Gameplay of Pokémon

Pokémon Gyms (ポケモンジム, Pokémon Jimu) are buildings situated throughout the Pokémon world, where Pokémon Trainers can train or compete to qualify for Pokémon League competitions. Although the internal organizations of Pokémon Gyms may vary, the majority specialize in one certain type of Pokémon and all are manned by a Gym Leader (ジムリーダー, Jimu Rīdā), a formidable Trainer that acts as a boss. Pokémon Gyms can be found in many towns and cities in the Pokémon world.

In each Gym, there are various Gym Trainers that the player may face before battling the Gym Leader. These Gym Trainers are often placed so that the player is forced into battle with them. When a Trainer defeats a Gym Leader in battle, the former wins a Badge (バッジ, Bajji), which serves as proof of a Trainer's skill and is a key part of advancing the plot. In Sword and Shield, a Trainer must complete a Gym Challenge, which is essentially a minigame, in order to continue through the Gym. Also, this will earn the former a Technical Machine (prior to Sun and Moon), which allows the player to teach their Pokémon a certain move. It also usually enables the player to utilize the overworld effects of one of the various Hidden Machines, such as the ability to cross bodies of water with the move Surf or the ability to remove some trees from paths with the move Cut. As the player collects Gym Badges, the maximum level at which traded Pokémon obey their commands increases.

After a player defeats the eight Gym Leaders, they can travel through Victory Road and then proceed to the Pokémon League and challenge the Elite Four (四天王, Shitennō) and the region's Pokémon League Champion (チャンピオン, Champion). Defeating the Champion is considered to be the goal of the game.

In Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, there are no Gyms or Gym Leaders. The player is instead given various "trials" by characters known as Trial Captains. A trial usually presents the player with a task they must complete to summon a Totem Pokémon, a more powerful version of a certain species of Pokémon. Once the player has summoned and defeated the Totem Pokémon, they receive a Z-Crystal, an item that allows Pokémon to use powerful moves known as "Z-Moves". Completing all of the trials on an island allows the player to challenge that island's "kahuna" in a standard Pokémon battle. The player can challenge the Pokémon League after they have completed all four Grand Trials. After defeating the Elite Four, the player can defend their title as Champion by defeating a challenger.

This chart shows the current eighteen Pokémon types (as of Pokémon Sun and Moon) and their strengths, weaknesses, and immunities against one another.[9]

A Pokémon's type (タイプ, taipu) is an elemental attribute determining the strengths and weaknesses of each Pokémon and its moves. Pokémon take double damage from attacking moves of types they are weak to and half damage from moves they resist. These type matchups offset one another in rock–paper–scissors-style relationships. Some Pokémon types grant full immunity to certain attack types; for instance, Ghost types take no damage from Normal or Fighting-type moves. Some Pokémon Abilities can change these interactions, such as Levitate making Pokémon immune to Ground-type moves.

In the original Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow games, there are a total of 15 Pokémon types: Normal, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Ground, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Ghost and Dragon. The Dark and Steel types were added in Gold and Silver and the Fairy type was introduced in X and Y.[10] Some types have special properties unrelated to the damage chart; for example, Electric types are immune to being paralyzed.

The console RPGs Colosseum and XD featured a unique move type known as Shadow, but it does not appear outside these games. Shadow Pokémon can be considered to be of this type, but they still retain their regular typing as well. In Pokémon XD, Shadow moves are super effective against non-Shadow Pokémon and not very effective against Shadow Pokémon.

Like the characters in many role-playing video games, Pokémon can learn a wide variety of moves (技, waza). These moves may inflict damage, induce status problems, restore health, or perform actions that in some way affect the battle. The general strength of and resistance to these moves are determined by the various statistics a particular Pokémon has. All moves have a type, power (威力, Iryoku), accuracy and a number of Power Points (PP). The moves that one Pokémon may learn are different from another depending on the species of Pokémon; even those that evolve from others do not necessarily learn all the same moves that their predecessors learn. Each Pokémon may only know a total of four moves at any one time. Moves may be learned through leveling up, using TMs and HMs, breeding and move tutors (NPCs that teach moves).

Each move is classified as one of the 18 Pokémon types. The effectiveness of a move is dependent on how susceptible the target Pokémon's type is to the move's type. Phrases associated with this aspect are "It's super effective!" (damage is at least doubled), "It's not very effective…" (damage is at least halved) and "It doesn't affect [defending Pokémon]..." (damage and all effects are negated). A Pokémon with the same type as the move it uses will receive a 50% bonus to its damage, referred to as a "Same-Type Attack Bonus" (STAB). Moves are further defined as "physical" or "special"; before the Diamond and Pearl games, moves' status of being either physical or special depended on the type, rather than on the individual move. There are also "status" moves, which deal no damage and often inflict status changes on the defending or attacking Pokémon. Damage-inflicting moves remove a certain number of Health Points from the target Pokémon based on the types of the move and its target and on the statistics of the two Pokémon. The damage can also be affected by items held by either Pokémon or by their Abilities.

Each move has a specific accuracy (命中, Meichū), which determines the chance of hitting the target Pokémon assuming no changes are made to user's accuracy or the target's evasiveness. Very powerful moves often have below-average accuracy. Moves with standard 100% accuracy ratings are susceptible to changes in accuracy and evasiveness, but some moves bypass both and always land.

