What is Pokémon?

Intro

Pokémon is the latest craze to come from Japan. Over there, Its been going strong for over 3-4 years and it doesn't look like it's going to be any different here. The popular game boy game sold over 9 million copies. It was (is) so popular that it became a lot of other things as well. Such as, toys, candy, stickers, school supplies, N64 games, virtual pets, and even food. Pokémon is one of the most original concepts for a game, which explains why it became such a hit.

The Basics

The basic idea of Pokémon is to collect and train all 150 of them, as to the catch phrase "Gotta Catch 'Em All!" In the game, You assume the position of Ash, a ten-year-old boy from the Town of Pallet. Aided by Professor Oak, you can choose from three starting Pokémon (Bulbusaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.) You can use this Pokémon to battle wild Pokémon that attack you. You can either defeat it for Experience Points or try to catch it. To catch it, you must first weaken it, then throw a Pokéball at it. If the wild Pokémon stays inside the Pokéball, you caught it. It is now loyal to you and you can use it to battle other wild Pokémon or trainers.

Levels and Attacks

When you defeat a wild Pokémon, the Pokémon you used will earn Experience Points. Once it gathers enough of these, it will gain a level. Sometimes at certain levels, a Pokémon may learn a new attack. For example, at level 9 Charmander learns Ember and at level 15 he learns Leer. However, at some levels certain Pokémon may evolve.

Evolution

Pokémon can evolve many different ways. They can evolve by level, which just what it sounds like (Bulbusaur evolves into Ivysaur at level 16.) Some Pokémon, like Pikachu, evolve with special items called Evolution Stones. There are five types of stones, the Moon Stone, Fire Stone, Thunder Stone, Leaf Stone, and Water Stone. Each stone works on certain Pokémon only. For instance, a Fire Stone will transform Vulpix into Ninetales, but a Water Stone will have no effect. Another way for Pokémon to evolve is by trading. For example, Haunter evolves into Gengar only when traded to another game pak. When Pokémon evolve, they learn some attacks later. For example, Wartortle learns Hydro Pump at level 47, while Blastoise learns it at level 52. If you would like your Pokémon to learn an attack early, or if you would just like to keep it cuter a little longer, you can always cancel evolution. To do so, Press B before the evolution process is complete.