Pokemon X & Y (Nintendo 3DS)

Titles	Pokémon X & Pokémon Y ポケットモンスター Ｘ · Ｙ
Platform	Nintendo 3DS – Game Card and Nintendo eShop download
Developer	Game Freak
Publisher	The Pokémon Company (Japan) / Nintendo (elsewhere)
Director	Junichi Masuda
Producers	Hitoshi Yamagami, Shusaku Egami, Takato Utsunomiya, Junichi Masuda
Composers	Shota Kageyama, Minako Adachi, Hitomi Sato and Junichi Masuda, with Go Ichinose and Morikazu Aoki
Art director	Ken Sugimori
Players	1–4 (local wireless; online play closed in April 2024)
Generation	Generation VI – the first Kalos games
New Pokémon	72 (National Pokédex #650–721; 721 in all)
Mega Evolutions	28 Mega forms for 26 species in play (Mega Latias and Latios are in the data)
Languages	Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Korean on every copy
Predecessor	Pokémon Black 2 & White 2
Successor	Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire (next generation: Sun & Moon)
Released	12 October 2013, worldwide on the same day (Japan, the Americas, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan)
Rating	CERO A · ESRB E (Everyone) · PEGI 7 · PG (Australia)
Bundles	Limited-edition Nintendo 3DS XL with Shiny Xerneas and Yveltal (27 September 2013 in Europe and North America)
Sales	16.80 million combined (31 March 2026) – over 4 million in the first weekend

Overview · Quick Answers · Story · Anime & Movies · Gameplay & features · Mega Evolution · Team Flare · The Kalos region · Can I catch them all? · Characters · Gym Leaders · Elite Four · Glitches · Videos · Trivia · Legacy · Sales & Reviews · Media

Overview

Pokémon X and Y are the main paired titles that kick off Generation VI on the Nintendo 3DS. The games are set in the Kalos region, which is inspired mostly by France, and more specifically by Paris in the case of the games’ main city, Lumiose City. X and Y introduced us to 72 new Pokémon and 28 new Mega Evolved forms.

The games’ mascots are the Legendary Pokémon Xerneas (for Pokémon X) and Yveltal (for Pokémon Y). You may note that the names of each game’s Legendary mascot start with the same letter as the name of the version they feature in.

These games were first announced in a Pokémon Direct presented by Satoru Iwata on January 8th, 2013 (you can watch this Pokémon Direct in the videos section below). Additionally, they were the first core series titles to be released on the same day worldwide (in terms of the standard Japan, U.S., Europe and Australia release regions at least). The titles were released as physical retail copies and also became available for digital download on this date. Regardless of your country of purchase, every copy of Pokémon X and Y has all seven release languages built in: Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Korean.

Quick Answers

The questions people ask about X and Y, answered first and explained further down the page.

What is the difference between Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, and which should I buy?

Pick whichever cover legendary you prefer: X has Xerneas and Y has Yveltal. Each version also has 20 exclusives counting its legendary, such as Clauncher and Swirlix in X or Skrelp and Spritzee in Y, plus its own Mega Stones, including Charizardite X and Mewtwonite X in X and the Y versions in Y. The story is identical. More →

How does Mega Evolution work, and how do I get the Mega Ring?

Give a compatible Pokémon its Mega Stone, carry a Key Stone and choose Mega Evolution in battle; the change lasts until the battle ends, and each Trainer may Mega Evolve only once per battle. The Key Stone is set in the Mega Ring, which Korrina presents atop Shalour City’s Tower of Mastery after you beat her Gym. More →

How do I get a Kanto starter and a second Kalos starter?

Beat Professor Sycamore in his Lumiose City lab, where he battles with Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle at level 10, and he lets you keep one, along with the Mega Stone for its final form. After you become Champion, Shauna waits in Vaniville Town and trades the Kalos starter that yours beats for any Pokémon. More →

How do I catch Xerneas, Yveltal and Zygarde?

Xerneas in X or Yveltal in Y is a compulsory level 50 encounter deep inside the Team Flare Secret HQ beneath Geosenge Town, and the story cannot continue until it is caught. Zygarde, at level 70, rests in the deepest chamber of Terminus Cave off Route 18, which an Ace Trainer blocks until you have entered the Hall of Fame. More →

Which legendary bird can I catch in X and Y?

That depends on your Kalos starter: Chespin leads to Articuno, Fennekin to Zapdos and Froakie to Moltres. The bird roams Kalos, appearing briefly and flying off; after eleven such encounters it settles in the Sea Spirit’s Den in Azure Bay, where it waits at level 70 and can finally be caught. Only one bird is available per save file. More →

How do I catch Mewtwo in X and Y?

Become Champion first, then head through the Winding Woods to the Pokémon Village near Snowbelle City and Surf to the entrance of the Unknown Dungeon. Mewtwo waits at the far end at level 70; bring a strong team and plenty of Ultra Balls, or the Master Ball from the Poké Ball Factory if you saved it. More →

What did the Fairy type change?

Fairy attacks are super effective against Dragon, Fighting and Dark but resisted by Fire, Poison and Steel. Fairy Pokémon are immune to Dragon moves, resist Fighting, Bug and Dark, and are weak only to Poison and Steel. Older species such as Clefairy, Togepi and Gardevoir gained the type, and Steel lost its resistances to Ghost and Dark. More →

What do Pokémon-Amie and Super Training do?

Pokémon-Amie lets you stroke, feed and play touch-screen games with your Pokémon; high affection can help it dodge attacks, land critical hits, survive a knockout blow or earn extra experience. Super Training turns base-stat (EV) training into minigames and Training Bags, with a chart showing exactly which stats you have built up. More →

Do X and Y’s online features still work?

Mostly not. Nintendo switched off 3DS online play on 8 April 2024 (the early hours of 9 April in the UK), ending the GTS, Wonder Trade and internet battles through the PSS. Local wireless trades and battles still work. Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter keep running until 26 February 2027, so move anything stored there to Pokémon HOME before then. More →

Is Pokémon X and Y on Nintendo Switch, and how does Legends: Z-A connect?

No. X and Y have never been re-released or remastered and remain Nintendo 3DS games. Pokémon Legends: Z-A, released for Switch and Switch 2 on 16 October 2025, is a new adventure set entirely in Lumiose City about five years after X and Y, bringing back Mega Evolution, AZ and the aftermath of Team Flare’s ultimate weapon. More →

Plot / Story

Waking up from a good night’s sleep, the player is encouraged by their mother to talk to their neighbour, either Serena or Calem, and then they learn that Professor Sycamore has a request for a group of five friends: the player, their rival, Shauna, Tierno and Trevor. Once the player arrives in Aquacorde Town they will have to choose one of the starter Pokémon, Fennekin, Froakie or Chespin. The rival chooses the Pokémon with the type advantage over the one the player picks and Shauna picks the weaker one, and Trevor gives the player a Pokédex. After talking to their mother in Vaniville Town, the player goes to Santalune Forest; after going through it and arriving in Santalune City they get a pair of Roller Skates and take on the Bug master, Viola, before heading to Lumiose City.

Once they arrive they meet Sina and Dexio, who tell the player about Fairy-type Pokémon. There is a power outage in the city, so they go to meet Professor Sycamore and meet up with their friends. After a battle with the Professor they are able to pick a Kanto starter Pokémon. Dexio and Lysandre talk about the potential of this group of friends, who come to the player, and Tierno directs them to Café Soleil and Camphrier Town. Lysandre is chatting with Diantha, a Kalos actress, in the café, asking her if she wants to be beautiful forever; she dismisses it, as she wants to play more mature roles as she gets older.

After following Route 5 they arrive in Camphrier Town, meeting Korrina and her Lucario on the way. There is a sleeping Snorlax blocking the way, so the player is forced to go to Parfum Palace, where Shauna helps the player find a lost Furfrou before the fireworks show. As a prize they get the Poké Flute, with which they wake up the sleeping Snorlax and are able to advance to the Connecting Cave.

Being forced to follow an alternative route, the player gets to Route 8, where they receive the Coastal Kalos Pokédex, right before arriving in Ambrette Town, where they ride a Rhyhorn through Route 9 before entering the Glittering Cave. Inside, along with their rival, they face Team Flare and rescue a Fossil Lab researcher, who offers them the choice of the Jaw Fossil or the Sail Fossil.

Going through the coastal part of Route 8 the player gets to Cyllage City, where they beat Grant to get the Cliff Badge. The player meets Korrina while passing through Geosenge Town, and she tells them that Lucario senses something in the player’s aura. After passing through the Reflection Cave they get to Shalour City, getting a message telling them to visit Gurkinn, the Mega Evolution expert, who is in the Tower of Mastery.

Gurkinn then tells the player and their friends about Mega Evolution, which requires a Mega Stone, a Mega Ring and a bond between the Trainer and Pokémon. Gurkinn only has one Mega Ring, and after a battle with the rival for it, Korrina tells the player to come to her Gym and defeat her first. After she is defeated, the player receives the Rumble Badge, and atop the tower the Mega Ring and a Lucario that holds Lucarionite. Afterwards the player heads to Coumarine City, where they challenge Ramos, getting the Plant Badge; walking through to Route 13, they find Sina and Dexio, who give them the Mountain Kalos Pokédex.

The player is unable to go to Lumiose City because of the power outage, which makes them go to the power plant, where they find out that Team Flare is wreaking havoc. After defeating a scientist the power is restored to Lumiose City, opening the path so the player can battle Clemont and get the Voltage Badge. The player then goes to Laverre City, beating Valerie to get the Fairy Badge.

The player and their friends find Team Flare at the Poké Ball Factory, fending them off after defeating Celosia and Bryony. As they arrive in Dendemille Town, Professor Sycamore and his aides discuss the legend of Xerneas or Yveltal. Unable to get to Anistar City because of the snow on Route 17, the player is forced to go to Frost Cavern. Here the player has to defeat Mable to, once again, fend off Team Flare and save an Abomasnow, after which a Mamoswine carries the player across Route 17 to Anistar City, where they get the Psychic Badge from Olympia.

On the player’s way out of the Gym, Lysandre reveals that he has plans to use the ultimate weapon. The player then travels to Lysandre Labs to defeat him and Xerosic. The player then discovers that Lysandre has imprisoned AZ. Lysandre tells the story of how AZ used the ultimate weapon to revive his Floette and then used it to end the war 3,000 years ago. Lysandre lets the player try to turn the ultimate weapon off with one of Xerosic’s switches, but whichever is chosen, the weapon is unleashed at Geosenge Town. At the Team Flare Secret HQ there, the player beats the four scientists who assist Lysandre, and Lysandre tells of his plans to eradicate all Pokémon and people who do not agree with his ideals. After defeating him and catching the Legendary Pokémon, the player faces Lysandre one last time; he tries to use the remaining energy in the weapon for his goals, only to be caught in the destruction it causes.

Following their way to Couriway Town and Snowbelle City, the player arrives and finds out that Wulfric is missing. In order to find him, the player has to go to the Pokémon Village, where Wulfric explains that the Pokémon there once were abused. After returning to his city’s Gym and battling the player, he rewards the player with the Iceberg Badge after being defeated. With their final Badge in hand, the player goes through Route 21 into Victory Road and then to the Pokémon League, where they have to face the Elite Four.

The Elite Four consists of Malva, the Fire-type Pokémon specialist, Wikstrom, the Steel-type Trainer, Drasna, who uses Dragon-type Pokémon, and Siebold, the Water-type Pokémon Elite; after that they face the Kalos Champion, Diantha. After entering the Hall of Fame, Sycamore organises a parade for the player. During this parade AZ asks the player for a battle; after the battle AZ says that he finally knows what it means to be a Trainer, and his Floette appears from the sky, getting together with him again.

The whole journey in brief, from Vaniville Town to the victory parade

The adventure opens in Vaniville Town, where the player’s new neighbour, Serena or Calem, leads the way to Aquacorde Town. Shauna, Tierno and Trevor are waiting there: Tierno brings Professor Sycamore’s starters, the neighbour takes the one with the type advantage, Shauna takes the one at a disadvantage and Trevor hands over the Pokédex. Viola runs the first Gym in Santalune City, and beyond it lies Lumiose City, half closed by a blackout. Sycamore offers one of the three Kanto starters after a battle, Lysandre appears at the lab, and in Café Soleil the actress Diantha shrugs off his talk of everlasting beauty.

Past Camphrier Town a sleeping Snorlax blocks Route 7, so the player and Shauna chase down the runaway Furfrou at Parfum Palace and earn the Poké Flute. Connecting Cave opens onto the coast and Ambrette Town, and a Rhyhorn ride leads to Glittering Cave, where the player and rival drive off Team Flare and are offered the Jaw or Sail Fossil. Grant falls in Cyllage City, Korrina tests the player among the standing stones of Geosenge Town, and in Shalour City her grandfather Gurkinn explains Mega Evolution at the Tower of Mastery. Defeating Korrina at her Gym and then atop the tower earns the Mega Ring and a Lucario.

After Ramos in Coumarine City, Team Flare is caught draining the Kalos Power Plant; once it is stopped, Lumiose’s lights return and Clemont can be challenged. At his café, Lysandre tells of an ancient king’s weapon. Valerie leads Laverre City, where a raid on the Poké Ball Factory is beaten back, and Mable’s grunts are cleared out of Frost Cavern near Dendemille Town before a Mamoswine carries the player to Anistar City and Olympia. Lysandre then announces himself as Team Flare’s leader to all of Kalos. Beneath his café, Lysandre Labs holds the captive AZ, and Xerosic’s rigged switches raise the ultimate weapon at Geosenge Town. In the Secret HQ below, the player catches Xerneas or Yveltal and beats Lysandre, whose final shot destroys the weapon and buries him.

