Pokémon discovery

Pokémon discovery refers to previously unknown Pokémon species or regional forms being discovered in-universe, as seen in several forms of Pokémon media.
==Terminology==
A Pokémon is often described as having been "first discovered" (Japanese: に first discovery), "first encountered", "first found", or "originally discovered" in the region where it debuted in the core series games. For instance, all Generation I Pokémon are known as "first discovered in Kanto", while all Generation II Pokémon are known as "first discovered in Johto". Such descriptions are occasionally used on Pokémon.com."We also discovered pre-evolved versions of Pokémon that we first encountered in Kanto, such as and . Other Pokémon first discovered in Kanto were found to have Evolutions that were previously unavailable to Kanto Trainers. For example, we learned that could evolve into and could evolve into ." Celebrate 25 Years of Pokémon with Memorable Moments from the Johto Region - Pokémon.com"Which of 's Evolutions were first discovered in the Johto region?" Test Your Johto Region Knowledge with This Quiz - Pokémon.com "Stunningly beautiful , which evolves from the unlikely , was also first discovered in Hoenn." Celebrate 25 Years of Pokémon with Memorable Moments from the Hoenn Region - Pokémon.com"And if those weren't enough, the Unova region was where three Mythical Pokémon were first discovered: , , and ." Celebrate 25 Years of Pokémon with Memorable Moments from the Unova Region"One of the most exciting things about Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon is the discovery of regional forms of Pokémon that were first discovered in the Kanto region." Celebrate 25 Years of Pokémon With Memorable Moments from the Alola Region - Pokémon.com"When was first discovered in the Galar region, it was immediately a strong candidate for a spot on a team [...]" Series 3 and 4 Gigantamax Pokémon in VGC: Gigantamax Gengar, Lapras, Coalossal, and More - Pokémon.com"Starting with the Adventures Abound, various Pokémon first discovered in the Paldea region have been appearing in Pokémon GO, leading to some additional interesting changes for the competitive metagame." Pokémon GO Battle League: Adventures Abound Season Update - Pokémon.com
In Pokémon GO, the descriptions of some s mention Pokémon as "first discovered" in a region."Register ___ Pokémon first discovered in the Johto region to the Pokédex." "Register ___ Pokémon first discovered in the Hoenn region to the Pokédex." Some Research Tasks specify that the player must catch a certain number of Pokémon "originally discovered" in a region."Catch 15 Pokémon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region." Professor Willow also mentions Pokémon species or regional forms as "first discovered" in some regions."The Johto region is a land steeped in history and tradition, where the bygone beauty of Ecruteak City lies just steps away from the modern metropolis of Goldenrod City. It’s also the region where Dark- and Steel-type Pokémon were first discovered!" ("Pokémon GO Tour: Johto") " was originally discovered in the Hoenn region, as you may already know. But it’s not the only elusive Pokémon first discovered in that region. It shares that honor with , the Color Swap Pokémon." ("Masterwork Research: Wish Granted" event) "It’s a quality that I imagine makes them ideal first partner Pokémon for Trainers starting out in the Kalos region—where , , and were first discovered!" ("Quality Quills" event) "'s fur is normally earthy in hue, but these Zigzagoon are black and white. [...] I see... These Zigzagoon were first discovered in the Galar region." The "Gritty and Glacial" event includes an instance of "first found" which was added in the English localization.Japanese version:「のサンドもじくらいタフなポケモンだ。」 (The Desert Sandshrew is also a Pokémon about as tough as [Alolan Sandshrew].) English version: "The Sandshrew first found in the Kanto region are quite fascinating in their own right."
