The Gameplay of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games involves the capturing and training of a variety of fictional creatures called "Pokémon" and using them to battle other trainers. Each successive generation of games builds upon this concept by introducing new Pokémon, items, and gameplay concepts. Some of the general concepts were featured 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, which also introduced Shiny Pokémon as Golden Pokémon.
Game structure[edit]
Each of the games in the handheld Pokémon RPG series, from the first games in 1996 to the latest ones in 2014, takes place in a particular fictional region of the Pokémon world, and begins with the player receiving a Starter Pokémon from that region's Pokémon Professor. By traveling around the world, capturing and evolving Pokémon, and defeating other trainers in battle, the player increases the size and strength of his or her Pokémon collection. A major subplot of each game is to defeat a criminal organization trying to take over the world through the misuse of Pokémon. These organizations includeTeam Rocket, Team Magma and Team Aqua, Team Galactic, Team Plasma, and Team Flare.
There are various facilities found throughout the Pokémon world and they are: Pokémon Centers, PokéMarts, and Gyms. Pokémon Centers will heal a player's Pokémon for free, and they house PCs where players can organize their collection of Pokémon, store and withdraw items, and have their Pokedex rated. Here, players can also link up with other game cartridges or cards to battle or trade (the woman the player can talk to that is found on the same floor as the nurse, but ever since Gold and Silver,a second floor was added to all Pokémon Centers just for this purpose, with the floor removed inX and Y due to the addition of the "Player Search System"). PokéMarts are shops where players can buy items with the money they win during battles; certain cities may have specialized shops, like a pharmacy or a department store. Periodically, a town will contain a Pokémon gym, which houses a powerful trainer known as a Gym Leader. Victory against him/her grants the player a Gym Badge and typically advances the plot. After collecting eight Gym Badges, the player may challenge the region's Elite Four and Champion; defeating the Champion finishes the main story.
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. With the exception of the first generation and second generation, once all species of regional Pokémon are captured, the player may then update his Pokédex to the National Pokédex, with the new mission of capturing all Pokémon from the previous series (that is, from Bulbasaur to the last Pokémon in that generation's Regional Pokédex, aside from several event-exclusive Pokémon such as Jirachi and Hoopa). The number of Pokémon increases with each game generation, starting from 151 in the first series to 720 in the latest series.
Starter Pokémon[edit]
One of the reoccurring aspects of thePokémon series of role-playing games is the choice of one of three different Pokémon at the start of the player's adventures.The starter Pokemon, in chronological order, are Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chickorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. These three are often labeled Starter Pokémon. Players have the option to choose one of three different types of Pokémon: a Grass-type, Fire-type, and Water-type, (Bulbasaur, however, is a dual Grass/Poison type, and many starter Pokémon evolve to be dual-typed Pokémon),[1] all of which are supposedly indigenous to that region, yet otherwise unattainable except through trading with another game (leading to their rarity). Afterward, the player's rival will always select the Pokémon whose type is "super effective" against the player's Starter Pokémon. In the Black, White, X and Y versions, where the player has multiple rival characters, both of the alternate Pokémon are chosen (the Pokémon that it weak to the player's is taken by Bianca in B/W and Shauna in X/Y, and the Pokémon that is strong against the player's is taken by Cheren in B/W and Calem/Serena in X/Y).
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, who walks along behind them.[2] The rival trainer receives anEevee, a Normal-type Pokémon. The Eevee will evolve into one of its (then) three different evolved states depending on how the player fares in his battles with the rival in the beginning of the game.
Pokémon Gyms[edit]
Pokémon Gyms (ポケモンジム Pokemon Jimu?) 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 (ジムリーダー Jimu Rīdā), a formidable Trainer that acts as a boss. Pokémon Gyms can be found in most towns and cities in the Pokémon world.