Sycamore battles again in Couriway Town, Wulfric is tracked down in the Pokémon Village before his Snowbelle City Gym, and Victory Road leads to the Elite Four and Champion Diantha. At the victory parade AZ asks for a battle and is reunited with his Floette. In the post-game, the Looker Bureau in Lumiose uncovers Xerosic’s Essentia scheme, a train runs to Kiloude City’s Battle Maison and Friend Safari, and Zygarde, Mewtwo and a roaming legendary bird await capture.

Twenty things X & Y did first

• The first core series games presented fully in 3D, with polygonal models for every Pokémon, character and location
• The first core series games released on the same day worldwide, on 12 October 2013
• The first core series games to drop the word ‘Version’ from their Western titles
• Mega Evolution introduced: temporary battle-only forms, 28 of them for 26 species at launch
• The Fairy type introduced, the first new type since Dark and Steel arrived in Generation II
• Steel lost its resistances to Ghost and Dark
• Eight-directional movement, a first for the core series, plus Roller Skates for skating and tricks
• The first core series games that let the player change their character’s look, from hairstyles to outfits
• The Player Search System (PSS) on the touch screen, linking friends, acquaintances and passers-by
• Wonder Trade: blind swaps with a random Trainer somewhere in the world
• Horde Encounters: five wild Pokémon in a single battle
• Sky Battles against Sky Trainers, using only Pokémon that fly or float
• Inverse Battles, which turn the type chart upside down
• Pokémon-Amie and Super Training on the touch screen
• O-Powers: temporary boosts that can be used on yourself or gifted to other players
• A regional Pokédex split into Central, Coastal and Mountain Kalos sections
• Four friends instead of a single rival: Serena or Calem, Shauna, Tierno and Trevor
• A Kanto starter (Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle) offered in addition to the Kalos starter
• No opening cinematic before the title screen; the introduction follows it instead
• Professor Sycamore is the first Pokémon Professor the player can battle in the core series

Your rival and friends – and the Team Flare battles

The rival (Serena or Calem, whichever you didn’t pick) takes the starter that beats yours and Shauna the one that loses to it; where a team depends on your choice the options run Chespin / Fennekin / Froakie. The Team Flare and Lysandre battles are listed in the order you meet them.

• Shauna – Aquacorde Town: Froakie Lv. 5 (if you chose Chespin), Chespin Lv. 5 (Fennekin) or Fennekin Lv. 5 (Froakie); winning is optional
• Tierno – Route 5: Corphish Lv. 12
• Tierno and Trevor – Route 7, Multi Battle with Serena/Calem as your partner: Tierno’s Corphish Lv. 16; Trevor’s Pikachu Lv. 14 and Flabébé Lv. 14
• Team Flare Grunts – Glittering Cave, Multi Battle with Serena/Calem as your partner
• Serena/Calem – Tower of Mastery, Shalour City: Meowstic Lv. 28, Absol Lv. 28 and Braixen Lv. 30 (if you chose Chespin), Frogadier Lv. 30 (Fennekin) or Quilladin Lv. 30 (Froakie)
• Serena/Calem – Coumarine City, outside the Gym: Meowstic Lv. 31, Absol Lv. 31 and Braixen, Frogadier or Quilladin Lv. 33
• Boss – Team Flare at the Kalos Power Plant, Route 13: Aliana and an Admin draining Lumiose City’s power
• Serena/Calem – Route 14: Meowstic Lv. 35, Absol Lv. 35 and Delphox, Greninja or Chesnaught Lv. 37
• Boss – Celosia and Bryony, Poké Ball Factory, Laverre City: Multi Battle with Serena/Calem as your partner
• Boss – Mable, Frost Cavern
• Serena/Calem – Anistar City: Meowstic Lv. 44, Absol Lv. 44, Jolteon, Flareon or Vaporeon Lv. 44 and Delphox, Greninja or Chesnaught Lv. 46
• Boss – Lysandre (first battle), Lysandre Labs, Lumiose City: Mienfoo Lv. 45, Murkrow Lv. 45, Pyroar Lv. 47, Gyarados Lv. 49
• Boss – Xerosic, Lysandre Labs, Lumiose City
• Boss – Team Flare’s admins and grunts, Team Flare Secret HQ: Multi Battles with Serena/Calem as your partner (Meowstic Lv. 45, Absol Lv. 46, Jolteon, Flareon or Vaporeon Lv. 46 and Delphox, Greninja or Chesnaught Lv. 49)
• Boss – Lysandre (second battle), Team Flare Secret HQ: Mienshao Lv. 47, Honchkrow Lv. 47, Pyroar Lv. 49, Gyarados Lv. 51
• Boss – Lysandre (final battle, in the Lysandre Machine), Team Flare Secret HQ: Mienshao Lv. 49, Honchkrow Lv. 49, Pyroar Lv. 51, Gyarados Lv. 53 holding Gyaradosite (Mega Evolves)
• Shauna – Route 19: Delcatty Lv. 49, Goodra Lv. 49 and Greninja (if you chose Chespin), Chesnaught (Fennekin) or Delphox (Froakie) Lv. 51
• Tierno – Route 19: Talonflame Lv. 48, Roserade Lv. 49, Crawdaunt Lv. 52
• Trevor – Route 19: Raichu Lv. 49, Aerodactyl Lv. 49, Florges Lv. 51
• Serena/Calem – Victory Road: Meowstic Lv. 57, Jolteon, Flareon or Vaporeon Lv. 57, Altaria Lv. 58, Absol Lv. 59 and Delphox, Greninja or Chesnaught Lv. 61
• Serena/Calem – Kiloude City, post-game, once a day: Meowstic Lv. 66, Jolteon, Flareon or Vaporeon Lv. 66, Clefable Lv. 68, Absol Lv. 68 holding Absolite, Altaria Lv. 67 and Delphox, Greninja or Chesnaught Lv. 70

AZ and the ultimate weapon

AZ was king of Kalos some 3,000 years ago and treasured a Floette that his late mother had given him. When war engulfed the region, the Floette was sent into the fighting and died. Grief-stricken, AZ built a machine that brought her back to life by drawing on the life energy of other Pokémon, then turned it into the ultimate weapon and fired it, wiping out both sides and ending the war. The blast made him immortal and about three metres tall, but Floette, horrified that her revival had cost so many lives, abandoned him, and he has wandered since. The player first spots him on Route 13, then finds him locked in a cell beneath Lysandre Labs, and he is freed when Team Flare falls. At the victory parade he battles with Torkoal, Golurk and Sigilyph at level 60, and Floette returns to him. Lysandre is of royal Kalos blood, though his line runs through AZ’s younger brother.

Xerneas, Yveltal and Zygarde

Kalos folklore revolves around three Pokémon. Xerneas, the antlered Pokémon of life, is said to share eternal life with others and spends long ages asleep in the form of a tree. Yveltal, the winged Pokémon of destruction, absorbs the life force of living things before wrapping itself in a cocoon. Zygarde, the Pokémon of order, watches over the region’s ecosystem from deep inside its caves and stirs when that balance is threatened. History and myth meet in the ultimate weapon: AZ’s machine ran on the life energy of Pokémon, and Lysandre planned to recharge it with the power of the legendary Pokémon sleeping beneath Geosenge Town, Xerneas in X and Yveltal in Y. Once the player catches it, the drained weapon has a single shot left.

In the anime and movies

The anime arrived in Kalos five days after the games, and Ash’s three Kalos seasons stayed close to their Gyms, their Mega Evolution lore and, in the end, to Team Flare and Zygarde.

In the anime

Anime seasons which loosely tie in with X & Y (in terms of locations, NPCs such as Gym Leaders and Pokémon):

Season 17: XY2013–2014Ash arrives in Lumiose City and teams up with Serena, Clemont and Bonnie. The 48 episodes, which premiered in English on 19 October 2013 before the regular run from January 2014, take the group through Santalune, Cyllage and Shalour, with Gym battles against Viola, Grant and Korrina and an early focus on Mega Lucario.Season 18: XY Kalos Quest2014–2015The journey continues through the middle of Kalos as Ash works towards his later Badges, Serena finds her calling in Pokémon Showcases and Team Rocket shadows the group. The season keeps the games’ locations and Gym Leaders front and centre while building up the friendships that drive XYZ.Season 19: XYZ2015–2016Opening with Team Flare’s attempt to seize Zygarde in Terminus Cave in ‘From A to Z!’, the final season covers Ash’s win over Wulfric, the Kalos League and his final against Alain, before Lysandre’s forces take over Lumiose City and Zygarde joins the fight to stop them.

In the movies

Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction2014Stars Diancie, Generation VI’s first Mythical Pokémon, and features both Xerneas and Yveltal; Diancie was distributed for X and Y alongside it.Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages2015Centres on Hoopa and the legendary Pokémon it summons through its rings; Hoopa was distributed for X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire to mark it.Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel2016Pairs Volcanion, the last Pokémon of the 721, with the artificial Magearna in a Kalos-era adventure; Volcanion was distributed for the Generation VI games.

The Kalos episodes

Where the games’ Gyms and story reach the screen:

• XY001Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin! – Ash and Pikachu arrive in Lumiose City and meet Clemont and Bonnie at Prism Tower (Japan, 17 October 2013).
• XY005A Blustery Santalune Gym Battle! – Ash’s first Kalos Gym battle ends in defeat by Viola and her Vivillon.
• XY024Climbing the Walls! – Ash takes on Grant at the climbing-wall Gym in Cyllage City.
• XY043Showdown at the Shalour Gym! – Ash battles Korrina and her Mega Lucario for the Rumble Badge.
• XY094From A to Z! – Team Flare corner Zygarde in Terminus Cave, opening the XYZ season.
• XY122A Real Icebreaker! – Ash beats Wulfric in a rematch for his eighth Badge after Wulfric Mega Evolves Abomasnow.
• XY130Finals Not for the Faint-Hearted! – The Kalos League final between Ash and Alain begins.

Gameplay & new features

As the first adventure games released in the sixth generation, Pokémon X and Y bring many fun new features and gameplay mechanics, including the 3D gameplay the Pokémon community had waited so long for. The gameplay features are as follows:

The big changes

• True 3D gameplay: it is the most important advancement implemented in the games: the series’ first fully 3D adventure, with stereoscopic 3D used in battles and selected scenes, for the first time in the Pokémon series. The Pokémon and the characters are now fully animated 3D models. The environment, too, is well designed and filled with 3D objects to fit the gameplay. Due to this change, the battles are way more dynamic and Pokémon feel more alive, especially with the addition of Pokémon reactions when they get hit.
• Movement: the player’s character, which is controlled from an overhead third-person perspective, can move in eight directions, as diagonal movement is now possible. The player can still use the Bicycle, along with Roller Skates, which have a slower movement speed than the bike. Furthermore, some Pokémon can even be ridden now in specific areas, including Rhyhorn, Gogoat and Mamoswine, and they can interact with different objects in the Pokémon world.
• Fairy type: due to the fact that the Dragon type was considered by most to be too strong, as it only had two weaknesses, the Fairy type was added as a third weakness for it. It is the first time since the second-generation games that a Pokémon type has been added. The Fairy type is strong against the Dragon, Dark and Fighting types, completely immune to Dragon-type moves, and weak against Poison- and Steel-type moves (Fire, Poison and Steel resist its attacks).
• Mega Evolution: another new feature that allows a few Pokémon to transform during battle, increasing their stats and changing their appearances and Abilities. Mega Evolution happens when the player attaches certain Mega Stones to their Pokémon and then activates the Key Stone they have. The Key Stone will resonate with the Mega Stone attached to the Pokémon, triggering its Mega Evolution during battle.

New ways to play

• Super Training: a new training method introduced in X and Y, which helps increase a Pokémon’s stats and not its level. The player can also use different Training Bags to alter and customise their Pokémon’s progress.
• Sky Battles: a new battle mode where only Flying-type Pokémon or those with the Ability Levitate can participate. The Pokémon battle in the sky, as their Trainers remain far away on ground level.
• Pokémon-Amie: using the touch screen, the player can interact with the Pokémon they have in their party, feeding them, petting them and even playing with them. This increases the Pokémon’s affection and strengthens its relationship with its Trainer.
• Player Search System: the PSS feature allows the player to look for other players on the internet, on a local and global level, enabling them to trade Pokémon and battle against others.
• Horde Encounters: this feature offers the possibility of encountering five Pokémon at the same time, which the player has to battle simultaneously. Each turn the five Pokémon attack the player’s one, which makes the battle harder but also very rewarding in terms of experience. Moves that target a whole area can hit all the Pokémon at the same time, so having a Pokémon with such moves can greatly help farm experience.
• Character customisation: this feature allows the player to customise their character, whether male or female. They can change their haircut and hair colour in salons, with a variety of choices. New clothes can be bought at boutiques and clothes shops, and can later be changed in fitting rooms. The player may also change their character’s eye colour with contact lenses and even use make-up.