==Overview==
	 		first discovered	first discovered 	game debut
	Kanto 		151 Pokémon 	— 	(Japan) (international)
	Johto 		100 Pokémon 	— 	
	Hoenn 		135 Pokémon 	— 	
	Sinnoh 		107 Pokémon 	— 	
	Unova 		156 Pokémon 	— 	
	Kalos 		72 Pokémon 	— 	Pokémon X and Y
	Alola 		86 Pokémon 	18 Alolan forms 	Pokémon Sun and Moon (81 Pokémon and 18 Alolan forms)
	Alola 		86 Pokémon 	18 Alolan forms 	Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (5 Pokémon)
	Unknown Origins		2 Pokémon 	— 	Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
	Galar 		89 Pokémon 	19 Galarian forms	Pokémon Sword and Shield (81 Pokémon and 13 Galarian forms)
	Galar 		89 Pokémon 	19 Galarian forms	Pokémon Sword and Shield Version 1.1.0+ (1 Galarian form)
	Galar 		89 Pokémon 	19 Galarian forms	The Isle of Armor (3 Pokémon and 1 Galarian form)
	Galar 		89 Pokémon 	19 Galarian forms	The Crown Tundra (5 Pokémon and 4 Galarian forms)
	Hisui 		7 Pokémon 	16 Hisuian forms 	Pokémon Legends: Arceus
	Paldea 		120 Pokémon 	4 Paldean forms 	Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (103 Pokémon and 4 Paldean forms)
	Paldea 		120 Pokémon 	4 Paldean forms 	Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Version 1.2.0+ (2 Pokémon)
	Paldea 		120 Pokémon 	4 Paldean forms 	The Teal Mask (7 Pokémon)
	Paldea 		120 Pokémon 	4 Paldean forms 	The Indigo Disk (8 Pokémon)
	 		 	 	
===Comparison with regional Pokédexes===
The newly discovered Pokémon of each region have some overlap with the respective regional Pokédexes, but there are some differences. A regional Pokédex often has several previously discovered Pokémon in addition to the newly discovered Pokémon. For instance, was first discovered in Kanto, but it is a member of several regional Pokédexes (Kanto Pokédex, Johto Pokédex, Hoenn Pokédex, Sinnoh Pokédex, etc.)
==In the core series games==
===Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen, Let's Go, Pikachu!, and Let's Go, Eevee!===
In Generation I and , according to the Pokémon Mansion journals, was a Pokémon discovered in the jungle, in Guyana, South America. In Generation VII, the reference to Guyana was removed, although Mew was still said to be discovered in the jungle. Additionally, was a Pokémon artificially created as a clone of Mew.
===Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver===
A non-player character in New Bark Town claims that Professor Elm discovered new Pokémon.
In Generation II only, Jasmine and the Cianwood Gym guide mention that the was recently discovered. This references the fact that this type was introduced in this generation. Those remarks are absent in the Generation IV remakes.
In Generation IV, it is said that in addition to the 26 original forms, 2 more forms have been discovered: "There aren't just 26 different kinds of Unown. Two more have been discovered! But that begs the question of where those other two kinds are hiding..." In addition, Unown Report's description says that this item is a report of the discovered kinds of Unown.
In Generation IV, a non-player character in Goldenrod City says: "I wonder how many kinds of Pokémon there are in the world. A long time ago, Professor Oak said there were 150 different kinds... Since then, many new Pokémon have been discovered in different regions. There are almost 500 different kinds known now..."
===Pokémon Platinum, Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl===
The author of the old notebook in Rotom's Room is implied to have discovered after it suddenly emerged from a lawn mower's motor. The person named it "Rotom" due to this.
===Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon===
According to the Pikachu Professor quiz at Pikachu Valley, Professor Elm was the first person to discover the existence of .
===Pokémon Scarlet and Violet===
200 years prior to the events of the games, the Area Zero Expedition team, including Heath, explored Area Zero and discovered mysterious Pokémon, including /. At one point, Heath discovered in the depths of Area Zero while separated from the rest of the team and named it, though he was unsure whether it was truly a Pokémon. He wrote the Scarlet Book/Violet Book to document the expedition, but he was not believed by the general public. During the events of The Indigo Disk, Heath's descendant, Briar, encounters Terapagos in another expedition in Area Zero (along with the , Kieran, and Carmine) and writes her own book about the events.
Ten years prior to the events of the games, Professor Sada/Professor Turo discovered and named / after bringing it to Area Zero from the ancient past/distant future using a time machine, followed by many more Paradox Pokémon from the same period. However, Koraidon/Miraidon was mentioned in the Scarlet Book/Violet Book as the "Winged King"/"Iron Serpent".
===Pokédex entries===
Some Pokédex entries mention the discovery of certain Pokémon:
* was discovered at a company that manufactures Poké Balls.
* was discovered as a sudden mutation.
* was discovered 40 years ago where a meteor fell.
* is described as a new Pokémon species.
* was discovered in ancient ruins.
* was discovered in deep-sea explorations.
* was discovered 100 years ago in an earthquake fissure.
* was discovered 50 years ago.
* was discovered 400 years ago in coal mines.
* went undiscovered for a long time.
In Generation III game data, the placeholder text for an unknown Pokédex entry reads: "This is a newly discovered Pokémon. It is currently under investigation. No detailed information is available at this time."
