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| {{redirect|Pokemon|the ] once called '''Pokemon'''|]}} | |||
| ] | |||
| {{nihongo|'''''Pokémon'''''|ポケモン|Pokemon|extra={{IPA2|ˈpoʊ.keɪ.mɑn}}, although frequently mispronounced {{IPA|}}}}, is a multi-billion dollar ]<ref>“”, ''PR Newswire''. URL accessed on April 19, 2006.</ref> controlled by video game giant ], and created by ] at least by 1995 (it celebrated its ] on ], ], although the franchise was copyrighted in the USA as Pokémon by 1995). The original ] ] have since been ] into ], ], ], toys, books, and other media. The name, ''Pokémon'', is the ] ] of the Japanese brand, {{nihongo|“'''Pocke'''t '''Mon'''sters” |'''ポケ'''ット'''モン'''スター|'''Poke'''tto '''Mon'''sutā}}, as such contractions are very common in Japan. Nintendo originally literally translated Poketto Monsutā – indeed, a "Pocket Monsters" game was created in early 1959. A naming conflict caused Nintendo to rebrand the franchise as "Pokémon" in early 1996. The game’s ], in the ] versions of the franchise is "ポケモンGETだぜ! (Pokémon Getto Daze! - Let's Get Pokémon!)"; in the ] versions of the franchise, it used to be “Gotta catch ’em all!”, although it is now no longer officially used (except by ] and in the title sequence to '']''). | |||
| The concept of the Pokémon saga stems from the hobby of ], a popular pastime in which ''Pokémon'''s creator ] had enjoyed as a child. Tajiri’s formula took off in Japan and was adapted (and translated) in 1998 for the American market, with the release of '']'' and '']''. These games allowed players to catch, collect, and train hundreds of creatures, known as Pokémon; and battle them against each other to build their strength. These Pokémon could then “]” into more powerful Pokémon and learn new and stronger techniques. Pokémon never bleed or die in battle, only faint – this was a very touchy subject to Tajiri, as he didn’t want to further fill the gaming world with "pointless violence".<ref>“”, ''TimeAsia'' (]).</ref> | |||
| ''Pokémon'' is also the collective name for all of the ] within the ''Pokémon'' universe. To date, the franchise has a grand total of {{pokenum}} unique ] that lie at the heart of the series, a figure which has grown substantially from the 151 monsters in the original '']'' and '']'' games. The word ''Pokémon'' remains unchanged whether referring to the singular or plural (as is the case with ] or ]), and the same applies to each species name. | |||
| In December 2005, ], which had managed the non-game related licensing of Pokémon, announced that it has agreed not to renew the Pokémon representation agreement. Pokémon USA Inc., a subsidiary of Japan's Pokémon Co., now oversees all Pokémon licensing outside of Asia.<ref>"", ''Gamasutra''.</ref> | |||
| ==Generations==<!--Please don't delete/rename this header as it is linked to from a number of places.--> | |||
| {{main|Pokémon (video games)}} | |||
| The original ''Pokémon'' games were Japanese ]s with an element of ], and were created by ] for the '']''. These role-playing games, and their sequels, remakes, and English language translations, are still considered the "main" Pokémon games, and the games which most fans of the series are referring to when they use the term "Pokémon games". Accumulative sold units (including home console versions) reach 143 million copies.<ref>"" ''Palgn.com''. URL Accessed May 24, 2006.</ref> This makes it the second biggest-selling games franchise ever, after Nintendo’s ] series. | |||
| All of the licensed Pokémon properties overseen by ] are divided roughly by generation. There have been four generations, defined by the Pokémon which appear therein. Each of these generations has been first introduced in a pair of Pokémon video games for the ] or its successors (including the ]), beginning (in most countries) with ] and ] and their remake, '']'', followed by ] and ] and ''their'' remake, '']'', which were later released. Then came '']'' and '']'', followed '']'' and '']'', the remakes of the first generation games, and '']'', the remake of the third generation games. The fourth generation games, '']'', were released in Japan on September 28, 2006. In every generation, the last version to be released has a slightly different storyline from the preceding versions. Each generation introduces a slew of new Pokémon and a handful of new general concepts. | |||
| These generations are roughly ] divisions by release; a handful of Pokémon from a subsequent generation appear in the ], manga, or ] before the main Game Boy games which demarcate the generation are released, but the anime, manga, and even (of late) the card game divides itself into sagas or generations by the same scheme as the games. | |||
| ===First generation=== | |||
