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Are you a fan of Pokemon and a lover of reading? Have you ever thought, is there a book out there that would pair perfectly with my favorite type of Pokemon? If you have, look no further! Here, you’ll find one book recommendation for every single Pokemon type that has been introduced since the first generation of Pokemon back in 1996. All of them. Normal, fire, water, earth, electric, ice, fighting, poison, ground, flying, psychic, bug, rock, ghost, dragon, dark, steel, and fairy type Pokemon.
Here, there is a book for everyone and every Pokemon type, because, as they say, you gotta catch ‘em all!
Normal Type: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Genres: classics, romance, historical fiction
Page count: 400
A reliable, well known and beloved classic is perfect for fans of normal type Pokemon like Lopunny, Snorlax, and Jigglypuff, and what better classic is there than Pride and Prejudice? It’s cute and romantic, but filled with deep, emotional yearning and struggle as Elizabeth Bennet navigates the life of a second daughter that would have her marry for convenience when she would rather marry for love or not at all.
Fire Type: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Genres: fantasy, historical fiction
Page count: 545
Rin is the embodiment of a fire type Pokemon. Chosen by the vengeful Phoenix god, Rin carries a nearly-mythical art of shamanism that allows her to channel the raw and destructive fire magic of her god. While fire type Pokemon may be cute, especially in their first forms, they are a force to be reckoned with, which pairs well Rin’s journey through the elite military school Sinegard as she learns to harness her powers and stop a war, even if it costs her her humanity.
Water Type: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty
Genres: fantasy, historical fiction, adventure
Page count: 483
Join Amina al-Sirafi as she comes out of retirement to join her old crew for one final quest full of magic, forbidden artifacts, ancient secrets, and enough power and gold to paint her into a legend that will be remembered throughout the ages. Is there any better kind of book to recommend to a fan of water type Pokemon than a book about pirates taking to the seas for one last chance at glory? I mean, just look at the cover. Here there be monsters!
Grass Type: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
Genres: fantasy, romance, adventure
Page count: 443
Now I know what you’re thinking. Wouldn’t a book about a girl who stows away on a ship to go on a quest to cross a deadly ocean be better for fans of water type pokemon? You’re not wrong, but I’ll have you know that the ocean in Tress of the Emerald Sea is actually made entirely of plants! And a whimsical adventure across a sea teaming with plantlife perfectly encapsulates the beautiful but deadly nature of grass type pokemon.
Electric Type: The Fever King by Victoria Lee
Genres: fantasy, science fiction, dystopia, queer
Page count: 375
The sole survivor of a devastating viral magic attack, Noam Alvaro wakes up with no family and the rare powers of a technopath. While Noam’s ability to control technology is giving more Rotom and Magnemite rather than an electric type like Pikachu or Ampharos, his newfound abilities will be very interesting to fans of electric type Pokemon, especially as he travels to an elite academy to learn the science behind it, all while secretly plotting to use it to overthrow the government.
Ice Type: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Genres: fantasy, historical fiction, mythology
Page count: 319
Vasilisa lives on the edge of the wilderness in Russia, where the winters are harsh and children are raised on fairytales. The stories of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, were always her favorite. The Bear and the Nightingale is a tale filled with chilling struggle as Vasilisa’s town strays from their rituals that have kept them safe from the spirit of the bear, trapped deep in the cold, dark forest, making it perfect for fans who like pokemon that are just as sharp and frigid as the dangers lurking in this story.
Fighting Type: Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Genres: science fiction, dystopia, queer
Page count: 367
Is there anything that screams fighting type more than a book about a gladiator ring inside America’s prison systems that allows prisoners to compete for their freedom? I don’t think so. Fans of fighting type Pokemon will love reading about fighters Loretta Thurwar and Hamara ‘Hurricane Staxxx’ Stacker, teammates and lovers, competing for their freedom as Thurwar readies herself for the few final fights standing in between her and her hard-fought freedom.
Poison Type: A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin
Genres: fantasy, romance, romantasy, mythology
Page count: 384
When Ning accidentally brews a poisoned tea that kills her mother and threatens to take the life of her sister, too, she knows what she has to do. Enter the kingdom’s competition to find the next great shennong-shi, masters of the magical art of tea-making, and win a favor from the princess. As long as she can survive the bloody court politics and not get poisoned herself in the meantime, she just might be able to save her sister from the deadly poison threatening her life before it’s too late, making it an enticing read for fans of poison type Pokemon.
Ground Type: Bog Queen by Anna North
Genres: historical fiction, mystery, british literature
Page count: 268
Can I entice fans of ground type Pokemon with a book about finding a perfectly preserved corpse in a bog? A story about an anthropologist unearthing ancient artifacts and exploring the deep history of the bog and the stories it has to tell while fighting against peat-cutters who want the bog for their own and activists who want her out? I hope so, because I really think you’d like Bog Queen and its story about ancient secrets kept in the ground and the clash of civilizations as they are brought to light.
