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The Pokemon series has come a long way since its 1996 debut, eventually growing to become the highest-grossing multimedia franchise of all time. Although the franchise is known for its animated works, merchandise, and high-profile brand collaborations, the beating heart of Pocket Monsters continues to be its games, most of which have made their home on Nintendo platforms.
Although there are countless Pokemon spin-off games, tie-in manga, and much more, the primary chronological story has persisted through its core series titles. These games began with Pocket Monsters Red and Green in Japan, and the most recent offering came in the form of Scarlet and Violet in 2022.
But how can players enjoy the entire story chronologically? The undertaking is tricky, but it's completely within the realm of possibility for fans.
How to play all the mainline Pokemon games in chronological order
The Pokemon series chronology is partially straightforward while also being somewhat complex. This is due to some core series games being remakes of previous titles, and some remakes don't even take place in the same universe as the games they're taking after. Still, a rough timeline can be visualized based on the advancement of technology and references to story events.
As for how each core series Pokemon game can be played, fans only have two options: official hardware or emulation. Unless fans are sitting on a treasure trove of old handheld Nintendo consoles, emulation tends to be the preferred option, even if Nintendo and Game Freak aren't particularly keen on the idea.
Although the finer details of the Pokemon chronology have never explicitly been laid out by Game Freak, trainers can follow this order to enjoy the overarching story as closely as possible:
- Legends: Arceus
- Red/Green/Blue/Yellow Version, FireRed/LeafGreen
- Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire - According to scenario writer Toshinobu Matsumiya, the Generation III games and their remakes take place at the same time of Red/Green/Blue/Yellow, but take place in different universes, with Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire taking place in a "Mega Universe" where Mega Evolution has been discovered.
- Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee! - These entries are a remake of Yellow, and their canon is questionable. It may take place in another universe, as it sticks to the story of Red/Blue/Green/Yellow but retcons certain aspects, seemingly taking place after the adventures of the trainers Red and Blue. Some fans may skip this one if they prefer, as it doesn't fit cleanly into the story.
- Gold/Silver/Crystal, HeartGold/Soulsilver
- Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl
- Black/White
- Black 2/White 2, X/Y - According to Matsumiya, X and Y occur in Kalos simultaneously as Black 2/White 2 do in Unova. However, the Kalos titles take place in the Mega Universe.
- Sun/Moon, Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon - Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon share their spot in the timeline with their predecessors but feature altered events in the Alola region's story for Pokemon players.
- Sword/Shield
- Scarlet/Violet
As mentioned above, remakes, retconning, and alternate universes somewhat muddy the waters regarding the overarching storyline and canon. However, playing these core series games in the outlined sequence should allow the timeline to fit relatively well despite the murkiness of the situation.
All core series Pokemon games and their release dates
If fans want to play the core series in the order of game release instead, this would require a slightly different approach. Since 1996, even when some iterations of the mainline series share the same story, some versions were released later and are considered improvements upon their predecessors.
Nevertheless, as far as the core/mainline series is concerned, fans can follow this table of games if they're curious about the order of release dates:
Obviously, there are dozens of spin-offs and side games that aren't connected to the core series, but if players are aiming to have the primary Pocket Monsters experience, following the core games either chronologically or in order of release will be the way to do it.
