View source for Season (game mechanic)

:''If you were looking for the division of dubbed episodes, see [[season]].''
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{| class="roundy" align="right" style="border: 2px solid #{{ {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|January|May|September=spring|February|June|October=summer|March|July|November=autumn|April|August|December=winter}} color dark}};"
! colspan="2" | [[Seasons#{{#switch: {{#time: F}}|January|May|September=Spring|February|June|October=Summer|March|July|November=Autumn|April|August|December=Winter}}|{{color|000|{{#time: F}} is {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|January|May|September=spring|February|June|October=summer|March|July|November=autumn|April|August|December=winter}}}}]]
|-
! width="50%" class="roundytl" style="background:#{{spring color}}; {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|January|May|September=border: 2px solid #{{spring color dark}}; color:#000000;|color:#{{spring color dark}};}}" | 
{| class="roundy" align="center" style="border: 2px solid #{{spring color dark}}; {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|January|May|September=background:#{{spring color light}}; color:#000000;|color:#{{spring color light}};}}"
| align="center" | <!--Replace with spring icon when EnBW comes out, leave alone until then--><big><big><big>春</big></big></big>
|}
Spring
! width="50%" class="roundytr" style="background:#{{summer color}}; {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|February|June|October=border: 2px solid #{{summer color dark}}; color:#000000;|color:#{{summer color dark}};}}" | 
{| class="roundy" align="center" style="border: 2px solid #{{summer color dark}}; {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|February|June|October=background:#{{summer color light}}; color:#000000;|color:#{{summer color light}};}}"
| align="center" | <!--Replace with summer icon when EnBW comes out, leave alone until then--><big><big><big>夏</big></big></big>
|}
Summer
|-
! class="roundybl" style="background:#{{autumn color}}; {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|March|July|November=border: 2px solid #{{autumn color dark}}; color:#000000;|color:#{{autumn color dark}};}}" | 
{| class="roundy" align="center" style="border: 2px solid #{{autumn color dark}}; {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|March|July|November=background:#{{autumn color light}}; color:#000000;|color:#{{autumn color light}};}}"
| align="center" | <!--Replace with autumn icon when EnBW comes out, leave alone until then--><big><big><big>秋</big></big></big>
|}
Autumn
! class="roundybr" style="background:#{{winter color}}; {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|April|August|December=border: 2px solid #{{winter color dark}}; color:#000000;|color:#{{winter color dark}};}}" | 
{| class="roundy" align="center" style="border: 2px solid #{{winter color dark}}; {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|April|August|December=background:#{{winter color light}}; color:#000000;|color:#{{winter color light}};}}"
| align="center" | <!--Replace with winter icon when EnBW comes out, leave alone until then--><big><big><big>冬</big></big></big>
|}
Winter
|-
! colspan="2" | {{#ifeq: {{#time: t}}|{{#time: j}}|{{#switch: {{#time: F}}|January|May|September=Summer|February|June|October=Autumn|March|July|November=Winter|April|August|December=Spring}} begins tomorrow!|{{#expr: {{#time: t}} - {{#time: j}} + 1}} days until {{#switch: {{#time: F}}|January|May|September=summer|February|June|October=autumn|March|July|November=winter|April|August|December=spring}}!}}
|}

'''Seasons''' are a mechanic of the Pokémon games. The concept was introduced in [[Generation V]] with {{game|Black and White|s}}.

Much as [[Generation II]] introduced [[time]] and [[days of the week]] to the Pokémon series, and [[Generation IV]] used the [[Nintendo DS]]'s internal clock to keep track of the date of capture of a particular Pokémon, seasons are a new feature introduced in Generation V. Unlike in the real world, where each season lasts for approximately three sequential months, the seasons in Unova will change each month, going through the full cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter three times per year.

==Spring==
Spring occurs in January, May, and September.

===Effects===
*[[Time|Morning]] begins one hour earlier, at 3:00 AM, while [[Time|Day]] lasts an hour longer, until 8:59 PM.
*{{p|Deerling}} and {{p|Sawsbuck}} appear in their [[Form differences#Deerling and Sawsbuck|Spring Form]].
*Snow is not present in any locations.
*Certain areas may have {{weather|rain}}.
*Some wild Pokémon encounter rates change.
*The background music on most routes changes slightly.
*[[Casteliacone]]s are sold.
*[[Cynthia]] is in [[Undella Town]].
*{{tc|Lass}} Maya (if the player is {{ga|Hilbert|male}}) or {{tc|Dancer}} Dirk (if the player is {{ga|Hilda|female}}) is at the {{DL|Nimbasa City|Rondez-View Ferris Wheel|ferris wheel}} in [[Nimbasa City]].

==Summer==
Summer occurs in February, June, and October.