The Mega Evolutions of X & Y

The Pokémon that are able to Mega Evolve are, for the most part, ones which were pretty powerful in their own right anyway; there’s not a Caterpie Mega Evolution, for example. Check out the full list of Mega Evolutions added in X and Y:

Pokémon	Type	Mega Stone	Mega form	Ability	Mega type
Alakazam	Psychic	Alakazite	Mega Alakazam	Trace	Psychic
Gardevoir	Psychic/Fairy	Gardevoirite	Mega Gardevoir	Pixilate	Psychic/Fairy
Mewtwo	Psychic	Mewtwonite X / Y	Mega Mewtwo X / Y	Steadfast / Insomnia	Psychic/Fighting / Psychic
Medicham	Fighting/Psychic	Medichamite	Mega Medicham	Pure Power	Fighting/Psychic
Blaziken	Fire/Fighting	Blazikenite	Mega Blaziken	Speed Boost	Fire/Fighting
Lucario	Fighting/Steel	Lucarionite	Mega Lucario	Adaptability	Fighting/Steel
Heracross	Bug/Fighting	Heracronite	Mega Heracross	Skill Link	Bug/Fighting
Pinsir	Bug	Pinsirite	Mega Pinsir	Aerilate	Bug/Flying
Scizor	Bug/Steel	Scizorite	Mega Scizor	Technician	Bug/Steel
Mawile	Steel/Fairy	Mawilite	Mega Mawile	Huge Power	Steel/Fairy
Aggron	Steel/Rock	Aggronite	Mega Aggron	Filter	Steel
Tyranitar	Rock/Dark	Tyranitarite	Mega Tyranitar	Sand Stream	Rock/Dark
Aerodactyl	Rock/Flying	Aerodactylite	Mega Aerodactyl	Tough Claws	Rock/Flying
Gyarados	Water/Flying	Gyaradosite	Mega Gyarados	Mold Breaker	Water/Dark
Charizard	Fire/Flying	Charizardite X / Y	Mega Charizard X / Y	Tough Claws / Drought	Fire/Dragon / Fire/Flying
Houndoom	Dark/Fire	Houndoominite	Mega Houndoom	Solar Power	Dark/Fire
Absol	Dark	Absolite	Mega Absol	Magic Bounce	Dark
Banette	Ghost	Banettite	Mega Banette	Prankster	Ghost
Gengar	Ghost/Poison	Gengarite	Mega Gengar	Shadow Tag	Ghost/Poison
Venusaur	Grass/Poison	Venusaurite	Mega Venusaur	Thick Fat	Grass/Poison
Abomasnow	Grass/Ice	Abomasite	Mega Abomasnow	Snow Warning	Grass/Ice
Blastoise	Water	Blastoisinite	Mega Blastoise	Mega Launcher	Water
Kangaskhan	Normal	Kangaskhanite	Mega Kangaskhan	Parental Bond	Normal
Manectric	Electric	Manectite	Mega Manectric	Intimidate	Electric
Ampharos	Electric	Ampharosite	Mega Ampharos	Mold Breaker	Electric/Dragon
Garchomp	Dragon/Ground	Garchompite	Mega Garchomp	Sand Force	Dragon/Ground

Animated sprites by Pokémon Paraíso – big respect to them for creating these.

The table lists the 28 Mega forms of 26 species you can use in X and Y. The games’ data also holds Mega Latias and Mega Latios, which only joined the line-up properly once their Mega Stones arrived with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

In depth: everything X & Y add

The headline additions, one by one, with the fine print.

Mega EvolutionA temporary, battle-only evolution for certain fully evolved Pokémon. The Pokémon holds its own Mega Stone while its Trainer carries a Key Stone, worn in Kalos as the Mega Ring; each Trainer may trigger one Mega Evolution per battle and the change lasts until the battle is over. Mega forms gain higher stats and often a new Ability or type: Mega Charizard X turns Fire/Dragon, Mega Gyarados becomes Water/Dark and Mega Ampharos gains Dragon. After the main story, an upgraded Mega Ring reveals more Mega Stones around Kalos between 8pm and 9pm.

The Fairy typeThe first new type since Generation II, added largely to rein in the Dragon type. Fairy moves are super effective against Dragon, Fighting and Dark but resisted by Fire, Poison and Steel. Fairy Pokémon take no damage from Dragon moves, resist Fighting, Bug and Dark, and are weak only to Poison and Steel. Sylveon, Flabébé and Spritzee arrived with it, while the Clefairy, Jigglypuff, Togepi, Marill, Snubbull and Ralts lines, Mawile and Mr. Mime gained it. In the same overhaul, Steel stopped resisting Ghost and Dark.

True 3D and battle presentationX and Y replaced the series’ sprites with fully polygonal models, so every Pokémon now has animated idle poses, attacks and reactions to being hit. Battles gained sweeping camera angles and backgrounds that match the location, and the overworld became a 3D space with cinematic framing in places such as Lumiose City. The console’s stereoscopic effect is used mainly in battles and selected scenes rather than across the whole overworld, and the frame rate can dip in busier battles with the 3D slider raised.

Movement: eight directions, Roller Skates and rideable PokémonFor the first time in the core series the player can move diagonally, walking, running and skating in eight directions. Roller Skates, controlled with the Circle Pad, are faster than walking but slower than the Bicycle, and allow tricks on rails and ramps. Some Pokémon can be ridden on set paths: a Rhyhorn carries the player across the rocky Spikes Passage on Route 9, a Mamoswine ploughs through the deep snow of Route 17, and Gogoat shuttles trot along Lumiose City’s boulevards.

Pokémon-AmieA touch-screen mode for bonding with your party. You stroke a Pokémon’s favourite spots, feed it Poké Puffs and play three minigames together, raising its affection hearts. Affection has real effects in battle: a devoted Pokémon may shake off a status condition, dodge an attack, land more critical hits, cling on with 1 HP after a knockout blow or earn bonus experience. Affection is also the key to Sylveon, as Eevee evolves into it only when it knows a Fairy-type move and has at least two hearts.

Super TrainingClemont’s invention turns the hidden grind of effort-value training into touch-screen play. In Super-Training stages your Pokémon fires balls past a giant balloon opponent into goals, building up the stat that stage targets, while Training Bags won along the way can be tapped for further boosts. A chart shows at a glance which stats a Pokémon has trained and how far, so players finally see what was always invisible, and a Reset Bag wipes the slate clean for anyone who wants to start again.

Player Search System and Wonder TradeThe PSS filled the touch screen with icons for friends, acquaintances and passers-by, letting players battle, trade and share O-Powers with anyone nearby or online at the press of an icon. Wonder Trade sent a Pokémon to a random Trainer somewhere in the world and returned one sight unseen, while the Global Trade Station handled specific requests. The online side of the PSS, Wonder Trade and the GTS all closed when Nintendo ended 3DS online services in April 2024; local wireless still works.

O-PowersShort-lived boosts handed out by the travelling Mr. Bonding as the adventure goes on. They cover everything from cheaper shopping, more prize money and extra experience to faster Egg hatching, better catch rates and stat boosts in battle. Each one draws on an energy gauge that refills over time, and most come in several strengths. O-Powers can be used on yourself or passed to other players through the PSS, which turned helping strangers into part of the everyday rhythm of play.

Horde EncountersSome wild battles throw five Pokémon at the player at once, usually of a single species, whether triggered by Sweet Scent or met at random in grass, flowers, caves or water. Your lone Pokémon faces the whole group, so moves that strike every opponent clear a horde quickly, and a Poké Ball can only be thrown once a single foe remains. Hordes are a quick way to train effort values. X and Y have no mass outbreaks, so hordes are the closest thing to them.

Sky BattlesMid-air battles against Sky Trainers, who wait on rooftops, cliffs and hilltops around Kalos. Only Pokémon that can fly or float may take part, which in practice means most Flying types and Pokémon with Levitate, although a few birds usually drawn on the ground, such as Doduo, are barred, and ground-based moves like Earthquake cannot be used. The battles are entirely optional, and Trainers have to bring a team built for the format, which makes them an unusual test late in the game.

Inverse BattlesAt a house on Route 18, an Inverse Battle can be fought once a day. The type chart is flipped: hits that would normally be super effective become not very effective, while resisted matchups and even immunities turn into weaknesses. A Fire attack suddenly struggles against Grass, and Normal moves land hard on Ghost types. Teams built on conventional logic quickly unravel, so the format rewards players who can think in reverse, and a prize is handed over after each win.

Battle MaisonKiloude City’s post-game battle facility runs win streaks in Single, Double, Triple, Rotation and Multi Battles, with every Pokémon scaled to level 50. Battle Points earned there buy competitive held items, and long streaks bring out the four Battle Chatelaines, the sisters Nita, Evelyn, Dana and Morgan. In Multi Battles the player can team up with a friend from the story: Shauna with Sylveon and Goodra, Tierno with Hawlucha and Talonflame, or Trevor with Tyrantrum and Aurorus.

Friend SafariA post-game safari zone in Kiloude City built from the player’s 3DS friend list. Each registered friend contributes a safari of one type, decided by their friend code, holding two species, with a third added once that friend has entered the Hall of Fame in their own game. Pokémon caught there have at least two perfect IVs and may carry their Hidden Abilities, and the safaris supply species missing from the Kalos wild, including several of the other version’s exclusives.

Customisation and Lumiose CityX and Y were the first core games to let the player change their look after the opening. Boutiques sell hats, tops, trousers, shoes and accessories, with the female character offered the wider range, and Lumiose City’s salon handles haircuts and colours. Lumiose is also the game’s style capital: the exclusive Boutique Couture only admits fashionable Trainers, and a hidden Style rating, raised by spending time and money around the city, opens doors and halves Lumi Cab fares once it is high enough.

Team Flare

It is the evil organisation of the Kalos region. Just like most of the series’ villainous teams, they aim to gain control of the region, profit from the Pokémon and realise their boss Lysandre’s dream, which consists of rebuilding the world into a more beautiful and better one, in the way he sees fit.

To do so, Team Flare is planning to use the ultimate weapon buried underneath Geosenge Town to destroy humanity and then rebuild it, supplying the weapon with energy from the Legendary Pokémon Xerneas in Pokémon X or Yveltal in Pokémon Y. Throughout the games, the player will encounter many Team Flare grunts and admins, the scientists Aliana, Bryony, Celosia and Mable, and the veteran scientist Xerosic.

Lysandre

Lysandre is a towering, red-maned businessman of royal Kalos descent whose company, Lysandre Labs, created the Holo Caster. He first meets the player in Sycamore’s lab, speaks constantly of a more beautiful world and keeps in touch through Holo Caster messages. In secret he leads Team Flare, which charges ₱5,000,000 to join, and after the seventh Badge he announces his plan to fire the ultimate weapon and spare only his followers. He is fought three times: at Lysandre Labs with Mienfoo and Murkrow (45), Pyroar (47) and Gyarados (49); in the Secret HQ with Mienshao and Honchkrow (47), Pyroar (49) and Gyarados (51); and finally in his Lysandre Machine with Mienshao and Honchkrow (49), Pyroar (51) and a Mega Gyarados (53). His last shot buries him.

Xerosic and the Looker Bureau

Looker, the International Police’s trench-coated detective, opens the Looker Bureau on Lumiose City’s North Boulevard after the player becomes Champion and enlists their help with a string of cases. He is joined by Emma, a young woman who becomes his assistant. The trail leads to Xerosic and his masked creation Essentia, and with reluctant help from Malva the player reaches a hidden floor of Lysandre Labs, defeats Essentia and sees Xerosic surrender to Looker.

Aliana, Bryony, Celosia, Mable and Malva

Beneath Lysandre sits a squad of four visored scientists, Aliana, Bryony, Celosia and Mable, together with the veteran researcher Xerosic. Aliana leads the operation that drains the Kalos Power Plant and plunges Lumiose City into darkness. Celosia and Bryony take over the Poké Ball Factory in Laverre City and face the player and rival together, while Mable leads the grunts tormenting an Abomasnow in Frost Cavern. Xerosic battles the player at Lysandre Labs and returns after the League, using leftover funds for a scheme built around the masked Essentia. Elite Four member Malva was secretly part of the inner circle too.

The Kalos region

The games take place in the Kalos region, which, similarly to Unova, is a long way from Hoenn, Johto, Kanto and Sinnoh. The region is shaped a bit like a star, with wide green areas through which many rivers flow. The region also has a mountainous area, known for its cold weather.

Lumiose City is located in the northern central area of Kalos, and it is the region’s biggest city. Kalos, whose name means “beauty” in Greek, is very much inspired by France, its geography and its monuments, as in the example of Prism Tower, which is inspired by France’s Eiffel Tower.

Old tales state that nearly three thousand years ago a large-scale war happened in the region, called the Kalos war. During the war, AZ, the former king of the region, created the ultimate weapon, with which he ended the war, and he was said to be given eternal life. The weapon now lies underground, beneath Geosenge Town, and requires an insane amount of energy to be activated.

Where the journey takes you

Sixteen places that define Kalos, each with a map or a screenshot.

Vaniville Town and Aquacorde Town

Town

The journey begins in sleepy Vaniville Town in southern Kalos, where the player’s family has just moved in next door to Serena or Calem and the player’s mother, a former Rhyhorn racer, keeps her Rhyhorn in the garden. A short walk along Route 1 leads to Aquacorde Town, a small riverside town where Shauna, Tierno and Trevor are waiting. Here the player picks a starter from Professor Sycamore’s three, receives the Pokédex and fights Shauna for the first time. Vaniville matters again after the League, when Shauna waits there to trade the player the Kalos starter that theirs beats.

