HOW TO START TRAINING POKÉMON

Before to start knowing what amazing cities we will find in the world-known region of Kanto, we have to learn the basics of Pokémon training.

WHAT IS A POKEMON?

A lot of noob trainers will think in this question. A Pokémon is a strange creature, used as pets or to battle alike a sport. There are 17 different types of Pokémon, each one with advantatge and disadvantage against others. Now a days there are more than 600 different Pokémon species but originally there was only 151. 


 
FEATURES

Each Pokémon have the same features but in different level. The highest they are the better.

*Attack: It's used for physical attacks.
* Defense: Defense againts physical attacks.
* Special Attack: It's used for special attacks.
* Special Defense: It's is used againts special attacks.
* Speed: Pokémon with higher speed will attack first.


* HABILITY: This is a special feature, each Pokémon has one different, they can help increasing defense or changing the status, belong other types. 


MOVES AND TYPES

Each Pokémon can learn a set of moves (also called attacks or defense movements). Each attack belongs to one of the different Pokémon types and have one category (specially in the new versions) that can be Support, Special Attack or Physical Attack.

For example, the famous move "Tackle" is a move of Normal type and it is a physical attack.
Each attack, also have a different power and some of them can change the status of the rival Pokémon.

A Pokémon can belong to two different types: like Charizard that is Fire-Flying type.

This is a chart about the different advantages and disadvantages that each type has:

   
SUPPORT,  SPECIAL AND PHYSICAL ATTACKS


Special Attacks uses the "Special Attack" feature while physical attacks do same with "attack". There is another kind, called Support moves. This increase the features of the pokémon, lows the rival ones or change their status.


Some special attacks: Ice Beam , Fire Blast, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt
Some physical attacks: Tackle, Giga-Impact, Mega Punch

Some support attacks: Sing, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Harden.


STATUS CHANGES

A Pokémon starts with a "normal" status, this means there is no problem. But it can change, this can make the battle going in the other direction. Often, this attacks belong to the special category but others, even Pokémon habilities, can make it change. Let's see what changes we can find:

* Sleeping: A Pokémon can be sleeping after using a "sleep" move. The most common are Hypnosis of Gengar or Sing of Jigglypuff. While sleeping, your Pokémon won't attack till it gets up again. But there are moves that can attack while sleeping, like Snore.
* Burnt: A Pokémon can be burnt specially after a Fire type attack. Pokémon will low it attack and lose health till it faint. The famous moves that can make this state are: Flamethrower, ember or Fire Blast among others, specially Fire type Pokémon learn them during trainning.
* Paralized: Electrick type attacks and others, can paralize the rival Pokémon. In this state, Pokémon will have the half of their total speed, and sometimes they even won't attack. Famous move that can make this status: Thunderbolt, Thunder, Thundershock, Thunder Wave.
* Frozen: Ice attacks can freeze a Pokémon. Then they won't attack after some time. Frozen status can get out if the Pokémon is hit by a Fire type attack. Famous moves causing this status are: Ice Beam and Blizzard.
* Poisoned:  During this state, your Pokémon will lose health till it get faint. This can be awful specially for beginners. There are some poison Attacks that increse the damage if the battle goes long. Some of these moves are: Poison Sting or Pollution.

* Confused: This is a special status, because a Pokémon can't have more of one status change, like above, so a Pokémon already paralyzed cannot be burnt. But a Pokémon can be confused and paralyzed or whatever from above. 

All this status can be cured using special items or going to the Pokémon Center.

EVOLUTION IS THE SOLUTION IF YOU WANNA BE THE CHAMPION

 Pokémon can evolve. Using some special items, trading, because they are happy, they trained at night or day, or they level up, they can evolve to stronghest creatures. A Pokémon evolved is pretty stronger than their preevolution specie. But they learn move slowly. Anyway a Pokémon evolved later, after knowing their main moves, can be also weaker than other that evolved when it was ready for. When a Pokémon evolves, this is for ever, they can change the type or even get a new one. Also, there are some species of Pokémon that can evolve in different species like Eevee or Slowpoke.

