Gotta catch 'em all!

Gotta catch 'em all! is the English slogan of the Pokémon franchise, including the English language Pokémon video games. The Japanese equivalent is Get Pokémon! (Japanese: ポケモンゲットだぜー！ Pokémon get da ze~!, also spelt ポケモンＧＥＴだぜー！)

The first pair of Pokémon games released in North America,, were labeled with the catchphrase below the Pokémon logo. Their sequels,, and later, , had the catchphrase in the same position. was the only exception, instead advertising that it was the "Special Edition" of the game below the logo. The slogan was then retired for all subsequent games. Despite the slogan being brought back after the release of Pokémon X and Y, the phrase has not reappeared on the box art akin to the earlier generations.

In the anime
The most noticeable reference to the catchphrase in the was introduced in the first episode by the main protagonist, Ash Ketchum, himself. Promising that he would all of the Pokémon in the, Ash set off on his journey. However, up to the current point in the anime, Ash has only progressed to 86 captures of Pokémon, just over 10% of the total number of Pokémon known as of Generation VII. Moreover, Ash does not at all focus on catching as many species as he can; he even expresses distaste for Gary's training method of "catching them all". The motto also seems to be a pun for Pokémon photographers, as Robert's grandfather "caught them all" and "catches" Pokémon.

Another anime reference comes in the lyrics of different songs. It is featured in the original opening theme, as well as in the chorus of the Pokérap. It is also found in the theme for The Johto Journeys, the anime's third season. The lyrics include, in reference to the, that "you still gotta catch 'em all!". A new, remixed version of the original theme was used as the opening for the first season of the XY series.

The reference was used as the title of the penultimate episode of the original series, Gotta Catch Ya Later!. In this episode, both and  return to Kanto, leaving Ash to head to the Hoenn region alone.

The slogan was referenced in the English-language version of Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys; says the phrase when collecting food from a haywire robotic vending machine during a power outage (with "them all", in this instance, being hot dogs).

The Pokérap GS used the catchphrase quite prominently.

The line was later said by in The Lotad Lowdown.

The line is also referenced in the song Can't Stop (Catchin' 'Em All) several times.

The "Gotta catch 'em all!" phrase is also seen in the Who's That Pokémon? segment in the. However, in certain international versions the line is replaced with respective Pokémon the Series: XY localized logos.

Retirement and return
The slogan was temporarily retired from the Pokémon games around 2003, with the release of. Instead of the now-familiar phrase appearing below the Pokémon logo, the game's version name appeared there. This held true for the remaining games of Generation III, and would later prove to be the standard with the release of the Generation IV games,.

The retirement was possibly due to the large amount of Pokémon now required to capture to complete the National Pokédex, 386 at the time the slogan was retired. It may as well have been due to the incompatibility between the Generation II and Generation III games, as all of the Pokémon known as of the third generation were not available between Ruby and Sapphire, unlike what had been the case with Red and Blue and Gold and Silver.

The slogan may also have been taken out of use since it was a target of critics of the game and franchise (with some saying the phrase was an equivalent to, "Gotta buy 'em all").

An English-language Diamond and Pearl commercial was released that features the phrase in the United States. It is also used as the slogan for the in. This did not, however, mean that the slogan made a permanent return, rather it was just a reference to the then defunct slogan.

On the official website, the slogan is referenced in the "Pokémon" section of the site. A link to the new Pokémon is labeled with the phrase "See 'Em All."

On September 14, 2013, the phrase was once again used in a trailer that was accidentally leaked on the Pokémon YouTube channel and advertised a new website called "www.gottacatchemall.com" - a website offering people in the United States a chance to win related prizes in the sweepstakes from September 16 until October 12, 2013. The site required the first name of the user, their respective e-mail address, a username and the code "XY1012" to open. The site scattered various codes around various sites on the internet as "Easter eggs" to unlock s on the website, and thus, a "Pokémon, a digital gift, and a chance to win". The site now has a new logo for the phrase "Gotta catch 'em all!". The new logo is now used for all videos on The Pokémon Company International's YouTube channel, along with a Pikachu saying "Pika!". The logo was also used in the Pokémon anime's Who's That Pokémon? segment on the XY series.

Rewards
In most of the games, the reward for catching all the Pokémon available in the game was a diploma, proof of the feat. However, from the beginning, rumors appeared about a greater reward for attaining the ultimate goal of catching them all. Specifically, in Red and Blue, rumors circulated that after the player had the 150, if they showed their full Pokédex to the Game Freak employees in Celadon Condominiums, they would be rewarded with the elusive 151st Pokémon,. These rumors, however, were false, as the only reward offered for capture of 150 Pokémon was the Diploma; Mew was only officially available through Nintendo-sponsored events, though otherwise available through the Mew glitch.

The same was true of the Generation II games, where showing a 249-Pokémon Pokédex (minus and Mew) would have the same developers give the player another diploma. With the retirement of the slogan, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire only required the player to complete the 200-Pokémon Hoenn Pokédex (lacking and ) to receive a diploma, though the 386-Pokémon National Pokédex still remained as a goal for players who wanted bragging rights.

In the Generation IV games, by the time the Elite Four and are defeated, the player will have seen almost all of the Pokémon in the Sinnoh Pokédex, if not all 150; it is possible to do this even before entering the Hall of Fame. The reward for this is the National Pokédex, allowing the player to go on a true quest to actually catch them all once more, though this feat requires catching more than three times as many Pokémon as it would take to complete the Sinnoh Pokédex. Catching 482 (or 484 in HeartGold and SoulSilver) of the 493 Pokémon—,, , , , , , , , , and are not required—results in the awarding of another diploma.

The first Generation V games,, continue the tradition, with 156 Pokémon in new listing (though only 152 are required for diploma - , , and  are not). The National diploma requires 636 Pokémon (Mythical Pokémon are not required).

The sequels to the Generation V games are different, however, giving an actual reward for catching them all. The Permit is awarded for seeing 297 out of 301 Pokémon (as before,, , , and  are not required), which gives player the access to the Nature Preserve. After catching them all, Professor Juniper will give the player the Oval Charm, which increases the chances of Pokémon producing s in the Daycare. Finally, after completing the National Pokédex (barring Mythical Pokémon), she will also give the player the Shiny Charm after the player talks to Cedric, which makes Shiny Pokémon more likely to appear.

In Generation VI, the player once again receives the diploma from the Game Director, and receives the diploma from Professor Sycamore, who also rewards them with the Shiny Charm, like Aurea Juniper before him. Mythical Pokémon are not required to complete the Pokédex. In, Professor Birch will reward the player in the same way, but because can be caught in the game during or after the Delta Episode, its capture is required to receive the diploma and Shiny Charm.

In Generation VII, due to the absence of the National Pokédex, there is no reward for collecting all Pokémon. However, completing the Alola Pokédex (excluding Mythical Pokémon) allows the player to receive the Shiny Charm from the game director in Heahea City.

Trivia

 * The slogan for the 1999 Burger King promotional Pokémon toys was "Gotta catch 'em here!", a reference to the franchise's slogan.
 * The slogan's appearance on pre-release box art for indicates that the slogan was initially intended to be kept, but was dropped sometime between January 2003 and March 2003.
 * In the VIZ Media edition of Pokémon Adventures volume 14, Professor Oak makes a reference to the slogan, saying that  "truly catches them all".

In other languages
Gotta catch 'em all! Acchiappali tutti!