List of references to Pokémon in popular culture

Revision as of 08:58, 26 April 2017 by Sly Fox (talk | contribs) (→‎References in television broadcasts, movies, and radio: Plushies in the background. Not really a reference as they didn't intend it they just happened to film it.)
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References to the Pokémon franchise are often made in other media. While Pikachu is a common target due to its prominence as the mascot of the franchise, other Pokémon, characters, and elements of the various Pokémon series are often lampooned.

References in television broadcasts, movies, and radio

Series/Movie Episode Details Image
100 Greatest 100 Greatest Toys with Jonathan Ross In 100 Greatest Toys with Jonathan Ross, Pokémon was featured as the 37th greatest toy, with emphasis being on the TCG, and the problems it created for schools dealing with the theft of cards.
30 Rock Stride of Pride Pokémon is a recurring theme in this episode with one of Jack's girlfriends. When referring to Jack's polygamy, she said that it was like Pokémon the way Jack had "gotta catch 'em all". Jack pluralizes Pokémon as "Pokémons" only to have her correct him. Jack brings up Pokémon numerous times throughout the episode in reference to his girlfriend, including referring to a text message he got as being "Pokémon'd". At the end of the episode, Liz writes a letter on her laptop, and also refers to "Pokémons" and her life as "little creatures running around".
97.3 Forth One N/A In an airing on 14 December 2011, the Pokémon Theme was briefly played, as the hosts mentioned that Pokémon was the top Christmas present at the height of its popularity.
Adventure Time Joshua and Margaret Investigations In one scene in the episode, Margaret is shown entering a weapons room. Among the weapons on the right wall is a small Poké Ball.  
Ai Mai Mi: Surgical Friends You're No Friend of Mine! During the next episode preview, Torijiro talks about how the author in her high school days was ambushed by kids throwing leaves and Poké Balls at her, yelling "Don't let her get away!" and "Weaken and catch her!"
American Dad! A Piñata Named Desire While Steve was remembering about he and his friends used to have sleepovers when they were little, a pink and purple Pikachu is seen on the t-shirt worn by his friend Toshi.  
Buck, Wild In the first act, Steve is upset about being seated at the kids' table, pointing out that the kids are playing with Pokémon cards and they are not very good. He yells at one of the kids for "wasting his Charizard".
The Autocrats Hirviövoimala When Paavo Lipponen is about to throw Erkki Tuomioja out of the window, Sauli Niinistö calms him down, reminding them that they both belong to the same party. To this, Erkki remarks that Paavo's party card has been "glued full of Pokémon stickers".
Itse valtiaat – Kuningasmusikaali During this special musical episode, Mauri Pekkarinen sings a song called Politiikan Pokémon. In one of the chorus verses, Mauri describes himself as "the Pikachu of Jyväskylä". This song, along with the other songs from this special, were later collected and published on a music CD titled 200 apinaa – Paavo kuninkaaksi.
Animation Domination High-Def Scientifically Accurate: Pokémon Pokémon is spoofed in this series of ADHD shorts. References to kids being thrown into the wilderness alone, as well as some of the kinds of Pokémon such as "a pile of gears" (presumably a Klink) and "a [EXPLETIVE] ice cream cone" (presumably Vanillite).
Pikachu Gets Pokémon Rabies A short features Ash and Misty walking when he runs into a man and his dog. Thinking it's a Pokémon, Ash orders Pikachu to attack the dog, who in turn bites Pikachu. Oak tells Ash that Pikachu has "PokéRabies" (a possible take on Pokérus) and tells Ash he must put down Pikachu. Ash ties Pikachu to a tree and shoots him with a gun, citing that the first shot "wasn't very effective" and continues to fire at Pikachu until he dies. Ash sees Pikachu's spirit dragged to hell, to which Oak replies, "All Pokémon go to hell!" The short ends with Ash encountering another Pikachu.
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day Menma the Hero Tetsudō suggests that the wish Menma might want granted was to have a rare monster from a video game called "Nokezori Monsters" ("Nokémon" for short), which Jinta buys from the game shop Anaru works at. Some other games that were referenced were Gold, Opal, and Emerald.  
Austin Powers in Goldmember N/A The movie features people in costumes of Charmander and Pikachu among those running from "not Godzilla" in the Tokyo scene. The deleted scenes also feature background appearances of Meowth and Celebi costumes, the Pikachu car and a Dragonite plushie.  
Arthur Arthur Loses his Marbles Muffy says that she has fifty-four Dopeyman cards in a pack, in resemblance to Pokémon cards, and with one card a take on a Pikachu called "Stinkachu".  
Are We There Yet? The Bad Dream Episode After Nick says "You can't make a sequel for everything", Kevin says "They should've told that to the Pokémon people thirteen movies ago!" and then names all Pokémon movies up to M13, including Mewtwo Returns.
Bad Santa N/A One child asks "Santa" for Pokémon.
Barter Kings Tazed and Confused During interviews for a new employee, one of the interviewees cites his history as a collector of Pokémon cards as relevant work experience.
Beast Machines Revelations, Part I: Discovery Jetstorm says "Gotta catch 'em all!"
Ben 10: Omniverse Rook Tales Max Tennyson and Sheriff Wat-Senn are competitively fishing and catch two fish that look like Magikarp and Gyarados  
Bernard's Watch N/A Bernard's room is often shown to have first-generation Pokémon posters.
The Big Bang Theory The Cooper/Kripke Inversion Even after being taken off his joint checking account with his wife until he learned the value of money, Howard Wolowitz still spent his lunch's allowance on Pokémon cards.
The Indecision Amalgamation When Sheldon and Amy are at an electronics store and Sheldon is trying to decide between buying a PlayStation 4 or an Xbox One, advertisements for Pokémon X and Y are seen.  
The Perspiration Implementation When Sheldon asks a woman out at a bar, he says "I choose you," which he claims Ash did to Pikachu. He specifically mentions that he is referencing Pokémon.
The Chase UK 06/09/2016 During the Cash-Builder round, Bradley Walsh asked the contestant "The Pokémon character: Bunnelby is based on what real-world animal?". The contestant was unable to answer and passed the question.
Clarence Clarence's Millions A kid introduces the latest trend at Aberdale Elementary School - Tappy Cards. They are somewhat based on Pokémon, and the only way to play is to "buy 'em all", a reference to the Pokémon tagline, "Gotta Catch 'Em All!"
The Cleveland Show Ain't Nothin' But Mutton Bustin' While Cleveland and Rallo visit the County Fair, one of the stands has Gengar plushies.  
Codename: Kids Next Door Operation: A.R.C.H.I.V.E. A character that can be seen in the audience looks similar to Ash in his original series clothes.  
Community Digital Estate Planning Hilda's long list of conversation topics includes "old man Trainer", "fly on a bird", "cinnamon island", and "seal along the shore", a reference to the Old man glitch. Also when Gilbert is escaping from Cornelius he changes into MissingNo. for a split-second.   
Coronation Street N/A A character said, "What's up with you, Pikachu?"
Crayon Shin-chan SPECIAL 24-3 (福引きで温泉に行きたいゾ) Shinnosuke fantasizes about shooting a parody of a Pikachu doll to get a girl's admiration.  
Detective Conan Unknown Ash, Misty, and Brock make a cameo appearance as kids staying in a train station. However, the distinct facial features each possess, such as their hairstyles and Brock's eyes, were slightly altered and switched between them.
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. Absolutely the Worst! Nendou's Father Near the end of the episode, in order to stop Nendou's deceased father's spirit from following him, Kusuo Saiki detaches his soul from his body. He then proceeds to talk to the audience, saying "Now, boys and girls watching at home. Here's a question for you. I went from being a psychic to a ghost. Do you know what happens when a ghost-type fights a ghost-type in that world-famous video game? The answer is..." He then stops and performs an uppercut on Nendou's father, sending him into the sky, and then finishes his sentence by saying "...it's super effective!"
Doctor Who The Return of Doctor Mysterio The Doctor and Nardole arrive at the Tokyo branch of Harmony Shoals. Nardole comments that it is empty The Doctor replies "Yes, I created a distraction. I flooded downstairs with Pokémon".
