Pokémon is a hugely popular media franchise spanning video games, cards, television shows, movies and toys. But the core of the franchise is the Pokémon video games created by Game Freak and published by Nintendo.
The main Pokémon games are role-playing games (RPGs) for Nintendo consoles like the Switch, DS and Game Boy. The player takes on the role of a Pokémon trainer exploring the world and catching Pokémon to battle other trainers.
The main Pokémon RPGs are:
Red/Blue/Yellow - The original Pokémon games released in the late 90s for Game Boy. Take place in the Kanto region.
Gold/Silver/Crystal - Second generation games that allowed breeding and held items. Set in Johto region.
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald - Third generation introduced double battles and natures. Set in Hoenn.
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum - Fourth gen with online play and the physical/special split. In Sinnoh region.
Black/White - Fifth generation focused on an original setting. Unova region.
X/Y - First Pokémon games in full 3D, for the Nintendo 3DS. Kalos region setting.
Sun/Moon - Seventh generation Alola region, with Z-moves and no gyms.
Sword/Shield - Eighth gen debut on Nintendo Switch. British inspired Galar region.
There are also many spin-off games like Pokémon Snap, PokéPark, Pokken Tournament, the Mystery Dungeon games and more. These explore different genres like photography, adventure and fighting games using Pokémon characters.
The core gameplay loop in Pokémon games is:
Explore the world and catch Pokémon to add to your party. Battle and faint wild Pokémon, then throw Poke Balls to try to catch them.
Train your Pokémon to increase their levels and evolve them into new forms. Defeating other trainers in battles gives EXP to level up.
Build a balanced team with different types, stats, abilities and moves to cover weaknesses.
Battle trainers and Gym Leaders to earn badges. Take on the Elite Four and Champion to become the region's champion.
Trade and battle with friends to collect all the Pokémon.
There are currently over 800 different Pokémon species in the games, each with unique types, stats and moves.
Weaken a wild Pokémon in battle then throw a Poke Ball to try to catch it. The lower its HP, the higher the chance of capture.
Use different ball types to increase catch rate - Great Balls and Ultra Balls have higher success rates.
Status effects like poison or sleep also make Pokémon easier to catch.
Battling wild Pokémon and trainers gives EXP to your Pokémon to level them up and make them stronger.
Pokémon earn moves as they level up and can learn new moves by using TMs/HMMs.
Use Effort Values (EVs) from defeated Pokémon to boost stats.
Breed Pokémon with perfect IVs (hidden individual values) to get superior offspring.
Pokémon evolve into new forms that are stronger with higher stats.
Teams usually have Pokémon of different types to balance strengths and weaknesses.
Different Pokémon excel at different stats - sweepers are fast and hit hard, walls have high defense, tanks high HP.
Abilities can boost stats or benefit battle conditions. Natures boost one stat while lowering another.
Knowing your matchups against opponents is key - what types counter them or resist their moves?
Items like Choice items lock you into a move but boost its power. Berries heal status conditions.
The main goal in the games is to defeat 8 Gym Leaders to collect their badges, then take on the Elite Four and the regional Champion to become the champion yourself.
Gyms have themes based on types - Brock leads the Rock type gym, Misty leads the Water type gym.
You must strategize to counter the Gym Leader's specialized types. A Grass type Pokémon will be effective against Misty.
After getting 8 badges you take on the region's best trainers - the Elite Four and Champion.
The Champion acts as the final boss and uses a diverse, high-level team.
Trading and battling with other players is a key social element of Pokémon games. You need to trade certain Pokémon to make them evolve - like Haunter into Gengar.
Infrared and cable link supports 1v1 and co-op multiplayer on older games. Modern games use WiFi and internet.
Global Trade Station (GTS) lets you trade Pokémon with anyone in the world. Great for filling your Pokedex.
Online battling allows competitive play. Official VGC tournaments happen yearly.
That covers the basics of playing the core Pokémon RPG games. Catch Pokémon, train and build a strategic team, defeat gyms and the Elite Four to become champion, and battle and trade with other players. It's a simple but engaging gameplay loop that has captivated fans for over 20 years. The games are easy to play but have hidden depth with competitive battling, breeding, stats, natures and more. With interesting worlds, characters and Pokémon there's something for all kinds of fans to enjoy.
Q: What is the first Pokémon game?
A: Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy, released in 1996 in Japan.
Q: How do you catch legendary Pokémon?
A: Legendaries are caught through story events and often require weakening them in long battles before throwing Ultra Balls.
Q: What is a shiny Pokémon?
A: Shiny Pokémon have alternate color schemes and are extremely rare. They appear randomly in encounters.
Q: How do you evolve trade evolution Pokémon without trading?
A: Some items like Link Cables or Cracked Pots can substitute for trading to evolve certain Pokémon.
Q: What is Pokémon Bank?
A: A cloud service to store and transfer Pokémon between games, even from past generations.
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