Remember when there were 150 Pokémon? That sure seemed like a lot when your first-grade self decided to try and memorize them all, so you were more than ready for some epic Pokérap battles. But now, over 25 years after the series began, that number seems paltry. Because Pokémon has officially crossed the 1,000 Pocket Monsters line. Yes, there are officially 1,008 Pokémon running wild in the world. Well, on our screens, anyway. So, if you want to catch them all, you’d better get started… Because it is going to take you a while.
Where did these 1,000-plus Pokémon come from? Well, since Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, the original Pokémon games, were first released, there have been 122 Pokémon games across nine generations and 18 different Pokémon types. That is an awful lot of Pokémon to go around.
If you don’t know each and every one of them, fear not. Pokémon has put together an official video to celebrate this monumental number. In it, each and every creature gets a moment in the spotlight. It’s not a Pokérap, thought it should be. But we dare every Pokémon Master out there to try their luck chanting all these Pokémon names out from memory. And, preferably, this Pokérap should happen in one breath. Kidding. Even showing all 1,000 Pokémon takes nearly 10 minutes.
![There are officially over 1,000 Pokémon, 1,008 Pokémon in the franchise](https://legendary-digital-network-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/12135614/There-are-officially-over-1000-Pokemon-1008-Pokemon-in-the-franchise.jpeg)
Especially celebrated is Pokémon #1,000. While most of the creatures shown here aren’t in the order of their official number, this guy makes sure we know his importance. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet revealed many cool new Pokémon, but one of the most unique of all is Gholdengo. Of all the possibilities out there, Gholdengo was chosen to be the franchise’s official 1,000th Pokémon, as per our handy, dandy Pokédex. Gholdengo is a friendly, chill Pokémon, and he’s appropriately made out of 1,000 golden coins. We may have gone with something more sentimental than literal, but hey, that’s Pokémon for you.
So, get studying. We’re sure by the time you learn your first 1,008 Pokémon, there will be several hundred more new ones to meet.