Pokédex

The **Pokédex** ("Illustrated Pokémon Encyclopedia") is an electronic device designed to catalogue and provide information regarding the various species of Pokémon featured in the *Pokémon* video game, anime and manga series. The name *Pokédex* is a neologism including "Pokémon" (which itself is a *portmanteau* of "pocket" and "monster") and "index". The Japanese name is simply "Pokémon Encyclopedia", as it can feature every Pokémon on it, depending on the **Pokédex**.

## Games

In the video games, whenever a Pokémon is first captured, its data will be added to a player's Pokédex. People who have an Action Replay can use a cheat so they can get all Pokédex entries without even having the Pokémon. In the Pokémon anime, the Pokédex is a comprehensive, electronic, reference encyclopedia, usually referred to in order to deliver information necessary to the plot. There are four differently-numbered Pokédex modes to date: the Kanto Pokédex, introduced in *Pokémon Red* and *Blue*; the Johto Pokédex, introduced in *Pokémon Gold* and *Silver*; the Hoenn Pokédex, introduced in *Pokémon Ruby* and *Sapphire* and expanded upon in *Pokémon FireRed* and *LeafGreen*; and the Sinnoh Pokédex, introduced in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the Unova Pokédex, introduced in Pokémon Black and White and updated in Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 and the Kalos Pokedex, which is split into Central Kalos, Mountain Kalos and Coastal Kalos based on the location in the region introduced in Pokemon X and Y.

With each generation of Pokémon games, the Pokédex has more advanced features compared to previous versions. For example, later versions of the Pokédex are able to sort the list of Pokémon based on internal numbering or alphabetical order. However, every version of the Pokédex has the ability to sort the list of Pokémon based on a National Pokédex numbering, as well as the numbering for their own region.

Each game has a different style of Pokédex, somewhat resembling the handheld it was released on. In ***Pokémon Red*** and ***Blue***, it is held vertically, like the Game Boy. The Pokédex in ***Pokémon Gold*** and ***Silver*** is also held vertically like a Game Boy Color. In ***Pokémon Ruby*** and ***Sapphire***, it is held horizontally, like a Game Boy Advance. The one in ***Pokémon FireRed*** and ***LeafGreen*** is horizontal with a fliptop, like a Game Boy Advance SP (although the GBA SP is actually vertical in design). The Pokédex in ***Pokémon Diamond*** and ***Pearl*** resembles a Nintendo DS Lite, with two screens and a microphone on the hinge.

In the Pokémon continuity, the Pokédex was invented by Professor Oak, a respected professor in the science of Pokémon. However, later on, it was mentioned that the Pokédex entries were written by **Professor Westwood** of the Seafoam Islands. The movie *Pokémon 4Ever* explains how Professor Oak travels into the future when he is a small child and Ash Ketchum gives him the idea to create the Pokédex. The Pokédex is given to you by Professor Oak, Elm, Birch, Rowan, Juniper, or Sycamore in the video games at the beginning of your journey.

In addition, the term "Pokédex" has expanded to refer to any comprehensive guide to Pokémon in the video games, more specifically, a listing of Pokémon detailing information such as their stats, locations found, moves learned, and Egg Groups. Numerous versions of this type of Pokédex can be found both online (i.e. on serebii.net) and in printed book form (i.e. the *Prima Pocket Pokédex*). This detailed information also includes height, weight, species type, and a short description of the Pokémon.

The reward for filling the entire Pokédex is a special diploma from the in-game Game Freak staff, who make a cameo appearance in each of the games. Additionally, in ***Pokémon Emerald***, by obtaining all 201 Pokémon that appear in Hoenn and finishing the Hoenn Pokédex, the player earns a Totodile, Cyndaquil, or Chikorita from Professor Birch, though it is not necessary to catch the legendaries.

In ***Pokémon Gold, Silver***, and *Crystal*, there is an **Unown Pokédex**. This is an extension of the regular Pokédex, which shows the player's progress in catching all of the various Unown Pokémon. Completing the Unown Pokédex allows the player to print messages displayed in the Unown alphabet using a Game Boy printer. In the HeartGold and SoulSilver games, the **Unown Pokédex** makes a return, but is now known as the Unown Report. It can be obtained by speaking with a researcher in the Ruins of Alph house.

