How To Become a Pokemon Master- Digital Tools Final

A Person Who Spent the Majority of Their Life Playing the Pokemon Games Presents the Guide of: How to Become a Pokemon Master

Step 1: Know how Pokemon works

The Pokemon games are basically games where you build up your team of 6 (at the max) to take on the Champion of the Pokemon League. The Pokemon League consists of the Elite Four and Champion. The Elite Four are four trainers that are basically more powerful versions of Gym Leaders. You get a Pokedex at the start of your journey, so you can read information about any Pokemon you catch. You have the option to catch every Pokemon to fill the Pokedex, but this is not a requirement of the game. The professor of the region will give you a Pokemon once you start the game (this specific Pokemon is called a starter). The reason for this is because Pokemon will fight you once you enter the tall grass (unless you have repels, but you start off with no items). Pokemon can be found in the tall grass. The professor will also give you Pokeballs to catch Pokemon.

Pokemon grow in levels by battling other Pokemon. Pokemon can evolve this way. To get through the game, you take on the gym leaders that will only have one type of Pokemon. The Champion can have Pokemon of the same type, but more often than not are varied.

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These badges are rewarded to you when you beat the Gym Leaders. Not only are they pretty, but they are also indicators of how many leaders you have beaten. The only games that don’t have badges are Pokemon Sun and Moon. Where they are replaced with Z-Crystals. Generations 1-5 badges are all in this picture. Generation 6 and 8 are only ones excluded in the pic.

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Step 2: Know how Pokemon Battles Work

A Pokemon Battle can be done with wild Pokemon or other trainers. However, you can run from a wild battle but not a trainer one. The fight happens in turns. Whoever moves first depends on the Pokemons’ speed. As mentioned earlier, Pokemon have different stats. Therefore, some pokemon move faster than others.

When you win a wild battle, you get experience points that can allow your Pokemon to level up (the line below the HP box will tell you how close the Pokemon is to leveling up. With a trainer battle you get money as well as experience points (if you win).

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An important thing to note is that how much damage an attack will do is not always the same and based on chance. You can do a lot of damage (high roll) or not a lot (low roll). Another chance-based battle thing in Pokemon is called a critical hit. A critical hit does a lot more damage, and can faint your Pokemon. You’ll know when a critical hit happens because the text box will say critical hit.

Step 3: Know how to Catch Pokemon

This tutorial is required to watch in every game (except Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal). But, it is an important thing to know.

To catch a Pokemon, you must first have a Pokemon that can fight.

You can’t faint a Pokemon, but you can lower a Pokemon’s HP. Status conditions can improve your odds of catching it. Different Pokemon also have different catch rates. A pokemon can be easy, or difficult, to catch. Once you’ve caught a Pokemon, you have the option of nicknaming it.

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The most important thing is: HAVE POKEBALLS IN YOUR BAG. Double check if you must. There are different types of Pokeballs with different affects. You can buy Pokeballs (and other items) in a PokeMart. PokeMarts are distinguishable by their light blue roofs.

Step 4: Be aware of Pokemon Stats

Every Pokemon has a base amount of HP (hit points), Attack, Special Attack, Defense, Special Defense, and Speed. These can grow less or more depending on their nature, EVs, or IVs. Pokemon have natures, which can hinder or help them. For example, Jolteon is a special attacker, so a nature that lowers his special attack isn’t good.

EVs (effort values) are gained when a Pokemon battles or does Super Training (this is not available in every game).

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IVs (individual values) are hidden stats that are randomly applied to each Pokémon when they’re caught. IVs determine how high or low a base stat can go and sets the value to a specific number. This number is usually between zero and 31, with zero being the worst and 31 being the best.

Step 5: Know Pokemon Status Conditions

Pokemon moves can have secondary effects that can inflict status conditions onto your Pokemon. Most are not that worrisome. You can heal all of these with items or berries.

Paralysis can make you not move. An important thing to note is that even though it isn’t a status condition, flinching can also make you not move.

