Pokémon.com: Difference between revisions

Logo used for the website until the 2010 overhaul

Logo used for the website in 2000

Pokémon.com, known as Pokémon World prior to 2002, is the official international Pokémon website, which was first created on 8 January 1998^[1]. The website has gone by many different names and used many different Internet addresses throughout its history, such as Pokémon-games.com and Go-Pokemon.com, though The Pokémon Company International has finally settled on the simple "Pokémon.com" nominer. Four full versions of the official Pokémon.com website are maintained, each focusing on a specific language, country, or region. Several other partial websites are also maintained. The current version of the website, introduced on 27 January 2014, saw a complete reorganization of website content and visual design, as well as seeing the prominent return of the "Gotta catch 'em all!" slogan.

History

With the official launch of the Pokémon.com website on 8 January 1998^[2], it was little more than a repository for News and announcements about the then current Pokémon video games, Pokémon Trading Card Game, and organized Play! Pokémon events. While using the "Pokémon.com" web-browser address, the website was referred as Pokémon World or the Pokémon Times.

Between 4 May 1999 and 29 November 1999^[3], the Pokémon.com website underwent its first redesign. This update introduced new content such as the first version of Pokémon browser-based online games and an Online Pokédex in which users could look up information on then current Pokémon video game versions of specific Pokémon as well as information about Pokémon anime television episodes and movies.

Between 9 September 2001 and 24 January 2002^[4], the website underwent a minor overhauled of its design. The only significant changes were the introduction of the Pokémon Center as a separate online store for purchasing Pokémon merchandise and the relabeling of the Pokémon.com website itself from "Pokémon World" to just "Pokémon.com".

In mid-2002 (sometime between 4 June and 22 July)^[5], the website underwent a complete overhauled of its design but largely left the content in place.

Between 19 June 2003 and 19 July 2003^[6], the website underwent a complete overhauled of its design and content. Content was separate into separate websites. Pokémon.com retained News and announcements. The separate sites were Pokémon-games.com for the Pokémon video games (March 2003 at least to January 2009) and Go-Pokemon.com and Pokemon-tcg.com for the Pokémon Trading Card Game (from May 2003 to 27 January 2014).

The next major overhaul occurred on 21 March 2005.^[7] This update not only included a complete overhaul of design and content but was built using Adobe Flash technology. The most prominent content additions were the inclusion of the now retired Media player for playing the soundtracks of then current Pokémon video games and the Mailbag question and answer sections.

On 11 January 2010^[8], the website underwent its next major overhauled of content and design. Each section utilized a similar layout with an uniquely identifiable color scheme. To users familiar with the current website, this update seems familiar even though the layout is different due to the primary elements of the current website existing very close to their current forms. The Trading Card Game section included the addition of a Trading Card Database allowing users to search for specific Pokémon cards and expansions and the ability to centrally manage user Pokémon accounts and view organized Play! Pokémon information through Pokémon.com. This update also introduced Trainer Tokens and an early version of the Trainer avatar system, the ability to watch select Pokémon anime television episodes as well as the ability to look up information about them, and the initial set of three, current Pokémon browser-based online games. Prior to the 2010 update, only six online games were available (four being accessible directly and two hidden). These initial three online games were adaptations of games originally distributed on the Japanese Pokémon Daisuki Club website (as was the original Trainer avatar system). The six previous online games were briefly made available on an archive site, which has since been removed.

The current version of the Pokémon.com website was implemented on 27 January 2014 and represented another major overhaul of content and design. The basic layout was "simplified" along with the full incorporation of what had also been separate Pokémon Trading Card Game websites, including the incorporation of the current user customizable Trainer avatar system that allows users to define their owner visual look and style. The update also updated the Online Pokédex by implementing a similar Basic and Advance search criteria and browsing options that were originally introduced in the 2010 Trading Card Database. The update additionally expanded the ability to centrally manage all user Pokémon accounts through Pokémon.com as well as children accounts under the User profile. Later incremental updates also introduced the ability to add and follow "Friends" and earn additional rewards through the Stamp reward system.

