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{{policy|guideline|proposed}}
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 {{tt|games use|earlier games don't count}}, and I have yet to see an example in another situation where they don't.
This is a list of the '''grammar conventions and syntax''' used in official media that Bulbapedia strives to follow.


Note that this list is constantly expanding. Feel free to make requests on the talk page.
This list is being constantly updated, and is intended as a reference rather than something to memorize. If you would like to suggest an addition or modification for this page, please do so on the talk page. This page is maintained by {{u|SnorlaxMonster}}.


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".
==General approach==
* American English should be used rather than Commonwealth English in Bulbapedia articles. (This consistent with most English language Pokémon games, as well as much of Pokémon media as a whole.) Exceptions are made if the spelling is officially the Commonwealth one, such as "[[Décor|Catalogue]]."
* 's should be included at the end of singular possessives ending in s. While it is correct to either omit or include the s after the apostrophe in these cases, Bulbapedia follows the games' convention (for a multitude of reasons, including the games' usage) and appends the s. For example, Iris's should be used, not Iris'.
* The {{wp|serial comma}} should be used where applicable (matching the syntax of the Pokémon games).
* Evolutionary levels should be designated as "unevolved," "first evolution," and "second evolution" for Pokémon that have undergone zero, one, and two evolutions respectively during their development. The TCG terminology of "basic Pokémon," "stage 1 Pokémon" and "stage 2 Pokémon" do not apply to other media.
** For example, in the TCG {{p|Pikachu}} and several other Pokémon are considered Basic Pokémon, but have a pre-evolved form, making them first-evolution Pokémon. This discrepancy typically applies to evolutionary families that include a [[baby Pokémon]].


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>".
===Changing names===
When discussing topics in general, their most recent name should normally be used.
 
When discussing a topic in the context of a particular medium or product, the terminology used normally should match the terminology used in that product. For example, when discussing the [[Thunder Stone]] in general it should normally be rendered with a space ("Thunder Stone"), but when discussing the Thunder Stone in {{game|Gold and Silver|s}}, it should be rendered without a space ("Thunderstone") to match how it was displayed in those games.
 
The anime is primarily an audiovisual medium, not a written medium, so context-sensitive spelling is typically not applied. When discussing a Thunder Stone in the [[original series]], the item should be rendered with a space ("Thunder Stone"), despite this formatting not appearing in Pokémon media until much not later. However, differences in name should still be respected; for example, while the tower in [[Ecruteak City]] is known as the [[Bell Tower]] in {{game|HeartGold and SoulSilver|s}}, it is referred to as the [[Tin Tower]] in the [[Generation II]] games and the anime, so it should still be referred to as the "Tin Tower" when discussing the anime.
 
Prior to Generation VI, {{wp|CamelCase}} was common in the games due to character limitations, but later games have largely moved away from its use. The [[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon]] games typically did not use CamelCase, instead only capitalizing the first letter of words that would be CamelCase in the core series games (e.g. "Deepseatooth").


==Hyphenation==
==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").
* "Super effective" is never hyphenated. It is formatted with a space when used as the object of a conjugation of the verb "to be" ("The attack was super effective"), but is formatted as one word when used adjectivally in front of a noun ("A supereffective 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.
* "[[Day-Care Couple]]," "Day-Care Man," "Day-Care Lady," and "Day-Care Checker" are all hyphenated as "Day-Care" is used as an adjective in these phrases. "[[Pokémon Day Care]]" and "Day Care," when used as nouns, are not hyphenated.


===Types===
===Types===
*The types themselves are always capitalized, regardless of context
Types themselves are always capitalized.
*As adjectives, types are "<typename>-type".
 
