Twelve categories, ten questions each, running from easy starter questions through to the kind of thing only someone who’s actually played the games will get. Mix them up for a family quiz night, or run them category by category for a themed round.
120 Best Pokémon Trivia Questions
Pokémon Origins and the Franchise
- Who created Pokémon? Answer: Satoshi Tajiri
- What company publishes and manages the Pokémon franchise today? Answer: The Pokémon Company
- What year did the first Pokémon games release in Japan? Answer: 1996
- What are Pokémon called in Japanese, the words the name is a contraction of? Answer: Pocket Monsters
- What is the English slogan for the franchise? Answer: “Gotta Catch ‘Em All”
- What were the first two Pokémon games, released in Japan in 1996? Answer: Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green
- What was added for the Western release of the first generation, alongside Red and Blue? Answer: Pokémon Yellow
- What company developed the core Pokémon video games? Answer: Game Freak
- Besides Game Freak, what company co-created the Pokémon franchise and owns half of The Pokémon Company? Answer: Nintendo
- What is the reference book that lists and catalogues every Pokémon species called? Answer: The Pokédex
Starters and Kanto Basics
- What are the three starter Pokémon in the original Red and Blue games? Answer: Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle
- What type is Bulbasaur? Answer: Grass/Poison
- What is Charmander’s final evolution? Answer: Charizard
- What type does Charizard become in addition to Fire? Answer: Flying
- What is Squirtle’s final evolution? Answer: Blastoise
- Who is number 1 in the National Pokédex? Answer: Bulbasaur
- What town does Ash Ketchum (and the player character in the original games) start their journey from? Answer: Pallet Town
- Who is the professor who gives new trainers their starter Pokémon in Kanto? Answer: Professor Oak
- What is the maximum number of Pokémon a trainer can carry in their active party? Answer: Six
- What is the main currency used to buy items in the Pokémon games? Answer: Poké Dollars
Pokémon Types
- What type is Pikachu? Answer: Electric
- How many official Pokémon types are there? Answer: 18
- What type is strong against Fire-type Pokémon? Answer: Water
- What type are Fire-type moves weak against? Answer: Water
- What type is Bug-type weak against? Answer: Fire (and Flying, and Rock)
- What is the newest type, introduced in Generation 6 (Pokémon X and Y)? Answer: Fairy
- What type was introduced specifically to help balance out Dragon-types, which had few weaknesses before it existed? Answer: Fairy
- What dual type is Gengar? Answer: Ghost/Poison
- What type is immune to Normal-type and Fighting-type moves? Answer: Ghost
- What type combination is Mimikyu? Answer: Ghost/Fairy
Evolution
- What is Pikachu’s evolution, triggered by a Thunder Stone? Answer: Raichu
- How many different Pokémon can Eevee evolve into, across all generations so far? Answer: Eight
- What is the name for Eevee’s Water-type evolution? Answer: Vaporeon
- What is the name for Eevee’s Psychic-type evolution? Answer: Espeon
- What type combination is Garchomp, the final evolution of Gible? Answer: Dragon/Ground
- What item is needed to evolve Eevee into Umbreon? Answer: No item — it evolves through high friendship at night
- What simple, non-elemental item do several Pokémon like Clefairy and Jigglypuff evolve with? Answer: A Moon Stone
- What Pokémon is well known for refusing to evolve into Wigglytuff unless given a Moon Stone? Answer: Jigglypuff
- What is Magikarp’s evolution, often used as a joke about weak Pokémon becoming powerful? Answer: Gyarados
- What type does Gyarados gain in addition to Water upon evolving from Magikarp? Answer: Flying
Legendary and Mythical Pokémon
- What is the trio of Legendary birds introduced in Generation 1? Answer: Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres
- What Psychic-type Legendary was created through genetic experimentation on Mew, according to Pokémon lore? Answer: Mewtwo
- What Pokémon is said to have created the Pokémon universe in its own mythology? Answer: Arceus
- What Mythical Pokémon was only obtainable through a glitch in the original Red and Blue games? Answer: Mew
- What Legendary Pokémon is strongly associated with time, from the Sinnoh region? Answer: Dialga
