Summary
Shogakukan, a Japanese comic publisher, has confirmed that the officialPokemon Ecology Encyclopediawill be released on June 18. While Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have published several books on the belovedPokemon, most were outsourced to third-party companies and focused on basic information with average illustrations. The newly announced hardcoverPokemonindex, however, appears to be a more ambitious project.
Pokemonhas remained one of themost profitable franchises in the entertainment industry, expanding into nearly every form of media. Now, it seems the IP’s owners—Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak—are looking to capitalize on its popularity through a fresh approach.
According to Famitsu, thePokemon Ecology Encyclopediais an academic index covering over 1,000creatures from thePokemonfranchise. Scheduled for release on June 18 in Japan, the book is already available for pre-order under the title “Pokecology” at select retailers, including Amazon Japan. Professional ecologist Yoshinari Yonehara led the research, focusing on observing, analyzing, and interpreting the lives of wild Pokemon. The book aims to explore how Pokemon interact with one another and uncover behavioral patterns, highlighting their differences, similarities, social rules, and connections within thePokemonuniverse. It’s also worth noting that thePokemon Ecology Encyclopediawill feature 192 pages and is priced at ¥1,430, which is roughly $10 USD.
The Pokemon Ecology Encyclopedia Is Already a Bestseller
Pokecologyhasn’t even been released yet, but thePokemonfranchise’s popularity in Japanhas already pushed it to the second spot on Amazon Japan’s bestseller list. Unfortunately, there’s no word yet on a global release or an English version of the encyclopedia. Still, given the demand, it’s likely the publisher will consider it in the future. For now, it appears only fans in Japan will be able to get their hands on a copy.
Chihiro Kinoshita, an artist known for illustrating several ecology books, is responsible for the book’s artwork. The illustrations will be fully colored and highly detailed to highlight thebiological aspects of Pokemon life. Both Yoshinari Yonehara and Chihiro Kinoshita are graduates of the University of Tokyo’s Agriculture and Life Sciences program, bringing an expert ecological perspective to the project. As a result, thePokemon Ecology EncyclopediaorPokecologyis expected to feature some never-before-seen insights into the franchise’s beloved creatures. Still, with limited information revealed so far, fans will likely have to wait until launch to see exactly what the book has to offer.
