The letter M is the one that groups the largest number of species in the French Pokédex. Any attempt to compile a complete list of Pokémon whose names start with M faces a difficulty that quiz or word game sites often overlook: this list changes with each new generation, each game update, and depends on the language in which the Pokédex is consulted.
French Names and Multilingual Pokédex: Why Alphabetical Sorting Misleads
The names of Pokémon vary greatly from one language to another. A Pokémon listed under M in French may start with a completely different letter in English, Japanese, or German. Machoc, for example, is called Machop in English and Machollo in German. The sorting by initial depends entirely on localization.
Multilingual databases like Bulbapedia or PokéWiki clearly show this: the French, English, Japanese, and German entries almost never align with the same starting letter. A player consulting a list of Pokémon that start with m in French will find a very different inventory from that of an English-speaking player searching for “Pokémon starting with M”.
This discrepancy has a concrete consequence for French-speaking players: some battle guides or tier lists written in English mention names that do not correspond to the same initial in French. Checking the localized name before searching for a Pokémon by letter avoids many confusions.
Pokémon in M: The Evolutionary Families that Structure the List
Rather than a simple alphabetical inventory, grouping Pokémon in M by evolutionary lineage allows for a better understanding of the density of this letter. Several complete chains can be found, from the baby to the final form.
- Machoc Lineage: Machoc, Machopeur, Mackogneur. Three Fighting-type stages present since the first generation, regularly used in competition for their access to powerful physical moves.
- Magnéti Lineage: Magnéti, Magnéton, Magnézone. Electric/Steel type, this family illustrates how an evolution added in a later generation (Magnézone, fourth generation) enriches the letter M afterwards.
- Magby Lineage: Magby, Magmar, Maganon. The baby Pokémon Magby (second generation) and the evolution Maganon (fourth generation) frame Magmar, which has been present since the first generation.
- Mimigal Lineage: Mimigal, Migalos. An Insect/Poison duo from the second generation, often forgotten but recognizable by its arachnid design.
Other partial families populate the letter: Miaouss evolves into Persian (which falls outside of M), Magicarpe evolves into Léviator. The letter M concentrates a lot of first stages and baby Pokémon, which inflates its numbers without all evolutions remaining under the same initial.
Mythical and Popular Pokémon in M: Mew, Mewtwo, Mimiqui
Some Pokémon in M go beyond the video game framework to occupy a special place in the franchise’s culture. Mew and Mewtwo are the two mythical and legendary Pokémon most associated with the letter M.
Mew is Pokémon number 151 in the national Pokédex. Its late discovery in the data of Pokémon Red and Green fueled one of the most famous rumors in video game history. Mewtwo, a genetic clone of Mew, occupies number 150 and remains one of the most feared opponents in battle.
Mimiqui deserves special mention. This Ghost/Fairy-type Pokémon, introduced in the seventh generation, has won over fans thanks to an original concept: it disguises itself as Pikachu to attract the affection of trainers. Its ability Disguise, which absorbs a hit without damage, makes it a strategic choice in competitive battles. Mimiqui combines popularity among fans with real utility in tournaments.
Meloetta, a mythical Pokémon from the fifth generation, has two forms (Song and Dance) that modify its type. Marshadow, another mythical in M, is one of the few Fighting/Ghost-type Pokémon.
Complete List of Pokémon in M: A Moving Inventory According to the Games
Competitors who publish fixed alphabetical lists overlook a point that the Perplexity research confirms: any complete list must be defined according to a temporal scope and by game. The official Pokédex expands with each release, and specific selections for each title limit the available Pokémon.
In Pokémon GO, Pokémon whose names start with M have been added in successive waves over the course of updates. Melmetal and Meltan, exclusive to Pokémon GO at their launch, are included in the letter M in French. The available data do not allow for a definitive number of Pokémon in M: it increases with each new game or event.
Reliability of Community Sources
The quiz pages and word game sites that offer these lists are not always maintained. Some community content is archived or abandoned, which undermines their completeness. Cross-referencing with the official Pokédex or databases like Poképédia remains the most reliable method to verify that a Pokémon in M indeed exists in the targeted game.
The most complete lists count around a hundred entries for the letter M in French, making it the most populated letter in the Pokédex. However, this figure includes regional forms (Miaouss from Galar, M. Mime from Galar) whose status varies according to sources: some count them as separate entries, while others link them to the base species.
The letter M in the French Pokédex remains a shifting landscape. Each generation brings its share of new creatures, and regional forms or Pokémon exclusive to certain games complicate any definitive count. For use in word games or quizzes, the hundred available names provide a sufficiently large reservoir, but for a rigorous inventory, specifying the concerned game and generation remains the only reliable approach.