Pokemon Quiz
Pikachu, Mewtwo, Magikarp and the original 151: 15 questions for trainers who want to catch them all.
The name Pokémon is a shortened form of which two English words?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Pocket Monsters
The Japanese title Poketto Monsuta, or Pocket Monsters, was contracted to Pokémon for its international release because a toy line called Monster in My Pocket already existed.
The accent on the e was added so English speakers would say po-kay-mon rather than rhyming the second syllable with poke.
Pikachu belongs to which Pokémon type?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Electric
Pikachu is a pure Electric-type whose signature move is Thunderbolt, and it stores electricity in the red pouches on its cheeks, releasing it when threatened or excited.
Pikachu was not meant to be the mascot; designers chose it for the anime because Clefairy was considered too cute for boys.
How many Pokémon appeared in the original Pokédex of Pokémon Red and Blue?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
151
The first generation Pokédex runs from Bulbasaur at number 1 to Mew at number 151, with Mew hidden in the game as a secret bonus that most players could only obtain through events.
Programmer Shigeki Morimoto secretly added Mew in the final weeks of development, using 300 bytes freed by removing debug tools.
Which of these starter Pokémon could players choose at the start of Pokémon Red and Blue?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Charmander
Charmander was the Fire-type starter of Red and Blue, offered alongside Bulbasaur and Squirtle by Professor Oak, and it evolves into Charmeleon and then the fan favourite Charizard.
Cyndaquil, Torchic and Chimchar are the Fire starters of the second, third and fourth generations.
In the anime, Ash Ketchum begins his journey from which hometown?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Pallet Town
Ash leaves Pallet Town at the start of the series after oversleeping and receiving a reluctant Pikachu from Professor Oak as the last available Pokémon.
Ash finally became World Champion in 2022, 25 years after the show started, and the anime then moved on to new protagonists Liko and Roy.
Which member of Team Rocket is a Pokémon that can speak human language?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Meowth
Meowth taught himself to speak and walk upright to impress a female Meowth, and he has delivered Team Rocket's punchlines alongside Jessie and James since the first season.
The anime's Team Rocket motto, Prepare for trouble, and make it double, has been recited in hundreds of episodes.
Which Pokémon evolves into the fearsome Water and Flying type Gyarados?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Magikarp
Magikarp, famous for being almost useless in battle with its move Splash, evolves into Gyarados at level 20, one of the most dramatic transformations in the series.
The evolution is a nod to a Chinese legend in which a carp that leaps over the Dragon Gate waterfall turns into a dragon.
Which genetically engineered Legendary Pokémon is number 150 in the Pokédex and the antagonist of the first Pokémon movie?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Mewtwo
Mewtwo was cloned from Mew's DNA by scientists on Cinnabar Island, and Pokémon: The First Movie in 1998 cast it as a vengeful creation questioning its own existence.
Mewtwo waits in Cerulean Cave in Red and Blue and can only be caught after a player has beaten the Elite Four.
Pokémon Gold and Silver, the second generation games, are set in which region?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Johto
Gold and Silver introduced the Johto region in 1999, modelled on Japan's Kansai area, and uniquely let players travel back to Kanto after beating the Johto league.
Gold and Silver were the first games with a real time clock, so certain Pokémon only appeared in the morning or at night.
Who created Pokémon?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Satoshi Tajiri
Satoshi Tajiri conceived Pokémon from his childhood love of catching insects, and his company Game Freak spent about six years making the first games for the Game Boy.
The player character in Red and Blue defaults to Satoshi in Japan, after Tajiri, and his rival defaults to Shigeru, after Miyamoto.
Which Pokémon type was introduced in Pokémon X and Y in 2013?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Fairy
Fairy was added in the sixth generation to balance the overpowered Dragon-type, and older Pokémon such as Clefairy, Jigglypuff and Gardevoir were reclassified to include it.
Dark and Steel were the previous additions, arriving together in Gold and Silver in 1999.
How many Pokémon types exist in the main series games today?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
18
There are 18 types, from Normal and Fire to Dragon, Dark, Steel and Fairy, and every Pokémon has either one or two of them, which decide its strengths and weaknesses in battle.
Fairy was the most recent type added, arriving in Pokémon X and Y in 2013, 14 years after Dark and Steel debuted in Gold and Silver.
Which company developed the 2016 mobile game Pokémon Go?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Niantic
Niantic, a spin-off from Google, built Pokémon Go using the mapping and location technology from its earlier game Ingress, and it launched in July 2016.
The game earned over a billion dollars in its first year and has been credited with sending so many people outdoors that it caused traffic jams in parks.
How many different Pokémon can Eevee evolve into?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Eight
Eevee has eight evolutions, known as Eeveelutions: Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and Sylveon, the last of which was added with the Fairy type in 2013.
Each evolution needs a different trigger, from an elemental stone to friendship levels, the time of day or a special move.
Alongside Red, which colour was the other original Pokémon version released in Japan in 1996?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Green
Pokémon Red and Green launched in Japan on 27 February 1996, and when the games were adapted for the rest of the world Green was replaced by an improved Blue version.
Green's version of Bulbasaur and other Pokémon sprites were so wonky that fans still trade images of them online today.
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All Technology quizzes →About the Pokemon Quiz
Pokémon began as two Game Boy cartridges released in Japan in 1996, Red and Green, and grew into the highest grossing media franchise on the planet. The original 151 monsters, an anime that has run since 1997, and a mobile game that sent millions of players into the streets have made it a shared language across generations.