Drawn Together N/A One of the main characters, Ling-Ling, is a direct parody of Pikachu. He mentions that one of his pastimes is giving children seizures.  
Drunk History Boston After the retelling of the 1990 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art theft, a man says he knows how they must feel because he had $100 worth of Pokémon cards stolen as a kid including holographic Charizard (Base Set 4), Blastoise (Base Set 2), and Professor Oak (Base Set 88).
Dustin in Fowl Play N/A When Dustin the Turkey was wondering what new job he should get, Socky asks "are we going to become Pokémon Trainers?"
EastEnders N/A Doctor Anthony Trueman explains Yin and Yang to his ex Kat Slater, who then replied "Yin? Yang? You're not letting Pokémon characters take over your life?"
N/A As three characters discuss a recent incident at the local school in which a student stabbed and killed one of his fellow classmates, Babe Smith blames video games for the child's behaviour, saying that "one minute they're inside stealing cars, the next they're out chasing Pokémon!", in reference to Pokémon GO.
The Emperor's New School The Emperor's New Show The episode contains "Llamaballs", a parody of both the Pokémon anime and the Dragon Ball series.
Emmerdale N/A Sandy Thomas plays an orange DSi, a sound effect from a Pokémon Ranger game is heard and he cries out in annoyance "Every time I get to the big boss Raikou on level 3, I need Gabby, only a child can work this wretched thing", much to his son Ashley's annoyance. However, the music that is heard from the game is the initial encounter theme, which is inconsistent with what Sandy had stated to have happened.
ER And in the End... A patient says "I am the chosen one, come to be known as Lugia."
Evil Con Carne Search and Estroy In a parody of both Pokémon and Digimon, General Skarr and Major Dr. Ghastly create the "Poké-Digi Tank."  
Everybody Loves Raymond Hackidu The episode focuses "Hackidu", which is a spoof of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Ray's daughter Ally makes a trade with a boy, giving him a sizable stack of cards for just one of hers, called "Scramisaur." Ray thinks the trade is unfair, so he talks to the boy's father and the trade is reversed. Ray then learns that he should not have reversed the trade, and attempts to get the card back. Hackidu is also watched on TV during the episode.  
Family Guy April in Quahog A poster depicting a superhero that strongly resembles a Machoke can be seen in Chris's room.  
Fillmore! Test of the Tested A cheerleading coach says that her team, while in a human pyramid, is "as strong as a Geodude using its Harden attack".
Gabriel Iglesias N/A His friends have given him the nickname "Pikachu" and this is often referenced during his stand-up performances, occasionally mimicking Pikachu's voice.
George Lopez Unknown When George and Benny discuss ways to make money, the George suggests that the Benny pretend to be a Pikachu in Mexico.
Ghost Stories (dub) Akane-san of the Broadcasting Room!! Voice of the Dead The Pokémon anime is referenced when Leo states that the broadcast begins right after Pokémon.
Good Luck Charlie A L.A.R.P. in the Park The episode features a card game called "Pokeo", based on the Pokémon Trading Card Game and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Type advantages are mentioned ("Grass power is no match for volcano power") and the chicken character "Chikapu" is a parody of Pikachu. A creature named "Slugmar" is also mentioned, presumably a portmanteau of Slugma and Magmar.
Unknown A picture of an Eevee is drawn on a chalkboard in the basement.
Good Vibes The Grass is Always Greener When Mondo sees Woody's room for the first time, he comments on all the awards for competitions he has. Woody admits that many of them were purchased on ebay by his parents. Mondo then asks how much they spent on the "lame Pokémon tournament participant ribbon", a gold ribbon with a Pikachu on it, to which Woody claims that he won on his own.  
Green Lantern N/A A cartridge of Pokémon Sapphire can be seen in Dr. Hector Hammond's apartment.  
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy It's Hokey Mon! The episode features a trading card game named "Hokey Mon".  
Grojband Super Zeroes In this episode, the lead guitarist Corey tries to come up with a gimmick for their band, and is seen in a purple Pikachu costume.  
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san Like a Close Encounter of the Third Kind and Great Conspiracy X Nyaruko summons her pets Shanta and Nephren-Car from a Poké Ball-esque object, during which she says 「君に決めた!」 Kimi ni kimeta! ("I choose you!")[1][2]  
Hayate the Combat Butler Many episodes Pikachu has made background cameos; the pet tiger has referenced Pikachu when assuming himself to be the mascot character and in one episode the cast travel on a plane based on ANA Flights. In the sixth episode, a framed image of a blue Pikachu can be seen near the beginning of the episode. The image was based on one of Pikachu's anime art. In some episodes, various sound effects and background music make a reference to Pokémon.
Heroes One of Us, One of Them and Dual Hiro Nakamura was called Pikachu once in each of those two episodes.
Hetalia: Axis Powers (dub) Episode 18 During a battle against the Axis Powers, America chooses China to fight and says, "China, I choose you!" After beating and capturing the Axis Powers, America then says, "Yeah, we caught them all!"
Himouto! Umaru-chan N/A During the opening of the series, a few video games are referenced, including what appears to be a cross between Pokémon and EarthBound. In it, Umaru appears on the stairs of a bedroom akin to the bedrooms of the protagonists of the franchise, walks to a table that has her signature hoodie and three Poké Balls, and interacts with the hoodie, causing a menu with a somewhat similar appearance to EarthBound's menu to appear. She then puts the hoodie on and goes to lay down on her bed, before flailing around.  
Hollyoaks Episode 4505 As Jude Cunningham leaves Nightingale's, Tony Hutchinson asks where she's going and Jude responds "To catch Pokémon", referring to Pokémon Go.
House M.D Perils of Paranoia While having a discussion with his diagnostic team, House says, "Which is why Arceus created a universe with three states of matter and 300 solid or liquid poisons that could cause his symptoms", upon which Taub asks, "Arceus?" House then suggests he look it up.
Highschool DxD I Get a Familiar! The familiar master, Zatouji (parody of Satoshi) is a parody of Ash Ketchum. He uses the phrase "Gotta catch 'em all" many times.
Infinite Stratos 2 Open Your Heart Tatenashi grabs Houki's breasts while saying Houki-chan getto da ze! ("Houki, caught you!"), a reference to the Japanese slogan of the Pokémon franchise, Pokémon getto da ze!.[3]
Inside Amy Schumer Clown Panties A 6-year-old Amy interviews states that the anime is one of his favorite TV shows.
Jackie Chan Adventures Tough Break A franchise called "Gnomekop" appears in an episode, which is Pokémon spelled backwards plus a "G". It also uses the slogan "Gotta collect 'em all", similar to Pokémon's Gotta catch 'em all!  
Jeopardy! Several The franchise and parts thereof has been used in a number of clues and responses.  
Johnny Bravo 20,000 Leagues Over My Head Clam-League 9000 is a show which Johnny Bravo watches and enjoys. Due to his addiction with the show, Johnny goes to great lengths to secure all of the Clam-League 9000 toys, but unfortunately goes about it by deep-sea diving for actual clams. The Clam-League 9000 is somewhat of a lampoon fusion of both Dragonball Z and Pokémon. The main rival characters of the show bear resemblance to Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo, the latter two being combined into one green skinned antagonist.
Johnny Test Johnny'mon and The Return of Johnny'mon Two episodes featured Tinymon, with a Tinydex, Tiny Cubes that contain creatures, a character named Blast Ketchup, and the slogan "Gotta snatch 'em all!". The episodes feature a legendary Tinymon known as "Screechereen", which greatly resembles Shadow Lugia. Blast Ketchup's Tinymon, Kadoomerang, also slightly resembles Squirtle. Evolution and attacks are also featured. For example, Screechereen evolves from Cuddlebuns, who is said to be the weakest Tinymon. It turned out that it needs love in order for it to evolve into the legendary Tinymon. Something similar to link cables are also featured. In the plot, Johnny and his sisters get stuck in a Tinymon game and need to trade with a cable in order to get out. However, a battle must first be won in order to access that function.  
 