| ] | |||
| This first generation started with ] and ]. The first generation introduced the original 151 Pokémon (] to ], not counting the glitch Pokémon ]), as well as the basic concepts of trading and battling Pokémon. In Japan, the first generation included ''Pokémon Red'', '']'', and later ''Blue'' (with changes to the artwork and dungeon layout), while other regions started with ''Red'' and ''Blue'' (both featuring the updated elements), but never got a ''Green''. | |||
| ] in ] (Played on a ]).<ref> MacDonald, Mark; Brokaw, Brian; Arnold; J. Douglas; Elies, Mark. Pokémon Trainer's Guide. Sandwich Islands Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0-439-15404-9. (pg73)</ref>]] | |||
| This generation was completed by the game '']'', loosely based on the anime, in which the player started with a ] who refused to go into its ] and instead followed the player’s character around. By turning around to face the Pikachu, players could get an approximate notion of how much their Pikachu “liked” them. This and other elements of ''Pokémon Yellow'' were similar to the anime. It also altered the progress of the game to more accurately reflect trainers and Pokémon seen in the animé, including the addition of Jessie and James, who are well-known members of ] to the storyline. Jessie and James bring along their signature Pokémon (], ], and ]). Koffing and Ekans evolve later on, but Meowth does not. | |||
| These versions of the games revolved around the ] ], though it was not known as such until the second generation. This generation also introduced the idea of a ] whom the ] faced a number of times, as well as a team of evil Pokémon trainers. | |||
| These games were compatible with the N64 game '']'' and its sequel, '']''. Remakes of the first two games, called ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''Pokémon LeafGreen'', were released in the third “Advance” generation. | |||
| ===Second generation=== | |||
| ] | |||
| Beginning with the beginning of the beginning of it all and then ] and ], this second generation introduced the next one hundred Pokémon (] to ]) (making the total number 251) and the new ] of ]. Innovations included use of the ]’s ] port for receiving a “Mystery Gift” item, a day and night system, and the concept of plants which actively grew and bore ] (items with special healing properties) and Apricorns (for creating custom ]s used to capture and store Pokémon). In these games, the protagonist could also customise his bedroom and ]. Breeding is the only way to obtain ] (a new class of Pokémon). Also, two new ], the ] and ] types were introduced. Even the Pokémon themselves had some different properties, most notably being assigned ]s. Previously, the only Pokémon to be specifically gendered was ], which has an unusually high level of ]. Another notable, though minor change, is that ] were given names in addition to their basic title. | |||
| The games also featured a new tool, the ], a device which served as a ], a radio, a ], and a ]. The mobile phone function was used to communicate with in-game ]s for conversation or a potential battle. The radio station chosen would influence the rate at which wild Pokémon could be found. There was also one station announcing which Pokémon could be found and where. The watch included the time and day of the week and the ]’s mother can change it from Standard (Winter) Time to ] (Summer) Time (and vice versa). Knowing the time was important because different Pokémon appeared or evolved at different times of day, and some events revolved around the time and the day of the week. The sun would shine from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. (with a morning phase for the first few hours), and the rest of the time it would be night. | |||
| This generation of the games was completed by '']'', which was most notably the only GBC-exclusive Pokémon RPG and the first which allowed the player to choose the protagonist’s gender. It was also the first to feature Pokémon animations (the Pokémon would do its animation when encountered or sent out) and on-screen text to announce when the protagonist entered a new location. ''Crystal'' version also featured a slight alteration of the encounter with the three ], in which the player would eventually encounter ] and be able to catch it. However, the other two still had to be found in the normal way (random wild encounters). | |||
| These games were compatible with '']''. | |||
| ===Third generation=== | |||
| ] | |||
