A very brief intro Pokemon

Pokémon (ポケモン Pokemon^?, pronunciation: /ˈpoʊkeɪmɒn/ poh-kay-mon^[1][2]) is a media franchise published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkableGame Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second-most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world, behind only Nintendo's own Mario franchise.^[3] Pokémon properties have since been merchandised into anime, manga, trading cards, toys, books, and other media. The franchise celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2006,^[4] and as of 28 May 2010, cumulative sales of the video games (including home console versions, such as the "Pikachu" Nintendo 64) have reached more than 200 million copies.^[5] In November 2005, 4Kids Entertainment, which had managed the non-game related licensing of Pokémon, announced that it had agreed not to renew the Pokémon representation agreement. Pokémon USA Inc. (now The Pokémon Company International), a subsidiary of Japan's Pokémon Co., now oversees all Pokémon licensing outside of Asia.^[6]

The name Pokémon is the romanized contraction of the Japanese brand Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター Poketto Monsutā^?),^[7] as such contractions are quite common in Japan. The term Pokémon, in addition to referring to the Pokémon franchise itself, also collectively refers to the 649 fictional species that have made appearances in Pokémon media as of the release of the fifth generation titles Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. "Pokémon" is identical in both the singular and plural, as is each individual species name; it is grammatically correct to say "one Pokémon" and "many Pokémon", as well as "one Pikachu" and "many Pikachu".

what you should know about pokemon games

Generations

The original Pokémon games were role-playing games (RPGs) with an element of strategy, and were created by Satoshi Tajiri for the Game Boy. These RPGs, and their sequels, remakes, and English language translations, are still considered the "main" Pokémon games, and the games which most fans of the series are referring to when they use the term "Pokémon games". All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by The Pokémon Company International are divided roughly by generation. These generations are roughlychronological divisions by release; every several years, when an official sequel in the main RPG series is released that features new Pokémon, characters, and gameplay concepts, that sequel is considered the start of a new generation of the franchise. The main games and their spin-offs, the anime, manga, and trading card game are all updated with the new Pokémon properties each time a new generation begins. The franchise began the fifth generation on September 18, 2010 in Japan.

The Pokémon franchise started off in its first generation with its initial release of Pocket Monsters Aka and Midori ("Red" and "Green", respectively) for the Game Boy in Japan. When these games proved extremely popular, an enhanced Ao ("Blue") version was released sometime after, and theAo version was reprogrammed as Pokémon Red and Blue for international release. The games launched in the United States on September 30, 1998. The original Aka and Midori versions were never released outside of Japan.^[10] Afterwards, a further enhanced version titled Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition was released to partially take advantage of the color palette of the Game Boy Color, as well as to feature more elements from the popular Pokémon anime. This first generation of games introduced the original 151 species of Pokémon (in National Pokédex order, encompassing all Pokémon from Bulbasaur to Mew), as well as the basic game concepts of capturing, training, battling, and trading Pokémon with both computer and human players. These versions of the games take place within the fictional Kanto region, though the name "Kanto" was not used until the second generation.

The second generation of Pokémon began in 1999 with the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver for Game Boy Color. Like the previous generation, an enhanced version titled Pokémon Crystal was later released. The second generation introduced 100 new species of Pokémon (starting withChikorita and ending with Celebi), with a total of 251 Pokémon to collect, train, and battle. The Pokémon mini is a handheld game console released in November 2001 in North America, December 2001 in Japan, and 2002 in Europe.

Pokémon entered its third generation with the 2002 release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire for Game Boy Advance and continued with the Game Boy Advance remakes ofPokémon Red and Blue, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, and an enhanced version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire titled Pokémon Emerald. The third generation introduced 135 new Pokémon (starting with Treecko and ending with Deoxys) for a total of 386 species. However, this generation also garnered some criticism for leaving out several gameplay features, including the day-and-night system introduced in the previous generation, and it was also the first installment that encouraged the player to collect merely a selected assortment of the total number of Pokémon rather than every existing species (202 out of 386 species are catchable in the Ruby and Sapphire versions).

