Mail

Mail (Japanese: メール Mail) is a type of item in the Pokémon games. It was introduced in Generation II and appeared until Generation V.
==In the core series games==
===List of Mail===
====Generation II====
Bluesky Mail.png|Bluesky Mail
Eon Mail.png|Eon Mail
Flower Mail.png|Flower Mail
Liteblue Mail.png|Liteblue Mail
Lovely Mail.png|Lovely Mail
Mirage Mail.png|Mirage Mail
Morph Mail.png|Morph Mail
Music Mail.png|Music Mail
Portraitmail.png|Portraitmail
Surf Mail.png|Surf Mail
====Generation III====
Bead Mail.png|
Dream Mail.png|
Fab Mail.png|
Glitter Mail.png|
Harbor Mail.png|
Mech Mail.png|
Orange Mail.png|
Retro Mail.png|
Shadow Mail.png|
Tropic Mail.png|
Wave Mail.png|
Wood Mail.png|
====Generation IV====
Air Mail.png|
Bloom Mail.png|
Brick Mail.png|
Bubble Mail.png|
Flame Mail.png|
Grass Mail.png|
Heart Mail.png|
Mosaic Mail.png|
Snow Mail.png|
Space Mail.png|
Steel Mail.png|
Tunnel Mail.png|
====Generation V====
BridgeMail D.png|
BridgeMail M.png|
BridgeMail S.png|
BridgeMail T.png|
BridgeMail V.png|
Favored Mail.png|
Greet Mail.png|
Inquiry Mail.png|
Like Mail.png|
Reply Mail.png|
RSVP Mail.png|
Thanks Mail.png|
===Mechanics===
The various kinds of Mail are held items given to . Each Mail item is able to contain a message written by the . Pokémon that are holding Mail use a special Mail icon instead of the normal held item icon. This message can be sent to other Trainers by trading Pokémon.
Each different type of Mail has a unique background image. The Mail includes the message entered by the sending player, as well as their Trainer name at the bottom. In Generation II, the Portrait Mail also includes the sprite of the Pokémon holding the message, but using the same color palette as the Mail background. In Generation III, the Bead Mail and Dream Mail also feature a sketch of the Pokémon holding it.
In the Generation IV games, the player's Bag has a separate pocket for Mail. In the Generation V games, Mail is stored in the general items pocket, but has a unique icon.
Pokémon holding Mail cannot be placed in the PC or released. When removing Mail from a Pokémon, the player has the option to store it in the PC's mailbox or placing it in the Bag; the Mail's message is lost if returned to the Bag, but preserved if sent to the mailbox.
Pokémon with Mail cannot be traded to Pokémon Colosseum or because Mail does not exist in those games.
Many item-manipulating effects cannot affect Mail, although which effects fail depends on the game.
=====Generation II=====
Mail cannot be stolen by .
In the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console versions, when the player attempts to enter the Trade Center while one of the Pokémon in their party is holding Mail, they are given a warning on the touch screen not to include offensive material in Mail.
=====Generation III=====
In only, Mail can be stolen with Thief and Covet; in all other Generation III games, Mail cannot be stolen. In the Japanese version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire only, Mail can be swapped by ; in the Western versions and all other Generation III games, Mail cannot be swapped with Trick. If Mail is moved in either of these ways, it can cause corruption.
Mail can be removed by .
=====Generation IV=====
Mail cannot be stolen with or , swapped with or , or thrown with . Mail can be removed by .
=====Generation V=====
 and fail if either Pokémon is holding Mail. fails if the user is holding Mail.
, , and can steal Mail from an ally Pokémon; however, if Mail is transferred this way, the slots in the message are changed, being blank or taking on values previously used by Mail given to a Pokémon in that party slot.
Mail can be removed by .
===Message===
====Generation II====
The player can freely enter 32 characters across two 16-character rows of text. Mail uses a unique , that has a wider selection of characters than other text entry interfaces in these games.
Mail can be printed using the Game Boy Printer accessory. As with all documents printed by the Game Boy Printer, the image is grayscale. This feature is disabled in the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console versions.
In the Western games, the language of the message is stored internally, so that if it is traded to a player in a different language game, the Mail can still be read using the correct ; however, the English versions of ignore this value, instead trying to render the message using the English character encoding, which lacks several characters that can be typed in other Western languages.
====Generation III====
In Generation III, Mail is typed using the easy chat system, which restricts players to choosing from a pre-defined list of words and phrases. Mail has nine phrase slots, structured as four rows of two slots and a fifth row with one slot.
The player can unlock additional phrases from in Mauville City.
====Generation IV====
In Generation IV, Mail consists of three sentence slots, which can each be filled with a sentence structure from several pre-defined structures. These sentence structures themselves have one or two gaps within them, that the player can fill using the easy chat system (which restricts players to choosing from a pre-defined list of words and phrases). This facilitates translating the message between game languages automatically.
The player can unlock additional phrases from the old man in Snowpoint City or on .
====Generation V====
In Generation V, Mail consists of three sentence slots. For BridgeMail, the player can choose a sentence structure from several pre-defined structures for each of these slots, then fill gaps in those sentence structures using the easy chat system (which restricts players to choosing from a pre-defined list of words and phrases). For non-BridgeMail, all three sentence structures are fixed, depending on the specific type of Mail; the player can only fill the gaps inside the sentences, and cannot change which sentence structures are used.
===Acquisition===
====Purchasable Mail====
In all games from Generation II to , several Mail items can be bought in places such as Poké Marts, department stores, and shops.
In Generations , , and , all games of the same generation have the same purchasable Mail items. However, in Generation III, the purchasable Mail items are completely different between the Kanto-based games and the Hoenn-based games.
		