Website versions

Full versions

Four full versions of the "Pokémon.com" website are currently maintained, each with identical design style, content and content organization, and almost identical News and announcements information:

French full version German full version

United Kingdom full version United States full version

Partial versions

Partial translations of the website exist for several additional countries and languages. These partial versions include full implementations of the Explore Pokémon section's Online Pokédex and the Watch Pokémon TV section containing episodes and information about the Pokémon anime television series. These partial websites also incompletely incorporate the Play Games section's Pokémon browser-based online games. The Trading Card Game, Video Games, and Attend Events sections are unimplemented with the exception of a special section dedicated to the downloadable Pokémon Trading Card Game Online and a link to the separate Pokémon Global Link website:

Brazilian minisite Danish minisite Finnish minisite Norwegian minisite

Russian minisite Swedish minisite Sinapore's site currently links to another full site Czech Republic's site currently links to another full site

There are also three official Pokémon websites that do not necessarily reflect the "Pokémon.com" design or content:

Japanese website (also referred to as the Pokémon Daisuki Club)

Thialand website South Korean website

Website sections

Landing page

The Landing page is the initial page users see when they enter "Pokémon.com" into their web-browser. It is regularly updated to highlight various website content and news. Users may always return to the Landing page by clicking on the "Pokémon Gotta catch 'em all!" graphic on the left side of the website's primary navigation menu located at the top of each Pokémon.com page.

News and announcements

The Landing page also incorporates the only direct website link to all collated website news, announcements, and articles in one location. Otherwise, news articles are spread across the website by topic appearing separately in the Trading Card Game, Video Games, and Attend Events sections.

Opening news articles that are categorized as "pokemon-news" typically but not always earn the user a single Trainer Token. Articles without the "pokemon-news" categorization do not earn Trainer Tokens. However, opening the same article on different full versions of the website do typically earning the user a Trainer Token for each of the full versions of the website.

Pokémon Trainer Club

Main article: Pokémon Trainer Club

The Pokémon Trainer Club contains website user account information. This section is not easily identifiable under the name "Pokémon Trainer Club". However, it is easy to locate. It is the Side navigation bar on the left side of all Pokémon.com webpages. It provides a means for Pokémon.com users to "Sign In" if they already have an existing account, "Join" to create an account, and also contains a website "Search" interface. By creating an account, users are able to earn Trainer Tokens and Stamps, keep track of online browser-based game scores, friend other users, and centrally manage other Pokémon accounts.

The Pokémon Trainer Club was first borrowed from Japan's Pokémon Daisuki Club in January 2010 for a more general audience. It included an early version of the customizable user Trainer avatar personalities. Users were required to have a Pokémon Trainer Club account in order to register high scores in the online browser-based games or to earn Trainer Tokens. Anyone who had a Pokémon Trainer Club account could also keep track of their Organized Play statistics. These features still represent the core functionality of the current Pokémon Trainer Club, even though the design and some of underlying infrastructure has changed.

Side navigation bar

Once logged into with a user account, a "picture" appears at the top of the left Side navigation bar. This picture represents the user's current Trainer avatar. When the picture is selected, the Side navigation bar becomes a "slide-out window' allowing the user access the following information:

• The user's recent Stamps collection,
• The user's list of Favorite Pokémon,
• A full-body view of the user's "Trainer avatar" picture,
• The user's current "Level" based on Stamps rewards,
• The user's current number of Trainer Tokens earned by reading articles, playing online browser-based games, and earning earning Stamps on the Pokémon.com website or earned through the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online downloadable game,
• Access to the "Customize Trainer" feature that allows users the ability to adjust their website "Trainer avatar" picture, and
• A "Shop for Items/Trainer Store" feature allowing users to purchase items for their "Trainer avatar" with Trainer Tokens (added on 18 March 2014).

In the compressed state, once a user is logged in, the left Side navigation bar side also provides access to the following information:

• The user's current Trainer Token total, which takes the user directly to the "Customize Trainer" shop when selected,
• A "Messages" and "User profile" section when selected, where users may adjust settings, add and manager accounts for their children, and centrally manager other Pokémon accounts,
• A "Friends" section for locating and finding "friend" and following their activities online (added on 9 July 2014)^[9], and
• A "My Play! Pokémon" section for viewing user information about organized Play! Pokémon activity.

Favorite Pokémon

The mechanism for selecting Favorite Pokémon is easy to overlook. Users select a favorite Pokémon from the Online Pokédex and bringing up the full entry, not just the search grid picture. When users point their cursor at the Pokémon’s picture, a plus sign ("+") icon appears in the lower right-hand corner of the picture. Selecting the "+" icon turns it into a check mark ("✓") icon, which indicates that the Pokémon was added to the user’s Favorites. A maximum of 12 Pokémon are displayed on User profile page, with no limit on Side navigation bar side-out window.