| Starting over by harkening back to ''Red'' and ''Blue'', ] added another 135 Pokémon from the ] region, as well as Pokémon natures (25 distinct Pokémon personality types), 76 ] (always-on special innate abilities), ]s and ]s, and two-on-two Pokémon battles. However, this generation saw the loss of the overt night and day system and the calendar, although the time mechanic did exist to the extent that a clock appeared and that certain Pokémon would only evolve into certain Pokémon at specific times of the day or night. These versions also introduced the ability to grow berries in certain places, each which had set lengths of time for their flowering, and the ability to make “Secret Bases” in trees or caves in which dolls, tables, chairs, plants, and other objects could be placed. | |||
| These new Pokémon have been the subject of criticism, due to the fact that many are too similar to earlier creatures (examples being ] and ], ] and ], or ] and ]) or do not resemble "animals" as others do (such as ], ], ] (although these three seem to be based off the legendary ] of ancient mythology), and ]). | |||
| The third game in this series was '']'', which updated the ]’s Trainers Eyes feature for a return to the mobile phone system of the previous generation (but modified, allowing players to contact ] Leaders for rematches, but no longer allowing them to remove ] trainers). ''Emerald'' version also saw a return of the Pokémon battle dance when encountering an enemy Pokémon. These 3 versions all appeared on the ]. | |||
| ] screenshot featuring an enemy ] and ] fighting in a double battle against a player's ] and ].]] | |||
| This generation was rounded out on handhelds by ] for the ], ]s of the first two Pokémon games, including a playable female character (based on concept art for a playable female the original designers considered but were unable to implement), new items and regions, move tutors, and all the features of the 2nd and 3rd generations, excluding the day/night system and (except in Japan) e-reader compatibility. ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'' also shipped with the ] for wireless battles and trading. | |||
| All five Game Boy Advanced role playing games are compatible with the storage program '']'' for ], and also with '']'' and '']''. The first Pokémon RPGs for home consoles, these titles introduced the desert country of ], as well as corrupted ], and “Snagging”, the ability to steal/rescue them from their trainers and eventually “purify” them. | |||
| Unlike games in the second generation, third generation games cannot trade with previous games in the series, due to hardware limitations. This initially resulted in many Pokémon becoming unavailable, a situation rectified by the release of ''Pokémon Colosseum'', ''Pokémon FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'', and ''Pokémon Emerald''. Pokémon such as Celebi and Mew, only obtained from Nintendo directly, had to be handed out again as well. | |||
| <div style="clear: both"></div> | |||
| ===Fourth generation=== | |||
| ] | |||
| The fourth generation was introduced in '']'' for the ]. Leading up to the games' release were a couple of side games, '']'' and '']'', which are currently out for the DS in Japan since autumn of 2005 and early 2006 respectively. '']'' has since then arrived in North America, and '']'' is slated to be released on October 30, 2006. A handful of new Pokémon from this generation, such as ] and ], have made cameo appearances in the seventh and eighth Pokémon movies ('']'' and '']'', respectively), as well as '']'' and the aforementioned side games.] and ].]] ]]]The evil organization is called Team Galaxy. Recently, four additional new Pokémon (which made appearances in the ninth movie, '']'') were revealed by '']'' magazine and the . As for Diamond and Pearl, the day and night system made a return, with two new times (sunset and late-night), and genders were even more different, with slightly edited sprites depending on gender (female ] have an extra black marking on their lower wings, female ] have shorter antennae than males, and female ] have larger abdomens compared to their male counterparts).<ref> ''thepikaclub.com''.. URL Accessed ], ].</ref> They were also compatible with the Advance Generation. | |||
| Diamond and Pearl were released in Japan on September 28, 2006. | |||
| {{-}} | |||
| ===Spin-offs=== | |||
| The series has also diversified into various spin-offs, such as ] games, ], simulated ], and ]. A handful of these spinoffs are remade in subsequent “generations”; for example, '']'' is very similar to '']'' but with newer Pokémon, and '']'' is largely identical to '']'' but for the compatibility with ]. '']'' is a Pokémon-based racing game for the '']'', featuring a Pokémon from the fourth generation, ]. The second Pokémon game to be released for the ''Nintendo DS'' was '']'' (also known as ''Pokémon Link!''), which came out on March 6, 2006. The most recent Pokémon games to be released were ], for the ] and ], respectively. | |||