Pokémon of note: Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Rhyhorn (the mother’s partner). Items: Pokédex, Shauna’s post-game starter trade (Vaniville Town).

Santalune City

TownViola (Bug) – Bug Badge

Reached through Santalune Forest, a gentle woodland where Scatterbug and the occasional Pikachu can be found, Santalune City is the home of the first Gym. Its leader is Viola, a Bug-type specialist and keen photographer whose older sister Alexa is a journalist; her Gym doubles as a gallery of photographs and paintings. From the city, Route 4 leads north to Lumiose City’s southern gates. Tierno gives a quick tutorial in the Pokémon Center, and a local named Cliff will swap a Farfetch’d for the player’s Bunnelby.

Pokémon of note: Pikachu (Santalune Forest), Scatterbug, Surskit (Viola), Vivillon (Viola), Farfetch’d (traded for Bunnelby). Items: Bug Badge, TM83 Infestation.

Lumiose City and Prism Tower

TownClemont (Electric) – Voltage Badge

Kalos’s sprawling, Paris-inspired capital sits in the north-centre of the region, where the three Pokédex areas meet. Two great ring roads, South Boulevard and North Boulevard, are divided by the Saison Canal, and four avenues run inwards to Centrico Plaza and Prism Tower, the Eiffel Tower lookalike that houses Clemont’s Electric-type Gym. A blackout keeps most of the city shut on the first visit until Team Flare is driven from the Kalos Power Plant. Professor Sycamore’s lab, Café Soleil, the red Lysandre Café, four battle restaurants, Hotel Richissime, the Lumiose Museum, Lumi Cabs and Gogoat shuttles fill its streets.

Pokémon of note: Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle, Ralts holding Gardevoirite (Diantha’s post-game trade), Emolga (Clemont), Magneton (Clemont), Heliolisk (Clemont). Items: TM24 Thunderbolt, Gardevoirite (held by Diantha’s Ralts), Oval Charm and Shiny Charm (Sycamore’s lab, for completed Pokédexes), TMV Pass to Kiloude City.

Parfum Palace

Building

A gilded palace near Camphrier Town, modelled on the Palace of Versailles with formal gardens and a hedge maze. Visitors normally pay a ₱1,000 entry fee, but the butler waives it on the first visit, when the owner is in a panic over his runaway Furfrou. The player and Shauna corner the Furfrou in the maze, watch a fireworks display from the balcony and are handed the Poké Flute, the only way to wake the Snorlax sleeping across Route 7. A royal portrait inside bears a striking resemblance to AZ.

Pokémon of note: Furfrou (the owner’s), Snorlax (Route 7, woken with the Poké Flute), Honedge (Route 6, the palace approach). Items: Poké Flute, HM01 Cut, TM17 Protect, Amulet Coin.

Glittering Cave and Ambrette Town

Cave

Ambrette Town is a seaside town built around fossils, with a Fossil Lab and an aquarium. From there the player rides a Rhyhorn across the rocky Spikes Passage of Route 9 to Glittering Cave, where Team Flare grunts have cornered a Fossil Lab researcher. Teaming up with the rival, the player drives them off and is offered the Jaw Fossil or the Sail Fossil, which the lab revives as a level 20 Tyrunt or Amaura; the rival takes the other. Breakable rocks in the back of the cave yield Old Amber, and after the Hall of Fame they also give up fossils from earlier regions.

Pokémon of note: Tyrunt (Jaw Fossil), Amaura (Sail Fossil), Aerodactyl (Old Amber), Rhyhorn (Route 9 ride), Lileep and Anorith (X) or Omanyte and Kabuto (Y), from post-game fossils. Items: Jaw Fossil or Sail Fossil, Old Amber, Post-game fossils: Root and Claw (X), Helix and Dome (Y), plus Skull, Armor, Cover and Plume.

Cyllage City

TownGrant (Rock) – Cliff Badge

Cyllage City sits between the sea and sheer cliffs at the end of Route 8’s coastal stretch. Its Gym is built for climbers: challengers have to scale walls of handholds before facing Grant, a laid-back rock climber and local trendsetter whose team consists of two new fossil Pokémon at the same level. He is the first Rock-type Gym Leader in the series not to be the first Gym of his region. In town, a Trainer named Farris swaps a Steelix for a Luvdisc, and Route 10, the Menhir Trail, continues north towards Geosenge Town.

Pokémon of note: Amaura (Grant), Tyrunt (Grant), Steelix (traded for Luvdisc), Luvdisc. Items: Cliff Badge, TM39 Rock Tomb.

Geosenge Town

Town

Inspired by the standing stones of Carnac, Geosenge Town is a quiet village ringed by mysterious stones and ancient ruins, its motto promising that silent stones have much to say. Korrina tests the player here with her Lucario, and a fleeing Team Flare grunt hints at a hidden cavern. The stone formations hide the entrance to the Team Flare Secret HQ, and the three stones at the centre turn out to be controls for the ultimate weapon, which bursts out of the ground late in the story. Its final rebounding blast leaves a huge crater. Hotel Marine Snow hosts a rotating cast of guests, two of whom offer trades.

Pokémon of note: Lucario (Korrina’s), Xerneas (X) or Yveltal (Y), in the HQ beneath the town, Magikarp (hotel trade for a Gyarados), Eevee (hotel trade). Items: TM66 Payback, Everstone, Timer Ball, Soft Sand.

Shalour City and the Tower of Mastery

TowerKorrina (Fighting) – Rumble Badge

Shalour City lies on the coast beyond Reflection Cave, and its skyline is dominated by the Tower of Mastery, which honours the first Mega Evolution in Kalos with a towering statue of Mega Lucario. The tower is home to Gurkinn, Korrina’s grandfather and the region’s Mega Evolution guru, who descends from the Trainer said to have first Mega Evolved a Lucario. After his lesson and a rival battle on the ground floor, the upper floors stay shut until Korrina is beaten at the Shalour Gym. At the top she then lends the player a Lucario for a Mega Evolution showdown and hands over the Mega Ring.

Pokémon of note: Lucario holding Lucarionite (gift, level 32), Mienfoo (Korrina), Machoke (Korrina), Hawlucha (Korrina). Items: Mega Ring, Lucarionite, TM98 Power-Up Punch, TM47 Low Sweep.

Coumarine City

TownRamos (Grass) – Plant Badge

A port split into a seaside half and a hillcrest half, joined by a monorail and possibly modelled on Le Havre. Professor Sycamore hands over HM02 Fly at the Seaside Station after the player’s first Mega Evolution, the rival lies in wait outside the Gym, and Ramos, a grandfatherly gardener, runs the Grass-type Gym. Once he is beaten, Sina and Dexio add the Mountain Kalos Pokédex at the gate to Route 13, which leads to the Kalos Power Plant. In an Ace Trainer’s house a remastered Black and White theme, ‘An Unwavering Heart’, can be heard, and after the League Tierno dances on the clifftops.

Pokémon of note: Jumpluff (Ramos), Weepinbell (Ramos), Gogoat (Ramos). Items: HM02 Fly, TM86 Grass Knot, Good Rod, Lucky Egg (for a Pokémon with maximum friendship).

Laverre City and the Poké Ball Factory

TownValerie (Fairy) – Fairy Badge

Laverre City is the home of Valerie, a celebrated fashion designer who runs a boutique and stages fashion shows inside her Fairy-type Gym. Laverre is also home to the Poké Ball Factory, which Team Flare takes over during the story. Grunts block the gates until the player has the Fairy Badge; Shauna then distracts the guard, and the player and rival fight their way inside and beat Celosia and Bryony in a Multi Battle. The thieves make off with a haul of Poké Balls but miss the Master Ball, which the factory’s grateful president gives to the player.

Pokémon of note: Mawile (Valerie), Mr. Mime (Valerie), Sylveon (Valerie). Items: TM99 Dazzling Gleam, Master Ball.

Anistar City and the sundial

LandmarkOlympia (Psychic) – Psychic Badge

Anistar City is built around a gigantic sundial that some locals believe came from outer space, and its design may draw on the astronomical clock of Strasbourg Cathedral. Every evening at 8pm its rings turn and sparkles rain down. Olympia, who speaks almost entirely in haiku, leads the Psychic-type Gym, and the rival battles the player in town. In one quiet house a grieving widower asks to look after a Pokémon of level 5 or lower; after the Hall of Fame the player finds he has passed away, leaving the Pokémon, a thank-you letter and a Comet Shard. Post-game, Sycamore upgrades the Mega Ring at the sundial.

Pokémon of note: Sigilyph (Olympia), Slowking (Olympia), Meowstic (Olympia). Items: TM04 Calm Mind, TM10 Hidden Power, Comet Shard (the widower’s house), Sun Stone (hidden by the sundial).

Lysandre Labs and the Team Flare Secret HQ

Building

Behind a china cabinet in Lumiose City’s red Lysandre Café lies Lysandre Labs, Team Flare’s research base. The player fights through grunts, needs an Elevator Key to descend, beats Lysandre for the first time, discovers AZ locked in a cell on the lowest level and then faces Xerosic, whose choice of switches cannot stop the weapon. The fight moves to the Secret HQ under Geosenge Town, where Multi Battles alongside the rival, two more battles with Lysandre and the legendary Pokémon await; the weapon’s last, rebounding blast destroys the base. After the League, Malva lets the Looker Bureau into a hidden floor of the labs.

Pokémon of note: Xerneas (X) or Yveltal (Y), level 50, Gyarados holding Gyaradosite (Lysandre), Pyroar (Lysandre), Honchkrow (Lysandre), Mienshao (Lysandre). Items: Elevator Key (Lysandre Labs).

Snowbelle City and the Pokémon Village

AreaWulfric (Ice) – Iceberg Badge

Snowbelle City is the last Gym town before the League, but its leader Wulfric is missing when the player arrives. Locals point to the Winding Woods, and he turns up in the Pokémon Village beyond, a secluded refuge where Pokémon live hidden from people, before returning to his Ice-type Gym. The village is home to Ditto, Zoroark, Gothorita and Jigglypuff, with Banette lurking in its bins on Thursdays, and after the League it gives access to the Unknown Dungeon and Mewtwo. Back in Snowbelle, a Trainer named Punky trades a Bisharp for a Jigglypuff, and Route 21 leads on to Victory Road.

Pokémon of note: Avalugg (Wulfric), Bisharp (traded for Jigglypuff), Ditto (Pokémon Village), Zoroark (Pokémon Village), Mewtwo (Unknown Dungeon, post-game). Items: TM13 Ice Beam, TM29 Psychic (Pokémon Village), Pixie Plate (Pokémon Village), Eviolite (Pokémon Village bins, Thursdays).

Kiloude City and the Friend Safari

Town

Kiloude City is the post-game hub, reached by the TMV train from Lumiose Station once Professor Sycamore has handed over the TMV Pass. It holds the Battle Maison, where the four Battle Chatelaines wait at the end of long win streaks, and the Friend Safari, whose type-themed zones are built from the player’s 3DS friend list. The rival also waits here for a daily rematch with a full team of six; after the first win they hand over an Absolite and send the player to Professor Sycamore in Anistar City, who upgrades the Mega Ring to sense hidden Mega Stones.

Pokémon of note: Absol holding Absolite (the rival’s), Friend Safari species such as Pinsir, Heracross, Sawk and Throh, Shauna’s Sylveon and Goodra (Battle Maison Multi Battles). Items: Absolite, TMV Pass (needed to get here), Battle Points (Battle Maison).

Terminus Cave

Cave

A deep cave off Route 18 in eastern Kalos, with an old mine cart still standing on its lowest level. The tunnels can be explored as soon as the player reaches the route, but an Ace Trainer blocks the deepest chamber until the Hall of Fame. Durant swarm the passages alongside Sandslash and Graveler, Ariados and Noibat drop from the ceiling, and Lairon (X) or Pupitar (Y) also roam. Waiting in the final chamber is Zygarde, the Pokémon of order, at level 70; it returns after each Hall of Fame entry if defeated. The same chamber hides the Adamant, Lustrous and Griseous Orbs and a Big Nugget.

Pokémon of note: Zygarde (level 70), Durant, Noibat, Lairon (X), Pupitar (Y), Shuckle (Rock Smash). Items: Adamant, Lustrous and Griseous Orbs, TM30 Shadow Ball, TM31 Brick Break, Max Revive.

The Pokémon League

Building

The Kalos League, modelled on Reims Cathedral, stands at the end of Victory Road, a maze of highland caves and groves strewn with ancient fortress ruins. Inside, the four Elite Four chambers open off the main hall and can be taken in any order: Malva’s red Blazing Chamber, Siebold’s blue Flood Chamber, Wikstrom’s grey Ironworks Chamber and Drasna’s purple Dragonmark Chamber. Beating all four opens the great doors to the Radiant Chamber, where Champion Diantha waits with a Mega Gardevoir. The Elite Four’s aces are level 65 and Diantha’s is level 68, and their teams stay the same in rematches.

Pokémon of note: Gardevoir holding Gardevoirite (Diantha), Goodra (Diantha), Talonflame (Malva), Barbaracle (Siebold), Aegislash (Wikstrom), Noivern (Drasna). Items: TM02 Dragon Claw (Victory Road), TM03 Psyshock (Victory Road), Garchompite (Victory Road, post-game, 8pm to 9pm with the upgraded Mega Ring), Max Revive x2.

