History FandomRivalry / Pokemon

* The infamous ''Pokémon'' vs. ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' wars. ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' often gets thrown in to make it a MeleeATrois, with ''Franchise/{{Beyblade}}'' and ''Anime/MonsterRancher'' occasionally showing up as well. However, the big fight was always between these two, as both fandoms claimed that one was a rip-off of the other because they came out around the same time and had superficially similar elements. The fighting got to the point that a lot of people decided that anyone who was a fan of both [[WithUsOrAgainstUs wasn't really a fan on their side]]. However, with the passage of time and the kids that once fought on the playground over the matter having since become adults who realize that liking both actually is an option, the two have since become FriendlyFandoms. Some now believe that ''Digimon'' should get a GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' (usually SeriesMascot Agumon), in acknowledgement of the past rivalry, similar to Mario vs. Sonic.[[note]]While ''Smash'' is for video game characters only, these individuals point out that the original ''Digimon'' virtual pet toys were just as much games as UsefulNotes/GameAndWatch. Plus, Creator/BandaiNamco is now one of the lead developers for the ''Smash'' series, and owns ''Digimon''.[[/note]]

* '''''Pokémon'' vs. ''VideoGame/{{Palworld}}'''''. Ever since ''Palworld'' entered its open beta period in January 2024, there has been an endless flame war between fans of both sides comparing their games. Some Palworld fans claim that the game will dethrone Pokémon via innovation and just being better (especially via comparisons to the controversial [[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet ninth generation]] games being infamously buggy) while other Pokémon fans have claimed that it's nothing more than a DarkerAndEdgier [[ShoddyKnockoffProduct knockoff]] that blatantly copies designs from Pokémon. Section of both fanbases however have begun to cool off however, as many slowly became fans of both games and the growing playerbases begin to recognize that the parody aspect of Palworld is as affectionate as it is deconstructive.

* Despite ''Pokémon'''s fanbase frequently butting heads with other monster-collection franchises, it generally gets along with the fanbases of other Nintendo franchises and even other non-Nintendo franchises. However, overall Nintendo fans and general gamers tend to be far less charitable, saying its [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks highly similar]], low-budget entries are unbecoming of such a high profile series. Although this [[FranchiseOriginalSin has been an issue for years]], it really became contentious during the Switch era, when their tighter deadlines and budgets started showing their limits on more demanding hardware, coming to a head with ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet''. Several unsavory comparisons were made to ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' and [[FriendlyFandoms (ironically)]] ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' with regards to how the Nintendo Switch is capable of impressive graphics in an open-world setting, along with the ports of ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' and ''VideoGame/Persona5Royal'' that were released only one month prior to ''Scarlet and Violet'' can have clean, bug free experiences even on similar budgets. The criticism grew more intense with the release of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'' the year after, as both were high profile first party games with higher budgets that were developed at their own pace. Expectedly, many ''Pokémon'' fans (and fans of those other franchises) do not like these comparisons and routinely consider them unfair, as the developers have to make do with the time and resources they've been given (i.e. not a lot) and even have a system specifically dedicated to allowing some employees to not have to work on ''Pokémon'' (something hardly any other studio has). While both sides of the argument agree that these restrictions are oppressive and need to go, there's much contention between whether that same care should come from the players before or after that happens.

* ''Pokémon'' vs ''VideoGame/{{Palworld}}''. ''Palworld'' was initially dismissed as yet another ''Pokémon'' clone, with the only thing making it stand out being the large amounts of BlackComedy present; however, once it was released to early access, it turned out to be a surprisingly good game in its own right and ended up becoming highly popular. This immediately led to a feud between the two fanbases; ''Pokémon'' fans ripped into ''Palworld'' for [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks blatantly copying various game mechanics and designs from their franchise]], to the point of a (false) rumor spreading that ''Palworld'' was created using AI image generators, while ''Palworld'' fans ripped into ''Pokémon'' for the quality of its later releases (especially the [[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet ninth generation]]) while boasting that their game is a strong competitor or even a FranchiseKiller for ''Pokémon'' as a whole.

