Bulbapedia:Manual of style: Difference between revisions

From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
⧼bulbapediamonobook-jumptonavigation⧽⧼bulbapediamonobook-jumptosearch⧽
mNo edit summary
(198 intermediate revisions by 48 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Policy|guideline|official}}
{{shortcut|2|MOS|BP:MOS}}
This is an instruction '''manual''' that addresses the conventions adopted by Bulbapedia in writing, titles, articles, and linking. Please read it before you contribute to the Bulbapedia project. Note, however, that this document is not updated frequently; survey prevailing conventions as well as reading these guidelines.
This is an instruction '''manual''' that addresses the conventions adopted by Bulbapedia in writing, titles, articles, and linking. Please read it before you contribute to the Bulbapedia project. Note, however, that this document is not updated frequently; survey prevailing conventions as well as reading these guidelines.


=Basic wikicode=
This manual attempts to address all issues of style in an objective manner, though there are inevitably cases where issues of style are subjective. If there are any unresolved disputes over what best adheres to the style of Bulbapedia, please contact the {{bp|Leadership Board}}.
Besides writing articles in the Bulbapedia on factual, useful information, contributers are expected to use decent spelling and grammar and a basic level of wikicode.  Some of the most commonly used aspects of wikicode are listed below.  Should you forget, above the text editors for articles are a row of button with many common wikicode attributes.
* Text formatting:  To make text bold, put three apostrophes on either side of it, such as <nowiki>'''Bulbapedia'''</nowiki>.  This will result in '''Bulbapedia'''.  However, bold text is mostly used to define the name of the subject matter at the start of an article or for any notes which need a very large amount of emphasis.  For a normal emphasis, it is common style to put text in italics, which is done with two apostophes instead of two, such as <nowiki>''Bulbapedia''</nowiki>.  This will result in ''Bulbapedia''.
* Links: Whenever something else is referenced in an article which has its own article on the Bulbapedia, be sure to link to it.  This is done by putting two brackets on either side of a word.  For example, <nowiki>[[Pokémon]]</nowiki> will result in [[Pokémon]].  However, sometimes there's no way to use the exact name of an article in a sentence without the sentence being awkardly worded.  In that instance, to have different text display than the article's name, put a vertical line between the article's name and the text you would like to display.  For example, <nowiki>[[Pokémon|Pocket Monsters]]</nowiki> will result in [[Pokémon|Pocket Monsters]], which you may notice links to the ''Pokémon'' article.
** Short links: There are several quick links which are not only useful, but common style.  Quick links are a type of style, which is used with curled brackets. For example, when linking to a Pokémon article, typing <nowiki>{{p|Pikachu}}</nowiki> would result in {{p|Pikachu}}, which you may notice links to the article ''Pikachu (Pokémon)''.  For more links, please see the ''Disambigufication'' section under ''Naming'' further in the manual.
** Wikipedia links: When something is referenced outside of the Pokémon world, it is often useful to link to the Wikipedia article on the subject.  When linking to a Wikipedia subject, simply put a "wp:" before the article's name.  However, be careful that this doesn't show up in the link text itself, and be sure to check to see if you're linking to an existing Wikipedia article.  As an example, to link to the Wikipedia article on Pokémon, typing <nowiki>[[wp:Pokémon|Pokémon]]</nowiki> would result in [[wp:Pokémon|Pokémon]].
**External links: Other links can be done with using a single bracket.  In this instance, a vertical line is not necessary to divide the name from the link.  However, the full address is needed to link to a page.  For example, to link to the Bulbagarden forums, typing <nowiki>[http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/index.php Bulbagarden Forums]</nowiki> would result in [http://bmgf.bulbagarden.net/index.php Bulbagarden Forums].  External links are primarily used to cite references and to link to any related websites.
* [[Image:001Bulbasaur.png|thumb|100px|Bulbasaur]] Images: Images are added in a manner similar to Links.  To add in an image, link to the image's name, but add in "Image:" before the name.  For example, <nowiki>[[Image:Pokébuck sign.gif]]</nowiki> will add in a commonly used image, [[Image:Pokébuck sign.gif]].  Formatting attributes can be added to an image as well, divided with vertical lines.  For example, <nowiki>[[Image:001Bulbasaur.png|thumb|100px|Bulbasaur]]</nowiki> will add the image to the right.  All images are uploaded to [http://archives.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Main_Page Bulbagarden Archives].
* Categories: Categories are also added in a manner similar to Links.  To categorize an artcle, link to the category's name, but add in "Category:" before the anme.  For example, <nowiki>[[Category:Pokémon world]]</nowiki> would add this article to [[:Category:Pokémon world]].  To link to a category and not add the article to the category, add in an extra colon before the name, like <nowiki>[[:Category:Pokémon world]]</nowiki>.  '''''All articles should be categorized.  The only page which should appear on the [[Special:Uncategorizedpages|list of uncategorized pages]] should be the main page of Bulbapedia.'''''
* Headlines: Articles are divided by levels of headlines, much like a large outline.  These are indicated by equals signs on either side of the headline text. There are four levels of headlines, with one equals sign being the first and highest level, which would look like <nowiki>=Headline text=</nowiki>, and four equals signs being the fourth and lowest level, which would look like <nowiki>====Headline text====</nowiki>.  First and second level headlines are underlined.  Text size decreases with lower level headlines.
* Lists: There are two major ways to do lists.
** Bulleted lists: To create a bulleted list, put an asterisk before each item.  For example:
* Bulbasaur
* Charmander
* Squirtle
* Pikachu
Will become:
* Bulbasaur
* Charmander
* Squirtle
* Pikachu
** Definition lists: To create a list with definitions, put a semicolon before each item, and a colon before the details on each item.  For example:
; Bulbasaur
: Grass-type
; Charmander
: Fire-type
; Squirtle
: Water-type
; Pikachu
: Electric-type
Will become:
; Bulbasaur
: Grass-type
; Charmander
: Fire-type
; Squirtle
: Water-type
; Pikachu
: Electric-type
A colon will indent the start of any other line as well, and multiple colons can be used for multiple indents.  However, indents should only be used for data formating, and should not be used to start paragraphs within an article.
* Tables: Tables are started and ended with a curled bracket and a vertical line.  Rows can be divided with a vertical line and a dash, and sections within rows can be divided with vertical lines.  Title headings can be indicated with exclamation points rather than vertical lines.  For example:
<nowiki>{|
! Name
! Type
|-
| Bulbasaur
| Grass
|-
| Charmander
| Fire
|-
| Squirtle
| Water
|-
| Pikachu
| Electric
|}</nowiki>
Will become:
{|
! Name
! Type
|-
| Bulbasaur
| Grass
|-
| Charmander
| Fire
|-
| Squirtle
| Water
|-
| Pikachu
| Electric
|}
Formatting attributes can also be added to the table.  The first row attributes apply to the whole table.  Attributes on the lines with vertical lines and dashes apply to the row.  Attributes for just one cell can be put before the content, divided with another vertical line. For example:
<nowiki>{| style="border: 1px solid #999; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- style="background: #ccc;"
! Name
! Type
|- style="background: #cfc;"
| Bulbasaur
| align="right" | Grass
|- style="background: #fcc;"
| Charmander
| align="right" | Fire
|- style="background: #ccf;"
| Squirtle
| align="right" | Water
|- style="background: #ffc;"
| Pikachu
| align="right" | Electric
|}</nowiki>
Will become:
{| border="1" style="border: 1px solid #999; border-collapse: collapse;"
|- style="background: #ccc;"
! Name
! Type
|- style="background: #cfc;"
| Bulbasaur
| align="right" | Grass
|- style="background: #fcc;"
| Charmander
| align="right" | Fire
|- style="background: #ccf;"
| Squirtle
| align="right" | Water
|- style="background: #ffc;"
| Pikachu
| align="right" | Electric
|}