In 2006, Japan began the fourth generation of the franchise with the release of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl for Nintendo DS. The fourth generation introduces another 107 new species of Pokémon (starting with Turtwig and ending with Arceus), bringing the total of Pokémon species to 493.^[11] The Nintendo DS "touch screen" allows new features to the game such as cooking poffins with the stylus and using the "Pokétch". New gameplay concepts include a restructured move-classification system, online multiplayer trading and battling via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the return (and expansion) of the second generation's day-and-night system, the expansion of the third generation's Pokémon Contests into "Super Contests", and the new region of Sinnoh, which has an underground component for multiplayer gameplay in addition to the main overworld. Pokémon Platinum, the enhanced version of Diamond and Pearl—much like Pokémon Yellow, Crystal, and Emerald—was released September 2008 in Japan, March 2009 in North America, and was released in Australia and Europe in May 2009. Spin-off titles in the fourth generation include the Pokémon Stadium follow-up Pokémon Battle Revolution for Wii, which has Wi-Fi connectivity as well.^[12] Nintendo announced in May 2009 that enhanced remakes of Pokémon Gold and Silver, entitled Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, released for the Nintendo DS system. HeartGold and SoulSilver are set in the Johto region and were released in September 2009 in Japan.^[13]

The fifth generation of Pokémon began on September 18 with the release of Pokémon Black and White in Japan for Nintendo DS.^[14] The games were originally announced by the Pokémon Company on January 29, 2010 with a tentative release later that year,^[15][16] before the announcement on June 27, 2010, of the games' release on September 18, 2010.^[17] This version is set in the Unova region (イッシュ地方 Isshu-chihō^?, Isshu region) and utilizes the Nintendo DS's 3-D rendering capabilities to a greater extent than Platinum,HeartGold, and SoulSilver, as shown in game footage of the player walking through the Castelia City (ヒウンシティ Hiun Shiti^?) metropolis. A total of 156 new Pokémon were introduced (starting with Victini and ending with Genesect),^[18] as well as new game mechanics such as the C Gear (Cギア C Gia^?) wireless interactivity features^[19] and the ability to upload game data to the internet and the player's computer.^[20] Pokémon Black and White was released in Europe on March 4, 2011, in North America on March 6, 2011, and in Australia on March 10, 2011. On June 23, 2012, Nintendo released Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2 in Japanese for Nintendo DS, with early October releases in North America and Europe.

On January 8, 2013, Nintendo officially announced Pokémon X and Y for the Nintendo 3DS as part of the upcoming sixth generation of games. They will be rendered in 3D and have a simultaneous worldwide release in October 2013.^[21]

Game mechanics

Main article: Gameplay of Pokémon

The main staple of the Pokémon video game series revolves around the catching and battling of Pokémon. Starting with a starter Pokémon, the player can catch wild Pokémon by weakening them and catching them with Pokéballs. Conversely, they can choose to defeat them in battle in order to gain experience for their Pokémon, raising their levels and teaching them new moves. Certain Pokémon can evolve into more powerful forms by raising their levels or using certain items. Throughout the game, players will have to battle other trainers in order to progress, with the main goal to defeat various Gym Leaders and earn the right to become a tournament champion. Subsequent games in the series have introduced various side games and side quests, including the Battle Frontiers that display unique battle types and the Pokémon Contests where visual appearance is put on display.

