Pokémon



Originally released in 1996 in the form of two video games, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, Pokémon has since gained worldwide media and attention, and become one of the leading trademarks of the Nintendo company in the form of the Electric Mouse Pokémon, Pikachu.

In the world of fanfiction, however, Pokémon tend to serve a more notorious purpose. Due to the sheer cuteness of some Pokémon, and the variety, many Suethors take it upon themselves to fulfill the Pokémon catchphrase "Gotta Catch 'Em All" with their own characters, resulting in a Trainer!Sue. The Pokémon fandom can be considered the video game equivalent of the Tolkien fandom in terms of sheer number of Sues: as of this writing, there are more Pokémon fics on the Pit (78.3 thousand) than there are for The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion combined (66.8 thousand).

Sub-Continua
The Pokéverse can generally be divided into three realms: the games, the manga (while there are several, the one most commonly known is Pokémon Adventures, also known as Pokémon Special, which is the most popular), and the anime. The majority of Sues by far focus on the anime, since it has had the widest exposure; game-verse Sues come in second, and manga-verse Sues are rare but not unheard of.

Pokémon Special Manga

 * "This is the comic that most resembles the world I was trying to convey."
 * &mdash;Satoshi Tajiri

Pokémon Special's world is that of the games, but considerably darker and more dramatic. It is divided into multiple arcs based off of the games: the Red/Blue/Green arc and connected Yellow arc, the Gold/Silver/Crystal arc, the Ruby/Sapphire arc, the FireRed/LeafGreen arc, the Emerald arc, the Diamond/Pearl/Platinum arc, and most recently the Black/White arc. (There's probably an XY arc, too, we just don't know about it yet.) The manga is being translated into English by a publishing company in Singapore, Chuang Yi, and these translations are currently up to Volume 28, in the Emerald arc.

In Pokémon Special, Team Rocket is much more powerful and prominent than in the games or anime, and the struggles between the heroes and villains wind up causing considerably more property damage than in other adaptions (the Hoenn conflict practically annihilates the region, for example). The protagonists are versions of the player character and rival from each associated generation of the game.

The Anime
Probably the first thing people think of when they think of Pokémon, or anime in general. This is not a bad thing, as the anime can be quite enjoyable.

Main characters:



 * Ash Ketchum is a perpetually ten-year-old boy who dreams of being the Greatest Pokémon Master in the world. Ash's specialty is winning using unique strategies, often winning battles where he is at a distinct disadvantage.
 * Misty is a Gym Leader of Cerulean City (one of four sisters in the anime in charge of that Gym), who is frequently paired with Ash in fanfiction (PokéShipping). Misty's specialty is Water Type Pokémon, but has shown skill in using a variety of other Pokémon.
 * Brock is the ex-Gym Leader of Pewter City. Brock aims to become a Pokémon Breeder, and is known for lusting after the many Nurse Joys and Officer Jennies of the Pokémon World. Brock's specialty is using Rock or Ground type Pokémon.
 * Professor Samuel Oak is a leading world authority on Pokémon. Professor Oak was the one who gave Ash his Pikachu, and maintains a lab on the outskirts of Pallet Town. In Pokémon 4ever, it was found that a young Samuel Oak befriended the legendary Pokémon, Celebi, in his youth.
 * Tracy Sketchit is a young Pokémon Watcher who idolizes Professor Oak. He briefly journeyed with Ash and Misty in the Orange Islands arc, but left to become Professor Oak's helper.
 * Team Rocket is an expansive criminal organization led by the mysterious Giovanni. In the show, "Team Rocket" most often refers to the three characters of Jessie, James, and Meowth, all members of the organization, who serve as Ash's most persistent and constant nemeses. Though originally serious opponents to Ash, overuse and continual reuse as the series progressed has turned Team Rocket into the series' longest-running joke in the eyes of most of the viewing audience, and their incompetence is a practical legend. However, in the Best Wishes season, their competence seems to have taken a boost.
 * Jessie is the de facto leader of the trio. Originally from a poor family, she joined the Rockets in search of something better and quickly rose through the ranks (though after running into Ash for the first time, she appears to have hit a wall in that respect). Her personality is aggressive and prone to angering easily. (It's also implied that she makes all of the trio's disguises.)
 * James is the group's other human member. While originally from a rich family, he ran away long ago to avoid being forced into marriage with a woman he despised (by an odd coincidence, she looks almost exactly the same as Jessie), and eventually wound up with Team Rocket. James is usually responsible for the team's planning and machinery. He is also flamboyant to the point where a large portion of the fanbase believes him to be queer as a three dollar bill.
 * Meowth is the team's third member, and is notable as the only (non-telepathic) Pokémon in the series that speaks English. He learned this talent in an attempt to impress a female Meowth he loved, but wound up with her viewing him as nothing more than a freak. This rejection eventually drove him into Team Rocket, though exactly how he fell in with Jessie and James is unclear.

Pokémon
Pokémon are a collection of creatures who have the power to influence and control the various elements in nature. As of the fifth generation of Pokémon games, Black and White, the total amount of different Pokémon species rests at 649.

