Regardless of which game in the series you play, you’ll have a lot to discover on your Pokemon journey in addition to completing the main story. Whether you’re completing the Pokedex, exploring post-game content, or simply seeing all the sights each region has to offer, you’re likely to spend many hours playing these games.
If you’re wondering which Pokemon games have the longest main story and the most extra content after beating all the gyms and becoming the champion, here are the average times it takes to complete the longest Pokemon games. You’ll need to make sure you have plenty of PokeBalls ready for these.
10 Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
|
The main story |
32 hours |
|---|---|
|
Main story and extras |
47 hours |
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s open-world adventure has three different narratives to discover – battle eight gyms to become the champion, help Arven collect Herb Mystic to battle the Titan Pokemon, and face off against Team Star at their bases.
Completing the main story in Paldea will take you around 32 hours, but you can add another 15 hours if you take the time to explore and catch more Pokemon along the way. Since Scarlet & Violet are the first open world Pokemon games, you can expect them to be longer, but it depends on how much time you spend exploring the open areas.
9 Pokemon X & Y
|
The main story |
32 hours |
|---|---|
|
Main story and extras |
71 hours |
The first mainline Pokemon games available on the 3DS, X & Y, took place in the Kalos region and introduced some of the mechanics that are now key to the series, including Pokemon that you can ride in certain areas. Lysandre, the game’s main villain, wants to start the world over and return it to its original ‘wonderful’ state.
It will take you about 32 hours to shut down Lysander, along with playing Gyms and Pokemon League. If you opt for additional content, such as the additional Looker story scenario or hunting for Shinies in Friend Safari, you’ll see a completion time closer to 71 hours or more.
8 Pokemon black and white
|
The main story |
33 hours |
|---|---|
|
Main story and extras |
62 hours |
Black & White’s story involves Team Plasma, an evil organization that wants to ‘free’ Pokemon from their trainers by forcibly kidnapping them. After receiving your first Pokemon from Professor Juniper, in your travels you meet a mysterious trainer named N, who reveals himself to be the king of Team Plasma.
This plot takes about 33 hours to unravel, but the games also have various other activities you can do, such as catching N’s Pokemon and participating in Pokemon Musicals, which will extend your playtime to about 62 hours. If you want a challenge, you can also fight Sinnoh’s champion, Cynthia, in the city of Undella.
7 Pokemon sun and moon
|
The main story |
33 hours |
|---|---|
|
Main story and extras |
59 hours |
Set in the Alola region, Pokemon Sun & Moon sees you travel across the four main islands to stop Team Skull, though you learn that Lusamine and the Aether Foundation are the real problems.
Unlike the other Pokemon games, Sun & Moon had a new take on gym battles and the Pokemon League, using Island Trials instead. It will take you around 33 hours to complete the entire main story of Sun & Moon, with an additional 26 hours to complete additional content such as capturing all the Ultra Beasts.
6 Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
|
The main story |
34 hours |
|---|---|
|
Main story and extras |
57 hours |
Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon takes place in an alternate reality to Sun & Moon, where another plot has been added to the game involving Necrozma and the Ultra Recon Squad. Surprisingly, this additional narration only extended the main story by an hour compared to Sun and Moon.
These games also had different post-game content than the original games. Instead of just hunting down Ultra Beasts, you can face off against Rainbow Rocket, which involves taking on previous opponents from across the series, including Cyrus, Lysandre, and Giovanni.
5 Pokemon Black & White 2
|
The main story |
35 hours |
|---|---|
|
Main story and extras |
65 hours |
It takes place two years after you explore Unova again in Black & White 2. If you’ve played either of the first two games, the characters will be familiar and you’ll see how they’ve changed as you experience the new story.
Compared to Black and White, the sequels are only a few hours longer, clocking in at 35 hours for the main story and 65 hours if you do optional activities like visiting post-game towns or participating in the Pokemon World Tournament.
4 Pokemon Platinum
|
The main story |
35 hours |
|---|---|
|
Main story and extras |
69 hours |
Platinum’s alternative version of Sinnoh offers an enhanced Diamond & Pearl experience with more areas to explore and general gameplay improvements. Sinnoh’s evil organization, Team Galactic, is led by Cyrus, who wants the powers of Dialga and Palkia to create his own ideal world.
Exploring Sinnoh and beating Cyrus and the Pokemon League in Platinum will take you about 35 hours. You’ll probably spend an extra 34 hours if you spend time on the Battle Frontier that was added in this version, or catch all the available guest legendary Pokemon.
3 Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire
|
The main story |
36 hours |
|---|---|
|
Main story and extras |
74 hours |
The pair of Gen 3 games are some of the longest in the series, taking an average of 36 hours to complete the main story. Depending on which version you’re playing, you’ll encounter either Maxie or Archie on your travels around Hoenn, whose goal is to awaken the game’s legendary Pokemon.
Ruby & Sapphire introduced a number of new mechanics to the series that have become mainstream, including abilities, natures, and even dual battles, so it makes sense that they have longer playtimes than the two generations before them. With additional content like Pokemon Contests, it’s enough to keep you playing for about 74 hours.
2 Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver
|
The main story |
37 hours |
|---|---|
|
Main story and extras |
73 hours |
The Gold & Silver, HeartGold & SoulSilver remakes take you on another journey through the Johto region with upgraded pixel graphics and additional areas to discover, such as the new Safari Zone. Your social Pokemon can also follow you around in these games, which has become an instant fan favorite mechanic.
It’s no surprise that these games are among the most popular among fans, considering that their somewhat lengthy main story lasts about 37 hours, with a whopping 73 hours available for additional content, which includes the return to Kanto.
1 Pokemon Diamond & Pearl
|
The main story |
41 hours |
|---|---|
|
Main story and extras |
90 hours |
The original adventure in the Sinnoh region, Diamond & Pearl were the first mainline Pokemon games on the Nintendo DS and have the longest completion time in the entire series. These games are longer than their successors Platinum and Legends: Arceus, as well as their remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
In addition to the main story, which lasts about 41 hours, you can explore beneath the Sinnoh region through the underworld, traverse various in-game areas such as the resort and survival zones, or participate in Pokemon Super Contests, which can add up to 90 hours or more of gameplay.