Pokémon (Japanese:ポケットモンスターPocket Monsters;ポケモンPokémon for short) are fictional creatures that are central to thePokémon franchise. Many new species of Pokémon are often introduced simultaneously with the promotion and release of new games.

Terminology

In thePokémon world, the word "species" is not used exactly the same as in real-world biology, where it would refer to a group of organisms that can have fertile offspring (unlike thebreeding between different Pokémon species), and a real-life organism would not change between different species. A Pokémon can change species by means ofEvolution, which more closely resembles growth and development or metamorphosis rather thanevolution in the real world.

Each species has aname starting with a capital letter, such as "Pikachu". The species name is also often used in the singular form referring collectively to members of that species, such as "Pikachu is anElectric-type Pokémon". The plural form of the species is the same as the singular, such as "two Pikachu". In some early Pokémon media, certainincorrect plurals such as "Digletts" were occasionally used.

An individual Pokémon is usually known by its species name as well, such as "Pikachu usedThunder Shock". However, some individual Pokémon havenicknames instead.

InJapanese, the names of Pokémon species are written in katakana, and they also have official romanizations. For instance:Onix (Japanese: イワークIwark).

Overview

There are currently1025 known Pokémon species that inhabit thePokémon world. They take on manyshapes andsizes, resembling animals and living creatures in the real world. However, they possess several fantastic powers not demonstrated by most real animals, including the manipulation of aspects of the material world, such aselectricity orfire, each having their owntype andcategories. It is implied that there are more Pokémon always waiting to bediscovered beyond the current count.

While most Pokémon resemble animals and may behave like them, there are many that do not resemble animals at all, taking on other forms such as plants, inanimate objects, machines, human-like forms, or other more enigmatic and exotic appearances. Pokémon inhabit an extremely diverse range of habitats, ranging from the driestdeserts to the lushest jungles, the deepest oceans to the highestmountains and everything else in between, evenouter space and otherdimensions. Pokémon take up various ways of living in those places. There are many uses to spending time with Pokémon; some people take them in as pets, some study them, but all Pokémon can be befriended and made into potential allies. A common symbol of partnership between human and Pokémon is often met by putting the creature into aPoké Ball, in which all share the ability to shrink down small enough to fit into. Many people who raise Pokémon are calledPokémon Trainers, people who dedicate their lives to Pokémon, participating in multiple activities involving the species. Not all Pokémon Trainers are seen as kind towards these creatures, and manyvillainous organizations seek to use Pokémon in malicious ways.

Many Pokémon are able toevolve from or into other Pokémon species, a process that typically makes them larger and stronger. Evolution can be seen as a form of maturity in certain species, but not all. In some cases, this process can be reverted bydevolution. Most Pokémon by nature are known to compete inPokémon battles. These battles may be for sport among human-owned Pokémon or for survival and protection between wild Pokémon. In these battles, Pokémon use techniques calledmoves, that they can use within the fight or elsewhere, either to defend themselves or their Trainer, or to perform a task. Beyond their normaltyped attributes and moves, many Pokémon posses other traits that can be triggered or used passively. These traits are calledAbilities, which a Pokémon may activate once certain conditions are met. Another function some Pokémon may have, similar to that of Evolution, is a change in appearances called aform. Some Pokémon may be able to change their form, while some may have one as a distinction between others of the same species. In the games, each Pokémon has a distinct voice associated with each individual species or form known as acry, while in theanimated series, most Pokémon are known only to say their name.

There are many forms of food that Pokémon may eat, including one another as prey. However, Pokémon Trainers may offer different types of treats and natural items such asBerries to their Pokémon. Additionally, many plant-like Pokémon andHeliolisk are able to photosynthesize. Many Pokémon are known to reproduce by producingEggs, though it is unknown how these eggs are formed or where they come from. There are also manyman-made and human-influenced Pokémon that have been created by other means, such asMewtwo,Porygon, orTrubbish. There are multiple categories andvariations that Pokémon may fall under as well, which describe certain groups and relationships Pokémon may have with each other. Some examples includeLegendary Pokémon,Mythical Pokémon,Paradox Pokémon,Ultra Beasts, andFossil Pokémon. Pokémon who have artificially had the doors to their hearts shut are known asShadow Pokémon. Every species has a unique appearance where their color is different from how their species is usually depicted called aShiny coloration. These alternately-colored Pokémon are sought out by collectors for their rarity.

Design

Traditionally, Pokémon are primarily designed for thecore series, though there are times when a species has been used to promote newmovies or particularspin-off games such asPokémon GO. SinceGeneration I, all Pokémon have had one or twotypes and certainheights andweights. More qualities relating to each Pokémon were introduced in later games, such asgender andAbilities. Some Pokémon are even designed with certain properties in mind.

