Pokémon game mechanics

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Contents 1 Game objectives 2 Starter Pokémon 3 Pokémon battles 3.1 Pokémon battling style 3.2 Double battles 4 Items 4.1 Holding items 5 Stats 5.1 Base stat values 5.2 Effort values 5.3 Pokémon natures 5.4 Individual values 6 Pokémon types 7 Pokémon moves 8 Catching Pokémon 9 Pokémon evolution 9.1 Loyalty 9.2 Evolution in other games 10 Legendary Pokémon 11 Pokédex 12 Pokémon trades 12.1 Global Trade Station 13 Pokémon Gyms 14 Pokémon breeding 14.1 Compatibility 14.2 Baby Pokémon 14.3 Inherited moves 15 Mystery Gift 16 Pokérus 17 Pokémon abilities 18 Pokémon Contests 19 Shiny Pokémon 19.1 In the Pokémon anime 20 See also 21 References

The Pokémon series of role-playing video games features many different concepts, items, and a variety of creatures to tame. Each generation of games has introduced more of these, attracting new gamers and keeping veterans entertained. Some of the general concepts were introduced elsewhere before being introduced in the games: double battles appeared in the anime long before appearing in the games, and Pokémon abilities are similar to the Pokémon Powers introduced in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

[edit] Game objectives

In each of the games in the Pokémon RPG series, from the first games to the latest ones, the main goal is to finish the game’s storyline by defeating a particular game’s Elite Four and Champion. This is accomplished after collecting eight Gym Badges and defeating other trainers found throughout the world. A major subplot of all the storylines is to defeat a criminal organization trying to take over the world through the misuse of Pokémon. These organizations include Team Rocket, Teams Magma and Aqua, and Team Galactic.

Completing the main storyline opens up other features in the games; this is primarily done by allowing passage into otherwise inaccessible places. Afterward, the game remains virtually open-ended, with the ultimate goal of the player being to obtain at least one member of each of the different species of Pokémon, thus completing the Pokédex. The number of Pokémon increases with each game generation, starting from 151 in the first series to 493 in the latest series.

[edit] Starter Pokémon

One of the somewhat consistent aspects of the Pokémon RPG series of games 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 have the option to choose among a Water-type, a Fire-type, or a Grass-type Pokémon,^[1] all of which are supposedly indigenous to that region, yet otherwise unattainable except through trading with another game. Afterward, the player's rival will always select the Pokémon whose type is "super effective" against the player’s Starter Pokémon.

The exception to this concept is Pokémon Yellow, where players are given a Pikachu, the Electric-type mouse Pokémon famous for being the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise.^[2] The rival trainer receives an Eevee, a Normal-type Pokémon.

The Starter Pokémon in each of the games are:

Pokémon Red, Blue, FireRed, and LeafGreen Bulbasaur Charmander Squirtle

Pokémon Yellow Pikachu (player) Eevee (rival)

Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal Chikorita Cyndaquil Totodile

Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald Treecko Torchic Mudkip

Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum Turtwig Chimchar Piplup

[edit] Pokémon battles

Battles between Pokémon are the basic and central function of the entire Pokémon concept. They are used to train Pokémon to become stronger, as competition and to reach certain objectives within the game. Battling can also be done between human players via a link cable or wireless technology.

[edit] Pokémon battling style

Pokémon uses a turn-based battling platform. When a player either approaches another trainer for battle, or encounters a wild Pokémon, the screen changes to a battle scene depicting the engaging Pokémon and a menu of options. The player may either choose to attack, use an item, switch the Pokémon out for another, or when battling wild Pokémon, attempt to run from battle. Each player, or the sole player and NPC, chooses an option and confirms it. If both Pokémon attack, the one who goes first is determined by Speed, although some moves, items, and effects can override this. If a player or NPC decides to use an item, switch out a Pokémon, or flee, that action is performed before any other.

[edit] Double battles

With the creation of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the developers introduced a new dynamic to battling — the double battle. In this format a player battles with two Pokémon simultaneously in a two-on-two confrontation. (In addition, during certain story sequences, a double battle may involve one of the player's Pokémon fighting alongside an NPC's.) The process remains much the same, in that the player selects an action for each Pokémon, but with double battles they usually must choose a target for each move. The third generation games only included double battles against other trainers, but Diamond and Pearl expanded this to encounters with wild Pokémon as well. The most noticeable difference between the two types of battling is that many moves and abilities are either changed by or completely dependent upon this feature. For example, the move Earthquake does not allow the player to choose a target, but affects all other Pokémon involved in the battle — including the allied Pokémon. Plusle's Pokémon ability Plus works in tandem with the ability Minus, belonging to its counterpart Minun. While both are present on the battlefield they increase their respective Pokémon’s statistics.

