Pokémon (Species)

Pokémon (Japanese: ポケットモンスター Pocket Monsters; ポケモン Pokémon for short) are fictional creatures that are central to the Pokémon franchise. Many new species of Pokémon are often introduced simultaneously with the promotion and release of new games.
== Terminology ==
In the Pokémon world, the word "species" is not used exactly the same as in real-world biology, where it would refer to a group of organisms that can have fertile offspring (unlike the breeding between different Pokémon species), and a real-life organism would not change between different species. A Pokémon can change species by means of evolution, which more closely resembles growth and development or metamorphosis rather than evolution in the real world.
Each species has a name starting with a capital letter, such as "Pikachu". The species name is also often used in the singular form referring collectively to members of that species, such as "Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokémon". The plural form of the species is the same as the singular, such as "two Pikachu". In some early Pokémon media, certain incorrect plurals such as "Digletts" were occasionally used.
An individual Pokémon is usually known by its species name as well, such as "Pikachu used Thunder Shock". However, some individual Pokémon have nicknames instead.
In Japanese, the names of Pokémon species are written in katakana, and they also have official romanizations. For instance: Onix (Japanese: イワーク Iwark).
== Overview ==
There are currently 1025 known Pokémon species that inhabit the Pokémon world. They take on many shapes and sizes, resembling animals and living creatures in the real world. However, they possess several fantastic powers not demonstrated by most real animals, including the manipulation of aspects of the material world, such as electricity or fire, each having their own type and categories. It is implied that there are more Pokémon always waiting to be discovered beyond the current count.
While most Pokémon resemble animals and may behave like them, there are many that do not resemble animals at all, taking on other forms such as plants, inanimate objects, machines, human-like forms, or other more enigmatic and exotic appearances. Pokémon inhabit an extremely diverse range of habitats, ranging from the driest deserts to the lushest jungles, the deepest oceans to the highest mountains and everything else in between, even outer space and other dimensions. Pokémon take up various ways of living in those places. There are many uses to spending time with Pokémon; some people take them in as pets, some study them, but all Pokémon can be befriended and made into potential allies. A common symbol of partnership between human and Pokémon is often met by putting the creature into a Poké Ball, in which all share the ability to shrink down small enough to fit into. Many people who raise Pokémon are called Pokémon Trainers, people who dedicate their lives to Pokémon, participating in multiple activities involving the species. Not all Pokémon Trainers are seen as kind towards these creatures, and many villainous organizations seek to use Pokémon in malicious ways.
Many Pokémon are able to evolve from or into other Pokémon species, a process that typically makes them larger and stronger. Evolution can be seen as a form of maturity in certain species, but not all. In some cases, this process can be reverted by devolution. Most Pokémon by nature are known to compete in Pokémon battles. These battles may be for sport among human-owned Pokémon or for survival and protection between wild Pokémon. In these battles, Pokémon use techniques called moves, that they can use within the fight or elsewhere, either to defend themselves or their Trainer, or to perform a task. Beyond their normal typed attributes and moves, many Pokémon posses other traits that can be triggered or used passively. These traits are called Abilities, which a Pokémon may activate once certain conditions are met. Another function some Pokémon may have, similar to that of evolution, is a change in appearances called a form. Some Pokémon may be able to change their form, while some may have one as a distinction between others of the same species. In the games, each Pokémon has a distinct voice associated with each individual species or form known as a cry, while in the anime, most Pokémon are known only to say their name.
There are many forms of food that Pokémon may eat, including one another as prey. However, Pokémon Trainers may offer different types of treats and natural items such as Berries to their Pokémon. Additionally, many plant-like Pokémon and Heliolisk are able to photosynthesize. Many Pokémon are known to reproduce by producing Eggs, though it is unknown how these eggs are formed or where they come from. There are also many man-made and human-influenced Pokémon that have been created by other means, such as Mewtwo, Porygon, or Trubbish. There are multiple categories and variations that Pokémon may fall under as well, which describe certain groups and relationships Pokémon may have with each other. Some examples include Legendary Pokémon, Mythical Pokémon, Paradox Pokémon, Ultra Beasts, and Fossil Pokémon. Pokémon who have artifically had the doors to their hearts shut are known as Shadow Pokémon.
== In the Anime ==
In the anime, Pokémon are shown to be creatures with distinctively more anthropomorphic qualities than real-world animals, with several even able to speak. Some Pokémon have the ability to speak the dubbing language instead of their own names, such as Meowth of Team Rocket. They also seem to be able to mostly understand human language, while most humans cannot understand Pokémon speech, although there are a few who claim they can. Most species speak only one word: their own name, e.g. Pikachu saying "Pika! Pikachu!" and so forth, though some Pokémon only grunt or roar, such as Charizard.
The anime takes a clear stance of right and wrong on the use of Pokémon: Trainers such as Ash are shown to treat their Pokémon with respect, as partners and friends, while evil organizations like Team Rocket are shown to use Pokémon as mere tools, keeping them in cages, making them fight to exhaustion—a stark contrast to Ash and his Pikachu, who he treats as his best friend and keeps on his shoulder, rather than in a Poké Ball, because of its own preference.
=== History ===
The anime has given a more in-depth history of human interaction with Pokémon than is given by the games: In The Birth of Mewtwo radio drama, it is implied that Pokémon came into the world after the human species did. Poké Balls have not existed forever, and are in reality an apparently recent development, with one owned by a young Professor Oak being shown to be vastly different than ones used in modern times.
Prior to the invention and mass-production of Poké Balls, people tended to use hollowed-out Apricorns, native to the Johto region, to catch Pokémon, while even further back, Pokémon were not known as "Pokémon" at all, but as "magical creatures" (Japanese: 魔獣 majuu). In these times, many Pokémon were apparently feared because of their powers, sometimes so great that the most powerful of these monsters passed into legend and were often seen as deities in their own right.
Interestingly, Ash and his friends, through their interaction with history in Arceus and the Jewel of Life, seemingly invented the term "Pokémon" to refer to these creatures. This, however, creates a bootstrap paradox, as their knowledge and use of the word comes only from its wide use in their future time. What may remain true is that the term came into practice elsewhere on its own.
The guidebook Pocket Monsters: The Animation gave a bit more detail on the Pokémon. Specifically, they were rumored to have been created by God on the seventh day of creation as "doodles", and since they were created on holiday, they were commanded to neither rule over nor be ruled by humanity. It also inferred that they had some relation to merpeople and dragon myths, and that their species was discovered by a French nobleman named Count Tajirin (a subtle reference to franchise creator Satoshi Tajiri) during the 18th century.
Category:Types of Creatures
Category:Creatures
Category:Pokémon
Category:Species