History Pokemon / TropesJToR

** [[OlympusMons Legendary Pokémon]], owing to their above-average or godly stats, tend to be reserved for the late game. By then, a player likely already has a team that covers any niche a Legendary might, and there may only be a few boss fights or the FinalBoss left. And some {{Bonus Boss}}es, like Mewtwo in ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' or Kyurem in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'', come in ''after'' the game's over — and with [[BrutalBonusLevel the Battle facilities]] banning Pokémon of their tier, there's often nothing left for them to do but sit in a PC.

* ModelMuseum: The explicit purpose of ''Pokédex 3D Pro'', which allows you to view every Pokémon from throughout the series up to and including ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2''. Features include being able to watch each mon perform numerous animations, check their types and descriptions, sort and search through them, and even take quizzes on them.
** The original ''Pokédex 3D'' also counts, though it's limited to the mons included in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' and doesn't have as many features.

* NiceHat: It appears to be mandatory to be a main protagonist.

** The Safari Zone cranks this UpToEleven, with every Pokémon encountered willing to run away at the drop of a hat, and having your strategic options limited to either throwing rocks/mud, or throwing bait. Doing the former will make them easier to capture, but they will more likely to flee, while the latter option will cause them less likely to flee, but harder to catch. This is taken even further past Eleven if you want a Lucky Egg. In ''[=FireRed/LeafGreen=]'' there is a 5% chance a Chansey in the Safari Zone will be holding it, and even catching ''one'' Chansey is brutal enough.

** Despite being ''criminals'', all the members of the evil organizations, from the lowest grunt to [[UpToEleven its boss]], will still award you money when you beat them. In addition, they very rarely gang up on you.

** They have even [[UpToEleven gone]] so far as to make ''[[Anime/PokemonTheMovieBlackAndWhite two versions of the same movie]],'' complete with version exclusive Pokémon. Can anyone say CashCowFranchise?

** We also have the Ralts-Kirlia-Gardevoir evolution line, all of whom can "warp reality" to some extent. Gardevoir in particular, according to its Pokédex entry, "has the [[MindOverMatter psychokinetic power]] to distort the dimensions and create a small black hole", on top of future prediction and teleportation. [[UpToEleven Move aside, Alakazam and Mewtwo.]]

** ''Pokémon HOME'' is the successor to Bank, which was introduced alongside ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' (but is also compatible with the previously-released ''VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee''). It allows transfers from Bank as well as ''VideoGame/PokemonGo'', one-way movement from ''Let's Go'' to later games, and free movement between ''Sword and Shield'', ''VideoGame/PokemonBrilliantDiamondAndShiningPearl'', and ''VideoGame/PokemonLegendsArceus'' for Pokémon that are available in both games. The mobile phone app version of ''HOME'' includes a number of challenges that reward players for collecting Pokémon from across the series.

