The Pokémon Essential Handbook serves as an extensive reference for fans of the Pokémon series. It offers concise profiles of each Pokémon, including essential stats, abilities, evolutions, and habitat information. The handbook also features color illustrations, making it both informative and visually appealing. Notably, this edition includes updates to cover Pokémon introduced in the Black and White video games, expanding the coverage to include the latest species at the time of publication.