Pokemon is a 25-year old franchise, and its initial fan base has grown up to become full-fledged adults. Most of these adults have now left the Pokemon sphere, but many still are connected to the franchise from the time when they were younger.
But in 2022, the fanbase is full of younger children prominently. Hence, the Pokemon company has its footholds in almost every entertainment industry on earth that sells stuff to children, and books are just one of them.
These books include guides, mangas, short stories, visual novels, and many more. So we decided why not create a list for those who like to read.
This list will consist of the ten best Pokemon books we think are a good read in 2022, especially for someone new to the franchise and who wants to catch up.
These Pokemon books are mostly catered towards younger fans but can also be enjoyed by any Poke fan of any age, our all Pokemon games in order will help you choose which game/book type to pick!
10. Pokemon Sword and Shield: The official Galar Region Pokedex
The 8th generation Pokemon games, Sword and Shield, introduced us to the Galar region, which, as you know, is based on the country of England in real life. Galar is home to many new Pokemon, which means you, as a Pokemon enthusiast, have a lot of new stuff to explore!
And by far, the best way to explore these Pokemon in Galar is through this Region Pokedex. All the new Pokemon introduced in Galar have a detailed description in this book, along with never-before-seen illustrations printed in the highest quality possible.
Not only does the guide improve your knowledge about the native Pokemon of Galar, but it also helps you out in your journey across the region by giving item recommendations for every single Pokemon, from the timid starters to the mighty legendary dogs!
Plus, the addition of Gigantamx Pokemon was a big deal for the Pokemon community as it is a brand new game mechanic, but don’t worry, this guide will explain everything there is to know about the phenomenon of enlarging Pokemon. By the end of this book, you’ll be as knowledgeable as the professor of the region!
9. All about Eevee (Pokemon)
Eevee is one of the most fascinating Pokemon in the entire Pokeverse; not only does it look cute, but it can evolve in almost every type in the game. As of now, there is an Eevee of fire, water, thunder, psychic, dark, grass, ice, and fairy type.
That is whopping 8 different types for a single Pokemon, and each variant of the Eevee brings something unique to the table. For example, the thunder-type Jolteon is fast, probably the fastest in the Eevee evolutionary line.But, it lacks defensive stats, whereas the Dark-type Umbreon is almost a tank in some regards.
So to understand this one of a kind Pokemon better this guidebook was released, which takes a look at every eeveelution in the Pokemon universe and gives the best moveset and items for these Pokemon.
Apart from the valuable information, the book is full of colorful Eevee illustrations, which are just a delight to look at. The print quality of the pages is also top-notch, and never will you ever think that the book isn’t worth the money. It is a book that every serious Pokemon collector should have in their collection.
8. Ash’s Quest from Kanto to Alola: The official adventure guidebook
Ash Ketchum might not be an integral part of the main series of Pokemon games. But, he is an essential part of the Pokemon fandom as a whole.
You can say he single-handedly started the Pokemon craze back in the 90s when every kid was singing the Pokemon rap!
Ash Ketchum is of utmost importance in the Pokemon fandom, and if you’re a fan who wants to have a quick recap of what this never-ageing boy from Kanto has done over the years, then this guidebook is the best way to go about it.
Not only does it summarize the entire journey Ash has been through in less than 200 pages, but it also has an excellent introduction of the Aola region in it. Even though the Galar region games have been out for a while now, the anime is still not finished, so this is the latest compilation of Ash’s adventures, and it is absolutely worth it!
The book emphasises our beloved protagonists’ relations as he crosses a new region to become the master Pokemon trainer. Ash’s Pikachu also is an integral part of his story, so if you’re a Poke fan, this book will surely increase the stature of your collection.
7. Pokemon Ranger and the temple of the Sea
Classic Pokemon mangas have some of the best stories ever told in the Pokemon universe. This Pokemon ranger and the temple of the sea book is regarded as one of the best ones in the Pokeverse.
Not only does it have the mythical Manaphy in it, but it also features the concept of Pokemon rangers in the Poke verse, which has not been explored.
The story is about a temple created by the people of the water. It contains a lot of treasures, so obviously there is going to be an evil pirate who is going to want to take all the loot for himself, and our heroes will have to save the day.
The story features amazing artwork and pacing, all the pages are great to look at, and the manga artists have done a great job at bringing the story in the manga format.