* Flower Mail in , , , , , Poké Marts, (after defeating Team Rocket), Goldenrod Department Store
* Litebluemail in Vermilion City Poké Mart
* Lovely Mail in Celadon Department Store
* Portraitmail in Mt. Moon Square
* Surf Mail in Poké Mart, Celadon Department Store
		
* in Slateport City Poké Mart
* and in Lilycove Department Store
* in Petalburg City Poké Mart
* in Sootopolis City Poké Mart
* in Fortree City Poké Mart
		
* in Poké Mart
* in Celadon Department Store
		
* in Jubilife City, Eterna City, Solaceon Town, Pastoria City, Celestic Town and Canalave City Poké Marts
* in Floaroma Town Poké Mart
* , , , and in Veilstone Department Store
* in Hearthome City Poké Mart
* in Snowpoint City Poké Mart
* in Sunyshore City Poké Mart
* in Oreburgh City Poké Mart
		
* in Cherrygrove City, Ecruteak City, Blackthorn City, Cerulean City, Saffron City, and Vermilion City Poké Marts; Celadon Department Store; (after defeating Team Rocket); Safari Zone Gate
* in Azalea Town Poké Mart; Celadon Department Store
* , , , and in Goldenrod Department Store and Celadon Department Store
* in Olivine City Poké Mart; Mt. Moon Square
* in Lavender Town Poké Mart
* in Fuchsia City Poké Mart
* in Violet City Poké Mart; Celadon Department Store
		
* in Driftveil City Poké Mart
* in Black City/White Forest Poké Mart
* in Castelia City Poké Mart
* in Opelucid City Poké Mart
* in Lacunosa Town Poké Mart
* , , , , , , and in Shopping Mall Nine and every Poké Mart except those in , , , and
		
* in Driftveil City Poké Mart
* in Black City/White Forest Poké Mart
* in Nacrene City Poké Mart
* in Icirrus City Poké Mart
* in Opelucid City Poké Mart
* , , , , , , and in Shopping Mall Nine and every Poké Mart except those in , , , , , and
====Trick House Mail====
In Generation III, some Mail items are found in the Trick House. There is only one of each Mail item available in this place and they are permanently missable if the player finishes the current puzzle without obtaining them. Most of those Mail items are also purchasable in Poké Marts, except the .
In this generation, the puzzle 5 is the only one without a Mail item.
		