=Article titles=
==Keeping continuity with existing style==
The conventions for titles dictate that all proper nouns are capitalized, as are all locations, and names unless specifically not capitalized. Titles are '''not''' written like book titles with most words capitalized; note the title of this page as Manual of style, not Manual of Style.  
The manual of style attempts to provide general guidelines for Bulbapedia's preferred style. It cannot address every possible style dispute, and some styles or conventions may be established across Bulbapedia without being formally defined in the manual of style. When a style is established (e.g. used across multiple pages), it should not be changed without a good reason. If you want to discuss using an alternate style, please use an article's talk page.


Uniformity in the titling of pages is much appreciated in that it makes for a much more professional appearance with regards to the public perception of Bulbapedia. Any page title that includes a name should not be stored in a biographical format; i.e., "Gary Oak", not "Oak, Gary" as the page title for [[Gary Oak|Ash's rival]]. In cases where only a first name ([[Bill]]) exists, or where a character is known by a title, such as [[Professor Oak]]) more than their proper name, those should be used as the sole title of the page. In the case of Professor Oak, redirects from "Prof. Oak" and "Samuel Oak" may be used.
==General style guidance==
This section deals with the general writing style across Bulbapedia. For guidance using wikicode, see [[Bulbapedia:Wikicode|Bulbapedia's Wikicode page.]]


Also, only link to an article once within a given portion of text; if you say "Ash" more than once in a paragraph, only link it the first time. Instances further apart may be linked to more than once, it is up to you how far apart to place repeated links. For consistency, if most elements of a list are links, then link to an article as many times as needed ''in that list''.
===Article titles and terminology===
There are often several different viable ways to title the page for a specific topic. Terminology used within articles can also vary. In order to provide a consistent experience and expectation with its readers and contributors, Bulbapedia has the following guidelines in place to determine which title or term is preferred in a given circumstance.


