Who's That Pokémon?

Who's That Pokémon? (Japanese: Who is it?) is a question-and-answer segment that is featured in numerous episodes of . Following its introduction, challenges with a similar premise have been used across the Pokémon franchise.
For a complete segment listing, see List of Who's That Pokémon? segments.
==History==
===English dub===
In the English dub, Who's That Pokémon? was originally used from the episodes Pokémon - I Choose You! to Watt's with Wattson?; the segment later returned in In the Shadow of Zekrom!, after an almost seven-year absence. It occurs before and after the main commercial break during the episode. The silhouette of a is shown, with someone usually asking the audience to guess the Pokémon that belongs to the given outline. After the commercial break, the name of the Pokémon is revealed, usually with the current main characters shouting the name of the Pokémon, as well as the cry of the Pokémon shown. The segment was retired at the end of the sixth season of and was replaced with Pokémon Trainer's Choice, which was dropped from the dub after two seasons. At the beginning of Pokémon the Series: Black & White, it did not initially feature the Pokémon's cry after being revealed, although this returned in Triple Leaders, Team Threats!. For unknown reasons, Who's That Pokémon? was removed from the CITV airings of the first two episodes of Pokémon the Series: Black & White, and all following episodes use a slight international variation, showing the silhouette of the Pokémon at the mid-way point of the episode (as would be expected), and then revealing the Pokémon just before the end credits.
Early in its run, Who's That Pokémon? would feature a Pokémon who played a major role in that episode. In late Kanto it switched to featuring a Pokémon that played a major role in the following episode, although this wasn't always the case. When Johto League Champions began, Who's That Pokémon? became random, with the featured Pokémon playing a prominent role in that episode being a very rare occasion. Usually, the Pokémon featured would not appear in the episode at all, nor would it ever indicate a Pokémon being featured in a following episode. Also beginning with that season, the dub added a short hint onscreen to aid in the identification of the Pokémon until the end of the sixth season. When the feature returned in Pokémon the Series: Black & White, it originally featured a Pokémon that played a prominent role in the following episode before later switching to a Pokémon with a prominent role in that episode, beginning with A Sandile Gusher of Change!.
In line with the original Japanese version, the segment was slightly altered in Journeys, where instead of seeing the silhouette of a Pokémon, the viewer is shown a magnified part of their body. Ash Ketchum reads out the segment, but does not exclaim the answer.
===Original Japanese version===
In the original Japanese version, Who's That Pokémon? was used from EP001 to EP274 and then returned in BW061. In this version, it almost always featured a Pokémon that played a major role in that episode.
Starting in EP192, the segment was renamed Pocket Monster TV (written in English from EP211). There was no functional difference; however, the kids' voices were replaced with a computerized voice, the background was changed, and it showed the featured Pokémon's National Pokédex number. From EP211, the segment was revamped again, with the following segments being in widescreen. EP192 through EP210 were later altered to the updated version of Pocket Monster TV when released on VHS.
The segment was retired at the end of the original series, and was replaced in Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire with a generic eyecatch showing the main characters. This continued into Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl and long into Pokémon the Series: Black & White. Who's That Pokémon? returned to Japanese television in BW061. In this version, all of the types that the Pokémon is weak against are listed along with its name. will use to light up parts of the silhouetted Pokémon as a hint, as with Pocket Monster TV.
In Pokémon the Series: XY, the segment is slightly modified. Now called Pokémon Quiz, the segment presents the viewer with four flashcards bearing different silhouettes and asks them to identify the correct Pokémon. Usually, one card is as a decoy choice. The segment once again returned to the typical Who's That Pokémon? in Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon and lasting until the end of Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
==Other uses of Who's That Pokémon?==
Guessing the identities of Pokémon based on their silhouette has since become a common refrain in Pokémon media. Sorted here are further appearances, grouped by if they use the branding of "Who's That Pokémon" or not.
