About this puzzle
This puzzle mixes favorite Pokémon with the words every trainer learns on day one. You will hunt for the classic starters, fan favorites like Eevee, Snorlax, and Gengar, and the gear and goals of a journey, from the Poke Ball and Pokedex to gym badges, evolution, and the rare thrill of a shiny. Ash Ketchum and Pallet Town are here too, for fans who grew up with the animated series.
Young players who know their Pokémon by sight can start on easy mode and practice spelling names they usually only hear out loud. Older fans and parents who remember the original Game Boy games can try hard mode. It works well at a Pokémon birthday party, in an after-school club, or on a long car ride. This is an unofficial fan puzzle made for fun.
The 29 words in this puzzle
Every word, with a short note. Handy for teaching the vocabulary before or after solving.
In every version (12)
- Bulbasaur
- A Grass and Poison-type starter with a plant bulb on its back. It is number one in the National Pokedex, so it comes first in the official list.
- Charizard
- A Fire and Flying-type Pokémon that evolves from Charmander and then Charmeleon. Its tail flame burns hotter when it is excited or battling a strong opponent.
- Charmander
- A Fire-type lizard Pokémon and one of the three original starters. The flame on its tail shows how healthy it is, and it evolves into Charmeleon and then Charizard.
- Eevee
- A Normal-type Pokémon famous for its many evolutions. Depending on how it is raised, it can become Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, or Sylveon.
- Jigglypuff
- A round, pink Normal and Fairy-type Pokémon that sings a lullaby to put listeners to sleep. In the anime it gets grumpy when its audience dozes off.
- Meowth
- A Normal-type cat Pokémon with a gold coin on its forehead. In the anime, Team Rocket's Meowth taught itself to walk on two legs and talk like a person.
- Pikachu
- An Electric-type mouse Pokémon and the best-known face of the series. It stores electricity in the red pouches on its cheeks and was Ash's partner in the anime.
- Poke Ball
- The red and white ball trainers throw to catch wild Pokémon. Stronger versions, such as the Great Ball and Ultra Ball, make catching tough Pokémon easier.
- Pokedex
- A handheld encyclopedia that records each Pokémon a trainer sees or catches. Filling it in completely is one of the big goals of every main game.
- Psyduck
- A yellow Water-type duck Pokémon that always seems to have a headache. When its headache gets bad enough, it can release surprising psychic powers.
- Snorlax
- A huge Normal-type Pokémon that mostly eats and sleeps. In the early games a sleeping Snorlax blocks the road until a trainer wakes it with music.
- Squirtle
- A Water-type tiny turtle and one of the three original starters. When it pulls into its shell, it can spray water with great force.
Added in Medium and Hard (8)
- Ash Ketchum
- Ash Ketchum, a boy from Pallet Town who dreams of becoming a Pokémon Master, was the hero of the animated series from 1997 to 2023. His partner Pikachu refuses to ride in a Poke Ball.
- Evolution
- When a Pokémon changes into a new, usually stronger form. Many evolve by leveling up, while others need a special stone, a trade, or close friendship.
- Gengar
- A Ghost and Poison-type Pokémon with a wide grin. It likes to hide in shadows and play harmless pranks, and it evolves from Haunter.
- Gym Badge
- A badge earned by beating a Gym Leader in battle. Collecting eight badges lets a trainer challenge the Elite Four in most of the main games.
- Magikarp
- A Water-type fish famous for being weak, since its Splash move does nothing at all. Trainers who keep training it are rewarded when it evolves into the mighty Gyarados.
- Mewtwo
- A powerful Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon created by scientists from the DNA of Mew. It is one of the most famous Pokémon from the first games.
- Team Rocket
- A group of villains who try to steal Pokémon. In the anime, Jessie, James, and the talking Meowth usually end up blasting off again.
- Trainer
- A person who catches, raises, and battles alongside Pokémon. Trainers can carry up to six Pokémon in their party at one time.
Added in Hard (9)
- Brock
- The Gym Leader of Pewter City, who battles with Rock-type Pokémon like Onix and Geodude. In the anime he travels with Ash as a friend who loves to cook.
- Ditto
- A pink, blobby Normal-type Pokémon that can transform into a copy of any Pokémon it sees. Its only move in most games is called Transform.
- Gyarados
- A Water and Flying-type Pokémon shaped like a huge sea serpent. It evolves from the weak Magikarp, one of the biggest surprises in the whole series.