===Effects===
*[[Time|Morning]] begins one hour earlier, at 3:00 AM, while [[Time|Day]] lasts an hour longer, until 8:59 PM.
*{{p|Deerling}} and {{p|Sawsbuck}} appear in their [[Form differences#Deerling and Sawsbuck|Summer Form]].
*Snow is not present in any locations.
*Some wild Pokémon encounter rates change.
*The background music on most routes changes slightly.
*[[Casteliacone]]s are sold.
*[[Cynthia]] is in [[Undella Town]].
*{{tc|Hiker}} Andy (if the player is {{ga|Hilbert|male}}) or {{tc|Ace Trainer}} Austin (if the player is {{ga|Hilda|female}}) is at the {{DL|Nimbasa City|Rondez-View Ferris Wheel|ferris wheel}} in [[Nimbasa City]].
*A man in [[Undella Town]] will trade his {{p|Munchlax}} for a {{p|Cinccino}}

==Autumn==
[[File:BW Prerelease seasons autumn.png|thumb|Autumn: as normal, the slope is too steep to climb.]]
Autumn occurs in March, July, and November.

===Effects===
*{{p|Deerling}} and {{p|Sawsbuck}} appear in their [[Form differences#Deerling and Sawsbuck|Autumn Form]].
*Snow is not present in any locations.
*Some wild Pokémon encounter rates change.
*The background music on most routes changes slightly.
*[[Casteliacone]]s are sold.
*[[Cynthia]] is not in [[Undella Town]].
*{{tc|Clerk ♀}} Trisha (if the player is {{ga|Hilbert|male}}) or {{tc|Waitress}} Aurora (if the player is {{ga|Hilda|female}}) is at the {{DL|Nimbasa City|Rondez-View Ferris Wheel|ferris wheel}} in [[Nimbasa City]].

==Winter==
[[File:BW Prerelease seasons winter.png|thumb|Winter: due to snowfall the area uphill is now accessible.]]
Winter occurs in April, August, and December. 

===Effects===
*[[Time|Morning]] begins one hour later, at 7:00 AM, while [[Time|Day]] lasts an hour shorter, until 6:59 PM.
*{{p|Deerling}} and {{p|Sawsbuck}} appear in their [[Form differences#Deerling and Sawsbuck|Winter Form]].
*Snow is present in [[Twist Mountain]], [[Icirrus City]], {{rt|8|Unova}}, [[Moor of Icirrus]], and [[Dragonspiral Tower]]; all [[puddle]]s in these locations are frozen over, acting as [[ice tile]]s. Small patches of snow are also present in other locations, such as [[Driftveil City]].
**Due to snow piling up, certain areas in can be accessed that are normally inaccessible, while certain cave entrances in Twist Mountain are covered by it.
*{{weather|Hail}} and {{weather|rain}} are common in [[Driftveil City]], [[Cold Storage]], {{rt|5|Unova}}, and [[Mistralton City]]. {{weather|Hail|Hail and blizzards}} are common in [[Icirrus City]] and {{rt|8|Unova}}.
*Some wild Pokémon encounter rates change.
*The background music on most routes changes slightly.
*[[Casteliacone]]s are not sold.
*[[Cynthia]] is not in [[Undella Town]].
*{{tc|Preschooler}} Winter (if the player is {{ga|Hilbert|male}}) or {{tc|Rich Boy}} Martin (if the player is {{ga|Hilda|female}}) is at the {{DL|Nimbasa City|Rondez-View Ferris Wheel|ferris wheel}} in [[Nimbasa City]].

==Trivia==
* As February is included among the months considered as summer, it is the shortest season on average. Where the other seasons each last a total of 92 days in a real-time year, summer lasts a total of 89 days or, in case of a {{wp|leap year}}, 90 days.
** Interestingly, this is true for the southern hemisphere summer, as the Earth is near perihelion. Summer lasts only approximately 89 days, while winter lasts closer to 94. The opposite is in effect for the northern hemisphere.
* When summer and winter start in the {{wp|northern hemisphere}} of the real world, the same season is in effect in-game. This is not true for spring and autumn, whereas it is spring in-game when autumn starts in real life and vice versa.
** The opposite is true for the {{wp|southern hemisphere}}: real-world spring and autumn start in months with their respective in-game seasons, while summer and winter start in in-game winter and summer respectively.
* In some countries, most notably in {{wp|North America}} and parts of {{wp|Europe}}, seasons start at {{wp|solstice}}s and {{wp|equinox}}es, rather than starting at the first day of a month as is the case in countries like {{wp|Australia}}. In such cases, all four seasons appear in-game in each real life season.
* Black and White, the first games to introduce this feature, were released during autumn in Japan, and the in-game season was spring. The international releases were released in what is generally considered to be spring in the northern hemisphere, and the in-game season was autumn.

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[[Category:Game mechanics]]

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