List of generation IX Pokémon

The ninth generation (Generation IX) of the Pokémon franchise features 120 fictional species of creatures introduced to the core video game series in the Nintendo Switch games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The first Pokémon of the generation were revealed on 27 February 2022 in a Pokémon Presents livestream presentation.^[1] Scarlet and Violet were released on 18 November 2022.^[2]

Pokémon are a species of fictional creatures created for the Pokémon media franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy, which were later released in North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998.^[3] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.^[4] Each Pokémon have one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.^[5] A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.^[4]

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet take place in Paldea, which is heavily based on Spain, as well as other areas in the Iberian Peninsula,^[6][7] with the game's DLC expansions The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk taking place in the Kitakami region^[8] and the Blueberry Academy,^[9] respectively. Kitakami is based on Japan,^[8] while the Blueberry Academy is a school environment set in the Unova region, the main location of the 2010 games Pokémon Black and White.^[9][10] Scarlet and Violet also feature a special mechanic known as "Terastallization" which allow the player's Pokémon to change their elemental types in battle.^[11]

The designs of many of the Pokémon have received criticism since Scarlet and Violet's release. Some fans of the series responded negatively to many designs from the games when the games were leaked prior to release.^[200] Stacey Henley, writing for TheGamer, criticized the designs of the Pokémon in the game. Though she found several of the designs to be of a high standard, such as Skeledirge, Dachsbun, Pawmot, and Finizen, she felt that the majority of the designs in the game were not up to the standard of other entries in the series.^[201] Ben Sledge, also writing for TheGamer, additionally criticized the generation's Legendary Pokemon designs as being uninspired or unappealing, stating that "They’re barely even creatures, they’re just animals with weird colour palettes."^[202]

Joe Parlock of TheGamer praised the sleek designs of the starters and the designs of several other Pokemon, including Smoliv, Fidough, Koraidon, and Miraidon. He described the individuality of the designs and how each of the designs helped build Paldea's culture, stating that it was "the most holistic approach to Pokemon design we’ve seen in decades."^[203] In a discussion among Nintendo Life staff about the best designs in the generation, the group highlighted many Pokémon, including Glimmora, Tandemaus, and Charcadet. Writer Kate Gray praised the "weirder" designs of generation IX, including Tandemaus and several species based around the concept of convergent evolution, while writer Alan Hagues thought that many of the middle and final evolutions had appealing designs, and that the generation overall had simple yet strong art design.^[204] Numerous individual designs have had their designs positively highlighted by critics, such as Grafaiai,^[205] Greavard,^[122][206] Quaquaval,^[207][208] Fidough,^{[51][209][210]} and Lechonk.^{[211][212][213]} Several designs have also been described as being popular with the LGBTQ+ community, such as Quaquaval.^[214][215] Dod Seitz of TheGamer additionally described the queer positivity of designs such as Quaquaval and Maushold, also expressing how Iron Valiant served as a positive example of an androgynous or non-binary character design.^[216]

Ana Diaz, writing for Polygon, believed that many species, most notably Flamigo, Palafin, and Maushold, had unique and powerful traits in gameplay. She hoped that they would allow for a more fun competitive environment for players.^[217] Several Pokemon, such as Annihilape,^[218] Palafin,^[219] Flutter Mane,^[219][220] Iron Bundle,^[219] and Houndstone,^[219][220] ended up being particularly powerful in popular fan-run competitive formats. This led to them being banned from standard competitive formats, with their use only being allowed in more restricted ones.^[219]

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