![]() | This is an
essay on
style. It contains the advice and/or opinions of one or more
WikiProjects on how to format and present article content within their area of interest.
This information is not a formal
Wikipedia policy or guideline, as it has not been
thoroughly vetted by the community. |
General information
Articles
Project templates
Task forces
Part of the goal of WikiProject Pokémon 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. Everything must also be referenced by a reliable source.
If this guide doesn't help you then try using existing articles such as Bulbasaur and Pikachu to help guide your article. If you want to learn how to help fix up the Lists of Pokémon then look here
Think long and hard before adding in-universe information. 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.)
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.
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.
For consistency's sake, try to use American English as much as possible.
Bulbasaur | |
---|---|
Pokémon series character | |
![]() | |
First game | Pokémon Red and Blue |
For the infobox, you use the template Template:Infobox character. See documentation for more information.
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]].
Charizard, known in Japan as Lizardon (リザードン, Rizādon), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Charizard first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Charizard is voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in Japanese and English. Known as a Flame Pokémon, Charizard are violent yet honorable creatures that fly proudly around the sky and constantly seek powerful opponents to quarrel with.
This is where you put information about how the character was made and what influenced the character.
Include any resemblance to animals or mythic creatures. (Do your research on this; this is a subject of interest even to non-Pokémon-fan readers.) It must have reliable sources though.
Then you put how the name was put together. Try to avoid speculation and find good references for this.
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. You'll want to describe the Pokémon’s general appearance. 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 too.
This is where you will put a lot of the in-universe information, so be careful. Only put what is necessary.
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 found or how it is evolved, but lists of specific route numbers are unnecessary.
If any significant Pokémon trainers (the rival, Gym Leaders, etc.) have one, mention and link the character.
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.
Don't forget to mention cameos in other games.
If the Pokémon was in the Super Smash Bros series then that is a good thing to mention. You can name the moves it uses and its role in the adventure mode of the game called the "Subspace Emissary".
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.
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).
You can also mention its role in other Pokémon anime specials such as the Mystery Dungeon ones.
For referencing the anime, you want to use Template:cite episode. Only use the parts necessary.
<ref>{{cite episode
| title = Charizard's Burning Ambitions
| series = [[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]
| credits = Takeshi Shudō (writer)
| network = Various
| airdate = February 3, 2001
| season = [[List of Pokémon: The Johto Journeys episodes|The Johto Journeys]]
|number = 134
}}</ref>
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 only be mentioned in a general way.
For referencing the manga, you want to use Template:Cite book. Remember, only use the parts necessary.
<ref>{{cite book
|last=Kusaka
|first=Hidenori
|coauthors=Mato
|title=The Winged Legends
|series=[[Pokémon Adventures]]
|volume=Volume 3: Saffron City Siege
|date=August 5 2001
|publisher=[[VIZ Media]] LLC
|isbn=1-56931-560-4
|pages=75-95
|chapter=Chapter 33
}}</ref>
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 if the article is looking naked.
You will also want to mention any other appearances that the Pokémon has made, such as promotionally, in newspapers or in any other media. Although this could go in Cultural impact if you need it to.
This is one of the most important sections. It is also one of the hardest to find information for. You will have to find out-of-universe information such as talk shows that mention the Pokémon, or cameo appearances in TV shows.
Annother good way to fill up this section is to talk about its role in merchandising.
Also, if it appears on certain vehicles such as Airplanes and Jets, then that is good to include.
In this section you must add {{Reflist|30em}} to show all the references on the page. Many people look here to see how well the article is referenced. You can also include things such as manuals and books that you got a lot of the information from.
A player must first find Professor Oak—the world's foremost expert on Pokémonology—who offers three choices for starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur (grass type), Charmander (fire type), or Squirtle (water type).
Here, you put links to places that would benifet the reader to go to. Links to include are the Official Pokémon website, the Bulbapedia article about the Pokémon, and other related links. See Wikipedia:External links for further info.
The first categories you should include are general things that describe the Pokémon such as
After that, put categories such as
If another language Wiki has an article on the Pokémon then interwiki links ([[fr:Clefairy]] for example) should be added at the bottom of the page.
