There are a lot of aspects of thePokemonfranchise that have helped it become the media juggernaut it is today. As the origin and a consistently big part of that success, thePokemongames deserve special mention.
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While there are many valid criticisms to level at the games, they also do a lot right, including being thebirthplace of mostPokemon’sdesignsand plotlines. The games do have a reputation for having rather simplistic stories, but across the main series and plenty of spin-offs, they have produced quite afew genuinely compelling plots for players to get invested in.
7Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red/Blue Rescue Team
As the first games in thePokemon Mystery Dungeonseries,Red and Blue Rescue Teamwere the first to use the premise of a human being transformed into a Pokemon. This premise gave the originalMystery Dungeonprotagonist one of the most interesting perspectives of anyPokemonprotagonist.
While these first games don’t have the best narrative of anyMystery Dungeontitle, the bond between the player and their partner is very sweet, and even the side characters are full of personality. The fact that the player is a human in a Pokemon-only world also makes them be distrusted by the other characters, which is rare for aPokemongame.
6Pokemon Colosseum
Colosseumoften gets praise for being one of the onlyPokemongames that features a reformed villain as the protagonist. Wes is a former member of ‘team snagem’, and even starts the game by stealing from them and setting off an explosion in one of their bases. ThePokemonseries has always been rather black and white with its morality, and this one simple change makesColosseum’s plot stand out.
The game also introduces ‘shadow Pokemon, which add some challenge both to the gameplay and Wes’ quest to defeat the organization known as Cipher. Besides these unique traits however, it is a fairly standardPokemonstory, trading in the quest to become champion for more focus on the evil team plotline.
5Pokemon Black And White
The major intrigue inBlackandWhitehinges on N and hissuggestion that Pokemon battling is a cruel activity. At the time of the game’s release, this was an idea that had been joked about in fan circles, so seeing the games themselves address it was an interesting move. Even powerful trainers in the game are forced to at least entertain the idea, and it’s the closest the main series has come to a genuine moral conundrum.
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While the story eventually reaffirms the importance of human and Pokemon bonds, N’s challenge of the status quo has made him a memorable character even over a decade later. Team Plasma as a whole is also one of the more interesting evil teams, and helps give Unova its unique identity.
4Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Pokemon Legends: Arceushas a premisethat surprised and intrigued players from the start. It sees a young trainer being transported back in time byArceusitself, in order to help the humans of the past connect with pokemon. As good as this premise is, the characters and conflicts in the game are also quite compelling, especially characterslike Kamado and Volo, who act in more believable ways than mostPokemoncharacters.
It’s also one of the fewPokemongames that addresses themes of fear, distrust, and survival. Its setting is one in which humans and Pokemon are still hostile to each other, so there is just more tension in the story. It also manages to reward fans via characters like Ingo who is much more intriguing for those who played the games set in Unova.
3Pokemon Sun And Moon
For the most part,PokemonSunandMoonhave standard storylines for the series, with a team of antagonists and a quest to become champion being the main focus. Where the story gets uniquely interesting, is with the introduction of the Aether Foundation and the Ultra Beasts.
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Specifically,Aether’s leader Lusamineand her family are the source of much of the game’s drama. Her grief at the loss of her husband led to her neglecting her children Lillie and Gladion, who both go on to escape their mother and ally with the player. It’s rare that Pokemon addresses family drama and child abuse, butSunandMoonpull it off quite well.
2Pokemon Scarlet And Violet
Off the back of the disastrously handled story ofPokemon SwordandShield, it shocked manyfans just how compellingScarletandViolet’sstory is. At first, it presents the goal of becoming a champion, as well as defeating Team Star and helping Arven find ‘herba mystica’ for an undisclosed reason. However, it only becomes better from there.
From the bullying plotline of Team Star to the slow reveal of Arven’s quest to save his dying Mabostiff, the story tackles fairly mature topics for aPokemongame. This goes even further in the depths of Area Zero, where the games not only confirm the rare death of a characterPokemon, but also unravel a story surrounding the professors and their sordid relationship with Arven, their son.
1Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Sky
While theRed and Blue Rescue Teamgames started off theMystery Dungeonseries,Explorers of Skyis considered by most fans to be the pinnacle of the series. Its story first appears inExplorers of TimeandExplorers of Darkness, butSkyis the definitive version.
Sky’s story is an epic in every sense of the word. The cast is easily lovable, and even without voice acting carry the weighty emotions of the plot perfectly. The adventure involves time travel and existential elements, and has easily the most heart-wrenching ending of anyPokemongame. And it earns this ending through constantly, expertly building up character relationships, motivations and delivering impactful story beats.
