Wikipedia:WikiProject Pokémon/Style

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General information

Project templates

Related projects

Part of the goal of the Pokémon Adoption Center and the Pokémon Collaborative Project is to make informative articles about each of the Pokémon species, articles that even someone unfamiliar with Pokémon can understand with a minimum of confusion. Above all else, your articles need to be informative, clear, and encyclopedic.

Think long and hard before adding a list of facts. Wikipedia is not the place for lists of moves, lists of cameos, and so forth. (There’s Bulbapedia and a WikiKnowledge Pokémon site for that kind of thing.)

This page is intended to be only a guideline, showing the layout which has been historically used. If there is a different format that better presents the information, it should be used instead.

Contents

[edit] General advice

Names of games, manga, and anime series go in italics. This isn’t specific to Pokémon articles, but it’s easy to forget. Pokémon Trading Card Game may be italicized also, but the names of the expansions or individual cards should not be.

Assume the reader knows about Pokémon and about console RPGs in only a general way. Crosslink to explanations on Wikipedia if available. If you mention something technical, such as a fighting style or statistics, explain it in easily-understood terms. See WP:Jargon for more info.

Try to use Unicode characters for Japanese words.

Like sheep and fish, the plural of Pokémon is the same as the singular, and the same is true of each species, i.e., “One Snorlax, two Snorlax, green Snorlax, blue Snorlax”. Remember that you are talking about a species generally in the introduction, characteristics and video games sections - make sure you use "they are" not "it is".

Pokémon in the anime and TCG are genderless unless otherwise stated (a very rare occurrence), and should be referred to as “it”, not “he” or “she”. Unless a Pokémon has only one gender in the games, it should also be referred to as “it” in general terms.

Pokémon types should not be italicized, but should be capitalized, as in official Nintendo publications, and may be followed by “-type”. To determine whether “-type” is appropriate, look at the context. It is sometimes helpful to read the sentence out loud. Names of Pokémon species, moves, and attacks should also be capitalized, but not italicized.

Many older Pokémon articles have bolded or colored text throughout. Please remove this unnecessary markup if you see it.

For consistency's sake, try to use American English as much as possible.

[edit] The infobox

Bulbasaur
Wikipe-tan
Wikipe-tan says, "You can't use fair-use images outside of articlespace!"
National Pokédex
None - Bulbasaur (#001) - Ivysaur
Johto Pokédex
Celebi - Bulbasaur (#226) - Ivysaur
Japanese name Fushigidane
Evolves from None
Evolves into Ivysaur
Generation First
Species Seed Pokémon
Type Grass / Poison
Height 2ft4in (0.71 m)
Weight 15.2 pounds (6.9 kg)
Ability Overgrow

The Pokémon infobox (Bulbasaur’s infobox is pictured here) is probably the most intimidating part of editing the article, if you're not already familiar with Wikisyntax.

Luckily, it’s not quite that bad.

This is what the infobox looks like on the editing side of things (except that Wikipe-tan is replaced with the appropriate image), and, if you're writing an article about a new Pokémon, you can copy and paste the text from this page to your new article.

See Template:Pokémon species for an explanation of how to use this infobox.

[edit] The Introduction

The introduction is the most important part of the article. You need to establish context for the reader, so that the reader at least understands that this is a fictional Pokémon character. If the character is notable for another reason (the most obvious example would be Pikachu), you'll want to establish that in the introduction, as well.

This should say that the Pokémon is a fictional character from the Pokémon franchise and what its name is in Japanese. Remember to link to the word “Pokémon”. When linking to languages, to avoid linking to disambiguation pages, do it like this: [[Japanese language|Japanese]].

Also, if you can find any references in the news, please mention them.