* '''''Pokémon'' vs. ''VideoGame/Palworld'''''. Ever since ''Palworld'' entered its open beta period in January 2024, there has been an endless flame war between fans of both sides comparing their games. Some Palworld fans claim that the game will dethrone Pokémon via innovation and just being better (especially via comparisons to the controversial [[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet ninth generation]] games being infamously buggy) while other Pokémon fans have claimed that it's nothing more than a DarkerAndEdgier [[ShoddyKnockoffProduct knockoff]] that blatantly copies designs from Pokémon. Section of both fanbases however have begun to cool off however, as many slowly became fans of both games and the growing playerbases begin to recognize that the parody aspect of Palworld is as affectionate as it is deconstructive.

* People who dislike the graphics in ''Scarlet and Violet'' tend to bring up ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' and [[FriendlyFandoms (ironically)]] ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' when talking about how the Nintendo Switch is capable of impressive graphics in an open-world setting, along with the ports of ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' and ''VideoGame/Persona5Royal'' that were released only one month prior. This popped up again after the release of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'', which not only was far better received but also sold about the same amount as ''Scarlet and Violet'' (a feat unheard of for ''Zelda'' games prior to ''BOTW''), which led to many negative comparisons in favor of ''Tears of the Kingdom''. Many fans of ''Scarlet and Violet'' have considered these comparisons unfair in response, citing differences in their budget and the [[ChristmasRushed oppressive]] ''Pokémon'' release cycle (a problem in its own right), among other things. This also worsened after the release of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosWonder'', which was cited that the game had no deadline during the early phases of development in contrast to the forcibly rushed deadlines of ''Pokémon'' games.

** ''Temtem'' went into early access in January 2020, over a month after the release of ''Sword and Shield''. Players dissatisfied with ''Sword and Shield'' pointed to ''Temtem'' as what the games "should" have been as a full-region MMO with fewer luck based elements. Defenders of ''Sword and Shield'' find ''Temtem'' to lack several traits inherent to MMO games, and ''rip'' into the game's creature design as lackluster.

* Fans of ''Pokémon'' vs. fans of ''{{VideoGame/Spectrobes}}'' for DS {{Role Playing Game}}s. Both ''Spectrobes'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' came out around the same time, inciting massive arguments about which one has better gameplay, graphics, and story.

* In a similar vein, ''VideoGame/{{Nexomon}}'' and [[VideoGame/NexomonExtinction its sequel]] have a rivalry with fans of the later generations. ''Nexomon'' fans love it for being just like the classic ''Pokémon'' games (complete with graphics reminiscent of [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Gens 3]] [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl and 4]]), being more challenging, and for being more story-driven, especially after ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'''s story proved [[BrokenBase controversial]] even among its fans. Meanwhile, fans of the later ''Pokémon'' games dislike it for the same reasons.
* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'' vs ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl]]'' developed in late 2021 due to the two games coming out at similar times, and those disappointed with modern ''Pokémon'' latching on to SMTV as "what a high-budget {{Mons}} JRPG on Switch ''should'' look like."

* Fans of Creator/KidsWB's in-house series, specifically the Creator/StevenSpielberg-produced cartoons like ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'' still don't take too kindly to the anime due to its popularity eclipsing those series and the fact that the older shows became lower in priority for the block, as evidenced by ''The Big Cartoonie Show''. During the anime's run, it became such a massive powerhouse that it became mostly responsible for the overall shift in focus from comedy to action on both the block and the larger Saturday morning landscape. The fact that it was cheaper to produce than WB's own cartoons partially led to this shift.

* Since its run, the anime has gone face-to-face with a whole hoard of similar competitors, most of them being {{kodomomuke}} series. Beckett Magazine often played up these rivalries in their covers.

