Pokémon X and Pokémon Y are 2013 role-playing video games created by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first games in the sixth generation of the main Pokémon series. The games were first announced in January 2013 by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata during a Nintendo Direct presentation. Pokémon X and Pokémon Y were released worldwide in October 2013 and were the first Pokémon games to be released at the same time globally.

Like earlier games in the series, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y follow the journey of a young Pokémon Trainer who trains and battles Pokémon to stop the plans of the criminal group Team Flare. The games introduced 72 new Pokémon species and added features such as the Fairy-type, character customization, updated battle and training systems like "Mega Evolution," and fully 3D models instead of the 2D images used in earlier games. While the games can be played separately, trading Pokémon between them is needed to complete the Pokédex.

Pokémon X and Pokémon Y received mostly positive reviews. Critics praised the games' visuals and use of 3D models, but some criticized the story, characters, and level of detail. The games were a commercial success, selling 4 million copies worldwide in their first weekend, breaking the previous record held by Pokémon Black and White. As of September 30, 2024, a total of 16.76 million copies have been sold worldwide, making them the second best-selling games on the Nintendo 3DS after Mario Kart 7.

A sequel, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, was released on October 16, 2025, for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. It features the redevelopment of Lumiose City, the largest city in the Kalos region (inspired by Paris, France), and takes place five years after the events of Pokémon X and Y.

Gameplay

Pokémon X and Y are video games where players take on the role of a trainer on an adventure. The games are viewed from above, like looking down on a map, and are the first Pokémon games to use 3D features on the Nintendo 3DS. Players control a young trainer who catches and trains Pokémon, then battles other trainers. When players defeat other Pokémon in battles, their Pokémon earn experience points, which help them grow stronger, learn new moves, and sometimes evolve into more powerful forms. Players can also catch wild Pokémon by weakening them in battles and using Poké Balls to add them to their team. Using the Nintendo 3DS's internet features, players can battle and trade Pokémon with others. Some Pokémon are only found in X or Y, encouraging players to trade with others to collect all Pokémon.

Pokémon X and Y are the first main series games to use fully 3D graphics, making the world and battles more interactive. Players can choose their trainer's appearance, such as gender, skin tone, and hair color, and later earn outfits and accessories. New Pokémon include the starter Pokémon Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie, as well as legendary Pokémon Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde. Players can also choose classic starters from earlier games. A new type called Fairy is introduced, helping balance the Dragon-type. Developers added this type to make the game fairer.

A new feature called Mega Evolution allows fully evolved Pokémon, like Mewtwo and Lucario, to use special items called "Mega Stones" to temporarily become even stronger during battles. Some Pokémon can have multiple Mega forms. Other new features include Sky Battles, which are battles that only airborne Pokémon can join, and Horde Encounters, which are battles against five wild Pokémon at once. The Pokémon-Amie mode lets players interact with their Pokémon using the 3DS's touchscreen and camera, building bonds that affect battles. Super Training includes games that help improve Pokémon's abilities.

The games also improved communication features. The Player Search System (PSS) lets players find and track online players to battle or trade. The Holo Caster sends messages from NPCs using StreetPass and SpotPass. Wonder Trade allows players to trade one Pokémon for a random one from another player. O-Powers are temporary abilities that can be shared, and the Global Trade System lets players request specific Pokémon. Players can take screenshots of the game to share online.

Pokémon Bank is a paid service that stores up to 3,000 Pokémon online, allowing players to use them across different game copies. Poké Transporter lets players move Pokémon from earlier games like Black and White into X and Y. These services were planned for release on December 27, 2013, but were delayed until February 5, 2014, due to high traffic on the Nintendo Network.

Plot

The games take place in the star-shaped Kalos Region, one of many regions in the fictional Pokémon world. The region is centered around beauty and is inspired by Metropolitan France and parts of Europe. Many places in Kalos are based on real-world locations, such as Prism Tower (inspired by the Eiffel Tower), the Lumiose Art Museum (inspired by the Louvre), and the stones outside Geosenge Town (inspired by the Carnac stones). Wild Pokémon live throughout Kalos, with some only found in this region.