The PP (Power Points) of a move indicate how many times a Pokémon may use that move. As with accuracy, a powerful move is often offset by having a low number of PP. Once a Pokémon uses up all the PP for a certain move, it can no longer use that move. If a Pokémon expends all the PP for all of its moves, it then resorts to a move called Struggle, which damages the user as well as the target. Depleted PP can be restored by using certain items or by visiting a Pokémon Center.

Many moves have effects beyond inflicting damage. A common secondary effect is a chance to induce a certain status effect (状態異常, jōtai ijō) on the target: paralysis (まひ, Mahi), burn (やけど, Yakedo), freeze (こおり, Kōri), poison (どく, Doku) or sleep (ねむり, Nemuri); each negatively affects how the afflicted Pokémon performs in battle. Some moves have negative side-effects for the user, such as forcing the player to wait a turn before or after use or causing recoil damage. A few moves, such as Splash, does nothing whatsoever except when used as a Z-Move.

Once per battle, if a Pokémon holds a Z-Crystal, a powerful object obtained from completing island trials, it can use an upgraded version of one of its moves, called a Z-Move. Z-Moves based on attacking moves tend to have much higher power than normal; those based on status moves usually incur a benefit on the user before executing the move.

Certain moves can also be used in the overworld to bypass obstacles, quickly travel between locations, escape dungeons, or heal Pokémon. Usually, Pokémon will learn these moves with the use of the HM items and will be able to use them in the aforementioned ways after certain Badges are obtained.

Pokémon Abilities (特性, Tokusei) are special attributes which were introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Specific species of Pokémon have one to three possible Abilities, with individual Pokémon exhibiting one Ability each. Unlike the moves a Pokémon knows, its Ability cannot normally change (except sometimes during evolution, and by using the Ability Capsule, which was introduced in Pokémon X and Y).

Most Pokémon use their Abilities in battle. Abilities can strengthen a Pokémon's statistics or weaken a foe, inflict status effects such as paralysis or poisoning, or perform other effects. Some Abilities also grant immunities or resistances, such as Water Absorb - when a Pokémon with this Ability gets hit by a Water-type attack, it absorbs the attack upon contact, recovering HP in the process, rather than losing HP as normal. Not all Abilities are helpful and may be implemented to hinder a Pokémon. For example, Slaking, which would otherwise be extraordinarily powerful, has the Truant Ability, which only lets it attack every other turn.

Some Abilities have effects outside of Pokémon battles. For example, Pokémon with the Pickup Ability will sometimes retrieve items off the ground. A Pokémon with the Ability Intimidate, mentioned above, will cause the player to encounter lower-level wild Pokémon less often.[11]

Pokémon Black and White introduced Hidden Abilities, which initially could only be found on Pokémon acquired from the Pokémon Global Link, either through the Pokémon Dream World feature or through promotional releases. There are also rare instances of Hidden Abilities available in the main game, either as a special encounter or as a Trade with an NPC. Black 2 and White 2 introduced the game mechanic of Hidden Grottoes (隠し穴, Kakushi Ana), areas where the player has a chance to find a Pokémon that has its Hidden Ability. Subsequent games introduced more means of obtaining Pokémon with Hidden Abilities; for instance, Pokémon encountered in Horde Battles have a small chance of having their Hidden Ability.

The Base stat values determine the natural statistical strengths of the various Pokémon species. Every species is assigned a number in each of the six stats; the higher the number, the higher the stat can potentially be. While these values may greatly vary between species, they are the same for each member of that species. It is the difference among species which explains why all Aerodactyl will have a higher Speed than any Snorlax of the same level; however, it is the combination of other factors that causes some Snorlax to be faster than others.[14] Adding up all the base stat values for a certain species generates the base stat total, which players use to determine approximately how strong that species is.

Effort values (努力値, doryokuchi, EVs) are hidden values that affect the strengths of a Pokémon in particular statistical areas. Differing effort value levels between two Pokémon can create a significant difference in the two Pokémon's statistical strengths. When a Pokémon battles and defeats an opponent, they gain experience points and also receive a number and type of EVs according to the defeated Pokémon's species. Every defeated Pokémon gives at least one EV to each of the Pokémon that fought it. Certain factors, like holding the Macho Brace item, can increase the rate at which EVs are gained in battle. In Pokémon Gold and Silver, a condition known as Pokérus (ポケルス, Pokerusu) was introduced which doubles the rate at which EVs are obtained, and will be contagious for a certain number of days, allowing it to spread to other Pokémon. Also, consuming certain items can increase a Pokémon's EVs, and certain Berries decrease EVs while increasing a Pokémon's friendship value. There is a limit on the number of EVs Pokémon can have, which prevents stats from increasing indefinitely. The total limit allows for maximum Effort Values in two stats simultaneously.

In the first- and second-generation games, a similar system usually referred to as Stat Experience or Stat Exp. was used. As with Effort Values, there is a limit to how much Stat Exp. a Pokémon can have in each stat; however, unlike Effort Values, there is no limit to the total Stat Exp. a Pokémon can have across all stats, meaning that a Pokémon can have maximum Stat Exp. in every stat. Also of note is that, for Pokémon from the first and second generation to be forward and backward compatible for trading, Stat Exp. was not tracked separately for Special Attack and Special Defense in the second generation games. Instead, the Special Stat Exp. value was used to calculate both Special Attack and Special Defense.

