Unveiling the Evolution and Legacy of Pokémon: A Comprehensive Guide
By Published May 1, 2026, 8:15 AM EDT Ewan is Deputy Editor for ScreenRant's gaming section. He still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase, and knows more about The Legend of Zelda and Doctor Who than is probably healthy.
Ewan oversees the content operation of ScreenRant's gaming output, working with a talented team of writers and editors to cover everything from the latest GTA 6 news to the indie games you need on your radar.
Former Editor of GAMINGbible, Ewan also has words at Kotaku, Den of Geek, NME, and UNILAD. He's appeared on various podcasts, including VGC's and BBC's Let's Talk About Tech. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
I think it's fair to say are... interesting games. When they first launched back in 2026 for the Nintendo Switch, the ninth generation Pokémon games looked and ran like a Snorlax's butt. And yet there was under the jank, an open-world reinvention of a beloved series that just made sense.
Obviously, gamers weren't that offended by the technical issues, as Pokémon Scarlet & Violet still went on to sell over 10 million copies in just three days. The games look and run a little better now, too, , where the differences are truly night and day.
[SITEURL] | Pokédex Daily Interactive Quiz ScreenRant/ Gaming/ Pokémon/ Trivia Kanto Region · Trainer Exam The Ultimate
Pokémon Trivia Challenge “I want to be the very best, like no one ever was.” 🔥FireCharizard! 💧WaterBlastoise! 🌱GrassVenusaur! ⚡ElectricPikachu! 🔮LegendaryMewtwo! I CHOOSE YOU → QUESTION 1 / 8POKÉDEX 01 Every Pokémon Trainer knows the Pokédex by heart. Which Pokémon holds the honor of being #001 in the National Pokédex? APikachu BBulbasaur CCharmander DMew ✓ Correct! Bulbasaur is #001 — the very first Pokémon in the National Pokédex. Despite Pikachu’s fame as the franchise mascot, the Grass/Poison-type Seed Pokémon has always held the top spot since the original Red & Blue. ✗ Not very effective! The answer is Bulbasaur. While Pikachu is the franchise mascot (#025), it’s Bulbasaur — the Grass/Poison-type Seed Pokémon and one of the original Kanto starters — that has been #001 since the very beginning. NEXT → QUESTION 2 / 8GENERATIONS 02 The original Pokémon Red & Blue games launched in 1996 in Japan and introduced the first generation of Pokémon. How many Pokémon existed in Generation I? A100 B135 C151 D152 ✓ Correct! Generation I featured exactly 151 Pokémon, from Bulbasaur (#001) to Mew (#151). Mew was famously a secret Pokémon that wasn’t officially acknowledged at launch, making the well-known count of 150 just one short. ✗ Not very effective! The answer is 151. The original 151 Pokémon run from Bulbasaur to Mew. The number 152 is a common trap — Chikorita (#152) is actually the first Pokémon of Generation II, introduced in Gold & Silver. NEXT → QUESTION 3 / 8EVOLUTION 03 Some Pokémon require special items to evolve. If you want to evolve Pikachu into Raichu, which evolution item do you need to use? AThunder Stone BMoon Stone CSun Stone DShiny Stone ✓ Correct! The Thunder Stone evolves Pikachu into Raichu. In the anime, Ash’s Pikachu famously refuses to evolve, choosing to beat Lt. Surge’s Raichu on his own terms — one of the most iconic moments in the series. ✗ Not very effective! The answer is the Thunder Stone. The Moon Stone evolves Pokémon like Clefairy and Jigglypuff, while the Sun Stone and Shiny Stone are for other species. For Electric-type Pikachu, only the Thunder Stone will do. NEXT → QUESTION 4 / 8LEGENDARY 04 Deep within the Pokémon Mansion on Cinnabar Island, journal entries describe a terrifying experiment. Scientists used Mew’s DNA to create an immensely powerful Pokémon. Which Pokémon was the result? ADeoxys BMewtwo CArceus DGenesect ✓ Correct! Mewtwo was cloned from Mew’s DNA by scientists on Cinnabar Island. Known as the “Genetic Pokémon,” Mewtwo’s creation is one of the darkest storylines in the franchise, explored further in Pokémon: The First Movie. ✗ Not very effective! The answer is Mewtwo. While Deoxys is a space virus Pokémon and Genesect was modified by Team Plasma, it’s Mewtwo (#150) — the Genetic Pokémon — that was artificially created from Mew’s DNA in the original games. NEXT → QUESTION 5 / 8TYPE MATCHUPS 05 Understanding type matchups is essential for any Pokémon battle. Water, Fire, and Grass form the core type triangle. Which of these types is super effective against Water? AFire BIce CElectric DRock ✓ Correct! Electric-type moves