Kalos, place by place

More of the region, from Vaniville Town to Kiloude City.

Can I catch them all?

Pokémon X and Y introduce 72 unique new Pokémon, making the National Pokédex reach 721 in total. Similarly to Pokémon Diamond and Pearl or Black and White, the games also have Pokémon exclusive to each version. There are also quite a few that can be acquired through in-game trades. Moreover, the games introduced powerful new Legendaries that may be caught throughout the course of the game.

Version exclusives

Version exclusives: 20 species each, counting the box Legendary, and each version holds its own Mega Stones too.

Horde Encounters instead of swarms

Pokémon X and Y have no mass outbreaks or swarms; outbreaks only returned in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Horde Encounters fill much of that role instead: five wild Pokémon, usually of one species, appear together when Sweet Scent is used or at random in grass, flowers, caves and water, and they are the quickest way to farm experience and effort values.

The Friend Safari

Once the player is Champion, Kiloude City’s Friend Safari turns the 3DS friend list into a hunting ground. Every registered friend contributes a zone of a single type, fixed by their friend code, holding two species, with a third unlocked once that friend has entered the Hall of Fame in their own copy. Its Pokémon always have at least two perfect IVs and may have Hidden Abilities, and it supplies many species missing from the Kalos wild, including several exclusives from the other version.

Fossils, old and new

In Glittering Cave a Fossil Lab researcher offers the Jaw Fossil (Tyrunt) or Sail Fossil (Amaura), revived at level 20 in Ambrette Town; the rival gets the other. Rocks deep in the cave yield Old Amber and, after the Hall of Fame, older fossils: Helix and Dome (Y), Root and Claw (X), and Skull, Armor, Cover and Plume (both).

What X & Y add

• The 72 new Pokémon – From Chespin (#650) to Volcanion (#721), including the Kalos starters, the Fairy-type Sylveon and the fossil pair Tyrunt and Amaura.
• Mega Evolution forms – Temporary battle forms, 28 of them for 26 species at launch, with Charizard and Mewtwo each getting two.
• The Kanto starters – Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle offered by Professor Sycamore in Lumiose City, together with Mega Stones for their final forms.
• The legendary birds and Mewtwo – Articuno, Zapdos or Moltres (one per save, decided by your starter) and Mewtwo, all at level 70 after the League.
• New Fairy types among old favourites – The Clefairy, Jigglypuff, Togepi, Marill, Snubbull and Ralts lines, Mawile and Mr. Mime gained the Fairy type.
• Every fossil from Kanto to Kalos – Glittering Cave supplies all of them across the two versions: Kanto fossils in Y, Hoenn fossils in X, and the Sinnoh, Unova and Kalos fossils in both.
• Friend Safari Pokémon – Wild Pokémon with at least two perfect IVs and possible Hidden Abilities, including several of the other version’s exclusives.
• A gift Lapras – A level 30 Lapras handed over by a Pokémon Breeder on Route 12.

Starter Pokémon

The Kalos starters, with what the rival and Shauna take:

• Chespin: Choose it and the rival takes Fennekin while Shauna takes Froakie; the roaming bird will be Articuno. Its final form, Chesnaught, is Grass/Fighting.
• Fennekin: Choose it and the rival takes Froakie while Shauna takes Chespin; the roaming bird will be Zapdos. Its final form, Delphox, is Fire/Psychic.
• Froakie: Choose it and the rival takes Chespin while Shauna takes Fennekin; the roaming bird will be Moltres. Its final form, Greninja, is Water/Dark.

Professor Sycamore battles the player in his Lumiose City lab with Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle at level 10, then lets them keep one. He also supplies the Mega Stone for its final form: Venusaurite, Blastoisinite, or Charizardite X in Pokémon X and Charizardite Y in Pokémon Y. After beating the Elite Four, the player can acquire another Kalos starter by meeting Shauna outside their house in Vaniville Town: she will trade them the starter that is weakest against the one the player chose at the start of the game, in exchange for any Pokémon.

Legendary, Mythical and event Pokémon

• XerneasSecret HQ (X)
• YveltalSecret HQ (Y)
• ZygardeTerminus Cave
• ArticunoIf you chose Chespin
• ZapdosIf you chose Fennekin
• MoltresIf you chose Froakie
• MewtwoUnknown Dungeon
• DiancieEvent only
• HoopaEvent only
• VolcanionEvent only

Xerneas – Lv. 50, Team Flare Secret HQ, Geosenge Town (X). Compulsory story encounter; it must be caught before the story continues.

Yveltal – Lv. 50, Team Flare Secret HQ, Geosenge Town (Y). Compulsory story encounter; it must be caught before the story continues.

Zygarde – Lv. 70, Terminus Cave, off Route 18. In the deepest chamber, opened after the Hall of Fame; it returns after the next Hall of Fame entry if defeated.

Articuno – Lv. 70, Roams Kalos, then Sea Spirit’s Den, Azure Bay. Only if you chose Chespin; settles in the den after eleven roaming encounters.

Zapdos – Lv. 70, Roams Kalos, then Sea Spirit’s Den, Azure Bay. Only if you chose Fennekin; settles in the den after eleven roaming encounters.

Moltres – Lv. 70, Roams Kalos, then Sea Spirit’s Den, Azure Bay. Only if you chose Froakie; settles in the den after eleven roaming encounters.

Mewtwo – Lv. 70, Unknown Dungeon, Pokémon Village. After becoming Champion, Surf to the cave in the Pokémon Village and battle it at the far end.

Diancie – Official event distribution. Distributed alongside the 2014 film Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction.

Hoopa – Official event distribution. Distributed alongside the 2015 film Hoopa and the Clash of Ages.

Volcanion – Official event distribution. Distributed alongside the 2016 film Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel.

What one cartridge cannot give you

Most Legendaries from earlier regions are missing from Kalos, as are every Mythical and the starters of Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova, so these only arrive through Pokémon Bank, trade or event:

• Mew#151
• Celebi#251
• Jirachi#385
• Deoxys#386
• Phione#489
• Manaphy#490
• Darkrai#491
• Shaymin#492
• Arceus#493
• Victini#494
• Keldeo#647
• Meloetta#648
• Genesect#649
• Diancie#719
• Hoopa#720
• Volcanion#721
• Raikou#243
• Entei#244
• Suicune#245
• Lugia#249
• Ho-Oh#250
• Regirock#377
• Regice#378
• Registeel#379
• Latias#380
• Latios#381
• Kyogre#382
• Groudon#383
• Rayquaza#384
• Uxie#480
• Mesprit#481
• Azelf#482
• Dialga#483
• Palkia#484
• Heatran#485
• Regigigas#486
• Giratina#487
• Cresselia#488
• Cobalion#638
• Terrakion#639
• Virizion#640
• Tornadus#641
• Thundurus#642
• Reshiram#643
• Zekrom#644
• Landorus#645
• Kyurem#646

That is 47 Legendary and Mythical species, plus the Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova starters and their evolutions (36 more), the other version’s box Legendary and the two legendary birds your starter did not unlock.

Gift Pokémon and in-game trades

Pokémon you are simply handed:

• Chespin, Fennekin or Froakie – Aquacorde Town. Delivered by Tierno on Professor Sycamore’s behalf at the start; level 5.
• Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle – Pokémon Lab, Lumiose City. Chosen after beating Professor Sycamore; level 10, with the Mega Stone for its final form.
• Tyrunt or Amaura – Fossil Lab, Ambrette Town. Revived at level 20 from the Jaw or Sail Fossil chosen in Glittering Cave.
• Aerodactyl – Fossil Lab, Ambrette Town. Revived from Old Amber found in Glittering Cave’s breakable rocks.
• Older fossil Pokémon – Fossil Lab, Ambrette Town. Revived from fossils found in Glittering Cave after the Hall of Fame (version-dependent for the Kanto and Hoenn fossils).
• Lucario – Tower of Mastery, Shalour City. Given by Korrina after the Mega Evolution battle; level 32, holding Lucarionite, never Shiny.
• Lapras – Route 12. Given by a Pokémon Breeder; level 30, and it can be Shiny.
• Torchic (event) – Nintendo Network download. Distributed from 12 October 2013 to 15 January 2014 with its Hidden Ability Speed Boost and holding Blazikenite.

Tradable Pokémon: seven in-game trades, all in both versions.

Compatibility with other titles

Both Pokémon X and Pokémon Y are compatible with the rest of the sixth-generation Pokémon games, mainly Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. You can transfer to and from those games, except for the additional Mega Stones and other items that were added in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and weren’t present yet in X and Y. The player can also battle with other players who own those games, abiding by the same restriction for the new Mega Evolutions. Unlike previous titles such as Black and White and their sequels, Pokémon X and Y cannot be linked directly to the games of the previous generation. But since X and Y can be linked to Poké Transporter and Pokémon Bank, the player can first transfer the previous generation’s Pokémon to those apps and then on to either Pokémon X or Y. Connecting the games to the Pokémon Global Link website once allowed the use of several online features, such as the PokéMileage Club, until the service ended for these games in October 2016.

X and Y link freely with each other and with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire for trades and battles, although Pokémon holding items introduced in the later games, such as their new Mega Stones, cannot cross back. There is no direct link to the DS games: Pokémon from Black, White and earlier travel through Poké Transporter into Pokémon Bank, the 3DS cloud storage app that opened in Japan on 25 December 2013 and in Europe on 4 February 2014, and on to X and Y. Online, the Player Search System handled internet battles and trades alongside the GTS and Wonder Trade, while Pokémon Global Link offered competitions, rankings and the PokéMileage Club until its Generation VI service wound down in late October 2016. Nintendo ended 3DS online play on 8 April 2024 (9 April in the UK), so only local wireless remains. Bank, free since the 3DS eShop closed in March 2023, still feeds Pokémon HOME until it shuts on 26 February 2027.

Characters

Five friends, a professor you can battle, a 3,000-year-old king, a film-star Champion and a detective back in uniform.

Calem and Serena

At the start the player chooses to be Calem or Serena, and whichever is not picked becomes the next-door neighbour and main rival. The family has just moved to Vaniville Town, where the player’s mother keeps the Rhyhorn from her racing days. The rival is a gifted, self-assured Trainer who always takes the starter with the type advantage, battles the player six times, partners them against Team Flare and waits in Kiloude City for daily rematches. The player is also the first protagonist in the series whose clothes and hairstyle can be changed freely.

Shauna

Shauna is the cheerful, impulsive heart of the friend group. She takes the starter that the player’s starter beats and challenges them straight away in Aquacorde Town, then joins them at Parfum Palace to chase the owner’s Furfrou and watch the fireworks. At the Poké Ball Factory she distracts a Team Flare guard so the player can get in. Her only other battle comes on Route 19, and after the League she trades the player her starter’s species in Vaniville Town.

Tierno

Tierno is the big-hearted dancer of the group, more interested in assembling a troupe of Pokémon with amazing moves than in winning. He delivers Sycamore’s starters in Aquacorde Town, gives a tutorial in Santalune City, battles the player on Route 5, teams up with Trevor on Route 7 and fights again on Route 19. He also hands over the Flash TM in Reflection Cave, and after the League he rewards dancing Pokémon with Heart Scales in Coumarine City.

Trevor

Trevor is the shy, studious member of the group, determined to fill his Pokédex before anyone else and forever comparing his progress with the player’s. He hands over Sycamore’s Pokédex, battles alongside Tierno on Route 7 and alone on Route 19 with Raichu, Aerodactyl and Florges, and helps hold off Team Flare in Frost Cavern. He lives in Lumiose City with his older sister, and after the League he explains Mega Evolution to visitors in Geosenge Town.

Professor Sycamore

Augustine Sycamore is the easy-going Professor of Kalos and an authority on Mega Evolution, who learned much from Professor Rowan and briefly trained at the Tower of Mastery. He is the first Professor in the core series that the player can battle: at his Lumiose lab with Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle at level 10, and later in Couriway Town with their final forms at level 50. He also hands over a Kanto starter, HM02 Fly, the TMV Pass, the Oval and Shiny Charms and a Mega Ring upgrade.

Sina and Dexio

Sina and Dexio are Professor Sycamore’s assistants, the bubbly Sina and the earnest, more formal Dexio, and they act as the player’s guides across Kalos. They keep the player’s Pokédex up to date, adding the Mountain Kalos section at the gate to Route 13 once Ramos has been beaten, and Sina hands over ten Repeat Balls when the player reaches Anistar City. Dexio’s comparison of AZ’s height to an upright Seviper is one of the game’s odder lines.

AZ

AZ is the 3,000-year-old former king of Kalos, a gentle giant around three metres tall who built the machine that revived his beloved Floette and then turned it into the ultimate weapon to end a war. The blast made him immortal but drove his Floette away. Lysandre keeps him prisoner beneath Lysandre Labs until Team Flare falls. At the victory parade he battles the player with Torkoal, Golurk and Sigilyph at level 60, and his Floette finally returns to him.

Korrina and Gurkinn

Korrina, Shalour City’s roller-skating Fighting-type Gym Leader, is heir to the Kalos tradition of Mega Evolution and holds the unique Trainer class Successor. She meets the player on Route 5, battles them with her Lucario in Geosenge Town and, after her Gym, hands over the Mega Ring and a Lucario atop the Tower of Mastery. Her grandfather Gurkinn is the Mega Evolution guru, a descendant of the Trainer said to have first Mega Evolved a Lucario, and the keeper of the tower’s single Mega Ring.