In Pokémon X and Y, a minigame known as Super Training (スパトレ, Supatore) is introduced that allows players to more accurately manage the effort values. The player can do this by playing a soccer-like minigame, which also rewards the player with training bags to continue the training passively. The Pokémon's effort values can also be viewed in the Super Training interface, which includes an "Effort-o-Meter" to allow the player to see the maximum capability of increasing the Pokémon's effort values.[15][16]

In Pokémon Sun and Moon, a graph of a Pokémon's EVs along with its base stats can be seen by pressing the Y button while viewing the summary of a Pokémon. A sparkling stat shows that the Pokémon had obtained the maximum number of EVs for the stat. Pokémon can gain EVs passively through a feature called "Poké Pelago".

Pokémon Natures (性格, Seikaku) were first introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Each Pokémon has a Nature, randomly assigned when it is generated, which cannot be changed. A Pokémon's Nature affects the rate at which some of its stats increase: out of the twenty-five possible Natures, twenty will increase one stat's growth rate but decrease another's. The other five modify the same stat in both increases and decreases, and thus the Pokémon's overall growth is unaffected.[17] Natures also determine which flavor of Pokéblocks or Poffins that Pokémon likes and dislikes.

Individual values (個体値, kotaichi) or IVs are a hidden value for each statistic which determine a Pokémon's maximum potential. These values are randomly generated along with each Pokémon when it is encountered or bred, and set in stone for the rest of the game. These hidden values are why even Pokémon that seem identical and have been raised the same way may have different stats. IVs range from 0 to 31,[17] and their Generations I and II predecessors, "determinant values", ranged from 0 to 15.

Many items received in the game are used to heal Pokémon during and outside of battles. A range of items cure various status conditions, such as Antidotes for poisoning and Awakenings for sleep. Revives restore a Pokémon back to health after it has lost all of its HP. Ethers and Elixirs restore the PP of a Pokémon's moves to varying degrees.

Technical Machines (わざマシン, Waza Mashin) and Hidden Machines (ひでんマシン, Hiden Mashin), commonly abbreviated as TMs and HMs, can be used to teach moves to Pokémon, including some moves that they would otherwise not learn by increasing in level. TMs are commonly found in the field, in shops, and as rewards for defeating a Gym Leader. HMs are often vital to game progression as they have important effects outside of battle, allowing the player to traverse certain obstacles. For example, Pokémon who learn the HM move Surf can transport the protagonist over water, which is necessary to reach island locations. When a Pokémon learns an HM move, the move cannot be deleted or replaced unless the player uses the services of an NPC known as the Move Deleter.

Key items are rarer than regular items and are usually given to the player rather than found. These include fishing rods which are used to find water-dwelling Pokémon, a bicycle which allows the protagonist to move around faster, a dowsing machine, and keys which open locked doors leading to important areas. These items cannot be thrown away, sold, or given to a Pokémon.

Starting with Pokémon Gold and Silver, each Pokémon is able to hold a single item. Items carried by Pokémon can have a range of effects. Some, like Berries, are consumed after one use and boost HP or stats. Others persistently boost move power, defense, Speed, and more. Just like moves, some items hinder the user to compensate their power; for instance, the Life Orb boosts the damage of the holder's attacks, but hurts it after each successful attack. Others items solely harm the user except in rare situations, such as the Toxic Orb, which badly poisons it. Pokémon X and Y introduced Mega Stones used to Mega Evolve members of the stone's species, and Sun and Moon introduced Z-Crystals, which give the holder access to Z-Moves. Items like the Razor Claw and Razor Fang evolve certain Pokémon when held while a condition is met. Most items, including Poké Balls and Potions, can be held but have no effect when given to a Pokémon. Items can be moved between, removed from, and neutralized on Pokémon through moves like Trick, Knock Off, and Embargo, or consumed to damage the opponent through the attacks Fling and Natural Gift.

The Poké Ball (モンスターボール, Monsutābōru, "Monster Ball") is a spherical device used by Pokémon Trainers to catch wild Pokémon and store them in the player's inventory when not active. Upon contact, the balls draw a Pokémon inside and then close automatically. Wild Pokémon are able to resist and break free; however, weakened Pokémon and those with status conditions are less able to struggle and therefore more easily caught. Legendary Pokémon are much more capable of resisting being caught, and will often require many Poké Balls or more powerful Poké Balls to catch them. If the player attempts to catch a non-player character's Pokémon, the opponent will block the Ball to prevent its theft. A subcategory of Generation 7 Pokémon called Ultra Beasts require a different Poké Ball altogether.

As depicted in the anime and manga series, the Poké Ball, when not in use, is the size of a golf ball and, with a press of the central button, enlarges to the size of a baseball. The Pokémon is released for battle by throwing the ball; when retrieving a Pokémon, a beam of red light converts the Pokémon into energy to reclaim it. Poké Balls are explained as being incredibly comfortable for Pokémon, so much that they would willingly enter one without any sort of encouragement.[18] The Pokémon Voltorb, Electrode, Foongus, and Amoonguss are often mistaken for Poké Balls, due to their shape and color schemes which highly resemble Poké Balls.