Japanese titles should be ''romanized'' in titles, but see the following sections for details.
Note that while these standards aim to provide comprehensive guidance, there may be unique cases where exceptions will apply. However, it is crucial to adhere to these guidelines whenever possible.
* '''Language terms:''' English terms are preferred over equivalents in another language. For example, the English term "Pokémon animation" should be used to refer to official animated Pokémon media instead of the Japanese-based term "Pokémon anime", which may refer to Japanese animated Pokémon works only. Similarly, avoid specific industry terms that are not commonly understood by most English speakers. For example, use the term "voice actor" instead of the Japanese term "seiyū".
* '''Official names:''' Use the most recent official name used in English-speaking territories, provided it has been used consistently. For example, use "{{m|Thunder Shock}}" instead of "ThunderShock", "[[Never-Melt Ice]]" instead of "NeverMeltIce", and "[[first partner Pokémon]]" instead of "starter Pokémon".
** This mainly applies to franchise terms and products, and does not apply universally to out-of-franchise or real-world terms, which may use their common name in descriptive titles. For example, the article "[[Pokémon in Brazil]]" uses the common name {{wp|Brazil}} instead of the country’s official name, the Federative Republic of Brazil.
* '''Names of characters:''' The name of a character should be written as typically formatted in Pokémon media e.g. "[[Gary Oak]]", "[[Bill]]", and "[[Professor Oak]]". Other known names or abbreviations (such as "[[Prof. Oak]]" and "[[Samuel Oak]]") may be created as redirects, where applicable. (''See the [[#Names of people|Names of people]] section for specifics on the names of real people.'')
* '''Capitalization:''' Page titles are written in {{wp|sentence case}}, not {{wp|title case}}. Proper nouns that appear in page titles (such as the names of most locations) should be capitalized in line with official media. (''See the [[#Capitalization|Capitalization]] section for specifics on franchise terms, which use their game capitalization.'')
* '''Singular vs. plural:''' In most cases, titles should be kept singular, such as "[[item]]" rather than "items". For comprehensive lists, consider a "List of" format e.g. "[[List of moves]]".
** Exceptions include:
*** Subjects that are always in the plural form, such as "[[Gold Teeth]]" or "[[Picnic-Knacks]]".
*** A group name that is plural, such as "[[Eevee brothers]]" rather than "Eevee brother".
*** Classes or groups of related items, such as "[[Cloning glitches]]" or "[[Pokémon dental products]]".
* '''Consistent formatting:''' Where possible, maintain consistency in the format of titles between similar types of articles. For example, avoid inconsistencies like "[[List of items in Pokémon Conquest]]" and "List of items (Shuffle)". The second article is instead titled "[[List of items in Pokémon Shuffle]]" to match the first article and other such list pages.
* '''Definite and indefinite articles:''' Do not use definite or indefinite articles such as ''the'', ''a'', or ''an'' at the beginning of titles unless they are part of the subject's proper name e.g. "[[The Teal Mask]]".
* '''Disambiguation:''' Disambiguation tags (dabtags) should only be used for subjects with the same or similar official names. Otherwise, prioritize using sentence-style descriptors over dabtags. For example, use "[[Pokémon in the United States]]" instead of "Pokémon (United States)". Exceptions apply for certain types of pages that are formatted in a consistent manner, such as the pages for [[type]]s and [[move]]s. (''See the [[#Disambiguation|Disambiguation]] section for more details.'')
* '''Non-Latin characters:''' Do not use non-Latin characters such as Japanese, Chinese, or Korean characters. Instead, words in languages with a non-Latin alphabet should be romanized. (See the [[#Opening line|Opening line]] section and [[Bulbapedia:Manual of style/Romanization]] for more details.)
** Exceptions may apply for the names of certain [[glitch Pokémon]].
* '''Abbreviated titles:''' Certain articles may use abbreviated or shortened titles.
** Articles about a group of individually named subjects that do not have a group name may omit shared words, provided it does not impact identifiability. For example, use "[[Pokémon Red and Blue Versions]]" instead of "Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version", or "[[Chrom and Phossa Molybdenum]]" instead of "Chrom Molybdenum and Phossa Molybdenum".
** Multiple articles whose names share a naming convention that cause searchability or understandability issues may use their own naming scheme. For example, the majority of TCG products are prefaced with "Pokémon TCG:", from expansions to card sleeves. This is abbreviated to a (TCG) at the end of the title.
** For some serialized media, Bulbapedia may forgo having titles be subject names in lieu of a standardized {{bp|epicode}} format (e.g. [[EP001]]) for ease of use.
* '''Character limitations:''' Due to the MediaWiki software that Bulbapedia operates on, some characters cannot be used in article titles, such as '''{''', '''[''', and '''>'''. These must be omitted from titles, in which case the {{Template|Wrongtitle}} template should be used at the top of the page. Additionally, while unicode characters that are not part of standard keyboard layouts such as the curly apostrophe '''’''' or double-barred dollar sign may be used in a subject's official name, article titles should use the similar characters found on keyboards for ease of use ('''<nowiki>'</nowiki>''' and '''$''').
** Other technical limitations include mandatory capitalization of the first letter of titles and the identical treatment of spaces and underscores '''_''' as spaces. Use {{Template|Lowercase}} for titles that should begin with a lowercase letter. Also, note that formerly '''&''' was not an acceptable character, but now it is acceptable to use ''up to two'' ampersands in a title, though more than two ampersands in a row will cause problems. The plus sign '''+''' can also now be used. Special care must be taken with '''?''', though usually things will work as expected.
** With regards to romanized Japanese titles, omit macrons '''<nowiki>¯</nowiki>''' and apostrophes '''<nowiki>'</nowiki>''' in the title (but create redirects from the accurate romanization if appropriate).


==The é and other special characters==
===Linking===
The e-acute ('''é''') is always used in a title where appropriate; pages are titled "Pokémon", not "Pokemon." When the é is used in a title, for instance in Pokémon or [[Pokédex]], please create a redirect from the title that doesn't have the accented é. Pokedex redirects to Pokédex, for instance; this allows for people who don't know how to add the special characters the same access as the rest of us. The same would apply for any other special characters that may occur in a title.
Only link to an article once within a given portion of text. If you mention "{{Ash}}" more than once in a paragraph, only link it the first time. Instances further apart may be linked to more than once; it is up to you how far apart to place repeated links. For consistency, if most elements of a list are links, then link to an article as many times as needed in that list.  


With regards to romanized Japanese titles, omit macrons and apostrophes in the title (but create redirects from the accurate romanization if you so desire).
Also, use link templates for linking to articles that are commonly disambiguated, such as using <code><nowiki>{{p}}</nowiki></code> by typing <code><nowiki>{{p|Pikachu}}</nowiki></code> to link to the article "[[Pikachu (Pokémon)]]". Some common examples can be found in the [[#Disambiguation|Disambiguation]] section, or see the complete {{bp|list of link templates}}.


Technical limitations include mandatory capitalization of the first letter of titles and the identical treatment of space, '''+''' and '''_''' as spaces. Use {{Template|Wrongtitle}} to make a note of any wrong titles due to technical limitations.  Also note that formerly '''&''' was not an acceptable character, but now it is acceptable to use ''one'' ampersand in a title - multiple ampersands in a row will cause problems. Special care must be taken with '''?''', though usually things will work as expected.
===Opening line===
The full name of the subject of an article should appear within the first few words of the article itself. Alternate and popular names may be included anywhere afterwards. For song, episode, and movie titles, the "full name" that should appear first should be ''translated'', not romanized if it is not English.


