User:SnorlaxMonster/Pokémon Syntax

This article is a proposed policy for Bulbapedia. Please discuss the proposed policy and suggest possible changes on the article's talk page.

Unfortunately, Bulbapedia isn't always great with Pokémon-related capitalization and types. Entries with a dagger (†) next to them are ones we do poorly/not at all. This is all the syntax that the games use, and I have yet to see an example in another situation where they don't.

Note that this list is constantly expanding. Feel free to make requests on the talk page.

Also, this page will hopefully serve as a replacement for Bulbapedia:Manual of style#Nouns, capitalization, and specific terminology, as a separate page. One of the reasons I created it was to fix the errors spread by the MoS, especially the highly incorrect usage of things like "Normal-types".

This page also somewhat hints any pages I plan to move in the future, such as Abilities from "<name> (ability)" to "<name> (Ability)" and Egg Groups from "name <Egg group>" to "name <Egg Group>".

Hyphenation

• "Super effective" is not hyphenated when used as the object of a conjugation of the verb "to be" ("The attack was super effective"), but is hyphenated when used adjectivally in front of a noun ("A super-effective attack").
• "Day-Care Couple", "Day-Care Man", "Day-Care Lady", and "Day-Care Checker" are all hyphenated as it is used as an adjective in these phrases. "Pokémon Day Care", and "Day Care" when used as a noun, are not hyphenated. While the term "Day-Care Center" does not appear in any Pokémon game, it can be assumed to be hyphenated due to it being used as an adjective rather than a noun in this phrase. All are also always capitalized.

Types

• The types themselves are always capitalized, regardless of context
• As adjectives, types are "<typename>-type".
  • Example: Squirtle is a Water-type Pokémon.
• As nouns referring to a Pokémon of that type, they are "<typename> type"*†
  • Example: Squirtle is a Water type.
  • Example: Blaine specializes in Fire types.
• As nouns referring to the types themselves, they are "<typename>" or "the <typename> type".†
  • Example: Fire is super effective against Grass-type Pokémon.
  • Example: The Steel type was introduced in Generation II.
• This means that "Water-types" is never correct, as when hyphenated, they are always adjectives.
• Anime episode titles may go against the standard, such as The Grass-Type Is Always Greener! and Battling For The Love of Bug-Types!.

Capitalization

Capitalized

The following words are always capitalized:

• Pokémon
• Trainer
• Ability†
• Hidden Ability
• Egg
• Egg Group
• Berry
• Gym
• Ball
• Badge
• Symbol
• Shiny
• Single Battle
• Double Battle
• Triple Battle
• Rotation Battle
• Launcher Battle
• Prop
• Plate
• Contest
• Ribbon
• Accessory†
• Backdrop
• Fossil†
• Move Tutor
• Pokémon Day Care
• Day Care
• Day-Care Man
• Day-Care Lady
• Day-Care Couple

• Power Points
• Battle Video
• Pokémon Storage System
• Box
• Mystery Gift
• Safari Game
• Rock
• Mud
• Bait
• Catching Show
• Area
• Plasma Ship

• Shadow
• Ranch
• Stroll
• Décor

• Friend Area
• Special Episode
• Browser
• Special Traits
• Toy Pokémon

• Advanced Generation series
• Diamond and Pearl series
• Best Wishes series
• Aura
• Pokémon Stylist
• Ghost World

The names of all people, Pokémon, moves, Abilities, items, Trainer classes, stats (except accuracy and evasion), and villainous teams are also always capitalized, as are officially named locations (places like "Kurt's house" do not count).

Uncapitalized

• legendary Pokémon (while often capitalized on merchandise, and even on the box of Pokémon Black and White, it is never capitalized in-game, so should not be)
• mythical Pokémon (while often capitalized on merchandise, it is never capitalized in-game, so should not be)
• nature (while capitalized in some strategy guides, it is not in-game)
• move
• item
• level
• gender
• The names of status ailments
• The names of seasons
• The names of phenomena
• wild
• rental Pokémon (Pokémon rented for use in the Battle Factory)*
• scalchop
• seamitar

• mystery dungeon*
• treasure box*

• original series
• spirit world

All unofficial terms are lowercase by default.

The

Present

The following always have "the":

• The Slowpoke Well
• The Glitter Lighthouse
• The Tin Tower*
• The Bell Tower*
• The Whirl Islands

• The Cave of Origin
• The Sky Pillar

• The Eterna Forest*
• The Vista Lighthouse
• The Spear Pillar
• The Snowpoint Temple

• The Skyarrow Bridge
• The Driftveil Drawbridge
• The Tubeline Bridge
• The Celestial Tower
• The Entralink

• The Pokémon Global Link
• The Pokémon Dream World
• The Global Battle Union
• The Pleasant Forest
• The Windswept Sky
• The Sparkling Sea
• The Spooky Manor
• The Rugged Mountain
• The Icy Cave

Absent

The following do not use "the":

• Victory Road (all)
• Geonet
• Pal Park
• Soul Dew

• Viridian Forest
• Indigo Plateau

• Trainer Tower

• Pinwheel Forest
• Gear Station
• Marvelous Bridge
• Unity Tower
• Dragonspiral Tower
• White Forest
• Black City