Pokémon 101: Tips for Parents

Compliments of the Nintendo USA team and resident Pokémon expert, Seth McMahill. Be sure to enter the Momspective contest to win your own limited edition Nintendo Pokémon Giratina-branded DS! Contest ends April 24, 2009.

Feeling lost trying to talk to your kids about Pokémon? Do Pikachu and Chimchar have your head spinning? Well, fret no more! Here’s a little crash course that’ll help get you started with need-to-know info to keep you in the conversation.

• The main series of Pokémon video games is about exploration, adventure, and of course catching, training, and battling with Pokémon. Players can discover over 490 different Pokémon characters. Some are easy to find, but others are very rare.
• Pokémon started as a video game on the original Nintendo Game Boy and since then has evolved into a global phenomenon including the Pokémon Trading Card Game, an animated television series, 11 feature films, toys and many other products.
• The cute yellow Pokémon with red cheeks and pointy ears is called Pikachu. Pikachu is one of the most popular Pokémon characters and is the mascot of the Pokémon franchise.
• Your child plays the role of a “Pokémon Trainer” in the main series of video games. A Trainer’s goal is to travel the local region of the Pokémon world, catching, training, and battling with Pokémon on a quest to become the region’s Pokémon League Champion. Along the way, they will usually encounter a group of villains who they must stop.
• There are hundreds of different Pokémon characters. One of the player’s goals in the main series of Pokémon games is to assist the local Pokémon Professor in gathering data for the Pok©dex, an electronic encyclopedia containing information on the various Pokémon. The more Pokémon you find and catch, the more data you collect in the Pok©dex.
• All Pokémon are classified into types and have unique abilities based on these types. For example, Pikachu is an Electric-type and is able to use special moves like Thundershock. Piplup is a Water-type who can douse its opponent with moves like BubbleBeam. There are 17 types in all that interact with each other in a “rock, scissors, paper-like” way. For example, a Water-type Pokémon has an advantage over a Fire-type Pokémon; a Fire-type has an advantage over a Grass-type, etc.
• A Pokémon Trainer catches wild Pokémon by battling them with one of his or her trained Pokémon. Once the wild Pokémon has been weakened, it can be caught by the Pokémon Trainer.
• Pokémon are caught in a Pok Ball – the basic version is a red and white ball. Pokémon usually remain in PokBalls when not used in battle.
• Trading is a key element in the main Pokémon games. Players are able to connect their game to their friend’s game to exchange Pokémon characters. Players can work together to achieve the goal of completing the Pok©dex.
• Your child can typically transfer the Pokémon he or she has caught and trained to the next new games in the main Pokémon series they so can continue with their favorite Pokémon.
• Pokémon never die or sustain serious injuries in battle,. When they use up their energy, they can be knocked out-as which point they return to their PokBalls.
• The more times a Pokémon battles, the stronger it gets. As Pokémon get stronger, they grow or evolve into different Pokémon. For example, Pikachu can evolve into Raichu.

Now that you’re armed with the 411 on Pokémon, you can help your little Pokémon Trainer catch Pokémon and become the next Pokémon League Champion!