Like earlier Pokémon games, Pokémon X and Y follow a story that happens in a set order. The main character of the game has recently moved to a small town called Vaniville Town with their mother, Grace. They meet four trainers—Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and their rival, Calem or Serena. These trainers are called to meet Professor Augustine Sycamore, a leading expert in the Kalos Region based in Lumiose City, the main city of Kalos. The player receives one of three Starter Pokémon—Chespin, Fennekin, or Froakie—from Tierno and begins their adventure.

As the player travels, they learn about Pokémon Gyms and earn their first badge by defeating Viola, the Gym Leader of Santalune City. Later, they meet Sina and Dexio, assistants of Professor Sycamore, who take them to meet the professor. In Lumiose City, the player discovers that part of the city is experiencing a power outage. Professor Sycamore explains Mega Evolution and gives the player a Kanto Region Starter Pokémon and its corresponding Mega Stone. Before leaving Lumiose City, the player meets Lysandre, a man who wants to create a more beautiful world.

The player continues their journey and encounters Team Flare, a group that initially appears to want to profit from Pokémon. Later, it is revealed that Team Flare’s true goal is to destroy humanity to make the world more beautiful. In Shalour City, the player learns how to use Mega Evolution from Gurkinn, a Mega Evolution expert, and Korrina, the Gym Leader of Shalour City. After defeating Korrina in a special battle using Lucario, the player gains the ability to use Mega Evolution freely.

The player continues to defeat Gym Leaders and stop Team Flare’s plans. In the Lumiose Badlands, they stop Team Flare from stealing energy from a power plant and restore power to the city. After earning their seventh Gym Badge, the player is addressed by Lysandre through a device called the Holo Caster. Lysandre reveals he is the leader of Team Flare and plans to destroy humanity.

Following clues from friends and locals, the player finds Team Flare’s secret lab under a café in Lumiose City. There, they meet AZ, a 9-foot-tall man who is revealed to be a 3,000-year-old king. AZ once used the "ultimate weapon," a device powered by energy from the Legendary Pokémon Xerneas or Yveltal, to end a war in Kalos. His goal was to revive a Pokémon named Floette, but Floette left him after his actions. This war led to the creation of Mega Evolution by sending too much energy into an asteroid.

With help from Shauna and Calem or Serena, the player travels to Geosenge Town, where Team Flare’s second base is located. At the core of the ultimate weapon, the player finds a dormant Xerneas or Yveltal, which awakens upon their arrival. They capture the Pokémon and stop Lysandre’s plans after defeating him in battle. Before Lysandre can use the ultimate weapon to destroy it, the player, Shauna, and Calem or Serena escape.

After defeating Team Flare, the player earns their eighth and final Gym Badge, allowing them to challenge the Elite Four—the strongest Pokémon Trainers in Kalos. They travel through Victory Road and reach the Kalos League to face the Elite Four. After defeating them, the player battles and defeats the Kalos League Champion, Diantha, becoming the new Kalos League Champion.

Professor Sycamore organizes a parade to celebrate the player’s role in saving Kalos. During the parade, AZ battles the player and recognizes their strength as a Pokémon Trainer. His Floette returns to him, and they are reunited for the first time in 3,000 years.

Development

The development of Pokémon X and Y began in 2010. Director Junichi Masuda shared that the three main themes of the games were beauty, bonds, and evolution. Beauty was the central focus, and Masuda studied France as an example of this theme. A team was sent to France in 2011 to learn more about its culture. Flowers were added to many areas in the game to improve visual appeal and create unique encounters with wild Pokémon. The games take place in a region inspired by France, so design ideas came mostly from European culture. For example, the legendary Pokémon Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde were influenced by Norse mythology. More attention was given to creating new Pokémon with unique features for this generation. The names X and Y were chosen early in development because they represent the x-axis and y-axis, which also symbolize different ways of thinking. The simple names also helped with the games’ worldwide release. Designers tried to use the same Pokémon names in every country, but this was very difficult because the names needed to match the Pokémon’s appearance and avoid copyright issues.