Law & Order: SVU Uncivilized A victim was last seen on his way to a store to buy Pokémon cards.
Home Invasions The father of the victim's boyfriend stated that his son still has his Pokémon cards.
Let's Go Quintuplets! Make Up for Mother's Day There is a scene in which Krystal runs past a shop which has a Pikachu-esque plush in the window.  
Lost Ji Yeon In a flashback, Jin is looking for a stuffed panda in a toy store that has an extensive amount of Pokémon merchandise on the shelves in the background.
Lucky Star Base of the Sun Kagami asks Konata if she has any talents besides making faces. Konata replies by stating that she can name every Pok***n.
The Famous Shooter The characters go to a festival, and Kagami has trouble catching fish as they just swim away from her. When she finally catches one, she shouts "get da ze!", which is "Gotta catch 'em all!" in Japanese.
Pandora's Box Konata states that Kinkaku-ji is gold, but Ginkaku-ji isn't silver, referencing both the Bell and Brass Towers, and Pokémon Gold and Silver. She also wonders if they're like Po*émon, and "if they have a Sapphire and Ruby or something".
MAD 2012 Dalmatians / Grey's in Anime In the "Grey's In Anime" skit, Derek Shepherd (who wears a hat similar to Ash's) throws a Poké Ball and summons a Pikachu lookalike, known as "Checkaflu", who shocks the patient and defibrillates him.
Cliffordfield / Big Time Rushmore The episode features a skit about rejected Pokémon. Among these is Punchachu, a punching mouse with huge arms and small feet, whose Trainer looks like Max. Ironically, its special attack is kicking. Another rejected Pokémon is Glasstar, a bear-like creature made out of glass. Its special attack is "frailty". Another reject Pokémon is Buzzkill, an owl-based Pokémon that looks similar to Hoothoot, whose special attack is indifference. When told how it loves battles, all it said was, "meh" while shrugging its shoulders. The last reject Pokémon is Uncle Hank (who was just an old man). His special attack is Confusion; all he does is get confused about what was going on.
Pokémon Park / WWER The episode that features the skit "Pokémon Park", a spoof of Jurassic Park. An unknown Professor invites Ash (who has curly hair and glasses), Misty (who holds a Nintendo DS and has blond hair), Jessie (with blue hair) and James (with green hair). It features the Pokémon Charmander, Charizard, Magikarp, Gyarados, Pikachu, Pidgey, and Bulbasaur. "Yu-Gi-Oh! Island" and "Digimon Island" are mentioned too.  
The Straight A-Team / Gaming's Next Top Princess Misty is among the eliminated contestants in "Gaming's Next Top Princess", among the likes of Amy Rose, Felicia, Tifa Lockhart, Lara Croft, and Birdo.  
Pooh Grit / Not-A-Fan-A-Montana One skit features a brand of gum called "Big League Pika-Chew" (a take on Big League Chew), made of real shredded Pikachu, and it helps people in baseball by giving the ball a shock when they hit it with a bat.
Kung Fu Blander / Destroy, Bob the Builder, Destroy The "Kung Fu Blander" skit has Po, the main character of the Kung Fu Panda movie series, fighting the main villain of the second Kung Fu Panda movie, Shen. When he learns that only a hero in "black and white" can defeat Shen and that it isn't him, he resorts to pulling several items and characters matching the description to use against Shen. One of the objects Po pulls out is Reshiram and Zekrom.  
Twilight: Staking Dawn / Cookie Blue One skit shows "PokéHarmony", which spoofs the dating website eHarmony. It starts with a Geodude who can't get a date with a boulder, and then shows a female Hitmonchan paired up with a Machamp, a Bulbasaur who decided a Venusaur was right for her despite Venusaur being "evolved enough to be her father", Mewtwo, who didn't need anyone, and a Pikachu paired with a Jolteon. Ash Ketchum hosted the fake commercial.
The Blunder Games / The Poop-seidon Adventure The opening of the "Blunder Games" segment shows a Pikachu float in the style of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon.
Men in Black to the Future / Pokémon of Interest The "Pokémon of Interest" segment was a crossover between Pokémon and Person of Interest. John Reese was assigned to capture a Psyduck and bring it to Harold Finch. When using Poké Balls didn't work, he hits it with a shovel. Harold then turns to Ash and asks "What have you been doing for 14 seasons?!", referencing how many seasons the anime was up to at this point.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Icarus / The Adjustment Burro The "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Icarus" skit was a crossover between the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and Kid Icarus. In the skit, Pikachu is shown to be part of the gang that harasses Pit, and Ms. Pac-Man uses a Squirtle to extinguish a fire in the science lab.
Pokémonsters, Inc. / Bane and Kate This skit was a crossover between Pokémon and Monsters, Inc. In this skit, Ash Ketchum ends up in the world of Monsters, Inc. and goes crazy, attempting to catch all of the monsters. His Pignite and Krookodile are featured as well (but have different body styles/colors) throughout the skit, along with his Pikachu who appeared briefly at the end, deciding to let his Trainer stay trapped inside a Poké Ball as some sort of revenge, although in the anime, Pikachu is always outside of its Poké Ball.
Les the Miz / The Lex Factor This episode featured a skit parodying The More You Know titled "The Less You Know". In this skit, the announcer claimed that Poké Balls were able to hold Pokémon because they're airtight, with a Trainer resembling Misty expressing disgust at the stench left behind after sending out her Squirtle.
Jaws the Great and Powerful / Off Their Spockers This episode featured a spoof of Psych called Psyduck, with the tagline "They'll pretty much let anything be a cop these days".
The Dullverine / Under the Dumb In the first sketch, a Japanese girl who tells Wolverine that they have to go to Japan to film The Wolverine is shown carrying a Pikachu umbrella.  
MADtv Season 5, Episode 16 In the "Reality Check" sketch, Belma Button mentions that she took her kids to Pokémon: The First Movie, chasting the Japanese for sending it to America. Tovah says, "Who drew it? Stevie Wonder?" and Belma says it sounds like the name of a homosexual Jamaican adult film.
Malcolm in the Middle Company Picnic (Part 1) Dewey is sitting at a picnic table with a boy and both Pokémon cards in their hand, and can be seen making a trade. There are also cards laid on the table. The boy then offers Dewey some candy, which he is not supposed to be eating due to hyperactivity. After eating it, Dewey freaks out and throws some of the cards in the air.  
Bowling A Charmander doll can be seen sitting on the bed in some episodes, along with a Squirtle doll.  
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Endless Eight (part two) Two Pikachu masks, a purple Turtwig mask, a yellow Chimchar mask, and an orange Piplup mask can be seen on display.  
The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It N/A Pokémon bed sheets can be seen on multiple occasions.
Modern Family Playdates Monte, Lily's classmate, said his hobby is collecting Pokémon.
My Babysitter's a Vampire Friday Night Frights When the ghost of Coach ED (Clé Bennett) haunts Ethan Morgan (Matthew Knight), threatening him that he'd ruin his life if he didn't win a trophy for their school, the young boy gets into a wrestling match with Kurt the Hurt (William Greenblatt). When it becomes clear that he cannot win, Ethan exclaims that he has "never won a fight" to which his friend Benny Weir (Atticus Mitchell) replies, "False; remember that time in grade 2 when I took your Pokémon lunchbox?"
My Family Pain in the Class After finding out that his mother Susan Harper (Zoë Wanamaker) has invited the parents of his school bully round to solve his bullying problem, Michael (Gabriel Thomson) says 'goodbye' to some of his possessions, including his Pokémon cards, commenting that he only had 212 left to collect*.
My Hero Christmas When Ultronian superhero Thermoman, aka. George Sunday (Ardal O'Hanlon) is visiting his cousin Arnie (Lou Hirsch) in Las Vegas to ask him about the human holiday of Christmas, he says that he doesn't understand Christmas as although it is the season of goodwill, he says he was in Manchester the previous day to stop a pitched battle. Arnie asks if it was between rival gangs, but George says it was "three mums wanting the last Pokémon".
The Norm Show Artie Comes to Town The first scene is a parody of Pokémon, as a boy named Tommy thought he was Ash. The skit featured actors dressed as Squirtle, Pikachu, Butterfree, Charmander, and Meowth. It features a Pokémon battle between Norm and Tommy.  
Oblivious N/A During a speed round in a sushi bar, Regan Burns asks the contestants, "Pikachu is a character in what cartoon?" Another one of the contestants answered the $20 worth question correctly, the answer being Pokémon.
Osmosis Jones N/A When Ozzy tries to stop Drix from leaving Frank's body, one of the germs carries a Pikachu, as a joke on allergies.  
The Pacifier N/A A Pikachu plush is seen in the Plummer residence.  
Paper Towns N/A In the scene where Quentin, Ben, and Radar are scared in an abandoned gas station looking for clues to where Margo can be they wonder what they should do to calm themselfs down. Quentin suggest that they sing a song, the first one that comes into their head. Ben then starts to sing the Pokémon Theme, Radar and Quentin join him as they together conquer their fear.
Pinky Dinky Doo N/A In several episodes, Tyler is shown talking about or playing with action figures called "Moo-Moo Miggy Monsters", which is based on Pokémon. In one episode, Tyler plays a video game with a style very similar to Pokémon.
Portlandia Alexandra In a sketch depicting a pair of Japanese toy specialists assisting a worker at the fictional Jewel Case Inc. in becoming more noticeable, a Victini figure, among many other toys, is placed on the worker's desk as a conversational piece.  
Private Practice Step One An action figure of Reshiram is shown in this episode.
Ranma 1/2 And the Challenger is... A Girl?! The dub inserts multiple references to Pokémon airing on television. It should be noted that these are dub only, as the original Japanese episode was written and aired several years before Pokémon Red and Green were even released.
ReBoot My Two Bobs The episode's featured game is a game entitled "Pantsu Hebi X", which is a parody of both Pokémon-styled battles and anime in general. In it, the dog character Frisket reboots itself to resemble Pikachu.  
Recess The Game The addictive card game featured in the episode, named "Ajimbo", appears to be a a parody of the Trading Card Game.  
Rick and Morty None Although it doesn't happen in an episode, a pixelated video has Scientist Rick and Youngster Morty battle on what looks like a Pokémon stadium, where Mr. Meeseeks are used instead of Pokémon, and Meeseeks Boxes are used instead of Pokéballs.