Various types of Poké Balls exist. Introduced in Pokémon Red and Blue are the Poké Ball, Great Ball (スーパーボール, Sūpā Bōru, "Super Ball"), Ultra Ball (ハイパーボール, Haipā Bōru, "Hyper Ball"), and Master Ball (マスターボール, Masutā Bōru). The Master Ball always succeeds against any Pokémon that can be caught, and of which typically only one is available in the game. In Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver, there are fruits called Apricorns, which, when given to Kurt in Azalea Town, make one of seven special types of Poké Balls, depending on the Apricorn's color. The seven kinds of Poké Balls Kurt can make (and the seven color Apricorns they are made out of) are Level (Red), Moon (Yellow), Lure (Blue), Friend (Green), Love (Pink), Fast (White), and Heavy (Black). Beginning in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, other specialized balls appear, including the Timer Ball, which becomes more effective as the number of turns in the current battle rises, and the Net Ball, which has a better chance of catching Water and Bug-type Pokémon, among others. In addition, in several games there exists an area called the Safari Zone in which only Safari Balls can be used; these cannot be obtained or used elsewhere in the game. Pokémon Sun and Moon introduced the Beast Ball, which is designed for capturing Ultra Beasts and is much more effective at capturing them than standard Poké Balls. There is also a special kind of Poké Ball known as the Cherish Ball, which can only be obtained through special distribution events.

In the Nintendo GameCube RPGs, Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, the player is able to catch non-player characters' Pokémon through the use of the Snag Machine, which turns Poké Balls into Snag Balls. Snag Balls are capable of catching any Pokémon, and are developed by the antagonists to steal Pokémon where they are not common in the wild. Snag Balls can also be used by the player to catch Shadow Pokémon who have been tainted by the antagonist group and that the player is required to purify for game completion.

Poké Balls have appeared in every installment of the Super Smash Bros. series, releasing a Pokémon to assist the player who grabbed it. Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U also introduces the Master Ball, which almost always releases a legendary Pokémon, with a small chance of releasing Goldeen instead.

UGO.com listed the Poké Ball eighteenth on their list of "Our 50 Favorite Video Game Power-ups" citing how everybody runs to get it in the Super Smash Bros. series.[19]

The Pokédex (ポケモン図鑑, Pokémon Zukan, lit. "Pokémon Encyclopedia") is an electronic device designed to catalog and provide information regarding the various species of Pokémon. The name Pokédex is a portmanteau of Pokémon and index.[20] In the video games, whenever a Pokémon is first caught, its height, weight, species type, and a short description will be added to a player's Pokédex. Each region has its own Pokédex, which differ in appearance, species of Pokémon catalogued, and functions such as the ability to sort the list of Pokémon based on alphabetical order or display the Pokémon's size compared to the player character. The "National Pokédex" allows Pokémon from all regions to be catalogued. The Nintendo 3DS application Pokédex 3D Pro features all of the Pokémon with all of its forms and each one has its own animation.

This is the most common method of evolution across all Pokémon generations, and involves Pokémon acquiring experience points through battling other Pokémon. For example, a Charmander will evolve to Charmeleon when it reaches to level 16.

Evolutionary stones are items which can be found throughout the games. Some Pokémon can have particular evolutionary stones used on them, and doing so will cause the Pokémon to evolve. Initially five evolutionary stones were introduced into the game: the Water, Thunder, Leaf, Moon and Fire Stones. Later generations introduced more kinds, bringing the total to ten in Generation VII.

Some Pokémon, like Machoke and Kadabra, evolve when traded between players. Additional evolutionary requirements can also exist; for instance, Seadra only evolves into Kingdra if it holds a Dragon Scale when traded and Shelmet and Karrablast only evolve when traded for each other.

A Pokémon's friendship (なつき度, Natsuki-do, lit. "Degree of Emotional Attachment"; nicknamed "Happiness" by players) is an attribute that can rise or fall based upon several conditions and events. This aspect, introduced in Pokémon Yellow, determined Pikachu's stat growth and affected the outcome of certain NPC events. In Pokémon Gold and Silver it is a means to evolve several Pokémon. When Pokémon like Chansey or Golbat level up and have very high Friendship, they will evolve.

In addition to its use in certain evolutions, the moves Return and Frustration base their power on the Pokémon's friendship value, with Return's power rising the higher the friendship value is and Frustration's power rising the lower the friendship level is.

In Pokémon X and Y, a feature known as Pokémon-Amie (ポケパルレ, Pokeparure, "PokéParler") was introduced; in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the feature is known as Pokémon Refresh. It allows players to interact with and care for Pokémon in a manner similar to some digital pet games. This minigame utilizes the touchscreen to allow players to pet their Pokémon and feed them sweets to raise their affection value. In battle, Pokémon with high Affection may turn to their Trainer to await orders and express emotions. Additionally, they can receive certain benefits such as an increased chance to land critical hits if their affection reaches a high enough value.[21][22] Eevee must have high affection and must know a Fairy-type move to evolve into Sylveon.