These 15 questions cover the games, the anime, the original Pokédex, types, regions and the people who created it all. It suits anyone who once traded cards in the playground or still plays Pokémon Go, with some deeper cuts for trainers who know their Johto from their Kanto.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
How many Pokémon were in the original games?
Pokémon Red and Blue featured 151 Pokémon, from Bulbasaur at number 1 to Mew at number 151, and later generations have expanded the National Pokédex past a thousand.
Who created Pokémon?
Satoshi Tajiri created Pokémon, inspired by his childhood hobby of collecting insects, and his studio Game Freak developed the first games with artist Ken Sugimori.
How many Pokémon types are there?
There have been 18 types since Fairy was added in Pokémon X and Y in 2013, including Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Dragon, Dark and Steel.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- The name Pokémon is a shortened form of which two English words?
Pocket Monsters The Japanese title Poketto Monsuta, or Pocket Monsters, was contracted to Pokémon for its international release because a toy line called Monster in My Pocket already existed. The accent on the e was added so English speakers would say po-kay-mon rather than rhyming the second syllable with poke. - Pikachu belongs to which Pokémon type?
Electric Pikachu is a pure Electric-type whose signature move is Thunderbolt, and it stores electricity in the red pouches on its cheeks, releasing it when threatened or excited. Pikachu was not meant to be the mascot; designers chose it for the anime because Clefairy was considered too cute for boys. - How many Pokémon appeared in the original Pokédex of Pokémon Red and Blue?
151 The first generation Pokédex runs from Bulbasaur at number 1 to Mew at number 151, with Mew hidden in the game as a secret bonus that most players could only obtain through events. Programmer Shigeki Morimoto secretly added Mew in the final weeks of development, using 300 bytes freed by removing debug tools. - Which of these starter Pokémon could players choose at the start of Pokémon Red and Blue?
Charmander Charmander was the Fire-type starter of Red and Blue, offered alongside Bulbasaur and Squirtle by Professor Oak, and it evolves into Charmeleon and then the fan favourite Charizard. Cyndaquil, Torchic and Chimchar are the Fire starters of the second, third and fourth generations. - In the anime, Ash Ketchum begins his journey from which hometown?
Pallet Town Ash leaves Pallet Town at the start of the series after oversleeping and receiving a reluctant Pikachu from Professor Oak as the last available Pokémon. Ash finally became World Champion in 2022, 25 years after the show started, and the anime then moved on to new protagonists Liko and Roy. - Which member of Team Rocket is a Pokémon that can speak human language?
Meowth Meowth taught himself to speak and walk upright to impress a female Meowth, and he has delivered Team Rocket's punchlines alongside Jessie and James since the first season. The anime's Team Rocket motto, Prepare for trouble, and make it double, has been recited in hundreds of episodes. - Which Pokémon evolves into the fearsome Water and Flying type Gyarados?
Magikarp Magikarp, famous for being almost useless in battle with its move Splash, evolves into Gyarados at level 20, one of the most dramatic transformations in the series. The evolution is a nod to a Chinese legend in which a carp that leaps over the Dragon Gate waterfall turns into a dragon. - Which genetically engineered Legendary Pokémon is number 150 in the Pokédex and the antagonist of the first Pokémon movie?
Mewtwo Mewtwo was cloned from Mew's DNA by scientists on Cinnabar Island, and Pokémon: The First Movie in 1998 cast it as a vengeful creation questioning its own existence. Mewtwo waits in Cerulean Cave in Red and Blue and can only be caught after a player has beaten the Elite Four. - Pokémon Gold and Silver, the second generation games, are set in which region?
Johto Gold and Silver introduced the Johto region in 1999, modelled on Japan's Kansai area, and uniquely let players travel back to Kanto after beating the Johto league. Gold and Silver were the first games with a real time clock, so certain Pokémon only appeared in the morning or at night. - Who created Pokémon?
Satoshi Tajiri Satoshi Tajiri conceived Pokémon from his childhood love of catching insects, and his company Game Freak spent about six years making the first games for the Game Boy. The player character in Red and Blue defaults to Satoshi in Japan, after Tajiri, and his rival defaults to Shigeru, after Miyamoto. - Which Pokémon type was introduced in Pokémon X and Y in 2013?
Fairy Fairy was added in the sixth generation to balance the overpowered Dragon-type, and older Pokémon such as Clefairy, Jigglypuff and Gardevoir were reclassified to include it. Dark and Steel were the previous additions, arriving together in Gold and Silver in 1999. - How many Pokémon types exist in the main series games today?
18 There are 18 types, from Normal and Fire to Dragon, Dark, Steel and Fairy, and every Pokémon has either one or two of them, which decide its strengths and weaknesses in battle. Fairy was the most recent type added, arriving in Pokémon X and Y in 2013, 14 years after Dark and Steel debuted in Gold and Silver. - Which company developed the 2016 mobile game Pokémon Go?
Niantic Niantic, a spin-off from Google, built Pokémon Go using the mapping and location technology from its earlier game Ingress, and it launched in July 2016. The game earned over a billion dollars in its first year and has been credited with sending so many people outdoors that it caused traffic jams in parks. - How many different Pokémon can Eevee evolve into?
Eight Eevee has eight evolutions, known as Eeveelutions: Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and Sylveon, the last of which was added with the Fairy type in 2013. Each evolution needs a different trigger, from an elemental stone to friendship levels, the time of day or a special move. - Alongside Red, which colour was the other original Pokémon version released in Japan in 1996?
Green Pokémon Red and Green launched in Japan on 27 February 1996, and when the games were adapted for the rest of the world Green was replaced by an improved Blue version. Green's version of Bulbasaur and other Pokémon sprites were so wonky that fans still trade images of them online today.
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