The National 'Dex was introduced in ***Pokémon Ruby*** and ***Sapphire***, allowing the player to record the data of Pokémon not naturally found in Hoenn (other than trading one from *Pokémon Colosseum*). In ***Pokémon Ruby*** and ***Sapphire***, the National 'Dex is obtained simply by trading a Pokémon that is not native to Hoenn, upon which the Pokédex automatically upgrades to the National 'Dex. In ***Pokémon Emerald***, the National 'Dex is obtained automatically after defeating the Elite Four for the first time. In ***Pokémon FireRed*** and ***LeafGreen*** the National 'Dex is earned by beating the Elite Four and catching a total of 60 Pokémon. In ***Pokémon Diamond*** and ***Pearl***, the National 'Dex is obtained by having seen all Pokémon in the Sinnoh Pokédex, excluding Manaphy. In ***Platinum***, you get it after seeing 210 Pokémon in Sinnoh, including Manaphy.

The Sinnoh Pokédex resembles a Nintendo DS Lite. The touch screen feature in ***Diamond*** and ***Pearl*** may be used to scroll up and down the list of Pokémon.

### National Pokédex

The National Pokédex is the list of all existing Pokémon to date. Unlike the regional Pokédex, this one orders the Pokémon according to how they were released, following a more chronological order.

## Anime

In the anime, unlike in the games, the Pokédex does not start blank and fill after encountering and catching Pokémon. Instead, the Pokédex acts as a portable encyclopedic reference tool, able to give information about a certain species of Pokémon even if a Trainer has not seen or caught it. It can also give detailed descriptions of various Trainer tools, such as the Poké Flute. The Pokédex also acts as a form of identification, allowing trainers to partake in the various Pokémon League competitions. The Sinnoh Pokédex in the animé comes with a scanner that allows trainers to see what moves a Pokémon has, as demonstrated by Paul when he first met Ash and Brock.

A Pokédex in the anime also appears to have either a speech synthesizer or a method to play prerecorded sound. Although the Pokédex is not nicknamed in the original version, the Kanto, Johto, and second Kanto versions of the Pokédex are nicknamed "Dexter" and have a male voice; while the Hoenn and Sinnoh versions have a female voice and are nicknamed "Dextette". In the *Pokémon Live!* stage show, "Dextette" was also used as the name of "Dexter's" various assistants. "Dexter" is voiced by Nick Stellate (Season 1 [up to TB049]), Eric Stuart (Season 1-5, 8), Bill Rogers (Season 9) and Marc Thompson (Season 14-16) in the English adaptation, by Shin-ichiro Miki (Season 1-5, 8-9) and Unsho Ishizuka (Season 14-16) in the original, while "Dextette" is voiced by Rachael Lillis (Season 6-8), Michelle Knotz (Season 10-14) in the English adaptation and Megumi Hayashibara (Season 6-8), Tomoko Kawakami (Season 10-11 [up to DP101]) and Satsuki Yukino (Season 11-13) in the original, and by Kim Il (Original Series), Woo Jeong-shin (Season 6 part 1), Kim Seoyoung (Season 6 part 2), Seo Hyejeong (Season 7 episode 42), Chae Eui-jin (Seasons 7 and 8), Lee Yeong-ran (Season 9) Kim Hyeong-sim (Seasons 10 and 11), O Inseong (Seasons 12-13), Moon Nam-sook (Seasons 14-16), Yoo Sang-woo (Seasons 17-18), Kim Yeong-seon (Seasons 19-22), Kim Hyeong-ji, Jeong Joo-wan and Jang Ye-na (Season 23) in the Korean adaption. In the animé, the Pokédex comes in more than one color as May gets a yellow one when she gets to Kanto. Dawn, introduced in the *Pokémon Diamond and Pearl* season, gets a pink Pokédex when starting her Sinnoh journey while Paul, another new trainer and Ash's rival in Sinnoh, acquires a black one. Red remains the standard color, however.

