Pokémon News
News Pikachu 1996 Style Plush Now Available At The Pokémon Center
Fingers crossed for restocks
Earlier this year, The Pokémon Company released a special retro-style Pikachu plush in Japan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon series. This was followed by confirmation the plush (and a key chain based on the same design) would be getting a local release in the future. This plush has now been made...
News Pokémon Champions Launches On Mobile This Month, With A Special Distribution To Celebrate
Raichu are
Pokémon Champions has been out on Switch for a couple of months now, and in the coming weeks, it'll launch on mobile too. The Pokémon Company has announced that the battle-focused game will arrive on iOS and Android on 17th June, with pre-registrations going live today. Cross-save support is available in this one, for those who have...
News LEGO's Pokémon Smart Play Sets Have Finally Been Officially Revealed
Bricking it
It's official, folks, LEGO has finally lifted the lid on its new range of Pokémon sets, complete with its fancy new Smart Play tech. This might not be all that surprising to those who have been following the leaks in recent weeks, but hey, an official reveal is always a treat. We also have a release date, with all of the following sets...
Rumour LEGO's Next Pokémon Sets Might Have Been Revealed
Update: More sets have reportedly leaked
[Tue 19th May, 2026 04:05 BST]: LEGO is now releasing Pokémon sets and a new one has reportedly been leaked ahead of the official announcement. According to now-removed listings on multiple web stores including Amazon, a Lego version of Arcanine from the original Pokédex is on the way. According to the...
Change the tune
Nintendo has often been accused of keeping its fans on their toes when it comes to announcements, and it's fair to say that nobody was expecting the Kyoto veteran to reveal (alongside The Pokémon Company) a tiny Game Boy-sized music player earlier this year. Released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon series,...
News Pokémon TCG '30th Celebration' Range Features A Base Set Returner And A Bunch Of Pikachus
The old and the Mew
After being teased back in February's Pokémon Presents showcase, The Pokémon Company is almost ready to lift the lid on its upcoming 30th anniversary Trading Card Game products. As brought to our attention by Serebii.net, TPC will release a special video on its YouTube channel on 1st June at 2pm BST / 3pm CET / 6am PT / 9am ET...
News New Limited-Time Pokémon Champions Distribution Now Available
Add a Gyarados to your party
The recently released Switch title Pokémon Champions has announced a new mystery gift event is now live. If you enter the event code before 31st May 2026 (aka next week), you'll be able to add a Gyarados to your party. As highlighted by Serebii.net, this was announced at the Pokémon Trainers Cup at 'Pokémon Sports...
News Pokémon TCG Pocket Gets Paradoxical Next Week
Miraidon, Miraidon on the wall...
We're getting to the end of the month, so The Pokémon Company is on hand to showcase what's next for Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. It feels like just yesterday that the Pulsing Aura set arrived on the scene, but the next expansion, Paradox Drive, is right around the corner. This one will launch on 28th May at...
Japanese Charts Switch 2 Sales Continue To Spike Ahead Of Price Increase
Gotta save those ichiendama
Famitsu has published its top ten boxed charts for the week of 11th - 17th May in Japan, and would you believe it, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is once again back at the top with another 98,092 sales. Not only that, but with a further 22,758 sales to its name, Pokémon Pokopia has now crossed the 1 million mark – a...
News Pokémon Company Considers Using Government ID To Tackle TCG Scalping
Extreme behaviour calls for an extreme response
The Pokémon Company has issued a statement (thanks, Automaton) confirming that it is considering using government-issued ID to tackle scalping in the Trading Card Game community. Though it doesn't outright refer to scalpers, The Pokémon Company says that it wishes to “provide all customers with...
News Don't Expect A Pokémon GO Sequel Any Time Soon
It wouldn't make "much sense"
Niantic's evolving mobile hit Pokémon GO is nearing its 10th anniversary, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it won't be getting a sequel... at least any time soon. Scopely's president of games Ed Wu (and former SVP of Pokémon GO at Niantic) recently spoke to GamesIndustry.biz about the title's future, and when asked about...
News Amazon Pre-Order Listing Puts Pokémon Winds & Waves At €80
€10 increase on Z-A
A listing for Pokémon Winds and Waves has gone live on Amazon Germany, with the retailer pinning a €79.99 price tag on pre-orders. Scheduled for release in "2027", this pair of Switch 2 exclusives has the standard "31st Dec 2027" placeholder date when the exact launch date is unknown, but it's the cost which has Pocket...
News Pokémon's Exceptional Dragonite Anime Short Has Finally Been Dubbed
Special delivery!
Remember that incredible Pokémon anime short from studio CoMix Wave Films early last year? Well, it's finally been dubbed for western audiences. Yes, Pokémon: Dragonite and the Special Delivery is now available for free over on YouTube, clocking in at just under 14 minutes in length. The new dub is pretty decent too, though we'd...