=Naming conventions=
If the subject originates from a non-English language (Japanese, for the great majority of Pokémon subjects), then the subject's original name should be included immediately after the Anglicized name in parentheses. If the subject has not officially been given any name in English, then only the parenthesized original name should be included along with a romanization if necessary. For Pokémon names, the [[List of Japanese Pokémon names|trademarked romanization]] should be used in the parenthetical. Names besides English and the original language should not be included in the opening line, but rather later in the article, preferably in a section titled ''In other languages'' near the bottom with only ''Related articles'' and ''External links'' following after.
Naming conventions in Bulbapedia have been determined to go by English names of characters unless a character does not currently have an English name. Redirects from Japanese names should be created in order to alleviate confusion. For instance, the page Satoshi redirects to "Ash Ketchum".


Formerly, the style was to name articles based on whichever name a character was most "well known by".  However, this created debate as to who judges which name is most commonly known, and thus created unnecessary conflict given how rarely a character is known to the English-speaking fanbase more commonly by anything but their English name.  Hence, the style has since been abandoned.
Some examples of opening lines follow:


An article titled with a Pokémon name with a very well known instance in any form of canon should have a disambiguation page. Therefore, the article [[Meowth]] will not redirect to [[Meowth (Pokémon)]], in case someone is instead looking for information on the character [[Meowth (Team Rocket)]]. Further disambiguation titles are listed further below.
; Archaic
: '''Liam Pomfret''', better known as '''Archaic''', is the current head of Bulbagarden.
; [[Hirokazu Tanaka]]
: '''Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka''' (Japanese: '''田中宏和''' but usually credited in hiragana only) is a Japanese composer and musician, born on December 13, 1957, best known for creating or co-creating various video games by [[Nintendo]].
; [[Hiromoto-SIN-ichi]]
: '''Hiromoto-SIN-ichi''' (Japanese: '''ヒロモト森一''' ''Hiromoto Shin'ichi'') is a manga artist, born on January 4, 1966.
; [[Professor Oak]]
: '''Professor Samuel Oak''' (Japanese: '''オーキド・ユキナリ博士''' ''Dr. Yukinari Ohkido'') is a [[Pokémon Professor]] who lives and works at his [[Professor Oak's Laboratory|research lab]] in [[Pallet Town]] of the [[Kanto]] region.
; {{p|Blastoise}}
: '''Blastoise''' ([[List of Japanese Pokémon names|Japanese]]: '''カメックス''' ''Kamex'') is a {{type|Water}} {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} introduced in [[Generation I]].
; [[Aim to Be a Pokémon Master]]
: '''Aim to Be a Pokémon Master''' (Japanese: '''めざせポケモンマスター''' ''Mezase Pokémon Master'') is the first Japanese opening theme of the [[original series]], with a cover by [[Whiteberry]] being the fourth.
; [[Inakano Town]]
: (Japanese: '''イナカノタウン''' ''Inakano Town'') is an {{pkmn|anime}}-exclusive location in [[Unova]].


==Names of people==
===Writing style and opinion===
All modern persons should have their name given in Western order. Since the definition of "modern" may vary from culture to culture, for the Japanese, all names from the [[wp:Taishō period|Taishō period]] onwards should be given in Western order. Names from the [[wp:Meiji restoration|Meiji restoration]] may be given in Western or Eastern order -- use prevailing convention on a person-by-person basis. Names prior to the Meiji restoration should be given in Eastern order.
Bulbapedia is an encyclopedia, and as such should use a clear, easily understood literary style. Writing should be informative and brief, and avoid flowery language or unusual sentence structures. A second-person perspective should be avoided. Instead of "You can get the Reaper Cloth in Turnback Cave", an article should say "The Reaper Cloth can be obtained in Turnback Cave."


When a person has a specific preference for the way their name is rendered, or where convention differs, use that instead. For example, use [[Hiromoto SIN-Ichi]], [[Ikue Ohtani]], and [[Rica Matsumoto]], instead of Shin'ichi Hiromoto, Ikue Ōtani, and Rika Matsumoto.
Check for spelling and grammatical errors before saving changes to a page; if you notice factual or spelling errors on a page other than the ones you have created, please correct the problems, as Bulbapedia is an open project.


==Disambiguation==
Overall, as a wiki, Bulbapedia's content should focus on being informative and avoid opinions. As a rule, random opinions from the fandom, even if fairly widespread (such as, say, Charmander is the worst of the original starters), are not notable. If there's no "point" to mentioning an opinion—if it's only mentioned "because" and it illuminates nothing else—then it doesn't belong.
The bracketed terms used to disambiguate articles with titles that would otherwise be the same should be a single short word and lowercase, except when proper nouns are involved. The following are commonly used:
 
===Names of people===
The title of a page about a real person should usually be the name they are most commonly known by in English in the Pokémon franchise.
 
All modern persons should have their names given in Western order: first name first, last name second. Since the definition of "modern" may vary from culture to culture, for the Japanese, all names from the [[wp:Taishō period|Taishō period]] onward should be given in Western order. Names from the [[wp:Meiji restoration|Meiji restoration]] may be given in Western or Eastern order—use prevailing convention on a person-by-person basis. Names prior to the Meiji restoration should be given in Eastern order.
 
When a person has a specific preference for the way their name is rendered, or where convention differs, use that instead. For example, use [[Hiromoto-SIN-ichi]], [[Ikue Otani]], and [[Rica Matsumoto]], instead of Shin'ichi Hiromoto, Ikue Ōtani, and Rika Matsumoto.
 
