Throughout the course of the Pokémon series, players have had the ability to save numerous regions from imminent disaster, meet nearly a thousand Pokémon species, and take on the challenge of capturing Mythical and Legendary species with unique stories and abilities. However, the overarching timeline of the Pokémon series can be confusing. With stories that don't fall on a clear chronological line, and major events in each story that are explained as affecting the world as a whole, and not just the isolated region, following every important event in each game set can become a complicated tangle.

Because the developers haven't come out and confirmed an exact, chronological timeframe in which the events of the games occur in the over-arching world, the easiest way to keep track of major events in the series is by the game generation. It also must be taken into account that each game in a generation may have slightly different major events, like Ruby and Sapphire switching which team is the Antagonist, and which team is an ally to the main character. Additionally, third installments of each series also include new content, like the addition of the Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza in Emerald. Remakes have also created complexities, as these games don't fall in the same generations of their original titles, but instead, they are considered a part of the generation currently in progress at the time of their release. For example, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are considered part of Generation Six, despite being remakes of games from Generation Three.

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Below is a breakdown of every major event in the Pokémon series by generation, specifically focusing on the events from the main series games, and not spin-offs. Many of these major plot points have been included in other Pokémon media, such as the Pokémon anime following Ash and his companions, and the short YouTube collections like Pokémon Evolutions and Pokémon: Twilight Wings. While it is possible many of the events from each generation could be overlapping, or even happening in alternate universes, this is widely up to player speculation until a firm timeline is confirmed by Pokémon developers.

Major Pokémon Events From Generation One - Kanto

The First Generation of the Pokémon games was released between 1996-1999 and included Pokémon Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. The events of all games take place in the Kanto region, starting in Pallet town, and the major antagonist group is Team Rocket led by Giovanni. The primary starters of the region are Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Pikachu (specifically in Yellow). The narrative in the First Generation of the Pokémon series was simple compared to later games, with a linear progression. Below are the major plot points for the Kanto region.

• Players take on Team Rocket, battling them throughout the region as they create problems in multiple towns across the map. The major stand-off with the group is done in Celedon city after entering the Rocket Hideout under the Rocket Game Corner. The Rocket Hideout includes the first encounter with Team Rocket Leader Giovanni.
• Players must rescue Mr. Fuji from Team Rocket grunts in Lavendar Town at the top of the Pokémon Tower to obtain the Poké Flute, removing Snorlax.
• Players battle and defeat Giovanni in Saffron City and obtain the Master Ball. Unlike later games, the Master Ball is only available one time in Generation One.
• Players battle Giovanni on last time as the Gym Leader of Viridian City, defeating him and gaining the promise that Team Rocket will disband permanently.
• Players challenge the first Pokémon Elite Four.
• Mewtwo becomes available to battle and capture in the Cerulean Caves.

Major Pokémon Events From Generation Two - Johto

The Second Generation of the Pokémon series was released between 1999-2002 and included Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal for the Game Boy Color. The storyline takes place in the Johto region and adds new Pokémon species as well as new Legendary and Mythical Pokémon. The major antagonist team is again Team Rocket led by Giovanni and the starters have changed to Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. Below are all the major plot points for the Johto region.

• Eggs are introduced at the beginning of the storyline when the player's rival steals one that must be rescued and returned to the lab in New Bark Town. The egg is later given to the player and hatches into Togepi.
• Players encounter Team Rocket in traveling to Azalea Town and learn the team has been restored after being disbanded after the events of Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow.
• Apricorn Pokéballs are introduced in Azalea Town after meeting Kurt.
• Players encounter the first "Shiny" Pokémon when catching the Red Gyrados at the Lake of Rage. Lance of the Elite Four then reveals Team Rocket's new hideout after the encounter.

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• Players defeat Team Rocket and stop their plan to evolve the Magikarp in the Lake of Rage with a wave machine.
• Players battle Team Rocket at the Goldenrod Radio Tower, defeating the Team to earn either the Clear Bell, Rainbow Wing, or the Silver Wing to encounter Suicune, Ho-oh, or Lugia depending on the game's version.
• Players can encounter Suicune, Entei, and Raikou after visiting the Burned Tower in Gold and Silver, but Suicune becomes the primary Legendary encounter in Crystal.
• Players obtain the Master Ball from Professor Elm in New Bark Town.
• After defeating the Elite Four, players obtain the S.S. Aqua Ticket from Professor Elm. This allows players to travel to the Kanto region.
• Blue from Generation One is now Viridian City's Gym Leader.
• After defeating the Kanto League, players can enter Silver Cave to battle Kanto Champion Red.