===Named usages===
* In , the puzzle for the Lumiose Gym is based on Who's That Pokémon. It is run by Bonnie, who says "Who's that Pokémon" as a prompt for each question, and it uses silhouettes of the Pokémon's in-game models. It uses multiple choice questions instead of open answer questions, with each of the three possible answer being accompanied by the name of the Pokémon. There are four questions, the last of which changes the format by showing three Pokémon silhouettes and then asking the player to pick the silhouette that matches the name of the provided Pokémon. The player must get each question correct to proceed in the Gym, though they can attempt the same question any number of times.
* In the Alternative Play Handbook for the , one of the Booster Fun games is named Who's That Pokémon, though it is not a reimplementation of the bonus segment. Two players, each with a number of secretly picked s, participate. In each round, one player reads the Pokédex entry of one of their cards. If the entry has the Pokémon's name, then they should not say the name of the Pokémon while reading the rest of the text. The other player has to guess the species of Pokémon on the card, and has three chances to do so. A correct guess ends the round and earns that player a point, and then they switch roles for the next round. After all cards are used, the player with the most points wins.
* The Quiz quest! Who’s that cube-shaped Pokémon? skill quiz on Play Nintendo presents users with screenshot of a cube-shaped Pokémon entering the , which depicts the Pokémon in silhouette. The questions are multiple choice, with four possible answers that are each accompanied by an image. There are four questions, and each question has the same pool of answers. The results screens use renders of the Pokémon, rather than versions of the screenshots with the Pokémon out of silhouette.
* The Pokémon Company International's social media accounts, such as the ones for Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), have made posts using Who's That Pokémon's premise. Some of them subvert the base concept, such as this X post which uses a screenshot from Pokémon Concierge depicting Haru drawing a with inaccurate proportions. The Pikachu is not in silhouette. Niantic's Pokémon GO X account has done similar posts.
===Unnamed references===
* In , , , and , when in the menu for entering a Max Raid Battle or Tera Raid Battle, the opposing wild Pokémon menu icon is shown in silhouette. While not presented as a question, the player can choose the Pokémon to bring to the battle which makes determining the opposing Pokémon part of the strategy.
==Trivia==
* EP009 is the first episode to have a segment about a Pokémon that has yet to appear in the animated series at the time of the segment, with only appearing six minutes later.
* In the Japanese version, there are several occasions where the segment intentionally tricks the audience.
** In EP018, the silhouette is actually Brutella instead of a Pokémon.
** In EP056 and SM056, the Pokémon is actually from above rather than a perfectly spherical Pokémon like or , a reference to the exam question within the former episode.
** In EP082, the silhouette is actually a instead of a Pokémon.
** In EP111 and SM046, the silhouette appears to be , but is actually just a ed .
** In EP161, the Pokémon is actually Jessie dressed as a . When the "Pokémon" is revealed, the narrator says "Venomoth", but the children shout, "Incorrect!"
* has made two distinct "Who's That Pokémon?" appearances. Its first treats it as a regular Pokémon by having it say its own name while in the second, it telepathically says "Prepare to battle", akin to .
* Right On, Rhydon! is the only episode, before Pokémon the Series: Black & White, to feature a Who's That Pokémon? in the dub.
* Some regions outside of North America using the American dub of Pokémon: Black & White, show the second part of Who's That Pokémon? at the end of the episode instead of straight after the commercial break. This is likely done because several TV channels don't broadcast the commercials in the same break as the U.S. version.
** This was reverted to the old way in some areas at the beginning of Adventures in Unova.
* The Japanese version of New Places...Familiar Faces! marks the first time has ever left the screen during the segment.
* Starting with A Shockingly Cheeky Friendship!, the Who's That Pokémon? segment has not been leading into or coming back from the commercial break in . This may be due to airing Mixels shorts during Pokémon.
* This segment is skipped by Netflix and Pokémon TV on their prints of Pokémon the Series: The Beginning episodes. It's also skipped on the digital home video release of the Indigo League.
** This segment was also skipped by for about half of season 1. It was started after that, but was still occasionally skipped until Shell Shock, from which point it permanently resumed.