Feature Behind The Lens - How New Pokémon Snap Made Me Miss My Dad
Camera-rupt
It’s hard to believe that New Pokémon Snap is more than five years old. I remember the days of wistfully dreaming of a follow-up to the bite-sized N64 game that I spent hours and hours on as a kid, trying to figure out how to get that Charmeleon to evolve, or how to unlock the last level with Mew. Of course, as an adult, I can do all...
Japanese Charts Tomodachi Life Overtakes Pokopia As The Best-Selling 2026 Release
A dream of a Golden Week
Famitsu's weekly physical hardware and software charts are in, and it's a bumper one as we're covering two weeks worth of sales thanks to Golden Week (via Gematsu). Starting with the games, as you can probably tell from the headline, number one hasn't changed at all: Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is the clear victor,...
News Pokémon Winds & Waves' Main Theme Sounds Absolutely Gorgeous
An Audino delight
The next generation of Pokémon may be at least a year away, but The Pokémon Company appears to be ushering the new generation in steadily anyway, and what better way to do so than with a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of Pokémon Winds & Waves' main theme. This beautiful recording was performed by the NHK Symphony...
News Pokémon Deluxe Character Guide Features Over 300 Gorgeous Pages On The Franchise's History
Become a book-Wormadam
Looking for another gorgeous tome to stick on your shelf or coffee table, and happen to be a big Pokémon fan? Then the Pokémon Deluxe Character Guide should be on your radar. Announced by The Pokémon Company today, this beautiful-looking 336-page book releases on 25th August 2026 and is stuffed full of artwork, history,...
Gallery Hunting For Hits In Pokémon TCG's Upcoming 'Chaos Rising' Expansion
May the pulls be ever in your favour
Pokémon Trading Card Game's next expansion is right around the corner, and ahead of its official launch, we've been lucky enough to rip some packs and see if we can find any hits. Mega Evolution — Chaos Rising launches on 22nd May, with Kalos' beloved Greninja taking centre stage on the artwork. TPC has been...
News Pokémon Legends: Z-A Ranked Battle Season 11 Starts Next Week With Returning Rewards
Mega Stones! Get your Mega Stones here!
Pokémon Legends: Z-A's Ranked Battle Season 10 is just about wrapping up, so it's time to see what's in store for Season 11. Things will get underway next week on 14th May at 6am UTC, and you'll have until 4th June to get in and nab all the rewards you can from the four-player online battles. Exclusive Mega...
News Price Controversy Did Nothing To Stifle Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen On Switch
While Pokopia's off to a great start
When Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were announced for the Switch, it's safe to say that some folks weren't best please about the accompanying $19.99 / £16.99 price tag. After all, it's a pretty barebones port that clocks in at a whopping 33.4MB in storage. No filters or anything! It seems, however, that you...
Feature Reviving Kanto - My Mental Health Journey Through Pokémon Pokopia
A Pokémon Center for my brain
May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the US. Continuing Pokémon's 30th-anniversary year and following on from the March release of Pokémon Pokopia, today Tim shares his personal journey with the Switch 2 spin-off... If you consider yourself a Pokémon fan, I wager that what keeps you riding with the series is a...
News Pokémon's Latest Collaboration Will Battle The English Weather This Summer
National Trust used Double Team!
The Pokémon Company has teamed up with just about every brand going at this point, and today, it has announced another partnership for some sweet outdoor activities this summer. It's the National Trust stepping into the limelight this time, with a new collaboration all about the Pokémon Trading Card Game — fear...
News Nintendo Announces Switch 2 Pokémon Pokopia Bundle
Launching this June down under
The relaxing life simulation Pokémon Pokopia has been a huge hit for Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, and to encourage even more Switch 2 sales, Nintendo has now announced a new bundle. This bundle will be available on 5th June 2026 and contains the Switch 2 system with a full game download for the title. No...
News Pokémon Scalpers Selling Limited-Edition Pop-Tarts For Ridiculous Prices
Pop tart-lio
Pokémon has a huge scalper problem: it feels like we see a story every day about exclusive merchandise and cards being sold for extortionate prices online. And it's happening again thanks to a collaboration between The Pokémon Company and US retail giant Target. Kotaku reports that, specifically, scalpers are setting their sights...
Guide Best Pokémon Spin-Off Games Of All Time
Ranked by you, now with Pokopia and Champions
Pokémon Pokopia and Pokémon Champions launched nearly two months and one month ago, respectively, so today we're revisiting our reader-ranked list of Pokémon spin-off games to see where they've both settled in. Remember, you can influence the real-time ranking even now by giving any of the games...
