Pokémon

Pokémon (short for Pocket Monsters) are titular creatures that appear in the franchise of the same name. The franchise originated in Japan and has since become a worldwide phenomenon, branching out into all aspects of modern pop culture. Over the course of the franchise, there is a total of 807 species of Pokémon.

Pokémon: What are they?
Pokémon are shown to exist instead of animals in their world. While most Pokémon resemble animals and may behave like them, there are many that do not resemble animals at all; taking on other forms such as plants, inanimate objects, machines, human-like forms or other more enigmatic and exotic appearances. Pokémon inhabit an extremely diverse range of habitats, ranging from the driest deserts to the lushest jungles, the deepest oceans to the highest mountains and everything else in-between, even space and other dimensions. Pokémon take up various ways of living in those places. However, all can be befriended by humans and made into potential allies.

Many Pokémon are known to evolve from or into other Pokémon, a process that typically makes them larger and stronger, and could be seen as the equivalent to "growing up". Pokémon typically know several techniques that they can use in battle or elsewhere, either to defend themselves or their Trainer, or to perform a task. In the anime, most Pokémon are known only to say their name. In the games, each Pokémon has a distinct voice associated with each species. There are currently 806 known species of creatures that inhabit the Pokémon world, however, it is implied that there are more waiting to be discovered. Inherent to them are several fantastic powers not demonstrated by most real animals, such as the manipulation of electricity or fire.

Normal
Normal-types have no specific strengths, although many of them have greater health than other types. Their only real weakness is against Fighting-type moves which are super effective against them, also Normal attacks don't work on Ghost Pokémon. Ghost attacks also do not affect Normal-Type Pokémon, Normal-type Pokémon are also able to learn more TM moves than other types. Its Z-Move is Breakneck Blitz and its Max Move is Max Strike.

Fighting
Fighting-type Pokémon possess extraordinary physical strength and are capable of performing moves similar to various human martial arts techniques. Their attacks are super effective against Normal, Rock and Ice types. Fighting-type Pokémon are vulnerable to Flying, Bug and Psychic attacks. Its Z-Move is All Out Pummeling and its Max Move is Max Knuckle.

Grass
Grass-type Pokémon all appear to be anthropomorphic plants and can normally be found in open fields and in forests. Many Grass-types produce spores that can be used in battle against other Pokémon and some can even harness the power of the sun as an attack. Grass Pokémon are strong against Water, Ground and Poison-types, but are weak against Fire, Ice, Bug, Flying and Poison-types. Its Z-Move is Bloom Doom and its Max Move is Max Overgrowth.

Fire
Fire-type Pokémon tend to dwell in hot areas such as the desert or inside volcanoes, though some such as Vulpix or Growlithe can be found in the countryside. Capable of breathing fire (and some being made of it), Fire-types are understandably very vulnerable to Water, Rock and Ground-type attacks. Fire-type attacks are super effective against Grass, Bug and Ice-type Pokémon. They also can't be burnt. Its Z-Move is Inferno Overdrive and its Max Move is Max Flare.

Water
Water-type Pokémon are perhaps the most common and versatile Pokémon types around and can be found in the sea or any river and pond. Their attacks are highly effective against Fire, Rock and Ground-types, but they are vulnerable to Grass and Electric moves. Water-types are somewhat vulnerable to Ice attacks as well. While Ice attacks may not take off much HP, Water Pokémon are more vulnerable to freezing than other types, unless they have an Ice typing as Ice types can't be Frozen. Its Z-Move is Hydro Vortex and its Max Move is Max Geyser.

Ice
Ice-type Pokémon are fairly rare in the world and can normally only be found in frozen areas such as mountain-tops. Some ocean-dwelling Pokémon are both Water and Ice-type. They are vulnerable to Fire, Steel, Rock and Fighting but strong against Dragon, Ground, Grass and Flying. They also can not be Frozen. Its Z-Move is Subzero Slammer and its Max Move is Max Hailstorm.

Electric
Electric-type Pokémon are capable of generating extraordinary levels of electricity within their bodies. Electric-types have proven to be very helpful in human industries as they are often trained to serve as living power generators should standard sources of power fail for whatever reason. Electric attacks are extremely effective against Flying and Water-type Pokémon. However, these attacks are not very effective against Grass, Steel or itself, and have no effect at all against Ground-type Pokémon. They can't be Paralyzed by Electric type moves. Its Z-move is Gigavolt Havoc and its Max Move is Max Lighting.

Flying
Flying-types consists of virtually every kind of bird Pokémon currently known. These creatures can harness the power of the wind and can travel anywhere at great speeds. Unfortunately, their weaknesses outnumber their strengths. They are effective against Bug, Grass and even Fighting-types, but vulnerable to Electric, Rock, and Ice attacks. Flying-types are, however, immune to Ground-type attacks. Its Z-Move is Supersonic Sky Strike and its Max Move is Max Airstream.