* In the original Japanese versions, the text reading "Pocket Monsters" would open up with lightning flashing around it. The lightning that opened the text was later removed following the EP038 incident.
* Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl is the only series to not feature the segment or have a game in between.
* The segment is mostly narrated by Ash and in both dubs, while Ash narrates for the finale episodes of Pokémon the Series: Black & White and Pokémon the Series: XY, as well as the opening episode of the first mentioned series. As of Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, other characters also narrate the segment.
* 's appearance in the Who's That Pokémon? segment of A Way Off Day Off marks the only time Porygon's English voice has been heard in the animated series.
* is both the first Pokémon featured and the latest Pokémon featured in the segment.
* On the VIZ Media Complete Collection release for the first 6 seasons, the segment is removed from the episodes.
===Errors===
* In the Japanese version of Team Plasma's Pokémon Manipulation!, 's mouth is missing, its legs are miscolored, and its eye has a black spot in the upper-right corner.
* In the English dub:
** In Primeape Goes Bananas, 's nostrils are missing.
** In The Little Big Horn, 's nostrils are missing.
** In Wired for Battle!, one of 's arms is missing.
** In The Art of Pokémon, is stated to be the evolved form of , when it is actually the final evolution of Weedle.
** In As Cold as Pryce, the word uses the incorrect plural form of Magnemites.
** In Some Like it Hot, is stated to be the heaviest when it is actually the second heaviest after . The same mistake occurs in The Official Pokémon Handbook 3.
** In Get the Show on the Road!, part of 's tailfin is cut off.
** In Tree's a Crowd, tail is misspelled as tale.
** In On a Wingull and a Prayer!, 's face is barely visible.
** In Sharpedo Attack!, balloonlike is misspelled as baloonlike.
*** In the dub of the episode, is referred to as Jigglypuff.
** In A Hole Lotta Trouble, has its footprint included in the space between its left arm and its left leg.
** In Seeing is Believing!, has a white square covering part of its body.
** In The Spheal of Approval, has a white square covering part of its left wrist and the hint has an extra in.
** In Minccino—Neat and Tidy!, is misspelled as Mincinno. This was fixed in the American DVD release.
** In the Netflix version of A Night in the Nacrene City Museum!, is displayed instead of . The inverse happens in the following episode.
** In Rematch at the Nacrene Gym!, the Pokémon logo is missing during the first half of the segment.
** In the digital version of Ash and Trip's Third Battle!, 's name is misspelled as Vanilite.
** In Beheeyem, Duosion, and the Dream Thief!, when the segment asks "Who's that Pokémon?", there is no logo for Pokémon Black and White underneath the silhouette of Beheeyem.
** In Guiding an Awakening!, the answer is incorrectly stated as " (Alolan Form)" in the closed captions.
** In Legend? Go! Friends? Go!, the logo and answer stay onscreen a frame too long as the episode's events resume.
** In Working My Way Back to Mew!, the Pokémon logo is missing.
** On Pokémon TV:
*** In Ariados, Amigos, is displayed instead of Jigglypuff.
*** In Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!, the background music is missing during the second half of the segment.
* In the dub of The Aura Storm!, the answer is mentioned as instead of .
* In the dub of Searching for a Wish!, is displayed instead of .
* In the dub:
** In Battles in the Sky!, the answer is mentioned as instead of .
** In Young Kiawe Had a Farm!, the answer is mentioned as instead of .
** In Rocking Clawmark Hill!, the answer is mentioned as Midnight Form Lycanroc instead of Midday Form Lycanroc.
** In Mallow and the Forest Teacher!, the answer is mentioned as instead of . This error is also present in the dub.
==In other languages==
==Related articles==
* Eyecatch
* Pokémon Trainer's Choice
* Pokémon Quiz
* List of Who's That Pokémon? segments
Category:Animated series segments
de:Welches Pokémon ist das?
es:¿Quién es ese Pokémon?/¿Cuál es este Pokémon?
it:Chi è quel Pokémon?