Name

The name Pokmon is the romanized contraction of the Japanese brand Pocket Monsters (
PokettoMonsut
?
).
[8]
The term Pokmon, in addition to referring to the Pokmon
franchise itself, also collectively refers to the 719 known fictional species that have made
appearances in Pokmon media as of the release of the sixth generation titlesPokmon X and Y.
"Pokmon" is identical in both the singular and plural, as is each individual species name; it is
grammatically correct to say "one Pokmon" and "many Pokmon", as well as "one Pikachu" and
"many Pikachu".
[9]
(However, Pokmon Red, Blue, and Yellow feature NPCs referring to the
plurals of Clefairy and Diglett with an "s" at the end, shown "CLEFAIRYs" and "DIGLETTs",
respectively. This was fixed in FireRed and LeafGreen.)
Concept
The concept of the Pokmon universe, in both the video games and the general fictional world of
Pokmon, stems from the hobby of insect collecting, a popular pastime which Pokmon
executive director Satoshi Tajiri enjoyed as a child.
[10]
Players of the games are designated
as Pokmon Trainers, and the two general goals (in most Pokmon games) for such Trainers
are: to complete the Pokdex by collecting all of the available Pokmon species found in the
fictional region where that game takes place; and to train a team of powerful Pokmon from
those they have caught to compete against teams owned by other Trainers, and eventually
become the strongest Trainer: the Pokmon Master. These themes of collecting, training, and
battling are present in almost every version of the Pokmon franchise, including the video
games, the anime and manga series, and the Pokmon Trading Card Game.
In most incarnations of the fictional Pokmon universe, a Trainer that encounters a wild
Pokmon is able to capture that Pokmon by throwing a specially designed, mass-producible
spherical tool called a Pok Ball at it. If the Pokmon is unable to escape the confines of the
Pok Ball, it is officially considered to be under the ownership of that Trainer. Afterwards, it will
obey whatever its new master commands, unless the Trainer demonstrates such a lack of
experience that the Pokmon would rather act on its own accord. Trainers can send out any of
their Pokmon to wage non-lethal battles against other Pokmon; if the opposing Pokmon is
wild, the Trainer can capture that Pokmon with a Pok Ball, increasing his or her collection of
creatures. Pokmon already owned by other Trainers cannot be captured, except under special
circumstances in certain games. If a Pokmon fully defeats an opponent in battle so that the
opponent is knocked out (i.e., "faints"), the winning Pokmon gains experience points and may
level up. When leveling up, the Pokmon's statistics ("stats") of battling aptitude increase, such
as Attack and Speed. From time to time the Pokmon may also learn new moves, which are
techniques used in battle. In addition, many species of Pokmon possess the ability to undergo a
form of metamorphosisand transform into a similar but stronger species of Pokmon, a process
called evolution.
In the main series, each game's single-player mode requires the Trainer to raise a team of
Pokmon to defeat many non-player character (NPC) Trainers and their Pokmon. Each game
lays out a somewhat linear path through a specific region of the Pokmon world for the Trainer to
journey through, completing events and battling opponents along the way. Each game features
eight especially powerful Trainers, referred to as Gym Leaders, that the Trainer must defeat in
order to progress. As a reward, the Trainer receives a Gym Badge, and once all eight badges are
collected, that Trainer is eligible to challenge the region's Pokmon League, where four
immensely talented trainers (referred to collectively as the "Elite Four") challenge the Trainer to
four Pokmon battles in succession. If the trainer can overcome this gauntlet, he or she must
then challenge the Regional Champion, the master Trainer who had previously defeated the Elite
Four. Any Trainer who wins this last battle becomes the new champion.
List of Pokmon
Main article: List of Pokmon
Video games
Main article: Pokmon (video game series)
Generations
The original Pokmon 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" Pokmon games, and the games
which most fans of the series are referring to when they use the term "Pokmon games". All of
the licensed Pokmon properties overseen by The Pokmon Company International are divided
roughly by generation. These generations are roughly chronological divisions by release; every
several years, when an official sequel in the main RPG series is released that features new
Pokmon, 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 Pokmon properties each time a new generation begins.
The franchise began the sixth generation on October 12, 2013.