You can attack, but some turns you will be overcome with paralysis.

Being asleep and frozen are conditions where you can’t move. You can heal these or wait for the Pokemon to get rid of these themselves. Fire types will be frozen for less time.

Poison and burns lower your Pokemon’s HP. But burns have the added efffect of lowering a Pokemon’s attack. In some games, poison lowers HP outside of battle as well.

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Step 6: Know how Pokemon evolve

Some Pokemon can evolve. Some Pokemon evolve through leveling up at a certain level. Some Pokemon evolve through trades (some of them require items).

Some Pokemon can evolve at day or night. Some Pokemon can evolve through friendship. Some Pokemon can evolve only at certain locations.

In the Gen 6 and 7 games, Pokemon can Mega Evolve.

This Pokemon either never evolved at all, or normally don’t evolve. However, Mega Evolution is temporary.

This evolution goes away once the battle is over.

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Step 7: Know the Generation

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In the step above, we mentioned Generation 6. Now, I’ll explain what that means.

Pokemon has been around since 1996. So, there are a lot of games.

The generation is based on the games. The original Red and Blue games, as well as Yellow, are Generation 1. The sequels are called Generation 2, etc.. There have been remakes of old games, for example, Pokemon Fire Red. However, Pokemon Fire Red is a generation 3 game alongside Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. This is the case with all of these remake games.

The generations are important because each one has different functions and Pokemon. For example, in Generations 2, 3, and 4, poison affects you outside of battle. In Generation 4, your Pokemon survives the poisoning. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, your leading Pokemon can follow you. Generation 4 introduced a lot of new evolutions.

Every generation improves the gameplay.

Step 8: Know the Type Matchups

Pokemon have different types. Not only do Pokemon have types, but Pokemon moves have types. If a Pokemon has the same type as a move, it’s called a “STAB” move. STAB stands for same type attack bonus.

Pokemon normally learn moves that are the same type. However, they can learn moves of different types. These different type moves aren’t stab, however.

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Pokemon, based on their types have weaknesses, but they also have resistances and immunities. Resistances mean that the resisted type will do some damage, but even less than a type that isn’t a resistance.

Immunities mean the type won’t be damaged at all. The picture on the right is all of the type matchups of the 18 known types. It’s cut off on some parts, but I think you can still understand it.

Type

Weaknesses

Strengths

Resistances

Grass

Fi, F, I, P, B

W, Grd, R

W, G, E, Grd

Fire

W, Grd, R

B, G, I, S

G, Fi S, I, B, Fa

Water

G, E

Fi, R, Grd

Fi, W, S, I

W, F

E, F, S

Electric

Grd

Flying

E, I, R

B, G, Fight

B, G, Fight, Grd (immunity) R, P, E (immunity)

Ground

G, W, I, F (no effect)

Fi, E, R, S, P

Fighting

F, Psy, Fa, G (no effect)

R, D, N, I, S

G, W, Grd, Fight, S

Fi, F, I, B

Rock Poison

Grd, Psy

S (no effect)

G, Fa

B, R, D Fi, F, P, N G, Fight, P, Fa, B

Steel

Fi, Fight, Grd

R, I, Fa

G, F, R, Psy, N, I, B, Dr, Fa, P (immunity)

Dark

Fight, B, Fa

Psy, G

G, D, Psy (immunity)

Fight, P

Fight, Psy

Psychic

D, G, B D (no effect)

P, B, Fight, N (immunity)

Ghost

D, G N (no effect)

Normal

Fighting, G (no effect)

No type is weak to this type

Fi, Fight, R, S

G, F, Grd, Dr

Fi, F, R

G, D, Psy

G, Fight, Grd

Dragon

G, Fi, W, E

Fight, D, Dr

Fight, D, B Dr (immunity)

Ice Bug Dragon Fairy

I, Dr, Fa Fa (no effect)

P, S

Psy, G

G ( immunity) Ice

Step 9: Know what your team is going to be

Unless you’re doing what is called a Nuzlocke (a Pokemon challenge where you can only catch the first Pokemon you run into per route) , then planning out your team can really help.