Also, a mobile game Pocket Mortys is based on Pokémon and the show.

 
Robot Chicken Cracked China A skit titled "Pikachu Secret" in the episode parodies the anime. In its running time of 62 seconds, things happen such as Ash wondering when Misty is going to "shut up and make dinner", Gary calling Ash "ass", and Ash's Pikachu grinding another while inside its Poké Ball.  
Junk in the Trunk A skit titled "Bloopers!", which runs for 5 minutes and 13 seconds, has 26 seconds which is devoted to parodying the anime. Pikachu and Squirtle are having a conversation in Pokémon speak. Eventually, Squirtle breaks custom and starts speaking with profanity-riddled dialogue in human tongue, claiming the Pokémon speech makes no sense at all. Pikachu asks "Earl" to say the line or he'll get the gas with skunk spray, to which Squirtle asks the kids to "go read a book or something".  
Chirlaxx In the beginning of one skit, George W. Bush is seen playing a Pokémon game on his Game Boy and says "Taste Poké-flame, Chirlaxx!"
Caffeine-Induced Aneurysm A skit involves some children playing with Pokémon figurines and an old man exclaims that back in his day there were only 150 Pokémon, and his wife informs him there were actually 151. He exclaims that she is a nerd, and then dies of a heart attack. Saddened, she then proclaims "That's how he would have wanted to go".
Walking Dead Lobster A skit simultaneously parodying the Pokémon games and the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting ring case involved Michael Vick challenging Red (named Ash in this) to battle with a Rottweiler. Pikachu uses Thunder Shock, lowering it to one HP, which leads to Vick torturing the dog to death. He is then arrested and eventually goes back to the NFL, with money raining down on him and "Vick Wins" in the text box, leaving Ash confused.
The Hobbit: There and Bennigan's Ash and Misty are shown playing tennis, and Misty questions why they're playing with a Poké Ball. Ash says it's because Pikachu peed on his rug, and Pikachu then comes out of the Poké Ball and vomits from motion sickness.
Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals I'm Going to Teach Konohamaru Kempo While Rock Lee is letting Neji use a transformation jutsu, Neji is seen wearing a Pikachu costume with a large set of two teeth  
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Love Means Having to Say You're Sorry Clarence drops the Pokémon cards he was holding while running away from Harvey, prompting Harvey to shout out "Wait, Clarence! You dropped your Pokémon cards."
Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei Not Losing to Elbows, Not Losing to Knees When Abiru says Nozomu would look good with a tail, he was pictured with various tails including those that resemble the tails of Pikachu and Glameow.  
Saturday Night Live Jennifer Aniston / Sting In the "Pokémon Parents" skit, a boy trades his holographic Charizard for weaker cards like Metapod and Diglett. Mewtwo and the first movie are also mentioned.
John McCain / The White Stripes In a "Hardball" sketch, Harry Belefonte makes many references to the unfair treatment of blacks. One of his references is "Pokémon is a slave trade, Pikachu is the slave master!"
Robert De Niro / Diddy-Dirty Money In "The Abacus Conundrum" skit, one of the fake books listed is called "The Pokémon Directive", and has a Pikachu on the cover.
See Spot Run N/A James tells Gordon Smith that he had a nightmare of a Charizard trying to burn him, in resemblance to Ash's Charizard. James also tells him what a Pokémon is, as some people may not understand.
Servant × Service Don't Panic, Make a Scene, or Throw Away Your Job Hasebe joins a discussion on anime with his coworkers accompanied by a montage of games he has played, including "Pokimon", a distorted Pikachu and Bulbasaur, and a Poké Ball sound effect.  
Sex and the City Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl... While looking at pictures at Charlotte's gallery, Samantha says, "You know, women dressing like men is very popular right now", to which Carrie replies, "And here I thought it was Pokémon".
The Simpsons Thirty Minutes over Tokyo The effects of Electric Soldier Porygon are experienced by the family in the episode, after they watch the local program "Battling Seizure Robots".  
Pokey Mom The episode's title is based on the word "Pokémon".
Children of a Lesser Clod The family are watching an episode of Kids Say the Darndest Things when the host, Bill Cosby, is interviewing a guest:
Cosby: What do you like to play?
Child: Pok-ee-mon!
Cosby: Pok-ee-mon?! With the Pok-ee and the mon and the thing where the guy comes out of the thing...
Bart vs. Lisa vs. The Third Grade Pikachu can be seen in Bart's satellite TV-induced hallucination  
'Tis the Fifteenth Season
and
Fraudcast News
In the couch gag, Maggie is dressed up as a Pikachu.  
Postcards from the Wedge Bart watches the Pokémon anime on TV, with Ash in his Diamond and Pearl attire and his Pikachu; and Bart questions how did the series "stay so fresh", as a possible reference to how both the Pokémon anime and The Simpsons have been on the air for over a decade. This episode aired on the same day as the release of HeartGold and SoulSilver in the United States.  
Chief of Hearts Bart plays a game called "Battle Ball" (a take on Bakugan) and one boy says that the game "makes Digimon look like Pokémon".  
Treehouse of Horror XXV At the end of the episode, various alternate universe versions of the Simpson family appear. One of these alternate universe versions of the family is based on Japanese popular culture, including Maggie as Pikachu.  
Let's Go Fly a Coot Milhouse said he wanted the cheese cut like Pokémon characters, not The Muppets.  
Pokémon Now? At July 16 2016 a Simpsons short was uploaded on Fox animations official youtube account titled THE SIMPSONS: Pokémon Now?. The short is a parody of Pokémon GO with Homer, Bart, and Lisa going to the Springfield Zoo, there, Homer is playing Pokémon GO and catches Mankey, Diglett, Grimer, Rattata, Sandshrew, and a Drowzee.  
Smosh: The Movie N/A The plot of the movie revolves around Anthony and Ian going inside YouTube and changing an embarrassing video of Anthony singing a parodied version of the Pokémon Theme while failing to do a backflip. Additionally, numerous references to a series called "Magic Pocket Slave Monsters" are seen throughout the movie, including an arcade machine that features a parodied version of Ash Ketchum whipping a parodied version of Pikachu, albeit with circular ears, scars, and an eyepatch. The machine also parodies Poké Balls with cube-shaped versions. The point of "Magic Pocket Slave Monsters" pays homage to Smosh's incredibly successful YouTube video where they lip-sync the Pokémon Theme, which was taken down due to copyright reasons.
South Park Chinpokomon The episode parodies Pokémon and fad culture in general. The line of toys have additionally made cameos in many subsequent episodes. Near the end of the episode Kenny McCormick dies of an epileptic seizure as a reference to the banned episode Electric Soldier Porygon. The episode additionally heavily parodies the anime and video games to a lesser extent. Ash Ketchum and James are both parodied. Some of the "Chinpokomon" seen closely resemble Pikachu, Meowth and Charmander.  
The End of Serialization as We Know It The episode make a reference to the Chinpokomon episode with one of the history results for a character being a Google seach for "new chinopokomon alolan region." [4]
SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom The clock at the bus station resembles a Poké Ball. File:SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottm.png
Sailor Mouth Onix's name is written on the dumpster where SpongeBob learns a bad word.
Steven Universe Steven the Sword Fighter A figure in Steven's room looks like a Pikachu merged with a Moogle.  
Rose's Room Steven is seen playing the "Golf Quest Mini" videogame, which includes references to several Pokémon elements such as the character "Prof. Sandtraps", the professor's laboratory, the line "We're gonna sink 'em all", the battle trigger system, an NPC that looks like Brock, and the seven-character limit for the player's name. The game also has references to The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy, among others.  
Steven enters an illusion version of his hometown, created by his mother's magical room. The illusion's erratic recreation of the actual town resembles usual video game bugs, with the background music playing during the sequence being called "Glitch City" in reference to the fan term used by Pokémon players.  
Keep Beach City Weird One of Ronaldo's posters scattered throughout the lighthouse in the background shows the paranormal sighting of a "psychic duck", a reference to Psyduck.  
Cry for Help When Amethyst opens the fridge, a product named "MooMoo Milk" can be seen inside.  
Strip Mall Unknown In several episodes, an adult movie parody called Pokememon is used as an on-going plot device. The lead actress of the film is seen dressed similar to Misty's original design, and her role's name is Fisty, a further play on the character.
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Odd Couples In multiple episodes, a toy Poké Ball can be seen on a shelf in Zack and Cody's bedroom.
The Suite Life on Deck Unknown Woody can be seen reading a Pokémon book.
The Switch N/A One of the channels Sebastian flips through randomly shows the cameo of Lucas in Giratina and the Sky Warrior.  
Teen Titans Go! Man Person Cyborg and Robin high-five after catching all of Beast Boy's escaped body parts. The caption: "Caught 'em All" is shown in this scene, referencing the Pokémon logo and motto.  
That's So Weird Unknown Pokémon has been mentioned multiple times in the series.
The Apprentice: You're Fired! Series 12: 8. London Landmarks As host, Rhod Gilbert, signed off the lead into the next episode, which would have the candidates creating a virtual reality game, and asked ""Who will be Pokémons and who will be Pokémoffs?"
Toradora! No Matter What Minori Kushieda finds Ryūji Takasu thinking and says 「ため息ゲットだぜ!」 Tameiki getto da ze! ("I caught your sigh!"), a shout out to the Japanese slogan of the Pokémon franchise, 「ポケモンゲットだぜ!」Pokémon getto da ze!. She also referenced other popular franchises, such as Yu-Gi-Oh!.
Transformers Animated (Japanese dub) Garbage In, Garbage Out The episode's Japanese broadcast eyecatch is an homage to Who's That Pokémon?, with Wreck-Gar being the silhouetted character.[5]
TV Funhouse Mexicans Day In this short, the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company has agreed to stop using Joe Camel to advertise cigarettes to children and will instead make him a character in a tobacco-free cartoon called "Jokámel". This parody of the Pokémon anime stars a Pikachu-like Jokámel, near-exact copies of Ash, Brock, Misty, Jessie, and James, and sexual parodies of Pikachu, Meowth, and Geodude. Throughout the show, the audience is told to buy Jokámel merchandise and given subliminal messages to buy Camel cigarettes.  
Tween Academy: Class of 2012 N/A In Kara's room, a Pikachu hat can be seen on an Astro Boy statue.
Ultraman Tiga (English dub) Attack of the Crow-Men As the Crow-Men threaten to shrink and distribute the GUTS gang, they say that they'll be bigger than Pokémon.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US) N/A A question for $500,000 was Which of the following characters is not considered a "Pokémon"?, with the possible answers being A) Jigglypuff, B) Frodo; C) Squirtle; and D) Pikachu. After the 50/50 lifeline was used, the two remaining answers left were A and B. The contestant then took the money, leaving with $250,000.[6]
N/A A question for $8,000 was As any Pokémon-loving kid could tell you, Pikachu is primarily what color?, with the possible answers being A) Red, B) Yellow; C) Green; and D) Blue. After the Ask the Expert lifeline was used, the contestant correctly answered B.[7]
Whose Line is it Anyway? Season 2, Episode 32; Show No. 235 Pokémon was one of the audience's suggestions used in a playing of "Film, TV & Theatre Styles", which was played out by series regulars, Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie, and the episode's fourth chair, Karen Maruyama. When Pokémon was used as a style for the scene, Karen says in a purposefully bad Asian-style accent, "Harro, [sic] I am Ichi!" She stiffly walks up to Ryan and says to him, "Please don't go!" to which he responds, "Oh, you're making my tail catch on fire!" and pretends to spew a flame from a tail, most likely referring to Charmander. As Karen turns to Colin and walks up to him, Colin spreads his arms apart and shouts, "Jigglypuff!" Karen pretends to shoot beams from her eyes, and she and Colin both jump and walk around on stage. Ryan then walks up to them and yells in a high-pitched, drawn-out voice, "Pikachu!" After Karen bobs over in front of Ryan like a drinking bird for a moment, host Drew Carey sounds the buzzer to freeze the players and change the style. Pokémon was also suggested by another audience member in a later episode's playing of the same game, but it was not used.
Season 3, Episode 34; Show No. 343 However, Pokémon was used again for a different playing of the same game, even though no audience members were intelligibly heard making that suggestion. (Though on the other hand, anime was an audience suggestion.) Kathy Greenwood is the fourth chair for this episode, joining Colin and Ryan in "Film, TV, & Theatre Styles". This was a different portraying of a Pokémon "style" in comparison to the playing in show #235. When Pokémon was used as the last style for this playing's scene, Colin shouts out, "Pikachu!" in a high-pitched voice this time instead of Ryan, causing the audience to burst out in laughter as he started walking around the stage. He then pretends to shock Ryan, who yells, "Ow!" in response and does his Charmander pose used in show #235. Colin turns around, shouts "Pikachu!" again, and walks to the other side of the small stage. He then turns back to Kathy and Ryan and sends more "shocks" towards them, causing Kathy to hop a bit on every "shock" sent towards her. (It had no effect on "Charmander Ryan", who was looking away and continuing to do his pose.) Kathy maintained her scene's character throughout the style, pretending to point a handgun at Colin. Drew sounds the buzzer several times afterwards to end the game, sending the cast members back to their seats. He also awards 1,000 extra "points" to Colin for his "Pikadoo" act (getting Colin to say, "Pikachu", once more to correct Drew, which also causes Ryan to say, "Bless you",) and says to him, "Oh, I'd love to see you and your wife going at it, man".
Wipeout (as Winter Wipeout) Baby, It's Blob Outside One of the contestants in this episode, Mika Mori, was given the nickname "Mikachu" in the episode. At one point during the episode, show co-host John Henson said that Mika was Jigglypuff'd about the height of the hurdles.
Yin Yang Yo! Smoke and Mirrors Smoke catches Yang in Prison Prism (Poké Ball spoof), while later Mirrors catches Yin with it. They later force them to fight against each other in a tournament.  
Yo-kai Watch Yo-kai Watch Episode 69 When Gnomey reads a book about the information about ghosts while hiding from Whisper, Jibanyan, and Hidabat, thinking they were monsters, the picture on a page he's reading resembles three ghosts that resembles the bodies of Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar.
Yo-Kai Watch Episode 83 While Nate is reading a Corocoro magazine, an ad can be seen in the page to the left with a character who slightly resembles Ash in his XY attire and a dark-pink figure resembling a Pikachu.
Your Face Sounds Familiar Philippines, Season 1, Week 9 When contestant Jay R selected Billy Crawford on the Iconizer, he sings part of the Pokémon theme.
Yowamushi Pedal Ride.2 To Recruit More Members Sakamichi asks Shunsuke about his favorite anime, to which he confusingly replies "Nekoemon", a possible reference to Pokémon.