A battle between a level 5Bulbasaur and a level 5Charmander in Pokmon Yellow
[11]

The Pokmon 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 the Ao version was reprogrammed as Pokmon 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.
[12]
Afterwards, a further
enhanced version titled Pokmon 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 Pokmon anime. This first generation of games introduced the original 151 species
of Pokmon, in National Pokdex order, encompassing all Pokmon from Bulbasaur to Mew. It
also introduced the basic game concepts of capturing, training, battling, and trading Pokmon
with both computer and human players. These versions of the games take place within the
fictional Kanto region, inspired by the real world Kant region of Japan, though the name "Kanto"
was not used until the second generation.
The second generation of Pokmon began in 1999 with the release of Pokmon
Gold and Silver for Game Boy Color. Like the previous generation, an enhanced version
titled Pokmon Crystal was later released. The second generation introduced 100 new species of
Pokmon, starting with Chikorita and ending with Celebi. It totaled 251 Pokmon to collect, train,
and battle, set in Johto, inspired by Japan's Kansai region. The Pokmon mini is a handheld
game console released in November 2001 in North America, December 2001 in Japan, and 2002
in Europe.
Pokmon entered its third generation with the 2002 release of Pokmon
Ruby and Sapphire for Game Boy Advance and continued with the Game Boy Advance remakes
of Pokmon Red and Blue, Pokmon FireRed and LeafGreen, and an enhanced version
of Pokmon Ruby and Sapphire titled Pokmon Emerald. The third generation introduced 135
new Pokmon, starting with Treecko and ending with Deoxys, for a total of 386 species. It is set
in Hoenn, inspired by Japan'sKyushu region. However, this generation also garnered some
criticism for leaving out several gameplay features, including the day-and-night system
introduced in the previous generation. It was also the first installment that encouraged the player
to collect merely a selected assortment of the total number of Pokmon rather than every
existing species. By contrast, 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 Pokmon
Diamond and Pearl for Nintendo DS. The fourth generation introduced another 107 new species
of Pokmon, starting with Turtwig and ending with Arceus, bringing the total of Pokmon species
to 493.
[13]
The Nintendo DS "touch screen" allows new features to the game such as cooking
poffins with the stylus and using the "Poktch". 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 Pokmon Contests into "Super Contests", and the new region
of Sinnoh. This region was inspired by Japan's Hokkaido region and part of Russia's Sakhalin,
and has an underground component for multiplayer gameplay in addition to the main
overworld. Pokmon Platinum, the enhanced version of Diamond and Pearlmuch
like Pokmon Yellow, Crystal, and Emeraldwas released in September 2008 in Japan, March
2009 in North America, and May 2009 in Australia and Europe. Spin-off titles in the fourth
generation include the Pokmon Stadium follow-up Pokmon Battle Revolution for Wii, which
has Wi-Fi connectivity as well.
[14]
Nintendo announced in May 2009 that enhanced remakes
of Pokmon Gold and Silver, entitled Pokmon HeartGold and SoulSilver, would be released for
the Nintendo DS system. HeartGold and SoulSilver are set in the Johto region and were released
in September 2009 in Japan.
[15]