![]() | This is an
essay on
style. It contains the advice and/or opinions of one or more
WikiProjects on how to format and present article content within their area of interest.
This information is not a formal
Wikipedia policy or guideline, as it has not been
thoroughly vetted by the community. |
General information
Articles
Project templates
Task forces
Part of the goal of WikiProject Pokémon 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. Everything must also be referenced by a reliable source.
If this guide doesn't help you then try using existing articles such as Bulbasaur and Pikachu to help guide your article. If you want to learn how to help fix up the Lists of Pokémon then look here
Think long and hard before adding in-universe information. 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.)
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.
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.
For consistency's sake, try to use American English as much as possible.
Bulbasaur | |
---|---|
Pokémon series character | |
![]() | |
First game | Pokémon Red and Blue |
For the infobox, you use the template Template:Infobox character. See documentation for more information.
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]].
Charizard, known in Japan as Lizardon (リザードン, Rizādon), is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Charizard first appeared in the video games Pokémon Red and Blue and subsequent sequels. They have later appeared in various merchandise, spinoff titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise. Charizard is voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki in Japanese and English. Known as a Flame Pokémon, Charizard are violent yet honorable creatures that fly proudly around the sky and constantly seek powerful opponents to quarrel with.
This is where you put information about how the character was made and what influenced the character.
Include any resemblance to animals or mythic creatures. (Do your research on this; this is a subject of interest even to non-Pokémon-fan readers.) It must have reliable sources though.
Then you put how the name was put together. Try to avoid speculation and find good references for this.
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. You'll want to describe the Pokémon’s general appearance. 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 too.
This is where you will put a lot of the in-universe information, so be careful. Only put what is necessary.
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 found or how it is evolved, but lists of specific route numbers are unnecessary.
If any significant Pokémon trainers (the rival, Gym Leaders, etc.) have one, mention and link the character.
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.
Don't forget to mention cameos in other games.
If the Pokémon was in the Super Smash Bros series then that is a good thing to mention. You can name the moves it uses and its role in the adventure mode of the game called the "Subspace Emissary".
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.
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).
You can also mention its role in other Pokémon anime specials such as the Mystery Dungeon ones.
For referencing the anime, you want to use Template:cite episode. Only use the parts necessary.
<ref>{{cite episode
| title = Charizard's Burning Ambitions
| series = [[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]
| credits = Takeshi Shudō (writer)
| network = Various
| airdate = February 3, 2001
| season = [[List of Pokémon: The Johto Journeys episodes|The Johto Journeys]]
|number = 134
}}</ref>
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 only be mentioned in a general way.
For referencing the manga, you want to use Template:Cite book. Remember, only use the parts necessary.
<ref>{{cite book
|last=Kusaka
|first=Hidenori
|coauthors=Mato
|title=The Winged Legends
|series=[[Pokémon Adventures]]
|volume=Volume 3: Saffron City Siege
|date=August 5 2001
|publisher=[[VIZ Media]] LLC
|isbn=1-56931-560-4
|pages=75-95
|chapter=Chapter 33
}}</ref>
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 if the article is looking naked.
You will also want to mention any other appearances that the Pokémon has made, such as promotionally, in newspapers or in any other media. Although this could go in Cultural impact if you need it to.
This is one of the most important sections. It is also one of the hardest to find information for. You will have to find out-of-universe information such as talk shows that mention the Pokémon, or cameo appearances in TV shows.
Annother good way to fill up this section is to talk about its role in merchandising.
Also, if it appears on certain vehicles such as Airplanes and Jets, then that is good to include.
In this section you must add {{Reflist|30em}} to show all the references on the page. Many people look here to see how well the article is referenced. You can also include things such as manuals and books that you got a lot of the information from.
A player must first find Professor Oak—the world's foremost expert on Pokémonology—who offers three choices for starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur (grass type), Charmander (fire type), or Squirtle (water type).
Here, you put links to places that would benifet the reader to go to. Links to include are the Official Pokémon website, the Bulbapedia article about the Pokémon, and other related links. See Wikipedia:External links for further info.
The first categories you should include are general things that describe the Pokémon such as
After that, put categories such as
If another language Wiki has an article on the Pokémon then interwiki links ([[fr:Clefairy]] for example) should be added at the bottom of the page.