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Pokdex Pokdex ("Zukan" in Japan), a portmanteau of Pokmon (itself a portmanteau of pocket and monster) and index, as well as a play on the term Rolodex, is an electronic device featured in the popular video game and anime series Pokmon. Normally, whenever a Pokmon is caught, its data will be added to a player's Pokdex. (However, Missingno and 'M do not register data on the Pokdex when caught, as they are not actual Pokmon). The Pokdex is similar in function to a personal digital assistant, designed to catalogue and provide information regarding the various species of Pokmon. The device itself takes on a new appearance with each generation of Pokmon games, often with more advanced features compared to previous versions. For example, later versions of the Pokdex have been able to sort the list of Pokmon based on internal numbering or alphabetical order. However, all Pokdexes have the ability to sort the list of Pokmon based on a National Pokdex numbering, as well as the numbering for their own region. In the Pokmon continuity, the Pokdex was invented by Professor Samuel Oak ("Ookido Yukinari-hakase/Dr. Yukinari Ookido" (Japan)), a respected professor in the science of Pokmon. However, the information provided therein is often provided by other sources. In the video games In the video games, a Pokmon Trainer is issued a blank device at the start of their journey. A trainer must then attempt to fill the Pokdex by encountering the various different species of Pokmon. A player will receive the name and image of a Pokmon after encountering one that was not previously in the Pokdex. More detailed information is typically available after the player obtains a member of the species, either through capturing Pokmon, evolving Pokmon, or through a trade. This detailed information includes height, weight, species type, and a short description of the Pokmon. A player is considered a "Pokmon Master" once the latter is completed - that is, if the player has, at some point, had at least one of each species of Pokmon in their possession. In the anime Within the Pokmon anime, unlike the games, the Pokdex does not start blank and fill after encountering and catching Pokmon. Instead, the Pokdex acts as a portable reference tool, able to give information about a certain species of Pokmon even if a trainer has not seen or caught it. The Pokdex also acts as a form of identification, allowing trainers to partake in the various Pokmon League competitions. Unlike the Pokdex of the video games or the merchandise based on the video games, the Pokdex in the anime has a color screen, a statement to the color capabilities of the Nintendo Game Boy. A Pokdex in the anime also appears to have either a speech synthesizer or a method to play prerecorded sound. In the English version, Ash Ketchum, the main character of the anime, sometimes refers to his Pokdex as Dexter, or, in the Advanced Generation series of episodes, Dextette. In the Japanese version, Zukan doesn't have a nickname, it is simply called "Zukan". The Zukan is voiced by Shinichiro Miki in the original and the Pokdex is the voiced by Eric Stuart in the English version, and the Advanced Generation the Zukan is voiced by Megumi Hayashibara in the original and the Advanced Generation Pokdex is voiced by Rachael Lillis in the English version. Merchandise Because of the popularity of Pokmon, among some of the pieces of Pokmon merchandise is a toy Pokdex, similar to the ones found in the video games or anime. The first model of Pokdex, corresponding to the Pokdex found in the first generation of Pokmon games, was manufactured by Hasbro in 1999. It was a correct scale device which included a small 1-bit LCD screen and contained information on 150 Pokmon. The device allowed for password protection and featured a small keyboard to allow users to input information about their favourites or species they captured. In 2004 Hasbro on the likely request of Nintendo will offer an updated Pokdex which features the 386 species of Pokmon that exist in the third generation. This device will feature multiple advancements along with a 2-bit greyscale screen with a higher resolution. The device already released in Japan is expected to appear during the Autumn of 2004 in time for the December holiday season. See also External link
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