Mega Evolution (メガシンカ, Mega Shinka) is a mechanic introduced in Pokémon X and Y, which further increases the abilities of specific Pokémon. If the player character possesses an item called the Key Stone (キーストーン, Kī Sutōn) and a Pokémon is holding a Mega Stone (メガストーン, Mega Sutōn) that corresponds to its species, that Pokémon will be able to Mega Evolve during battle. The player cannot perform more than one Mega Evolution per battle. Unlike normal evolution, this transformation is temporary and the Pokémon will revert to its normal form after the battle. Mega Evolved Pokémon have higher stats than their normal forms and may also have a different type or Ability.[23] There are 46 species of Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution, two of which have two different Mega forms.[24] Mewtwo was the first known example of a Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution, with Mega Mewtwo Y appearing in a special episode of the television series and the film Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened. Two Pokémon, Charizard and Mewtwo, have multiple Mega Evolved forms and the one they can Mega Evolve into is dependent on which Mega Stone they hold.[25]

Primal Reversion (ゲンシカイキ, Genshi Kaiki) is a mechanic introduced in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.[26] Only two Pokémon, Groudon and Kyogre, are capable of Primal Reversion. These Pokémon will undergo Primal Reversion automatically if they hold the Red Orb or Blue Orb (respectively) when sent into battle. Like Mega Evolution, Primal Reversion increases the Pokémon's stats and changes their Abilities; unlike Mega Evolution, Primal Reversion can be performed more than once per battle.[27]

Bond Phenomenon (キズナ現象, Bond Phenomenon) is a mechanic that debuted in the anime's XYZ series and was introduced into the core series games in Pokémon Sun and Moon. The only Pokémon capable of this transformation is Greninja with the Battle Bond Ability. Greninja will transform into Ash-Greninja if it knocks out a Pokémon during battle, giving it an appearance similar to Ash Ketchum, increased stats and a stronger Water Shuriken. Unlike Mega Evolution, Primal Reversion and Ultra Burst, Bond Phenomenon does not require an item to activate.

Ultra Burst (ウルトラバースト, Ultra Burst) is a mechanic introduced in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, exclusive to the Legendary Pokémon Necrozma. Necrozma may undergo Ultra Burst if it is in its Dusk Mane or Dawn Wings form and holding the Ultranecrozium Z Z-Crystal, which will allow it to transform into Ultra Necrozma. Like Mega Evolution, Bond Phenomenon and Primal Reversion, Ultra Burst increases Necrozma's stats and is a temporary transformation.

Dynamax (ダイマックス, Daimax) and Gigantamax (キョダイマックス, Kyodaimax) are mechanics introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield. If the player character possesses an item called the Dynamax Band (ダイマックスバンド, Daimax Band), it drastically increases the Pokémon's size, its HP by 50% and can use Max Moves. The Pokémon can further increase its HP by 5% from using Dynamax Candy (ダイマックスアメ, Daimax Candy) to increase its Dynamax Level. Gigantamax is similar to Dynamax, but it changes the Pokémon's form, similar to Mega Evolution. Gigantamax Pokémon use G-Max Moves, exclusive to the 26 Pokémon capable of Gigantamaxing. Each Gigantamax Pokémon must have their respective move type in order to use their respective G-Max Move. Unlike Mega Evolution, Primal Reversion, Z-Moves and Ultra Burst, Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing can only be used in Gym Stadiums, Max Raid Battles and other areas except for wild or trainer battles.

Zacian, Zamazenta and Eternatus are the only Pokémon that cannot Dynamax.

Eternamax (ムゲンダイマックス, Mugendaimax) is a mechanic introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield, exclusive to the Legendary Pokémon Eternatus. Eternatus changes into its Eternamax form after defeating it for the first time. Its power prevents the player's and Hop's Pokémon from attacking. Eternatus is attackable after the player summons the Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta, resulting in a Max Raid Battle where the player can capture Eternatus and end its transformation.

Eternamax Eternatus can be used in battle (if Eternatus uses the move Eternabeam), but the player cannot currently obtain this form of Eternatus.

One of the reoccurring aspects of the Pokémon series of role-playing games is the choice of one of three different Pokémon at the start of the player's adventures. Players have the option to choose one of three different types of Pokémon: a Grass type, a Fire type and a Water type, though many starter Pokémon gain an additional type upon evolution.[28] These Pokémon are supposedly indigenous to their regions, yet otherwise unattainable except through trading with another game. Many games include a rival character, who receives the Pokémon whose type is advantageous against the player's starter Pokémon.

This concept is introduced in Pokémon Yellow, in which players are given a Pikachu, the mascot of the Pokémon media franchise, who walks along behind them.[29] The rival Trainer receives an Eevee, a Normal-type Pokémon. The Eevee will evolve into one of its three different evolved states depending on how well the player fares in battles with the rival at the beginning of the game.

"Legendary Pokémon" (伝説のポケモン, Densetsu no Pokémon) is a term of art. Since the Gold and Silver versions of the games, the main series' game package features one Legendary Pokémon, usually the Pokémon most involved in the main storyline of that game. Legendary Pokémon are often described as being exceptionally rare. In most cases, Legendary Pokémon are exceptionally powerful, difficult to catch and unable to evolve (with the exception of Cosmog, Cosmoem and Kubfu) and no known Legendary Pokémon is capable of breeding. Many Legendary Pokémon also lack a gender. Certain Legendary Pokémon colloquially termed "roaming Pokémon" randomly move around the world map and flee from battle, making them even harder to obtain.