Diantha, the Champion

Diantha is Kalos’s Champion and one of its most adored film stars. The player first meets her at Café Soleil in Lumiose City, where she politely brushes off Lysandre’s musings on eternal beauty, and she crosses paths with the player again in Coumarine City. At the League she fields Hawlucha (64), Tyrantrum, Aurorus and Gourgeist (65), Goodra (66) and a Gardevoir (68) that Mega Evolves at the first opportunity, and her team stays the same in rematches. After the Hall of Fame she can be found back at Café Soleil, where she trades a Ralts holding Gardevoirite, and later at the Battle Chateau.

Malva

Malva is the Elite Four’s Fire-type specialist and a Holo Caster news reporter who calls herself the star of the network, but she is also a Team Flare Admin. Resentful of the player for bringing her team down, she greets challengers in the League’s main hall with scorn and fields Pyroar, Torkoal and Chandelure at level 63 and Talonflame at level 65. After the League she helps the player and Looker reach a hidden floor of Lysandre Labs, and she can be battled at Hotel Richissime and the Battle Chateau.

Alexa

Viola’s older sister is a journalist who has travelled the world, and she is the one who gave Viola her camera. She greets the player in Santalune City, points the way to the Gym and later reports from Lumiose City; in the anime she becomes the one who sends Ash on to Kalos’s Gyms.

Gym Leaders

Meet the eight Gym Leaders of the Kalos region. You’ll need to take on and defeat all of them if you want to enter the Pokémon League and challenge the Elite Four. Each Gym Leader has his or her own specialist type, and as such will have his or her own weakness.

The Kalos badge route – the eight Gyms in order, with each Leader’s ace, a team level to aim for and the TM they hand over:

1. Bug BadgeViola · Santalune CityBug · ace Vivillon Lv. 12Aim for Lv. 12–14 · TM83 Infestation
2. Cliff BadgeGrant · Cyllage CityRock · ace Tyrunt Lv. 25Aim for Lv. 25–27 · TM39 Rock Tomb
3. Rumble BadgeKorrina · Shalour CityFighting · ace Hawlucha Lv. 32Aim for Lv. 30–33 · TM98 Power-Up Punch
4. Plant BadgeRamos · Coumarine CityGrass · ace Gogoat Lv. 34Aim for Lv. 33–36 · TM86 Grass Knot
5. Voltage BadgeClemont · Lumiose CityElectric · ace Heliolisk Lv. 37Aim for Lv. 36–39 · TM24 Thunderbolt
6. Fairy BadgeValerie · Laverre CityFairy · ace Sylveon Lv. 42Aim for Lv. 41–44 · TM99 Dazzling Gleam
7. Psychic BadgeOlympia · Anistar CityPsychic · ace Meowstic Lv. 48Aim for Lv. 47–50 · TM04 Calm Mind
8. Iceberg BadgeWulfric · Snowbelle CityIce · ace Avalugg Lv. 59Aim for Lv. 57–60 · TM13 Ice Beam

The eight Gym Leaders

Santalune Gym: Viola

Bug · Santalune City · Bug Badge

Viola is a master of Bug-type Pokémon and a keen photographer; she is known to some as ‘The camerawoman who never lets a single smile escape her focus’. Her elder sister Alexa is a journalist, and she’s the one who gave her the camera as a gift. Valerie is said to be the one who bought her the barrette to go with it as a birthday present. Viola’s bug duo consists of Surskit (Level 10), a Water/Bug type, and Vivillon (Level 12), a Flying/Bug type. If you can defeat Viola she’ll reward you with the Bug Badge as well as TM83 (Infestation).

“That determined expression… That glint in your eye that says you’re up to the challenge… It’s fantastic! Just fantastic! Is this your first time challenging a Gym? Fantastic! Whether it’s the tears of frustration that follow a loss or the blossoming of joy that comes with victory… They’re both great subjects for my camera! Fantastic! This’ll be just fantastic! Now come at me! My lens is always focused on victory—I won’t let anything ruin this shot!” – Viola

Team: Surskit Lv. 10, Vivillon Lv. 12

A photographer whose older sister Alexa gave her the camera she carries; her Gym doubles as a gallery of photographs and paintings. There is no Gym rematch, but she reappears at the Battle Chateau. Reward: TM83 Infestation.

Cyllage Gym: Grant

Rock · Cyllage City · Cliff Badge

Grant is a specialist in Rock-type Pokémon and is known by some locally as ‘The wild, yet cool and collected, rock climber’. As well as being passionate about his and his Pokémon’s training, Grant also excels in sporting activities like bike racing and mountaineering. The TV show Gym Freaks described Grant as being a bit of a trendsetter and very fashionable, with his ‘rolling stone’ hairstyle being particularly popular amongst the younger generations. Grant’s Pokémon are Amaura (Level 25), a Rock/Ice type, and Tyrunt (Level 25), a Rock/Dragon type. Besting Grant in battle will earn you the Cliff Badge and TM39 (Rock Tomb).

“I’ve been waiting in eager anticipation! What have I been waiting for? For a worthy challenger to appear! It’s quite an achievement to have climbed all the way up here. Very impressive, actually! I have a feeling that our battle will turn out to be worth the wait! I hope you’ll show me that your skill as a Trainer surpasses even mine.” – Grant

Team: Amaura Lv. 25, Tyrunt Lv. 25

A rock climber whose Gym is a climbing wall that challengers must scale to reach him. He is the only Kalos leader who uses no fully evolved Pokémon and no species from before Generation VI. Reward: TM39 Rock Tomb.

Shalour Gym: Korrina

Fighting · Shalour City · Rumble Badge

Korrina is a Fighting-type specialist, and she’s unique in the fact that her Trainer class is ‘Successor’; she goes by the moniker of ‘The Evolution fighter!’. The Gym Freaks TV show described her as being a PR video star and described how she likes to dress up in fancy costumes, but also gave admiration for her martial prowess, stating that with her magnificent legs she’s able to shatter rock with her axe-kick move. Her team of fighters includes Mienfoo (Level 29), a pure Fighting type, Machoke (Level 28), a pure Fighting type, and Hawlucha (Level 32), a Fighting/Flying type. Knock out Korrina’s best fighting ’mons in order to receive the Rumble Badge and TM98 (Power-Up Punch).

“Time for Lady Korrina’s big appearance! […] Haha, I’m just messing around with you! I know, you’re rollin’ in the aisles, right? I already know you’re a strong Trainer, so let’s get this show on the road!” – Korrina

Team: Mienfoo Lv. 29, Machoke Lv. 28, Hawlucha Lv. 32

The roller-skating heir to Mega Evolution, with the unique Trainer class Successor. After her Gym she fights a Mega Lucario duel atop the Tower of Mastery and presents the Mega Ring. Reward: TM98 Power-Up Punch.

Coumarine Gym: Ramos

Grass · Coumarine City · Plant Badge

Ramos is a specialist in Grass-type Pokémon, and whilst he may appear elderly, the fire in his heart still burns as brightly as it ever did – ‘The old growth is still in bloom!’, to quote the man himself. As an older gentleman, it may come as no surprise that Ramos refers to the player as ‘whippersnapper’ and ‘sprout’ – it’s almost like he was inspired by Tommy’s Grandpa from Rugrats. The TV show Gym Freaks observed that Ramos has owned his gardening scissors for 30 years and that he’s pretty into tea these days, even travelling the world to obtain the best tea from its source. His trio of plant-based ’mons includes Jumpluff (Level 30), a Grass/Flying type, Weepinbell (Level 31), a Grass/Poison type, and Gogoat (Level 34), a pure Grass type. Defeat Ramos in battle to obtain the Plant Badge and TM86 (Grass Knot).

“Ho! So yeh’ve made it clear up here! I’m the Gym Leader. Ramos’s the name. So what’d yeh think, whippersnapper? Did yeh enjoy the garden playground I made with all these sturdy plants o’ mine? Their strength is a sign o’ my strength as a gardener and a Gym Leader! Yeh sure yer up to facing all that?” – Ramos

Team: Jumpluff Lv. 30, Weepinbell Lv. 31, Gogoat Lv. 34

A veteran gardener who calls challengers ‘whippersnapper’ and ‘sprout’; his Gym is a garden playground of hardy plants he grew himself. He returns at the Battle Chateau with Victreebel and Gogoat. Reward: TM86 Grass Knot.

Lumiose Gym: Clemont

Electric · Lumiose City · Voltage Badge

Clemont is a specialist in Electric-type Pokémon and a keen inventor; he is known to some as ‘The inventor lighting up the world’. The Gym Freaks TV show reports that Clemont is currently working on a machine which will allow him to run faster, as running has always been a bit of a weak spot for him. He’s also rumoured to be saving up for a trip to the Unova region to visit its amusement park. He is a genius who is responsible for inventing Super Training, but in spite of this he has created a chain of inventions that didn’t work. Clemont’s team consists of Emolga (Level 35), a Flying/Electric type, Magneton (Level 35), an Electric/Steel type, and Heliolisk (Level 37), an Electric/Normal type. If you can overcome Clemont and the shocking attacks of his team you’ll earn yourself the Voltage Badge and TM24 (Thunderbolt).

“Oh! Thank you again for coming. Allow me to introduce myself… […] Bonnie! How many times do I have to remind you… It’s not my own strength that matters, nor any other Trainer’s. None of us would be here if it weren’t for our Pokémon. […] She’s right about that, at least. Let’s both do our best in battle.” – Clemont

Team: Emolga Lv. 35, Magneton Lv. 35, Heliolisk Lv. 37

The young inventor behind Super Training, whose Gym is inside Prism Tower; his sister Bonnie is often at his side. He cannot be challenged until Team Flare is driven from the Kalos Power Plant and Lumiose’s power returns. Reward: TM24 Thunderbolt.

Laverre Gym: Valerie

Fairy · Laverre City · Fairy Badge

Valerie is a specialist in Fairy-type Pokémon and is known to some as ‘The maiden from a land with history’; it’s widely thought she comes from somewhere like Johto originally. When Valerie isn’t training her Pokémon or battling in her Gym she’s a fashion designer with a deep appreciation for beautiful things. The outfits Valerie designs are extravagant, and she designs them with a view to connecting even better with her Fairy Pokémon through what she wears. The Gym Freaks TV show says that she used to be a model and that’s why she can wear such high heels; it also states that her outfit weighs around 33 lb! Her team is made up of Mawile (Level 38), a Steel/Fairy type, Mr. Mime (Level 39), a Psychic/Fairy type, and Sylveon (Level 42), a pure Fairy type. Defeat Valerie to obtain her Fairy Badge and TM99 (Dazzling Gleam).

“Oh, if it isn’t a young Trainer… So you’ve flown all the way through my Gym, fluttering down to me on a fortunate wind. Then I suppose you have earned yourself the right to a battle, as a reward for your efforts. I am Valerie, who leads this Fairy-type Gym. I hope your visit will prove entertaining to you. The elusive Fairy types may appear frail as a breeze and delicate as a bloom, but they are strong.” – Valerie

Team: Mawile Lv. 38, Mr. Mime Lv. 39, Sylveon Lv. 42

A celebrated fashion designer who stages fashion shows in her Gym. Her Japanese dialogue uses a Kyoto-style dialect. Reward: TM99 Dazzling Gleam.

Anistar Gym: Olympia

Psychic · Anistar City · Psychic Badge

Olympia is a specialist in Psychic-type Pokémon and the leader of the penultimate Gym in X and Y; some people know Olympia as ‘The person who makes paths with starlight’. She talks in haiku, appears like a fortune teller and often talks of people’s fates and futures. The Gym Freaks TV show reported that anyone who puts their wrist into Olympia’s bracelet will allow her to see their future. It’s also observed by Gym Freaks that the inside of her cloak is decorated like a galaxy in order to create a zero-gravity effect and increase psychic power. Olympia commands the following Pokémon: Sigilyph (Level 44), a Psychic/Flying type, Slowking (Level 45), a Water/Psychic type, and Meowstic (Level 48), a pure Psychic type. If you pull out enough moves that Olympia didn’t see coming and manage to beat her, you’ll get the Psychic Badge and TM04 (Calm Mind) as your rewards.

“A ritual to decide your fate and future. The battle begins!” – Olympia

Team: Sigilyph Lv. 44, Slowking Lv. 45, Meowstic Lv. 48

A seer who speaks almost entirely in haiku; her Gym also serves as a school for Psychics. Reward: TM04 Calm Mind.

Snowbelle Gym: Wulfric

Ice · Snowbelle City · Iceberg Badge

Wulfric presents the final Gym challenge of the Kalos region alongside his team of Ice-type Pokémon and is described as ‘Tough as an iceberg, hot as a furnace’. Wulfric is said to be kind and compassionate towards all Pokémon despite his tough demeanour, and in return he is well liked by Pokémon and people alike. Gym Freaks describes Wulfric as a big fan of the Brycen-Man series; he even cried during its latest movie. It’s said that the locket he wears around his neck contains a photo of his most loved Pokémon. Wulfric’s impressive line-up consists of Abomasnow (Level 56), a Grass/Ice type, Cryogonal (Level 55), a pure Ice type, and Avalugg (Level 59), another pure Ice type. If you can defeat Wulfric you’ll earn the final Badge you need to enter the Pokémon League and take on the Elite Four, the Iceberg Badge; he’ll also give you TM13 (Ice Beam).