Note: The Pokémon game verse contains multiple spinoffs, all of which have their own separate universes. The following list covers the main series games only.


 * Generation I - The oldest and best-known (among non-fans) generation of Pokémon, this generation covers Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow versions. This introduced all the basic elements of the game franchise that haven't changed (much) in 20 years. There are 151 different species of Pokémon in the first generation, five of which are Legendary Pokémon (very rare and powerful Pokémon equivalent to minor deities). It's occasionally known as the "Color (or Colour) Generation". The games are very fondly remembered by those who played them, to the point of the later generations being actively disparaged by some people ("Genwunners"). Iconic Pokémon include Bulbasaur, Charmander, Charizard, Squirtle, Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Eevee, Mewtwo, and Mew.
 * Generation II - Possibly the most highly-regarded generation, the second generation brought the total number of Pokémon species up to 251, with an additional six Legendary Pokémon and two new types, Steel and Dark. (The elemental typing system was...poorly balanced in Gen I; the Steel-type and Dark-type were created to nerf Psychic-types.) This generation was added in the games of Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. This is occasionally called the "Metal (or Metallic) Generation" despite Crystal 's presence. Crystal is noteworthy for including the first female player character and, in the Japanese version, online play via mobile phones. Iconic Pokémon include Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Togepi, Marill, Lugia, Ho-oh, and Celebi.
 * Generation III - Often called the "Advanced Generation" due to the games releasing on the Game Boy Advance and also being released as a rebirth to the series, this generation introduced 135 new Pokémon in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. Pokémon Red and Green were also remade into Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen during this generation. Although Ruby and Sapphire were the best-selling games on the Game Boy Advance, it is often the most disliked of all generations due to the fact that it changed a lot of aspects within Pokémon (including species design; Ken Sugimori did not create almost all the art as he had earlier) and for being released during a low point of popularity for the series, especially with the then-high popularity of Yu-Gi-Oh! Iconic Pokémon include Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Plusle, Minun, Kecleon, Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Deoxys, and Jirachi.
 * Generation IV - Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum introduced 107 new Pokémon, with an incredible 14 of these being Legendary Pokémon. Gold and Silver were also remade into Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver during this generation. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were also notable for being some of the first hand-held games to introduce internet capabilities, thanks to the Wi-Fi-enabled Nintendo DS. It is called the "3D Generation" on Bulbapedia, due to Diamond and Pearl being the first main series games that use 3D graphics. Because of the aforementioned online capabilities, various improvements to gameplay, the later released Generation II remakes, and the DS's outstanding popularity, it is regarded as a true revival to the series (Diamond and Pearl outsold the previous two iterations). Iconic Pokémon include Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Lucario, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Manaphy, Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus.
 * Generation V - Black and White introduced 156 new Pokémon, the most of any single generation, including the version-exclusive Legendary Pokémon, Reshiram and Zekrom. It was released for the Nintendo DS like Generation IV, despite the release of the Nintendo DSi in 2008 (Japan) and 2009 (internationally) and the introduction of the Nintendo 3DS in 2010. It is also called the "Monochrome Generation" on Bulbapedia. Along with said Legendaries, iconic Pokémon include Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Zorua, Zoroark, Minccino, Klink, Darmanitan, Pidove, Sandile, Munna, and Blitzle. This is the only generation with sequels&#x2014;Black 2 and White 2&#x2014;that use the same engine as their predecessor.
 * Generation VI - The most recent Generation introduced the least new Pokémon thus far, with a mere 70 making their debuts in X and Y, including version-exclusive Legendaries Xerneas and Yveltal. However, the sixth generation differs in a lot of other ways, with the first new type&#x2014;Fairy&#x2014;added to the games since Generation II, a whole new method of evolution, and a radically different graphical style; rather than sprites, X and Y use fully-3D models. You can also run diagonally, which is just madness. Iconic Pokémon (aside from the Legendaries) include Fennekin, Chespin, Froakie, Goodra, Zygarde, Floette, Gogoat, Vivillon, Pangoro, Aegislash, and Helioptile. Also, over the course of 2014, Ruby and Sapphire were remade and re-released as Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Fans across the Internet rejoiced.

Types of Pokémon

 * Bug
 * Dark
 * Dragon
 * Electric
 * Fairy
 * Fighting
 * Fire
 * Flying
 * Ghost
 * Grass
 * Ground
 * Ice
 * Normal
 * Poison
 * Psychic
 * Rock
 * Steel
 * Water

Pokémon can have one type (Squirtle, a Water-type) or two (Lugia, a Psychic/Flying type). In addition, some Glitch Pokémon (Pokémon only able to be caught via exploiting bugs in the code) have the Bird type.

