Pokémon Database - News & Updates

Welcome to The Pokémon Database! We believe in making Pokémon information as clear and easy to digest as possible.

On this page below you'll find the recent Pokémon news and updates to this site. Delve deeper using the menu above to find detailed Pokédex entries, attack stats, evolution chains and our thriving community of awesome Pokéfans who'll answer your questions. And much more besides!

Black/White Attack and Ability English names revealed!

Pokémon Black & White — 02 March, 2011

Copies of Pokemon Black & White have hit some places early and now all the official English names for the new moves and abilities can be revealed! (UPDATE: also added the Pokedex 'flavor' entries and species to the Pokedex.)

If you want to see the Japanese names as a reference, we list them all below...

Continue reading


Pokemon Black & White locations now online

Site Updates — 01 March, 2011

First, a belated Happy Birthday to Pokemon! The very first games were released 27th February, 1996 - making them 15 years old last Sunday! Here's to another 15 years of fun.

Now onto the main update. Earlier this week I quietly added Pokemon location data for the Unova region from the imminent games, Pokemon Black & White. I have spent the last few days working on improving the section as a whole and can now unveil the new guide!

Instead of the hard to read tables of just Pokemon and encounter rates, we've merged much of it into one table. Most tables now only list the Pokemon once, displaying all the relevant conditions such as game version, time of day or season. Check it out and let us know what you think.

P.S. Pokemon Black & White are released this coming Friday in UK/Europe, and Sunday in USA/Canada! If you get stuck during the games, drop by our popular Q&A section PokeBase, where you can get your questions answered by our expert users.


Gym leaders and town names for Black & White revealed

Pokémon Black & White — 11 February, 2011

We're a bit late with this news, but the gym leaders and Elite Four character names have been revealed, as well as most of the town/city names in Unova. The town names are all based on cloud formations!

Gym leaders:

  1. Cilan (Grass), Chili (Fire), Cress (Water) - you fight one of them depending on your chosen starter.
  2. Lenora (Normal)
  3. Burgh (Bug)
  4. Elesa (Electric)
  5. Clay (Ground)
  6. Skyla (Flying)
  7. Brycen (Ice)
  8. Shaga or Iris (Dragon) - former is in Pokemon Black, latter in Pokemon White

Continue reading


More attack and ability names revealed, plus Twitter

Pokémon Black & White — 08 February, 2011

First, a quick reminder that the wi-fi event to obtain Raikou, Entei and Suicune is now underway! This week you can get a shiny Raikou in Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver by selecting Mystery Gift from the title screen, then Nintendo WFC. The event is open to America, Europe and Australia. It may also be available in other areas too so give it a try!

Second, if you use the social networking site Twitter, you can now follow us @pokemondb! I will post regular Pokemon news updates, particularly small newsbites that aren't major enough to do a post on the front page. Plus any random facts or Pokemon goodies I stumble across.

And the main part of this update - more move and ability names have been confirmed by various sources:

Vengeance is now Retaliate
Boiling Water is now Scald
Evil Eye is now Hex
Healing Beam is now Heal Pulse
Sing A Round is now Round
Electric Ball is now Electro Ball
Wood Horn is now Horn Leech
Cheer Up is now Work Up
Flame Burst and Dragon Tail stay the same
Tension (ability) is now Unnerve
Regeneration (ability) is now Regenerator


Brand new sprite gallery added

Site Updates — 06 February, 2011

Today I am proud to unveil another new extensive section here at Pokemon Database - a brand new sprites gallery! Although we've had sprites for a while now, the section has been a bit lacklustre and sorely needing updates.

Gengar sprites from generation 1-5
A history of Gengar sprites

The pages have been redesigned with a neater table layout and we have sprites from every game, right back to Pokemon Red & Blue! You can follow the link from each Pokemon's pokedex page as normal, but we also have a new homepage for the sprites where you can choose your Pokemon:


Complete Pokemon learnset guide now online!

Site Updates — 27 January, 2011

It's been a long time coming but finally we can unveil a big new section to Pokemon Database! On the moves section of every Pokemon's pokedex, you will see links to different generations under each table. This will take you to the appropriate page for that Pokemon.

