Pokémon (species)

Revision as of 01:35, 2 September 2009 by TTEchidna (talk | contribs) (Created page with ''''Pokémon''' (Japanese: '''ポケットモンスター''' ''Pocket Monsters''; '''ポケモン''' ''Pokémon'' for short) are {{#expr: {{PAGESINCATEGORY:Generation I Pokémon}}…')
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Pokémon (Japanese: ポケットモンスター Pocket Monsters; ポケモン Pokémon for short) are 649 known species of creature that inhabit the Pokémon world. Inherent to them are several fantastic powers not demonstrated by normal animals, such as manipulation of electricity and fire, though for the most part, Pokémon are shown to exist instead of animals in their world.

Many Pokémon are known to evolve from or into other Pokémon, a process that typically makes them larger and stronger, and could be seen as the equivalent to "growing up". Pokémon typically know several techniques that they can use in battle or elsewhere, either to defend themselves or their Trainer, or to perform a task. Most Pokémon are known only to say their name.

In the games

Pokémon have been, from the very beginning, spoken of as friends and partners to the humans of the Pokémon world, used to help with various tasks from constructing buildings to exploration. Many people in the Pokémon world take Pokémon with them on a journey to gather Badges and compete in the various Pokémon Leagues as Trainers, using them in battles against Pokémon both owned by other Trainers and found in the wild.

Across the four generations of games, Pokémon are typically found in one of three manners: encountering them in tall grass, going fishing for them, or being given them by an NPC. These are often joined by several more ways in which to encounter Pokémon, such as surfing on water, headbutting trees, or using the Poké Radar.

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 Pokémon data structure in Generation I, Pokémon data structure in Generation II, Pokémon data structure in Generation III, and Pokémon data structure in Generation IV.

In the anime

In the anime, Pokémon are shown to be creatures with distinctively more human-like qualities than normal animals, with several even able to speak.

The anime takes a clear stance of right and wrong on the use of Pokémon: Trainers such as Ash are shown to treat their Pokémon with respect, as partners and friends, while evil organizations like Team Rocket are shown to use Pokémon as tools, keeping them in cages -- a stark contrast to Ash and his Pikachu, who he keeps on his shoulder, rather than in a Poké Ball, because of its own preference.

History

The anime has given a more in-depth history of human interaction with Pokémon than is given by the games: Poké Balls, for example, have not existed forever, and are in reality an apparently recent development, with one owned by a young Professor Oak being shown to be vastly different than ones used in modern times.

Prior to the invention and mass-production of Poké Balls, people tended to use hollowed-out Apricorns, native to the Johto region, to capture Pokémon, while even further back, Pokémon were not known as "Pokémon" at all, but as "magical beasts" (Japanese: 魔獣 majuu). In these times, Pokémon were apparently feared because of their powers, sometimes so great that the most powerful of these monsters passed into legend and were often seen as deities in their own right.

  This article is a stub. You can help Bulbapedia by expanding it.