First introduced in the gen 1 Pokemon games, Pokemon Centers are arguably every bit as important to the series as the Pokemon themselves. They were initially conceived as hospitals for injured Pokemon and places for trainers to trade and do battle with their friends, but, like the games in which they feature and the pokemon they treat, have since evolved into so much more; both in the mainline Pokemon games and in the real world.
These days, Pokemon Centers serve as a one-stop shop, with visitors able to purchase a wide variety of items. In the games, they mainly stock healing items and Pokeballs, though real-world Pokemon Centers sell just about everything imaginable. They've changed a lot since making their debut more than a quarter of a century ago, though certain things, like its iconic theme music, remain largely the same despite several decades having passed.
7 The Evolution Of The Pokemon Center
Pokemon Centers have changed a lot since their first introduction in the gen 1 games, particularly when it comes to their exteriors. Early incantations looked like regular buildings, with a small "Poke" sign next to the door being the only thing to differentiate them from the games' other structures. As graphics have improved, however, their designs have become far more elaborate, bringing them much closer in line with their depictions in the Pokemon anime.
The introduction of color to the series in gen 2 allowed developers to give them their iconic red roofs, while gen 3 saw the introduction of the Pokeball logo above the door and the "Poke" sign being changed to the abbreviated form of Pokemon Center, "P.C." The gen 3 games also changed the slogan of Pokemon Centers from "Heal Your Pokemon!" to "Rejuvenate your tired partners!" and the following generation added a special nighttime arrangement of the theme music.
6 Pokemon Centers Have Largely Replaced Poke Marts
Early Pokemon games were somewhat predictable when it came to town layout, with pretty much every major location bar the player's hometown having a Pokemon Center, a gym, and a Poke Mart. Though this hasn't changed all that much in the grand scheme of things, rather than being standalone structures, Poke Marts can now be found inside Pokemon Centers; effectively making them the equivalent of a hospital gift shop.
Up until gen 5, Poke Marts were instead their own entities, typically sharing the exterior design of a Pokemon Center, only with a "Mart" sign and a blue roof. Black & White did away with this tradition, however, moving its Poke Mart counters inside Pokemon Centers, making it far more convenient for players to pick up the items that they need while healing up their Pokemon.
5 Nate & Rosa's Mother Used To Work In A Pokemon Center
While on the subject of Black & White, those who played the games' sequels may remember that the protagonist's mother used to work as a Pokemon Center Nurse. She mentions this during an Xtransceiver conversation, telling players that she spent time working at the Pokemon Center in Nimbasa City. It's also implied that she worked at the one in Mistralton City as well, although this is never confirmed directly.
Whether or not she received any medical training for the position is debatable, as though Pokemon Center workers are often described as nurses, this isn't always the case. Earlier Pokemon games instead referred to them as receptionists, while the games - both past and present - have also called them Pokemon Center Ladies on occasion. The TCG has largely taken the latter approach too, although there was a Pokemon Center Nurse card in 2002's Expedition Base Set.
4 Nurse Joy Has Appeared In A Few Mainline Pokemon Games
When it comes to Pokemon Center workers, they don't come much bigger than Nurse Joy. In the Pokemon anime, a different, yet near identical Nurse Joy can be found in pretty much every Pokemon Center visited by Ash and his friends. What many people might not realize though is that Joy is actually a family name, which is also the case with the series' law enforcement officers; all of whom are known as Officer Jenny.
Neither Nurse Joy nor Officer Jenny are exclusive to the anime, however, with both having appeared in three mainline Pokemon games. The titles in question are Pokemon Yellow and the two Let's Go! remakes, which also include Jessie and James from Team Rocket. Whether or not they'll ever make a return remains to be seen, though it seems unlikely; at least until Nintendo decides to remake the gen 1 games for the fifth time.
3 The Pokemon Center Assistant Varies By Region
Those who have watched the anime will likely know that Nurse Joy doesn't work alone. While the Joy family may remain consistent throughout each Pokemon region though, their Pokemon assistant varies depending on where in the world they are. Like Nurse Joy herself though, the only time that these Pokemon assistants have been seen in games is in Pokemon Yellow and the Let's Go! titles, where she's helped by a Chansey.
This is in keeping with the anime, although certain regions have been shown to have different Pokemon helping out from time to time. Audino and Wigglytuff can be found working in Pokemon Centers in Unova and Kalos respectively, while in Alola, Nurse Joy is assisted by a Blissey and a Comfey. These are never seen in games, however, as Pokemon assistants have never been used outside of titles that take place in the Kanto region.
2 It's Possible To Battle A Pokemon Center Nurse
Pokemon Center workers in the games may not have assistants, but some of them do have Pokemon of their own. This can be seen in both the gen 4 and gen 7 games, where players are able to compete against Pokemon Center nurses. In Diamond, Pearl & Platinum, players come up against a nurse named Casey in the Pokemon Super Contest, while in Alola, there's a trainer class called Pokemon Center Lady in the Battle Royal Dome, Battle Tree, and Battle Agency.
Casey comes equipped only with a female Chansey named Pinky, while the Pokemon Center Lady class has access to over 50 Pokemon. These include every possible Eeveelution, various legendaries as well as Blissey and Audino. Despite their strong links with Chansey though, neither of the trainers have one in their possible lineups, nor is there any sign of a Wigglytuff or a Comfey.
1 Japan Now Has More Pokemon Centers Than The Gen 1 Games
The original gen 1 Pokemon games feature 12 Pokemon Centers, nine of which can be found in Kanto's ten major towns and cities. The only major location not to feature a Pokemon Center is Pallet Town, which started a long-running tradition of Pokemon Centers not appearing in a protagonist's hometown. There are also Pokemon Centers on routes 4 and 10, as well as one at the Indigo Plateau. Despite having a healthy headstart over the country on which they were based though, the games have since been overtaken by Japan.
As of the time of writing, the country now has 15 Pokemon centers, though it's worth noting that not all of these are confined to Japan's Kanto region. The only other country to have its own official brick-and-mortar Pokemon Center is Singapore, with New York's Pokemon center having been absorbed into Nintendo New York in early 2016. North Americans do still have access to an online Pokemon Center though, as too do people living in South Korea.