If a person has indicated they no longer wish to be known by the name most commonly used in the Pokémon franchise—such as if the subject is a transgender/non-binary person who changed their name, or if the subject has explicitly expressed desire to be represented by a different name—their chosen name should be used for the title. In all prose, their chosen name should also be used. In credits where an old name was used, their credit should be documented as a footnote (such as <code>Chosen Name<nowiki><ref group="note">Credited as "Credited Name"</ref></nowiki></code>), or another format if specified by a project's manual of style.
 
===Disambiguation===
When two subjects would have the same article title, a disambiguating term is added to the end of the title for at least one of the pages. A single short word is preferred for these terms. The term should also be in sentence case (i.e. lowercase unless it would be capitalized in a sentence).
 
In some cases, a disambiguating term is used for all pages of the same type, such as Pokémon and moves. Common disambiguations have templates to make linking them easier. A sample of these follows:
; Pokémon
; Pokémon
: An article for a general species of Pokémon, for example, [[Bulbasaur (Pokémon)]]. Short link: {{Template|p}}
: An article for a general species of Pokémon, for example, [[Bulbasaur (Pokémon)]]. Short link: {{Template|p}}
; move
; move
: An article for a [[move]], for example, [[Tackle (move)]]. Short link: {{Template|m}}
: An article for a [[move]], for example, [[Tackle (move)]]. Short link: {{Template|m}}
; ability
; Ability
: An article for an [[ability]], for example, [[Pressure (ability)]]. Short link: {{Template|a}}
: An article for an [[Ability]], for example, [[Pressure (Ability)]]. Short link: {{Template|a}}
; type
; type
: An article for an [[elemental type]], for example, [[Normal (type)]]. Short link: {{Template|t}} {{Template|type2}}
: An article for a [[type]], for example, [[Normal (type)]]. Short link: {{Template|t}} {{Template|type}}
; game
; game
: An article for a game, or a character from a game, for example, [[Silver (game)]].
: An article for a game, or a character from a game, for example, [[Silver (game)]]. Short link: {{Template|game}}
; anime
; anime
: An article for an anime, or a character from an anime, for example, [[Mewtwo (anime)]]
: An article for an anime, or a character from an anime, for example, [[Brock (anime)]]. Short link: {{Template|an}}
; Special
; Adventures
: An article for [[Pokémon Special]] characters, for example, [[Silver (Special)]].
: An article for [[Pokémon Adventures]] characters, for example, [[Silver (Adventures)]]. Short link: {{Template|Adv}}.
; PiPiPi
: An article for [[Pokémon PiPiPi Adventure]] characters, for example, [[Pikachu (PiPiPi)]].
; TCG
; TCG
: An article for a product, set, or other aspect of the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]], for example, [[Base Set (TCG)]]. Short link: {{Template|c}} {{Template|TCG}}
: An article for a product, set, or other aspects of the [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]], for example, [[Base Set (TCG)]]. Short link: {{Template|TCG}}
:: Specific cards within the TCG are identified using the TCG ID format, for example, [[Alakazam (Base Set 1)]]. Short link: {{Template|TCG ID}}
:: Specific cards within the TCG are identified using the TCG ID format, for example, [[Alakazam (Base Set 1)]]. Short link: {{Template|TCG ID}}
; TFG
; TFG
: An article for a product, set, or other aspect of the [[Pokémon Trading Figure Game]], for example, [[Next Quest (TFG)]]. Short link: {{Template|TFG}}
: An article for a product, set, or other aspect of the [[Pokémon Trading Figure Game]], for example, [[Next Quest (TFG)]]. Short link: {{Template|TFG}}
:: Specific figures within the TFG are identified using the TFG ID format, for example, [[Charizard (Next Quest 1)]]. Short link: {{Template|TFG ID}}
:: Specific figures within the TFG are identified using the TFG ID format, for example, [[Charizard (Next Quest 1)]]. Short link: {{Template|TFG ID}}
 
For a list of all link templates, please see {{bp|list of link templates|this page}}.


=Opening line=
===General formatting guidance===
The full name of the subject of an article should appear within the first few words of the article itself. Alternate and popular names may be described later. The name should be given in its original form if it differs from its Anglicized form. Note that a name need not be romanized more than once. Song, episode and movie titles should be ''translated'', not romanized. Also note that names in alternate languages should not be included in the opening line, but rather further in the article, preferably in a ''In other languages'' section near the bottom with only ''Related articles'' and ''External links'' following after. Some examples follow:
* For backgrounds and templates, obtrusively bright colors should be avoided. Generally, Bulbapedia's style favors pastels, particularly green, blue, or gray, depending on the content.
* Smaller tables are generally considered better, assuming they still have adequate information. Even little details can matter: a thin, 1px border is preferred over a large border.
* When listing a TM or HM as an item, make use of the {{template|TM}} or {{template|HM}} templates, written as <code><nowiki>{{TM|50|Overheat}}</nowiki></code> for {{TM|50|Overheat}} and <code><nowiki>{{HM|08|Dive}}</nowiki></code> for {{HM|08|Dive}}.
* {{cat|Navigation templates}} should aspire to be as useful as possible, not as large as possible. Navigation templates do not need to be exhaustive to be useful.
* Unless there is a specific reason to order them otherwise, lists of Pokémon should be sorted according to their [[National Pokédex]] number.