Opinion My Pokopia Towns Look Terrible, But That's Okay
Embracing the Muk
Around the 35-hour mark, I finally rolled credits on Pokémon Pokopia. As anyone who's made it to the end will tell you, it's a bittersweet experience. I watched those closing animations play out with a tear in my eye, thinking about how far I'd come, how much my Ditto had grown, and how much my towns had evolved since I first set...
News POKEBOOK Is Taking You Back To Kanto For Pokémon's 30th Anniversary Year
"The Unofficial Companion: Generation 1"
The latest addition to Ninty Media's growing library of quality gaming tomes is around the corner, with Pokebook now live on Kickstarter and aiming for delivery this August. Focusing on Gen 1 Pokémon games and coinciding with the series' 30th anniversary year, this hardcover book is the first in Ninty...
"I don't know how to save the channel, I don't know if I can"
A popular Pokémon YouTube channel called 'PokéNational Geographic' is no more after a series of copyright strikes from Nintendo. Channel creator Elious delivered the new himself (thanks, Kotaku), confirming in a video posted on 26th April that he has 7 days before the channel is gone...
News Completed Legends: Z-A's Pokédexes? There's A Shiny Prize Waiting For You In Pokémon HOME
We have prizes at HOME...
The Pokémon Company is dishing out a shiny reward for those who have caught 'em all in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. If you have completed the latest game's Lumiose, Mega Evolution, and Hyperspace Pokédexes, and logged them all in Pokémon HOME, there's a special Shiny Volcanion waiting for you. This special 'mon comes loaded...
News We're Sure Nintendo Will Have No Issues At All With This New PC Creature Battler
A wild Takedown Notice appeared!
How does that old phrase go, "you cut one head off Hydreigon, two will take its place"? It's something like that. Either way, on a totally unrelated note, you remember that shameless Pokémon rip-off 'Pickmos' that was removed from Steam a few weeks back? Well, there's another primed and ready to fill its place...
News Pokémon Pokopia 'Sableye's Gem Hunt' Event Has Finally Been Officially Announced
Kicking off next week
We've known about an upcoming Sableye event in Pokémon Pokopia for a good while now (thanks to the joys of time jumping), but The Pokémon Company has today made it official. The 'Sableye's Gem Hunt' event kicks off next week on 29th April at 5am and will run until 14th May at 4:59am (local time). As the name suggests, this...
News Pokémon TCG Pocket's Next Expansion Sees A Fan-Favourite 'Mon Take The Spotlight
No fighting!
It's that time of the month again when The Pokémon Company lifts the lid on the next set of cards coming to the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket app, and it's finally time for Lucario to take the spotlight. A new ex card for the fan-favourite Fighting Type (it made it to the top nine in our recent poll) headlines the new 'Pulsing...
News Pokémon Champions Ver. 1.0.3 Update Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Effective against Bugs
A couple of weeks ago, The Pokémon Company announced that it was working on a bug-squashing update to fix up Pokémon Champions' launch state. Well, surprise! Said patch is now live. The ver. 1.0.3 update launched on Switch yesterday, fixing a handful of issues that were immediately pointed out at Champions' launch —...
News Pokémon Pokopia Updated To Version 1.0.4, Includes Improvements & Fixes
Here are the full patch notes
The relaxing life simulation Pokémon Pokopia has today received a new update, bumping the Switch 2 exclusive up to Version 1.0.4. As you can see, this latest update includes improvements and fixes. Players now have the ability to relocate Pokémon Centers during in-game events and there are all sorts of fixes to...
News Pokémon & Zelda Rip-Off 'Pickmos' Removed From Steam As Publisher Intervenes
"We will be supervising the Pickmos team"
Pickmos (which, until recently, was called Pickmon) has been unceremoniously removed from Steam following an intervention from its publisher, Networkgo (thanks, PC Gamer). Developed by PocketGame, Pickmos is a blata
News Pokémon Legends: Z-A Ranked Battle Season 10 Start Date And Rewards Revealed
Hop in next week
If you can believe it, we're almost in the tenth season of Ranked Battles in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. What is time? The Pokémon Company has today revealed that Season 10 will get underway next week on 23rd April at 6am UTC, and will be hanging around until 14th May. As was the case with the last season, there's no big Mega Stone...
News Pokémon Pokopia's Next Event Is All About Jump Rope
*Mario Odyssey flashbacks*
The next Pokémon Pokopia event is coming this weekend, but be wary, as it'll require dextrous timing and button pressing on your part. Bulbasaur's Jump Rope Challenge is coming to the game on 19th April. The event will kick off 5am local time and will run for a week until 26th April. And all you need to have done is...