[edit] Items

Main article: List of Pokémon items

Throughout the player’s journey in the Pokémon world, he or she will collect many different types of items. Some, like the Pokédex and Pokégear, are accessible from the menu and are more like features than individual usable items. However, the vast majority are placed in the Bag, or inventory.

[edit] Holding items

Held items were introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. Each Pokémon is able to hold any one item (except for Hidden Machines (HMs) and Key Items), but the majority of normal items, like Potions and Poké Balls, have no effect when held.

Items designed to be held can do many different things: some, such as Berries, are used to restore health, and others give the Pokémon an offensive or defensive advantage during battle. Certain Pokémon will also evolve under certain conditions if they are holding a certain item; for example, when Onix is traded to another game while it holds a Metal Coat, the Coat disappears and Onix evolves into Steelix.

[edit] Stats

All Pokémon have six statistics (colloquially called “stats”) which affect their performance in battle. These are HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed.

• HP (short for Hit Points): A Pokémon faints when its HP reaches zero, and it cannot be used in battle again until it is revived at a Pokémon Center, or with a special item. In the Pokémon universe, Pokémon never die as a result of battling.

• Attack: Determines the strength of a Pokémon’s physical attacks. The definition of what constitutes a physical attack has changed throughout the game’s history. Up until Diamond and Pearl, physical attacks were of those Pokémon types logically associated with physical damage, which include Normal, Fighting, Ground, Steel, and others. However, in Diamond and Pearl, each damaging attack is individually classified as Physical or Special. This means that certain moves like the Fire-type move Fire Punch, which was previously a Special attack, are now affected by the Attack statistic.

• Defense: Determines the Pokémon's defense against physical attacks.

• Special Attack: Similar to Attack, determines the power of a Pokémon's special attacks.

• Special Defense: Similar to Defense, determines the Pokémon's defensive power against special attacks.

In the first generation games, Special Attack and Special Defense were combined into one statistic called Special.

• Speed: After the player(s) enter their battle commands, the Speed statistics of the participating Pokémon are compared. With some exceptions, the Pokémon make their moves in the order of fastest to slowest.

Not only do these statistics affect the battle, but the battle can affect the statistics. Many attacks and items exist which can temporarily, or even permanently, raise and lower each one.

When Pokémon level up, their statistics increase, as determined by the Pokémon’s base stat values, effort values, Pokémon nature, and individual values. These variables working in tandem is what provides an individual Pokémon with its own unique stats.

There are also two other statistics, Accuracy and Evasiveness, which are not affected when Pokémon level up. In battle, no Pokémon has higher Accuracy or Evasiveness than any other, but there are moves which increase and decrease the Accuracy and Evasiveness stats, just as there are moves which increase and decrease Attack or Defense. Increasing Accuracy makes a move more likely to hit, while increasing Evasiveness makes the opponent's move more likely to miss. A Pokémon's Accuracy, the opponent's Evasiveness, and the Accuracy value of a given move affect whether or not that move will hit.

[edit] Base stat values

Base stat values determine the natural statistical strengths of the various Pokémon species. Every Pokémon is assigned a number in each stat; the higher the number, the higher the stat can potentially be. While these values may greatly vary between species, they are the same for each member of that species. It is the difference among species which explains why all Aerodactyl will have a higher Speed than any Snorlax of the same level; however, it is the combination of other factors that causes some Snorlax to be faster than others.

Adding up all the base stat values for a certain species generates the Base Stat Total, which is used to determine approximately how strong that Pokémon is.

[edit] Effort values

Effort values (EVs) are hidden values that affect the strengths of a Pokémon in particular statistical areas. Differing effort value levels between two Pokémon can create a significant difference in the two Pokémon’s statistical strengths.

When Pokémon battle and defeat an opponent, they not only gain experience points, but also receive a number and type(s) of EVs according to the defeated Pokémon's species. Every defeated Pokémon gives at least one EV to each of the Pokémon that fought it. Certain factors, like having Pokérus, can increase the rate at which EVs are gained in battle.

Consuming vitamins will also give Pokémon EVs; however, Pokémon will refuse vitamins after reaching a certain value threshold. There also exist certain Berries which may be used on a Pokémon to reduce EVs. They are the opposite of vitamins, one type of berry for each statistic.

