Ash wants to be the very best, like no one ever was. The purest example of Pokémon’s self-expressive capacity is none other than the anime’s ageless protagonist, Ash Ketchum. For people whose imaginations have been captured by pocket monsters since they were just pixelated sprites on a Game Boy screen, Pokémon has become a peerless mode of self-expression.
With the current “ National Dex” accounting for the now 898 different creatures that have popped up during 25 years of games, it’s clear that the series has evolved into something greater. And that’s not even getting into logistics like the “Dexit” controversy surrounding the Gen VIII games’ release. The “catch them all” mandate only grows more arduous. However, the roster of monsters only expands with each mainline addition to the series. Players could find creatures as they guided young Pokémon trainer Red all across the Kanto region.
Across its history, Nintendo and Game Freak’s never-ending fad, Pokémon, has been propelled by an unceasing and increasingly-difficult mission statement: Gotta Catch ‘Em All! When the series debuted 25 years ago, that mission to capture and collect each of the then-151 different creatures was a relatively attainable one.