* Puzzle 1: 
* Puzzle 2: and 
* Puzzle 3: and 
* Puzzle 4: 
* Puzzle 6: 
* Puzzle 7: 
* Puzzle 8:
====Mail held by non-player character's Pokémon====
There are several Mail items held by non-player character's Pokémon, including those received from in-game trades. However, no Mail is received by this method in and in the Generation V games.
		
* Flower Mail in (held by 's )
		
* in Fortree City (held by in-game trade )
* in Pacifidlog Town (held by in-game trade )
		
* in (held by in-game trade )
* in Pacifidlog Town (held by in-game trade )
* in Fortree City (held by in-game trade )
		
* in Cerulean City (held by in-game trade )
		
* in (held by 's )
====Mail from other in-game methods====
		
* in Abandoned Ship
		
* , , and in Lilycove City ()
* in Abandoned Ship
		
* from Bianca on the 's PC
		
* at Pokéstar Studios and on
====Version-exclusive Mail====
These Mail items are only available by trading from other games in the same generation.
There is no version-exclusive Mail in Generations and , while the single version-exclusive Mail in Generation IV is the Brick Mail which was only available from an event compatible with .
		
* 
*
		
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
*
		
*
====Mail from events and Mystery Gifts====
		
* Bluesky Mail and Mirage Mail from PokéCom Center
* Eon Mail, Morph Mail, and Music Mail from Mystery Gift
		
* held by GTS event Heracross
		
====Unobtainable Mail====
* The is found in the data of Generation IV games but it is not obtainable by any means.
==In the side series games==
===Pokémon Stadium 2===
In Pokémon Stadium 2, Mail can be transferred from and to the Generation II core series games connected via Transfer Pak. The message can be edited using the C-buttons to control the cursor.
In this game, it is possible to store 30 Pokémon with Mail in the Pokémon Storage System. There is also the N64 Mailbox with 50 slots for written messages.
Bluesky Mail Stadium2.png|Bluesky Mail
Eon Mail Stadium2.png|Eon Mail
Flower mail Stadium2.png|Flower Mail
Liteblue Mail Stadium2.png|Litebluemail
Lovely Mail Stadium2.png|Lovely Mail
Mirage Mail Stadium2.png|Mirage Mail
Morph mail Stadium2.png|Morph Mail
Music Mail Stadium2.png|Music Mail
Portrait Mail Stadium2.png|Portrait Mail
Surf mail Stadium2.png|Surf Mail
===Other games===
In Pokémon Colosseum, , , , and , there is no compatibility with any Mail items, even though they feature other kinds of held items and connect with core series games that have Mail items.
==In the manga==
===Pokémon Adventures===
========
In The Last Battle VIII, revealed that as had used her to him away earlier, his had used to steal the Flower Mail held by Abra. The Mail contained a map that told Silver of Green's plan to go to Ilex Forest.
========
In The Beginning of the End with Kyogre & Groudon VI, left Wallace a Tropic Mail, informing his teacher of his decision to fight against Team Magma.
========
In Weavile Wobbles But It Won't Fall Down, Mail was seen being sold at the Safari Zone Gate.
====Gallery====
Flower Mail Adventures.png|A Flower Mail
Tropic Mail Adventures.png|A Tropic Mail
== Merchandise ==
A Pokémon Center-exclusive letter set released in November 2021 features 6 different types of Mail. The included types are Portraitmail, Bluesky Mail, Tropic Mail, Glitter Mail, Heart Mail and Reply Mail.
File:Mail Letter set.jpg|Letter set
==In other languages==
==References==
==Related articles==
Category:Groups of items
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de:Briefe
es:Carta (objeto)
fr:Lettre (message)
it:Messaggi
ja:メール
zh:邮件