* As adjectives, types are "<typename>-type."
**Example: {{p|Squirtle}} is a {{type|Water}} Pokémon.
**Example: {{p|Squirtle}} is a {{type|Water}} Pokémon.
*As nouns referring to a Pokémon of that type, they are "<typename> type"{{tt|*|note that this style is casual, and <nowiki>"<typename>-type Pokémon"</nowiki> is preferred}}†
*As nouns referring to a Pokémon of that type, they are "<typename> type"
**Example: {{p|Squirtle}} is a {{t|Water}} type.
**Example: {{p|Squirtle}} is a {{t|Water}} type.
**Example: [[Blaine]] specializes in {{t|Fire}} types.
**Example: [[Blaine]] specializes in {{t|Fire}} types.
*As nouns referring to the types themselves, they are "<typename>" or "the <typename> type".†
*As nouns referring to the types themselves, they are "<typename>" or "the <typename> type."
**Example: {{t|Fire}} is super effective against {{type|Grass}} Pokémon.
**Example: {{t|Fire}} is super effective against {{type|Grass}} Pokémon.
**Example: The {{t|Steel}} type was introduced in Generation II.
**Example: The {{t|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 ''[[DP031|The Grass-Type Is Always Greener!]]'' and ''[[BW023|Battling For The Love of Bug-Types!]]''.
Types rendered with a hyphen are adjectives, so should never be pluralized. For example, "Water-types" is never correct. (Anime episode titles may go against the standard, such as ''[[DP031|The Grass-Type Is Always Greener!]]''.)
 
==Plurals==
* The plural of "Pokémon" is "Pokémon" and the plural of every Pokémon species is the same as the singular, much like {{wp|moose}} or {{wp|sheep}}. For example, ''Those Pikachu are Electric-type Pokémon''.
* Note the following special plurals for item names:
** The plural of "[[Deep Sea Tooth]]" is "Deep Sea Teeth".
** The plural of "[[Bruxish Tooth]]" is "Bruxish Teeth".
** The plural of "[[Old Gateau]]" is "Old Gateaux".
** The plural of "[[Guard Spec.]]" is "Guard Specs."


==Capitalization==
==Capitalization==
* The word Pokémon is always capitalized, as are all nouns starting with "Poké" (such as [[Pokégear]], [[PokéNav]] and [[Poké Flute]]).
* The names of Pokémon, moves, Abilities, items, and locations are always written in title case.
<div style="display:grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr">
<div>
===Capitalized===
===Capitalized===
The following words are always capitalized:
The following are always capitalized:
*Pokémon
*Pokémon
*{{pkmn|Trainer}}
*{{pkmn|Trainer}}
*[[Ability]]†
*[[Original Trainer]]
*[[Pokémon Professor]]
*[[Legendary Pokémon]]
*[[Mythical Pokémon]]
*[[List of Pokémon with form differences|Forme]]
*[[Ability]]
*Hidden Ability
*Hidden Ability
*{{pkmn|Egg}}
*{{pkmn|Egg}}
*[[Egg Group]]
*[[Egg Group]]
*[[Egg Move]]
*[[Evolution]]
*[[Mega Evolution]]
*[[Berry]]
*[[Berry]]
*[[Gym]]
*[[Gym]]
*[[Poké Ball|Ball]]
*[[Badge]]
*[[Badge]]
*[[Symbol]]
*[[Symbol]]
*{{pkmn2|Shiny}}
*[[Shiny Pokémon]]
*[[Single Battle]]
*Types of battles ([[Single Battle]], [[Double Battle]], [[Horde Encounter]], etc.)
*[[Double Battle]]
*[[Bag]]
*[[Triple Battle]]
*[[Nature]]
*[[Rotation Battle]]
*[[Characteristic]]
*[[Wonder Launcher|Launcher Battle]]
*[[Prop]]
*[[Prop]]
*[[Plate]]
*[[Plate]]
*{{pkmn|Contest}}
*[[Ribbon]]
*[[Ribbon]]
*[[Accessory]]†
*[[Accessory]]
*[[Backdrop]]
*[[Backdrop]]
*[[Fossil]]†
*[[Fossil]]
*[[Move Tutor]]
*[[Move Tutor]]
*[[Pokémon Day Care]]
*Day Care
*Day-Care Man
*Day-Care Lady
*Day-Care Couple


*[[Power Points]]
*Box ([[Pokémon Storage System]])
*Battle Video
*[[the Underground]]
*[[Pokémon Storage System]]
*[[Pokémon Storage System|Box]]
*[[Mystery Gift]]
*{{tt|Safari Game|The name of the actual game in the Safari Zones}}
*{{tt|Rock|Safari Game}}
*{{tt|Mud|Safari Game}}
*{{tt|Bait|Safari Game}}
*{{tt|Catching Show|The name of the actual game at Pal Park}}
*{{tt|Area|Johto Safari Zone}}


