You can now hunt for Pokémon on Google's mobile browser

Google has teamed up with Pokémon to launch a minigame on the search giant's mobile web browser.

To play the game, Google users must search the names of any of the 151 original Pokémon such as Pikachu, Squirtle, Charmander or Bulbasaur in the search bar. 

Following which, a Pokéball will appear at the bottom right of the screen. Clicking the Pokéball will trigger it to catch the Pokémon on the screen.

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Once fans have successfully caught the Pokémon, the character will be stored on a special Google Pokédex that is tied to the player's account. The Pokédex will also prompt players to search for their next Pokémon. 

To catch legendary and mythical Pokémon such as Mew, Mewtwo, Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno, players will have to collect 'Master balls'. 'Master balls' can only be unlocked through milestones within the minigame, by collecting five, 20, 50, 100, and 150 original Pokémon with regular Pokéballs. 

The game was uncovered by fans, who subsequently took to TikTok to share their excitement. However, some players reportedly expressed their disappointment that catching all 151 Pokémon does not lead to any rewards or achievement for putting in the effort for the minigame. 

Meanwhile, users who did not sign into a Google account before playing, would lose all their Pokédex progress. While users can search and catch as many Pokémon as they like without an account, the tally will not increase, reported Game Rant.

When reached out to by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Google said “This Pokémon Easter Egg on Google Search is designed as a delightful surprise for fans. The unveiling was intended as a playful discovery for fans, and we're always looking for more opportunities to delight more Search users.” 

Google also added that the minigame will run for at least a year, and isn't tied to any specific event or moment, but celebrates Pokémon's enduring pop culture impact.

This isn't Google's first time teaming up with the popular franchise. In 2014, Google partnered with Pokémon and Nintendo to create the 'Google Maps Pokémon Challenge' for April Fool's Day.

As part of the game, players had to catch 151 Pokémon from different parts of the world using Google Maps. Eventually, the challenge became known as the beta test for the augmented reality (AR) game Pokémon Go.

Most recently, The Pokémon Company International and The LEGO Group also announced a new multi-year partnership that will bring LEGO Pokémon to fans for the first time from 2026

The new partnership will bring the world of Pokémon to life in new ways, allowing fans to build beloved Pokémon in LEGO brick form.

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