Starter Pokémon

One of the consistent aspects of the Pokémon games—spanning from Pokémon Red and Blue on the Nintendo Game Boy to the Nintendo DS games Pokémon Black andWhite—is the choice of one of three different Pokémon at the start of the player's adventures; these three are often labeled "starter Pokémon". Players can choose a Grass-type, a Fire-type, or a Water-type.^[22] For example, in Pokémon Red and Blue (and their respective reworks, Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen), the player has the choice of starting with Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. The exception to this rule is Pokémon Yellow (a remake of the original games that follows the story of the Pokémon anime), where players are given a Pikachu, an Electric-type mouse Pokémon, famous for being the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise; in this game, however, the three starter Pokémon from Red and Blue can be obtained during the quest by a single player, something that is not possible in any other installment of the franchise.^[23] Another consistent aspect is that the player's rival will always choose as his or her starter Pokémon the one that has a type advantage over the player's Pokémon. For instance, if the player picks a Grass-type Pokémon, the rival will always pick the fire-type starter. An exception to this is again Pokémon Yellow, in which the rival picks an Eevee, but whether this Eevee evolves intoJolteon, Vaporeon, or Flareon is decided by when the player wins and loses to the rival through the journey. The GameCube games, Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness also contain an exception; whereas most games start your initial Pokémon at Level 5, these games start your journey at Levels 10 and 25 respectively. In Colosseumthe player's starter Pokémon are Espeon and Umbreon and in Gale of Darkness the player's starter is Eevee.

Pokédex

The Pokédex is a fictional electronic device featured in the Pokémon video game and anime series. In the games, whenever a Pokémon is first captured, its data will be added to a player's Pokédex, but in the anime or manga, the Pokédex is a comprehensive electronic reference encyclopedia, usually referred to in order to deliver exposition. "Pokédex" is also used to refer to a list of Pokémon, usually a list of Pokémon by number. In the video games, a Pokémon Trainer is issued a blank device at the start of the journey. A trainer must then attempt to fill the Pokédex by encountering and at least briefly obtaining each of the different species of Pokémon. A player will receive the name and image of a Pokémon after encountering one that was not previously in the Pokédex, typically after battling said Pokémon either in the wild or in a trainer battle (with the exceptions of link battles and tournament battles, such as in the Battle Frontier). In Pokémon Red and Blue, some Pokémon's data is added to the Pokédex simply by viewing the Pokémon, such as in the zoo outside of the Safari Zone. Also, certain NPC characters may add to the Pokédex by explaining what a Pokémon looks like during conversation. More detailed information is available after the player obtains a member of the species, either through capturing the Pokémon in the wild, evolving a previously captured Pokémon, hatching a Pokémon egg (from the second generation onwards), or through a trade with another trainer (either an NPC or another player). This information includes height, weight, species type, and a short description of the Pokémon. Later versions of the Pokédex have more detailed information, like the size of a certain Pokémon compared to the player character, or Pokémon being sorted by their habitat (so far, the latter feature is only in the FireRed and LeafGreen versions). The most current forms of Pokédex are capable of containing information on all Pokémon currently known. The GameCube games, Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, have a Pokémon Digital Assistant (P★DA) which is similar to the Pokédex, but also tells what types are effective against a Pokémon and gives a description of its abilities.^[24]

Pokémon regions

There are several regions that have appeared in the various media of the Pokémon franchise. Each of the five generations of the main series releases focuses on a new region. Moreover, several regions have been introduced in spin-off games, and one in the Pokémonanime, though most of these are still within the same fictional universe. Usually, the different regions are not accessible from one another via land (or at all within a single game), with the exception being Kanto, which can be accessed from Johto and vice versa in thePokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver versions.

Every region consists of several cities and towns that the player must explore in order to fulfill many waiting challenges such as Gyms, Contests, and/or saving a region from antagonistic characters. At different locations within each region, the player can find different types of Pokémon, as well as other helpful items and characters. Most regions are on separate continents, though many are based on parts of the real-world country of Japan; recent games have international origins, such as Unova's New York City styling and the apparentParisian origin of the upcoming game.

Kanto

The Kanto Region in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (left) and the Kantō region in the real world (right)

Kanto Region (カントー地方 Kantō-chihō^?), introduced in Red and Green (Blue in international releases), later seen inYellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, was the first region in the Pokémon series. It is attached to the Johto region so the player can also visit it by train or jetboat in Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold andSoulSilver. In these games, however, the region differs from the earlier games (which are set three years previously) in several plot and graphical points. In the games, its cities are named after colors. Two areas of the Kanto region, Saffron City and the Pokémon Stadium, are playable stages in Nintendo's popular Super Smash Bros. fighting games. In the anime, Ash travels in Kanto in the Kanto and Battle Frontier seasons. Kanto represents the actual region in Japan calledKantō, which is its namesake, and eastern Tōkai.