Trainer avatar

The Pokémon.com "Customized Trainer" and "Shop for Items/Trainer Store" features are fully compatible with the in-game Shop and Avatar Creator in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. Trainer Tokens earned in either location may be used to purchase clothing items on the Pokémon.com website or in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. Trainer/Avatar clothing items available for purchase in one are not always available for purchase in the other. Items added in one are not always immediately visible in the other. However, changes made to the user's "Customized Trainer" or "Customized Avatar" in one location will be seen in the other location the next time the user logs back in.

User profile

The User profile section provides access to user setting not necessarily specific to the Pokémon.com website itself as a left-hand side menu. It is a central repository for all Pokémon user accounts.

• "Profile overview" contains general account settings.
• "PGL Settings" allows users to adjust their Pokémon video games settings for the Pokémon Global Link.
• "Pokémon TCG Online Settings" provide user access to setting not directly available in the downloadable Pokémon Trading Card Game Online.
• "Play! Pokémon Settings" provide user access to organized Play! Pokémon information and settings.

NOTE: Be certain to select "Email Preferences: I would like to receive marketing email messages..." under "Profile overview" in order to receive the a monthly e-mail newsletter, which often contains Redeemable codes for in-game rewards in both the current Pokémon video games and the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online.

The right-hand side of the User profile section contains information also found in the Side navigation bar:

• A full-body view of the user's "Trainer avatar" picture,
• The user's three most recently received Stamps and link to Stamp collection,
• The user's current "Level" based on Stamps rewards,
• The user's list of Favorite Pokémon (maximum of 12 displayed in this section),
• The user's list of "Friends" and Friend search interface,
• The user's three most recently purchased items from the Shop for Items/Trainer Store and link to the online shore where other "Trainer avatar" items may be purchased with Trainer Tokens,
• The user's three most recently played Pokémon.com online games and user high scores,
• The user's three most watch recently played Pokémon anime episodes,
• A link to the "Customize Trainer" feature that allows users the ability to adjust their website "Trainer avatar" picture, and
• A link to "Shop for Items/Trainer Store" feature allowing users to purchase items for their "Trainer avatar" with Trainer Tokens.

Child accounts

Adult parents may create and manage separate accounts for each of their children in the User profile section, which is accessible through the adult's "User profile". While The Pokémon Company International strives to be child friendly, parents may further restrict access to certain website and in-game Pokémon Trading Card Game Online features. For examples, some in-game features such as "Public Chat" and "Private Messaging" in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online are always inaccessible with a child account, while other in-game features may be further restricted by the adult parent such as "Friend Chat", "Game Chat", "Shopping", and "Trading".

For step-by-step instructions with screen shots to walk parents through the setup process see – How do I set up my child's Pokémon Trainer Club account? on the official support website.

The current Online Pokédex

Explore Pokémon

This section features the Online Pokédex with the Pokémon updated for each new Pokémon video game release, currently Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

Online Pokédex

Main article: Pokédex

Like other Pokédexes, it allows the user to search for Pokémon by either Name or Number in "Basic Search Mode". "Advanced Search Mode" allows searched by Type, Weakness, Ability, Height, and Weight. The 2014 overhaul redesigned the Pokédex with a browse-able grid-like structure. Without any search criteria, users may scroll through the grid-like list of Pokémon by either Name or Number (currently 1 to 719). Selecting a given Pokémon brings up details on that given Pokémon, with two versions tied to the current video game release. Details include a picture, brief description, height, weight, gender, category, abilities, type, weaknesses, basic stats bar chart showing relative strength (HP, Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed), and Evolution chart (if any).

The Pokédex entry for a given Pokémon also includes suggested Pokémon anime television episodes and Pokémon Trading Card Game cards featuring that given Pokémon, allowing user to explore that Pokémon in other media.

Finally, there is also an options toward the bottom of Pokédex entry to share the selected Pokémon via several social media.

Watch Pokémon TV

Main article: Pokémon anime

Before the 2010 overhaul, the television section simply provided a synopsis of Pokémon anime episodes. After the overhaul, a continuously cycling selection of episodes, which may be viewed online, are interspersed with synopsis summaries and screenshots for every episode and movie.