"Mythical Pokémon" (幻のポケモン, Maboroshi no Pokémon) is a separate group of Pokémon. The term is commonly associated with Pokémon that cannot be obtained through standard gameplay, requiring an external mechanic to obtain them; however, some Mythical Pokémon have been made obtainable in later releases, notably Deoxys. These Pokémon are usually placed at the end of their respective games' Pokédex and can only be obtained through distribution events set up by Nintendo. The first of these Mythical Pokémon was Mew, who was programmed into the Red and Green games as a secret character by Shigeki Morimoto without any knowledge of the other members of the development team and was not announced until several months after the games' release in a special promotion. Since then, the games have continued to feature Pokémon that cannot be obtained through standard gameplay, but the programming that allow the player to catch them within the games can be activated by special items (or other Pokémon) distributed by Nintendo. The first of these such items was the GS Ball in Crystal, which was distributed to players in Japan through the mobile phone connector, allowing them to encounter Celebi. Like Legendary Pokémon, Mythical Pokémon are powerful and difficult to catch, are usually not part of an evolutionary line (with the exception of Meltan) and cannot breed (with the exception of Manaphy).

The player finds a green Zubat in Pokémon FireRed Version.

Shiny Pokémon were first introduced in Gold and Silver as a way to demonstrate the new color capabilities of the Game Boy Color system. These are Pokémon which have a different coloration than normal; in earlier games, this was done by means of a palette swap. Encountering a Shiny Pokémon is extremely rare; the probability under normal conditions is 1 in 8,192 (1 in 4,096 from the sixth generation onwards).[30] There are some major exceptions to this rule, such as a red Gyarados present in Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver and three Pokémon present in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, all of which are guaranteed to be Shiny.

There are various ways of increasing the chance of getting a Shiny Pokémon. In second-generation games, breeding a Shiny Pokémon with a regular Pokémon has a higher chance (1 in 64) of producing a Shiny Pokémon. In Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, X and Y, the Poké Radar can be used to "chain" Pokémon of the same species, improving the odds of a Shiny Pokémon with each link (up to 40 links, when the odds are 1 in 200). Since Generation IV, breeding Pokémon that originated in games of two different languages results in Eggs with a 1 in 1,638 (Generation IV games) or 1 in 1365 (Black and White onwards) chance to contain a Shiny Pokémon; this method of increasing odds has been dubbed the "Masuda method" after developer Junichi Masuda.[31] Additionally, an item introduced in Black 2 and White 2 called the Shiny Charm increases the probability of finding Shiny Pokémon. However, this item is only accessible long after completing the game, as the player must have completed the National Pokédex (excluding Mythical Pokémon). Beginning in Black and White, certain Pokémon in each game are 'Shiny-locked', meaning the player cannot obtain a Shiny variant of them in normal gameplay.

Pokémon Sun and Moon's SOS Battle mechanic created a new way to "hunt" for Shiny Pokémon. If a wild Pokémon calls allies to help and the ally is continually of the same species in a "chain", the chance that it calls a Shiny Pokémon rises up to a base of 13 in 4096 after the 30th is called, as do the chances of Hidden Ability and perfect IVs, though they are capped at four perfect IVs maximum. In their sequels' Ultra Warp Ride minigame, by successfully traveling more light-years through the wormhole and entering wormholes with more rings, the player can increase the chance of finding Shiny Pokémon in the Ultra Space Wilds. Generation 7 also introduced an upgrade to the "Masuda method" referred to as "Swap Breeding"; the game is continually saved and soft-reset until a fast-hatching, dummy Pokémon is hatched shiny within the first thirty attempts, and shininess is transplanted to the new Pokémon hatched in the same position as the dummy was.[32]

In Gold, Silver and Crystal, Shiny Pokémon have slightly above-average stats, but this is because their Shininess is determined by their determinant values in those games. In the third generation and onward, however, Shininess is determined by another value, and Shiny Pokémon are not stronger than any other Pokémon in battle. Most fans consider Shiny Pokémon to be collectors' items because of their rarity.

The term "Shiny" was initially a term invented by the Pokémon fan community due to the flash of stars that appear when such a Pokémon enters a battle, implying a sheen property to the colors of the Pokémon. The term "Shiny Pokémon" was later officially acknowledged in Pokémon Black and White, but it has been used in the anime and in a few strategy guides before this. The term hikaru (光る, "shining") was also a widely used slang term in Japan; Ken Sugimori uses hikaru in the title of a piece of artwork featuring a Shiny Charizard. The alternate term "Alt. Color" (色違い, Iro Chigai) appears among the options the player can choose when filling out forms in the third generation of games.

Shiny Pokémon have appeared in the anime, including the aforementioned red Gyarados and a Noctowl that protagonist Ash Ketchum catches. A pink Butterfree was also featured in an episode of the first season of the anime, but this alternate coloration is not what appears in the subsequent video games where the Shiny feature has been implemented.

The game link port is located above the volume control on the original Game Boy handheld system.