Bulbasaur (フシギダネ Fushigidane?) are one of the 493 fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion-dollar[1] Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. The purpose of Bulbasaur in the games, anime, and manga, as with all other Pokémon, is to battle both wild Pokémon—untamed creatures that characters encounter while embarking on various adventures— and tamed Pokémon creatures owned by Pokémon trainers.[2] </ref>

Feel free to use the {{nihongo}} template for help filling out this section. Remember that Pokémon names are the same in both the singular and the plural; since the introduction refers to the species as a whole, be sure to use "Bulbasaur are..." instead of "Bulbasaur is...".

You'll also want to if applicable, mention the Pokémon’s name in the beta English-language version of Pokémon Red and Blue.

The name Bulbasaur is a portmanteau of “bulb” (from the large bulb on its back) and “sauros” (Greek for “lizard”), creating a name evocative of dinosaur. Fushigidane (フシギダネ), the Japanese name for Bulbasaur, is a portmanteau of ふしぎ (fushigi, “mystery”) and たね; (tane, “seed”).

[edit] Biological characteristics

This is where you should include info gleaned from the Pokédex entries and other sources in the various games, but don’t copy them verbatim into the article. Not only is this potential copyright infringement, but prose is generally less redundant than a list of spoiler info, as well as quite a bit more attractive and readable. Also when using information from the Pokédex, anime, manga, or TCG, state that this is where you are obtaining the information from.

Quilava are more aggressive and dangerous when approached in the wild than Cyndaquil are. The Pokédexes of the video games say that "before battle, they turns their backs on their opponent to demonstrate how ferociously their fire blazes" and that, when they do the same during a battle, "they will attack with the fire on their backs". They "intimidate foes" using "gusts of flames and superheated air". As seen in the anime, Quilava chiefly attack by nimbly dodging the attacks of opponents, while simultaneously shooting Flamethrower attacks.[3]

You'll want to describe the Pokémon’s appearance, including any resemblance to animals or mythic creatures. (Do your research on this; this is a subject of interest even to non-Pokémon-fan readers.) If there’s enough information, you'll also want to describe the Pokémon’s typical personality or demeanor.

If a Pokémon has a particular way of fighting, unique move, or unusual origin, make sure you mention this.

In all iterations of the Pokémon series, Bulbasaur is a small, squat reptilian creature that moves on all fours. Its body coloration is light blue-green with darker blue-green spots. It is born with a seed planted on its back which soon grows into a large, floral bulb as the Bulbasaur matures. The bulb can absorb solar energy through photosynthesis in order to supply Bulbasaur with nutrients and will grow bigger if it is exposed to sunlight; for this reason, Bulbasaur enjoys taking naps in the sunlit daytime. It can survive off stored energy without eating for days at a time. When in battle, solar energy that has been stored in the bulb can be released as a powerful Solar Beam attack. The bulb also holds seeds that can be launched at an enemy in order to sap health in an attack called Leech Seed, and Bulbasaur is able to extend two vines from the bulb that serve as extra appendages for attacking and deftly manipulating objects. The artwork design of Bulbasaur was created by Ken Sugimori in for its 1996 debut in the Pokémon video games.

[edit] In the video games

This should be a paragraph or two of prose describing the Pokémon’s role in the video games. If the Pokémon has a special role in the games (for example, Sudowoodo and Snorlax, which impede the player’s progress until a certain item is found), describe it. You may want to mention the kinds of places where the Pokémon can be caught (including Wikilinks to Pokémon places with articles on Wikipedia) or how it is evolved, but lists of specific route numbers are unnecessary (for legendary Pokémon or rare Pokémon like Absol, specific locations may be appropriate). From Caterpie:

Among other locations, Caterpie are found in the Viridian Forest and on Route 25 in Kanto, and in the National Park and Ilex Forest in Johto.

If any significant Pokémon trainers (the rival, Gym Leaders, etc.) have one, mention and link the character.

A screenshot of the Pokémon from an emulator (even better in color with frames from the Super Game Boy) is also a good thing to include. If it starts before the infobox finishes, make sure that it is aligned to the left.