*{{pkmn2|Shadow}}
*[[Shadow Pokémon]]
*{{tt|Ranch|The Ranch in My Pokémon Ranch}}
*{{tt|Stroll|Pokéwalker}}
*[[Décor]]
*[[Décor]]


*[[Friend Area]]
*[[Friend Area]]
*[[Special Episode]]
*[[Special Episode]]
*[[Browser]]
*[[Browser]]
*[[Special Traits]]
*[[Special Traits]]
*[[Toy Pokémon]]
*[[Toy Pokémon]]


*{{series|Advanced Generation}}
*[[Perfect Link]]
*{{series|Diamond and Pearl}}
*[[Warrior]]
*{{series|Best Wishes}}
*[[Warlord]]
*[[Aura]]
*[[Warrior Skill]]
*[[Pokémon Stylist]]
</div>


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).
<div>


===Uncapitalized===
===Uncapitalized===
*[[legendary Pokémon]] (while often capitalized on merchandise, and even on the box of {{game|Black and White|s}}, it is never capitalized in-game, so should not be)
The following are not capitalized:
*[[nature]] (while capitalized in some strategy guides, it is not in-game)
*[[move]]
*[[move]]
*[[item]]
*[[item]]
*[[level]]
*[[level]]
*[[gender]]
*[[gender]]
*The names of [[status ailments]]
*[[List of Pokémon with form differences|form]]
*The names of [[seasons]]
*[[wing]]
*The names of [[Phenomenon|phenomena]]
*names of [[status ailments]]
*{{pkmn2|wild}}
*names of [[Season (mechanic)|seasons]]
*[[rental Pokémon]] (Pokémon rented for use in the [[Battle Factory]]){{tt|*|while capitalized in Pokémon Stadium, it is uncapitalized in its most recent usages}}
*names of [[weather conditions]]
 
*names of [[Phenomenon|phenomena]]
*[[wild Pokémon]]
*[[baby Pokémon]]
*[[rental Pokémon]]<!--while capitalized in Pokémon Stadium, it is uncapitalized in its most recent usages-->
*{{m|substitute}} (the doll created by the move {{m|Substitute}})
*[[physical move]]
*[[special move]]
*[[status move]]
 
*[[scalchop]]
*[[scalchop]]
*[[scalchop|seamitar]]
*[[scalchop|seamitar]]


*[[mystery dungeon]]{{tt|*|the location type, not the series}}
*[[link]] ([[Pokémon Conquest]])
*[[treasure box]]{{tt|*|capitalized in guidebooks, but not in-game}}
*kingdom ([[Pokémon Conquest]])
*move rank ([[Pokémon Conquest]])
</div>
</div>
 
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).
 
All unofficial terms are lowercase by default, with the exception of the names of generations. While the term "[[generation]]" is uncapitalized, specific generation names (e.g. [[Generation II]]) are.


*{{series|original}}
==Definite article==
It is not always immediately obvious whether a particular location or concept should use the definite article "the." The below is a list of such cases according to whether the indefinite article should be used.


All unofficial terms are lowercase by default.
In the [[Generation VIII]] core series games, the [[List of locations by index number (Sword & Shield)|summary location]] makes clear which locations should use "the" and which should not, so they are not listed here.


==The==
<div style="display:grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr">
<div>
===Present===
===Present===
The following always have "the":
The following always have "the":
*The [[Slowpoke Well]]
*The [[Slowpoke Well]]
*The [[Glitter Lighthouse]]
*The [[Glitter Lighthouse]]
*The [[Bell Tower|Tin Tower]]{{tt|*|The usage of 'the' is inconsistent in Generation II, but in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum the man at Hotel Grand Lake uses 'the'}}
*The [[Bell Tower|Tin Tower]]<!--the usage of 'the' is inconsistent in Generation II, but in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum the man at Hotel Grand Lake uses 'the'-->
*The [[Bell Tower]]{{tt|*|Although the sign in front of the Barrier Station omits 'the', NPCs and the official guidebook use 'the'}}
*The [[Bell Tower]]<!--although the sign in front of the Barrier Station omits 'the,' NPCs and the official guidebook use 'the'-->
*The [[Whirl Islands]]
*The [[Whirl Islands]]