6. Pokemon Sword and Shield: The official Galar Region strategy guide
Pokemon Sword and Shield is a long game, especially with the new features and the DLCs being added to it. Any player would like to have a good head start when trying to complete the game and do it in the most spectacular way possible.
This guide to the games will surely help you out in this venture. The guide features a complete walkthrough of your adventure so that you know what is to come. The list of all the moves and items will be an essential part of your journey.
The brand new Dynamax and gigantamax features also have a very detailed explanation in the guide. It will also help you out in the raids. The brand new wild areas have also found a mention in this guide so that you can catch the best Pokemon in the game!
And last but not the least, the guide has a Pullout map for the Galar region, which just looks gorgeous, to say the least!
5. Pokemon Journeys, Vol 1
Ash’s passion for becoming the Pokemon master has found a worthy competitor in the form of a new friend, Goh! Ash wants to become the best Pokemon trainer of all time. In contrast, Goh wants to catch every Pokemon from every Region in the Pokeverse!
Both are massive undertakings and will take a lot of time, and when they go on adventures, we will have a lot of fun. This Pokemon Journey’s Vol 1 will give you a nice look at what the latest Pokemon anime and manga are doing so that you can decide to invest your time in it!
The manga features top-notch art and storytelling. There is no way you’ll be bored at any given point in the manga, especially in the first chapter, where many exciting things happen.
4. The official Pokemon Encyclopedia: Updated to include the Galar region
No book is as comprehensive and entertaining as this official Pokemon encyclopedia. The Pokemon company updates this encyclopedia every time a new batch of Pokemon is added to the Pokeverse. This book has all the new Pokemon from the Galar region included!
The book touches upon the Pokemon and tells the full take of the Pokemon anime, featuring Ash and his trustworthy Pikachu. All the central characters in the Pokemon universe find a place in this book. Hence it is a vast and chunky book.
Not only that, each Pokemon gets a detailed description of their powers, origins, anatomy, and their various traits that make them unique. This book is like the epitome of all Pokemon books, and a must-have for any Poke fan out there.
3. Pokemon Classic Collector’s Handbook
The original 151 Pokemon are considered the classic Pokemon, the OGs if you will. These Pokemon set the stage for the pokemon company to become the multi-billion dollar behemoth today. Hence, the importance of these Pokemon is immense.
Every Poke fan knows generation 1 Pokemon, and hence every Poke fan should also have this class collector’s edition Pokemon handbook.
It has all the original Pokemon and is considered a must-have for anyone who collects Pokemon-related stuff.
Every Pokemon in the book gets a detailed description song with unique facts that are strange and fascinating. The handbook is an excellent gift idea for the much younger audience. The mysterious world of Pokemon will surely captivate them.
2. Pokemon Super Particular Chapter Book Set
Rather than recommending individual Pokemon storybooks, we decided to put this box set of the 8 best Pokemon books in the 8 Pokemon regions in the 2nd place. The book set consists of 4 books, each book hastwo regions, so there are two different stories.
The books cover the adventures that Ash and Pikachu embark upon in each new region; the books are a great way of introducing someone ot the franchise or just reading them for fun as they are pretty enjoyable.
That being said, the target audience for these books is younger children, as they are the ones who will love these books the most just because of how the book’s stories are structured. They grab the attention of young children very quickly as they are more imaginative than adults.
1. Pokemon Adventures (Red and Blue) Vol. 1
There is a reason why this manga is ranked so high up on this best Pokemon books list, and you’ll get that reason once you start reading it. Pokemon Adventures is the best Pokemon story ever told in the manga format; it features the original trainer Red and his foe, Blue.
The manga story is very similar to that of the original Pokemon games.But, it has a twist, a nasty twist, to be precise.
You know how the Pokemon company tries to steer clear from all the allegations of violence in their games by having no gore.
This manga doesn’t abide by that rule, even in the slightest bit. The Pokemon, battle like crazy, and they get injured very badly. You’ll know when they get injured as there is a very detailed illustration of every injury.
This is a weird experience for every Pokemon fan as this is the most brutal representation of the franchise.
This is the best Pokemon manga, and you should start reading it ASAP!
A 29 year old fella that’s had a Gameboy addiction ever since he was a child. Brandon is the founder of RetroDodo and created a YouTube channel with 240,000 subscribers dedicated to retro gaming products. He now wants to create the No.1 site to showcase the latest retro products from around the globe.