A species' overall aesthetic and appeal, such as its cuteness or coolness, is also determined within the long process of creating a new Pokémon. Additionally, a Pokémon may be designed off how it lives and interacts with the things around it such as other people and Pokémon, including how it would use its moves and abilities in reaction to those subjects. According toKensaku Nabana, the designer forGolisopod, it had taken him over six months to create it, which is a typical creation time for a Pokémon.^[1] InThe Alola Region Artworks concept art book,Ken Sugimori has mentioned that he often tries to keeping the balance of making a Pokémon look cool or cute, while also keeping what may make a species memorable, such asOshawott's cheeks having freckles detracting from its cuteness but keeping memorability.^[2][3]

Pokémon are often designed based on real-world inspiration, including animals and objects, while other times they may be based on folklore and mythology, or a combination of multiple inspirations from fiction and non-fiction. The threefirst partner Pokémon of theUnovaregion were based on different types of imagery from various countries, withSnivy having awestern motif,Tepig having aChinese motif, andOshawott having aJapanese motif. Oshawott in particular was based on asea otter with asamurai theme, with its fully evolved form,Samurott, being based on a completely different species of animal but carrying a similar theme. Samurott was designed offsea lions, as designerYusuke Ohmura saw a sea lion show at the Tama Zoo and thought that sea lions were powerful, combining elements of both animals together to create the evolutionary line.^[4]

In the core series games

Pokémon have been, from the very beginning of the franchise, are spoken of as friends and partners to thehumans of thePokémon world, helping them with various tasks from constructing buildings to exploration. Many people in the Pokémon world take Pokémon with them on ajourney to gatherBadges and compete in the variousPokémon Leagues asTrainers, using them in battles against Pokémon both owned by other Trainers and found in thewild. In theAlolaregion, Pokémon and Trainers instead take on trials in theisland challenge on their journey. In addition, there are many differenttournaments in which Trainers can compete together with their Pokémon, such asPokémon Contests and thePokéathlon.

Across the ninegenerations ofgames, Pokémon are found in multiple ways including: encountering them intall grass or out in the open, finding them incaves orruins, goingfishing for them,surfing on water, usingfield moves oritems on certain objects,gifted by anNPC ortraded with an NPC or another player. These are often joined by several more ways in which to encounter Pokémon, such as: obtaining and hatchingEggs, using thePoké Radar, participating inMax andTera Raid Battles, beingambushed, or attracting them withLures,Sweet Scent orHoney. Multiple games allow for theplayer to encounter multiple Pokémon at once throughDouble Battles or inHorde Encounters, while some may be called upon by another inSOS Battles.

History

Pokémon have existed since ancient times. It is said thatArceus was the first Pokémon in existence, whileMew is thought to be a common ancestor among all naturally born Pokémon. Pokémon in the dinosauric past have sincefossilized and gone extinct, but many can still be revived in the modern day.

A long time ago, according tomyths found in theSinnohregion, Pokémon were once considered to be the same as people, being respected and ate food at the same table. Beyond this, there also became a time when Pokémon and humans were considered vastly different and lived separate lives. As shown inPokémon Legends: Arceus, in the Sinnoh region, originally namedHisui, Pokémon were feared as monsters and villages were often built to hide and defend from Pokémon. Despite this, some cultures saw Pokémon as friends and partners and would live with Pokémon, including within theDiamond andPearl Clans or in other regions such asAlola. At this time, other regions, such asKanto, also found ways to tamewild Pokémon.

Many civilizations built religions and cultures based on beliefs around Pokémon, framing some as all-powerful gods and deities and others as sacred and noble. Many times, these Pokémon areLegendary orMythical. The people of Hisui, the ancient Sinnoh people, worshiped a god known as "Almighty Sinnoh", a Pokémon namedArceus who they believed had created everything. TheDraconid people inHoenn worshiped a Pokémon known asRayquaza, referred to as the Dragon Lord, after it had saved the world from destruction caused byPrimalGroudon andKyogre. In Alola, festivals and parties were performed for theguardian deities, four Pokémon that protect the islands they inhabit. While typically these praised Pokémon are Legendary or Mythical Pokémon, many are not—includingnoble andTotem Pokémon, which still actively take part in a region's culture and identity. Other Pokémon such asBronzor have also historically been considered sacred.

