Mail

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This article is about the type of item. For the feature in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, see Wonder Mail.
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Mail (Japanese: メール Mail) is a type of item in the Pokémon games. It was introduced in Generation II and appeared until Generation V.

In the core series games

The various kinds of mail are held items given to Pokémon. Each mail item is able to contain a message written by the Trainer. This message can be sent to other Trainers by trading Pokémon.

In the Generation IV games, the player's Bag has a separate pocket for Mail. In the Generation V games, Mail is stored in the general items pocket, but has a unique icon.

Mechanics

Message

Generation II
Printed Mail

The player can freely enter 32 characters across two 16-character rows of text. Mail uses a unique text entry interface, that has a wider selection of characters than other text entry interfaces in these games.

Each different type of Mail has a unique background image, which can be viewed in the games themselves or in Pokémon Stadium 2. The Mail includes the message entered by the sending player, as well as their Trainer name at the bottom. Uniquely, the Portrait Mail also includes the sprite of the Pokémon holding the message, but using the same color palette as the Mail background.

Mail can be printed using the Game Boy Printer accessory. As with all documents printed by the Game Boy Printer, the image is grayscale. This feature is disabled in the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console versions.

In the Western games, the language of the message is stored internally, so that if it is traded to a player in a different language game, the Mail can still be read using the correct character encoding; however, the English versions of Pokémon Gold and Silver ignore this value, instead trying to render the message using the English character encoding, which lacks several characters that can be typed in other Western languages.

Generation III

In Generation III, Mail is typed using the easy chat system, which restricts players to choosing from a pre-defined list of words and phrases. Mail has nine phrase slots, structured as four rows of two slots and a fifth row with one slot.

The player can unlock additional phrases from the Hipster in Mauville City.

Generation IV

In Generation IV, Mail consists of three sentence slots, which can each be filled with a sentence structure from several pre-defined structures. These sentence structures themselves have one or two gaps within them, that the player can fill using the easy chat system (which restricts players to choosing from a pre-defined list of words and phrases). This facilitates translating the message between game languages automatically.

The player can unlock additional phrases from the old man in Snowpoint CityDPPt or on Route 16HGSS.

Generation V

In Generation V, Mail consists of three sentence slots. For BridgeMail, the player can choose a sentence structure from several pre-defined structures for each of these slots, then fill gaps in those sentence structures using the easy chat system (which restricts players to choosing from a pre-defined list of words and phrases). For non-BridgeMail, all three sentence structures are fixed, depending on the specific type of Mail; the player can only fill the gaps inside the sentences, and cannot change which sentence structures are used.

Held item

Pokémon that are holding Mail use a special Mail icon instead of the normal held item icon.

Pokémon holding mail cannot be placed in the PC or released. When removing Mail from a Pokémon, the player has the option to store it in the PC's mailbox or placing it in the Bag; the Mail's message is lost if returned to the Bag, but preserved if sent to the mailbox.

Pokémon with Mail cannot be traded to Pokémon Colosseum or XD because Mail does not exist in those games.

Many item-manipulating effects cannot affect Mail, although which effects fail depends on the game.

Generation II

Mail cannot be stolen by Thief.

In the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console versions, when the player attempts to enter the Trade Center while one of the Pokémon in their party is holding Mail, they are given a warning on the touch screen not to include offensive material in Mail.

Generation III

In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire only, Mail can be stolen with Thief and Covet; in all other Generation III games, Mail cannot be stolen. In the Japanese version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire only, Mail can be swapped by Trick; in the Western versions and all other Generation III games, Mail cannot be swapped with Trick. If Mail is moved in either of these ways, it can cause corruption.

Mail can be removed by Knock Off.

Generation IV

Mail cannot be stolen with Thief or Covet, swapped with Trick or Switcheroo, or thrown with Fling. Mail can be removed by Knock Off.

Generation V
151Mew.png This move effect may be in need of research.
Reason: Details on how the message of stolen Mail is changed in Gen 5
You can discuss this on the talk page.

Trick and Switcheroo fail if either Pokémon is holding Mail. Bestow fails if the user is holding Mail.

Thief, Covet, and Pickpocket can steal Mail from an ally Pokémon; however, if Mail is transferred this way, the slots in the message are changed, being blank or taking on values previously used by Mail given to a Pokémon in that party slot.

Mail can be removed by Knock Off.

List of Mail

Generation II

Generation III

Mail from Generation II is not present in the Generation III games.

Generation IV

Mail from previous generations is not present in the Generation IV games.

Generation V

Mail from previous generations is not present in the Generation V games, making Generation IV Mail the only holdable items from Generation IV to no longer exist in the data of the Generation V games.

Gallery

Generation II

Pokémon Stadium 2

In Pokémon Stadium 2, Mail can be edited using the C-buttons to control the cursor.

Generation III

Generation IV

Generation V

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

In The Last Battle VIII, Silver revealed that as Green had used her Abra to teleport him away earlier, his Sneasel had used Thief to steal the Flower Mail held by Abra. The Mail contained a map that told Silver of Green's plan to go to Ilex Forest.

Ruby & Sapphire arc

In The Beginning of the End with Kyogre & Groudon VI, Ruby left Wallace a Tropic Mail, informing his teacher of his decision to fight against Team Magma.

HeartGold & SoulSilver arc

In Weavile Wobbles But It Won't Fall Down, Mail was seen being sold at the Safari Zone Gate.

Gallery

Trivia

  • When the Portrait Mail is given to an Unown in one of the Generation II games, the Pokémon's sprite is always displayed as Unown A.

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 郵件 Yàuhgín
Mandarin 郵件 / 邮件 Yóujiàn
The Netherlands Flag.png Dutch Post*
French Canada Flag.png Canada Courrier*
France Flag.png Europe Lettre
Germany Flag.png German Briefe
Italy Flag.png Italian Messaggio
South Korea Flag.png Korean 메일 Mail
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Papel de carta
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Correio*
Spain Flag.png Spanish Carta

References

  1. Pokémon News Machine (May 22-June 2002 text archive)



Generation II Eon MailFlower MailLitebluemailLovely Mail
Morph MailMusic MailPortraitmailSurf Mail
Event-only: Bluesky MailMirage Mail
Generation III Bead MailDream MailFab MailGlitter MailHarbor MailMech Mail
Orange MailRetro MailShadow MailTropic MailWave MailWood Mail
Generation IV Air MailBloom MailBrick MailBubble MailFlame MailGrass Mail
Heart MailMosaic MailSnow MailSpace MailSteel MailTunnel Mail
Generation V BridgeMail DBridgeMail SBridgeMail TBridgeMail VFavored MailGreet Mail
Inquiry MailLike MailReply MailRSVP MailThanks Mail


Held items
In-battle effect items
BerriesColored orbsDrivesPower items
Experience-affecting itemsGemsIncenseMega StonesMemoriesPlates
Stat-enhancing itemsType-enhancing itemsZ-Crystals
Out-of-battle effect items
Power itemsIncenseMailScarves
Items
Items Evolution stonesFossilsFlutesShardsHeld items
Evolution itemsEscape itemsExchangeable itemsValuable items
Battle itemsScentsNectarsCandyIngredients
Medicine Status condition healing itemsVitaminsFeathers
MintsMochiDrinksHerbal medicine
Berries and Apricorns Poké BallsBerriesMulchApricorns
Aesthetic DecorationsAccessories (NormalGreatUltraMaster)
BackdropsPropsDécor
Clothing (XYSMUSUMLGPESwShBDSPLASV)
Others MailKey ItemsEvent items
Wonder Launcher itemsRotom Powers


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