| Nintendo produced a demo for ] (exclusively for gaming news outlets such as ] and ]) known as “Big Pokémon Hunter”, wherein the goal was to zoom with the controller and find different Pokémon in a '']''-esque scenario. The review of this demo is currently available at among many other sites.<ref>“” ''Gamespot.com''. URL Accessed May 5, 2006]].<!--Temperemental link! Don't remove... does work now and again.--></ref> Nintendo President Satoru Iwata confirmed, on June 7, that the Wii installment in the Pokémon franchise will be sub-titled '']''. This game will feature online chat provided by the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It is expected to debut a few months after the release of DS installments, ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl''.<ref>"" ''Cubed3.com''. URL Accessed June 7, 2006.</ref> | |||
| === ''Super Smash Bros.'' === | |||
| ], ], ] and ] in the bottom row, left to right, respectively.]] | |||
| Two Pokémon, ] and ], were picked to appear as two of the 12 characters in Nintendo’s fighter game '']'',<ref> ''Amazon.co.uk'' URL Accessed April 19, 2006.</ref> The popular Nintendo fighting game which was released in 1999 for the ]. Pikachu appeared as an initially available character while Jigglypuff was an unlockable one. | |||
| The pair returned in the 2001 ] sequel, '']''. They kept their positions, Pikachu was still an initial character while Jigglypuff was still an unlockable character, but two new Pokémon also appeared, joining Jigglypuff as unlockable characters: ] and ].<ref> ''Nintendo.com''. URL Accessed April 19, 2006.</ref> | |||
| In both games, many different Pokémon can be used in a match by throwing the Pokéball item. A randomly-chosen Pokémon is released from the Pokéball, using one of its attacks to affect other players. The Pokemon released are only from the first and Second generation. (Third generation pokemon were not included in the game.) | |||
| In ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', the player can collect many different trophies of a variety of characters from numerous Nintendo games, including several Pokémon characters.<ref>“,” ''IGN.com''. URL accessed on December 29, 2005.</ref> Nintendo has also announced that a version of ''Super Smash Bros.'' will appear on their forthcoming ] console, '']''. The only Pokémon character that has been explicitly confirmed so far is Pikachu.<ref> ''Ign.com''. URL Accessed ], ].</ref> | |||
| ==Game mechanics== | |||
| {{main|Pokémon game mechanics}} | |||
| ]''. The screenshot portrays the first battle between the player's ] and the opponent's ].]] | |||
| The original ''Pokémon'' games were Japanese ]s with an element of ], and were created by ] for the '']''. These role-playing games (and their sequels, remakes, and English language translations) are still considered the "main" Pokémon games, and the games which most fans of the series are referring to when they use the term "Pokémon games". These games have sold over 100 million copies to date. Accumulative sold units (including home console versions) reach 143 million copies.<ref> "" ''Palgn.com''. URL Accessed May 24, 2006.</ref> This makes it the second biggest-selling games franchise ever, after Nintendo’s ] series. | |||
| The first games in the series were ] and ] (''Red'' and ''Green'' in Japan, followed by a ''Blue'', and a special edition ''Yellow'' version). These games were nearly identical, save for the fact that each version had a select group of Pokémon that the other version did not. The ultimate goal of these games was to catch at least one member of all the 151 different species of Pokémon, though the 151st could only be caught through special promotions (or through a glitch in all first-generation games). While battling monsters is nothing new to RPGs, many players found themselves nearly addicted to finding, fighting, and capturing every Pokémon in the game. Another, perhaps easier, goal was to finish the game’s storyline by becoming the ] Champion. A few Pokémon, like ], could only be caught after doing so. This was done by collecting eight ] badges by beating the eight ] and then defeating the ], and the Champion. | |||
| ===Starter Pokémon=== | |||
| One of the consistent aspects of most ] – spanning from ] on the ] to the ] game, ] – is the choice of three different Pokémon at the start of the player's adventures; these three are often labelled ''Starter Pokémon''. Players can choose a ], a ],<ref name=spy> ''Gamespy.com''. URL Accessed ], ].</ref> or a ] Pokémon indigenous to that particular region; an exception to this rule is ''Pokémon Yellow'' (a remake of the original games that follows the story of the '']''), where players are given a ], an ] mouse, famous for being the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise.<ref> ''Ign.com''. URL accessed on ], ].</ref> | |||