As more research has developed on Pokémon, people eventually began to trust them and work alongside them. APokémon Trainer is a common position for humans, who seek to train Pokémon and better understand them, being a primary focus of the core-series. Before the concept of a Pokémon Trainer had existed, people that wielded Pokémon inPoké Balls were known as Pokémon Wielders. APokédex is often used to record information on Pokémon, giving the owner better understanding of a Pokémon's ecology. Pokémon are also still used in fields beyond just training and studying, they can be seen as a use of travel in the form ofRide Pokémon, or as form of help by clearing trees or solving puzzles by usingfield moves. As many uses of Pokémon were found,many Poké Balls were developed over time as well, making it easier to catch Pokémon in different professions and study.

Many games also focus on the origins many Pokémon may have and where they come from.

Construction

In the games, Pokémon are no more than fragments of data, identifying certain characteristics inherent to them. As the games have progressed, more data is added to each Pokémon, typically to reference new features introduced in games of the new generation.

The methodology for construction of Pokémon data changes across generations. For the different constructions, see the data structure explanations for:

• Generation I
• Generation II
• Generation III
• Generation IV
• Generation V
• Generation VI
• Generation VII
• Generation VIII
• Generation IX

In the spin-off games

Play It! series

InPokémon Play It! andPokémon Play It! Version 2, it is possible to play theTrading Card Game rather than train Pokémon. However, at some pointJulie sees aBeedrill flying off-camera and itscry is heard, which is an indication that actual Pokémon exist in this universe.^[5]

In animation

Pokémon the Series

InPokémon the Series, Pokémon are shown to be creatures with distinctively more anthropomorphic qualities than real-world animals, with several evenable to speak. Some Pokémon have the ability to speakhumanlanguage instead of their own names, such asMeowth ofTeam Rocket. They also seem to be able to mostly understand human language, while most humans cannot understand Pokémon speech, although there are a few who claim they can. Most species speak only one word: their own name, e.g.Pikachu saying "Pika! Pikachu!" and so forth, though some Pokémon only grunt or roar, such asCharizard.

The series takes a clear stance of right and wrong on the use of Pokémon: Trainers such asAsh are shown to treat their Pokémon with respect, as partners and friends, while evil organizations likeTeam Rocket are shown to use Pokémon as mere tools, keeping them in cages, making them fight to exhaustion—a stark contrast to Ash andhis Pikachu, who he treats as his best friend and keepson his shoulder, rather than in aPoké Ball, because of its own preference.

History

Pokémon the Series and related media have given a more in-depth history ofhuman interaction with Pokémon than is given by the games: inThe Birth of Mewtwo radio drama, it is implied that Pokémon came into the world after the human species did.Poké Balls have not existed forever, and are in reality an apparently recent development, with one owned by a youngProfessor Oak being shown to be vastly different than ones used in modern times.

Prior to theinvention and mass-production of Poké Balls, people tended to use hollowed-outApricorns, native to theJohto region, tocatch Pokémon, while even further back, Pokémon were not known as "Pokémon" at all, but as "magical creatures" (Japanese: 魔獣majuu). In these times, many Pokémon were apparently feared because of their powers, sometimes so great that the most powerful of these monsterspassed into legend and were often seen asdeities in their own right.

Interestingly, Ash and his friends, through their interaction with history inArceus and the Jewel of Life, seemingly invented the term "Pokémon" to refer to these creatures. This, however, creates abootstrap paradox, as their knowledge and use of the word comes only from its wide use in their future time. What may remain true is that the term came into practice elsewhere on its own.

The guidebookPocket Monsters: The Animation gave a bit more detail on Pokémon. Specifically, they were rumored to have been created by God onthe seventh day of creation as "doodles", and since they were created on holiday, they were commanded to neither rule over nor be ruled by humanity. It also inferred that they had some relation to merpeople and dragon myths, and that their species was discovered by a French nobleman named Count Tajirin (a subtle reference to franchise creatorSatoshi Tajiri) during the 18th century.

Pokémon Horizons: The Series

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: needs role/characteristics in Horizons; compare/contrast to PtS

In the novels

Pocket Monsters: The Animation

Main article:Pokémon world (PMTA) → Pokémon and animals

InPocket Monsters: The Animation, it is said that Pokémon andanimals may be related to each other. As an example, it is said that cats and lions are related by evolution, and thatMeowth may be related to cats as well.

In 1925, the technology to store Pokémon in small objects such asPoké Balls or capsules was invented by Professor Nishinomori. The name "Pokémon" was introduced after this invention, as it was not possible to store them in pockets before. However, it is not known what Pokémon were called before this word was coined.

References

Related articles

This Pokémon article is part ofProject Pokédex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.

• Articles needing more information
• Pokémon