- What Legendary Pokémon is strongly associated with space, from the Sinnoh region? Answer: Palkia
- What are the Black and White Legendary dragons known as the “Original Dragon” pair, associated with truth and ideals? Answer: Reshiram and Zekrom
- What Legendary Pokémon from Hoenn is associated with the ocean and is said to expand the sea? Answer: Kyogre
- What Legendary Pokémon from Hoenn is associated with land and said to expand continents? Answer: Groudon
- What is the general term for a very rare, often one-of-a-kind, event-exclusive Pokémon like Mew or Celebi? Answer: A Mythical Pokémon
Team Rocket and Villains
- What is the name of the organisation Jessie, James and Meowth belong to? Answer: Team Rocket
- What is Team Rocket’s talking Pokémon, rather than a silent one like most? Answer: Meowth
- What criminal organisation, from the Hoenn games, wants to expand the sea? Answer: Team Aqua
- What criminal organisation, from the Hoenn games, wants to expand the land? Answer: Team Magma
- What is the antagonist organisation from the Sinnoh games, focused on removing emotion from the world? Answer: Team Galactic
- What is the leader of Team Galactic called? Answer: Cyrus
- What criminal team appears in the Unova region games, led by Ghetsis? Answer: Team Plasma
- What is the stated goal of Team Plasma, at least publicly? Answer: Liberating Pokémon from trainers
- What criminal team, associated with skulls, appears in the Alola region games? Answer: Team Skull
- Who is the original founder and boss of Team Rocket? Answer: Giovanni
The Anime and Ash Ketchum
- What is Ash Ketchum’s hometown? Answer: Pallet Town
- What colour is Ash’s signature hat? Answer: Red
- What is the name of Ash’s main rival from Pallet Town in the early seasons? Answer: Gary Oak
- Who is Professor Oak’s grandson? Answer: Gary Oak
- What Pokémon does Misty primarily specialise in training? Answer: Water-type Pokémon
- What type does Gym Leader Brock specialise in during the original series? Answer: Rock-type
- In what year did Ash finally become a Pokémon League Champion, in the Pokémon Journeys series? Answer: 2022
- What is the name of Ash’s companion Pikachu throughout the entire original anime, who famously never evolves into Raichu by choice? Answer: Pikachu
- What famous opening line begins the classic English theme song? Answer: “I want to be the very best”
- What actor voiced the live-action Pikachu in the 2019 film Detective Pikachu? Answer: Ryan Reynolds
Games and Mechanics
- Where in the games is the most common place to encounter wild Pokémon on foot? Answer: In tall grass
- What is the free healing facility found in every town called? Answer: The Pokémon Center
- What item is thrown to attempt catching a wild Pokémon? Answer: A Poké Ball
- What is the maximum level a Pokémon can reach in the main series games? Answer: Level 100
- What device stores a player’s extra Pokémon when their party is full? Answer: The PC (Pokémon Storage System)
- What ability does Ditto have that allows it to copy an opponent’s form in battle? Answer: Transform
- What Pokémon is known for having exactly 1 HP at all times, due to its ability? Answer: Shedinja
- What move, used outside of battle in earlier games, allows a Pokémon to fly the player to a previously visited town? Answer: Fly
- What is the term for a Pokémon encountered with unusually rare colouring, different from its normal appearance? Answer: Shiny
- What mechanic, introduced in Generation 6, allows certain Pokémon to temporarily transform into a stronger form in battle? Answer: Mega Evolution
Pokémon GO
- What company developed Pokémon GO alongside The Pokémon Company and Nintendo? Answer: Niantic
- What month and year did Pokémon GO release worldwide? Answer: July 2016
- What real-world activity does Pokémon GO require players to do to find and catch Pokémon? Answer: Walking around real-world locations using GPS
- What item, found by spinning real-world landmarks called PokéStops, is used to catch Pokémon? Answer: Poké Balls
- What is the name for a real-world battle location in Pokémon GO where players can take over territory? Answer: A Gym
- What large-scale cooperative battles, introduced in 2017, let multiple players team up against powerful Pokémon? Answer: Raids