Starting from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, many offensive moves are now powered by a different stat. For example, the move Fire Punch was powered by the Special Attack stat up until the fourth generation games, where it is now powered by the Attack stat. This may encourage players to carefully rethink their Pokémon's movepool and EV distribution, as moves that were strong in the previous generations may no longer be very effective for a certain Pokémon.

[edit] Pokémon natures

Pokémon natures were first introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the third generation of games. Each Pokémon has a nature, randomly assigned when it is generated, which cannot be changed. A Pokémon’s nature affects the rate at which some of its stats increase, either positively or negatively. They also determine which flavor of PokéBlocks/Poffins that Pokémon likes and dislikes. Out of the 25 possible natures, 20 will increase one stat’s growth rate but decrease another’s. The other 5 modify the same stat in both increases and decreases, and thus the Pokémon's overall growth is unaffected.

[edit] Individual values

Individual values (IVs) are essentially a range in power for each statistic, which determine a Pokémon's maximum potential. These values are randomly generated along with each Pokémon when it is encountered or bred, and set in stone for the rest of the game. These hidden values are why even Pokémon that seem identical and have been raised the same way still may have different stats.

[edit] Pokémon types

Main article: Pokémon types

There are seventeen different Pokémon types, two of them (Steel and Dark) introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. Each type is a special attribute determining the strengths and weaknesses of each species, offsetting each other in a complicated series of rock-paper-scissors relationships. Every single Pokémon is at least one of the different types, with some, known as dual-types, belonging to two. No Pokémon belongs to more than two types. Every single Pokémon move is also of one of these types (except for Curse, which has a mechanic of its own). The rock-paper-scissors mechanic and Pokémon move type determine the effect of a Pokémon move in battle.

[edit] Pokémon moves

Like the characters in many RPGs, Pokémon are able to learn a wide variety of moves. These moves may inflict damage, induce status problems, restore health, or perform actions that in some way affect the overall battle. All moves have a Power, Accuracy, Type, Description, and starting with the fourth generation a Category. The moves that one Pokémon may learn are different from another depending on the species of Pokémon. Even those that evolve from others do not necessarily learn all the same moves that their predecessors learn. For example the lizard Pokémon Charmander cannot learn the move Fly, even though Charizard can, as it gains wings in this final stage. Each Pokémon may only know a total of four moves at any one time. Moves are learned through leveling up, TMs and HMs, breeding, and move tutors (NPCs that teach moves).

Pokémon moves may be one of 17 Pokémon types. Of these, the Normal type is the most prevalent. The effectiveness of a move is dependent on how susceptible the target Pokémon's type is to the move's type. Common phrases associated with this aspect are "Super effective" (damage is at least doubled), "Not very effective" (damage is at least halved), and "No effect." In cases where a move type is the same as the user's type, the total damage inflicted is increased by 50 percent.^[3]

Power Points (PP) indicate how many times a Pokémon may use a given move. Once a Pokémon uses up all the PP for a certain move, it can no longer use that move. (Shadow attacks in Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness do not have PP.) If a Pokémon uses all the PP for all of its moves, it then resorts to a move called Struggle. PP can be restored by using Elixirs and Ethers or by going to a Pokémon Center.

Typically, the Pokémon that AI controlled opponents use also have this limitation. However, in the first generation games, this rule did not apply to AI controlled Pokémon, enabling their trainers to use powerful moves an abnormal amount of times. Whether this was intentional in order to make the game more challenging or an oversight of the programmers remains unclear, but it has been remedied since the release of Pokémon Stadium.

Almost every move in Pokémon is coupled with some sort of effect beyond inflicting damage. Many of these secondary effects include a chance that the move will induce a certain status condition, which negatively affects how the afflicted Pokémon performs in battle — for example, a paralyzed Pokémon's Speed is drastically reduced, and there is a chance it will be unable to attack during its turn. While there are many moves that cause status conditions as a secondary effect, many exist that don't cause any damage but are solely used for this purpose. Other moves affect the statistics of the battling Pokémon. These changes are temporary and are canceled when the Pokémon is switched out of battle, faints, or when the match ends.

[edit] Catching Pokémon

Because each player begins the game with only one starter Pokémon, capturing is one of the most fundamental aspects of Pokémon, and the primary method of recruiting new Pokémon to the player’s party.

In a battle against a wild Pokémon, the player may, instead of defeating it, choose to capture it by using (“throwing”) one of many different types of Poké Balls. The odds of success vary, but are increased if the target Pokémon’s HP is low, if the target is affected by a status-altering effect like sleep or paralysis, and if a stronger or specially-suited Poké Ball is used.