* The ''Pokémon'' fandom is infamous for its "generation wars", with fans often clawing each other's eyes out about which generation was the best. Roughly speaking, fans are divided into three broad groups: fans of the "classic" era ([[FirstInstallmentWins Gens I-II]]), fans of the "early modern" era (Gens III-V), and fans of the "3D" era (Gens VI-VII). Each of these groups constantly holds up why their preferred generation(s) is/are the best, often blaming the other two groups for overglorifying their own choices and (aside from "3D" fans) blaming Game Freak for not continuing in their preferred direction. One reason ''[=HeartGold=]'' and ''[=SoulSilver=]'' are considered a SacredCow is that they appeal to both "classic" fans and "early modern" fans (being Gen IV remakes of Gen II games), and "3D" fans have very few gripes against them.
** In particular, fans of ''Platinum'' often fight with fans of ''Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl'' over which one is the better Sinnoh experience. Fans of ''Platinum'' love the ExtendedGameplay, the much-beloved Battle Frontier, and mock ''BDSP'' for having neither of them or simply for being a 1:1 remake with little to differentiate themselves from the originals. Meanwhile, BDSP fans cite the many quality of life improvements, the well-received Grand Underground, the fully 3D graphics, and the fact that it was made in Unity (which makes it much easier to mod compared to older games).
** Similarly, and greatly 'encouraged' by their near-simultaneous release, ''Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl'' fans have quite the fierce rivalry with ''Legends: Arceus'' fans, to the point you'd be lucky to find someone that bought both (and not with the purpose of obtaining [[BraggingRightsReward a shiny Arceus]] in the former from having beaten the latter).
** The ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon Mystery Dungeon]]'' spin-off series also fell into one between those who think that ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers Explorers of Sky]]'' is the best game in the spin-off series, and those who think it's ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSuperMysteryDungeon Super Mystery Dungeon]]''. Fans of the former bank on its (perceived) superior story compared to that of ''Super'', while fans of the latter prefer ''Super'''s harder difficulty and (perceived) superior gameplay.
* Generation wars are just as bad with the [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries anime]], with there being factions for every one of its seven official series (though the most prominent of these are between the [[Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries original series]], ''[[Anime/PokemonTheSeriesDiamondAndPearl Diamond and Pearl]]'', ''[[Anime/PokemonTheSeriesXY XY]]'', and ''[[Anime/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoon Sun and Moon]]'', as these four are most often considered to have the greatest strengths in different areas of the show). As with the games, debates are endless on which elements the anime should be focusing on and which series handled them the best.
** Special mention goes specifically to the rivalry between ''XY'' series fans and ''Sun and Moon'' series fans, for being by far the most heated and direct. Due to their ''extremely'' different tones and direction, and high popularity with different audiences, fans of these series are infamous for getting into {{Flame War}}s where they play up the positive qualities of one and AccentuateTheNegative for the other.
* A starter war occurred in ''Sun'' and ''Moon'': as a result of Greninja successfully becoming a BreakoutCharacter in Generation VI, a fierce rivalry started between Decidueye fans and Incineroar fans over which of their starters should get the same treatment. Decidueye fans cite Rowlet's popularity and Decidueye's playable appearance in ''[[VideoGame/PokkenTournament Pokkén Tournament DX]]'', while Incineroar fans cite its competitive success in doubles, its increased prominence in the anime, and Incineroar's playable appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''. Primarina fans, on the other hand, are just disappointed at the species' lack of representation in media, though Primarina being chosen as the Water-type partner of Music/HatsuneMiku for ''Project Voltage'' made things better somewhat.
* When the subject of ROM hacks and fangames comes up, heated arguments will flare up over whether the official games or fanmade games are better. Fans of the official games believe most of them are bad (especially in the case of fangames with "edgier" storylines) and have the benefit of being able to play online, whereas fangame players cite more ambitious stories and believe that the fans know what they want more than Game Freak does.
* Due to how widely acclaimed the [[Manga/PokemonAdventures manga]] is, and plenty of people saying it's better than the [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries anime]], there has been a pretty big rivalry between fans of the [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries anime]] vs fans of the [[Manga/PokemonAdventures manga]]. Many [[Manga/PokemonAdventures manga]] fans often dismiss and make fun of fans of the anime claiming they are butt-hurt nostalgically biased Main/{{Fanboys}} with no taste. This gets worse when the manga fanbase constantly criticizes the anime often for not being more mature and a lot more childish than the manga, as well as manga characters being treated superior to anime ones. The manga fanbase is also guilty of [[Main/AccentuatetheNegative Accentuating the Negative]] qualities of the anime, often playing up as worse than it actually is. Granted, plenty of people do that already, but the manga fanbase is far worse in this regard.