References in non-Pokémon video games

Game Details Image
Ace Attorney In the episode Farewell, My Turnabout in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All, when Phoenix accuses Adrian Andrews of killing Juan Corrida, he shouts "Ms. Adrian Andrews! I choose you! You are Mr. Corrida's killer!"
Animal Crossing Villagers may sometimes accidentally leave belongings with another villager and either the villager that it was left with or the one that lost it may request that it be returned; one of the possible items that can end up lost is a Pokémon Pikachu, but it is actually a Pokémon Pikachu 2 GS. However, the player can't get one of their own. Note that this is only in the Nintendo GameCube game, with later games having items the player can actually obtain (such as clothing and furniture) as possible lost items.
Angry Birds Seasons One of the Bird Wear items that Chuck, the yellow bird, can wear resembles a Pikachu's ears, tail, and stripes. File:Angry Birds Seasons Pika Chuck.png
Ben Jordan: Paranormal Investigator In the fifth game (which takes place in Japan), turning on the television in the player's hotel room shows a program with flashing colours and a Pikachu-like character. Looking at the screen causes the game to remark "Don't stare at it too long, or you're likely to have a seizure!", a likely reference to Electric Soldier Porygon.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth There are a few items in the game which were inspired by Pokémon. One is called "Missingno.", which will randomize all items picked up at the start of every floor.

The Afterbirth DLC released a new item called a "Friendly Ball", which will be thrown when used, capture an enemy which will then fight other enemies when sent out.

Afterbirth+ introduced a new item called Poke Go, which looks like a cellphone and resembles Pokémon Go, where enemies will randomly join you upon entering a room. It also introduced a challenge called Pokey Mans, which is an obvious play-on of Pokémon, and uses the Friendly Ball, except it releases a random enemy each time its thrown.