So you can now, for example, see Generation III moves for Swampert if you are playing Emerald, or the scant 30 attacks that Golem can learn in Generation I.

Like the main Pokedex page, each table is tabbed where appropriate, if Pokemon learned slightly different moves across different games. For example, Dugtrio learned Tri Attack in Crystal but not Gold/Silver.

Last but not least, I have taken Diamond/Pearl moves off the main Pokedex pages to clean up the page a little, since most people will have now moved on to HG/SS and soon Black/White. In many cases they are identical to Platinum which is still listed for now.


Victini event on Black & White release

Pokémon Events — 26 January, 2011

Victini

The legendary Pokemon Victini is to be available over wifi from the day of release of Pokemon Black & White! You can receive the Liberty Pass item from March 4th to April 22nd which you can use in Castelia City to capture Victini.

Note: You don't need to get to Castelia City by April 22nd, you just need to receive the item, then you can get Victini in your own time.

And if you like in the UK/Europe, don't forget that the legendary beasts event for generation 4 starts in just over a week's time on February 7th.


Video of new Pokemon English names

Pokémon Black & White — 18 January, 2011

I decided to put together a nice little video showcasing all the new Pokémon from Pokemon Black & White, with their English names that were leaked at the weeked. Evolutionary branches are also noted with arrows. Enjoy!

I'm hoping to create some more videos in the future, so you can subscribe to our new YouTube channel, PokemonDbNet to keep updated.


Dates for European legendary beasts event

Pokémon Events — 15 January, 2011

Details on the European event for Raikou, Entei and Suicune have been released. Each one will be available over Nintendo WFC for a week in February. They are the same Pokemon currently available in USA/Canada - not only are they shiny, they also come with new moves they don't normally learn!

All three have Extremespeed.
Raikou has Weather Ball and is available from February 7th-13th.
Entei has Flare Blitz and is available from February 14th-20th.
Suicune has Sheer Cold and is available from February 21st-27th.

They are available for all fourth-generation games, so if you have multiple games (e.g. Diamond and HeartGold) you should be able to get them multiple times! The process is the same as usual - simply go to Mystery Gift in the very first game menu, Receive Gift, then pick it up from the delivery man in the PokeMart.


Some official English names revealed, possibly the whole lot!

Pokémon Black & White — 14 January, 2011

Nintendo has revealed more Pokemon names from Black & White. But there has also been a leak of the supposed full list of English Pokemon names, though not 100% confirmed.

Confirmed Pokemon:

  • Desukaan is now Cofagrigus, from coffin and sarcophagus or maybe egregious.
  • Mogurew is now Drilbur, from drill and burrow.
  • Kibago is now Axew, a pun on askew with axe referring to its tusks.
  • Koromori is now Woobat, because it's a bat (duh). It seems to have some love connection, hence the woo in the name and its move, Heart Stamp.
  • Minezumi is now Patrat, a pun on packrat.
  • Gothiruselle is now Gothitelle, from goth and elle, a common suffix meaning feminine.
  • Ranculus is now Reuniclus, possibly based on homunculus describing humans.
  • Wargle is now Braviary, from brave and aviary (bird enclosure).
  • Musharna keeps its name.

Confirmed ability names:

Confirmed move names:

Continue for the rumoured list of all English names...

Continue reading


European wi-fi event: shiny Raikou, Entei or Suicune

Pokémon Events — 13 January, 2011

A new event is coming to Europe to obtain the legendary beasts. They are the same shiny Pokemon currently available at Gamestop in the US, but will be distributed over wi-fi, from February 7th.

Raikou, Entei, Suicune - the legendary beasts

No word yet on exactly how the event will run but we'll keep you posted. Remember, when you transfer them to Pokemon Black or Pokemon White you are able to catch Zoroark.


Black/White European release date confirmed

Pokémon Black & White — 10 January, 2011

The release date of Pokemon Black and Pokemon White has been revealed by Nintendo Magazine as March 4th, 2011 - two days before its American release! The release date for Australia and New Zealand has also been revealed, which is March 10th.

This is the first time a Pokemon game has been released in Europe before the US. It also means we will likely have all the Pokemon and move names earlier than expected, maybe by March 1st.

(Note: the countdown timer around the site has been left as the US date, since most of our readers are American.)