Players have the ability to trade their Pokémon with one another by connecting two compatible games. Trading is an important aspect to the Pokémon games, being the crux upon which much of the franchise is based. This is because the slogan and consequently the goal, "Gotta catch 'em All," is logistically impossible without trading. Each game released in a generation has certain Pokémon that are exclusive to that version. For example, in Pokémon Red players can catch the Pokémon Ekans and its evolved form, Arbok, while both are absent in the wild in both Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Yellow. Other Pokémon are only available when offered up as a choice. The most obvious example is the choice between three starter Pokémon at the beginning of the game; the only way to get the other two is by trading. Some NPCs offer to trade Pokémon with the player, allowing them to acquire Pokémon otherwise unavailable without connecting to another game. For example, the only way to get a Jynx in Pokémon Red and Blue (other than trading with another game cartridge) is through an in-game trade. The other way that trading is made instrumental in gameplay is that some Pokémon, like Haunter and Machoke, only evolve into their final forms when traded.

Trading between games on the Game Boy and related systems is accomplished through a Game Link cable that attaches to ports found on all Game Boy incarnations. The size of the ports varies between consoles, so several hybrid cables have been created that allow, for example, linking between the original Game Boy and the Game Boy Color. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen include a special wireless dongle which plugs into the game link port for local wireless communication. On the Nintendo DS, DS Wireless Communications is used instead.[33] Diamond and Pearl also introduced the Global Trade Station/System (or GTS), a place where people all around the world may trade Pokémon using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. In the GTS hall, the player can input their own location and pinpoint the locations of other players they have interacted with. The Nintendo WFC records this data when they trade successfully with someone over the GTS or in their Pal Pad.[34] For the Nintendo 3DS line, two successors to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection were implemented in each generation. In the Player Search System in Pokémon X and Y and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the function is simply called Trade, while in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon in the Festival Plaza, the function is called Link Trade. The second successor is called Wonder Trade; players choose a Pokémon to trade and are randomly paired with another player around the world.

In addition to allowing trades between players, the connectivity features, such as the Game Link cable, the GTS and the Player Search Systems (PSS), that work via the internet, also allow players to battle each other and test their Pokémon strengths and their strategies.[6][9] This has allowed Pokémon to be played competitively, with worldwide tournaments.

Pokémon Bank (ポケモンバンク, Pokémon Banku) is an application which allows players to store up to 3,000 Pokémon in an online cloud storage service. Players can deposit and withdraw Pokémon from both physical and downloaded versions of compatible games, allowing players to exchange Pokémon between the two versions without the need for a second system. Additionally, an application called Poké Transporter (ポケムーバー, Poke Mūbā, "Poké Mover") allows players to upload Pokémon from Pokémon Black, White, Black 2 and White 2 to the Pokémon Bank, after which they can be imported into newer games. The service requires an annual subscription fee and there are plans to continue to utilize it for future Pokémon titles.[35]

Intended for release on December 27, 2013, Pokémon Bank was postponed due to unforeseen traffic levels on the Nintendo Network service.[36] Pokémon Bank was fully released on the Nintendo eShop on January 22, 2014 in Japan, February 4, 2014 in Europe and February 5, 2014 in North America.

As of an update released on January 24, 2017, Pokémon Sun and Moon have also gained compatibility with Pokémon Bank. The update allows players to send their Pokémon from their core sixth generation games to Sun and Moon, though when transferred, they cannot return to the older games. Additionally, the Poké Transporter was also updated to allow players to transfer Pokémon caught in the Virtual Console editions of Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow to Pokémon Sun and Moon. The update also added a new in-app National Pokédex, presumably to make up for the lack of one in Sun and Moon.[37][38][39]

On November 17, 2017, coinciding with the release of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, it was announced that the games would support Pokémon Bank later the same month. The update, which came three days later, also added compatibility with the Virtual Console versions of Pokémon Gold and Silver as well as Crystal (which was not re-released until January 26, 2018) to the Poké Transporter.[40]

On May 28, 2019, Pokémon Home was revealed as the successor application to Pokémon Bank. Scheduled for release in February 2020, the app will be available on Nintendo Switch and smartphone devices and will have connectivity with Pokémon Bank, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Pokémon Sword and Shield and Pokémon Go.[41] Players can get a free version that can store up to 30 Pokémon, or they can buy the premium pass which will let them store up to 6,000, twice as much as Pokemon Bank.

Compatibility is usually restricted to one male and one female. In addition, Pokémon species are assigned to Egg Groups (タマゴグループ, Tamago Gurūpu), which determines their breeding compatibility with other species. Pokémon may belong to up to two Egg Groups; in order to breed, they must share at least one Egg Group. Nearly all Pokémon species, even those that are all-male or genderless, are able to breed with the shapeshifting Pokémon Ditto. The Egg produced will yield a hatchling from the non-Ditto Pokémon's evolutionary line. Two Ditto cannot breed to produce another Ditto.

A select group of species cannot breed at all, which includes all Legendary Pokémon, all Ultra Beasts, most Mythical Pokémon, Nidorina and Nidoqueen (but not Nidoran♀), Unown, and all "baby" Pokémon. This is called the "Undiscovered" Egg Group. Although some Legendary Pokémon have genders, they still cannot breed. An unusual circumstance involves the relation of the Mythical Pokémon Manaphy and Phione; both can breed with Ditto to create an Egg which hatches into Phione, yet Phione does not evolve into Manaphy. Manaphy itself is obtained from an Egg from Pokémon Ranger games, but it will never breed to produce another Manaphy Egg.