Chee-Chai Alien When starting the game for the first time, a character called "Saraba" introduces himself to the player and mentions Pokémon (Japanese ポ… …ポケモン ちゃうよ) in the middle of explaining the in-game universe.  
Sid Meier's Civilization V There are several Pokémon-themed achievements in this Steampowered game. These include achievements named "It's Super Effective!" and "Gotta Catch 'Em All".[8]
Conker's Bad Fur Day Dummied data for the scene where Conker meets with Don Weaso had a deleted portion where Don Weaso attempted to bludgeon Pikachu when it arrived at his area with a baseball bat while he was meeting with Conker, as well as his afterwards making a dark reference to the tagline "Gotta Catch 'Em All!". According to Chris Seavor, the scene ended up cut because Nintendo "weren't too keen on having their baby bashed."[9][10]
DC Universe Online A feat in the game titled "Gotta Catch 'Em All" is achieved when players beat at least one player for every one of the six initial set of powers available in the game.
Diablo III One of the game's achievements is called "Gotta Catch Them All", it can be unlocked by playing cooperative games along with every class of hero (Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor and Wizard).
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth In Chapter 4, a researcher named Akemi Suedou asks the protagonists to investigate an "Eater," a digital creature that consumes data. Arata Sanada asks Suedou if he has any "secret weapons" at his disposal such as a "camera watch that can detect hidden objects" or a "ball that captured creatures can be stuffed into." Suedou states that Arata's examples are "oddly specific."
Draw Something Players are able to draw a Pikachu, earning one coin if chosen.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind This RPG has several Pokémon references, which include Marowak's Spine in Illunibi or the body of Peke Utchoo (whose name is parody of Pikachu). In Arkngthand, there is a Weepingbell Hall while in the Urshilaku Burial Caverns, there is a section known as Kakuna Burial.[11]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas In the city of Los Santos, San Andreas, there is a gift shop featuring signage of Ash Ketchum, Pikachu and Squirtle. It is inaccessible, plays no role in the storyline and exists solely as scenery. It's inclusion is an anachronism as San Andreas is set in 1992, while the characters featured were not released until 1996.
Grand Theft Auto V The tail lights of the Infernus car are modeled after Poké Balls.  
Harvest Moon 64 If the characters Karen and Kai marry and have a child, it will be dressed in a Pikachu costume.
HarmoKnight Five bonus levels feature music from Pokémon games: Champion Battle from Generation I, Trainer Battle from V, and the Gym, Route 26, and Bicycle themes from II. Pokémon-shaped balloons and natural structures also appear.
Hatoful Boyfriend The protagonist's first conversation with Okosan features the phrase "Okosan used Wing Attack! It's super effective!"
Henry Stickmin: Stealing the Diamond When night guards block Henry's path to the Tunisian Diamond in the Epic Ending, a Poké Ball is one of the options he can choose.
Hidden Folks On the camping level, one of the things to find is "Pika" a parody of Pikachu.  
Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 At the beginning of Chapter 8 of the True End route, Rom and Ram (twin sisters who personify the Nintendo DS) mention playing the "Pocketed Monstrosities" games:
Ram: Lowee's best games are easily the ones in the "Pocketed Monstrosities" franchise. Players catch and raise 1,510,376 monsters.
Rom: Oh, yeah. I was playing it earlier and I captured the Eebee monster.
Ram: No way! I really want that one! Gimme.
Rom: I'll give you its parents later. They're both fourth generation, so you'll probably get one from them.
 
There is a villainous mouse named "Pirachu", a pun on both "Pikachu" and, given the general motif of the Neptunia franchise's villains, "piracy".
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 In Lowee, a nation that represents the Wii and Nintendo, the group has an exchange with guards that references Pokémon in various ways:
Lowee Guard: Go! Dragon, I choose you!
Compa: Go! Nep-Nep, I choose you!
Neptune: Pika!
IF: Oh! All right then! Go! Lady Vert, I choose you!
Lowee Guard: Through rigorous training, people and monsters can become stronger! I've lived 'n trained with my fighting monster! And that will never change!
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3 In Lowee, a boy named Mr. Akai wears a Pikachu-like messenger bag and a hat backwards. Like Red, he rarely speaks, at least until he finally receives his copy of "Pocketed Monstrosities".
When the child IF challenges the Alternate Dimension Vert to a game of cards, Nepgear mentions how the Vert of her world was unbeatable at "Pocket Monstrosities" against the twins Rom and Ram.
Kid Icarus: Uprising After players defeat the Kraken as part of Dyntos's Three Trials, Pit calls the Kraken a "Tentafool", possibly a reference to Tentacool.
Little Inferno The description text for the Giant Spider item is written in the style of Pokémon battle messages: "A Giant Spider appears! You attempt to flee! Giant Spider attacks for massive damage!!"  
Mario Artist: Paint Studio One of the official pictures shows somebody drawing a silhouette of Pikachu.  
Minecraft As an easter egg, if the splashes.txt file is deleted but not the META-INF folder from the game's files, the only splash text to be shown is "missingno".  
Monster Legends Two monsters resemble Pokémon: The Turtle resembles Lapras and the Thunder Scout Zapdos.   
Not a Hero After the player completes a level, there is a random sequence of dialogue triggered. One of BunnyLord's lines in one of the dialogue sequences remarks how "this one time, when I lived in Justin's Vagabond Supplies Store, I damaged a Mudkipp." Notably, Mudkip's name is misspelled. File:NotAHero.png
Pikmin The S.S. Dolphin's ship part called the Bowsprit resembles a Poké Ball when viewed from above.  
Pocket Mortys Rick has his Mortys battle other Mortys in a turn-based RPG within the multiverse. There are even badges to be collected by defeating other Ricks in a Morty battle. A Morty Manipulator Chip functions similarly to a Poké Ball, which will cause that Morty to join the player if its HP is low enough. Even the name is based off "Pocket Monsters", and Rick automatically engages in battle if he walks in the sight of an NPC, and the Mortys follow Rick just like Pikachu in Yellow.
Poker Night at the Inventory Strong Bad asks Max if he's a Pokémon (pronounced as Poke-mon).
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction There's a skill point titled "Gotta Catch Them All", a reference to the franchise's original slogan.
Rune Factory 4 Clorica says, "Fishing can be quite dangerous. Sometimes it's less tenta-'cool' and more tenta-'cruel.'" Additionally, Dolce quotes "I choose you," tries to command a Thunderbolt attack, and references type effectiveness.
Runescape While a player is training the Dungeoneering skill in Daemonheim, after every floor players can receive a title. One of them is I choose you!, received for summoning 6 or more familiars.
Segagaga One of the fictional games is called "Tukemono Monsuters". Its image resembles the Japanese box of Pokémon Yellow.  
The Simpsons Game The game features "Sparklemon" in the level "Big Super Happy Fun Fun Game". Homer and Lisa must travel to three temples where they fight the Sparklemon in turn-based battles before they can collect them in "capturing balls". The first two Sparklemon are based on Pikachu and Squirtle. One of the Sparklemon also uses a strike called "Scratch Attack". Type matchups is also presented in the form of moves' super-effectiveness, resistance, and immunity.  
The Simpsons: Tapped Out In the quest "I am the Lizard Queen! Pt. 4" introduced in Level 60, Cletus asks for three giant stuffed "Pikachus" when he thinks he won the ring toss three times.  
After completing the quest "Homer the Heretic Pt. 5" in the Homer the Heretic update, God says "Nah, I just needed a new game -- I got sick of Pokémon Go".  
Skullgirls If the player wins a match without taking damage, the announcer says "It's super effective!"
Peacock's lines reference various anime. When facing Filia, she says "Wild schoolgirl appears!" She may also say "I choose you!" when using her j.HK.
A minor character named Molly has a story mode portrait that references Wobbuffet, including its salute.  
The character Double has an alternate costume based on Ditto, as both are able to Transform into opponents and use their moves.
Splatoon When the Moray Towers are presented as a possible arena for multiplayer battles, Callie and Marie may make make a reference to Pokémon.
Callie: Rollers are super effective here!
Marie: Chargers are the very best, like no gun ever was!
 
In commemoration of Pokémon's 20th Anniversary, a Splatfest was held on February 20, 2016 at 6:00 AM UTC, pitting players who prefer Pokémon Red against players who prefer Pokémon Blue*/Pokémon Green*. When the results of the Splatfest were tallied by game region, Red lost to Blue and Green in all three regions.

In the US version of the announcement, Callie and Marie discuss Vulpix being exclusive to Blue, and reference Team Rocket's original motto.

