Step into a nostalgic adventure as Google transforms its search engine into a mobile playground where you can catch all 151 original Pokémon from the Kanto region. Simply search for each Pokémon’s name on your phone, tap the appearing Poké Ball, and watch the magic unfold-unlocking Master Balls along the way to capture elusive legendaries like Mewtwo and Mew. Ready to fill your digital Pokédex and relive the thrill of the classic Pokémon quest? Your ultimate guide to catching ’em all is here!
Below we explain how Google’s Pokémon easter egg works and how to catch all 151 Pokémon using it.
How to play the Google Pokémon catching game
To play the Google Pokémon catching game, start by logging into your Google account on the Google mobile app, as the game is mobile-only and progress is tracked through your account. Then, simply search for the name of a Pokémon from the original 151 Kanto Pokémon in the search bar. When a Poké Ball icon appears on the screen, tap it to catch the Pokémon through a short capture animation. Each caught Pokémon is added to your collection, and the app shows which ones you have and which remain to be caught. To catch Legendary and Mythical Pokémon like Articuno or Mew, you must first earn Master Balls by catching a certain number of other Pokémon, creating a progression system that unlocks these special Pokémon as you advance.
To start collecting the Kanto region Pokémon, you’ll just need to log into your Google account and start searching up the names of various Kanto region Pokémon. That’s literally it.
Once you do, you’ll be prompted with a Poké Ball in the bottom right corner of your screen. Tap it and an animation will play, allowing you to catch it.
There may be some quirks, like the search for “Ditto” bringing up the dictionary definition of the word and not the Pokémon. Adding “Pokémon” to the end of your search should help bring up the actual catchable creature, making the Poké Ball prompt appear, too.
How to catch every Pokémon in the Google Pokémon game
To catch every Pokémon in Google’s Pokémon game, you need to use a mobile device and be logged into your Google account. Simply search for the name of each of the original 151 Kanto Pokémon one by one in the Google search bar. When you do, a Poké Ball icon will appear on the screen; tap it to catch the Pokémon through a short animation. As you catch more Pokémon, you earn Master Balls at milestones of 5, 20, 50, 100, and 150 catches, which are required to capture the Legendary and Mythical Pokémon (Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, and Mew). You can catch the Pokémon in any order, but the legendaries will only be catchable once you have reached the corresponding milestone and earned a Master Ball.
To catch everything, you will just need to Google each individual Pokémon, but there’s a catch – Legendary and Mythical Pokémon (Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, and Mew) will require Master Balls and will need to be unlocked in a specific order.
This means, no, you cannot just catch five Pokémon and then jump straight into catching Mewtwo. You’ll need to prove your Pokémon prowess first by catching a bunch of the other creatures that came before it in the Pokédex.
You’ll unlock Master Balls as you catch more Pokémon. You’ll get one Master Ball after you catch five, 20, 50, 100, and 150 Pokémon. After each these requirements, you’ll be prompted with specific Legendary or Mythical Pokémon:
- Five Pokémon: Articuno
- 20 Pokémon: Zapdos
- 50 Pokémon: Moltres
- 100 Pokémon: Mewtwo
- 150 Pokémon: Mew
However, after catching your first Pokémon, Google will keep things moving by showing you a silhouette with a hint about another Pokémon you have yet to catch, similar to a “Who’s that Pokémon?” segment from the show. You can just keep answering these prompts to quickly nab everything, or you can go down a list like the one on the Pokémon website to just manually search things in order. The order you catch the Pokémon doesn’t seem to matter, so long as they don’t require a Master Ball.
How can I unlock and catch the legendary Pokémon in Google’s game
To unlock and catch the legendary Pokémon in Google’s Pokémon game, you must first catch a specific number of regular Pokémon to earn Master Balls, which are required to capture the legendaries. The unlocking milestones are:
-
Catch 5 Pokémon to unlock a Master Ball for Articuno
-
Catch 20 Pokémon to unlock a Master Ball for Zapdos
-
Catch 50 Pokémon to unlock a Master Ball for Moltres
-
Catch 100 Pokémon to unlock a Master Ball for Mewtwo
-
Catch 150 Pokémon to unlock a Master Ball for Mew
Only after reaching these milestones can you attempt to catch the corresponding legendary Pokémon using the Master Ball. Trying to catch them before unlocking the Master Ball will fail, with the Pokémon breaking free and an error message prompting you to catch more Pokémon first.
What steps do I need to take to unlock legendary Pokémon in Google’s game
To unlock legendary Pokémon in Google’s Pokémon game, you need to follow these steps:
-
Catch Regular Pokémon First: Begin by searching for and catching regular Pokémon from the original 151 Kanto roster on your mobile device using Google Search. Each successful catch adds to your progress.
-
Reach Catch Milestones to Earn Master Balls: As you catch more Pokémon, you will unlock Master Balls at specific milestones, which are necessary to capture legendary Pokémon. The milestones are:
-
Catch 5 Pokémon to unlock a Master Ball for Articuno
-
Catch 20 Pokémon to unlock a Master Ball for Zapdos
-
Catch 50 Pokémon to unlock a Master Ball for Moltres
-
Catch 100 Pokémon to unlock a Master Ball for Mewtwo
-
Catch 150 Pokémon to unlock a Master Ball for Mew
-
-
Use Master Balls to Catch Legendaries: Once you have unlocked a Master Ball by reaching the required number of catches, you can then search for the corresponding legendary Pokémon and use the Master Ball to catch it. Attempting to catch a legendary Pokémon without the Master Ball will fail, with the Pokémon escaping and an error message prompting you to catch more Pokémon first.
-
Continue Until All Legendaries Are Caught: Progressively unlock and catch all five legendary Pokémon by meeting each milestone and using the Master Balls earned.
This approach ensures engagement with the game and a gradual unlocking of the legendary Pokémon, making the experience more rewarding and strategic.