* OldSaveBonus: The series has offered various ways to transfer Pokémon between different games that aren't direct version counterparts, which is usually the only way to get certain Pokémon:
** [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Gen II]] had the Time Capsule function, allowing you to link with [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Gen I]] cartridges. Unlike later transfer features, this was a two-way trade; thus, not only could you bring Pokémon forward from the previous games to get ones you couldn't get before, you could also send Pokémon back to the old games, even allowing them to have moves they couldn't originally have (at least if those moves existed in the previous games). Also, even though ''Red and Blue'' didn't have gender, held items, split Special stats, or Shiny Pokémon, trading Pokémon forward to Gen II would give them those qualities while there.
** While [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Gen III]] didn't allow trading with the previous games owing to hardware and game system limitations, thanks to it being the first generation to have multiple groups of games taking place in different regions, it introduced the concept of the "Regional" and "National" Pokédexes. At first, the player would only have the Regional dex, cataloging only Pokémon that could be found in that particular region — but eventually, the player would be able to upgrade to the National dex, being able to log every Pokémon. In ''Ruby and Sapphire'', the National Dex was awarded immediately upon trading with ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue FireRed and LeafGreen]]'', while in ''Emerald'' it was obtained by beating the game, and in ''[=FireRed=] and [=LeafGreen=]'', it was enabled in a sidequest along with trading with the Hoenn games. ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'' and ''VideoGame/PokemonXD'' allowed trading with the GBA games after beating the game as well.
** [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Gen IV]] used the Pal Park feature, which utilized the GBA slot of the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS to transfer Pokémon one-way from the GBA games; players participated in a Safari Zone-like minigame to recapture their previous Pokémon. In this and future games, it wasn't required to have the National Dex to get Pokémon from outside the region in trades.
** Gen V:
*** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' used Poké Transfer, requiring a wireless link between two DS-family systems to transfer Pokémon from Gen IV. Once again, a minigame was used to liven up the transfer process, this time involving shooting Poké Balls out of a bow to hit the Pokémon that run around on the top screen. There was also a simpler transfer method called the Relocator, that only worked with a few specific event-giveaway Pokémon but wasn't limited by having to beat the game first.
*** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' had another form of OldSaveBonus within the same generation: Memory Link. By linking your ''Black'' or ''White'' cartridge with the sequel, the game will unlock flashbacks showing what happened to important characters between the two games as well as bonus content, including post-game battles against Cheren and Bianca using their souped-up ''Black'' and ''White'' teams, and [[spoiler:allowing you to catch N's former Pokémon in the wild, special OT ID and all.]]
** [[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY Gen VI]] has the "Pokémon Bank" service and its accompanying "Poké Transporter" program, Pokémon can be easily transferred from Gen V to Gen VI, and Nintendo has indicated that the Pokémon Bank will be compatible with future generations of Pokémon as well, greatly simplifying the process—but [[RevenueEnhancingDevices it has a $5 a year subscription fee]].
** ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'' have a Special Demo Version which features several short quests, some of which offer rewards for the full version of the game. There's also a variation on an OldSaveBonus: if you take the time to transfer a Pokémon from your original ''Ruby'', ''Sapphire'', or ''Emerald'' cartridge all the way forward to ''Omega Ruby'' or ''Alpha Sapphire'', [[AnInteriorDesignerIsYou you can get a special poster for your Secret Base]] with your Pokémon's picture on it.
** ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon Sun and Moon]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon]]'' use Pokémon Bank. However, now it has the National Dex and Poké Transporter is updated to obtain Pokémon from the Virtual Console releases of the [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Gen I]] and [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Gen II]] games. Showing Pokémon that originated from the Virtual Console games to certain people at the ''Creator/GameFreak'' [[DevelopersRoom office]] will reveal certain trivia of that game's development or even rare items. While they use the same service, Pokémon cannot travel freely between the Gen VI and Gen VII games; any Pokémon that has been saved onto a Gen VII game cannot move back to Gen VI.
** ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Sword and Shield]]'' introduces Pokémon HOME as the successor to Bank, which is also compatible with ''[[VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee]]''. Pokémon can be moved into HOME from Bank (by inputting a code generated in either the console or phone HOME apps into Bank) as well as ''VideoGame/PokemonGo''. As with Bank, while the ''Let's Go'' and ''Sword and Shield'' games share HOME as a storage platform, Pokémon can't be moved backwards from Gen VIII to ''Let's Go''.

** In the main series, Pokémon eggs uniformly have a plain white design with green spots due to graphical limitations, similar to Yoshi eggs, though the Gen II Sugimori art would imply in-universe Pokémon eggs resemble what they're supposed to hatch into. The only exception is the event-only Manaphy egg from Generation IV, which has a unique sprite showing it to be translucent blue with a ring of yellow dots and a red center, similar to Manaphy itself, an aquatic Pokémon with a blue body, yellow dots for eyebrows, and a red gem over its heart. However, some spin-off games (as well as the anime) have unique egg designs for individual Pokémon.

** ''[[VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield Sword and Shield]]'' introduces Pokémon HOME as the successor to Bank, which is also compatible with ''[[VideoGame/PokemonLetsGoPikachuAndLetsGoEevee Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee]]''. Pokémon can be moved into HOME from Bank (by inputting a code generated in Bank into either the console or phone HOME apps) as well as ''VideoGame/PokemonGo''. As with Bank, while the ''Let's Go'' and ''Sword and Shield'' games share HOME as a storage platform, Pokémon can't be moved backwards from Gen VIII to ''Let's Go''.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters:
** There are currently over '''800''' different species of [[{{Mons}} Pokémon]], although only a handful serve plot-related functions in each game.
** Not to mention the ''58'' Gym Leaders in the games, the 23 Elite Four members[[note]]Bruno was a member in both the Kanto and Johto games[[/note]], eight Champions (including some overlap between the three in Generations I through III), the countless NPC classes, the player characters, characters from spin-off titles, and more. Of course, due to the main series being [[NonLinearSequel Non-Linear Sequel]]s, there are very few that are reoccurring.

** Due to the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters sheer number of characters]] in each of the franchise's continuities, it's {{averted}} on principle. It's rare for characters with the same name to interact with each other though.