 
Steven Universe: Attack the Light! Steven sometimes says "Item, I Choose You!" when using an item.
StreetPass Mii Plaza One of the puzzles distributed through SpotPass was for Pokémon X and Y and depicts Xerneas and Yveltal.
Super Mario Galaxy There is a Poké Ball-shaped planet in the Buoy Base Galaxy. Inside it is a Power Star, which is needed to finish the level, possibly a reference to the Poké Ball's importance in the Pokémon games.  
Super Mario Maker A set of Mystery Mushroom Costumes themed after the playable Pokémon in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U can be unlocked by scanning their respective amiibo. The player also has a random chance of unlocking one after completing a 100 Mario Challenge. Unlike most amiibo costumes, however, the Pokémon costumes do not feature custom sounds or music.
In commemoration of Pokémon's 20th Anniversary, an Event Course entitled I Choose You! was uploaded on February 11, 2016. When the player completes this course, they will unlock a Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle costume. Completing the course three times will unlock all three. Unlike the Super Smash Bros. Pokémon costumes, these costumes have a full set of custom sound effects and music taken from Red and Green.  
Super Scribblenauts In one level, a witch sends out monsters in a Pokémon Battle format.
Tomodachi Life An item named the Trucker Hat is sold in the Hat Shop for Miis to wear. Its description says, "This hat is the best. In fact it's the very best. Why? Slip it on and find out!" This hat resembles one worn by Red in Generations I and II.  
Trade & Battle: Card Hero An NPC exclaims that he has been watching the show "Rocket Monsters".[12]
Vortex Point 4 Ruben's neighbor owns a Pikachu doll.  
Wario Land 3 One of the game's treasures is a Pokémon Pikachu, a treasure in the Green Chest that is located in the level The Big Bridge; however, the player cannot interact with it.  
Yoshi's Story The stages Stage 2-3 and Stage 2-4 are made out entirely out of newspaper clippings, and the text Pikachu, among others, is seen.  

References in tabletop games

Game Details Image
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game A Spell card released on January 15, 2015, titled "A Wild Monster Appears!" allows the player to freely Special Summon a monster if no monsters are on their side and the opponent is controlling at least one monster.  

References in books, comics, and manga

  • In the Love Hina manga, Keitaro Urashima can be seen with a Pikachu photo sticker while he checks his photo album of himself.
  • Mangaka Ume Aoki frequently represents herself in her works as "Ume-sensei", a crude chibi representation of herself dressed as a Metapod. Ume-sensei most notably appears in Aoki's famed manga Hidamari Sketch.
  • The Simpsons comics make several references:
  • In the tenth book in the Jigsaw Jones Mysteries series, The Case of the Ghostwriter, Stringbean hires Jigsaw to take the case by offering him bubblegum, a Darth Maul pencil eraser, a rubber band ball, $0.36, and a Diglett card. Jigsaw calls Diglett too common, so Stringbean instead offers a First Edition Gloom card, which he accepts.
  • Page 88 of the novella Coraline shows an illustration of a Pikachu head among several other toys.
  • In the novel Mad Dogs, Pokemon (sic) was mentioned as one of the fads that had passed around CHERUB campus.
  • In Volume 5, Chapter 1 of of the Sword Art Online light novel series, when discussing possible ways for someone to shoot a bullet in virtual reality and kill someone else in real life, Kirito mentions an instance in which animation effects in an episode of a certain anime caused children across Japan to become sick. This reference was not retained in Episode 1 of the anime adaptation's second season, which directly adapts the chapter.
  • In the book Babymouse: Cupcake Tycoon, Pikachu is one of the many "people" seen watching an interview. It is later assumed that the same Pikachu was one of the two thousand "people" to buy Babymouse's cupcakes, as referenced by the narrator asking Babymouse how she was going to get her cupcakes to Japan.
  • In the webcomic Homestuck, Tavros Nitram is shown playing a Pokémon-like game called "Fiduspawn".
  • A FoxTrot comic strip from April 3, 2011 has Jason and Peter playing catch. After he tossed, Jason shouted "I choose you, Gigalith!" He later mentioned he had played a lot of Pokémon recently as Peter questions why the ball was shaking. This strip was released weeks after the release of Pokémon Black and White.
  • In chapter 6 of the Touhou Project manga series Wild and Horned Hermit, main characters Reimu and Marisa are poisoned by an electric creature while trying to tame it. After the situation is explained to their friend Sanae, she wonders if the poison was caused by an eel or a catfish, or an "electric rat," and is shown thinking of Pikachu. Upon later discovering the poisoning was caused by a Raijū, she thinks of Pikachu again, but with its face crossed out.
  • In Rick Riordan's book The Mark of Athena, war-crazed Coach Hedge is sailing a ship while singing the Pokémon Theme, replacing the Gotta catch 'em all! catchphrase with "Gotta Kill 'Em All".
    • In another Rick Riordan book, The Throne of Fire, the protagonist Carter wakes up in an hotel room wearing Pokémon pajamas featuring Pikachu.
  • A Mother Goose and Grimm comic strip from May 31, 2014 featured a pair of Pikachu. It portrayed how the species got its name in a satirical manner.
  • In the volume #1 of Silk while the titular heroine is fighting Dragonclaw, she asks if that is a Pokémon name, and if they are "still a thing." She also owns a Staryu plush doll.
  • In a Zits comic from May 22, 2015, Jeremy asks his mother if she has seen his Pokémon cards and freaks out when she said she threw them out years ago. He tells her in the last panel that he and Pierce planned to ignite them.
  • In an episode of Hatsumei Boy Kanipan, some children bully a young boy in front of a pink machine. Three of the children (including the young boy) resemble Ash, Misty, and Brock.
  • In the final issue of Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, Annie May Parker proclaims she is not "some collectible" like a Pokémon.
  • Around Halloween 2016, The Family Circus has two of the kids in Pokémon costumes.
  • On the cover of the fourth issue of Archie Comics third Sabrina the Teenage Witch comic book series, Sabrina and her friend Chloe are playing a card game when bully Slugloar walks by saying "Those trading cards are so lame! There's no such thing as Pocket Monsters!" Sabrina magically makes a large monster appear from his back pocket in response.
  • In issue 92 of Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series, during a battle between Sonic and Monkey Khan, the latter exclaims "I have had enough of you!" to which the former responds with "Well, I've had enough "Pokémon" but you don't see me complainin'!"
  • In "What She Does Next Will Astound You", the the third novel based on the BBC sci-fi drama Class, one of the dares on the website truthordare.com is to "play Pokémon GO underwater".

Other references

Real world

  • Zbtb7, a gene discovered by a geneticist from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York City, was originally named "Pokemon", stands for "POK erythroid myeloid ontogenic factor".
  • In 2008, Japanese researchers discovered a new protein which helps carry electrical impulses from the eyes to the brain and named it Pikachurin. According to the researchers, the decision was based on both Pokémon and protein possessing "lightning-fast moves and shocking electric effects".
  • In an interview with CultBox, Hollyoaks actor Andrew Still, who portrays Joel Dexter in the series, was asked what TV show reminded him of his childhood, to which he replied: "Definitely Pokémon. I remember going to a childminder when I was around 5 and me and all the other kids there would sit religiously around the TV and watch it".[13]
  • In July 2011, Stentorceps weedlei, a species of wasps, received scientific classification, with the name being in reference to the Pokémon Weedle. Both Weedle and Stentorceps weedlei exhibit the distinctive feature of having a spine in the middle of the organism's head. [14]
  • During a Republican debate for the 2012 United States presidential election, candidate Herman Cain quotes a "poet" saying "Life can be a challenge, life can seem impossible, but it's never easy when there's so much on the line". These are actually the beginning lines of The Power of One, the theme song for the movie of the same name. During his withdrawal speech, he reused the line but with proper attribution.
  • The Prosecutor General of Crimea Natalia Poklonskaya became the focus of international media attention due to her appearance after a video of her at a press conference on her appointment of Prosecutor General of Crimea on 11 March 2014 was uploaded to YouTube. Upon learning of her popularity, she was unhappy with the media attention being focused on her looks rather than her career, stating "I am a lawyer, not a Pokémon or something."[15]
  • In April 2014, the Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Program and CNN's Change the List project held a poll to name a pangolin rescued from traffickers as part of a campaign to raise awareness for the endangered mammal. Of the top five choices from CNN comments, the name "Sandshrew" won the official Facebook poll. Sandshrew the pangolin now lives in a Vietnamese national park.
  • In October 2014, the extinct pterosaur Pterodactylus scolopaciceps was renamed Aerodactylus scolopaciceps due to a newly-discovered taxonomic separation. It is named after Aerodactyl, a Pokémon based on various pterosaur species, because it "seemed a pertinent name for a genus which has been synonymous with Pterodatylus for so long due to a combination of features".[16]
  • In May 2016, Charizard became the inspiration for the naming of Chilicola charizard, a species of stem-nesting bees.[17]
  • To promote their 2016 King of Trios tournament, professional wrestling company CHIKARA used several allusions to Pokémon, including using the "Who's That Pokémon?" feature to reveal competitors, a parody of the Pokémon Theme, and even Director of Fun Mike Quackenbush dressing as Ash Ketchum.[18]
  • During a July 2016 campaign event for the 2016 United States presidential election, candidate Hillary Clinton said "I don't know who created Pokémon GO, but I'm trying to figure out how we get them to have Pokémon GO to the polls." At the time, the mobile game Pokémon GO was at the height of its popularity.[19]
  • In January 2017, a species of dicynodonts, which are organisms that are known as the precursors to early mammals named Bulbasaurus phylloxyron was discovered. Bulbasaurus phylloxyron exhibits the feature of a bulbous-shaped nose thus its name.[20][21]