In the first-generation Pokémon games (Red and Blue) and their remakes, (FireRed and LeafGreen), Bulbasaur is one of the three Pokémon, along with Charmander and Squirtle, that the player may choose as his or her first (or “starter”) Pokémon. If the player chooses Bulbasaur, the player’s rival will invariably choose Charmander, since Charmander has a type advantage over Bulbasaur.
In the next game, Pokémon Yellow, Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle are not available from the start as the three of them had already been taken by other trainers; instead, the player starts with a Pikachu. Bulbasaur becomes available later in the game as a gift from a Pokémon breeder. This progression is much closer to the storyline of the anime. The three original starters, Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur, are not available in any of the other games in the series (except serving the same purpose in the enhanced remakes FireRed and LeafGreen). However, Bulbasaur is one of the random Pokémon available in Pokémon Stadium as a prize for defeating all the Gym Leaders and Elite Four members, the highest level of competition in the game.

Don't forget to mention cameos in other games.

Bulbasaur also appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, which the player can acquire through the internal lottery by spending the Smash Coins earned whilst playing the game.
Bulbasaur is a Grass/Poison-type (a special attribute determining the strengths and weaknesses of the Pokémon) but it does not have the ability to learn any damage-dealing Poison attacks naturally. Therefore, its attacks are particularly effective against Ground-, Rock- and Water-type Pokémon, but Psychic-, Fire-, and Flying-type attacks are particularly effective against it. Attacks of the Poison, Fighting, and Grass types do little damage to Bulbasaur, and Bulbasaur does little damage to other Grass and Poison types or to Dragon types. All other types have no particular advantage over Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur is therefore considered a good first for beginners, as the Kanto region’s first two Pokémon Gym Leaders (Brock and Misty) use Rock-type and Water-type Pokémon, respectively. Also, the third and fourth Gym Leaders (Lt. Surge and Erika) specialize in Electric and Grass Pokémon, and so have no advantage in battle against Bulbasaur and its evolutions.

Egg moves, Egg groups, movelists, learned TMs, and other specific, technical information should not go here. They are too technical for Wikipedia and will find their home in Pokémon-centric Wikis like Bulbapedia or the Pokémon Wikibook. But if any Pokemon learns unique moves or some moves uniquely benefit it, such information is acceptable.

[edit] In the Pokémon anime

(NOTE: use "anime", not "animé")

Describe the Pokémon’s role in the anime and movies. There’s no need to duplicate information from the Characteristics section above, but, for example, you should certainly describe how Jigglypuff is prone to putting everyone to sleep and drawing on their faces, or how Team Aqua sought to awaken Kyogre.

Again, if a notable Pokémon trainer owns one of this Pokémon, mention and link the trainer.

There is no reason to mention every cameo appearance, but if it makes a lot, you may wish to say as much.

A google search should throw up a screenshot from the anime, and this is good to include. It can be used as Fair Use under US copyright law (be sure to tag the image when uploading it, or it will be deleted). An image should also have fair-use rationale (why you feel it should be fair use under the US copyright law).