If the capture is successful, the captured Pokémon’s data is added to the Pokédex, the player may give the Pokémon a nickname, and the Pokémon is added to the player’s party. However, if the player’s party is filled to its maximum of six Pokémon, the captured Pokémon is instead sent to one of many boxes accessible via PC. In the first and second generation games, if the current PC box is full, the player will be unable to capture any new Pokémon until he or she accesses a PC and switches to a different box. In all other versions, new Pokémon are transferred to the next available box.

[edit] Pokémon evolution

Evolution (進化, shinka^?) is a sudden change in form of a Pokémon, usually accompanied by an increase in stat values. Evolution can occur in Pokémon for several different reasons. The player can choose to halt evolution at any time before the animation is finished.

• The most common cause of evolution is leveling up. For example, a Charmander evolves into a Charmeleon at level 16. A Pokémon's overall strength is measured by its level, which can be increased either by gaining experience points or by feeding it Rare Candy.
• Another cause of evolution is exposure to an evolution stone. These stones have elemental properties which instantly evolve specific Pokémon.
• Certain Pokémon evolve after they are traded among players. This generally involves the connection of two game consoles.

There are many other factors that can determine if, when, and into what, different Pokémon will evolve. For example, some evolutions will only occur if the Pokémon is holding a certain item; at a certain time of day; if the Pokémon's Loyalty is high enough; or if the Pokémon is a certain gender.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game introduced the idea of numerical stages for referring to different points in a Pokémon’s evolution. This has translated into colloquial usage among fans of the games. All Pokémon can be placed at one of four evolutionary stages (though no existing Pokémon line includes more than three out of the four stages): Basic Pokémon, Stage 1 Pokémon which evolve from Basic Pokémon, Stage 2 Pokémon which evolve from Stage 1 Pokémon, and Baby Pokémon which are acquired by breeding certain Basic or Stage 1 Pokémon and hatching their eggs. A Pokémon higher up on this evolutionary scale is called an evolved form of the previous stages; a Pokémon lower down on the scale is said to be a pre-evolved form of later Pokémon in the chain. In general, the lower the evolutionary stage that the Pokémon is, the faster it will learn moves.

[edit] Loyalty

Loyalty, sometimes referred to as "Happiness," is an attribute that can rise or fall based upon several conditions and events. This aspect, introduced in Pokémon Yellow, was what determined Pikachu's stat growth and a fundamental aspect for advancing through the game. In Pokémon Gold and Silver it is a means to evolve several Pokémon with the focus on taking care of the Pokémon, rather than merely worrying about it leveling up. When a Pokémon like Chansey or Eevee has a very high Loyalty, it will evolve after the next time it levels up. A player can gauge a Pokémon’s general happiness level by taking it to certain NPCs, or using Pokémon Stadium 2 or Pokémon Box to monitor the strength of its friendship with the trainer. To further exploit this mechanic, the two moves Return and Frustration base their Power upon the amount the Pokémon either likes or dislikes their trainer. In addition there are several cheap restorative items that "have a bitter taste" and will lower the Pokémon's Loyalty.

[edit] Evolution in other games

In Pokémon Pinball and its sequel, Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire, the player must accomplish certain tasks to enter “EVO mode”, and may then evolve any Pokémon caught in that round of play by using the ball to collect a set of three icons, representing experience, appropriate evolution stones, hearts for friendship, link cables for trade, etc., scattered around the board, representing the method by which it evolves, before time runs out.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, the world of Pokemon is plagued by natural disasters, including the inability of all native Pokémon to evolve. Once the player’s team has defeated Rayquaza, the Luminous Cave, where evolution can occur, appears at Whiscash Pond. Evolution in Mystery Dungeon requires the same conditions (levels, stones, etc.) as in the main RPGs, except that happiness evolution instead occurs only if the Pokémon’s IQ is high enough, and Pokémon which evolve through trading must use a Link Cable item in addition to any other required item.

[edit] Legendary Pokémon

Legendary Pokémon is a term of art; a Legendary is not simply an individual Pokémon about which legends are written, but a special Pokémon, differing from regular Pokémon in key ways. Such Pokémon are unique individuals, appearing only once per game. They are also exceptionally powerful, are very difficult to catch, and cannot breed. There are certain Legendary Pokémon, colloquially termed "Runners", who randomly move around the world map; these flee from battle, making them even harder to obtain.

In the first generation (Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow), there are five Legendary Pokémon: Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mewtwo, and Mew. Mew can only be obtained through Nintendo events, a glitch, or cheating.

In the next generation of games (Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal), six Legendary Pokémon were introduced: Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Lugia, Ho-Oh, and the time-traveling Celebi, only available through an event.