A major change in the game series was the switch from two-dimensional images to three-dimensional shapes. This required a larger team of more than 500 people, including those who translated the games into other languages. Designers focused on keeping the art style created by Ken Sugimori, who has designed Pokémon since 1996. At Masuda’s request, the shapes "X" and "Y" were used as the basis for the boxart designs of Xerneas and Yveltal. Normally, Sugimori designs legendary Pokémon alone, but he worked with Yusuke Ohmura to create these characters. It took about 18 months to finalize their designs, which was three times longer than usual. Manga artist Hitoshi Ariga helped design ten new Pokémon for the games at Masuda’s request.

The game’s music was composed by Shota Kageyama, Minako Adachi, Hitomi Sato, Junichi Masuda, Go Ichinose, and Morikazu Aoki. This was the first time the Nintendo 3DS’s sound features were used in a Pokémon game, and Masuda was happy with the improved sound quality. The music focused on the theme of beauty, just like the games themselves. Kageyama found inspiration in French music but avoided making it sound too French. In an interview, Masuda said the Japanese harp was used instead of an accordion in some songs to reduce French influences. Kageyama also said Masuda inspired his work. Although Masuda was the director, he also composed the battle themes. For the Gym Leader battle music, Masuda wanted to try a new style and added techno music.

The official soundtrack, titled Nintendo 3DS Pokémon X-Y Super Music Collection, was released on November 13, 2013. It reached number 12 on Billboard-Japan’s "Top Albums Chart" and number 3 on the "Independent Albums Chart." The soundtrack was also released digitally worldwide on November 20 through iTunes as Pokémon X & Pokémon Y: Super Music Collection. It debuted at number 104 on the Billboard 200 and reached number 5 on the Billboard Soundtracks Chart. James Stephanie Sterling of Destructoid praised the music, calling it "utterly lovely" and noting that the quieter songs were "legitimately beautiful."

Release

Pokémon X and Y were announced by Satoru Iwata during a Nintendo Direct on January 8, 2013. These games were the first in the main Pokémon series to be released worldwide on October 12, 2013. Before the release date, many stores in the UK and online sold the games early. Nintendo warned retailers that they would face penalties if they continued selling the games before the official release date. A store in Bournemouth, UK, reportedly sold the games on October 11, which caused other UK retailers to also sell the games early.

A special Nintendo 3DS XL featuring Xerneas and Yveltal in their Shiny forms was released in North America and Europe on September 27, 2013, and in Japan on October 12, 2013. Japan also received a premium gold version of the 3DS XL with Xerneas on the front and Yveltal and the three starters on the back, with either Pokémon X or Y pre-installed. On October 2, 2013, Union J, semifinalists of The X Factor series 9, shared on their social media that they would be involved in the UK release of Pokémon X and Y.

From October 12, 2013, to January 15, 2014, players could download a special Torchic with its hidden ability "Speed Boost" and a Blazikenite, which allows Blaziken to evolve into Mega Blaziken using the new Mega Evolution feature. Between March 1 and March 31, 2014, North American Club Nintendo members could receive a free download code for Pokémon X or Y if they registered a Nintendo 2DS, 3DS, or 3DS XL along with one of six qualifying games. However, products registered before this time were not eligible.

To promote the Mega Evolution feature, Mega Mewtwo Y (then called "Awakened Mewtwo") appeared in a special anime episode titled "Mewtwo: Prologue to Awakening" and the film ExtremeSpeed Genesect: Mewtwo Awakens, released in Japan on July 13, 2013. Mega Evolution was also shown in the TV special Pokémon Origins, a retelling of the original Pokémon Red and Blue games, which included a surprise appearance of Mega Charizard X. The anime series Pokémon the Series: XY, based on these games, began airing in Japan on October 17, 2013, and was previewed in North America and Europe on October 19, 2013.