Several Bulbasaur have appeared throughout the Pokémon anime television series, although only two have served as major characters. Like all Pokémon (except a particular Meowth and a certain Slowking), Bulbasaur cannot speak and are only able to communicate by repeating syllables of their species name ("bulb", "bulba", "saur") using different pitch, tone and body language to convey moods. From this, however, a Bulbasaur’s trainer can usually understand what it is saying. Two of the series’s main characters, Ash Ketchum and May both own a Bulbasaur at some time. Ash and his companions were the first humans to witness a Bulbasaur evolution ceremony, in which all the Bulbasaur in the world gather at one place.
Ash’s Bulbasaur has been around longer than all of his other Pokémon with the exception of Pikachu. Before joining Ash’s team, it lived with a girl named Melanie, who took care of abandoned Pokémon. It is unclear whether or not this Bulbasaur has been abandoned, but Melanie was not its trainer, she was merely a friend. Originally, this Bulbasaur is pessimistic about Ash, and when it and Ash’s other Pokémon are separated from Ash and company, it insists to the other Pokémon that Ash has abandoned them. However, after that episode, its loyalties begin to improve and it eventually becomes one of Ash’s most faithful Pokémon.
Pokémon trainers can carry a maximum of 6 Pokémon in their active roster at any one time. Ash’s Bulbasaur remained on Ash’s active roster for much of the series, but was later left with Professor Oak, after other Pokémon in his care started fighting amongst themselves. Bulbasaur was the only Pokémon able to break up these fights, and the fights would resume if it were to leave.
Nintendo has stated that, unlike the video games, Pokémon in the anime are genderless with a few exceptions. Bulbasaur typically has a relaxed attitude, rarely allowing itself to be provoked. This is a sharp contrast to its teammate Squirtle, which tends to act rashly in similar situations. Like Pikachu, Ash’s Bulbasaur has decided it prefers not to evolve. Although this decision was not accepted by other Bulbasaur at first, they have come to respect its wishes.
In the grass field battle of the Indigo League tournament, Ash’s Bulbasaur defeated two of the opponent’s three Pokémon (a Beedrill and a Scyther) by itself, despite rarely fighting as part of Ash’s team. It also took part in the Orange League tournament on Ash’s team, but was quickly defeated by a more experienced Electabuzz, becoming the only Pokémon on the team not to defeat at least one of the leader’s Pokémon. Later, it was used in the Johto League Silver Conference, where it was able to defeat a particularly strong shiny Magneton, and then in the same match duel a freshly rested Meganium to a draw. It is one of only two of Ash’s Pokémon team members (the other being Snorlax) to appear in the Advanced Generation episodes, the third incarnation of the show.
A Bulbasaur is also the fourth Pokémon caught by May during her Hoenn adventures. While travelling in the Forbidden Forest (a grass Pokémon reserve), she meets it trying to pick flowers. It warms to her and defends her against the other grass Pokémon, who see her as a threat. When May leaves, Bulbasaur decides to go with her. In the Japanese version, it is voiced by Miyako Itō. Like May’s other Pokémon, it is a contest Pokémon. Pokémon contests within the series are dog show-type events in which Pokémon compete to demonstate style to a panel of judges. For this reason, it is taught the Petal Dance attack, a flashy move which garners high scores from the judges.

[edit] In other media

In this section, you'll want to describe the Pokémon’s role in the various Pokémon manga and in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, following similar guidelines as above. Cameo appearances aren’t worth mentioning, notable owners are, and game strategies and other technical info should be mentioned in a general way.

While nearly every Pokémon merits a section with a paragraph or two on its role in the games and anime, very, very few do for the manga and card game. In the unlikely event that a Pokémon doesn’t merit a full header for its role in the games or anime, feel free to collapse those sections into this one.

Again, a google search will come up with a scan of an example of a Pokémon card, and this is good to add.

Image of Pokémon Trading Card - Bulbasaur in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (Base set).
Image of Pokémon Trading Card - Bulbasaur in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (Base set).
Bulbasaur is featured in two manga, Pokémon Adventures and Magical Pokémon Journey. In Pokémon Adventures, Red, the protagonist, receives a Bulbasaur from Professor Oak after demonstrating instinctive knowledge of its abilities. It becomes one of his primary Pokémon and eventually evolves into a Venusaur. In Magical Pokémon Journey, a character named Pistachio has a female Bulbasaur (nicknamed Danerina in the Japanese version), who has a crush on him.
In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, Bulbasaur was among the first Pokémon cards with which players became acquainted. Bulbasaur cards have appeared in the Base Set (and Base Set 2 and Legendary Collection), Gym Challenge (as Erika’s Bulbasaur), Expedition (two cards), EX Team Magma vs. Team Aqua, EX FireRed & LeafGreen (two cards) and POP Series 2. Considering the notability and popularity of Bulbasaur, the Pokémon had relatively few appearances early in the cards’ series. In particular, the Rocket set contained Charmander and Squirtle cards, but no Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur began to make more frequent appearances in the recent expansions, starting with the Expedition set. The Bulbasaur card is considered “common” by collectors and generally can be found with relative ease.