Rather than separating the episodes by seasons, the episodes are instead categorized under a special 'theme' such as a specific Pokémon and also by 'region' — the 'Kanto Channel', the 'Johto Channel', the 'Hoenn Channel', the 'Sinnoh Channel' and the 'Unova Channel'. There is also an option to 'Explore All Seasons' at the bottom of the page, if a traditional season by season search is preferred.

A Pokémon TV mobile application has also been introduced, which can be downloaded for free from Apple's App Store^[10] or through Google Play.^[11]

The Pokémon Fun Zone Logo

Play Games

Main article: Pokémon.com online games

Formerly known as the Pokémon Fun Zone before the 2014 overhaul, this Play Games section presents a large number of browser-based video games for the user's enjoyment. Most are strategy based, although the exact design varies widely, and feature a specific theme or Pokémon. Details about each game is provided on Pokémon.com online games. These games are not only designed to require short installments of time, but they reward the user for successful achievements with Trainer Tokens. Successfully playing browser-based games earn 1, 3, or 5 Trainer Tokens depending on the specific game and whether the user has successfully played the game for the first time or successfully reached a higher success threshold on subsequent attempts. Each individual game defines what is a successful attempt differently.

Before the 2010 overhaul, games were mostly based on Generation III and Pokémon Platinum. After the 2010 update the games featured a larger number of Generation IV Pokémon, all translated from the Japanese Pokémon Daisuki Club. Games released after the 2010 overhaul added the ability to earn Trainer Tokens and increased in variety. Games available on the site prior to the 2010 overhaul are not longer available. New games continue to be added on an occasional basis.

Trading Card Game

Main article: Pokémon Trading Card Game

Main article: Pokémon Trading Card Game Online

Before the 2014 overhaul, most Pokémon Trading Card Game news appeared on separate "Go-Pokémon.com" website. However, after the overhaul, everything except for the forums for the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online were folded into to Pokémon.com website proper. The Trading Card Game section includes:

• The Trading Card Game providing information on expansions and cards,
• Strategies guides, news and announcement articles dating back to November 2013,
• The downloadable Pokémon Trading Card Game Online for PC, Mac, and iPad,
• A step-by-step "How to Play" set of tutorials with the Professor, and
• A Product Gallery.

Most news articles and images from Go-Pokémon website were not transferred over, and thus have been lost.

Trading Card Database

The Trading Card Database allows users to search for specific Pokémon cards, browse all cards of a specific type, or browse all cards in a given Expansion starting with EX Ruby & Sapphire. "Basic Search Mode" allows for searches based on Card Name, Card Text, Evolutions, and Energy Type. "Advanced Search Mode" allows for additional search criteria based on Card Type (Pokémon, Trainers, and Energy), Rarity, Format (Standard, Expanded, and Unlimited), Expansions, Hit Points or HP, Retreat Cost, Total Attack Cost, Weakness and Resistance, Attack Cost Energy Type, and Card Illustrator. Card lists are presented in a browse-able grid-like format. Selecting a given card provides a full picture of the front of that card as well as a copy of the information found on it, a browse-able Trading Card Database link to the entire card's Expansion, a browse-able Trading Card Database link to other cards illustrated by the card's Illustrator, and a scrollable list of other cards with the same card "Name".

Video Games

Main article: Pokémon games

Before the 2014 overhaul, most of the Pokémon video games had their own mini-sites and sub-sites section with information and other materials about a given video games. While the newest video game release often still have their own mini-sites, this section of the Pokémon.com website highlights information about all current video games in one location and acts as a central repository of game information, announcements, and news on all currently available video games, including links to the individual game mini-sites. This section's news articles and announcements date back to November 2013.

Attend Events

Main article: Play! Pokémon

This section acts as a central repository of information related to Play! Pokémon organized play Events, Rules and Resources for Pokémon video games and the Pokémon Trading Card Game in the organized play setting, and Parent Guides. This section also allow users to locate local Pokémon events and clubs, as well as News and announcements dating back to August 2014.