Flying Type: The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
Genres: fantasy, queer, mythology
Page count: 352
Each decade, the Sunbearer Trials take place to replenish the sun god Sol’s powers. The winner gets the honor of carrying light and life to Sol’s temples, while the loser is sacrificed to fuel the Sun Stones protecting the people of Reino del Sol. The Sunbearer Trials is perfect for fans of flying type Pokemon, as the story follows Teo, a jade semidios and sun of Quetzal, the goddess of birds, as he is chosen to become an unlikely competitor in the trials, where he must fight for fame, glory, and his life.
Psychic Type: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Genres: fantasy, dystopia, science fiction, paranormal
Page count: 466
Paige Mahoney is a dreamwalker, a rare and powerful kind of clairvoyant who are hunted for simply being alive. If that isn’t enough to convince a fan of psychic type Pokemon to read The Bone Season, I’m not sure what will, but the story follows Paige after she is arrested for murder, falling right into the hands of the people who want her dead. But instead of her death, she is offered a second chance, if only she can find a way to trust her enemy.
Bug Type: Jungle Juice (Vol. 1) by Hyeong Eun and Juder
Genres: manhwa, fantasy, science fiction, romance
Page count: 304
College student Suchan Jang has everything you could ask for. He’s popular, charismatic, handsome, the kind of person you want to be or want to be with. Except, he has one big secret: under his clothes he hides a pair of dragonfly wings. That’s it. That’s the pitch. No further explanation needed for all you bug type Pokemon fans. Follow Suchan as he is forced to reveal himself to save the life of the girl he likes, only to discover a whole hidden society of other insect-human hybrids, and a college there where he can fight for the chance to receive an antidote to the Jungle Juice bug spray that ruined his life.
Rock Type: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Genres: fantasy, science fiction, dystopia, queer
Page count: 468
Fans of rock type Pokemon will love diving into the world of The Fifth Season and into the Stillness, the heart of the continent. Follow Essun as she embarks on a quest to save her daughter’s life through a deadly, dying land. In the Stillness, after the rift appeared and split it into two, there is no sunlight, clean water, or fertile land, and then there are the Orogenes, people with the ability to manipulate the earth, who are very, very dangerous. So, not quite your friendly neighborhood Geodude, but there is plenty to love about The Fifth Season if you love rock type Pokemon.
Ghost Type: The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
Genres: horror, fantasy, queer, historical fiction
Page count: 399
Born with violet eyes, Silas Bell possesses the power to reach past the Veil and commune with spirits. The only problem is that Silas wasn’t born a boy and all violet-eyed women are condemned to a life of obedience as a Speaker wife to make more violet-eyed children. When Silas is caught trying to escape an arranged marriage, he is shipped away to a finishing school and sanatorium, where he discovers the spirits of other “unruly” violet-eyed girls who have conveniently gone missing from the school. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is brimming with ghosts, secrets, and deadly consequences, making it the perfect read for fans of ghost type Pokemon.
Dragon Type: The Bone Ships by R.J. Barker
Genres: fantasy, adventure
Page count: 471
The plot of The Bone Ships is built off the bones of dragons. Literally. For generations, people have been building ships from the bones of ancient dragons as they fight for honor and glory in the endless war between two nations. When the first dragon in centuries is spotted, the war becomes a race to catch the dragon and secure a victory that has been years in the making. The Bone Ships has everything a fan of dragon type Pokemon could want, dragons, ships made of dragon bones, war, and a quest for glory.
Dark Type: Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma
Genres: fantasy, romance, romantasy, dark academia
Page count: 432
Hello, fans of dark type Pokemon, let me introduce you to Immortal Dark, a dark academia book with vampires! Not that I should need to say more (because what fan of dark type Pokemon doesn’t also love dark academia and vampires), but Immortal Dark follows Kidan as she infiltrates Uxlay University to hunt down the vampire who killed her sister. Here, she will have to resist everything that calls to her violent nature and tempts her to surrender to a life of blood and darkness if she is to get the revenge she so desperately craves.
Steel Type: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Genres: fantasy, science fiction, romance, queer
Page count: 394
Zetian was supposed to die in the Chrysalis, because that’s what girls are supposed to do. Give their lives to support the pilots of giant, transforming robots to defend Huaxia from the alien mechas threatening to destroy them all. But she is out for vengeance and kills her co-pilot instead, earning the feared title of Iron Widow. Fans of steel type Pokemon will love this science fiction twist on ancient Huaxia that combines Chinese mythology with giant transforming ships that feel like they are straight out of an anime.
Fairy Type: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Genres: fantasy, romance, romantasy, mythology
Page count: 503
While there are currently so many popular books about fae and fairies, I don’t think there’s anyone who embodies a Pokemon like Sylveon and Xerneas more than Xingyin, the daughter of the moon goddess, Chang’e. Follow Xingyin as she learns to master archery and magic to slay legendary creatures and defeat the enemies of the Celestial Kingdom for a single chance to free her mother from her heavenly prison. Daughter of the Moon Goddess has magic, romance, and a main character who is as beautiful as she is fierce, the perfect fairy type character for a book to recommend to fans of fairy type Pokemon.
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