In a move sure to delight long-time fans of the franchise, a Pokemon fan has revealed a massive piece of art containing every main character, human and Pokemon alike, from across the series’ history. For Pokemon super fans still poring over every detail of the latest Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer, hunting through this detailed picture to find their favorite characters from games past could be a great way to pass the time until that game’s November 18 release.
The Pokemon franchise originated in Japan with Pocket Monsters: Red and Green for the Nintendo Game Boy, released in 1996 by developer Game Freak. Retitled as Pokemon Red and Blue for release outside of Japan, the game became an instant hit with fans and critics, and served as the foundation for what would eventually become a massive, multi-billion dollar media empire. In the 26 years since the franchise began, it has gone on to spawn countless games across several platforms, multiple TV series and movies, and even got gamers across the globe to explore the world around them thanks to the location-based mobile game Pokemon GO.
In a post on r/pokemon, Reddit user deandraws26 has unveiled their spectacular drawing including every main character from across the beloved franchise’s 26-year history. As expected, nearly every character is accompanied by their signature Pokemon sidekick. The highly detailed drawing, which took 3 months and 130 hours to complete, serves as a great visual overview of the series’ many protagonists. Taking center stage in the artwork are trainer Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, his shock-inducing stalwart sidekick, the duo that served as many gamers’ first introduction to the world of Pokemon.
Response to the fan creation, available to view as a single massive image in deandraw's Reddit post, was overwhelmingly positive. One commenter was so impressed with the image that they initially thought it was a piece of official art. Other commenters asked if they could purchase a print of the nostalgia-packed piece, and deandraws26 stated that they would be more than happy to sell prints to fellow Pokemon fans. The Pokemon franchise has inspired some truly unique fan creations over the years, from simple drawings to a Pokemon fan dressing their dog as Houndoom for Halloween, and this piece of fan art is one of the best yet.
As the Pokemon franchise celebrates just over a quarter of a century of delighting fans worldwide, this artwork looking back at the many characters players have encountered along the way is truly something special. While gamers wait to get their hands on the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, taking a stroll down memory lane to celebrate the franchise’s long history with this fan creation could be the perfect way to celebrate their love of the series.