The first Pokédex in one episode showed a small camera used to take a photo of the Pokémon and scan the creature's image to identify it. In the anime, the Pokédex looks like a Nintendo handheld system, mainly the Game Boy and DS.

## Manga

### Pokémon Adventures

Though the Pokédex functions exactly as it did in the anime in Pokémon Adventures, people view it far differently. Because unlike other iterations, the Pokédex was rare, being handed down only to certain individuals, all of them the manga's protagonists. This grants the protagonists a huge advantage over their enemies since they're the only ones who can learn their strengths and weaknesses. Due to the fact that they are heroes, the protagonists are labeled the Dex Holders, and are well-known throughout the regions due to their accomplishments.

Throughout the manga, all the versions of the Pokédex appear. Aside from that, Team Rocket in the Fifth Chapter stole data from Professor Oak to create the Dark Dex, which also allows users to see enemy HP, PP and stats.

## Features

The Pokédex can...

* Identify Pokémon
* Scan Poké Balls (Sinnoh, anime)
* Identify battle moves
* Show where to capture Pokémon (in-game)

## Merchandise

Because of the popularity of *Pokémon*, the first model of Pokédex, corresponding to the Pokédex found in the first generation of Pokémon games, was manufactured by Tiger Electronics in 1999. It is a correct scale device which includes a small black and white LCD screen and contains information on 150 Pokémon. A slight error in the original version is that the Pokémon Pidgeot would not be identified by the 'Dex and could only be found via the Manual Search function. The device allows for password protection and featured a small keyboard to allow users to input information about their favorites or species they captured. It also has a digital calendar, a clock, and a basic calculator.

The second version, the Johto Pokédex, was manufactured in a gold color for the USA and European markets. The Japanese Version looks just like the one from the show.

In 2003, Hasbro offered an updated Pokédex which featured the 386 species of Pokémon that exist in the third generation. This device features multiple advancements along with a four-color greyscale screen with a higher resolution. This is modeled off of the Hoenn Pokédex.

In 2007, Jakks Pacific released the first talking Pokédex to speak the full names and types of all 386 Pokémon from the National Pokédex. This Pokédex is larger than the Hasbro model and features a blinking light to go with the speech. This is modeled off of the Kanto V2 Pokédex.

## Trivia

* In the anime the Pokédex is usually given to a main character (Ash, May, Serena, Dawn) or Ash's main rival (Gary, Paul, Trip).
	+ During one of Dawn's battles in the Junior Cup Iris' rival Georgia is seen with a Pokédex of her own.
* Certain Pokémon can be seen in every regional Pokédex (in every Pokédex in and after the game they were introduced in).
* The different models of Pokédex appear to be based on different Nintendo consoles to some degree:
	+ The Kanto Pokédex in Gen. 1 resembles an original Game Boy.
	+ The Johto Pokédex in Gen. 2 resembles a Game Boy Color.
	+ The Hoenn Pokédex in Gen. 3 resembles a Game Boy Advance with elements of an iPod and a flip phone.
	+ The Kanto Pokédex in Gen. 3 resembles a GBA SP.
	+ The Sinnoh Pokédex in Gen. 4 resembles a Nintendo DS.
	+ The Johto Pokédex in Gen. 4 resembles a DSi with elements of a laptop.
	+ The Unova Pokédex in Gen. 5 resembles an iPod with elements of a 3DS.
	+ The Kalos Pokédex in Gen. 6 resembles an iPad with elements of a 2DS or Wii U GamePad.
	+ The Hoenn Pokédex in Gen. 6 resembles a GBA.
	+ The Alola Pokédex in Gen. 7 somewhat resembles a Wii U GamePad or a Nintendo Switch.
	+ The Kanto Pokédex in Gen. 7 resembles a Visteon Dockable Entertainment.
	+ The Rotom Phone, Galar's Pokédex in Gen. 8, resembles an iPhone X, but this may be due to Nintendo and Game Freak releasing several games on iOS.