How Many Pokémon Are There in 2026? The Answer Is 1,025

If you want the number, here it is: 1,025. That is how many Pokémon are there in the National Pokédex as of 2026, a list that begins with Bulbasaur at #0001 and ends, for now, with Pecharunt at #1025.

It is a total three decades in the making, spanning nine generations of games, from Kanto to Paldea. It is also a number that comes with an asterisk this year, because since 27 February 2026 you will increasingly see people quote 1,028 instead.

Both figures are correct. They are simply answering different questions. Here is the clean answer to the headline question, followed by a plain explanation of why every other number you encounter is counting something else.

The Official Count: 1,025, From Bulbasaur to Pecharunt

The National Pokédex is the master numbered list of every Pokémon species, and it is distinct from the regional dex of any single game. When people ask how many Pokémon exist, this is the list they mean, and it currently stands at 1,025 entries across nine generations.

The final slot belongs to Pecharunt, a Poison/Ghost Mythical Pokémon introduced in Generation IX, which closed out the Scarlet and Violet era. That the count is settled rather than fan guesswork is backed up by reference works and merchandise: the Japanese book Pokémon Official National Pokédex 1996, 2026, released on 7 August 2026, covers all 1,025 species in a single volume.

It is worth remembering how incrementally that total was built. Generation sizes vary considerably, Generation IV, for example, introduced 107 Pokémon, while Generation V added 156, and each wave has been folded into the master list since the original 151 in Pokémon Red and Green.

Why You're Seeing 1,028: Generation 10's Three Starters

The gap between 1,025 and 1,028 is exactly three Pokémon: Browt (Grass), Pombon (Fire) and Gecqua (Water).

All three were revealed at the Pokémon Presents 2026 broadcast on 27 February 2026, which announced Pokémon Winds and Waves, a paired release for Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027. If you want the full picture of that reveal, our breakdown of Pokémon's 30th Anniversary Presents covers the announcement in detail.

The distinction matters. The starters are officially revealed and named, but they have no National Pokédex numbers yet, and their evolutions have not been officially shown. Designs circulating online claiming to be those evolutions are unconfirmed leaks and should be treated as such.

So 1,028 is best described as "revealed but not yet numbered." It is not the official total, and it will not be until Generation 10's Pokédex is actually published.

Every Other Number Answers a Different Question

The 1,025-versus-1,028 confusion is only the start. Almost every other "how many Pokémon" figure you see is counting something other than species.

Pokémon GO is the most common source of confusion. Its available roster is a subset of the National Dex, reported at 956 of 1,025 as of 2 October 2026. Treat that as a dated snapshot rather than a fixed figure, because the game adds species regularly and the number moves with every update.

Shiny counts run far higher, into the 1,400s, because they count forms rather than species. A single Pokémon with multiple regional or alternate forms can contribute several entries to that tally.

Regional and game-specific dexes are smaller still. The Paldea Pokédex contains 400 entries, while Pokémon Champions' roster is made up of 186 species plus 59 Mega Evolutions (figures from single trade sources; treat as approximate). Neither is a statement about the size of the National Pokédex.

The takeaway for readers is simple: before comparing any two "how many Pokémon" numbers, check what is being counted. Species, forms, and a single game's availability are three different measurements.

What Comes Next

Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves launches worldwide on Switch 2 in 2027, with no exact date confirmed. It will bring a full wave of new species, and the three starters are only the first confirmed additions. Expect the count to move again. It is a moving target by design.

Three Decades In, the Pokédex Is Still Being Written

So: 1,025 today, or 1,028 if you count the three starters we have already met. The ambiguity is not confusion for its own sake. It is what a growing franchise looks like when the official list and the reveal cycle are briefly out of step, and the number has already taken on a life of its own, with the official Japanese Pokémon account posting "1025" on 18 October 2026, which may be counting down to a 30 November 2026 announcement, and a live performance of "Pokémon All Stars 1025" — a song project launched in April 2026 for the franchise's 30th anniversary — sung by Masayoshi Oishi at the Pokémon Card Game 30th Celebration Event on 25 October 2026.

Three decades after Red and Green introduced 151 creatures, the count has become a motif in its own right. A list that begins with Bulbasaur at #0001 and ends, for now, with Pecharunt at #1025 is still being written, and 2027 will add another chapter.