Line 124: Line 159:
*The [[Sky Pillar]]
*The [[Sky Pillar]]


*The [[Eterna Forest]]{{tt|*|'The' is absent in a map description and official guidebook, but present on the sign inside the forest, in the anime, and in NPC dialog}}
*The [[Eterna Forest]]<!--'the' is absent in a map description and official guidebook, but present on the sign inside the forest, in the anime, and in NPC dialog-->
*The [[Vista Lighthouse]]
*The [[Vista Lighthouse]]
*The [[Spear Pillar]]
*The [[Spear Pillar]]
Line 132: Line 167:
*The [[Driftveil Drawbridge]]
*The [[Driftveil Drawbridge]]
*The [[Tubeline Bridge]]
*The [[Tubeline Bridge]]
*The [[Dreamyard]]
*The [[Desert Resort]]
*The [[Relic Castle]]
*The [[Cold Storage]]
*The [[Celestial Tower]]
*The [[Celestial Tower]]
*The [[Abyssal Ruins]]
*The [[Entralink]]
*The [[Entralink]]
*The [[Entralink|Entree Forest]]


*The [[Pokémon Global Link]]
*The [[Pokémon Global Link]]
Line 145: Line 186:
*The {{dwa|Icy Cave}}
*The {{dwa|Icy Cave}}


*The [[Bittercold]]
</div>
<div>
===Absent===
===Absent===
The following do not use "the":
The following do not use "the":
Line 157: Line 202:
*[[Trainer Tower]]
*[[Trainer Tower]]


*[[Marvelous Bridge]]
*[[Pinwheel Forest]]
*[[Pinwheel Forest]]
*[[Liberty Garden]]
*[[Battle Subway|Gear Station]]
*[[Battle Subway|Gear Station]]
*[[Marvelous Bridge]]
*[[Mistralton Cave]]
*[[Chargestone Cave]]
*[[Twist Mountain]]
*[[Unity Tower]]
*[[Unity Tower]]
*[[Dragonspiral Tower]]
*[[Dragonspiral Tower]]
*[[White Forest]]
*[[White Forest]]
*[[Black City]]
*[[Black City]]
*[[Aether House]]<!-- While putting "the" is not grammatically incorrect, it is mostly referred to without, the "the" being used very rarely across multiple media -->
</div>
</div>
==Deviations==
While Bulbapedia aims to follow the games' formatting in most circumstances, there are a number of cases in which it does not. Some of these are listed below.
* The fan terms [[base stat]]s, [[effort value]]s (EVs), and [[individual value]]s (IVs) are used due to their overwhelming dominant usage among fans, as well as the official names conflicting with their commonly understood usages among fans. EVs are officially known as "base points", IVs as "individual strengths", and base stats as "species strengths".<ref>[https://www.pokemon.com/uk/play-pokemon/about/video-game-glossary/ Pokémon Video Game Glossary]</ref>
==References==
<references />
<!--{{Bulbapedia guidelines}}-->

Latest revision as of 11:17, 6 August 2024

Bulbapedia logo.png
 This article is a proposed guideline for Bulbapedia.

Please discuss the proposed guideline and suggest possible changes on the article's talk page.

This is a list of the grammar conventions and syntax used in official media that Bulbapedia strives to follow.

This list is being constantly updated, and is intended as a reference rather than something to memorize. If you would like to suggest an addition or modification for this page, please do so on the talk page. This page is maintained by SnorlaxMonster.

