Marvel and Pokémon are both major powerhouses in the entertainment industry. Both tout large ensembles and have spanned across dozens of forms of media, including cartoons, books, and live-action films. While there has not been an actual crossover quite yet, fans have been creating their own versions of what that would look like for years.
Some Marvel heroes lend themselves perfectly to being part of the Pokémon world. People like Peter Parker and Bucky Barnes have been, especially in the last few years, adored by the community and crossed over into many forms. Here are ten pieces of fan art where Marvel heroes pair up to take a Pokémon adventure.
10 Jean Grey
Starting with a more traditional take on a Pokémon trainer, this piece by Brazilian artist Dan Martins reimagines the X-Men’s Jean Grey as a fiery Pokémon trainer. Taking inspiration from her comic book history, Dan has paired Jean with a Moltres, which is basically a phoenix.
In her psychically charged hands are three event balls, which are a special type of Pokéball in the games reserved for special event Pokémon handed out by The Pokémon Company. This version of Jean Grey gives a feel for a solid fire type gym leader, though psychic would have worked as well. Dan has done a whole line of Marvel Heroes as Pokémon Trainers, including Okoye.
9 Bucky
Bucky Barnes has had a long history in his few years of conscious life. After falling out of a train, being brainwashed, killing the Starks, and attempting to murder his best friend, the end of Captain America: Civil War saw him relocated to Wakanda to be fixed.
This piece of art by sundaecharries sees him transported to Galar instead, where he herds the internet’s favorite sheep Pokémon Wooloo. This is the perfect bit of relaxation that Bucky needed after his reset, and the wool of the Wooloo makes the perfect cushion for any midday naps he needs. Hopefully he can use a Yamper to corral them.
8 Thor
Speaking of Yamper, the electric pup based on the Corgi breed makes an appearance alongside his master, Thor, in this piece that combines the two worlds by stark-ramenbird. After the events of Avengers: Infinity War, the Avengers had disbanded, Thor had gone on a five-year bender playing Fortnite and drinking gallons of beer.
While it wouldn’t be the perfect solution, having a trusted partner at his side could have made things easier for Thor. While most people would pair the God of Thunder with Pokémon mascot Pikachu, Yamper feels like a better fit for the hard times that Thor was going through.
7 Tony and Steve
Not specifically Pokémon trainers, this piece by SiB Art features Steve Rogers and Tony Stark as they would appear in a world where Stark Industries exists in the same place as Detective Pikachu. Rather than being battling trainers, as the movie suggests, the Pokémon are simply partners in their human’s day-to-day life.
Steve comes alongside a Teddiursa, who is a strong, lovable normal-type bear Pokémon. Tony is seen with a Minun. The artist chose Minun for Tony because of a dex entry that reads, “Minun is more concerned about cheering on its partners than its own safety,” which is the same thing that Tony does.
6 Deadpool
This crossover by goldprovip is the only one that could potentially happen as Deadpool is known to break into other worlds and just steal people’s whole schtick. After murdering Ash and stealing his clothes, Deadpool would rightfully gather a varied squad of Deadpoolémon, in this case consisting of Scraggy, Watchog, and Crogunk.
While this team might not seem like a good set for the Merc with the Mouth, they compliment him perfectly Watchog is a solid yet underrated fighter, Crogunk is a poisonous butt-kicker, and Scraggy is full of the same can-do attitude as Deadpool. We can only assume that Ash’s Pikachu is trapped in that Pokéball on his waist.
5 Peter Parker
While it is unclear if this art by zeloopy is a pre-powered Peter Parker or if he is wearing some Stark-tech glasses, but what is clear is how sweet and caring teenage Peter would be with a mostly bug-type team. Peter is a scientist, so he would be one of the first in line to fill up a Pokédex while exploring the world around him.
With an Oddish and a trademark Joltik, Peter would be a perfect explorer. The way that Pokémon would also flock to him would be similar to James from the Pokémon anime. They’d join the party because he was very nice to them. We do have one question, would Peter evolve Oddish into a Vileplume or Bellossom? Our bet is on Bellossom.
4 AU Tommy Shepard
Tommy Shepard is one-half of the twins born from Wanda Maximoff and Vision during the Scarlett Witch’s mental breakdown. After she reset the world, the two were born to other people, but they retained some knowledge of their past life as Maximoffs. While the other twin, Billy Kaplan, aka Wiccan, has been in the center stage of the Marvel universe recently, Tommy has been a bit character at best.
This artist, Lythelia Art, draws a more realistic interpretation of Slowpoke alongside its trainer Tommy. Since his powers are super speed, it is nice to see him brought back down to a moderate pace alongside his trusty, slower friend.
3 AA Tony Stark
Marvel Avengers Academy was a very popular mobile game from 2016 to 2019. The game followed the player as they built a school for the young adult versions of favorite heroes, including Tony Stark. This teen Tony, voiced by Dave Franco, was one of the best parts of the game as most of the early levels were based around him.
Avengers Academy Tony Stark, by ShelbiArt, is the perfect candidate for a Pokémon trainer. He hasn’t gone through all of the trauma of his adult counterpart and still sees the world as a positive place. Alongside his pal Charmander, the two could explore the world with bright eyes.
2 Hawkeye
Hawkeye, sometimes referred to as the most useless Avenger, is a rich and storied character. In the Avengers films, he is the heart of the group and the sound mind. In the comics, he is the human mind amid gangs of superpowered people. He is also super handy with a bow and arrow.
His team makes sense in this fanart by khoni_mikyu. With a Pidgeot for tactical flying maneuvers and a Decidueye for back up, Hawkeye can show up to battle with a full team behind him. Accelgor being a ghost type doesn’t quickly make sense until you remember that it evolves by, essentially, trading lives with another Pokémon, as Hawkeye did in the movie.
1 Steve Rogers
This version of Steve Rogers, made by drchopper7, is the ultimate Pokémon trainer at the beginning of his adventure. He carries the excitement of youth along with his bright blue eyes. His redesigned costume keeps the same general look and feel but merges it perfectly with the traditional trainer garb found within the world of Pokémon. The bag completes the true trainer experience with style.
His team selection makes a lot of sense as well. His starter would obviously be Squirtle, which is a replacement for his shield. Riolu takes the place of his amazing fighting prowess, and Rufflet is his color scheme on a strong bird Pokémon.