| ===Pokédex=== | |||
| The ] is a fictional electronic device featured in the popular ''Pokémon'' ] and ] series. In the games, whenever a Pokémon is first captured, its data will be added to a player's Pokédex, but in the anime or ], the Pokédex is a comprehensive electronic reference encyclopedia, usually referred to in order to deliver ]. Of the fictional Pokémon world, Pokédex is used to refer to a list of Pokémon, usually a list of Pokémon by number. | |||
| ] | |||
| In the video games, a ] is issued a blank device 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) each of the various different species of Pokémon. A player will receive the name and image of a Pokémon after encountering one that was not previously in the Pokédex. More detailed information is typically available after the player obtains a member of the species, either through capturing Pokémon, evolving Pokémon, or through a trade. This detailed information includes height, weight, species type, and a short description of the Pokémon. | |||
| ===Trading and Battling=== | |||
| In all of the Pokémon games, including the games for the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii, trading Pokémon and battling other trainers is an important part of the game. These trades and battles can take place solely in the single-player game or as an aspect of the multiplayer game. In order to trade a Pokémon, both trainers have to agree on which Pokémon will be traded. This can backfire, as some unscrupulous will claim to be sending one Pokémon and send another, more common one instead. Once the Pokémon are decided upon, both trainers enter a "trading hall" (in the multiplayer trading; in single player, the trade happens where ever the player initiates contact with the NPC who is interested in trading). The transfer is made shortly and both trainers are shown their new Pokémon. Once a Pokémon has been traded, it will gain additional battle experience. | |||
| Another common aspect of every Pokémon game is battling. As a rule of thumb, when two trainers make eye contact, they must battle Pokémon. In the single player game, this "eye contact" rule is strictly enforced, but some NPC trainers have very poor eyesight, meaning the player has to be right next to them before they challenge him/her, while some others will challenge the player as soon as they appear on the screen. The battles in the games are turn-based, concurrent. This means that both players are telling their Pokémon which move to use or are using an item at the same time, but the actual attacks take place in turns, depending on which Pokémon is the faster of the two. A new battle-type added in the GBA games, ''Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire'', is the two-on-two battle. In a two-on-two battle, each side of the battle has two Pokémon out. This can be two players with one each against two players with one each or one player with two against one player with two or a combination of those. | |||
| Trading and battling between the original Gameboy games was accomplished with a Gameboy link cable between to two Gameboys. The two players would each go to a Pokémon center and select to make a trade or to battle. This also held true for the Gameboy Advance games with the exception that the Gameboy Advance games could not connect to the original Gameboy games. '']'' also introduced the ability to use a Wireless Link device to make connections wirelessly across a small room. This removed the need for the link cable but was only applicable to ''Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen''. The '']'' game takes advantage of Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection inside the Nintendo DS to allow trading and battling against other players anywhere through the Internet. | |||
| ==In other media == | |||
| {{main|Pokémon in other media}} | |||
| ===Anime series=== | |||
| {{Main|Pokémon (anime)}} | |||
| ], ], ] and ].]] | |||
| The ] ] and ]s are a set of adventures separate from most other versions of ''Pokémon'', featuring ] as the main character, and following his quest to become a Pokémon Master – though what constitutes a Master is somewhat ambiguous. He and his companions travel around the Pokémon world battling other ]s. | |||