** The [=PokéMileage=] Club is the Generation VI successor to the Dream World, as it is also a MinigameZone accessed through the Global Link. By transferring [=PokéMiles=] earned in your Gen VI game to the Global Link, you can spend said [=PokéMiles=] to play "Attractions" for a chance at winning items. Items earned from here range from VendorTrash to common items you can find ingame, to rare items you won't be able to find anywhere else, and on occasion, the very rare PP Maxes, Enigma Berries, or even ''Master Balls''.

** The Generation V games added even ''more'' VendorTrash items with no purpose but to be sold for cash, ''and'' added special "item maniac" characters who will pay double the price for particular items. The Abyssal Ruins alone have over a million dollars worth of loot in them.

* LactatingMale: The move Milk Drink in ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' was exclusive to Miltank which is an AlwaysFemale [[SingleGenderRace Pokemon]] until ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' introduced Skiddo and Gogoat. They are based on goats and can be female or male, making it this trope for the latter.

* [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace Recycled IN SPACE!]]
** Most field moves do essentially the same task: Cut and Rock Smash destroy obstacles (trees and rocks) on the field, Whirlpool and Waterfall grant passage across obstacles in water (like, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin whirlpools and waterfalls]])...
** Aside from [=HMs=], there are a ''lot'' of moves that have the exact same power, accuracy, and/or effects, but with different elemental typings. For instance, [[FireIceLightning Flamethrower, Ice Beam, and Thunderbolt]].

* [[RecycledInSpace Recycled IN SPACE!]]

* {{Parody}}: The ''TabletopGame/BigEyesSmallMouth'' book ''Cute and Fuzzy [[NeverLiveItDown Seizure Monsters]]'' makes fun of the monster trainer genre, while providing expanded rules to play as one.

** The third generation unlocks the roaming Pokémon Latios (in ''Ruby'') or Latias (in ''Sapphire''), with ''Emerald'' letting the player choose which one of the two will be roaming. ''Ruby and Sapphire'' unlock the Sky Pillar (where Rayquaza can be battled/caught) and the Battle Tower; ''Emerald'' unlocks the Battle Frontier, Terra Cave, and Marine Cave (the locations where Groudon and Kyogre can be battled/caught, respectively), the National Pokédex (completion nets a choice of one of the Johto starters), and new areas in Hoenn's Safari Zone (of which the inhabitants are mostly Johto Pokémon). The remakes added an epilouge known as the Delta Episode, ways to get ''almost every legendary'' from the franchise, and the Battle Resort.

* RandomNumberGod: Whenever you play a ''Pokémon'', be prepared to constantly fight against the random number generator to get what you want.

** A Pokémon's nature, abilities, characteristics, stats, and other traits (like shiny forms) are randomly decided upon the Pokémon being generated by the game, though these can be influenced somewhat via breeding.

* PowerUpLetdown: Few HM moves have enough attack power to make them useful in competitive multiplayer battling, and become useful only in the field. A Pokémon equipped with HM moves exclusively for field usage is [[FanNickname sometimes called]] an "[[http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/HM_slave HM Slave]]". Surf and Waterfall are the major exceptions, as they are both staples of competitive battling.

* MoralDissonance: In ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'', a fair amount of Shadow Pokémon are in the possession of ordinary Trainers who don't know what's wrong with their Pokémon. After you snag them, you never explain to them why you did so (in fact, some of these trainers don't seem to even ''notice'' that you took their Pokémon, instead just thinking they disappeared for no reason). While it's understandable for Wes, it's downright bizarre for Rui (and also Michael, from the sequel).

* OnlyOneName: Extremely common among the franchise's human characters. Many only have their first names revealed in official material, or in the case of the professors, their last names. Notable exceptions do exist, including [[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Ash Ketchum, Tracey Sketchit, Chloe Cerise]], [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Steven Stone]], [[VideoGame/PokemonSnap Todd Snap]], [[VideoGame/DetectivePikachu Tim]] [[Film/PokemonDetectivePikachu Goodman]], the Oak family ([[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Samuel, Blue]]/[[Anime/PokemonTheSeries Gary]], and Daisy), [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Aurea Juniper and her father Cedric]], [[VideoGame/PokemonXAndY Augustine Sycamore]], [[Anime/Pokemon3 Molly and Spencer Hale]], [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire and either Brendan or May Birch]] [[SchrodingersPlayerCharacter depending on which protagonist you choose.]]

** In Generation V, we have Emboar, the professional wrestling pig with a [[BadassBeard beard of fire]], and Genesect, a prehistoric {{Cyborg}} bug that can fly using its laser cannon as a JetPack.

* PetsVersusStrays: Often explained in the wider series canon as the in-game reason why wild Pokémon attack your loyal team. You're not just invading their terrority - they're ''jealous'' of the attentions your trained Pokémon [[HumansAreSpecial are receiving from you]].