are super effective against Water. Grass is also super effective, but among these options, Electric is the one. This is why Pikachu’s Thunderbolt is devastating against Water-types like Starmie and Gyarados. ✗ Not very effective! The answer is Electric. Fire is actually weak to Water (not the other way around), Ice deals neutral damage, and Rock doesn’t have an advantage either. Electric and Grass are the two types super effective against Water. NEXT → QUESTION 6 / 8CHARACTERS 06 In Pokémon Red & Blue, a renowned Pokémon researcher in Pallet Town gives you your first Pokémon and Pokédex, launching your journey. Who is this professor? AProfessor Elm BProfessor Birch CProfessor Rowan DProfessor Oak ✓ Correct! Professor Samuel Oak is the Kanto region’s leading Pokémon researcher and the grandfather of your rival, Blue. His famous question — “Are you a boy or a girl?” — has become an iconic part of gaming history. ✗ Not very effective! The answer is Professor Oak. Each Pokémon region has its own professor (all named after trees): Elm is in Johto, Birch in Hoenn, and Rowan in Sinnoh. But the original — Professor Oak of Pallet Town — started it all. NEXT → QUESTION 7 / 8MOVES 07 Magikarp is widely considered one of the weakest Pokémon in existence. It’s famous for knowing a move that does absolutely nothing in battle. What is this notoriously useless move? ASplash BTackle CFlail DStruggle ✓ Correct! Splash does absolutely nothing — “But nothing happened!” Despite being a Normal-type move (not Water!), it has zero effect in battle. The payoff? Train that useless Magikarp to level 20 and it evolves into the fearsome Gyarados. ✗ Not very effective! The answer is Splash. Tackle actually deals damage, Flail is a desperation move that gets stronger at low HP, and Struggle is used when a Pokémon runs out of PP. Only Splash does literally nothing — Magikarp’s signature futile flop. NEXT → QUESTION 8 / 8GAMES 08 After battling through the Elite Four in Pokémon Red & Blue, you discover someone has beaten them just before you. Who awaits you as the reigning Champion? AProfessor Oak BLance CBlue (your rival) DRed ✓ Correct! Your rival Blue (known as Gary in the anime) is the surprise Champion at the end of the Pokémon League. He beat the Elite Four just moments before you arrived — making the final battle personal. Lance is the last of the Elite Four, not the Champion. ✗ Not very effective! The answer is Blue, your rival. While Lance is a powerful Dragon-type trainer, he’s the final member of the Elite Four — not the Champion. It’s your arrogant rival Blue who sits on the throne, having beaten everyone just before you. REVEAL MY SCORE → Exam Complete Your Trainer Record / 8 Are you a Pokémon Master — or still stuck on Route 1? ↻ CHALLENGE AGAIN
If you're looking for a reason to dive back into Pokémon Scarlet & Violet to see what's new, here it is: the games' latest 7-star Tera Raid battle has arrived as a free download for players everywhere. Fire Pokémon Delphox is the star of this latest raid, which is available now until May 7, 2026, at 4:59 p.m. PDT.
"The Delphox appearing during this event has Fairy as its Tera Type," reads the press release. "This Pokémon is a formidable, fiery foe, and it’s got the Mightiest Mark to prove it! Work together with your friends to tame the flames of this red-hot Pokémon."
If you haven't played Scarlet & Violet in a while, let me remind you how Tera Raids work. While you're out exploring the world, you might see a sparkling pillar of light coming from a Tera Raid crystal. You can typically see them from a long way off, so make your way over to it and interact with it to begin a Tera Raid battle, an exceedingly tough fight with an extra-powerful Pokémon.
I should stress, to be in with a chance of actually coming across Delphox during the given time period, you need to have downloaded the necessary data. To do that, follow the below steps.
- Select Poké Portal in the X menu.
- Select Mystery Gift.
- Select Check Poké Portal News.
Also of note: if you want to get your hands on this Fairy-Tera Type Delphox, you'll need to have completed the main story and post-game events of Scarlet & Violet (not the DLC). Alternatively, you can join another player who has completed these events in their own Raid Battle. You can only catch this Delphox once, but you can still join other Raid Battles against it with other players to claim extra rewards like Exp. Candy or valuable items. Happy hunting.
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