| The first, and the most familiar, is ''Pocket Monsters'' or simply ''Pokémon'' (often referred to as ''Pokémon: Gotta Catch Em All'' to distinguish it from the later series), which details the adventures of ] as he travels through Kanto. ''Pokémon World'' followed his adventures in the Orange Islands, a place not accessible in the games, and ''Pokémon: Johto journeys'', ''Pokémon: Johto league champions'', and ''Pokémon: Master Quest'' following him in Johto. These series are based on the first and second generation games. Accompanying Ash on his journeys were ], the ] Gym Leader; ], the youngest of the Gym Leaders sisters from ]; and later on, ], an artist and “Pokémon watcher” who accompanied them in the Orange Islands in the second saga. | |||
| In the original series Ash’s main rival was another trainer from ], ]. Gary (whose grandfather was none other than ], the man in charge of giving new trainers their first Pokémon) was well known and accompanied by a squad of ]. The names of Ash and Gary were derived from the characters’ Japanese names, Satoshi and Shigeru. These names, in turn, were taken from the two people who produced the franchise – Pokémon creator ] and gaming legend ], who helped Tajiri to launch the series. | |||
| ] ]] | |||
| The saga continues into ''Pokémon: Advanced, Pokémon:Advanced Generation, and Pokémon:Advanced Battle'' where Ash and company travel to ], a southern region in the Pokémon World. Ash takes on the role of a teacher and mentor for a novice Pokémon trainer in this series named ]. Her brother ] accompanies them, and though he isn’t a trainer, he knows massive amounts of handy information. Brock (from the original series) soon catches up with Ash, but Misty has returned to ] to tend to her duties as a gym leader. This series is based on the third generation games. | |||
| Afterward, Ash returns to his home region of Kanto and visits the ] while May competes in Kanto Contests. Misty joins them for a part of the journey, on the way to Cerulean City. This part of the series is loosely based upon '']'', and '']''. | |||
| Currently, Ash is in the new region of ]. | |||
| ==Cultural Influence== | |||
| {{main|Pokémon Live!|List of Pokémon references or spoofs}} | |||
| ] | |||
| A live action show called ] toured the United States in late 2000. It was based on the popular ], but had some continuity errors relating to it. In late 2002, it was scheduled to tour Europe, but was canceled for unknown reasons, possibly due to lack of interest. | |||
| ] | |||
| ''Pokémon'', being a popular franchise, has undoubtedly left its mark on ]. The ''Pokémon'' characters themselves have become pop-culture icons; examples include the ] balloon at a ], a ] ], thousands of merchandise items, and a ] in ] in 2005 and ] in 2006. Pokémon also appeared on the cover of ] in 1999. The Comedy Central show '']'' has a character named ] which is a direct parody of Pikachu. Several other shows such as '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']'' have made references and spoofs of ''Pokémon'', among other series. | |||
| ==Controversy and criticism== | |||
| {{main|Controversy and criticism of Pokémon}} | |||
| ===Racism=== | |||
| {{Main|Jynx (Pokémon)}} | |||
| ] | |||
| This original design of the Pokémon ] (seen to the left) bore a striking, but possibly coincidental, resemblance to entertainers in ]. A strong case can be made for Jynx being a ] of or ] to the Japanese ] and ] fashion trends, which were extremely popular when Pokémon was first released, but it can't be denied that blackface-influenced characters have appeared elsewhere in anime and manga - examples can be found near the beginning of ]'s early ], ''Metropolis'' and also can be found with ]'s ]. | |||
| As Pokémon became more popular in the US, this perceived similarity to a racist image from America's past offended some. In particular, it had offended children's book author ], who accused Jynx of being a racist stereotype in an article titled ''Politically Incorrect Pokémon'' in the magazine ''Black World Today'', shortly after the anime episode ''Holiday Hi-Jynx'' aired. Episodes later on are also either banned or cut in USA. (see anime) | |||
| In response to this controversy, in 2002, Nintendo changed Jynx's face from black to purple and its hands from blue to purple in Pokémon games, a change which would be reflected in the anime three years later in '']''. | |||
| ===Animal cruelty=== | |||
| Some have compared the primary mechanism of Pokémon to the generally-outlawed practice of ]ing. Seen from this point of view, the game consists primarily of Pokémon trainers capturing and bartering in wild animals, coercing them to fight one another. It also sees various performance-enhancing drugs to give them an edge in the fight. Some people believe that this may encourage children towards acts of animal cruelty and illegal gambling.<ref>“”, ''Screen It!''. URL last accessed April 21, 2006.</ref> | |||