[edit]Johto

The Johto Region (ジョウト地方 Jōto-chihō^?), meaning "castle palace" (城都 jōto^?) and "lattice-shaped palace" (条都jōto^?),^[1][2] is a region connected to the western part of Kanto. It was introduced in the second generation of Pokémon video games, Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, later seen in their remakes, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. The third, fourth, and fifth seasons of the anime are also set there. In the games, all its cities have plant-themed or color-themed names. Johto is geographically similar to the Kansai, eastern Shikoku and western Tōkai regions of Japan. There are old-fashioned cities reminiscent of Nara and Kyoto and a modern commercial city reminiscent of Osaka. Some inhabitants speak the Kansai dialect in the Japanese releases of the games.

[edit]Hoenn

The Hoenn Region in Pokémon Emerald (left) and the Kyushu region in the real world (right)

The Hoenn Region (ホウエン地方 Hōen-chihō^?), meaning "rich relationship (between humans and Pokémon)" (豊縁hōen^?),^[3] was introduced in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald^[4] and is located south-west of the Kanto/Johto landmass. The region contains a large proportion of marine routes and the games' first underwater locations. Hoenn was modeled after the Kyushu region of Japan due to Ruby and Sapphire director Junichi Masuda's desire to recapture his memories of being there in the summer vacation; Hoenn is rotated 90° counterclockwise from Kyushu's real world orientation due to the development team's belief that it would improve playability.^[5] The Hoenn region contains its own Pokémon League, called the Hoenn League, and its own Elite Four, unlike Johto and Kanto which share their Elite Four in the video games. Seasons 6-8 of the Pokémon anime, called the Advanced Generation series, are set in this region, as protagonist Ash Ketchum and company explore this new region.

[edit]Sevii Islands

The Sevii Islands, or Nanashima (ナナシマ^?, lit. "Seven Islands") in Japan, only appear in Pokémon FireRed andLeafGreen^[6] and an episode of Pokémon Chronicles. They are called the Sevii Islands/Nanashima because it is believed by elders of Seven Island that the seven islands were made in seven days. While seven islands (or in some cases island groups) are accessible to the player through normal gameplay, there are two additional islands that are each accessible only after acquiring a special item from a Nintendo event. These two islands can also be accessed in Pokémon Emerald. Access to one island allows the player to encounter Lugia and Ho-Oh. Access to the other island allows the player to encounter Deoxys; depending on the game version (FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald), the DNA Pokémon Deoxys will be in one of its 3 variations. The Sevii Islands are located off the south part of the Kanto/Johto landmass. They are based on the Izu and Bonin Islands.

[edit]Sinnoh

The Sinnoh Region (シンオウ地方 Shin'ō-chihō^?), meaning "god within" (神奥 shin'ō^?),^[7] is a large region that is the setting of the games Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, located far north of the Kanto/Johto landmass. The region contains a large amount of towns and cities, but only a few sea routes.^[8] It is a varied region containing a mountain range and four lakes, one of which is hidden, each housing a Legendary Pokémon. It is the first Pokémon role-playing video game to feature snowy regions. The region blends urban cities with more traditional towns together. It also has a hidden underground area that is used for housing secret bases, playing Capture the Flag games, and a fossil/item hunt.^[9]Seasons 10-13 of the Pokémon anime are the first seasons that are set in this region. Sinnoh is based on the geography of the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, the southern half of the Russian island of Sakhalin, and the disputed island of Kunashir. A mountain range splits the Eastern and Western sides of Sinnoh, and the types of Pokémon there can differ in color and size, affecting the Shellos and Gastrodon species. The latest game set in Sinnoh was Pokémon Platinum. In Platinum, Sinnoh has gone through several changes, including the presence of snow in areas such as Twinleaf Town, the link to the Distortion World, and the Battle Frontier in the Battle Area.