The third generation (Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald) introduced ten new Legendary Pokémon, including Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza. These games introduced the first legendary Pokémon with genders: Latias, who is always female, and Latios, who is always male. The two event Pokémon were Jirachi the wish Pokémon and Deoxys the Pokémon from outer space.

The fourth generation games (Pokémon Diamond and Pearl) introduced thirteen new Legendary Pokémon: Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Palkia, Dialga, Cresselia, Giratina, Heatran, Regigigas, Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus. The last three can only be obtained through Nintendo promotional events, exploiting a glitch, or cheating. As of currently, neither Arceus, nor Shaymin have been offered through events, although Shaymin has recently been revealed as well as its upcoming event. Diamond and Pearl also introduced the first legendary capable of breeding, Manaphy. Manaphy will lay an egg containing Phione, but a Phione will not evolve into a Manaphy.

[edit] Pokédex

Main article: Pokédex

The Pokédex is a fictional electronic device that serves as a database of Pokémon. 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 of the Pokémon world.

In the video games, a Pokémon Trainer is issued a blank Pokédex at the start of their journey. A trainer must then attempt to fill the Pokédex by encountering and at least briefly obtaining (by capture, trading, or evolution) a member of each of the different species of Pokémon. The first time a player encounters a Pokémon, its name, image and common location are added to the Pokédex. More detailed information is available after the player obtains a member of the species. This information includes height, weight, species type, and a short description of the Pokémon.

"Pokédex" is also used to refer to a list of Pokémon, initially a list of Pokémon by number, but other listings are available in later generations of games.

[edit] Pokémon trades

Trading is an important aspect to the Pokémon games, being the crux upon which much of the franchise is based. This is because the slogan, and consequently the goal, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All,” is logistically impossible without trading. Each game released in a generation has certain Pokémon that are exclusive to that version. For example, in Pokémon Red players can find the Pokémon Arbok, while it is completely absent in both Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Yellow. Other Pokémon are only available when offered up as a choice. The most obvious example is the choice between three starter Pokémon at the beginning of the game. The only way to get the other two is by trading. The other way that trading is made instrumental in gameplay is that many Pokémon cannot evolve into their final forms without being traded. Gengar, Alakazam, Golem, and Machamp were the first Pokémon to ever be given this requirement. Later generations built upon this idea with the advent of holding items. Some Pokémon only evolve when given certain items to be held and then trading them. Pokémon that previously did not evolve could now become more powerful, like the Pokémon Onix and Scyther, which starting from the second generation games evolve into Steelix and Scizor respectively by holding the Metal Coat and being traded. Another aspect of trading, in-game trades with NPCs, allows players to acquire Pokémon otherwise unavailable. For example, the only way to get a Jynx in Pokémon Red and Blue (other than trading with another cartridge) is through an in-game trade.

Before the concept of breeding was introduced, players would sometimes have to settle for merely trading Pokémon back and forth between cartridges. This was because certain Pokémon a player owned (e.g. the starters) were often the only one they had. The game’s Pokédex did not (and still does not) monitor whether a player still owned a specific Pokémon, only whether they had ever owned it.

Trading between games on the Game Boy and related systems is accomplished through a Game Link cable that attaches to ports found on all Game Boy incarnations. The size of the ports varies between consoles, so several hybrid cables have been created that allow linking between the original Game Boy and its counterpart, Game Boy Color, for example. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen included a special wireless dongle (which plugged into the game link port) for local wireless communication. On the Nintendo DS, DS Wireless Communications is used instead.^[4]

[edit] Global Trade Station

The Global Trade Station (or GTS), is a place where people all around the world may trade Pokémon using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The GTS is only available in the Diamond and Pearl versions.

In the GTS hall there is a large globe. On this globe the player can input their own location and pinpoint the locations of other players they have interacted with. The Nintendo WFC records this data when they trade successfully with someone over the GTS or in their Pal Pad. ^[5]

[edit] Pokémon Gyms

Pokémon Gyms are buildings situated throughout the Pokémon world, where Pokémon Trainers can train or compete to qualify for Pokémon League competitions. Although the internal organizations of Pokémon Gyms may vary, all specialize in one certain type of Pokémon, and all are manned by a Gym Leader, a formidable Trainer that acts as a boss.