Music

  • A song from Bow Wow's album Wanted, "B.O.W.", has the lyrics "Get up out the stores like Pokémon did".
  • A song from Lil' Kim's album The Naked Truth (Lil' Kim album), "Get Yours", makes a reference to the common mispronunciation of "Pokéman".[22]
  • Parts of the insert song in part three of the popular flash cartoon series Charlie the Unicorn bear resemblance to the original Pokérap.
  • A song from The Lonely Island album Turtleneck & Chain, "Japan", mentions dumping Pokémon in the river.
  • Scottish band Alestorm released a T-Shirt with a Snorlax-like monster on it. The band's name is printed in the same style as the Pokémon logo, and the text under it reads "Gotta drink 'em all".
  • The Azealia Banks song "Bitch Is Ill" makes a lewd comparison involving the electricity of a Pikachu.[23]
  • The song "Mama Bird" by Flynt Flossy (Turquoise Jeep) makes reference to Pokemon, saying "Like Ash, baby, yo I gotta catch 'em all". [24]
  • The song "Rip Your Heart Out" from Hopsin's album Knock Madness features the lyrics "Motherfucker I got balls like I'm Ash Ketchum".
  • South African Rap group "Die Antwoord" made several references to Pikachu:
    • In their music video to "Baby's on fire", Yolandi Visser is wearing Pikachu-styled plush slippers
    • In the video "Umshini Wam" and some promotional photos, Ninja is wearing a Pikachu-hoodie.[25]
    • Their song "Banana Brain" features the line "You're so cute, like Pikachu"
  • The Nintendocore-band "Oak's parcel" is named after Professor Oak and has several Pokémon-themed songs.
  • The music group Starbomb features many songs that parody other video game franchises, but two in particular parody Pokémon. The first song, I Choose You to Die, tells the story of Ash Ketchum being sent to jail for beating up his Pokémon out of pleasure after defeating the Elite Four, before being shot in the groin by Pikachu after Pikachu posted Ash's bail; the followup song, The NEW Pokérap!!, features Brock describing to Ash all the new Pokémon that were discovered during his time in the hospital after the events of the first song.
  • In the music video for Море пенится More penitsya by the Russian group Потап и его команда Potap i yego komanda a person can be seen wearing a Pokémon shirt with Pikachu, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander.[26]

Websites

  • The coloring game on children's author Dav Pilkey's website was once called "Pilkeymon's Paintbox"[27] and featured a Pikachu-like boy as its menu icon.[28] After the site's 2013 redesign, the game was renamed "Pilkey Painter" and the menu icons were removed.
  • Homestar Runner has made a number of references to the series, usually playing on Pikachu's similar appearance to the character of The Cheat.[29] In particular, Pikachu appears on screen during "The Cheat Theme Song", when the lyrics are "Who's the man that looks like The Cheat?"
  • On the virtual pet site Neopets, a Pikachu can be seen on the Gallery of Evil page.[30]
  • During the Hetalia: Axis Powers 2011 Christmas event, Ladonia was passing the time playing Pokémon on his Game Boy and stated his favorite Pokémon was Stunfisk in his rushed introduction to Denmark.[31]
  • On The Annoying Orange, in "Marshmallow's Christmas Sock (12 Days Of Christmas)", 3 Pokémon were one of Marshmallow's gifts.[32]
  • One of the screensavers included in XScreenSaver is called "JigglyPuff" (sic).[33]
  • Cyanide and Happiness has referenced Pokémon in a few comics.
    • One comic made a joke about Ash catching all the STDs.
    • A second comic had two people playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with one declaring "Bulbasaur beats everything".
    • A third comic had Ash releasing a dead Pikachu from a Poké Ball because he forgot to make air holes.
    • A fourth comic had two people saying they were a fan of Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda.
    • A fifth comic has Ash try to catch a dog before the dog takes the Poké Ball and catches Ash instead.
  • In the third installment of SamBakZa's There She Is!! series, the character Doki chases and tries various methods of capturing a fleeing Nabi. When all of her attempts fail, she uses a Poké Ball, throwing it at Nabi's head and knocking him down.
  • The virtual pet site Subeta contains several references to Pokémon, including an item which heavily resembles a Poké Ball called Spherical Self-Contained Capture and Storage Unit[34] and two items that parody Pokémon Red and Blue.[35][36]
  • Death Battle has three battles featuring Pokémon:
    • The first was Ash's Pikachu vs. Blanka. Blanka was declared the winner due to his self-taught survival skills, electric resistance, and his greater strength and size compared to Pikachu giving him an edge over Pikachu's Electric typing and reliance on a Trainer.[37]
    • The second was a three-way free-for-all between a wild Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise. Blastoise was found to win 48% of over 7,000 simulated Pokémon battles between the three Pokémon using game mechanics and was thus declared the winner of the battle.[38]
    • The third was a battle between Red and Charizard against Tai and Agumon of Digimon fame; the battle ended in Tai's favor, due to the superior bond between Tai and Agumon as opposed to Red and Charizard.[39]
    • Additionally, in the Vegeta vs. Shadow the Hedgehog battle, when Shadow sends Vegeta to the Moon, a recolored Ducklett wearing a space helmet can be seen.
  • Beginning on February 18, 2015 the official Robot Chicken Twitter account was "taken over" by Meowth of Team Rocket and renamed MEOWTHbot Chicken.[40].
    • It was later changed to Robot Charmander before being renamed yet again to Robot Pikachiken. The Twitter account has since reverted back to normal.
  • Kongregate.com, a gaming website, releases a "Kongpanion" every week. One of them is a fire-breathing chair called "Chairizard", which is likely a reference to Charizard.

See also

External links

References

  1. NyaruReferences: Haiyore! Nyaruko-san Episode 1 References
  2. NyaruReferences: Haiyore! Nyaruko-san Episode 5 References
  3. Infinite Stratos 2 - Her breast are bigger than mine!
  4. Ike was looking up the new Alolan forms on last night's South Park | Pokemon on Reddit
  5. "Garbage, In, Garbage Out" on TFWiki.net
  6. $500,000 Pokémon question on WWTBAM
  7. Pokémon...Expert? (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire)
  8. Sid Meier's Civilization V global achievement stats on Steam
  9. https://twitter.com/conkerhimself/status/64621724066516992
  10. https://youtu.be/QvjAcjLAQXk?t=145
  11. Morrowind:Easter Eggs on The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages
  12. Trade & Battle: Card Hero - Text Dump
  13. 'Hollyoaks' star Andrew Still's TV choices - CultBox
  14. Stentorceps weedlei Nielsen & Buffington
  15. [1]
  16. PLOS ONE: The Problem of Cryptic Pterosaur Taxa in Early Ontogeny
  17. A revision of Chilicola (Heteroediscelis), a subgenus of xeromelissine bees (Hymenoptera, Colletidae) endemic to Chile: taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography, with descriptions of eight new species
  18. [2]
  19. Hillary Clinton wants you to 'Pokemon Go to the polls' | Destructoid
  20. Synapsida – Gotta catch ‘em all!
  21. An early geikiid dicynodont from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone (late Permian) of South Africa
  22. Lil Kim's "Get Yours' (feat. Sha-Dash & T.I.)" on YouTube.com
  23. Azealia Banks' "Bitch Is Ill" on Youtube.com
  24. [3]
  25. "Umshini Wam" Die Antwoord Harmony Korine
  26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXsPkVH39EA
  27. http://web.archive.org/web/20120622114244/http://www.pilkey.com/painter.php
  28. http://web.archive.org/web/20080403031704/http://www.pilkey.com/games.php
  29. Pokémon on HRWiki.org
  30. Neopets - The Gallery of Evil
  31. Hetalia 2011 Christmas Event, page 5
  32. Annoying Orange - Marshmallow's Christmas Sock (12 Days Of Christmas) on YouTube.com
  33. XScreenSaver: Screenshots
  34. SubetaLodge - Spherical Self-Contained Capture and Storage Unit
  35. SubetaLodge - Betamon: Azure Gamepet Game
  36. SubetaLodge - Betamon: Crimson Gamepet Game
  37. Death Battle: Pikachu vs. Blanka
  38. Death Battle: Pokémon Battle Royale
  39. Death Battle: Pokémon vs. Digimon
  40. https://twitter.com/cyborgturkey/status/568172201364430848


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