Pokémon Officially Confirms The End Of An Era
By Published Apr 2, 2026, 12:31 PM EDT Kyle Gratton is an editor and writer based out of Kansas City. He received a bachelor's degree, dual majoring in English and History with a minor in Film and Media Studies, and has been a senior staff writer and reviewer for Screen Rant's Gaming section since 2026, with roles in editorial, and various freelance projects.
A terminal Midwesterner who graduated from the University of Kansas, Kyle also has knowledge and interest in literature, film, film adaptions of literature, and history.
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is coming in 2027, but while most of us are looking to the future, it's important to remember 2026 is also the 30th anniversary of one of gaming's biggest franchises. And in the midst of this 30th anniversary year, Pokémon is officially ushering in the end of an era that helped define the last generation of games.
Pokémon is, of course, all about change. While the core formula stays the same, players want to see new ideas and concepts, whether that be the introduction of brand-new monsters or overhauled battle mechanics. Change is good, in other words, but that means we do have to say goodbye to certain eras.
It's The End Of An Era For Pokémon
[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
has just begun its 41st in-game competitive battling season, and it's going to be their last. In fact, they won't even finish the season as the destination for the Pokémon Video Game Championships, because will see an immediate transition to the bespoke competitive battling game.
Season 41 began on April 1 in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and it will be the last time the official competitive scene is played within the mainline game series. announced that "VGC will transition to Pokémon Champions as the standard platform for all competitive matches with its launch on the Nintendo Switch systems on Wednesday, April 8, 2026." It's unclear how deep the multiplayer systems in the upcoming Pokémon Winds and Waves will be, but it would appear that competitive battles have left the mainline games for good.
The VGC has played its matches via the mainline Pokémon games since the Pokémon World Championships added them alongside the existing TCG competition in 2008. Nearly two decades of the tradition will come to an end when Pokémon Champions comes out on April 8. This leaves the current season of Scarlet and Violet in an odd place – Season 41 will continue after April 8, but will not be the official home of the VGC.
Pokémon Champions releases for the Nintendo Switch (and Switch 2 via backward compatibility) on April 8. It will come to iOS and Android devices later in the year.
To coincide with the transition, registration for the next Pokémon Championship Series event, the Indianapolis Pokémon Regional Championships, opened on April 1. Being hosted from May 29 to May 31, the Indianapolis tournament will be the first to use Pokémon Champions in official, live competition play. Pokémon Champions will be the official VGC competition platform "moving forward."
Pokémon Gen 10 Is Coming
When , they will be the first mainline games to not become the destination for VGC matches in 19 years. Gen 10 is a major milestone for the series, coming after the 30th anniversary (being celebrated this year) and being the first games exclusive to the Switch 2, but it will be odd seeing the VGC not make the transition. Perhaps Winds and Waves being free of competitive matches is for the best, though.
Some continuity with the official VGC platform long-term will be convenient, and it conceivably lightens the burden on the main games needing to balance for competitive play. , and will likely continue to roll in, especially once new Pokémon are added with Gen 10, but making a single destination for competitive battling may be smart in the long run. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have had a great run, but they may, in part, be remembered for ushering in a brand-new era of the VGC.
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