You can have what is called a monotype team, where you have a team of just one type. All of the Gym Leaders, and as previously mentioned Elite Four, have teams like this. However, this type of team can make you very weak to one or more types.

Therefore, it is easier to have a Pokemon team of more than one type.

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The picture above is an example of a Pokemon team.

This team is from the Pokemon game HeartGold.

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Step 10: Make sure you have Pokemon that can learn HM moves (when appicable).

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In Generations 1-6, there are Pokemon moves called HMs (Hidden Moves) that will help you traverse through the region.

Unlike TMs (which we will discuss more thoroughly later), HMs can’t be forgotten without the help of a move deleter.

You can either teach Pokemon in your party these moves, are have what is called an HM slave. The HM slave is a Pokemon that you only use for the purpose of HMs. These HMs are Cut (allows you to cut trees), Rock Smash (self-explainatory), Strength (moves boulders), Surf (allows you to travel on the water), Waterfall (allows you to scale up waterfalls), Dive (allows you to dive underwater), Fly (allows you to travel to any known town), Defog (allows you to clear fog), and Rock Climb (allows you to scale up rocky cliffs).

In Generations 7 and 8, there are no HMs.

Step 11: Make sure you visit the Pokemon Center often.

Pokemon moves have something called PP (power points). PP tells how many times a Pokemon move can be used before it runs out. For example, the move Thunderbolt has 15 PP, which means it can be used 15 times before it needs to be refilled. When Pokemon are healed without the use of potions, their PP for moves is also restored.

You can find items in the overworld to either restore or increase the amount of PP.

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You, of course, need money to buy things. If you visit the Pokemon Center often with few items, you can save money which you will need for the Pokemon Elite Four and Champion.

Pokemon Centers are distinguishable by their red roof.

Step 12: Know what your Pokemon’s final moveset to take on the League is.

As mentioned before, Pokemon can learn moves outside of their typing. For example, Vaporeon, a water type, can learn Ice Beam, an ice type move. If vaporeon knows Ice Beam, it stands more of a chance against its weakness grass; since grass is weak to ice.

You can have defensive moves such as Defense Curl (a move that ups your defense), or status inflicting moves that don’t lower HP. Me, personally, I give them as much damaging coverage moves as I can.

In Generations 1-4, TMs (Technical Machines) can only be used once. In the rest of the generations, they can be used infinitely.

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An important thing to note is that Pokemon can only learn up to 4 moves. So, choose your moveset wisely.

This moveset is on an altaria from a Pokemon Emerald game.

It knows two STAB moves (Dragonbreath and Fly). While it knows Flamethrower and Steel Wing so it can stand a chance against ice and rock type Pokemon.

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Step 13: Be Aware of How Much Money You Have and Items You Need

You are given an amount of money when you start your journey, but you can earn more by beating Pokemon Trainers in battle.

Potions only heal 20 HP, while a Full Restore not only heals up the HP, but also heals any status conditions the Pokemon may have. Given that a full restore fully restores the Pokemon, it is more expensive than a potion.

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You can buy healing items sparingly, but I personally use the Pokemon Center until I get to the League. I do this so I can get way more items.

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This isn’t a step, but it is something important to note.

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Pokemon can have a different coloring than the normal coloring. These Pokemon are called “shinies”. They are more rare than normal colored Pokemon. Some shinies are more noticeable in their color change than others. Due to that, the second most noticable thing is the sparkle animation that occurs before battle. This can be easy to miss, however. Due to their rarity, shinies are very valuable to people who know what they are. In the spin-off Pokemon Go, you can run from a Pokemon and still come back to it. DON’T DO THAT IN ANY POKEMON GAMES BESIDES POKEMON GO. You can’t run away from shinies in the Pokemon games, because they will not still be there when you run through the grass again.

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