Pokémon hatched from Eggs can inherit (遺伝, iden) stats from their parents. Three of the Pokémon's individual values are inherited from one or the other of its parents, and the other three IVs are generated randomly.[43]

Moves can also be inherited through breeding. Moves that a newly hatched Pokémon begins with are divided into three categories: learned moves, inherited moves, and hereditary moves or "Egg Moves". Learned moves are moves that the Pokémon would have naturally at its starting level; inherited moves are those that the Pokémon would be able to learn at later levels or through TMs; and Egg Moves (タマゴわざ, Tamago Waza), inherited from the father (or either parent beginning in Pokémon X and Y), are those that the Pokémon would not be able to learn normally. The Pokémon can learn the move on this occasion as it receives the move from a parent of a different species. Upon birth, the young Pokémon's move slots are filled with learned moves. However, if there are any inherited moves or Egg Moves available for the Pokémon to learn, they replace the learned moves.[43][44]

Pokémon Contests (ポケモンコンテスト, Pokémon Kontesuto) are competitions of skill among Pokémon Trainers and their Pokémon partners. Pokémon Contests are different from Pokémon battles, testing talent rather than power. They were introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and later appeared in Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire.

There are five categories that a Pokémon can be entered into: Beauty, Cute, Cool, Tough, and Smart. In addition, there are four ranks of contests: Normal, Super, Hyper, and Master Rank. To enter, a Trainer must go to the contest hall that holds contests of the appropriate rank, and in ranks higher than Normal, the participating Pokémon must have won the contest of the selected category in the previous rank. In Diamond and Pearl, Contests are renamed Super Contests, and the four ranks are named Normal, Great, Ultra, and Master.[45]

In the first round (called "Visual Competition" in Diamond and Pearl) the Pokémon is shown to the audience, who then vote on their favorite. Pokémon will gain more points here if they have good condition in the selected category, which can be increased by using Pokéblocks. In Diamond and Pearl, Pokéblocks are replaced by Poffins, and the player can also use the stylus to dress up their Pokémon in certain Accessories (アクセサリー, Akusesarī) to fit the theme of the contest.[46]

The second round, called "Dance Competition", was introduced in Diamond and Pearl. The participating Pokémon join in a dance routine. The leading Pokémon gets rated based on following the rhythm, and the rest of the Pokémon have to mimic the leader's steps. All four participants take turns to be the leader.[47]

The final round ("Acting Competition") comprises a few rounds, and the Pokémon are ordered in sequence based on their performance in the previous round. Each round, the player chooses one Pokémon move to perform before the judge, and in Diamond and Pearl players also choose which of three judges to appeal to. Each move has a category, appeal value, and effect. Using a good combination will gain the Pokémon more appeal points, but using the same move twice consecutively will be less effective. Moves can have many effects, such as "jamming" previous Pokémon to reduce their appeal, or randomizing the order of appeals in the next round.[48] After appeals are concluded, the results are shown, and the Pokémon with the most total points wins a ribbon.[49]

Pokéblocks (Polock (ポロック, Porokku)), introduced in Ruby and Sapphire, are candy-like treats used to increase the contest condition and Loyalty of Pokémon. Pokéblocks are created from Berries in the "Berry Blender" minigame, which can be played by two to four human or computer-controlled players. The types of berries blended by all participants affect the category and effectiveness of the resulting Pokéblock. Pokéblocks are also used in the games' Safari Zone to attract wild Pokémon.

Poffins (ポフィン, Pofin), a type of baked goods, were introduced in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl as replacements for Pokéblocks. Poffins are made by adding a Berry to some batter in a pot, and stirring it with a stylus using the Nintendo DS's touch screen. Poffins can be mixed only with human partners and can be done solo or with two to four players wirelessly.

In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the contest minigame is replaced with an athletic competition called the Pokéathlon (ポケスロン, Pokesuron). The competitions range from track and field events such as hurdling or a relay race to a snowball fight and a game resembling pachinko.

A Pokémon's stats may be increased by consuming "Aprijuice" (ボンドリンク, Bon Dorinku, "Bon Drink") made from fruits known as Apricorns that the player can find throughout the world. By putting a number of Apricorns in a blender and making the player character run a certain number of steps, the Apricorns are mixed into a milkshake-like blend. The process can be repeated multiple times, each time adding more Apricorns to the mixture and running to blend them. The number of times this is done, along with the variety of Apricorns used, affects the type and effectiveness of the resulting Aprijuice. Aprijuice will increase one of five additional statistics that only exist for the Pokéathlon which consist of Speed, Power, Skill, Jump, and Stamina.

In Pokémon Black and White, the contest minigame is replaced by the Pokémon Musicals (ポケモンミュージカル, Pokémon Myūjikaru).[50] Rather than grooming Pokémon with Pokéblocks, Poffins, or Aprijuice, the player's Pokémon is only dressed in Accessories which can be waved around on stage when the Pokémon dances to various pieces of music; the player does not control the Pokémon during this time, other than Appealing with special props. If the audience likes the performance, they give more props to the player in person post-performance. The player can, in fact, control the camera angle during the performance.

Another minigame is added in Black 2 and White 2 called Pokéstar Studios (ポケウッド, Pokeuddo, "Pokéwood"). The player joins the cast of a movie and participates in a mock battle with a chroma key opponent, while picking line options that match the script of the film and completing an objective within a particular set of turns. Depending on how well the player performs according to the script, they will receive items from the film premiere's audience and unlock more movies to participate in.