Stamps

Stamps represent an additional means of rewarding users for using the website and its various contents. The system was initially introduced on 28 August 2014^[12] and substantial expanded on 30 March 2015.^[13] Stamps may be earned by reading news articles, looking up Pokémon in the Online Pokédex, watching Pokémon anime television episodes, playing browser-based mini-games, and for viewing Pokémon Trading Card Game cards, as well as by participating in official Play! Pokémon events. As Stamps are awarded, 6 Trainer Tokens are earned. Some Stamps are one-time events only. Other Stamps increase in level (1 to 10). The more Stamps earned and the more Stamps with higher levels contribute to the assignment of a user's account level (1 to 20).

• Online Game All-Star:

Level 1 — Play 1 minigame on Pokémon.com Level 2 — Play 3 minigames on Pokémon.com Level 3 — Play 6 minigames on Pokémon.com Level 4 — Play 10 minigames on Pokémon.com Level 5 — Play 15 minigames on Pokémon.com

Level 6 — Play 21 minigames on Pokémon.com Level 7 — Play 28 minigames on Pokémon.com Level 8 — Play 37 minigames on Pokémon.com Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Episode Expert:

Level 1 — Watch 1 episode on Pokémon TV Level 2 — Watch 4 episodes on Pokémon TV Level 3 — Watch 8 episodes on Pokémon TV Level 4 — Watch 16 episodes on Pokémon TV Level 5 — Watch 32 episodes on Pokémon TV

Level 6 — Level 7 — Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Looking Good! — Modify the default Trainer avatar on your Pokémon Trainer Club profile

• Pokémon Explorer:

Level 1 — Look up 5 Pokémon in the online Pokédex Level 2 — Look up 25 Pokémon in the online Pokédex Level 3 — Look up 50 Pokémon in the online Pokédex Level 4 — Look up 151 Pokémon in the online Pokédex Level 5 — Look up 251 Pokémon in the online Pokédex

Level 6 — Look up 386 Pokémon in the online Pokédex Level 7 — Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Daily Visitor:

Level 1 — Sign in to the Pokémon Trainer Club 3 days in a row Level 2 — Sign in to the Pokémon Trainer Club 6 days in a row Level 3 — Sign in to the Pokémon Trainer Club 9 days in a row Level 4 — Sign in to the Pokémon Trainer Club 18 days in a row Level 5 — Sign in to the Pokémon Trainer Club 36 days in a row

Level 6 — Sign in to the Pokémon Trainer Club 72 days in a row Level 7 — Sign in to the Pokémon Trainer Club 144 days in a row Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Regionals Competitor: 2014 — Play in a regional Pokémon Regional Championships
• Nationals Competitor: 2014 — Play in a Pokémon National Championships
• Worlds Competitor: 2014 — Play in the Pokémon World Championships

• Newshound:

Level 1 — Read at least 3 news articles on Pokémon.com Level 2 — Read at least 6 news articles on Pokémon.com Level 3 — Read at least 9 news articles on Pokémon.com Level 4 — Read at least 15 news articles on Pokémon.com Level 5 — Read at least 25 news articles on Pokémon.com

Level 6 — Read at least 50 news articles on Pokémon.com Level 7 — Read at least 75 news articles on Pokémon.com Level 8 — Read at least 100 news articles on Pokémon.com Level 9 — Read at least 125 news articles on Pokémon.com Level 10 — Read at least 150 news articles on Pokémon.com

• Trading Cards:

Level 1 — Look up 10 cards in the Pokémon TCG card database Level 2 — Look up 25 cards in the Pokémon TCG card database Level 3 — Look up 50 cards in the Pokémon TCG card database Level 4 — Look up 100 cards in the Pokémon TCG card database Level 5 — Look up 200 cards in the Pokémon TCG card database

Level 6 — Look up 300 cards in the Pokémon TCG card database Level 7 — Look up 400 cards in the Pokémon TCG card database Level 8 — Look up 500 cards in the Pokémon TCG card database Level 9 — Look up 600 cards in the Pokémon TCG card database Level 10 — Look up 700 cards in the Pokémon TCG card database

• Welcome to Kalos — Check out Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie in the online Pokédex

• Super Shopper:

Level 1 — Redeem 200 Trainer Tokens in the Trainer Store Level 2 — Redeem 500 Trainer Tokens in the Trainer Store Level 3 — Redeem 750 Trainer Tokens in the Trainer Store Level 4 — Level 5 — Redeem 1,500 Trainer Tokens in the Trainer Store

