Pokemon FAQ
Q. What are pokemon?
A. Pokemon is short for "pocket monsters". They are small creatures with special powers and abilities. Pokemon can be trained for sport battle by human companions.
Q. Huh? Are these things real?
A. No, but life sure would be a lot more interesting that way :) Pokemon only exist in video games and cartoons.
Q. Sport battling, huh? How does that work?
A. Well, when a person is ten years old, they are considered old enough to get a trainer's lisence and take a leave from school to begin training pokemon. The trainer must earn the complete respect of his/her pokemon in order for it to obey them in these battles. The trainer can teach the pokemon special attacks, evolve them, and pit them against other trainers' pokemon to make them stronger. The trainer must strive for the best possible pokemon to become a true pokemon master.
Q. How do you become a pokemon master?
A. In order to become a pokemon master, a trainer must battle their way through the official "Pokemon League". They are required to challenge Gym Leaders, the top pokemon trainers in a given city. If the trainer defeats these Gym Leaders, they are given a "badge" as proof of their victory. When the trainers gains eight different Badges, they are permitted to enter the Pokemon League Tournament. Only the best pokemon trainer wins this tournament and is declared a pokemon master.
Q. You mentioned evolving pokemon. What do you mean by that?
A. Well, some pokemon possess the unique ability to "evolve", or completely transform, into a bigger, stronger pokemon. Pokemon evolve as a sign of maturity, and will only evolve once they reach a certain point in life (level). However, a pokemon does not have to evolve if it or the trainer chooses not to. As an example, the pokemon "Squirtle" evolves into "Wartortle" once it reaches a high enough level (shown below).
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Q. This game sounds violent. Is it appropriate for children?
A. Certainly, in fact, the pokemon craze has lead to a dramatic reduction of violent games purchased! Pokemon battles are simple and blood and gore-free. The pokemon never, ever die, just "faint" when they are defeated in battle. The content of the game is given a childish, comic-touch, and a bright and calm atmosphere. Anyone can enjoy this game.
Q. What genre of game is this?
A. Well, pokemon can't really fall into a specific category. It is a Roleplaying/Strategy game, for the most part.
Q. How can I get in on the craze? It sounds like fun.
A. There are quite a few ways. You can watch the TV show on Kids' WB. The show has been poorly dubbed into English, in my opinion, but any real pokemaniac can see right through this. There is also a collectible card game you can play with your friends. The best and funnest way, of course, is to buy one of the video games available for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Nintendo 64. Check out the official Pokemon Website for more info.
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