News Nintendo's GameCube App Has Received A Small Update Today (Version 1.6.1)
One for Pokémon XD players
Following last month's release of Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness for the Switch Online GameCube library, Nintendo has now updated this app again. This bumps it up to Version 1.6.1 and apparently comes with a helpful bug fix for the same title after reports of game crashes, resulting in players losing save data (thanks...
News LEGO Releases Official Build Instructions For Pokémon Kanto Region Badges
No need to spend THAT many Poké Dollars
Back in February, Lego released a wave of Pokémon sets — somehow, the first ones ever — for the franchise's 30th anniversary. But one of the most-popular ended up being a small set, the Kanto Region Badge Collection, which only available if you splashed the cash on the most expensive set. But there's...
Round Up The Reviews Are In For Pokémon Champions
Here's what the critics think
The new "free-to-start" battle game Pokémon Champions launched for the Switch this week and critics have now had their say. Starting with our own review here on Nintendo Life, we said this new title was the most accessible but flawed competitive Pokémon has ever been, awarding it five out of ten stars: "The core...
Review Pokémon Champions (Switch) – The Most Accessible & Flawed Competitive Pokémon Has Ever Been
More bugs than Viridian Forest
Keeping up with competitive Pokémon battling has always been a hassle. As the mainline series shifts from generation to generation, so does which Pokémon are available, access to specific Pokémon, methods for training those Pokémon, the introduction of new moves, abilities, and held items, as well as a continued...
News Fear Not, Pokémon Champions' Naff Switch 2 TV Resolution Is Fixable
Doctors hate this one simple Dock trick
Even if we overlook the limited launch Pokémon, the swathe of bugs, and the strange monetisation, Pokémon Champions still had more issues up its sleeve — talk about a dramatic launch, eh? Those playing in Docked Mode on Switch 2 might have noticed that the latest battler looked... a bit naff. Up on the...
Guide Pokémon Champions: In-Game Purchases - Membership & Battle Pass Explained
Break out your Poké Dollars
Pokémon Champions is set to be the go-to competitive battler for the series moving forward, and while the game is free to start for everyone, there are some paid options to consider down the line. In this guide, we'll be breaking down all of Champions' in-game purchases, explaining how much each one will set you back,...
Japanese Charts Switch 2 Hits Another Milestone As Pokémon Pokopia's Reign Continues
An unbreakable block
This week's physical games chart from Famitsu are here, and they paint a very familiar picture, though the Switch 2 is busy smashing sales numbers as the console reaches 5 million units sold in Japan. But first, Pokémon Pokopia is once again the number-one selling physical release of the week. While last week saw a big dip in...
News Pokémon Champions Bug-Squashing Update Is In The Works, Here's What's Being Targeted
Bug Spray
Pokémon Champions launched yesterday in a... less-than-perfect state. Fortunately, it looks like The Pokémon Company is working on a fix. Even if we put aside the limited available Pokémon and Items at launch, the game was quickly criticised for the sheer number of bugs on display (and no, we're not talking about Beedrill and Pinsir)...
News Pokémon Pokopia Updated To Version 1.0.3, Includes Improvements & Fixes
Here are the full patch notes
The relaxing life-sim Pokémon Pokopia has received a new update this week, bumping the Switch 2 exclusive up to Version 1.0.3. Similar to the last patch, this one comes loaded with some improvements as well as multiple game fixes, so the overall experience should be better now. Although there is still an issue that's...
PSA Pokémon Champions First Mystery Gift Distribution Now Live
Add some muscle to your team
Pokémon Champions has officially arrived on the Switch this week, and putting the teething issues aside for one moment, the battle title's first mystery gift event has now officially gone live. This will allow you to add a Machamp to your party. This Pokémon comes in a Cherish Ball and is equipped with the following...
News "Feels Like A Fleshed Out Beta" - Fans Are Unhappy With Pokémon Champions At Launch
Players use Work Up
Pokémon Champions, which stands to become the place for competitive VGC for Pokémon going forward, has arrived on the Switch today as a free-to-start experience. But early impressions from fans and competitive players has been... mixed, to say the least. Promising snappy competitive battles and a way for newcomers to get into...
Guide Pokémon Champions: Mystery Gift Codes List
All current Pokémon Champions Mystery Gift codes
Mystery Gift codes have been a mainstay of Pokémon games for years now, and that trend continues in Pokémon Champions. Below, we'll be keeping track of every Champions Mystery Gift code, detailing what it unlocks and its expiry date — so you never have to worry about missing out on a freebie. As...
PSA You Can Now Download Pokémon Champions On Switch
There's also a free update for Switch 2
Pokémon battles level-up today with the release of Pokémon Champions on the Switch eShop. If you aren't already playing it, here's our reminder that this free download is now officially available across Nintendo's storefronts around the globe. Before you jump in, it's worth noting that there's a starter...