When an official Gym Leader is defeated, the challenger wins a badge, which serves as proof of a Trainer's skill and is a key part of advancing the plot. Victory also earns the challenger a TM and usually the ability to use an HM move outside of battle, opening up new areas of the world. Some badges also allow the trainer to use traded Pokémon, up to a certain level. In order to qualify for the Pokémon League, a Trainer must collect eight badges. In the video games, a region only has eight Gyms, although the anime asserts the existence of others (such as Gary Oak having acquired 10 badges, but had not defeated the Viridian or Saffron City Gym Leaders.) It is said that Pokémon tend to respect Trainers with more badges, and are more likely to follow the advice from their Trainers.

[edit] Pokémon breeding

Pokémon breeding was introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. Successfully breeding two Pokémon creates Pokémon eggs which hatch into new Pokémon, usually inheriting some traits from each parent.

Pokémon can be bred in-game by leaving two compatible Pokémon at a Daycare Center together. Daycare Centers are businesses generally run by an elderly person or couple (NPCs), which raise Pokémon trainers’ Pokémon for a fee. While their primary purpose is to increase the levels of the Pokémon the player leaves there, if two compatible Pokémon are left there, they will eventually produce an egg, which the trainer can pick up for free. After being carried by the trainer for some distance, the egg will hatch into a young Pokémon, usually of the lowest stage in its mother’s evolutionary line.

Many Pokémon used in competitive play (PvP Pokémon battles) are specially bred for their moves and stats. This is a time consuming process because of the patience required to execute breeding chains, and because of the variations in IVs; even if the parent Pokémon have outstanding IVs, the offspring will only inherit three IVs from its parents, while the others are randomly generated.

[edit] Compatibility

Compatibility is usually restricted to one male and one female. In addition, Pokémon species are assigned to Egg Groups, which determines their breeding compatibility with other species. Pokémon may belong to up to two Egg Groups; in order to breed, they must share at least one Egg Group. If compatible Pokémon are left at the Daycare they will breed. However, how fast they breed depends on how well they get along (a hidden calculation based on various factors).

If a Pokémon species is all-male or entirely genderless, the only way to breed it is with Ditto, which can also breed with any other Pokémon capable of breeding. The egg produced will yield a hatchling from the non-Ditto Pokémon's evolutionary line.

A select group of species cannot breed at all, which includes most legendary Pokémon and all Baby Pokémon. Although some legendary Pokémon (such as Heatran) have genders, they still cannot breed. An unusual circumstance regarding legendary Pokémon breeding involves the relation of Manaphy and Phione.

[edit] Baby Pokémon

Some Pokémon have pre-evolutions that are hatched from an egg. These eggs are normally obtained by breeding Pokémon caught in the wild, but sometimes are given as gifts to the player character by NPCs. Known as “Baby Pokémon,” these Pokémon are unable to breed (but have evolutions that can).

Sometimes, the parents must be bred under special conditions, or the egg will yield not the Baby Pokémon, but its next stage of evolution. For instance, Wynaut will appear only when the parent Wobbuffet holds a Lax Incense while breeding. For a complete list of these species, see the List of Pokémon by stage.

[edit] Inherited moves

Pokémon which hatch from eggs may inherit moves from their parents, allowing them to use advanced attacks from birth. If both parents know moves which the Pokémon could normally only learn by leveling up, they will be inherited by the offspring. A father will pass down TM moves that can be learned by the offspring. An "Egg Move" usually cannot be learned naturally by a Pokémon, but can also be inherited from the father. These are often powerful techniques which can be of types the Pokémon does not usually use, and may be effective against opponents that would normally have a type advantage. Egg Moves generally include any moves a Pokémon could learn from a TM, allowing smart breeders to get more mileage out of rare TMs.

Sometimes a Pokémon species has the capacity to learn an Egg Move, but none of the Pokémon which learn the move naturally are in the appropriate Egg Group to father one. In this case a breeder must make use of “breeding chains”, by breeding a male Pokémon which knows the move with a female in both Egg Groups. The resulting offspring, if male, can be bred with a Pokémon of the desired species, passing the move on. Some breeding chains are even more complicated, requiring several intermediate steps.

One particular Egg Move is especially elusive and unusual. No species learns Volt Tackle naturally, but Pichu may potentially know it as an Egg Move when they hatch. To obtain a Pichu that knows Volt Tackle, a player of Pokémon Emerald must breed a female Pikachu holding a Light Ball item.

[edit] Mystery Gift

Mystery Gift, a means by which players can receive items from other people, was introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver and has appeared in every handheld Pokémon game since. To use Mystery Gift, the feature must first be activated in a specific way.