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, if the player has not yet completed enough research tasks for a Pokémon for it to reach research level 10, its Pokédex entry reads: "This Pokémon has only just been documented. Investigation is ongoing. More research tasks must be completed to fill in this Pokémon's entry." However, the text used in Pokémon HOME for an incomplete Pokédex entry from Legends: Arceus does not mention being recently documented, reading: "This Pokémon is being investigated in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Complete research tasks to fill in this Pokémon's entry!"
==In animation==
===Pokémon the Series===
In early episodes of , it was sometimes said that there are at least 150 known Pokémon species in the , with more Pokémon yet to be discovered:
* In the very first episode, Pokémon - I Choose You!, Ash's Pokédex mentions that many Pokémon are still undiscovered after it was unable to identify a .
* In Mystery at the Lighthouse, Bill also mentions the idea that there may not only be 150 Pokémon but also others that are yet undiscovered.
In , the Pokémon found in Johto have been originally introduced as newly discovered, previously unknown species. However, in Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver and , it is eventually established that each region simply has its own Pokémon which are often well-known to its inhabitants rather than new discoveries. This includes several regions with known events from decades or centuries in the past, including the native Pokémon of each region, contrary to the belief that those Pokémon were previously unknown.
During a quiz that was part of the Pokémon League Admissions Exam, Jessie answered that Koffing was first discovered in a public bathhouse. This contradicts the expansion's card stating that Koffing was discovered in a weapons factory. This may be either because Jessie answered the question incorrectly, or due to an inconsistency between the TCG and the animated series.
===Other===
The Two Professors is a series of promotional shorts in which Professor Willow and Professor Oak discover and . Though these Pokémon are described as new discoveries, Professor Oak recognizes them from ancient texts.
==In the manga==
===Pokémon Adventures===
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In this arc, it is said that 150 Pokémon were known to exist, until is discovered as the 151st known Pokémon.
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At the start of this arc, it is said that new Pokémon have been discovered in the Johto region, contrary to the previous belief that there are only 151 Pokémon. Professor Oak hires to complete the Pokédex after and previously failed to complete the Pokédex and went to pursue other goals. However, at the end of this arc, after Crystal's success in completing the Pokédex with the 251 Pokémon from Kanto and Johto, Professor Oak decides to hide from her that even more Pokémon have been discovered in Hoenn.
==In the TCG==
* was first discovered in a weapons factory, according to expansion's card.
==In other media==
===Pocket Monsters Encyclopedia===
Pocket Monsters Encyclopedia contains the original story of the first systematic study of Pokémon.
* The first 30 Pokémon were discovered and scientifically described by a French author, Baron Tajirin, in the late 18th century.
* Up to 80 Pokémon had been discovered at the time of Professor Nishinomori's life, the leader in the study of Pokémon in Japan who published the paper “An Observation on the Evolution of Pikachu” in 1899, where he described his observation that and are actually the same creature, but one of them was evolved. At this time, Professor Nishinomori had done an experiment with that shrunk into Poké Ball, therefore it was one of the discovered Pokémon then.
* As of 1996, a total of 150 Pokémon were discovered thanks to the work of scientists like Professor Oak.
* was discovered at least 6 years before 1996 because that's long how scientists have been debating if it should be classified as a plant or an animal.
* 's most recent documented specimen was a corpse washed up on shore 35 years before the publication of the book.
* is described to be discovered 3 years before the book publication and speculated to be a mutation.
* have been reported on the deliciousness of cooking it with their stalk several years back.
* came to life from a toxic sludge transformed by the X-rays from the moon. It was first discovered in empty lots behind factories.
* was created in 1995 when Silph Co. successfully applied state-of-the-art technology to create this man-made Pokémon.
* was first discovered in a munitions factory, but their habitat has grown in recent years.
* 's one and only fossil was discovered 6 years before the book's time in a soil horizon approximately two million years old. 
* was discovered by a lucky angler who happened to catch a Dratini in the Safari Zone's pond and became an overnight sensation, with news of the discovery exploding globally.
* In his lecture, Bill gets a message about the 151st Pokémon being discovered.
===Pokémon Power===
In Pokémon Power (issue 6, page 3), Professor Oak said on a press conference that he discovered the 151st Pokémon and named it .
==Related articles==
* New Pokémon
* History of Pokémon
* Pokémon availability
* List of Pokémon by National Pokédex number
* Core series
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Pokémon world