[edit]Unova

The Unova Region in Pokémon Black and White (left) andNew York City (right), on which Unova is based.^[10] All previous Pokémon main series game settings were based on regions of Japan.

The Unova Region,^[11] known in Japan as the Isshu Region (イッシュ地方 Isshu-chihō^?), is the region featured inPokémon Black and White and the sequels Black 2 and White 2. According to the development team, Unova is "located far away from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh."^[12] In the Pokémon Pia book, director Junichi Masuda revealed that Unova (Isshu) was modeled after New York City.^[13] Unova is host to large urban areas, a harbor, an airport, an amusement park, and several mountain ranges. In addition to a diversity of new landscapes, the Unova Region is also home to a diversity of people who vary in skin tone and occupation. The region's Japanese name is derived from the Japanese wordstashu (多種^?, meaning "many kinds") and isshu (一種^?, meaning "one kind"); the many kinds (多種 tashu^?) of people and Pokémon you see up close look like only one kind (一種 isshu^?) of life from afar.^[10] Season 14 of the anime onward, collectively titled in Japan as Best Wishes!, is set in Unova.

A new feature put in the Black and White games is that areas in the games are visually distinct between versions; while locations in Black appear to be very modern and urban, the same locations in White will appear to be older and more rural. This feature is exemplified in two locations that are unique to each game and are located in the same location on the map: the ultra-metropolitan Black City (ブラックシティ Burakku Shiti^?), home to only humans, and the verdant White Forest (ホワイトフォレスト Howaito Foresuto^?), where humans and Pokémon live in harmony.^[14] Unova also features the return of underwater Regions accessible through the Dive move. In addition, Unova has a seasonal cycle. The winter months change the rarity of Pokémon in some areas, certain areas can only be accessed with heavy snow on the ground, and the Deerling and Sawsbuck Pokémon have different physical appearances linked to the seasonal changes.

[edit]X and Y region

Not much has been revealed concerning the region that will be visited in the upcoming X and Y games. A highly urban city, a golden palace, and a barren wasteland with pod-like buildings, are all seen in the trailer. GamesRadar editors noted a marked resemblance of a large tower in the background to the Eiffel Tower and the palace's resemblance toVersailles. This, accompanied by Pikachu's apparent debut in the video atop the Eiffel Tower, led them to believe this edition will be taking place in a region with Parisian or overallFrench origins.^[15]

[edit]Other regions

[edit]Pokémon Island

Pokémon Island (ポケモンアイランド Pokemon Airando^?) is the setting of Pokémon Snap. It is a nature reserve where Professor Oak researches many wild species, all of which are native to Kanto.

[edit]Orange Islands

A map of the Orange Islands.

The Orange Islands (オレンジ諸島 Orenji-shotō^?) are a region that only appear in the Pokémon anime and The Electric Tale of Pikachumanga. It is made up of a series of small islands, located south of Cinnabar Island and the Seafoam Islands.^[16] Season 2 of the Pokémonanime is set in this region. Four of the Orange Islands (Fire Island, Lightning Island, Ice Island, and Shamouti Island) are the setting of the film Pokémon: The Movie 2000.^[17] In both the Japanese and English editions of the anime and manga, each island is named after a different variety of citrus fruit.

The archipelago is different climatically from Kanto, which is temperate while the archipelago is tropical. One effect of the different climate is that Pokémon found in the Orange Islands have different patterns or colors than are found on the main land. In addition, several of the islands feature unique Pokémon found nowhere else: one island is home to a rare fruit that turns Pokémon pink if they eat it, and another island is home to an Onix whose body is made of crystal rather than rock.