In Gold, Silver, and Crystal, if two players line up the infrared ports on their Game Boy Color units and activate Mystery Gift from the intro menu, each will receive an item. Players can use Mystery Gift an unlimited number of times, but only once per day with each person. In addition, a player of Pokémon Stadium 2 with a Gold, Silver, or Crystal cartridge plugged into the Transfer Pak can use Mystery Gift with a girl in White City. A Mystery Gift can also be received by connecting with a Pocket Pikachu 2 GS.^[6]

In Ruby and Sapphire, Mystery Gift is replaced with Mystery Event. This feature utilizes the now defunct e-Reader accessory. Using special e-cards the player could obtain special items such as rare berries or the Eon Ticket. In FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald, Mystery Gift is a means to obtain special items at Nintendo's promotional events (through the use of the Wireless Adapter), which allow the player to catch otherwise unobtainable Pokémon, such as Mew and Deoxys.^[7]

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl expand Mystery Gift to include a variety of transferring options. After enabling Mystery Gift, players may obtain items via wireless or Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and may also transfer them to friends. Wireless connection also allows the player to transfer items from Pokémon Battle Revolution. Currently, Mystery Gift via NWC has not been implemented.^[8]

[edit] Pokérus

Pokérus (a portmanteau of Pokémon and virus) is a rare virus introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. It is extremely infectious in nature, being able to spread between Pokémon of different species. Infected Pokémon can be traded to Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, but because Pokérus does not exist in these games, it cannot be contracted, spread, or cured when traded. However, the effects of the Pokérus are still applied. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Pokérus is displayed as a purple rectangle stating "Pokérus" in the summary window.

Despite being a virus, Pokérus is beneficial to its hosts. Pokérus accelerates the statistical growth of a Pokémon, making it gain effort values at twice the speed. In the third generation games, where effort values are capped to a maximum, the Pokérus does not raise this maximum limit. The overall effect on a Pokémon's strength is thus negligible, as a Pokémon can be fully trained with or without Pokérus.

Pokérus is mainly contracted from battles; there is a 2 in 65,535 chance of contracting Pokérus in battle. If a Pokémon in the active party has Pokérus, in each round of battle there is a 1 in 2 chance (1 in 3 in the third generation) that an adjacent Pokémon on the team will contract the Pokérus.

Pokérus is cured after 48 hours from the time of infection. However, Pokémon cannot be cured of Pokérus if left in a PC box or are traded to Pokémon Stadium 2 or Pokémon Box. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Pokérus will not stop being contagious even after twenty-four hours. Once Pokérus' effects end, the host develops an immunity to it and Pokérus can no longer be transmitted. However, the accelerated stat growth remains; the Pokémon only loses the ability to spread it.

[edit] Pokémon abilities

Pokémon abilities are special attributes which were introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Each Pokémon has one or two abilities according to its species.

Most Pokémon use their abilities in battle. Abilities can strengthen a Pokémon’s own statistics or weaken a foe’s, inflict status conditions such as paralysis or poisoning, or perform one of many other effects. For instance, a Bulbasaur uses its Overgrow ability to power up its Grass-type attacks when it is weak, and when Arbok is sent into battle, it will use its Intimidate ability to lower the opposing Pokémon’s Attack statistic. Other abilities render some Pokémon invincible against certain types of attacks. A Lunatone’s ability to Levitate will prevent Ground-type attacks from striking it, and Spinda’s Own Tempo ability prevents it from being affected by the Confuse status effect. A Pokémon with the Lightning Rod ability, such as Marowak, will keep its partner safe from Electric-type attacks in a double battle by drawing the electricity away from it.^[9]

Not all abilities are helpful. Slaking has the Truant ability, which allows it to attack only every other turn. This is intended as a countermeasure to Slaking’s very high base statistics, but also reduces the chance of it hurting itself during confusion. Other examples are Regigigas' Slow Start ability, halving its Speed and Attack for the first five rounds of a battle, and Buneary's Klutz, preventing the use of held items.^[10]

Some abilities come into effect outside of Pokémon battles. For example, Pokémon with the Pickup ability, like Meowth, will sometimes retrieve rare items off of the ground. Also, starting from Pokémon Emerald, a handful of abilities that were once only used in battle have effects outside of battle as well. A Pokémon with the Lightning Rod ability will cause the player character to receive more phone calls, and a Pokémon with the ability to Intimidate will cause the player to encounter lower-level Pokémon less often.^[11]

[edit] Pokémon Contests

Pokémon Contests (ポケモンコンテスト, Pokemon Kontesuto^?) are competitions of skill among Pokémon Trainers and their Pokémon partners. Pokémon Contests are different from Pokémon battles, testing talent rather than power. They were introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and also appear in Emerald, Diamond, and Pearl.