After reading this you already know what to do when you get your Pokémon. The objective: Catch them all! and also win the Pokémon League.

POKÉBALL

 A Pokéball is an item where Pokémon "live" inside. Are comfortable to transport them along the world and to call and retire them from battle. Only trainners uses pokéballs to keep their Pokémon.  So you have to use a pokéball to catch a wild Pokémon.
 Like Pokémon, there are different types of pokéball, each one has a different catching ratio, so it is easy to catch pokémon and of higher level with a better pokéball. Anyway, there are also special pokéball that works better if you already have the same pokémon, if the level is lower, or if the rival to catch belongs to a specific type or you are inside a cave. But the most common  is the "normal" pokéball.

MY FIRST POKÉMON

Your first Pokémon will be different up to the version or region you are playing. In Kanto, the first Pokémon can be Squirtle, Charmander or Bulbasur. Maybe this is the hardest decision of your live. It was mine. If you are not a noob trainner, you will remmember what of them you should choose. The strategy is different, starting in this point, so if you got Squirtle, forget to get another Water type Pokémon to battle, same if you do with Charmander and Fire type or Bulbasaur with Poison and Grass, unless you want to specialize in some type of them.

They three are great Pokémon for beginners and specially pretty loved by experts ones. These Pokémon will help you to win the badges to beat the Pokémon League and to catch another ones.


* Charmander: A Fire-type Pokémon. Charmander can learn a lot of fire-type attacks and it is pretty powerful at beginning, and even later, specially after evolving into faboulous Charizard. Specially for trainners that prefer total power.

* Bulbasaur: This is a Grass-Poison Pokémon. Bulbasaur can learn powerful grass attacks and some that make change the status. Specially recommended for trainners that prefers a good strategy or a balanced team.

* Squirtle: This turtle Pokémon has a great defense. Squirtle can learn a set of ice and water type attacks.
This Pokémon is specially recommended for trainers that prefers a good defense.

POKÉMON FOR NOOBS

Some of the first wild Pokémon you will find, specially in the Kanto region are really easy to beat, to catch and to train.
* Pidgey: Pidgey is a Normal-Flying pokémon type. It is really useful againts plant and bug type. Pidgey evolves soon into the famous Pidgeotto and their most known attacks are Gust and Sand-Attack. Quick attack is also used by these species. Pidgey is really strong at beginning specially because a lot of beginners uses bug type Pokémon.

* Rattata: It is a Normal type Pokémon, fast and strong, evolves quickly into Raticate and it Hyper-Fang attack is pretty hard for their rivals. 

* Caterpie: This is a weak Pokémon at beginning, but it can grow fast if also battles against Pokémon of lower level. It evolves quickly into Metapod and then to Butterfly. And Butterfly is really awesome for beginners, their attacks like Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Poison Powder, Gust and Confusion can be pretty helpful for beginners.

* Magicarp: This is maybe the stupidest Pokémon for a trainner, it is hard to level up, you have to change it from the battle becuase it is really weak. But let's think in the future: Magicarp evolves soon into the famous Gyarados a Water-Flying type with Dragon powers.

* Weedle: Like Caterpie, this bug Pokémon is weak but at less, this is a poison type and can beat easily caterpie and other bugs Pokémon.Weedle evolves soon into Kakuna and then into Beedrill. Bedrill in wildness, can be hard to beat for beginners (except if you chose Charmander or you have Flying type).

* Spearow: Spearow, like Pidegey is a Normal-Flying Pokémon. It evolves soon into Fearow, and this is a Pokémon with better characteristics than Pidgeotto, anyway Pidgeot is better.

* Pikachu: It is the most famous electric Pokémon. Pikachu is easy to level up and its attack and speed are quite high. Specially powerful againts flying and water type.

THE ANIME AND KANTO REGION

Although it is not named, Kanto is the region of the original videogames and of course, the first region to be seen at anime series. The original anime series were based in the games story, although there are places that never had been seen on the games. Gym leaders also looked different.

