Pokémon X and Y introduced 72 new Pokémon species.
Released worldwide for Nintendo 3DS on October 12, 2013, the games formed the sixth generation of the main Pokémon series. Their new species belonged to the Kalos region, whose setting and visual design drew heavily from France.
Generation VI is remembered for several major system changes in addition to its 72 new species. Pokémon X and Y introduced the Fairy type, Mega Evolution, character customization, and fully rendered polygonal 3D graphics in the main series.
The number 72 refers to species newly introduced in that generation, not the total number of Pokémon available in the games. The games also included older species, alternate forms, and Mega Evolutions, which can make the count seem larger when players compare the full Pokédex.