General approach

  • American English should be used rather than Commonwealth English in Bulbapedia articles. (This consistent with most English language Pokémon games, as well as much of Pokémon media as a whole.) Exceptions are made if the spelling is officially the Commonwealth one, such as "Catalogue."
  • 's should be included at the end of singular possessives ending in s. While it is correct to either omit or include the s after the apostrophe in these cases, Bulbapedia follows the games' convention (for a multitude of reasons, including the games' usage) and appends the s. For example, Iris's should be used, not Iris'.
  • The serial comma should be used where applicable (matching the syntax of the Pokémon games).
  • Evolutionary levels should be designated as "unevolved," "first evolution," and "second evolution" for Pokémon that have undergone zero, one, and two evolutions respectively during their development. The TCG terminology of "basic Pokémon," "stage 1 Pokémon" and "stage 2 Pokémon" do not apply to other media.
    • For example, in the TCG Pikachu and several other Pokémon are considered Basic Pokémon, but have a pre-evolved form, making them first-evolution Pokémon. This discrepancy typically applies to evolutionary families that include a baby Pokémon.

Changing names

When discussing topics in general, their most recent name should normally be used.

When discussing a topic in the context of a particular medium or product, the terminology used normally should match the terminology used in that product. For example, when discussing the Thunder Stone in general it should normally be rendered with a space ("Thunder Stone"), but when discussing the Thunder Stone in Pokémon Gold and Silver, it should be rendered without a space ("Thunderstone") to match how it was displayed in those games.

The anime is primarily an audiovisual medium, not a written medium, so context-sensitive spelling is typically not applied. When discussing a Thunder Stone in the original series, the item should be rendered with a space ("Thunder Stone"), despite this formatting not appearing in Pokémon media until much not later. However, differences in name should still be respected; for example, while the tower in Ecruteak City is known as the Bell Tower in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, it is referred to as the Tin Tower in the Generation II games and the anime, so it should still be referred to as the "Tin Tower" when discussing the anime.

Prior to Generation VI, CamelCase was common in the games due to character limitations, but later games have largely moved away from its use. The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games typically did not use CamelCase, instead only capitalizing the first letter of words that would be CamelCase in the core series games (e.g. "Deepseatooth").

Hyphenation

  • "Super effective" is never hyphenated. It is formatted with a space when used as the object of a conjugation of the verb "to be" ("The attack was super effective"), but is formatted as one word when used adjectivally in front of a noun ("A supereffective attack").
  • "Day-Care Couple," "Day-Care Man," "Day-Care Lady," and "Day-Care Checker" are all hyphenated as "Day-Care" is used as an adjective in these phrases. "Pokémon Day Care" and "Day Care," when used as nouns, are not hyphenated.

Types

Types themselves are always capitalized.

  • As adjectives, types are "<typename>-type."
  • As nouns referring to a Pokémon of that type, they are "<typename> type"
  • 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.

Types rendered with a hyphen are adjectives, so should never be pluralized. For example, "Water-types" is never correct. (Anime episode titles may go against the standard, such as The Grass-Type Is Always Greener!.)

Plurals

  • The plural of "Pokémon" is "Pokémon" and the plural of every Pokémon species is the same as the singular, much like moose or sheep. For example, Those Pikachu are Electric-type Pokémon.
  • Note the following special plurals for item names:

Capitalization

  • The word Pokémon is always capitalized, as are all nouns starting with "Poké" (such as Pokégear, PokéNav and Poké Flute).
  • The names of Pokémon, moves, Abilities, items, and locations are always written in title case.

Uncapitalized

The following are not capitalized:

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).

All unofficial terms are lowercase by default, with the exception of the names of generations. While the term "generation" is uncapitalized, specific generation names (e.g. Generation II) are.

Definite article

It is not always immediately obvious whether a particular location or concept should use the definite article "the." The below is a list of such cases according to whether the indefinite article should be used.

In the Generation VIII core series games, the summary location makes clear which locations should use "the" and which should not, so they are not listed here.

Deviations

While Bulbapedia aims to follow the games' formatting in most circumstances, there are a number of cases in which it does not. Some of these are listed below.

  • The fan terms base stats, effort values (EVs), and individual values (IVs) are used due to their overwhelming dominant usage among fans, as well as the official names conflicting with their commonly understood usages among fans. EVs are officially known as "base points", IVs as "individual strengths", and base stats as "species strengths".[1]

References

  1. ↑ Pokémon Video Game Glossary


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