Finally, Game Freak has done it. From Scarlet Pokemon and Violet there are now over 1000 Pokémon.
Pokémon Sword and Shield, along with its DLC, brought the total to 905, and the additions of Scarlet and Violet cap the number at a whopping 1008. For those tracking, that doesn’t count regional variants like the new Wooper variant in the Paldea region, although it counts new regional evolutions, assuming they have different names than their counterparts elsewhere.
So who is the 1000th Pokemon? It turns out that Game Freak seems to have been very aware that they were designing a monster with the distinguished honor of being number 1000, so they leaned a bit towards that.
Warning: We are going to spoil the 1000th Pokémon below this video. Scroll no more if you don’t want to know.
Who is that 1000th Pokémon? It’s… Gholdengo!
Okay, yeah, he looks like a cereal mascot. But listen to us. Gholdengo is a fascinating little friend and a fun option for Pokémon 1000. It evolves from Gimmighoul, a ghost Pokémon that lurks in treasure chests and can be found performing mime-style pranks on unsuspecting trainers in Paldea. When defeated or captured, Gimmighoul drops Gimmighoul Coins, which can also be found on your travels in the region. You need 1000 of these Gimmighoul coins before Gimmighoul evolves into Gholdengo at its next level. It’s a clear nod to Gholdengo’s status as the 1,000th Pokemon.
Gholdengo’s entry in the Pokédex is also a testament that Game Freak loves this awesome little guy. In scarlet, at least, it reads:
His body appears to be made up of 1,000 coins. This Pokémon gets along well with others and quickly becomes friends with anyone.
Also, the cover art of his Pokédex entry is amazing: it shows him surfing on a skateboard made out of coins.
Here we are big fans of Gholdengo. Congratulations Gholdengo on being the 1000th Pokémon. I can’t wait to see what Game Freak does for the 2000th! [Editor’s Note: Pokemon 2000… I liked that movie – Kat Bailey].
For more Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, check out our Ongoing review without spoilersas well as our wiki guides including walkthroughs, a Pokédex, tips, and everything else you might need to know before starting your journey in the Paldea region.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @patovalentine.