; [[Archaic]]
==Pokémon franchise terminology==
: '''Liam Pomfret''', better known as '''Archaic''', is the current head of Bulbagarden.
Franchise topics should be described based on the specific piece of media they appear in, rather than merely the medium they appear in. For example, instead of simply saying that a character appears in the games or in the anime, they should be described as appearing in a particular game, such as {{game|Red and Blue|s}}, or in a particular series, such as ''[[Pokémon the Series: XY]]''. Additionally, instead of linking to "animation", "games", or "manga" directly, the {{Template|pkmn}} {{bp|Link templates|link template}} should be used.
; [[Hirokazu Tanaka]]
 
: '''Hirokazu Tanaka''' (Japanese: '''田中宏和''' but usually credited in hiragana only) is most well known as the composer of much the theme music used in the Pokémon anime, but he is also the president of Creatures, Inc.  
The e-acute ('''é''') is always used where appropriate; always use "Pokémon", not "Pokemon".
; [[Hiromoto SIN-Ichi]]
 
: '''Hiromoto SIN-Ichi''' (Japanese: '''ヒロモト森一''' ''Hiromoto Shin'ichi'') is a manga artist, born on January 4, 1966.  
===Naming conventions===
; [[Professor Oak]]
Naming conventions in Bulbapedia have been determined to go by English names of characters unless a character does not currently have an English name. Redirects from Japanese names should be created in order to alleviate confusion. For instance, the page [[Kasumi]] redirects to Misty.
: '''Professor Samuel Oak''' (Japanese: '''オーキド・ユキナリ博士''' ''Dr. Yukinari Ōkido'', ''Ookido'' and ''Orchid'' are also seen) is a Pokémon Professor and has a home and research lab located in Pallet Town.
 
; {{p|Bulbasaur}}
An article titled with a Pokémon name with a very well known instance in any form of canon should have a disambiguation page. For example, due to [[Meowth (Team Rocket)]] being extremely well-known, a disambiguation page exists at [[Meowth (disambiguation)]].
: '''Bulbasaur''' (Japanese: '''フシギダネ''' ''Fushigidane'') is a Grass/Poison-type Pokémon.
 
; [[Aim to Be a Pokémon Master]]
Some specific naming conventions include:
: '''めざせポケモンマスター''' (''Mezase Pokémon Masutā'' exact, ''Mezase Pokémon Master'' is common; English: ''Aim to Be a Pokémon Master'') was the first opening theme song of the Pokémon anime series, ...
* 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" are not used outside of the TCG pages.
** 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]].
* When writing episode or chapter names, write them as <code><nowiki>''[[Episode code|Episode name]]''</nowiki></code>; for example, the fifth episode of the [[original series]] is ''[[EP005|Showdown in Pewter City]]''.
** Note only English titles are used in this way, otherwise the episode or chapter code is used, such as in [[XYS06]].
** Due to special circumstances, certain episodes may lack an episode code ({{bp|epicode}}), such as ''[[Holiday Hi-Jynx]]''.
* When multiple numbered [[route]]s are to be listed, they should be listed in numerical order, and only the first should have any prefix to it; for example, "{{p|Jigglypuff}} appears on [[Route]]s {{rtn|3|Kanto}}, {{rtn|4|Kanto}}, {{rtn|5|Kanto}}, {{rtn|6|Kanto}}, {{rtn|7|Kanto}}, {{rtn|8|Kanto}}, {{rtn|34|Johto}}, {{rtn|35|Johto}}, and {{rtn|115|Hoenn}}, depending on the [[Core series|version]] played" is preferred to "{{p|Jigglypuff}} appears on {{rt|3|Kanto}}, {{rt|4|Kanto}}, {{rt|5|Kanto}}, {{rt|6|Kanto}}, {{rt|7|Kanto}}, {{rt|8|Kanto}}, {{rt|34|Johto}}, {{rt|35|Johto}}, and {{rt|115|Hoenn}} depending on the [[Core series|version]] played". The {{cat|Link templates|link template}} {{template|rtn}} can be used for handily linking route numbers.
 
===Types===
Types are always capitalized.
 
* As adjectives, types are "<typename>-type."
**Example: {{p|Squirtle}} is a {{type|Water}} Pokémon.
*As nouns referring to a Pokémon of that type, they are "<typename> type"
**Example: {{p|Squirtle}} is a {{t|Water}} type.
**Example: [[Blaine]] specializes in {{t|Fire}} types.
*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: The {{t|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 ''[[DP031|The Grass-Type Is Always Greener!]]''.)
 
===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.
 
===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 "[[Old Gateau]]" is "Old Gateaux".
** The plural of "[[Guard Spec.]]" is "Guard Specs."
 
===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 (every first letter of a new word capitalized).
 
<div style="display:grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr">
<div>
====Capitalized====
The following are always capitalized:
*Pokémon
*{{pkmn|Trainer}}
*[[Original Trainer]]
*[[Pokémon Professor]]
*[[Legendary Pokémon]]
*[[Mythical Pokémon]]
*[[List of Pokémon with form differences|Forme]]
*[[Ability]]
*Hidden Ability
*{{pkmn|Egg}}
*[[Egg Group]]
*[[Egg Move]]
*[[Evolution]]
*[[Mega Evolution]]
*[[Mega Evolution|Mega Evolve]]
*[[Berry]]
*[[Gym]]
*[[Badge]]
*[[Symbol]]
*[[Shiny Pokémon]]
*Types of battles ([[Single Battle]], [[Double Battle]], [[Horde Encounter]], etc.)
*[[Bag]]
*[[Nature]]
*[[Characteristic]]
*[[Prop]]
*[[Plate]]
*[[Ribbon]]
*[[Accessory]]
*[[Backdrop]]
*[[Fossil]]
*[[Move Tutor]]
*[[Terastal phenomenon|Tera Type]]
 
*Box ([[Pokémon Storage System]])
*[[Underground]]
 
*[[Shadow Pokémon]]
*[[Décor]]
 
*[[Friend Area]]
*[[Special Episode]]
 
*[[Browser]]
 
*[[Special Traits]]
*[[Toy Pokémon]]
 
