What's a Pokémon? (Play It!)

What's a Pokémon? features Julie explaining about Pokémon cards in Pokémon Play It! and Pokémon Play It! Version 2.

Overview

This option is found at the Learn menu in the first game, which was later adapted as the Help menu in the second game. Julie sometimes disappears and leaves an empty gray space where she was, but her voice can still be heard. This area consists of three lessons. The player may skip any of them by clicking on the Forward arrow at the bottom-right corner.

Diglett lesson

In the first screen, Julie introduces the concept of Pokémon cards, while a Diglett is shown as an example. The player is able to click on several components of the Diglett card, which causes Julie to explain shortly about it. Specifically, the player is able to click on Diglett's stage (Basic Pokémon), species, image, HP, type ( Fighting), category, rarity ( Common), weakness ( Grass), resistance ( Lightning), retreat cost, Pokédex entry, and Base Set card number (47/102), as well as the name, cost, or damage of either move (Dig or Mud Slap).

Julie does not offer any comment about Diglett's length or weight. Clicking on any part of the text "Mole Pokémon Length: 0'8", Weight: 2lbs" simply causes Julie to comment about Diglett's category (Mole Pokémon). Julie does not make any comment about the illustrator text ("Illus. Ken Sugimori").

Dugtrio lesson

In the second screen, Julie explains about Basic Pokémon evolving into Stage 1 Pokémon. Both the Diglett card Dugtrio are shown, but smaller than in the previous screen. The player is required to evolve Diglett into Dugtrio, by dragging a Dugtrio on top of the Diglett card, and then click on the Forward arrow.

Beedrill lesson (Quiz)

In the third lesson, there is a short quiz about the Beedrill card:

• "The Beedrill Pokémon evolves from the Kakuna Pokémon. Where is that shown on the card?"
• "Beedrill has quite a few hit points. Where is that shown on the card?"
• "Beedrill has two attacks: Twineedle and Poison Sting. Click on the amount of damage for Poison Sting."

The player has two chances for each quiz item. The player can move on the next question by either answering correctly, or by answering incorrectly twice. If the player does answers incorrectly twice, Julie reveals the correct answer. After the three questions are answered, Julie requests the player to click on "Forward" to go back to the previous menu.

Gallery

Diglett lesson	Dugtrio lesson	Beedrill lesson

Quotes

Main article: Julie (Play It!)/Quotes

These are Julie's quotes in this screen.

Diglett lesson

(Julie uses a Diglett card as an example.)

"Hey, how's it going? This is a Pokémon card. One Pokémon from the coolest card game ever made. The name of this Pokémon is 'Diglett'. Diglett is one Pokémon out of a whole bunch and every single one is different. If you wanna know more about Diglett and what it can do, click on any area of the card and I'll tell you more about it. When you're done, click the 'Forward' button."

(The 'Forward' button blinks with a sound effect for a few seconds.)

• If the player clicks on "Basic Pokémon":

"There are two types of Pokémon: Basic and evolved. Diglett is a Basic Pokémon."

• If the player clicks on the name "Diglett":

"The name of this Pokémon is 'Diglett'."

• If the player clicks on "30 HP":

"The number here is the total hit points of Diglett. Diglett can take 30 hit points of damage before being knocked out in battle."

• If the player clicks on "" (the Fighting symbol) at the top-right corner:

"This symbol says that Diglett is a Fighting Pokémon. There are seven symbols and seven types of Pokémon. Catch 'em all!"

• If the player clicks on Diglett's image:

"Diglett. Pretty cool."

(Diglett's cry is heard.)

• If the player clicks on "Mole Pokémon Length: 0'8", Weight: 2lbs":

"Diglett is a Mole Pokémon."

• If the player clicks on either "Dig" or "Mud Slap":

"This is the name of an attack used by Diglett."

"If you want to learn how to battle, go back to the menu and select one of the battles to play."^PI1

"If you want to learn how to battle, go back to the main menu and click on 'Play'."^PI2

• If the player clicks on the energy needed for Dig:

"Diglett needs one Fighting Energy to perform the Dig attack. You can learn more about energy by returning to the menu and selecting that topic."

• If the player clicks on the energy needed for Mud Slap:

"Diglett needs two Fighting Energy to perform the Mud Slap attack."

• If the player clicks on the damage dealt by Dig:

"In battle, the Dig attack does 10 points of damage to the Defending Pokémon."

• If the player clicks on the damage dealt by Mud Slap:

"In battle, the Mud Slap attack does 30 points of damage to the Defending Pokémon."

• If the player clicks on Diglett's weakness:

"Diglett is really weak against Grass Pokémon. Weakness is an advanced rule."

"If you want to learn more about it, go back to the menu and check out the advanced lesson."^PI1

"To learn more about it, go back to the menu and click on 'Play'."^PI2

• If the player clicks on Diglett's resistance:

"Diglett is really strong, or resistant, when defending against Lightning Pokémon. Resistance is an advanced rule."

"If you want to learn more about it, go back to the menu and check out the advanced lesson."^PI1

"To learn more about it, go back to the menu and click on 'Play'."^PI2

• If the player clicks on Diglett's retreat cost:

"If Diglett wants to run, or retreat from battle, it doesn't cost any energy. Other Pokémon have to pay energy to retreat, so that makes Diglett pretty cool, huh?"