* ''Anime/PokemonOrigins'' vs the main anime was big when the former came out. ''Origins'' is TruerToTheText, DarkerAndEdgier than the original series, and is aimed at older fans. There's quite a bit of "Red vs Ash" (who are both based on Red from the games, by the way) going around.

* A starter war occurred in ''Sun'' and ''Moon'': as a result of Greninja successfully becoming a BreakoutCharacter in Generation VI, a fierce rivalry started between Decidueye fans and Incineroar fans over which of their starters should get the same treatment. Decidueye fans cite Rowlet's popularity and Decidueye's playable appearance in ''[[VideoGame/PokkenTournament Pokkén Tournament DX]]'', while Incineroar fans cite its competitive success in doubles, its increased prominence in the anime, and Incineroar's playable appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''. Primarina fans, on the other hand, are just disappointed at the species' lack of representation in media.

* ''Pokémon'' vs. ''Anime/{{Bakugan}}'' isn't uncommon. The tension between fans of both series, young and old, is so thick you can cut it with a knife.
* Beckett Magazine played up these rivalries in their covers.
* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' vs ''Franchise/{{Beyblade}}'' is common because the two are similarly {{kodomomuke}} anime about fighting with monsters.
* In Japan, ''[[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Pokemon]]'' began a one-sided rivalry with ''Manga/ChibiMarukoChan'' after the former changed timeslots. ''Pokémon'' fans feared that the latter would get higher ratings.
* In some places it was ''[[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Pokemon]]'' vs. ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' vs. ''Manga/DragonBallZ''.
* After ''Digimon'' stepped down after ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' came in, seeing as some kids stopped watching it after ''[[Anime/DigimonAdventure02 02]]'' ended.

** Though it doesn't seem that bad in Japan itself, as there's quite a bit of crossover fanart in Pixiv, and it even has its own tag: [[https://www.pixiv.net/en/tags/ポケイレ pokeire]].
* The 'Pokemon'' anime has also gotten scorn from the rest of the anime fandom due to feelings that mainstream American audiences got a wrong impression of the medium as a whole from it (especially with the 4Kids dub) or that they didn't realize there was other (and, in their view, better) series out there.
%%* ''Anime/PokemonOrigins'' vs the main anime was big when the former came out. ''Origins'' is TruerToTheText, DarkerAndEdgier than the original series, and is aimed at older fans. There's quite a bit of "Red vs Ash" (who are both based on Red from the games, by the way) going around.
* If an anime has been dubbed in English by two companies (be it a redub or a transfer of rights), chances are there'll be a rivalry. Prominent examples include ''Pokémon'', ''Anime/SailorMoon'' and ''Anime/DragonBallZ''.
* ''Anime/YokaiWatch'''s anime vs ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''. There are some who prefer the ''Pokémon'' anime while others who think the ''Yo-Kai Watch'' is of higher quality, especially due to the dubbing quality, Nate being perceived as a better protagonist than the MemeticLoser Ash, and the [[{{demographically inappropriate humour}} more risque]] jokes. The plans to ReTool the series for ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' into a school-based series with more focus on comedy and a redesigned art style has further fueled tensions on both sides; with fans of ''Yo-Kai Watch'' accusing ''Pokémon'' of ripping them off and ''Pokémon'' fans blaming ''Yo-Kai Watch'' for the rebranding to compete. The tension got worse after the ''Yo-Kai Watch'' fad died in Japan, and the series didn't take off well internationally, leading many ''Pokémon'' fans to call ''Yo-Kai Watch'' a bomb.
* A few ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' fans don't take too kindly to the anime due to its popularity and the fact that Kids WB aired it for free is what led to that series' cancellation (and the overall shift from comedy to action on the block).