*[[Perfect Link]]
*[[Warrior]]
*[[Warlord]]
*[[Warrior Skill]]
</div>
 
<div>
 
====Uncapitalized====
The following are not capitalized:
*[[move]]
*[[item]]
*[[level]]
*[[Evolution|evolve]]
*[[gender]]
*[[List of Pokémon with form differences|form]]
*[[wing]]
*names of [[status ailments]]
*names of [[Season (game mechanic)|seasons]]
*names of [[weather conditions]]
 
*names of [[Phenomenon|phenomena]]
*[[alpha Pokémon]]
*[[wild Pokémon]]
*[[baby Pokémon]]
*[[rental Pokémon]]<!--while capitalized in Pokémon Stadium, it is uncapitalized in its most recent usages-->
*{{OBP|substitute|doll}} (the doll created by the move {{m|Substitute}})
*[[physical move]]
*[[special move]]
*[[status move]]
 
*[[scalchop]]
*[[scalchop|seamitar]]
 
*[[link]] ([[Pokémon Conquest]])
*kingdom ([[Pokémon Conquest]])
*move rank ([[Pokémon Conquest]])
 
*[[sync pair]]
*[[sygna suit]] (when not part of a name)
</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.
 
===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 [[List of locations by index number in Pokémon Sword and Shield|summary location]] makes clear which locations should use "the" and which should not, so they are not listed here.
 
<div style="display:grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr">
<div>
====Present====
The following always have "the":
*The [[Slowpoke Well]]
*The [[Olivine Lighthouse]]
*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]]<!--although the sign in front of the Barrier Station omits 'the,' NPCs and the official guidebook use 'the'-->
*The [[Whirl Islands]]
 
*The [[Cave of Origin]]
*The [[Sky Pillar]]
 
*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 [[Spear Pillar]]
*The [[Snowpoint Temple]]
 
*The [[Skyarrow Bridge]]
*The [[Driftveil Drawbridge]]
*The [[Tubeline Bridge]]
*The [[Dreamyard]]
*The [[Desert Resort]]
*The [[Relic Castle]]
*The [[Cold Storage]]
*The [[Celestial Tower]]
*The [[Abyssal Ruins]]
*The [[Entralink]]
*The [[Entralink|Entree Forest]]
 
*The [[Pokémon Global Link]]
*The [[Pokémon Dream World]]
*The [[Global Battle Union]]
*The {{dwa|Pleasant Forest}}
*The {{dwa|Windswept Sky}}
*The {{dwa|Sparkling Sea}}
*The {{dwa|Spooky Manor}}
*The {{dwa|Rugged Mountain}}
*The {{dwa|Icy Cave}}
 
*The [[Bittercold]]
</div>
 
<div>


=Japanese=
====Absent====
==Romanization==
The following do not use "the":
Primarily, if a trademarked romanization is available, that is the proper romanization to use.  For example, ''Fushigisou'', ''Teppouo'' insetad of ''Fushigisō'' and ''Teppōo''.
*[[Victory Road]] (all)
*[[Geonet]]
*[[Pal Park]]
*[[Soul Dew]]


However, if a trademarked romanzation is not available, please follow the Hepburn romanization scheme and use '''Ā Ē Ī Ō Ū ā ē ī ō ū''' for long vowels. Please correct any incorrectly marked long vowels (circumflexes, tildes, doubling, '''ou''' and not marking long vowels at all are all not acceptable).
*[[Viridian Forest]]
*[[Indigo Plateau]]


* I-macron ('''Ī ī''') and e-macron ('''Ē ē''') is to be used when romanizing Japanese words of foreign origin, hence ''kōhī'' for コーヒー but ''Iizuka'' for いいづか. A hint to look out for is whether or not a ''bō'' ('''ー''') is used to lengthen it.
*[[Trainer Tower]]
* O-macron ('''Ō ō''') is to be used for both おう (as in しんいちろう ''Shin'ichirō'') and おお (as in おおづか ''Ōzuka'')
* E-macron ('''Ē ē''') is rarely used, except with the interjection ええ and some foreign loanwords; normally, use '''ei'''.
** Please take note that verbs such as 思う ''omou'' and 呪う ''norou'' do ''not'' have long vowels.
*** However, subjunctive forms such as 思おう ''omoō'' and 呪おう ''noroō'' ''do'' have long vowels.
* '''zu''' is to be used for both ず and づ; '''ji''' is to be used for both じ and ぢ.
* With ん, there is some free choice whether to use '''n''' or '''m''' when followed by labial consonants '''p''', '''b''', '''f''' and '''m'''. Follow popular or established convention on a word-by-word basis, hence, ''Namba'' for ナンバ but ''Hanba'' for はんば.
* To simplify matters, always romanise ポケモン as ''Pokémon'', when ポケ is an abbreviated form of Pokémon, romanize it as ''Poké''.


Romanizations and translations should be italicised.
*[[Marvelous Bridge]]
*[[Pinwheel Forest]]
*[[Liberty Garden]]
*[[Battle Subway|Gear Station]]
*[[Mistralton Cave]]
*[[Chargestone Cave]]
*[[Twist Mountain]]
*[[Unity Tower]]
*[[Dragonspiral Tower]]
*[[White Forest]]
*[[Black City]]
</div>
</div>