You will also want to mention any other appearances that the Pokémon has made, such as promotionally, in newspapers or in any other media.

Bulbasaur is also the main character of two children’s books, Pokémon Tales, Volume 3: Bulbasaur’s Trouble and Bulbasaur’s Bad Day, that were published in 1999 and 2000 respectively by Sagebrush. In Pokémon Tales, Volume 3: Bulbasaur’s Trouble, Bulbasaur resolves an argument between the other Pokémon. In Bulbasaur’s Bad Day, Meowth traps Bulbasaur in a pit and it has to outwit Team Rocket (the antagonists of the anime) to escape.
In Japan, McDonald’s included Bulbasaur as one of a series of promotional Pokémon cards given away with their Happy Meals. McDonald’s did not, however, extend this idea outside Japan. Instead, a rival company, Burger King, took up the cause: their “Power Cards” included a Bulbasaur, alongside Elekid, Charmander, Meowth, Kingler, Snorlax, Lapras, Scyther, Articuno and Pikachu in “Assortment 3”. During the Christmas period of 1999, Bulbasaur and other Pokémon toys beat out Furby to become the most popular and most bought toy in the United Kingdom.

If any of these sub-sections (manga, TCG, news) sections becomes too large to fit alongside the others in this section, feel free to break them apart into new sections of their own. Likewise, if you come across a "Manga" section that's only a few sentences long, coupled with a "TCG" section of equal brevity, please combine them into a single "In other media" section. In other words, use your best judgement. Is there enough info here to give this its own section? Is this section really long, and seems to be dominated by one topic?

[edit] References and External links

Below are some common references for use within the different pages. Be sure only to use those which are relevant (i.e. if the article doesn't mention Pokémon Snap don't use it) and to try and find other, non-game guide references to link the Pokémon with the real world (e.g. Torchic was one of several small dolls which were recalled due to safety concerns).

References

Books
  • Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0439154049.
  • Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 130206151.

[edit] External links

Additional references and links, if there are any, should then be edited in as appropriate:

[edit] References

Pokémon Red and Blue, Pokémon Yellow, Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2, Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon Colosseum, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

  1. ^  “Pokémon banished from another playground,” CNN, October 5, 1999; “PokéMania,” Time Asia. URL accessed on December 29, 2005.
  2. ^  “Guides:Super Smash Bros. Melee,” IGN.com. URL last accessed on December 29, 2005.
  3. ^  “Bulbasaur CotW,” pojo.com. URL last accessed on January 31, 2006.
  4. ^  “Bulbasaur’s Bad Day,” Amazon. URL last accessed on February 1, 2006.
  5. ^  “Pokémon Tales, Volume 3: Bulbasaur’s Trouble,” Amazon. URL last accessed on February 2, 2006.
  6. ^  “Pokémon, Pashmina Hot in Britain,” Mimitchi. URL last accessed on February 2, 2006.
  7. ^  “McDonalds’s Pokémon Series I & II,” Rita’s Pokémon Store. URL last accessed on December 29, 2005.
Books
  • Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0439154049.
  • Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 130206151.
Websites

[edit] External links

There is no need for any categories (the infobox takes care of that) but if another language Wiki has an article on the Pokémon then of course, interwiki links ([[fr:Clefairy]] for example) should be added.

[edit] Final word

And there you have it! Now you know to create and improve Pokémon articles. So why not stop by the Pokémon Collaborative Project and see what needs doing? See you there!

Languages