Level 6 — Redeem 3,000 Trainer Tokens in the Trainer Store Level 7 — Redeem 4,500 Trainer Tokens in the Trainer Store Level 8 — Redeem 6,000 Trainer Tokens in the Trainer Store Level 9 — Redeem 8,500 Trainer Tokens in the Trainer Store Level 10 — Redeem 10,000 Trainer Tokens in the Trainer Store

• Eevee Evolution Expert — Check out Eevee and all of its evolved forms in the Pokémon.com online Pokédex
• Explorer’s First Steps — Check out a Pokémon TCG card in the card database, view a Pokémon in the online Pokédex, and watch a Pokémon TV episode
• Animation Maven: Kanto Region:

Level 1 — Watch 3 episodes from Pokémon the Series: The Beginning Level 2 — Watch 5 episodes from Pokémon the Series: The Beginning Level 3 — Watch 10 episodes from Pokémon the Series: The Beginning Level 4 — Level 5 —

Level 6 — Level 7 — Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Animation Maven: Johto Region:

Level 1 — Watch 5 episodes from Pokémon the Series: Gold and Silver Level 2 — Level 3 — Level 4 — Level 5 —

Level 6 — Level 7 — Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Animation Maven: Hoenn Region:

Level 1 — Watch 5 episodes from Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire Level 2 — Level 3 — Level 4 — Level 5 —

Level 6 — Level 7 — Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Animation Maven: Sinnoh Region:

Level 1 — Watch 5 episodes from Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl Level 2 — Level 3 — Level 4 — Level 5 —

Level 6 — Level 7 — Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Animation Maven: Unova Region:

Level 1 — Watch 5 episodes from Pokémon the Series: Black & White Level 2 — Level 3 — Level 4 — Level 5 —

Level 6 — Level 7 — Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Make a Splash! (Level 1 to 20) — View the Magikarp entry in the Pokémon.com online Pokédex once per day. (NOTE: Stamp image becomes a silhouette of Gyarados at Stamp Level 20, rather than the previous Magikarp silhouette and the user’s Stamp Level number.)

• Minigame Mastery: Pokémon Pulse:

Level 1 — Play Pokémon Pulse! at least 5 times Level 2 — Level 3 — Level 4 — Level 5 —

Level 6 — Level 7 — Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Minigame Mastery: Chesnaught's Spiky Shield:

Level 1 — Play Chesnaught's Spiky Shield at least 5 times Level 2 — Level 3 — Level 4 — Play Chesnaught's Spiky Shield at least 15 times Level 5 — Play Chesnaught's Spiky Shield at least 20 times

Level 6 — Level 7 — Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Minigame Mastery: Floette Float:

Level 1 — Play Floette Float at least 5 times Level 2 — Level 3 — Play Floette Float at least 10 times Level 4 — Play Floette Float at least 15 times Level 5 — Play Floette Float at least 20 times

Level 6 — Play Floette Float at least 25 times Level 7 — Level 8 — Level 9 — Level 10 —

• Friendly Rivalry — Overtake one of your Pokémon Trainer Club friends on the leaderboard of any Pokémon.com online game

• Pokémon Trainer Club Service Award:

Level 1 — Be a member of the Pokémon Trainer Club for at least 1 year(s) Level 2 — Be a member of the Pokémon Trainer Club for at least 2 year(s) Level 3 —

• Screen Sharing — Watch the same Pokémon TV episode on Pokémon.com as one of your Pokémon Trainer Club friends

Pokémon Center

The original Pokémon Center website on its last day of original operation on 31 January 2008

The Pokémon Center is an online store where user may purchase many different kinds of Pokémon merchandise over the Internet. It was reintroduced on 6 August 2014^[14] (although some select fans were invited to access it early starting on 2 July 2014). The Pokémon Center online store was originally launched around 4 February 2002 and continued until 31 January 2008. It closed in 2008 in order for The Pokémon Company International to prioritize the distribution and sale of Pokémon merchandise with local retailers.^[15]

Pokémon Global Link

Main article: Pokémon Global Link

The Pokémon Global Link is a separate Pokémon video game related website. It offers a means for Pokémon video game players to interact and compete against each other.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Online forum

The official Pokémon Trading Card Game Online forum is a separate website dedicated to the downloadable Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. It was overhauled to reflect the "Pokémon.com" visual design, to improve its usability, and to reintroduce the temporarily removed Trainer avatar system in late 2014.