* Though it doesn't seem that bad in Japan itself, as there's quite a bit of crossover fanart in Pixiv, and it even has its own tag: pokeire.
* The ''Pokemon'' anime has also gotten scorn from the rest of the anime fandom due to feelings that mainstream American audiences got a wrong impression of the medium as a whole from it (especially with the 4Kids dub) or that they didn't realize there was other (and, in their view, better) series out there.

* The rivalry with ''Franchise/YoKaiWatch'' counts as this, especially once it was released internationally. It was probably the worst rivalry since ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' in the 90s, as Pokémon fans insisted it would be a short fad at best, while ''Yo-Kai Watch'' fans declared that it would be "the ''Pokémon'' killer" and be as big a phenomenon as it was in Japan. The rivalry died out in the mid-to-late 2010s, when it became clear that ''Yo-Kai Watch'' wasn't seeing too much sales success outside of its native Japan, but it continues to exist.

* ''VideoGame/PokemonGo'' vs the Japanese-only ''VideoGame/YoKaiWatchWorld'', as a result of the rivalry between the two series. The former is far more popular. Not helping is that a proposed localization of the latter app was cancelled.

* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'' vs ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl]]'' developed in late 2021 due to the two games coming out at similar times, and those disappointed with modern Pokémon latching on to SMTV as "what a high-budget {{Mons}} JRPG on Switch ''should'' look like."

* ''Anime/YoKaiWatch'''s anime vs ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''. There are some who prefer the ''Pokémon'' anime while others who think the ''Yo-Kai Watch'' is of higher quality, especially due to the dubbing quality, Nate being perceived as a better protagonist than the MemeticLoser Ash, and the [[{{demographically inappropriate humour}} more risque]] jokes. The plans to ReTool the series for ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' into a school-based series with more focus on comedy and a redesigned art style has further fueled tensions on both sides; with fans of ''Yo-Kai Watch'' accusing ''Pokémon'' of ripping them off and ''Pokémon'' fans blaming ''Yo-Kai Watch'' for the rebranding to compete. The tension got worse after the ''Yo-Kai Watch'' fad died in Japan, and the series didn't take off well internationally, leading many ''Pokémon'' fans to call ''Yo-Kai Watch'' a bomb.

** In particular, fans of ''Platinum'' often fight with fans of ''Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl'' over which one is the better Sinnoh experience. Fans of ''Platinum'' love the ExtendedGameplay, the much-beloved Battle Frontier, and mock BDSP for having neither of them or simply for being a 1:1 remake with little to differentiate themselves from the originals. Meanwhile, BDSP fans cite the many quality of life improvements, the well-received Grand Underground, the fully 3D graphics, and the fact that it was made in Unity (which makes it much easier to mod compared to older games).

** [[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon The Mystery Dungeon spin-off]] also fell into one between those who think that ''[[VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers Explorers of Sky]]'' is the best game in the spin-off series, and those who think it's ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSuperMysteryDungeon Super Mystery Dungeon]]''. Fans of the former bank on its (perceived) superior story compared to that of ''Super'', while fans of the latter prefer ''Super'''s harder difficulty and (perceived) superior gameplay.

* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with ''VideoGame/{{Temtem}}'', where it's enjoyed ''because'' it's so similar to the franchise they like with a much-wanted feature, full online play, added to it. Though played straight among other sections, with ''Temtem'' fans saying that it's the next-gen experience they wanted Generation VIII to be; and fans of Generation VIII pointing out ''Temtem'' has its own issues that aren't present in Generation VIII.

* When the subject of ROM hacks and fangames comes up, heated arguments will flare up over whether the official games or fanmade games are better. Fans of the official games believe in SturgeonsLaw (especially in the case of fangames with "edgier" storylines) and have the benefit of being able to play online, whereas fangame players cite more ambitious stories and believe that the fans know what they want more than Game Freak does.