Pokémon: Difference between revisions

Even after the initial worldwide hype for the series died down, the Pokémon franchise remained strong. A third version was produced for Generation II, focusing on the [[Legendary Pokémon]] {{p|Suicune}}. With {{game|Crystal}}, a female player character was finally introduced, and the games became fully dependent on the [[Game Boy Color]], abandoning the now long-outdated [[Game Boy]]. [[Generation III]] was announced for the new [[Game Boy Advance]], and at least among fans, the hype returned.

Despite this, when {{game|Ruby and Sapphire|s}} were initially released many people considered them, and Generation III in general, a disappointment. {{an|Misty}}, {{Ash}}'s longtime companion in the anime, left the show and a new girl {{an|May}} joined him. Although 135 new Pokémon were introduced, the games, unlike the Generation II games, were completely incompatible with their predecessors, making 184 of the 251 previously released Pokémon unobtainable without [[cheating]]. This issue was addressed with the unprecedented release of [[remake]]s of the original pair of games, {{game|FireRed and LeafGreen|s}}, which included many of the Pokémon missing from Ruby and Sapphire. In addition, an enhanced version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, {{game|Emerald}}, was released and introduced the {{gdis|Battle Frontier|III}} and many other features that would be enjoyed by those who battled Pokémon competitively.

Much like the previous generations, [[Generation IV]] was highly anticipated. {{game|Diamond and Pearl|s}}, released in 2006 in Japan and 2007 in the US, received much praise. These games brought with them many enhancements from Emerald, and for the first time, Pokémon could be played online to battle against and trade with other players across the world. This generation was also noted for introducing the [[physical move|physical]]/[[special move|special]] damage category split, another improvement which would be enjoyed by those who battled Pokémon competitively. 107 new Pokémon were added as well, bringing the total to 493.

[[Generation V]] constituted a "reboot" similar to that of Generation III. The highly anticipated {{game|Black and White|s}} were set far away from the previous games in a region based on {{wp|New York City}} called [[Unova]]. Initially in the game, only the 156 new Pokémon introduced in this generation were available before beating the [[Pokémon League]], forcing veteran players to rethink old strategies. The games did have the capacity to connect to older games, however, and maintained the international connectivity introduced in the fourth generation. The anime series, [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]], and manga series also embraced the new generation with releases of tie-in media. Breaking the traditional format, Pokémon Black and White were followed by two direct sequels, [[Pokémon Black and White Versions 2]], which included many Pokémon from different regions.

[[Generation VI]] started with [[Pokémon X and Y]], which were released worldwide on the same day in 2013, a first for the franchise. The games introduced many new features, such as fully 3D gameplay including 3D models for every Pokémon, [[Mega Evolution]], the introduction of the {{t|Fairy}} [[type]], [[Trainer customization]], [[Pokémon-Amie]], and new battle formats (such as [[Sky Battle]]s and [[Inverse Battle]]s). The games' [[Kalos]] region was chosen to be based on {{wp|France}} partly because French culture is known for its art and beauty—the main theme of the game. The new [[Super Training]] feature offered a simple way to monitor a Pokémon's {{EV}}s. New ways to improve the player's chance of finding [[Shiny Pokémon]] were also introduced, such as the introduction of chain fishing and the return of the [[Poké Radar]]. With the addition of 72 new Pokémon, the total number of Pokémon in Generation VI is 721.

Although there were no remakes in Generation V, Generation VI saw the release of {{g|Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire}} worldwide in 2014, remakes of Generation III's Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Similarly to Pokémon X and Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were released around the same time worldwide, although the games were released in Europe a week after the rest of the world. In addition to being remakes of the Generation III games, the games included new Mega Evolutions and introduced [[Primal Reversion]].

[[Generation VII]] began with the release of [[Pokémon Sun and Moon]] in November 2016; like Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, these games were released on the same day worldwide except in Europe, where the games' release was delayed a few days. This generation introduced 81 new Pokémon, taking the total up to 802. The games were released on the year of the [[Pokémon 20th Anniversary|20th anniversary of the franchise]] and are notable for being the first in the core series to lack Gyms, Badges, and HMs. [[Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon]], enhanced versions of Pokémon Sun and Moon, will be released worldwide in November 2017. These will be the first games to introduce new Pokémon during a generation, excluding [[Mythical Pokémon]] that were already present in the older games' data.