There are five categories that a Pokémon can be entered into: Beauty, Cute, Cool, Tough, and Smart. In addition, there are four ranks of contests: Normal, Super, Hyper, and Master Rank. To enter, a trainer must go to the contest hall that holds contests of the appropriate rank, and in ranks higher than Normal, the participating Pokémon must have won the contest of the selected category in the previous rank. In Diamond and Pearl, Contests are renamed Super Contests, and the four ranks are named Normal, Great, Ultra, and Master.^[12]

In the first round (called Visual Judgement in Diamond and Pearl) the Pokémon is shown to the audience, who then vote on their favourite. Pokémon will gain more points here if they have good condition in the selected category, which can be increased by using a type of candy called Pokéblocks. In Diamond and Pearl, Pokéblocks are replaced by Poffins, a type of baked good, and the player can also use the stylus to dress up their Pokémon in certain items to fit the theme of the contest.^[13]

The second round, called Dance Judgment, was introduced in Diamond and Pearl. The participating Pokémon join in a dance routine. The leading Pokémon gets rated based on following the rhythm, and the rest of the Pokémon have to mimic the leader's steps. All four participants take turns to be the leader.^[14]

The final round (Performance Judgment) is divided into five rounds, and the Pokémon are ordered in sequence based on their performance in the previous round. Each Pokémon attempts to impress the judge by performing its moves, each of which has a category, appeal value, and effect. Using a good combination will gain the Pokémon more appeal points, but using the same attack twice will generally lose the Pokémon points. Moves can have many effects, such as making other Pokémon too nervous to perform, or randomizing the order of appeals in the next round.^[15] After five rounds of appeals, the results are shown, and the Pokémon with the most total points wins a ribbon.^[16]

[edit] Shiny Pokémon

A Shiny Pokémon is an alternately colored variant of a Pokémon. They can be caught in any Pokémon RPG from Gold and Silver onwards, though the probability of catching or finding one is 1 in 8,192. The one major exception to this rule is the shiny Red Gyarados present in the Lake of Rage in the Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal games. Also, in Crystal, the Egg given to players by the Day-Care people has a 50% chance of hatching a shiny Pokémon. Otherwise, contrary to rumor, there are no ways of increasing the chance of getting shiny Pokémon.

Shiny Pokémon are not necessarily better than regular Pokémon, although in Gold, Silver, and Crystal, they have better-than-average individual values. In the GBA generation, however, "shininess" is determined by another value, and shiny Pokémon are not effectively stronger than any other Pokémon in battle. Most fans consider shiny Pokémon to be collectors' items since they are so rare.

The term "shiny" is not explicitly stated in the games, and it is in fact a term invented by the Pokémon fan community due to the flash of stars appearing as the Pokémon enters a battle, unintentionally implying a sheen or crystalline property to the colors of the Pokémon. This minor animation was originally intended so that one could identify a Pokémon was shiny even if playing Gold and Silver on a monochrome Game Boy.^{[citation needed]} The term "shiny Pokémon" is not officially acknowledged in English media, although it seems to be a widely-used slang term in Japan; Ken Sugimori uses it in the title of a piece of artwork featuring a shiny Charizard. "Alt. Color" does appear among the options the player can choose filling out forms in the third generation of games.

Since first-generation games do not recognize shiny Pokémon, there is no distinction unless the Pokémon is traded to a later version.

In second-generation games, two Shiny Pokémon cannot breed, due to compatibility being partly determined by individual values, which are similar with every Shiny Pokémon. However, breeding a Shiny Pokémon with a regular Pokémon in the second-generation has a higher chance (1 in 64) of producing a shiny Pokémon. On all later versions, breeding a shiny Pokémon has the same chance of getting another shiny Pokémon as finding one in the wild.

In FireRed and LeafGreen, some Pokémon are preset to appear as their alternate color counterparts in the Trainer Tower. However, since they are under the control of the player's opponent, they cannot be obtained.

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Pokémon cards of variant colors are titled Shiny. (See also: Pokémon card#Shining Pokémon.)

Shiny Zigzagoon were given out from GameStop and EB Games in July 2004.

[edit] In the Pokémon anime

A number of Shiny Pokémon have been seen in the Pokémon anime over the years. Most notably, the Noctowl owned by Ash Ketchum is a Shiny Pokémon. In Sinnoh, Jessie's Dustox falls in love with a shiny Dustox, and Jessie releases it to be with its mate, similar to how Ash released his Butterfree.

[edit] See also

• Pokémon types
• Elite Four

[edit] References