pose. Each of them is holding a Poké Ball and looking at the camera. The camera moves up into a tree, and the scene changes again.

Some overworld scenes are seen at the top screen (while the bottom screen remains black). Some of these scenes use a regular camera angle, while others have a tilted camera angle. These scenes often have subtle differences from actual gameplay.

In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, these are the overworld locations seen at the game intro:

  • New Bark Town
    In the game intro, the blue fence at the right of Professor Elm's lab is absent, the male NPC is located close to the player's house (instead of close to the opposite-gender rival), and the female NPC is located near the lab (instead of near the sign).
  • Goldenrod City
    In the game intro, a School Kid is located at the south entrance (instead of a Beauty as in normal gameplay) and a Lass is near the Game Corner (but not in normal gameplay).
  • Ecruteak City
    In the game intro, the Barrier Station (the house in the way to the Bell Tower) is missing the sign at the front. Both the Barrier Station and the smaller house to the left have a red color scheme (including red doors and windows), unlike in normal gameplay. The old man is also closer to it than in normal gameplay.
    The Lass is closer to the Burned Tower sign than in regular gameplay as well.

The top screen (where these locations appeared) becomes black, and in the bottom screen, the rival Silver appears as a black silhouette, and then a closer look of his face (fully revealed, no longer as a silhouette).

This is quickly replaced by the faces of the Legendary beasts with blank eyes: Entei, Suicune, and Raikou. Then, Eusine appears next to them as a full body sprite, and quickly disappears. Some Unown move on the screen and make the Legendary beasts disappear as well. The four Team Rocket Executives (Proton, Petrel, Ariana, and Archer) appear together, under the large "R" logo of their team.

In another scene, Ethan and Lyra quickly appear again, this time as close-ups of their faces: Ethan at the top screen with a silver-colored background, and Lyra at the bottom screen with a gold-colored background. Chikorita (at the bottom screen) uses a leaf move, then Cyndaquil (at the top screen) uses a fire move, and Totodile (at the bottom screen) uses a water move. Then, both screens become black.

Suicune appears (at the bottom-left corner of the screen) on a cliff, looking at the sea.

  • In HeartGold, the camera goes up into the sky. In the bottom screen, a CGI rendering of Ho-Oh appears continuously flying in the sky. This scene is an enhanced remake of Ho-Oh flying at the end of Pokémon Gold's game intro.
  • In SoulSilver, the camera goes down into the sea. In the bottom screen, a CGI rendering of Lugia appears continuously swimming under the water. This scene is an enhanced remake of Lugia swimming at the end of Pokémon Silver's game intro.

While this Legendary Pokémon is moving at the bottom screen, the game logo appears at the top screen. Sometimes, the camera goes closer or further from this Legendary Pokémon, or the camera moves and displays this Legendary Pokémon in another angle.

Generation V

Pokémon Black and White

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Pokémon Black 2 and White 2

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Generation VI

Pokémon X and Y

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Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

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Generation VII

Pokémon Sun and Moon

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Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

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Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!

After the Game Freak logo, the player's room appears. The player character is not seen (until their gender and appearance are specified later in the new game), although this game intro is viewed in first-person from the perspective of the player inside the room.

At the beginning, the player is looking at a TV with a Nintendo Switch console. It is implied that the player character is playing a game on the Nintendo Switch, which may be an in-universe representation of the real-life person playing Let's Go, Pikachu! or Let's Go, Eevee!

Although the TV initially only displays an empty light blue screen, the Partner PikachuP or EeveeE soon appears in the TV. First its tail and ears appear as it says its own name, then this Partner Pokémon looks at the player and jumps from the TV screen into the player's room.

The first-person view moves around (implying that the player is moving) as PikachuP/EeveeE jumps from the TV table to the ground, then runs to the player's lap and happily jumps back to the ground. Ultimately, this Partner Pokémon jumps back inside the TV screen, and the player follows it into the TV screen as well.

After this is done, the game screen becomes completely white, and then a black PikachuP/EeveeE silhouette runs from left to right, leaving a trail of stars that becomes the Pokémon logo. This logo moves to the top-leftP/top-rightE corner and expands into the full title screen of the current game, while PikachuP/EeveeE appears on a forest background, happily looking at the camera.

From this point onwards, the player may press A to leave the title screen. If the player waits a moment more without pressing A, then PikachuP/EeveeE will start to happily walk around and look around its surroundings.

Generation VIII

Pokémon Sword and Shield

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Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

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Pokémon Legends: Arceus

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In spin-off games

Pokémon Pinball

In Pokémon Pinball, the main menu (including Pikachu's face and the large Poké Ball) appears immediately after the copyright text, with no further introduction.

Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire

In Pokémon Pinball: Ruby and Sapphire, the game starts with a black screen and the white text "Pokémon Pinball". Specifically, the words are formed by the letters individually appearing, each of them quickly jumping once until the text is fully formed.

After a quick sparkle and an explosion at the background, a Poké Ball is sent towards the camera and then quickly travels through several scenes with different Pokémon (with the words "Pokémon Pinball" appearing several times in the background, written with different types and styles): Torchic, Pikachu with Pichu, Treecko, Plusle with Minun, Mudkip, then the ball bounces between two Chinchou. In another scene, Makuhita, Spoink, Pelipper, and Wailmer are seen bouncing, until Wailmer releases the Poké Ball from its mouth, launching this ball far away.

After the Poké Ball is launched, the main menu with the game logo appears. The logo includes Torchic, Pikachu, Mudkip, Treecko, and Pichu holding onto the Poké Ball. In this logo screen, the ball appears larger than those five Pokémon.

References to game intros

In the core series games

In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, the player's room has a Gengar vs. Nidorino battle poster, referencing the battle seen in the game intros from Pokémon Red, Green, FireRed, and LeafGreen.

In the anime

Main series

At the start of the first episode, there is a Gengar vs. Nidorino battle displayed on Ash's television, referencing the battle seen in the game intros from Pokémon Red, Green, FireRed, and LeafGreen.

In this anime battle, Nidorino uses Horn Attack, then Gengar dodges it and uses Hypnosis on Nidorino, causing it to fall asleep.

Pokémon Origins

At the start of the first episose, there is a Gengar vs. Nidorino battle displayed on Red's television, referencing the battle seen in the game intros from Pokémon Red, Green, FireRed, and LeafGreen.

In this anime battle, Gengar uses Double-Edge on Nidorino.

Trivia

See also

Project Games logo.png This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.
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