How to play Cobblemon in Minecraft? Pokemon mod explored

The Pokemon mod, Cobblemon, is one of a few of its kind for Minecraft, and is incredibly popular even when compared to those like Pixelmon. In Cobblemon, players take on the role of trainers and catch Pocket Monsters, battle them, train them, breed them, and explore the world with them much like they would in the Pocket Monsters series. But, how can fans play this Minecraft mod?

The core process involves using either the Forge or Fabric mod loader compatible with a specific version of Minecraft, then downloading Cobblemon's .jar file and placing it in an accompanying mod folder. With these two factors, players can enjoy a ton of Pokemon action within the world of Mojang's sandbox title.

How to install the Pokemon mod Cobblemon for Minecraft

Kanto's starter Pokemon in the Cobblemon mod (Image via Cobblemon/Modrinth)

As previously noted, Cobblemon is currently supported by both Forge and Fabric, Minecraft's two largest mod loaders. These can be easily installed in a few clicks, and then all that's needed is to place the Cobblemon mod's .jar file in the right folder and boot up Minecraft. The loaders will do the work, and trainers can focus on exploring the Pokemon-filled world of Cobblemon.

Below, Pokemon fans can find the steps to download and install Cobblemon for Minecraft:

With Minecraft: Java Edition installed on your device, open the download site for either Forge or its competitor Fabric and download the installer for the mod loader. For Forge, select the installer for Minecraft 1.19.2 or 1.20.1 (which Cobblemon supports). Meanwhile, for Fabric, simply download the installer.
Run the .jar or installation package that you just downloaded and complete the setup wizard. Ensure that the version of the mod loader is for either Minecraft 1.19.2 or 1.20.1 if prompted.
With the mod loader installation completed, head to Cobblemon's download page and select the version of the mod that matches your mod loader and Minecraft version, you should receive a .jar file when the download is completed.
Open your Minecraft Launcher and select Java Edition from the game list, then click the installations tab. Find the installation named after Forge/Fabric, highlight it, and click the folder icon. This should open the mod loader's directory that contains a "mods" folder. Take the Cobblemon .jar file and place it in this mods folder.
Return to the installations tab, highlight your Forge/Fabric installation, and click the play button. Minecraft should launch and load Cobblemon so you can enjoy the mod.

Examining Cobblemon's Pokemon gameplay in Minecraft

Charizard as it appears in the Cobblemon mod (Image via Cobblemon/Modrinth)

Once Pokemon fans have created and spawned into a world, they'll immediately notice that they'll be asked to pick a starter creature from the core series' various regions. The creature will be added to players' teams automatically and the R key (by default) can be pressed to release it from its Poke Ball and allow it to roam the environment. Pressing R will also retrieve a Pocket Monster that's free-roaming.

By pressing the M key, players can check their current roster of critters and examine their moves, stats, IVs, EVs, evolutions, and more. To battle wild species, they should simply aim at the creature and press the R key to bring out their first Pocket Monster to battle it. The battle system utilizes the Pokemon Showdown engine, so the turn-based battling will be incredibly accurate to the core series.

With the R key during battle, players can activate the ability to roam the environment during battle and then press it again to issue Pokemon commands. When it comes to catching wild species, they will need to collect Apricorns from various trees (or planting and growing Apricorn seeds), four of which can then be combined in a crafting table with a copper ingot to create a plethora of Poke Balls.

A trainer interacts with Squirtle in the Cobblemon mod (Image via Cobblemon/YouTube)

Catching wild Pokemon can be carried out in two ways similar to Legends: Arceus. Trainers can place a Poke Ball in their hotbar and select it then right-click to throw the ball directly at the target. Otherwise, they can battle and weaken the target first before opening their items menu and selecting a Poke Ball just like in the core series.

Blocks such as healing machines and PCs can help trainers heal and store their Pokemon (though sleeping or using certain items can also heal battered Pocket Monsters.) However, these will need to be crafted via a crafting table for the most part. As with ordinary Minecraft, these blocks will need resources to be crafted, and many recipes use iron and copper ingots quite often.

Whatever the case, the recipe book can help trainers get started with how to craft blocks and items along with the resources they require. Cobblemon also possesses a wiki page that can help trainers with where to find Pokemon, how to craft certain items/blocks, or engage with other gameplay mechanics. It's highly recommended to visit this wiki if players get stuck or aren't familiar with Minecraft.