When an official Gym Leader is defeated, the challenger wins a Badge (バッジ Bajji), which serves as proof of a Trainer's skill and is a key part of advancing the plot.The gym leaders from the first game (Red, Blue, and Yellow,) are, in chronological order, Brock, Misty, L.T Surge, Erika, Sabrina and Koga (there is a controversy on which of these two are actually 5th or 6th,) Blaine, and Giovanni. Victory also earns the challenger a unique Technical Machine that allows the player to teach his or her Pokémon a unique move from the Gym and the ability to control traded Pokémon at a certain maximum level (if the level exceeds this maximum, the Pokémon will not obey the player's commands). It also usually enables the player to utilize the overworld effects of one of the various hidden machines such as the ability to cross bodies of water with the move Surf or the ability to remove some trees from paths by means of the move Cut. 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 theanime asserts the existence of others (such as Gary Oak having acquired ten Badges, but had not defeated the Saffron City and Viridian City Gym Leaders). It is said that Pokémon are more likely to follow the advice of Trainers with more Badges; some Badges also allow the Trainer to use higher-level traded Pokémon. For example, when the player beats the first Gym Leader, traded Pokémon up to level 20 will always obey the trainer, whereas previously, they may not have obeyed orders when fighting in Pokémon battles.
After a player defeats the eight Gym Leaders, he or she can travel to the location of the games' Pokémon League and take on the Elite Four (四天王 Shitennō) and the region's Pokémon League Champion (チャンピオン Champion), and ultimately win the game.
Pokémon Battles[edit]
In a battle scene in
Pokémon FireRed Version, the Pokémon at the top right of the screen is the opponent's; the Pokémon at the bottom left is the player's. The player's options are shown at the bottom right.
Battles between Pokémon are the central game mechanic of the Pokémon video game series. They are used to train Pokémons 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, wireless technology, or Internet.
Pokémon uses a turn-based system. When the player challenges a trainer or encounters a wild Pokémon, the screen changes to a battle scene with the opposing Pokémon, their respective HP bars, and an option menu. At any time, the player may carry up to six Pokémon (ordered by the player) in his/her active party; the top Pokémon in the lineup is automatically sent into battle. At the start of each turn, both sides can choose to attack, use an item, switch the Pokémon for another, or attempt to flee from battle (the last not an option in battles against other trainers or some situations). If both sides attack, the one who goes first is determined by Speed, although some moves, items, and effects can override this. If either side chooses any other option, that action is performed before the attacks.
Each Pokémon uses moves to reduce the respective opponent's HP to zero, at which point the Pokémon faints (ひんしhinshi). If the player's Pokémon wins, it receives experience points; when enough have accumulated, the Pokémon's level increases. If the player's Pokémon faints, he/she may use another Pokémon or flee; (the latter being only possible in wild Pokémon battles) if the player has no usable Pokémon left in his/her or her party (i.e., if they have all fainted), he/she loses the battle, loses half of his/her money, and returns to the last Pokémon Center he/she visited.[3]
Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire introduced Double Battles (ダブルバトル Daburu Batoru), in which the opposing teams battle with two Pokémon at a time. Though the basic mechanics remain the same, moves may have multiple targets; some affect the ally as well as the opponents. Additionally, some abilities work only in Double Battles. Multi Battles (マルチバトルMaruchi Batoru) were also introduced, with two players vs. two players. The third generation games only included Double Battles against other trainers, but Diamond and Pearl introduced Double Battles with wild Pokémon if the player is accompanied by an NPC (non-player character). Black and White got rid of this limitation and introduced a special Type of tall grass where wild Pokémon appear in pairs.
Black and White also introduced Triple Battles[4] and Rotation Battles.[5] In Triple Battles (トリプルバトル Toripuru Batoru), both teams send out three Pokémon at once. Pokémon on the left side can attack all Pokémon on the field except those on the right side (excluding certain long-range moves), and vice versa. In Rotation Battles (ローテーションバトル Rōtēshon Batoru), both sides send out three Pokémon at once, but only use one at a time. The Pokémon which is battling can be switched out with the other two without using up a turn.
Pokémon X and Y introduced three new battling mechanics. Sky Battles (スカイバトル Sukai Batoru) are performed against hard to find Sky Trainers and can only be performed with Flying Pokémon or Pokémon with the Levitate Ability. These are also stated to be particularly difficult. Horde Encounters (群れバトル Mure Batoru, "Group Battle) are wild Pokémon encounters of up to five at once, requiring the use of moves that hit multiple targets to make things easier.[6][7][8] Another battle style that was introduced was Inverse Battles. Inverse Battles are like normal battles, but the entire type chart is inversed. This means that an attack which would normally be supereffective would now be not very effective and vice versa. There are usual strengths and weaknesses thorough the games series, such as Fire being super effective against Grass.