“Y’know what? Ice is both extremely hard and terribly fragile at the same time. You know what that means? Depending on which Pokémon you choose and what moves they use, I could be your most challenging opponent yet or I could be a total pushover. But that’s all right. That’s how it should be! Anyway, enough of my rambling! Let’s get this show on the road!” – Wulfric

Team: Abomasnow Lv. 56, Cryogonal Lv. 55, Avalugg Lv. 59

A warm-hearted bear of a man who must first be found in the Pokémon Village before he will battle at his Snowbelle City Gym. Reward: TM13 Ice Beam.

The Elite Four & the Champion

The Elite Four of Kalos is a mixed bag, including a noble and chivalric Steel-type user, a disgruntled member of the now-defeated Team Flare and a famous chef. You’ll need to beat all four of them, in any order you like, if you wish to take on the Pokémon League Champion. Read all about them below!

Malva, Siebold, Wikstrom and Drasna, then Champion Diantha

Malva, Elite Four

Fire · Elite Four · Pokémon League

Malva is a Fire-type master and also a member of Team Flare. Malva is also a news reporter, even proclaiming herself the star of the Holo Caster. Being part of Team Flare, Malva is not too welcoming to the player, knowing they had a role in her team’s defeat. Her rank within Team Flare isn’t revealed in battle, but it must be reasonably high, because she knows classified information. Her team is made up of Pyroar (Level 63), a Fire/Normal type, Torkoal (Level 63), a pure Fire type, Chandelure (Level 63), a Ghost/Fire type, and Talonflame (Level 65), a Fire/Flying type. Defeat Malva in her Blazing Chamber in order to proceed.

“You’re the illustrious [player], are you? Welcome at last to the Pokémon League. I am one of the Elite Four. People know me as the Fire-type-Pokémon user, Malva. Here in the Pokémon League, you’ll encounter the four of us—the Elite Four—and our Champion. If you hope to meet the Champion and challenge her here, you must first defeat the four of us. Do your best, because if you can’t impress us with your real strength, you’ll never get to battle her. But it should be a walk in the park for you, right? The ‘hero’ who destroyed big, bad Team Flare.” – Malva

Team: Pyroar Lv. 63, Torkoal Lv. 63, Chandelure Lv. 63, Talonflame Lv. 65

Rematch: Unchanged in League rematches; at the Battle Chateau she uses Pyroar, Chandelure and Talonflame (Lv. 55 on a standard visit)

A Holo Caster reporter and secret Team Flare Admin who resents the player for her team’s defeat. She battles in the red Blazing Chamber and later helps the Looker Bureau.

Siebold, Elite Four

Water · Elite Four · Pokémon League

Siebold is a master of Water-type Pokémon. It’s also been noted that he is a famous chef; a diner at Restaurant Le Yeah notes that he sometimes cooks for Grant and Valerie. His team consists of Clawitzer (Level 63), a pure Water type, Gyarados (Level 63), a Water/Flying type, Starmie (Level 63), a Water/Psychic type, and Barbaracle (Level 65), a Rock/Water type.

“… … … No, I simply can’t say. […] You there! I have a question I must pose to you. Do you think Pokémon battling can ever be worthy of being called an art? […] Indeed. You see, cooking is the type of art that disappears as soon as it is completed. Pokémon battles are the same. Even memories of sweet victory soon fade after the battle ends. To devote yourself entirely to such a life, made up of fleeting experiences—that is truly artful.” – Siebold

Team: Clawitzer Lv. 63, Gyarados Lv. 63, Starmie Lv. 63, Barbaracle Lv. 65

Rematch: Unchanged in League rematches

A famous chef who treats battling as an art, fought in the blue Flood Chamber.

Wikstrom, Elite Four

Steel · Elite Four · Pokémon League

Wikstrom is the armour-clad member of the Kalos Elite Four and a specialist in Steel-type Pokémon. His mannerisms of chivalry and honour match his dress, which resembles that of a knight of old. You will face the following Pokémon when you take on Wikstrom: Klefki (Level 63), a Steel/Fairy type, Probopass (Level 63), a Rock/Steel type, Scizor (Level 63), a Bug/Steel type, and Aegislash (Level 65), a Steel/Ghost type.

“Well met, young challenger! Verily am I the Elite Four’s famed blade of hardened Steel, Wikstrom! With my magnificent Pokémon at my side, I will reveal the scope of Trainer achievement! Let us both give our word that our contest shall be fair and honorable. Ready? En garde!” – Wikstrom

Team: Klefki Lv. 63, Probopass Lv. 63, Scizor Lv. 63, Aegislash Lv. 65

Rematch: Unchanged in League rematches

An armoured knight who speaks in courtly, old-fashioned phrases and insists on a fair and honourable contest in the grey Ironworks Chamber.

Drasna, Elite Four

Dragon · Elite Four · Pokémon League

Drasna is a master of the powerful Dragon type. It is said that Drasna was inspired to train Dragon types by her grandparents; they were from the Sinnoh region and taught her about the myths and legends of Dialga and Palkia, the Legendary Pokémon of that region. Even when faced by the player, who by now is getting a reputation for defeating Team Flare and the rest of the Elite Four, Drasna remains calm and composed, hinting at great confidence in the strength of herself and her Pokémon. Drasna’s dragon squad is formed of Dragalge (Level 63), a Poison/Dragon type, Druddigon (Level 63), a pure Dragon type, Altaria (Level 63), a Flying/Dragon type, and Noivern (Level 65), a Flying/Dragon type.

“Oh goodness, hello to you! Welcome, welcome, come in. You must be a strong Trainer. Yes, quite strong indeed… That’s just wonderful news! Facing opponents like you and your team will make my Pokémon grow like weeds!” – Drasna

Team: Dragalge Lv. 63, Druddigon Lv. 63, Altaria Lv. 63, Noivern Lv. 65

Rematch: Unchanged in League rematches; at the Battle Chateau she uses Dragalge, Altaria and Noivern (Lv. 55 on a standard visit)

Cheerful and unflappable; her grandparents from Celestic Town in Sinnoh told her the myths of Dialga and Palkia, which inspired her love of Dragon types.

Diantha, Champion

Mixed · Champion · Pokémon League

Originally famed for her acting career as a movie star, and now famed even more for being the Champion of the Kalos region, Diantha is a well-known and well-regarded figure across the Kalos region. Despite this, however, Diantha is far from self-centred and seems to have more interest in other Trainers with the potential to be great than she does in furthering her own abilities; for example, she takes a special interest in the player much earlier in the game, after their encounter in Café Soleil, Lumiose City. Diantha’s fully stacked team of six includes the following: Hawlucha (Level 64), a Fighting/Flying type, Tyrantrum (Level 65), a Rock/Dragon type, Aurorus (Level 65), a Rock/Ice type, Gourgeist (Level 65), a Ghost/Grass type, Goodra (Level 66), a pure Dragon type, and Gardevoir (Level 68), a Psychic/Fairy type, notably holding a Gardevoirite, enabling Mega Evolution in battle.

“Welcome at last, dear Trainer. As you must know, I am the Champion, Diantha. Oh, but you are… You’re the child I spoke to in Lumiose City and Coumarine City, aren’t you?! Then that means that you are also the one that dear Augustine said… Of course! How could I—?! Oh, I must look like such a fool not to recognize you sooner! You and your Pokémon are the ones who stopped Team Flare for us all! It seems wrong of me to say this, but thank you! You saved us all… I can’t wait to see what you and your Pokémon are capable of now that I know exactly what it is you’ve done already!” – Diantha

Team: Hawlucha Lv. 64, Tyrantrum Lv. 65, Aurorus Lv. 65, Gourgeist Lv. 65, Goodra Lv. 66, Gardevoir Lv. 68 holding Gardevoirite

Rematch: Unchanged in League rematches; at the Battle Chateau she uses Hawlucha, Gourgeist, Goodra and Gardevoir (Lv. 60 on a standard visit)

A film star turned Champion who battles in the Radiant Chamber. Her Gardevoir is sent out last and Mega Evolves at once, and each of her six Pokémon has a different highest stat.

Glitches, exploits and oddities

X and Y’s worst bug was fixed within weeks, but the 3D engine and the online features left a few oddities behind – and most of what was online is now gone.

Lumiose City save glitch

The best-known launch bug affected saving in large parts of Lumiose City, including anywhere along its outer boulevards. On reloading a save made in one of those spots, the game would load but the controls stopped responding, leaving the player stuck with no way to carry on. Nintendo released version 1.1 through the Nintendo eShop on 25 October 2013, less than a fortnight after the games came out, and the update fixed the problem. Anyone playing an unpatched copy should install the update before saving in the city; updates can still be downloaded even though the eShop no longer sells games.

GTS search filter error

The Global Trade Station let players deposit a Pokémon along with the species they wanted in return, or search other people’s deposits for a match. On the original release, using its filter to look for Trainers who wanted a Pokémon you owned could trigger a communication error as soon as the trade began, after which the software had to shut down. The same version 1.1 update that cured the Lumiose City save glitch, released on 25 October 2013, corrected the fault. The GTS itself no longer exists, having closed with the rest of the Nintendo 3DS online services in April 2024.

Wonder Trade evolution move glitch

Some Pokémon, such as Haunter and Kadabra, evolve only when they are traded, and Wonder Trade could set that evolution off like any other trade. If a Pokémon evolved this way during a Wonder Trade and tried to learn a new move as it evolved, both the new move and the move it was meant to replace could disappear from its moveset. Version 1.2, released on 12 December 2013, fixed the fault, and installing it became compulsory for anyone who wanted to use the games’ online features. Wonder Trade itself closed in April 2024 with the other 3DS online services.

Vivillon Friend Safari icon glitch

Vivillon has many different wing patterns, each tied to a part of the real world. In versions 1.0 to 1.2, a Bug-type Friend Safari containing a Vivillon with a pattern other than the default could show an empty Poké Ball icon in the safari’s list of Pokémon instead of the correct picture. Version 1.3 repaired the display. However, any Vivillon the player had already found in that safari before updating was not added back to the list automatically, so the update only corrected entries for Vivillon encountered after it was installed.

Sylveon Pokédex entry glitch

Sylveon, the Fairy-type evolution of Eevee, is the only Eeveelution introduced in Generation VI, and it arrived with an oddity. When an Eevee originally caught in an earlier generation, and so brought forward through Poké Transporter and Pokémon Bank, evolves into Sylveon in X or Y, the Pokédex does not register a Sylveon entry. The evolution itself takes place as usual; what fails is the Pokédex registration that should follow it. No update is recorded as having fixed the problem, so it can still be reproduced on a fully updated copy of either game.

Pokémon-Amie gift glitch

Pokémon in Pokémon-Amie can occasionally present the player with a gift. Normally only the Pokémon currently being played with should be able to do so, but if the player stays at Hotel Richissime, the luxury hotel on Lumiose City’s North Boulevard, before opening Pokémon-Amie, a Pokémon other than the active one can still hand over a present. The glitch is harmless and does not damage the save file or the Pokémon involved. No update is recorded as having fixed it, so it can still be seen on fully updated copies of both versions.

Stereo sound glitch

The Nintendo 3DS system settings offer three sound options: mono, stereo and surround. With the console set to stereo, X and Y actually play their audio in mono, so the music and sound effects lose their left-to-right separation. To hear the games in true stereo, the system has to be switched to surround instead. The quirk affects every version of the games, and no update is recorded as having fixed it, so anyone playing through headphones is best served by choosing the surround setting before starting up either game.

What no longer works

Since Nintendo closed 3DS online services on 8 April 2024 (9 April in the UK and Japan), the GTS, Wonder Trade, internet battles and trades through the Player Search System, Battle Spot and online O-Power sharing are all gone. Pokémon Global Link’s Generation VI features, including online competitions and the PokéMileage Club, had already ended in October 2016. The 3DS eShop stopped selling games in March 2023, though owners can still redownload their copy and install updates. Local wireless trades and battles still work, and Pokémon Bank runs until 26 February 2027.

Videos & media

Check out these Pokémon X and Y videos, including trailers, commercials and the announcement.

A TV commercial for Pokémon X and Y.

The official trailer for Pokémon X and Y.

The E3 2013 gameplay trailer for X and Y.

A selection of music and themes which were present in the game data for X and Y but were not used in the final release.

The Pokémon Direct in which Satoru Iwata announced Pokémon X and Y (Nintendo UK’s upload).

Trivia & facts

• The Mega Evolution sigil can be seen in the Japanese and Korean logos for X and Y, but it wasn’t included in the Western logos.