• If the player clicks on Diglett's Pokédex entry:

"Diglett lives about three feet underground, where it feeds on plant roots. It sometimes appears above ground."

• If the player clicks on "47/102":

"There are 102 cards in the basic card set. Diglett is number 47."

• If the player clicks on "" (the rarity symbol):

"This symbol tells you how rare the card is. A circle means it's common. A diamond means it's uncommon. And a star means it's rare. Some of the rare cards are even holographic and those are super rare."

(The text "Ilus. Ken Sugimori" is not clickable.)

• If the player clicks on the "Forward" button, the Diglett lesson is replaced by the Dugtrio lesson.

"Alright, let's go look at Dugtrio, who evolves from Diglett."

Dugtrio lesson

"So, now that you've seen Diglett, a Basic Pokémon, let's look at an evolved Pokémon, Dugtrio!"

(The Dugtrio card appears near the Diglett card.)

"You can tell that Dugtrio is an evolved Pokémon by the little symbol in the upper-left corner of the card."

(The "Evolves from" text blinks with a sound effect for a few seconds.)

"It even tells you who Dugtrio evolves from."

(The small Diglett at the corner of the Dugtrio card blinks with a sound effect for a few seconds.)

"Dugtrio is a Stage 1 evolved Pokémon, which means it's played on top of a Basic Pokémon. When you're playing the game, Dugtrio comes into play by placing it on top of Diglett. Why don't you try that now? Drag Dugtrio onto Diglett."

• Repeated every 10 seconds until the player does as told:

"Place your cursor on top of Dugtrio, click the mouse button, and drag it over to Diglett."

• When the player does as told:

"Good! You just evolved Diglett into Dugtrio. And you do it the same way in the real game."

"There's a couple of rules about evolving and if you wanna learn more, go back to the menu and select that lesson."^PI1

"There's a couple of rules about evolving. If you wanna learn more, go back to the menu and click on 'Play'."^PI2

"For now, I'd click on forward if I were you."

(The 'Forward' button constantly blinks with a sound effect until the player clicks on it.)

Beedrill lesson (Quiz)

1st question

(Julie uses a Beedrill card as an example.)

"Hey there! Let's look at another card. This one is called 'Beedrill'."

(Beedrill's cry, a bee buzzing, is heard. Julie looks up and moves her head and sees a Beedrill flying off-camera.)

"Let's see if you got what it takes to be a Pokémon Master! OK, I'll ask a question. You click on the correct area of the card to give an answer! Ready? The Beedrill Pokémon evolves from the Kakuna Pokémon. Where is that shown on the card?"

• If the player clicks on the correct place in the card:

"Right! But remember, not all Pokémon can evolve. Only some special ones. We'll learn more about that later."

• If the player clicks on any incorrect place in the card:

"No, that's not it! Try again!"

• If the player clicks on any incorrect place in the card again:

"No, no, no! Listen up! The Beedrill is an evolved Pokémon and that is shown here."

(The small Kakuna at the corner of the Beedrill card blinks with a sound effect for a few seconds.)

2nd question

• After the player has either answered the previous question incorrectly twice, or simply answered it correctly:

"Next question: Beedrill has quite a few hit points. Where is that shown on the card?"

• If the player clicks on the correct place in the card:

"Right! Hey, remember! When a Pokémon reaches 0 hit points in a battle, it's knocked out!"

• If the player clicks on any incorrect place in the card:

(buzzing sound) "Wrong! Click again!"

• If the player clicks on any incorrect place in the card again:

(buzzing sound) "Wrong again! The type is always shown here, in the upper right of the card."^PI1

(buzzing sound) "Wrong again! The hit points are here, in the upper right of the card."^PI2

(The "80 HP" text blinks with a sound effect for a few seconds.)

3rd question

• After the player has either answered the previous question incorrectly twice, or simply answered it correctly:

"Next question. Beedrill has two attacks: Twineedle and Poison Sting. Click on the amount of damage for Poison Sting."

• If the player clicks on the correct place in the card:

"You got it."

• If the player clicks on any incorrect place in the card:

"Oh, too bad! That's the wrong answer."

• If the player clicks on any incorrect place in the card again:

"Oh, so sorry. You've chosen poorly. Huh. The damage for that attack is shown here."

(The damage for Poison Sting blinks with a sound effect for a few seconds.)

Conclusion

• After the player has either answered the previous question incorrectly twice, or simply answered it correctly:

"Good job! Huh, we're out of here! Click on 'Forward'."

(The 'Forward' button constantly blinks with a sound effect until the player clicks on it.)

• Repeated every 10 seconds until the player does as told:

"Click on 'Forward'."

Trivia

Errors

• In the first game, if the player answers twice incorrectly the question about the placement of the HP in Beedrill's card, Julie says that the "type" is located in the "upper right of the card". This may suggest that the question was originally intended to be about the card's type. This was fixed in the second game, where Julie specifically talks about the HP rather than the type.

This article is part of both Project Sidegames and Project TCG, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Sidegames and TCG, respectively.