- Lapras
- A gentle Water and Ice-type Pokémon with a shell on its back. It is known for carrying people across the sea and for its beautiful singing voice.
- Legendary
- A group of rare and powerful Pokémon tied to the myths of each region. Usually only one of each can be caught in a game.
- Lucario
- A Fighting and Steel-type Pokémon that joined the games in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. It can sense and control aura, a kind of energy given off by living things.
- Pallet Town
- The quiet hometown where the original games begin. Professor Oak's lab is there, and it is where players choose their very first Pokémon from three starters.
- Professor Oak
- The Pokémon expert in the original games and anime who gives new trainers their first Pokémon and a Pokedex. His lab is in Pallet Town.
- Shiny
- A rare Pokémon with different colors from the usual version, such as a golden Magikarp or a black Charizard. Players often spend hours searching for one.
A few facts to share while you solve
- The name Pokémon is short for Pocket Monsters, the series' original Japanese name.
- The first games, Pokémon Red and Green, came out in Japan in 1996 for the Nintendo Game Boy.
- Series creator Satoshi Tajiri loved collecting insects as a child, and that hobby helped inspire the idea of catching and collecting creatures.
Four versions of this puzzle
Pick a version with the buttons above the grid. Each one has its own grid and answer key, and your progress on each is saved separately in this browser.
| Version | Words | Grid | Directions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 12 | 13 × 13 | The 12 most familiar words, reading forward across and down. |
| Medium | 20 | 15 × 15 | Twenty words across, down and diagonally. No backwards words. |
| Hard | 29 | 17 × 17 | Every word, in all eight directions including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. |
| Large print | 12 | 12 × 12 | The 12 most familiar words on a small grid with big letters. No backwards words. |
Hard and large print versions
Hard pokémon word search: all 29 words on a 17 × 17 grid, hidden forward, backward, up, down and along both diagonals, with filler letters borrowed from the word list. Print it without the word list for an extra challenge. Play the hard version, or see all hard word searches.
Large print pokémon word search: the 12 most familiar words on a 12 × 12 grid, printed with big letters and a big word list, and no backwards words. Play the large print version, or see all large print word searches.
Printing this word search
Press Print / PDF above the puzzle. You get a clean one-page sheet with the title, the grid, a word list with tick boxes, and optional name and date lines. The answer key prints on a second page. Prefer a file? Download it as a PDF or an image to print later or drop into a worksheet. Whatever version is showing on screen is the one that prints, and the large print version prints with bigger letters.
How to play online
- Find a word from the list in the grid. Scanning for its first letter is the quickest way.
- Drag across the word from its first letter to its last. On a phone, you can also tap the first letter, then the last.
- Found words get highlighted and crossed off. Stuck? Hint circles the first letter of a word you haven’t found.
Read the full guide to solving word searches, with tips that make big grids much faster.
Questions and answers
Which Pokémon are in this word search?
There are up to 29 words, depending on the level. Most are Pokémon, including Pikachu, Charizard, Charmander, Eevee, Snorlax, Magikarp, and Mewtwo. The rest are game and show words like Poke Ball, Pokedex, Gym Badge, Evolution, Shiny, Ash Ketchum, and Professor Oak.
Why is it spelled Pokemon without the accent in the grid?
Word search grids only use plain letters A to Z, so accents like the one in Pokémon cannot appear in the puzzle. Words such as Pokedex and Poke Ball are written without the accent so they can be hidden and found like any other word.
What age is this Pokémon word search good for?
Kids around six and up who know the Pokémon names can enjoy easy mode, especially with a grown-up helping read the list. Older kids, teens, and adult fans who played the early games usually prefer medium or hard for a bigger challenge.
Is there an answer key for this pokémon word search?
Yes. Choose Print / PDF above the puzzle and keep “Add an answer key page” ticked. The key prints on its own page, with every word highlighted. While playing online, Show answers outlines any words you haven’t found yet.
Can I print copies for my class or group?
Yes. Every puzzle on BetterWordSearch is free to print for personal, classroom, library and homeschool use. Print as many copies as you need. To change the words or make several different versions of the grid, use the word search maker.
What changes between Easy, Medium, Hard and Large print?
Easy hides the 12 most familiar words, reading left to right and top to bottom. Medium uses 20 words and adds diagonals. Hard hides all 29 words in every direction, including backwards, with look-alike filler letters. Large print uses the same words as Easy on a small grid and prints with big letters.