| However, most fans view Pokémon battling as a friendly competition between two teams of Pokémon and their trainers. Seen in this light, Pokémon are not being coerced to battle by their trainers. There are references to some Pokémon being territorial (e.g. ]<ref>“”, ''DLTK-Kids''. URL last accessed April 21, 2006.</ref>), but it is vastly different to the aggressively territorial nature of roosters, who will maim the 'enemy' rooster until it or the other dies. Furthermore, trainers do not relish the idea of allowing two animals (or in this case Pokémon) to fight to the death, while they merely view from the edge of the ‘ring’. In both the games and the television show, the audience is taught that fighting is not necessarily a means to an end. In addition to all of the above, Pokémon do not actually die from battle; they either faint or are in other ways unable to battle. It is also brought up in the animated series that Pokémon trainers are fighting alongside their Pokémon, as opposed to simply issuing commands for them to follow. | |||
| ===Health=== | |||
| {{main|Banned episodes of Pokémon#Electric Soldier Porygon}} | |||
| On ], ], more than 635 Japanese children were admitted to hospitals with convulsive ]. It was determined that the seizures were caused by watching an episode of Pokémon, "''Dennō Senshi Porygon''", or "]" (known as Electric Soldier Porygon in the United States, season 1, episode 43) and subsequently this episode has not been aired since. In this particular episode, there were bright explosions with rapidly-alternating blue and red color patterns. It was determined in subsequent research that these strobing light effects cause some individuals to have epileptic seizures, even if they haven’t had any previous history of ]. As a consequence, many video game makers (including ]) added warning labels to their ] products (or made pre-existing labels more prominent), warning that exposure to video games may trigger seizures in individuals vulnerable to ]. Detailed research of the alleged incident is detailed at http://www.csicop.org/si/2001-05/pokemon.html and attributes it to mass hysteria. The incident was also parodied by the ]. In the episode "]" (] - Episode 20) Marge, Bart, and Lisa are seen having seizures after watching a show called "Battling Seizure Robots". Homer then enters the room and, apparently not wanting to be left out, proceeds to roll around on the floor in a similar fashion, of his own will.<ref> "", ''ScienceDaily'' (], ] missing).</ref> This incident was also spoofed in the ] episode "Chimpokomon", an obvious satire of the Pokémon craze that hit the United States . Kenny has a seizure while playing an intense round of the Chimpokimon video game. | |||
| ===Americanization=== | |||
| Both critics and fans of the Pokémon franchise have criticized the apparent Americanization of the franchise, claiming that American companies use Pokémon as a tool to exploit children of their (or their parents’) money. 4Kids Entertainment faced criticism for apparently Americanizing its translated Japanese anime programs. One of the main examples of this is when the names of American food are put in place of the Japanese food, such as calling ] ] when it is clear that they are something else. Several episodes were edited or removed from the American run completely for potential objectional content including "Beauty and the Beach" which was severely cut in America due to the portrayal of a male character with breasts, and "The Legend of Dratini" which never aired outside Japan because of an overuse of guns in the episode. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{col-begin}} | |||
| {{col-2}} | |||
| '''Sub-articles''' | |||
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| '''Pokémon general''' | |||
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| '''Pokémon (creatures)''' | |||
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| '''Games''' | |||
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| '''Television''' | |||
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| '''Manga''' | |||
| {{Main|List of Pokémon Manga chapters}} | |||
| *''] | |||
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| ==References== | |||
| {{portal}} | |||
| {{Wikiquote}} | |||
| {{Wiktionary}} | |||
| <div class="references-small"> | |||
| ;Books | |||
| *Tobin, Joseph, ed. ''Pikachu’s Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokémon.'' Duke University Press., February, 2004. ISBN 0-8223-3287-6. | |||
| ;Notes | |||
| <references /> | |||
| </div> | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| ;Websites | |||
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| {{Nintendo Franchises}} | |||
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