Reception

Pokémon X and Y were well-received when they were released. According to Metacritic, a website that collects reviews, the games received "generally favorable reviews." They ranked as the 15th and 13th highest-rated games on the Nintendo 3DS. Another review site, OpenCritic, said 84% of critics recommended the games, calling the reception "mighty." The Japanese magazine Weekly Famitsu gave the games a near-perfect score, earning them the publication's Platinum Award. This made them the second-highest rated Pokémon games by the magazine, after Pokémon Black and White, which received a perfect score.

Reviewers praised the games for their use of 3D graphics, improved visuals, and online features. Edge magazine described the visuals as "rich in detail," with examples like grand buildings and run-down hotels. Simon Parkin of Eurogamer said the transition to 3D was "smooth and natural," calling the games the best expression of the series' creator, Satoshi Tajiri's, vision. Matt Kamen of The Observer highlighted new gameplay features, better graphics, and sound, calling the games "the series' zenith."

IGN reviewer Jose Otero said the games successfully moved to a 3D world, calling them "more social, beautiful, and strategic" than earlier games. He noted that new Pokémon models and animations matched their personalities and praised the new "Mega Evolutions" feature. He also liked the faster start, allowing players to catch many Pokémon early. Kyle Hilliard of Game Informer said the new features made the games "more inviting, attractive, and fun," but noted they did not change the series' basic formula. Ernest Cavalli of Joystiq and Griffin McElroy of Polygon praised the gameplay, with Cavalli calling it "the best in the series." Daan Koopman of Nintendo World Report liked the graphics, music, and battle changes but criticized inconsistent presentation and unexciting new battle types. Parkin said the original goal of catching all Pokémon remained strong, but Edge magazine said some of the series' "original magic" was lost and noted issues with the 3D frame rate.

The Player Search System (PSS), which lets players switch between solo play, battles, and trades, was praised for making online features "masterly." McElroy said it created a "completely interconnected experience," and Otero called the PSS "dramatically new and more modern." Features like Pokémon-Amie and Super Training had mixed reactions. Hilliard found Super Training's minigames forgettable, but McElroy said Pokémon-Amie helped players bond with their Pokémon like pets. Otero praised Super Training for making competitive training easier.

The story and characters received less praise. Otero called the story and characters "disappointing," and McElroy said the campaign was "formulaic." Hilliard found some interactions with non-playable characters "bizarre but entertaining," while Parkin called the story "thin and melodramatic." Some puzzles were criticized as clumsy, and the Kalos region's layout was described as simple but welcoming for new players. Changes to experience gain allowed players to use more Pokémon and switch between teams larger than six.

Pokémon X and Y were nominated for Best RPG and Best Handheld Game at the 2013 VGX Awards. In 2014, they won the Golden Joystick Award for Handheld Game of the Year. At the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, they were nominated for "Handheld Game of the Year" and "Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year."

Media Create sales data showed over 1.26 million copies of Pokémon X and Y were pre-ordered in Japan, not including copies bundled with Nintendo 3DS hardware. This made them the most reserved 3DS title in Japan at the time. Within three days of release, the games sold 2.09 million retail copies in Japan. Worldwide, they sold over 4 million copies in the first weekend, becoming the fastest-selling 3DS games. They were the top-selling 3DS titles in the Americas initially but were later surpassed by Pokémon Sun and Moon. By December 2013, they sold 11.61 million copies globally, making them the best-selling 3DS titles. They remained the top sellers through 2016 but were later outsold by Mario Kart 7 in 2017. As of March 31, 2023, the games had sold 16.68 million units worldwide, making them the second-best-selling 3DS games, behind Mario Kart 7 and ahead of Pokémon Sun and Moon.