- What egg-hatching mechanic requires players to physically walk a set distance? Answer: Hatching eggs by walking a required distance, such as 2km, 5km, 7km or 10km
- What was the very first Mythical Pokémon made available in Pokémon GO? Answer: Mew
- What candy item, specific to each Pokémon species, is used for evolving and powering up Pokémon in the game? Answer: Candy
- What is the in-game currency used for premium items in Pokémon GO? Answer: PokéCoins
Gym Leaders and the Elite Four
- What type does Kanto Gym Leader Brock specialise in? Answer: Rock
- What type does Kanto Gym Leader Misty specialise in? Answer: Water
- What type does Kanto Gym Leader Lt. Surge specialise in? Answer: Electric
- What type does Kanto Gym Leader Sabrina specialise in? Answer: Psychic
- What is the group of four powerful trainers that must be defeated after collecting all Gym Badges, before facing the Champion? Answer: The Elite Four
- What type does Gym Leader Giovanni, also the leader of Team Rocket, specialise in? Answer: Ground
- What item is awarded for defeating each Gym Leader, required to progress and control higher-level Pokémon? Answer: A Gym Badge
- How many Gym Badges does a trainer typically need to challenge the Elite Four in a core-series region? Answer: Eight
- What region’s first Gym Leader is Viola, who specialises in Bug-type Pokémon? Answer: Kalos
- What type does Elite Four member Lance specialise in, in the Kanto and Johto games? Answer: Dragon
Records and Fun Facts
- What is Pokémon’s status among best-selling video game franchises of all time? Answer: One of the best-selling franchises ever, generally ranked behind only Mario
- What real animal is widely believed to have inspired Pikachu’s design? Answer: A mouse, blending squirrel and mouse-like features
- What real martial artist is Hitmonlee believed to be based on? Answer: Bruce Lee
- What is notable about Ditto’s design compared to most other Pokémon? Answer: It’s a pink, blob-like Pokémon that can transform into other Pokémon
- What children’s card game, released in 1996, became a massive companion franchise to the video games? Answer: The Pokémon Trading Card Game
- What is the name of the first animated Pokémon movie, released in Japan in 1998? Answer: Pokémon: The First Movie — Mewtwo Strikes Back
- What live-action Pokémon film, based on the Detective Pikachu game, released in 2019? Answer: Pokémon Detective Pikachu
- Which Pokémon, debuting in Generation 8, is based on a corgi? Answer: Yamper
- What is the term for regional variants of existing Pokémon, first introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon? Answer: Regional forms (such as Alolan or Galarian forms)
- What phenomenon, exclusive to Pokémon Sword and Shield, lets certain Pokémon grow to giant size and change appearance in battle? Answer: Dynamax (and Gigantamax for special forms)
General Knowledge Round
- How many Pokémon generations (core game series) had been released as of the most recent mainline titles? Answer: Nine, as of Scarlet and Violet
- What is the Galar region, introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield, loosely based on? Answer: The United Kingdom
- What is the Kalos region, introduced in Pokémon X and Y, loosely based on? Answer: France
- What is the Alola region, introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon, loosely based on? Answer: Hawaii
- What is the Unova region, introduced in Pokémon Black and White, loosely based on? Answer: New York City and the wider United States
- What is the Paldea region, introduced in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, loosely based on? Answer: Spain and Portugal
- What phrase from the franchise’s slogan is commonly used for catching every single Pokémon species in a game? Answer: “Catching ’em all”
- What animated Pokémon character, a Psyduck belonging to Misty, is known for its constant headaches? Answer: Psyduck
- What popular competitive mechanic lets a Pokémon’s hidden stat potential be improved through specific training methods? Answer: EV training (Effort Value training)
- What is the term for a Pokémon’s individual, fixed genetic stat potential, set when it’s generated? Answer: IVs (Individual Values)
For more quiz nights, try our NBA basketball trivia, soccer trivia or holiday trivia for another round, and browse indoor play centres if you need somewhere to run the kids off before quiz time.