  

• X and Y were the first core series paired titles that didn’t have a third game follow-up in the same region (Sword and Shield and Scarlet and Violet have since done the same, though Legends: Z-A returned to Lumiose City in 2025).
• X and Y are the first core series titles not to use the word “Version” in the game titles.
• These were the first physical-release core series titles to be released on the same date worldwide.
• Since Pokémon Platinum, these are the only core series titles where you don’t hear the game mascot’s cry when you press Start on the title screen.
• Usually in the core series there is an intro before you get to the title screen; in the case of X and Y the intro comes AFTER the title screen.
• The titles X and Y are named after their namesake axes in the Cartesian coordinate system.
• The Pokémon Helioptile and Heliolisk are derived from Greek mythology. Helios, for example, is an ancient Titan in Greek mythology who personifies the sun, and the Pokédex entry for Helioptile states that it basks in the sun to get energy, which also supports this.
• There is an old man in Anistar City who is depressed due to the death of his wife. He asks the player to leave a low-level Pokémon with him as a bit of company. If you leave one with him, go off and defeat the Elite Four and then come back to the house, you’ll find that he has since passed away; he will have left the Pokémon in its Poké Ball and a note for the player, thanking them and commenting that the Pokémon you let him look after kept him “smiling until the very end”. He also leaves the player a Comet Shard.
• Every new generation from Generation III onwards had added more than 100 new Pokémon (Generation II added exactly 100). X and Y added fewer than 100 Pokémon and instead supplemented them with Mega Evolutions.
• A special version of Torchic was given to players during the launch period; the reason Torchic was chosen is likely that it is Junichi Masuda’s favourite Pokémon. Check out the quote below from the main man, which supports this: “I’m a huge fan of Torchic. I don’t know if you saw the intro movie of Pokémon X & Y, but I really pushed to get Torchic in there because it’s one of my favorite Pokémon. And even back with the Game Boy Advance SP, when Nintendo was making that, I actually made a request to them to make a Torchic-colored Game Boy Advance SP.” – Pokémon X & Y director Junichi Masuda
• There are hints that Valerie, the sixth Gym Leader in X and Y, comes from somewhere like the Johto region: her title is “The maiden from a land with history” and her Japanese dialogue uses a Kyoto-style dialect. Add this to the fact that she wears a kimono-like dress and her highest-level Pokémon is Sylveon, and it could be that she is related to the Kimono Girls from the Pokémon anime and, of course, the Gold, Silver and Crystal titles (and their remakes), each of whom trains one of Eevee’s evolutions.
• The band Union J changed their name to “Union XY” on the global release day of X and Y (just for the day, of course).
• There is a reference to Professor Oak’s grandson – Blue in the games, Gary Oak in the anime, the player’s original rival from Red & Blue – with a woman in a Lumiose City Pokémon Center mentioning that he spent time in Kalos studying. Check out the screenshot below.

  

• Artwork from various Pokémon Trading Cards appears in Lumiose City’s museum. This includes artwork from the Fossil Excavator and Town Volunteers cards.
• There is an Ace Trainer in a house in Coumarine City. Speak to him and he will play a remastered version of one of the songs from Pokémon Black and White’s soundtrack, called “An Unwavering Heart” in the English games.
• Visit a Pokémon Center on your birthday to receive a happy birthday message!
• Junichi Masuda has stated that the name of X and Y’s region, “Kalos”, is derived from Greek and translates roughly as “beauty”.
• Furthermore, the Kalos region is based on France (Paris in particular).
• In the second UK-released trailer for X and Y you see Yveltal using Hyper Beam, and when it does you hear the same sound effect that was used in Red & Blue for this move.

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  Fairy-type Pokémon were introduced in this generation in order to right the power imbalance and create a direct counter for Dragon types, which had long been considered overpowered.

• Pikachu’s cry in Pokémon X and Y was changed to sound like it does in the anime.
• An NPC called Veteran Timeo on Victory Road says “After all the training I’ve received here on Victory Road, my body is ready!”. This is a reference to a quote by Nintendo of America’s president Reggie Fils-Aimé at E3 2007, just before he did a Wii Fit demonstration.

  

Further trivia

• Professor Sycamore is the first Pokémon Professor the player can battle in the core series.

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  The Kalos Pokémon League is modelled on Reims Cathedral, and Parfum Palace on the Palace of Versailles.

• At around three metres tall, AZ is the tallest human character in the core series games.
• Grant is the only Kalos Gym Leader who uses no fully evolved Pokémon, and both of his are new Generation VI fossils at the same level.
• The Shiny Charm could not be earned legitimately at launch, because completing the National Pokédex needed Pokémon Bank, which first opened on 25 December 2013 in Japan.
• Coumarine City, split into seaside and hillcrest halves linked by a monorail, is the only settlement in the Pokémon world made up of two separate sections.
• Finalising the designs of Xerneas and Yveltal took about 18 months, three times longer than usual.

Legacy

What came after

• Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire – 21 November 2014. Generation VI remakes of Ruby and Sapphire built on X and Y’s engine, adding more Mega Evolutions and Primal Reversion; fully compatible with X and Y.
• Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter – 25 December 2013. Launched in Japan on 25 December 2013 and in Europe on 4 February 2014; free since March 2023 for anyone who had already downloaded it; closes on 26 February 2027.
• Pokémon Global Link ends for Generation VI – late October 2016. The online competitions, rankings and PokéMileage Club for X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire closed ahead of Sun and Moon.
• Nintendo 3DS eShop closes – 27 March 2023. New digital copies could no longer be bought; redownloads of purchased copies and updates remain available.
• Nintendo 3DS online services end – 8 April 2024. 8 April in the Americas and the early hours of 9 April in the UK; the GTS, Wonder Trade and internet play through the PSS closed for good.
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A – 16 October 2025. A new Switch and Switch 2 game set entirely in Lumiose City about five years after X and Y, with Mega Evolution and AZ back at its heart.
• Pokémon Bank closes – 26 February 2027. At 03:00 UK time (the evening of 25 February in the Americas); the last route from X and Y to Pokémon HOME.
• Still waiting – no re-release yet. As of October 2026, X and Y have not been remastered, remade or re-released on any later system.

Where to play X & Y today

In October 2026 the only way to play X and Y is on a Nintendo 3DS or 2DS family console, either with the Game Card or with a digital copy bought before the 3DS eShop stopped selling in March 2023, which can still be redownloaded. Online features have been switched off since April 2024, so trading and battling need a friend in the same room. Anyone with Pokémon in Pokémon Bank should move them to Pokémon HOME before the service closes on 26 February 2027.

How X & Y were made

Pokémon X and Y were revealed on 8 January 2013 in a short Pokémon Direct presented by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who promised a simultaneous worldwide release later that year. The concept dated back to June 2010, and Junichi Masuda directed the three-and-a-half-year project, which involved more than 500 people including localisation staff, with Ken Sugimori as art director. The team built the games around beauty, bonds and evolution, and Masuda sent staff to France in 2011 to research the setting: the region’s name comes from the Greek word for beauty, Prism Tower echoes the Eiffel Tower and the Lumiose Museum the Louvre. Swapping sprites for polygons made these the first fully 3D core games, and finalising Xerneas and Yveltal alone took around 18 months, three times the usual time. Mega Evolution gave familiar fully evolved Pokémon a fresh, temporary power-up. The one-letter titles suited a single release on 12 October 2013 across every major territory, with all seven languages on each cartridge.

X & Y in other media

The anime: Pokémon the Series: XY (Seasons 17–19)Ash’s Kalos journey ran for 140 episodes in Japan from 17 October 2013 to November 2016 and in English across three seasons: XY, XY: Kalos Quest and XYZ. He travels with Serena, a childhood acquaintance, the inventor and Lumiose Gym Leader Clemont, and his little sister Bonnie. The series introduced Ash-Greninja, sent Ash all the way to the Kalos League final against Alain, and closed with Team Flare’s takeover of Lumiose City and the battle over Zygarde.

Pokémon: Mega Evolution SpecialsA run of four specials that follows Alain, a young Trainer whose Mega Charizard X tears through Mega Evolution users as he collects Mega Stones for his mentor, Lysandre. He is shadowed by Mairin, an enthusiastic beginner with a Chespin she calls Chespie. The first special aired in Japan on 3 April 2014 and in English on 31 May 2014, and the storyline fed directly into the XYZ season, where Alain becomes Ash’s final opponent in the Kalos League.

Pokémon Adventures: the X & Y arcThe long-running manga’s Kalos chapter follows X, a former child champion who has shut himself away in Vaniville Town after his fame turned sour, and his childhood friend Y, who dreams of becoming a Sky Trainer. Trevor, Tierno and Shauna round out the group, with Shauna reimagined as an aspiring Furfrou groomer. Gurkinn entrusts X with a Mega Ring, Team Flare hunts the friends across Kalos, and Viz Media publishes the arc in English as Pokémon X•Y.

The films: Diancie (2014), Hoopa (2015) and Volcanion (2016)Each of the three Kalos-era films starred one of Generation VI’s Mythical Pokémon, completing the National Pokédex at 721. Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction (July 2014) brings in both Xerneas and Yveltal, Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (July 2015) unleashes Hoopa’s legendary-summoning rings, and Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel (July 2016) pairs Volcanion with the artificial Magearna. Each film was accompanied by a distribution of its Mythical Pokémon for X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A (2025)Announced in a Pokémon Presents on 27 February 2024 and released on Switch and Switch 2 on 16 October 2025, Legends: Z-A takes place entirely in Lumiose City five years after X and Y, during a redevelopment plan to make it a city for humans and Pokémon alike. AZ runs Hotel Z, Team Flare’s old weapon shapes the plot, Floette’s Eternal Flower form becomes catchable for the first time, and 26 new Mega Evolutions arrive with real-time battles.

TCG: the XY series (2014–2016)The Trading Card Game’s Kalos era began with the XY expansion in February 2014 and ran until Evolutions, a tribute to the original Base Set, in late 2016. It added the Fairy type as a new card type, introduced Mega Evolution Pokémon-EX cards whose Mega Evolution ends the player’s turn, and later brought in BREAK Evolution with BREAKthrough. Sets such as Flashfire, Primal Clash, Roaring Skies and Steam Siege followed the games’ Mega Evolution theme.

The English and Japanese title screens:

Sales & reviews

Sales figures

Pokémon X and Y have sold a combined total of 16.80 million copies (Nintendo’s figure as of March 2026). Sales data from Media Create recorded that over 1.26 million units of Pokémon X and Y were pre-ordered in Japan alone; this didn’t include copies of the game which were bundled with 3DS consoles. This made X and Y the most pre-ordered 3DS games in Japan at the time, ahead even of the previous champs, Pokémon Black & White, the predecessor titles, which X and Y have since outsold (by around 1.2 million copies overall).

In their first weekend of release, over 4 million copies sold globally. In terms of which was more popular, X vs. Y, limited information is available, but in Japan X led Y by 961,003 to 905,567 copies over the opening two days, so it looked to be pretty even.

Media Create counted 1,866,570 copies in Japan over the launch weekend and 2.09 million within three days; the Japanese total stood at 4,247,847 by January 2021 (2,245,721 X, 2,002,126 Y). Worldwide, the pair reached 11.61 million by the end of 2013 and 12.26 million by the end of March 2014, and Nintendo’s 16.80 million figure makes them the second best-selling Nintendo 3DS games after Mario Kart 7.

• 16.80mworldwide, March 2026
• 4m+in the launch weekend
• 1.87mJapan in two days
• 1.26mJapanese pre-orders

Review scores

The trend of ever-increasing review scores was bucked by Pokémon Black & White Version 2 falling slightly short of the original Black & White titles; however, the release of X and Y sought to quickly correct this, bringing some of the best reviews and reception from critics and players that the series had enjoyed in a while. Here are some of its scores:

• Japanese gaming publication Famitsu scored the games a near-perfect 39/40, and they don’t give out that sort of score lightly.
• The aggregate score on Metacritic is 87/100 over 71 critic reviews for X – exactly the same aggregate score as Black & White, in fact – and 88 for Y. Metacritic users rate X 7.5 out of 10.
• GameRankings, before it closed in 2019, held X at 87% and Y at 88%, up on the predecessor titles B&W V2.
• Jose Otero from IGN weighed in with a score of 9 out of 10 for X and Y: “Every so often, evolution takes a significant leap. Pokemon X and Y is smarter, better, and faster than its predecessors, but it’s the impressive online social features and fantastic new 3D look that make the latest game in the 15-year-old RPG series amazing.”
• GameSpot’s Randolph Ramsay scored X and Y 8/10, equating to “Great” on the GS scale. He praised the visuals of the game and the Pokémon, the compelling gameplay and the fact that it was less grindy than some previous titles had been, but thought the game could’ve been more challenging.
• DetroitDJ reviewed the game on behalf of Pokémon Dungeon and scored it 4 out of 5 stars: “A must-play for Pokemon fans and those who have never tried the series. Those who haven’t enjoyed Pokemon in the past, though, probably still won’t.”

X and Y were among the best-reviewed core Pokémon games, with Pokémon Y’s Metacritic average of 88 setting a high-water mark for the series at the time. Critics were most impressed by how naturally the series made the leap to 3D and by its online integration, praising the Player Search System, Wonder Trade and the way the world now felt connected. Several reviewers called it the strongest entry yet, and Famitsu’s three perfect scores earned it a Platinum Award. Mega Evolution, Pokémon-Amie and character customisation drew warm words, while GameSpot welcomed the reduced grinding. The main complaints concerned the story, the bland characters and a rigidly linear route, which some found formulaic. Others felt the adventure was too easy, Edge regretted a loss of the series’ old magic and a shaky 3D frame rate, and Game Informer thought the new features stopped short of breaking the mould.

Awards and honours:

Media & artwork

• Official artwork gallery from Pokémon X and Y – a gallery featuring many of the Pokémon and characters from the game
• Official artwork gallery from Pokémon X and Y – a gallery featuring characters, items and supporting artwork
• Box art from Pokémon X, including numerous regional variations and editions
• Box art from Pokémon Y, including numerous regional variations and editions
• Screenshots from Pokémon X
• Screenshots from Pokémon Y

Further reading

Other X & Y reading on the site, plus the games either side: