Pokéwalker

The PokéWalker

The PokéWalker (Japanese: ポケウォーカー PokéWalker) is a pedometer device bundled with Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver that can interact with the games in various manners.

Much as HeartGold and SoulSilver are remakes of the original Gold and Silver, the PokéWalker could be considered to be somewhat of a remake of the Pokémon Pikachu 2, which interacted in much the same way with the Generation II games. Unlike the Pokémon Pikachu 2, however, Pikachu is not the only Pokémon that can be interacted with, and Pokémon can actually be transferred to and from the PokéWalker at any given point in time.

Like the Pokémon Pikachu and its successor, the PokéWalker uses a currency known as "watts" (shortened to w), which are obtained as the player walks with the device.

Technical specs

The PokéWalker is a small device, 4.8 centimeters (1.9 inches) in diameter and 13.9 millimeters (0.5 inches) thick, weighing in at only 21 grams (0.75 ounces). It is portable, with an optional belt clip included with the system; a plain backing is installed out of the package and must be replaced using a Phillips-head screwdriver.

Gameplay

PokéWalker gameplay boils down to simply walking around with the device so as to charge up watts, then utilizing the watts to purchase use of the Poké Radar and Itemfinder. Up to three caught Pokémon and up to three found items may be stored at once: any more than that, and the player will have to decide which of the older ones is replaced. The step counter resets at midnight each day.

Poké Radar

File:Pokewalker battling.png

The battle screen

Each time the Poké Radar is used will cost the player 10 watts, and brings them to a screen containing four patches of grass. If an exclamation point is seen above a certain patch of grass, if clicked, a battle with a Pokémon may start, or another patch may be chosen, often resulting to more exclamation points. The more exclamation points seen, the rarer the Pokémon will be.

Exclamation Point	Pokémon Group
!	Group C
!	Group C or Group B
!!	Group B or Group A
!!!	Group A

The battle system of the PokéWalker is quite primitive, even compared to the Generation I games; each Pokémon utilizes their in-game menusprite in the battle, while each has only 4 HP. Only three choices are offered: Attack, Dodge, or Catch. Attacking will cause the player's Pokémon to perform a basic tackle on the opponent (note that this is not the move itself, and that type advantages and disadvantages play no role), while dodging may cause the opponent's attack to miss. A successful dodge may result in attacking the opponent for one damage. The catch option will throw a Poké Ball at the wild Pokémon, which, if it is sufficiently weak enough, may be caught. Critical hits sometimes occur: these will take away 2 HP rather than the standard 1. If a Poké Ball is not successful in capturing the opponent Pokémon, it will flee, and the player's 10 watts will have been in vain. The same is true if the player's Pokémon defeats its opponent, while if the opponent defeats the player's Pokémon, a certain amount of watts will be lost (much as money is in the main series games after the defeat of the player's Pokémon).

Player Action	Wild Pokémon Action	Result
Attack	Attack	Player's Pokémon	Receive one damage
	Attack	Wild Pokémon	Receive one damage
	Dodge	Player's Pokémon	Receive one damage
	Dodge	Wild Pokémon	---
	Run	Player's Pokémon	Receive one damage
	Run	Wild Pokémon	Receive two damage (critical hit)
Dodge	Attack	Player's Pokémon	---
	Attack	Wild Pokémon	Receive one damage
	Dodge	Player's Pokémon	---
	Dodge	Wild Pokémon	---
	Run	Player's Pokémon	---
	Run	Wild Pokémon	Run away
Catch	Succeed	Wild Pokémon is caught
Catch	Fail	Wild Pokémon runs away

Itemfinder

File:Pokewalker items.png

Finding an item

Much like in the main games, the Itemfinder will help the player find items in the wild. Each use of this function costs 3 watts, and the player has two chances to find an item hidden among six grass tufts. If the item is not found the first time, the Itemfinder will tell the player if the item is close by or far away. If the item is close by then it is likely either to the direct right or the direct left of the first checked grass tuft. Likewise if the item is far away then the item is at least two grass tufts away in either direction. If the item is not found on the second search, the player will be out of luck and will have to pay an additional 3 watts to try again.

Advantageous types

Each PokéWalker area has three advantageous elemental types which vary between courses, and have influence over the PokéWalker Poké Radar and Itemfinder. When a Pokémon of an advantageous type is brought into a course, then the chance of finding rarer Pokémon when using the Poké Radar and items when using the Itemfinder will slightly increase. In addition to making rarer Pokémon easier to find when using the Poké Radar, an advantageous type will lower the required step count for each Pokémon by 75%. This effect does not seem to apply to the Itemfinder.

Areas

File:Pokewalker areas.png

Selecting an area before sending a Pokémon

The PokéWalker has 27 distinct areas that a player can have their Pokémon visit on sending them from HeartGold or SoulSilver. The main difference between them is the species of Pokémon that can be found using the Poké Radar. Three areas are unlocked from the start, while more can be unlocked by various means.