[edit]Orre

The Orre Region (オーレ地方 Ōre-chihō^?) is a mostly arid region that is the setting of Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. The structures (most of which appear to be made of pieces of older structures) found within Orre lend a post-apocalyptic feel to it as well. In this region, wild Pokémon are rare, and can only be caught in specific spots, and only during the events of Pokémon XD: The Gale of Darkness. The American city of Phoenix, Arizona was used as inspiration for the region's design.^[18] One of the striking features of the Orre landscape is the monolithic Mt. Battle; in Pokémon Colosseum, it pays homage to the Phoenix Mountains in that a player who completes the Mt. Battle challenge will be rewarded with a Ho-Oh, a Pokémon similar to a phoenix.

[edit]Fiore

The Fiore Region (フィオレ地方 Fiore-chihō^?) is the setting of the game Pokémon Ranger. It does not appear in the Pokémon anime, although Solana, the female protagonist of the game, has made two appearances. Pokémon Ranger implies that it is located quite some distance from the other regions of the Pokémon world. It resembles Niigata in the Chubu region of Japan. It is a relatively small island region that is quite mountainous. There are four areas in Fiore, each named after the season it constantly experiences — Ringtown,Fall City, Wintown, and Summerland. Fiore contains 213 Pokémon that can be captured in Pokémon Ranger, but it does not have any Pokémon trainers. All of the people who live with Pokémon keep them outside of Poké Balls, much like pets.

[edit]Almia

The Almia Region (アルミア地方 Arumia-chihō^?) is the setting of the game Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia located at the east of Fiore. It is also the location of the Headquarters of the Pokémon Rangers. It slightly resembles the northernmost tip of the Tohoku region of Japan, and the south western tip of the Hokkaido Island. If this is true, it could possibly connect very closely with the Sinnoh region.

[edit]Oblivia

The Oblivia Region (オブリビア地方 Oburibia-chihō^?) is the setting of the most recent Pokémon Ranger game, Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs. It has three major islands, two which are connected by a bridge. There are also several smaller islands, one seems to be volcanic. Unlike most other regions, the Oblivia region consists only of islands and is considered to have a tropical climate but does house a mountain where snow is constantly falling on the peak.

[edit]Ransei

The Ransei Region (ランセ地方 Ranse-chihō^?) is the setting of Pokémon Conquest. Visually resembling the legendary Pokémon Arceus, it is divided into 17 smaller kingdoms each themed after one of the 17 Pokémon types. The setting is based on the Sengoku period of Japanese history, with its characters named after major figures from the period such as the titular Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Oichi.

[edit]Holon

Holon (ホロン Horon^?) is a region introduced in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. It is a known habitat of the unusual δ Delta Species Pokémon, also introduced in the TCG. Holon is not featured in any video game.

[edit]TCG islands

An unnamed island is the setting of the Pokémon Trading Card Game video game. This island is in a separate fictional universe where Pokémon only exist as cards. It consists of eight Clubs, which are similar to Pokémon Gyms, a version of the Elite Four called the Grand Masters, and a Card Lab. In Pokémon Card GB2, a second unnamed island is introduced, and features the various headquarters of Team Great Rocket known as Forts and Castles, where the Club Masters and Grand Masters are being held captive. They do not appear in the anime.

[edit]Stadium regions

The setting of Pokémon Stadium is unknown, but according to Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pokémon Stadium is somewhere in Kanto. White City (ホワイトシティ Howaito Shiti^?) is the setting of Pokémon Stadium 2, and Pokétopia (ポケトピア Poketopia^?) is the setting of Pokémon Battle Revolution. They do not appear in the anime or other video games.

[edit]Mystery Dungeon regions

The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, like the TCG games, appear to take place in yet another universe, where Pokémon live like human beings. They seem to have heard of humans, but know of none in their world. In the game the main character was a human who has been turned into to a Pokémon, but does not know why because he/she has suffered memory loss.

[edit]Rumble Stadium

The Rumble Stadium is the setting of Pokémon Rumble. It is a basic area with forests and caves where Pokémon are treated as semi-disposable toys, and as a result, never master more than two moves at a time.

[edit]Unknown locations

Hey You, Pikachu!, Pokémon Channel, and PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure all take place in unknown areas somewhere in the Pokémon world, although Professor Oak appears with some of his inventions in the first two.