Retired sections

Mailbag

The Pokémon.com mailbag was an official source of information from the company directors. Fans could write in and ask questions about the games, anime, and other aspects of the franchise. It had been updated quite regularly, often providing information that was not available in other sources (such as the English name of one character from the eleventh movie), but the last update came in October/November 2009. When the site was revamped in January 2010, the mailbag section was removed.

Media player

The site once contained a media player that played music from the Pokémon X collection. Like the mailbag, it was removed in the 2010 overhaul.

Errors

Throughout Pokémon.com's lifespan, it has been notorious for errors. Some of these are as minor as referring to Team Galactic as Team Rocket, others as important as stating that Phione was a legendary Pokémon (although this is a subject of debate). Other errors are stated below.

• The blurb in Round One - Begin! uses the one in Bad to the Bone instead.
• After the 2010 overhaul, in the Advanced Generation series's overview in the animation section, Mt. Coronet was noted. However, Mt. Coronet is in Sinnoh, and is in the Diamond & Pearl series. This was later fixed, with Mt. Chimney being noted instead.
• The site once stated that Jessie was 12 years old. She is 25.
• In an article for Jumping Rocket Ship!, the site referred to Ash's at-the-time Staravia as Staraptor.
• On the subpage for Pokémon Red and Blue Versions, Pokémon.com made these two statements:
  • "And if they're really lucky, they might even be able to catch the elusive (and powerful) Pokémon, Mew!" despite that Mew cannot be found in the wild.
  • "Catching the Legendary Mew will require lots of luck!" while showing a picture of the Mewtwo encounter in Cerulean Cave.
    • Similarly, a comment for an image on Pokémon Emerald Version's subpage states "The Kanto region has never looked better!". Pokémon Emerald took place in Hoenn.
• In the Video Games Strategy Get Smart with Gummis they erroneously claim that Yellow Gummi is preferred by Psychic types when it is preferred by Electric types.^[16]
• In the game Gothita's Portrait Panic sometimes a picture of Victini will be displayed, but it will say Foongus in the caption underneath.
• In the Trainer store, a Scraggy costume was labeled "Scrafty Costume," and a Roserade costume was labeled "Roselia Costume."
• The episode guide for An Elite Coverup! identified character of the day Roland as Ian.
  • Similarly, the episode guide for New Places...Familiar Faces! identified character of the day Nanette as Natasha.
• The Pokémon section in the preview of Pokémon X and Y shows Spritzee using Aromatherapy and labels the move as Draining Kiss, a move seen in Swirlix's section.
• A Blustery Santalune Gym Battle! was referred to as the fifteenth episode of Pokémon the Series: XY instead of the fifth.
• The blurb meant for To Catch a Pokémon Smuggler! was found in the episode guide for the episode before it instead.
• The card database displayed the image of a print of Lugia on the page for Deoxys-EX (BW Promo 82). It also mistakenly called it Deoxys ex.

Trivia

• Several (but not all) Pokémon namespaces (such as "bulbasaur.com") redirect to either Pokémon.com or Nintendo.com, and others, such as Manaphy.com and Darkrai.com, redirected to their respective minisites. After the update in January 2010, many links became broken as the respective pages no longer exist at the same location. Such namespaces have since been changed to redirect to the website's Pokédex page on that Pokémon.
• Despite the overhaul the site received in early January 2010, the old version was made available for a limited period of time at http://origin.pokemon.com/. This also affected links that got broken with the revamp, making them available again, only at a different address.
  • However, since the old version is no longer available, all old links are once again broken.
  • A minisite about Darkrai which originally appeared in 2008 was located at http://origin2.pokemon.com, but has since been taken down.
• The only time the site refers to itself as "Pokémon.com" (with the acute accent), excluding logos, is if the user clicks on an external link on the HeartGold and SoulSilver website.

External links

• http://www.pokemon.com Pokémon.com
• http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokedex/ Online Pokédex
• http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/ Collated News and Announcements
• http://www.pokemoncenter.com/ The Pokémon Center (separate website)
• http://3ds.pokemon-gl.com/ Pokémon Global Link (separate website)
• http://forums.pokemontcg.com/ Pokémon Trading Card Game Online forum (separate website)
• http://www.youtube.com/user/pokemon The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel
• http://www.engine.ca/alicia/anime/pokemon-old/pokedex-old/Loader.swf Archive of the 2005 version of the Online Pokédex

References