The fifth generation of Pokmon began on September 18, 2010, with the release of Pokmon
Black and White in Japan for Nintendo DS.
[16]
The games were originally announced by the
Pokmon Company on January 29, 2010, with a tentative release later that year.
[17][18]
The final
release date of September 18 was announced on June 27, 2010.
[19]
This version is set in
the Unova region ( Isshu-chih
?
, Isshu region), inspired by New York City, 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 ( Hiun Shiti
?
) metropolis. A total of 156 new Pokmon
were introduced, starting with Victini and ending with Genesect, bringing the franchise's total to
649.
[20]
It also deployed new game mechanics such as the C Gear (C C Gia
?
) wireless
interactivity features
[21]
and the ability to upload game data to the Internet and to the player's own
computer.
[22]
Pokmon 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 Pokmon Black 2 and Pokmon White 2 in Japan for Nintendo DS, with early October
releases in North America and Europe. Black 2 and White 2 are sequels to Black and White, with
several events in the second games referencing events in the first; they also allow players to link
their previous Black or White with their Black 2 or White 2, introducing several events based on
how they played their previous game.
Officially announced on January 8, 2013 and released simultaneously worldwide on October 12,
2013, Pokmon X and Y for the Nintendo 3DS are part of the sixth generation of
games.
[23]
Introducing the France-inspired Kalos region, these are the first Pokmon games
rendered in 3D, and the first released worldwide together.
[24]
On May 7, 2014, Nintendo
announced remakes of the third generation games Pokmon Ruby and Sapphire titled Pokmon
Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphireslated for release in November 2014.
Game mechanics
Main article: Gameplay of Pokmon
The main staple of the Pokmon video game series revolves around the catching and battling of
Pokmon. Starting with a starter Pokmon, the player can catch wild Pokmon by weakening
them and catching them with Pok Balls. Conversely, they can choose to defeat them in battle in
order to gain experience for their Pokmon, raising their levels and teaching them new moves.
Certain Pokmon 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 Pokmon Contests
where visual appearance is put on display.
Starter Pokmon
One of the consistent aspects of the Pokmon gamesspanning from Pokmon
Red and Blue on the Game Boy to the Nintendo 3DS games Pokmon X and Yis the choice of
one of three different Pokmon at the start of the player's adventures; these three are often
labeled "starter Pokmon". Players can choose a Grass-type, a Fire-type, or a Water-type.
[25]
For
example, in Pokmon Red and Blue (and their respective remakes, Pokmon
FireRed and Pokmon LeafGreen), the player has the choice of starting with Bulbasaur,
Charmander, or Squirtle. The exception to this rule isPokmon Yellow (a remake of the original
games that follows the story of the Pokmon anime), where players are given a Pikachu,
an Electric-type mouse Pokmon, famous for being the mascot of the Pokmon media franchise;
in this game, however, the three starter Pokmon 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.
[26]
Another consistent aspect is that the player's rival will always choose as his or her
starter Pokmon the one that has a type advantage over the player's Pokmon. For instance, if
the player picks a Grass-type Pokmon, the rival will always pick the Fire-type starter. An
exception to this is again Pokmon Yellow, in which the rival picks an Eevee, but whether this
Eevee evolves into Jolteon, Vaporeon, or Flareon is decided by when the player wins and loses
to the rival through the journey. The GameCube games Pokmon Colosseum and Pokmon XD:
Gale of Darkness also contain an exception; whereas in most games the player's initial Pokmon
starts at Level 5, in these two games the player's initial Pokmon starts at Levels 10 and 25,
respectively. In Colosseum the player's starter Pokmon are Espeon and Umbreon, while in Gale
of Darkness the player's starter is Eevee.
Pokdex
The Pokdex is a fictional electronic device featured in the Pokmon video
game and anime series. In the games, whenever a Pokmon is first captured, its data will be
added to a player's Pokdex, but in the anime or manga, the Pokdex is a comprehensive
electronic reference encyclopedia, usually referred to in order to deliver exposition. "Pokdex" is
also used to refer to a list of Pokmon, usually a list of Pokmon by number. In the video games,
a Pokmon Trainer is issued a blank device at the start of the journey. A trainer must then
attempt to fill the Pokdex by encountering and at least briefly obtaining each of the different
species of Pokmon. A player will receive the name and image of a Pokmon after encountering
one that was not previously in the Pokdex, typically after battling said Pokmon 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 Pokmon Red andBlue, some Pokmon's data is added to the Pokdex
simply by viewing the Pokmon, such as in the zoo outside of the Safari Zone. Also, certain NPC
characters may add to the Pokdex by explaining what a Pokmon looks like during
conversation. More detailed information is available after the player obtains a member of the
species, either through capturing the Pokmon in the wild, evolving a previously captured
Pokmon, hatching a Pokmon 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 Pokmon. Later versions of the Pokdex have more
detailed information, like the size of a certain Pokmon compared to the player character, or
Pokmon being sorted by their habitat (so far, the latter feature is only in
the FireRed and LeafGreen versions). The most current forms of Pokdex are capable of
containing information on all Pokmon currently known. The GameCube games, Pokmon
Colosseum and Pokmon XD: Gale of Darkness, have a Pokmon Digital Assistant (PDA)
which is similar to the Pokdex, but also tells what types are effective against a Pokmon and
gives a description of its abilities.
[27]