Bug
Bug-type Pokémon are considered by many trainers to be weaker than all other types since they have so many vulnerabilities and are often quite small. However, many Bug-type Pokémon are dual-class and can use attacks of other types such as Grass, Dark and even Psychic. Most Bugs also evolve faster than other Pokémon. They are strong against Grass attacks, but vulnerable to Flying, Fire and Rock. Its Z-Move is Savage Spin-Out and its Max Move is Max Flutterby

Poison
Pokémon that can deliver harmful toxins when they attack. Most Poison-types can be found in caves and forests. They are strong against Fairy and Grass-types but extremely weak against Psychic and Ground attacks. They are also immune to being Poisoned. Its Z-Move is Acid Downpour and its Max Move is Max Ooze.

Rock
Rock-types can normally be found in caves and on mountains and are actually made of living stone. They boast great endurance to many other Pokémon types such as Normal, Fire, Flying, Bug and Poison. They are, however, very vulnerable towards Grass and Water attacks. Its Z-Move is Continental Crush and its Max Move is Max Rockfall.

Ground
As can be expected, most Ground-type Pokémon prefer to live underground and attack using the very terrain itself. Ground-type attacks are devastating to virtually all types of Pokémon except for Flying-types. Ground Pokémon are vulnerable to Water, Grass and Ice. They are also immune to being Paralyzed from Electric type attacks. Its Z-Move is Tectonic Rage and its Max Move is Max Quake.

Steel
Steel-types are physically stronger than all other Pokémon types. Incorporating metal into their bodies, they have significantly greater defence than other Pokémon. Steel attacks are super effective against Ice and Bug types, but Steel types are weak against Fire, Fighting and Ground attacks. They are also immune to being Poisoned. Its Z-Move is Corkscrew Clash and its Max Move is Max Steelspike.

Psychic
Psychics are the most intelligent type of Pokémon and boast great attack power, but many suffer lower HP than other types. Since many Psychic Pokémon are telepathic, they are capable of communicating directly with humans, though few actually do. Psychic-types are vulnerable to Ghost, Dark and even Bug-type attacks and their attacks are super effective against Fighting and Poison-types. Its Z-Move is Shattered Psyche and its Max Move is Max Mindstorm.

Ghost
Ghost-types are mysterious Pokémon that dwell on a different plane from our own. While their are specific varieties of Ghost-types, they are believed to take on favored forms and may not actually have what one might call a "true" form. They cannot be harmed at all by Normal or Fighting attacks and their attacks are only super effective against their own type and Psychics. Its Z-Move is Never Ending Nightmare and its Max Move is Max Phantasm.

Dark
Mysterious type of Pokémon that thrive in darkness and possess uncanny and even downright treacherous abilities. They are immune to Psychic attacks but vulnerable to Fighting and Bug types. Their own attacks work especially well against Psychics and Ghosts. Its Z-Move is Black Hole Eclipse and its Max Move is Max Darkness.

Dragon
Perhaps the most powerful of all the different types of Pokémon. Their physical and special attacks all deal high levels of damage on Pokémon of any kind except for Steel, and Dragon-types are highly resistant to Water, Grass, Fire and Electric attacks. The only moves that are super effective against Dragons are their own moves, Fairy attacks and Ice attacks. Its Z-Move is Devastating Drake and its Max Move is Max Wyrmwind.

Fairy
A new Pokémon type is discovered in the Kalos region. Since its discovery, several previously-discovered Pokémon have been recategorized under this type. Most of the Pokémon classed as Fairy types have gentle, benevolent natures and possess mysterious powers. It has been determined that Fairy types are strong against Bug, Fighting and Dark type attacks and are completely immune to Dragon type moves. They are vulnerable to Poison and Steel type moves. Its Z-Move is Twinkle Tackle and its Max Move is Max Starfall.

Starter Pokémon
Starter Pokémon are given to new Trainers at the beginning of their Pokémon journeys. They are typically given by researchers or authorised representatives of a regional Pokémon League. Trainers have a choice of starting their journeys with a Grass, Fire, or Water-Type Pokémon. The exact species of Starter Pokémon differ in each region.

Fossil Pokémon
Over the centuries, a number of Pokémon species have gone extinct due to various causes. However, modern technology has advanced to the point where it is now possible to resurrect dead Pokémon species by extracting dormant DNA strands from fossilized remains. This has allowed scientists to restore and reintroduce certain species back into the ecosystem, though their populations remain extremely limited.

Legendary Pokémon
Legendary Pokémon are a special group of Pokémon that are often related with legends of creation and/or destruction within their associated regions, and are very rare and powerful. Because of their power, Legendary Pokémon are often the target of criminal organizations that seek to control or change the world within both the anime and the games.

Mythical Pokémon
Mythical Pokémon are special group of Pokémon hat are rarely seen by anyone in the world of Pokémon. Some are so rarely seen that people are unsure if they really exist, spurring scientists to do research. No Mythical Pokémon can be found under normal circumstances; the only way to obtain them is for the player to participate in "Pokémon events" commonly hosted by Nintendo around the world. Until Generation V, they used be apart of Legendary Pokémon outside of the Japanese localization in several media.

Ultra Beasts
Ultra Beasts are a group of Pokémon native to a vastly different dimension to the world of franchise called the Ultra Space, causing them to develop as very strange, and often very strong. They were introduced in Generation VII.