Poké Balls
Along with Pikachu, the Poké Ball remains one of the franchise's most defining trademarks. Essentially a baseball-sized red and white sphere, it transforms a Pokémon into energy when it is thrown, and successfully hits, a Pokémon. If a Pokémon is strong enough, it will break out of the ball. There are several types of Poké Ball, some of which are designed to work best at capturing Pokémon in specific circumstances; at night, for example, or if the player is fishing. The four basic types of Poké Ball are:


 * Poké Ball - The most common type, and the easiest for Pokémon to escape from. Has a red-and-white motif.
 * Great Ball - Has a greater chance of capturing than a Poké Ball. Has a blue-and-white motif with a "G" above the button.
 * Ultra Ball - Has a higher capture rate than a Great Ball. Is colored yellow, black and white, with a "U" above the button.
 * Master Ball - The best kind of Poké Ball (100% capture rate) and therefore the rarest. Has a purple-and-white motif, with circles of lighter purple on the upper side and an "M" above the button.

In Badfic
Pokémon is particularly susceptible to mini creation, due to that "é" in the title, and in the many, many official terms with the prefix "Poké-" attached. "Poké Ball" is also frequently misspelled (as "Pokéball") due to being a two-word phrase, bucking the trend of having "Poké-" and the noun it modifies be attached. In general, Pokémon names are a bit hard to grasp as well, leading to more potential for misspellings.

Shipping
Shipping is very common in the Pokémon fandom, especially where the anime is concerned. Ash Ketchum alone has twenty-seven pairings with various people and Pokémon (yes, really). These ships are frequently in a state of conflict with each other, with savage flamewars being frequent. Not only that, but the usual OOCness that is associated with shipfics rivals Harry Potter in its intensity, with character bashing being common.

In the fandom's defense, some of the best Pokémon fanfics were written with the intention of pairing two characters together.

Pokémorphs
Part-Pokémon Sues.

Despite what the name implies&mdash;a Pokémon equivalent to Animorphs&mdash;most Pokémorphs are handled entirely differently, either becoming an anthropomorphic Pokémon or (the vastly more popular alternative) regular people with Pokémon ears and a tail, or other unproblematic and unnoticeable Pokémon parts. The number of these Sues seem to have diminished in recent years.

New Trainers
Sues that have SPECIAL Pokémon and impress everyone with their skills, beat all opposing Trainers quickly and easily, make one-in-eight-thousand(-one-hundred-ninety-two) chance Shiny Pokémon flock to them, etc.


 * Note: It is possible for a person to plow through all of the gyms in their chosen region in two-three days as far as the games are concerned. However, it takes far longer on the television series, and don't even get started on the Elite Four.

Some other common Sue traits are:
 * The ability to talk to Pokémon, either naturally (displayed in canon by N Harmonia, maybe) or through a machine;
 * The lack of a biological father&mdash;a leaf taken from Ash Ketchum's book&mdash;typically played for wangst;
 * Being some sort of Chosen One, selected by the Legendaries (equivalent of deities, remember) to save the world from some horrific evil;
 * The ability to make all Pokémon love and follow her without question before earning any Gym Badges (this distinction is important);
 * Having one person either hate her for no apparent reason or wish to make her better as a Trainer, turning them into a "Rival" whom she will almost always defeat;
 * Having something rare like an Eevee or a Dratini as a starter;

And other such wonders. They are, of course, susceptible to the universal Sue difficulties.

In the PPC
While agents are permitted to own Pokémon, the care and possession of such are considered entirely the agent's responsibility, to be paid for out of their own pocket (similar to the rules regarding minis). HQ rules strictly forbid Pokémon battles in the hallways, though some of the more obsessed Trainers have given thought to setting up an arena for Pokémon battles somewhere (this has not gone anywhere yet). Agents working in the Pokémon world are not to engage in Pokémon battles with canons except for the purpose of distracting them from the Mary Sue; similarly, they are not to engage Pokémon Trainer Sues in battle except for the purpose of distracting them from their partner. There are agents that hail from the Pokémon continuum, and the Black Cats' Mike Jarvis may or may not have been part of the DIS.

Agents from this Continuum

 * Alexis Green
 * Chris
 * Falchion
 * Kippers Axolotl
 * Lunac
 * Samuel
 * Sasha Lipsen
 * Shay Williams
 * Zeb

OFU and Minis
Throughout the years, Pokémon has been served by two separate OFUs. The more current one is the Official Pokémon Fanfiction University, written by The Warrior of Many Faces. It can be read here and is the source of the official Pokémini, the mini-Missingno. The original was the Official Fanfiction University of Kanto, written by Saiyan Princess TRF. This one actually used the now-defunct mini-Deoxys (explained as Arceus changing the minis' nature at that campus).

Missions in this Continuum

 * "An Act of Sheer Will", Agents Falchion and Velociripper (DF) with Agents Rina Dives and Randa Roan (DMS)
 * "It's Elf's World!" (crossover with The Zombie Survival Guide), Agent Lucius (DF) with Agents Thomas and Orken (DMS - Sci-Fi/Steampunk)
 * "Luke," Agents Soledad and Claire (DMS)
 * "Mewtwo's Anger, Amon's Passion," Agents Karma and Nemia (DMS - Doctor Who/Torchwood)
 * Mission One: "Pilot" (crossover with World One), Agents Chris and Ami Seeker (DF) with Agent Falchion (DF)
 * "Secrets," Agents July and Library (DF) with Agents Samuel and Katrina (DMS)