Major Pokémon Events From Generation Three - Hoenn

The Third Generation of the Pokémon series was released between 2002-2006 and included Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen for the Game Boy Advanced. This is the first generation that introduces remakes of past titles in the series, changing major plot points already established for certain regions in prior games. The primary antagonist group of the Hoenn region is either Team Magma or Team Aqua depending on the game's version, and like the Johto region, new standard and Legendary Pokémon were added to expand the Pokédex. The starter Pokémon for the Hoenn region include Treecko, Mudkip, and Torchic. Below are all the major events for Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.

• The main character arrives in town after moving from the Johto region, connecting the games in the world, but not on the timeline.
• The player's Rival is introduced early and is more of a friend and guide than an opponent.
• The player encounters either Team Magma or Team Aqua outside the Petalburg Woods.
• After getting the first badge, players must retrieve the Devon Good from the antagonist team.
• Players meet Champion Steven in Granite Cave, and are told to aim for becoming a Champion of Hoenn.
• Players battle the antagonist team at the Oceanic Museum in Slateport City. This introduces Magma Leader Maxie or Aqua Leader Archie.
• Players challenge the antagonist team at Meteor Falls. Players then meet the opposite team depending on the version of the game and must ascend Mt. Chimney to stop the antagonist team who has stolen a meteorite to use in a strange device.
• Players meet with Steven again outside the Weather Institute and then must fight the antagonist team attacking the institute.
• Players travel to Lilycove City, where the antagonist team is preparing to enter Mt. Pyre. In an attempt to stop the team, players must follow the team to the summit, where the antagonist team leader takes either the Red Orb or Blue Orb depending on the game. After the team leaves, the player obtains the opposite orb and must head to Slateport to stop the antagonist team from destroying the world.
• The player battles through the antagonist team hideout, obtaining the Master Ball and taking on the Team Admin.

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• Players must travel to Mossdeep City to stop the antagonist team, and meet again with Steven in order to obtain the HM Dive.
• Using Dive, players must go to the Seafloor Cavern to battle the antagonist Team Leader who unleashes either Groudon or Kyogre depending on the game version. Realizing they can't control the rampaging Legendary Pokémon, both Team Magma and Team Aqua decide to work together along with the player to put a stop to the devastation.
• With help from Steven, the player travels to Sootopolis City, where they must enter the Cave of Origins and battle the game-specific Legendary Pokémon.
• Players do not fight their rival during the Elite Four but do see them again after becoming Champion of Hoenn.
• Post-game, players can travel to Sky Pillar to challenge Rayquaza and can find Latias and Latios in random encounters around the region They can also obtain the S.S. Tidal Ticket to access the Battle Tower.
• In Emerald specifically, both Team Magma and Team Aqua are villains in the storyline, instead of one or the other.
• In Emerald, Rayquaza is the third important Pokémon in the storyline and is used to stop Kyogre and Groudon. This makes its capture available during the main game plot instead of being a post-game challenge.

Below are the important changes made in Pokémon LeafGreen and FireRed. While the majority of the major plot points have stayed the same, the end game connects the remakes with the newer titles, adding both newer Pokémon species and Legendary encounters to the post-game challenges.

• Players can engage in a post-game narrative that unlocks the National Pokédex. This is done by traveling to the Sevii Islands, where Pokémon from the Johto and Hoenn can be unlocked to trade to the games. To unlock Hoenn, players will need to retrieve both a Ruby and Sapphire. However, the Sapphire is stolen by a scientist named Gideon and must be retrieved by engaging in a short encounter with a Team Rocket Warehouse. After completing the storyline, players can access Cerulean Cave to capture Mewtwo, and one of either Suicune, Entei, or Raikou will appear around the Kanto region depending on the start the player picked at the start of the game.

Following Generation 3, Pokémon plotlines become increasingly more complex both in antagonist narratives and main character objectives. While these deeper stories create a greater sense of immersion when playing, it has also made the timeline linking each generation and region more complex. This is especially true for Generation 4, where Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum introduce Mythical Pokémon like Arceus, lightly touching on the historical origins of both the existence of Pokémon and the creation of the world the stories take place in. While much of the history of the Pokémon series is still shrouded in mystery, there is a chance more could be learned about a true timeline in future titles of the series.

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