In other media

Ash Ketchum and Pikachu together in the pilot episode, "Pokmon, I Choose You!"
Anime series
Main article: Pokmon (anime)
The Pokmon anime series and films are a meta-series of adventures separate from
thecanon that most of the Pokmon video games follow (with the exception of Pokmon Yellow,
a game based loosely on the anime storyline). The anime follows the quest of the main
character, Ash Ketchum
[28]
(known as Satoshi in Japan) a Pokmon Master in training, as he and
a small group of friends
[28]
travel around the fictitious world of Pokmon along with their Pokmon
partners. The original series, titled Pocket Monsters, or simply Pokmon in Western countries
(often referred to as Pokmon: Gotta Catch 'Em All to distinguish it from the later series), begins
with Ash's first day as a Pokmon trainer. His first (and signature) Pokmon is a Pikachu,
differing from the games, where only Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle could be chosen.
[29]
The
series follows the storyline of the original games, Pokmon Red and Blue, in the region of Kanto.
Accompanying Ash on his journeys are Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader, and Misty, the
youngest of the Gym Leader sisters from Cerulean City. Pokmon: Adventures in the Orange
Islands follows Ash's adventures in the Orange Islands, a place unique to the anime, and
replaces Brock with Tracey Sketchit, an artist and "Pokmon watcher". The next series, based on
the second generation of games, include Pokmon: Johto Journeys, Pokmon: Johto League
Champions, andPokmon: Master Quest, following the original trio of Ash, Brock, and Misty in
the western Johto region.
The saga continues in Pokmon: Advanced Battle, based on the third generation games. Ash
and company travel to Hoenn, a southern region in the Pokmon World. Ash takes on the role of
a teacher and mentor for a novice Pokmon trainer named May. Her brother Max accompanies
them, and though he isn't a trainer, he knows large amounts of handy information. Brock (from
the original series) soon catches up with Ash, but Misty has returned to Cerulean City to tend to
her duties as a gym leader (Misty, along with other recurring characters, appears in the spin-off
series Pokmon Chronicles). The Advanced Battle series concludes with the Battle
Frontier saga, based on the Emerald version and including aspects ofFireRed and LeafGreen.
The Advanced Generation series ended with Max leaving to pick his starter Pokmon and May
going to the Grand Festival in Johto.
In the Diamond and Pearl series, based on the fourth generation games, Ash, Brock, and a new
companion, an aspiring Pokmon coordinator named Dawn, travel through the region of Sinnoh.
At the end of the series, Ash and Brock return to Kanto where Brock begins to follow his
newfound dream of becoming a Pokmon doctor himself.
Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes!, based on the fifth generation games, features Ash and Pikachu
traveling through the region of Unova (Isshu in Japan) alongside two new companions, Iris and
Cilan (Dent in Japan) who part ways with them after returning to Kanto.
Pocket Monsters: XY (XY Poketo Monsut Ekkusu Wai
?
), is the current
airing series based on the sixth generation games, following Ash and Pikachu's journey through
the region of Kalos, accompanied by Ash's childhood friend Serena and the siblings Clemont and
Bonnie.
[30][31][32]

In addition to the TV series, seventeen Pokmon films have been made, with the pair of
films, Pokmon the Movie: BlackVictini and Reshiram and WhiteVictini and
Zekrom considered together as one. Collectible bonuses, such as promotional trading cards,
have been available with some of the films. Various children's books, collectively known
as Pokmon Junior, are also based on the anime.
[33]