The main plot of the games was to "catch them all!" but you also had to beat the gym leaders, get the eight badges and then challenge the Elite Four, and defeat Team Rocket plans.

ANIME SERIES

The anime series has a different argument. Ash Ketchum, a 10 years old boy from Pallet Town, gets a Pikachu as his first Pokémon. He wanna be a Pokémon Master, and to get his objective he had to start a long trip around Kanto region beating the gym leaders. The Team Rocket, as they do on the games, is a criminal organization. But only two of them, Jessie and James and their speaking Meowth, appears in the first episodes. Later, it is shown that Team Rocket is a more complex organization with a lot of members.

Ash meets during his trip new friends, and he gets some journey partners, like Misty or Brock, who help him to get their aims and teaching him to train better. 

 KANTO REGION

The name region comes from the original Kanto name, a real region in Japan. This is a modern area, and as well in the games, Kanto is the most modern region, specially in comparision with the traditional Johto region. In the anime series, Kanto is really large, the main characters cross this region and it took like a year for them. At games, Kanto is simplified with 2 main towns: Pallet Town and Lavender Town. 7 cities, Viridian City, Pewter City, Celurean City, Vermillion City, Saffron City, Celadon City and Fuchsia City, there is also a big island, Cinnabar Island and an archipelago, Seafoms Island. The Indigo Plateau is the place where Pokémon League is celebrated and where in games, you have to defeat the Elite Four. Besides it, Kanto is pleny of natural caves and places where there are wild Pokémon.

LANDMARKS OF KANTO

As a real country, Kanto also have it own landmarks. 

In the beginning, in Pallet Town we can see the Pokémon Laboratory of Professor Oak. Here you get your first Pokémon. 

Then we can continue till Viridian City, where there is a school for beginners. 

In Pewter City we can  find the Pokémon Museum. In Celurean City we can see a Bike Shop and outside we find Bill's home. 

Later in Vermillion, we find the Pokémon Fan Club and the seaport, where the luxurious liner S.S. Anne is waiting. 

In Lavender Town is located the Pokémon Tower, a cemetery, outside there is the Power Plant. 

In Celadon City there is a Casino owned by Team Rocket, a great Mall, and an hotel. Outside, there's the Cycling Road.

In Saffron City there is the Silph Corporation and also a Dojo, which was the original Pokémon gym.   

In Fuchsia City there is the Safari Zone.
Cinnabar Island has a volcano (although it is not seen at games). There is also the Pokémon Laboratory and the Pokémon Mansion.

Due to the anime series' success, Pikachu became Pokémon's pet and pokéball the main item. The influence of Pokémon is pretty high, it has been parodied lots of times in different media.

Old players and fans will always prefer the original series and games though the games have improved in graphics, there is no one like the first. 

 

POKÉMON BLUE & RED

Pokémon was called originally Pocket Monsters.
It was created in 1996 by Satoji Tajiri as a videogame made by Game Freak for the old Game Boy of Nintendo. The game was compatible with the Game Link Cable, and was made in two original versions, Red & Green. It was released in Japan in 1996.

In the beginning, it was not a success but in 1997 it was sold about a million of copies. Then Nintendo decided send this to occident. Pokémon Red and Blue versions arrived to the United States of America and this fact was the beginning of a continous expansion.

Satoji Tajiri created a RPG game, where the monsters could evolve and become better, simple and easy, and you needed the Game Link Cable to complete the game. This item actually sensitized, videogames became a social game. 

 People started playing Pokémon and they need to get new friends. I can remember when I was 10, asking people I didn't know if they could send me some special Pokémon or help me to evolve Kadabra. And this not everything. You could challenge a friend, to know who of you both was the best. This multiplayer part ended creating Pokémon Tournaments worldwide.

Pokémon changed my life as I am sure that it also changed the life of a lot of people around the world. This was the first game I played for Game Boy. And made me to watch the anime series. And of course, the hardest decision ever made: Charmander, Squirtle or Bulbasaur?