=Nouns, capitalization, and specific terminology=
==Sectional style guidance==
* The word Pokémon is always capitalized, as well as the names of Pokémon species.  So are nouns starting with "Poké", such as [[Pokéblock]], [[PokéGear]] and [[Poké Flute]].  Note, however, that there is no one common trend for spelling of words beginning with "Poké" words starting with "Poké" - they can be written as a compound word, with the second part of the word capitalized or uncapitalized, or as two words with the second word capitalized.  Also note that this does not apply to nouns starting with "Pokémon", in which case only Pokémon is capitalized, such as with [[Pokémon trainer]].
For detailed style guidance applicable to various projects on Bulbapedia, please review the subpages below.
* Items and all words in them are always capitalized; they are considered proper nouns for the purposes of Bulbapedia. "Leftovers", "Escape Rope", or "Water Stone" are all correct as written; a page would not be titled "Water stone".
* Locations should also be capitalized in a manner consistent with English grammar; Ruins of Alph has the A in Alph always capitalized.
* Specific terminology is different; leveling up has a lowercase L, as would "starter Pokémon" have a lowercase "s" (but, of course, a capital P in Pokémon.)
* Specific element types are called "Water-type" and "Rock-type" when used as nouns and their subject pages are [[Water (type)]] and [[Rock (type)]], respectively. ''Squirtle is a "Water type"'' is not correct; ''Squirtle is a '''Water-type''''' is.  


Remember that consistency with these conventions is very important, and your cooperation is appreciated.
===Anime===
{{Mos|Anime}}


=Regarding specific topics=
===Core Games===
Topics such as the anime should link to the page "Pokémon anime"; topics for the game should either link to that game's generation or its specific page. Topics about the Manga should link to Pokémon manga, and so on; linking to just "anime" or "games" or "manga" is incorrect. Please take note of the already-existing pages regarding a topic and be sure to try and link to them; it makes for less fixing of broken, bad, and misdirected links. The staff of Bulbapedia is trying to keep options open to expand beyond a Pokémon context and into a more general encyclopedia topic; using the specific titles for Pokémon topics instead of making them overly vauge helps in organization.
{{Mos|Core Games}}


=Style of writing; editing, bias, and opinion=
===Manga===
Please remember that Bulbapedia is designed to be an encylopedia, and as such should contain the best possible level of literary style. Check for spelling and grammatical errors before entering a page; if you notice factual or spelling errors on a page other than the ones you have created, feel free to correct the problems. This is, after all, an open project. Another thing to remember is that slanted articles, towards or against a point of view, look sloppy and should be avoided. Try to take any possible bias out of your articles, even if it's difficult to write about Ash's Pikachu with a straight, honest, objective style. Injecting one's opinion ties in closely with bias; ensure that your feelings or opinions about a character do not come out solely, making it appear as if the article is editorializing. Saying "the fans hate Ash" is opinionated and unwanted in the Bulbapedia project; saying "numerous fans have a strong dislike of Ash due to his tendency to show weakness and ineptitude" is perfectly acceptable, because it's a fact.
{{Mos|Manga}}


=Episode numbering=
===Side Games===
The Bulbapedia rules of episode article titling dictate that the order in which the episode aired in Japan is its title. Episodes prior to the Advanced Generation are titled [[EP001]], [[EP002]], and so on, with the numbering system being that of, again, '''Japanese'''-aired episodes. Note that ''[[Holiday Hi-Jynx]]'' and ''[[Snow Way Out]]'' are not considered episodes.
{{Mos|Side Games}}


Episodes of [[Advanced Generation]] are titled [[AG001]], [[AG002]], and so on. Note that [[AG101]] is ''Vanity Affair'' - the skipped episode is [[AG101 (unaired)]]. Consequently, to resynchronise with popular counting, the flashback episode is counted as [[AG120]].
===TCG===
{{Mos|TCG}}


Side story episodes are titled [[H001]], [[H002]], and so on, in the order they were aired in Japan on the [[Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station]], a.k.a. ''Shūkan Pokémon Hōsōkyoku''.
==Language==
American English should be used rather than Commonwealth English in Bulbapedia articles. This is consistent with most English language Pokémon games, as well as much of Pokémon media as a whole. In general, Bulbapedia follows standard American English style conventions, not all of which are listed within the manual of style.
* Exceptions to the preference for American English 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).
* In an article, the title of an album should be italicized. When writing the titles of individual songs, including anime opening and ending themes, italics should not be used.
* In an article, the names of series, games, or generations are not italicized.


Titles as aired in English should redirect to the page of the respective episode page, i.e. the page ''The Battle for the Badge'' would redirect to [[EP063]]. Special episodes and movie articles will be titled using their English title, with redirects going from their translated Japanese title. If no English title is available, the best possible translation should be used.
===Japanese===
====Kanji====
{{Mos|Kanji}}


=Lists of Pokémon in episode articles=
====Romanization====
{{spoilers}}
{{Mos|Romanization}}


Pokémon belonging to main characters should appear at the top of the list, in the order [[Ash]]-[[Misty]]-[[May]]-[[Brock]]-[[Tracey]]-[[Jessie]]-[[James]], in the order they were obtained/revealed. [[Ash's Pikachu]], [[Meowth (Team Rocket)]], [[Misty's Togetic|Misty's Togepi]], [[Jessie's Wobbuffet]], [[James's Chimecho]], and [[James's Mime Jr.]] should precede all others.
==Multimedia and external content==
Addressing images, videos, and content from other websites and sources.


Other character's Pokémon should also be grouped together in the order they were obtained/revealed. Semi-regular characters' Pokémon (characters which recur in more than one episode, excluding two-part episodes) should precede guest characters' Pokémon. Wild Pokémon should appear in [[List of Pokémon by National Dex number|National Dex order]].
===Images===
''For further details, please see the [[a:Archives:Manual of style|Archives manual of style]]''


Each character's Pokémon should be listed separately:
Images are often a helpful visual addition to the content of articles. These are some brief guidelines about what kinds of images should be used.
* {{p|Pikachu}} ([[Ash's Pikachu|Ash's]])
* If there is official artwork, such as the Sugimori stock artwork or video game sprites, this is always the preferred primary image.
* {{p|Pikachu}} ([[Sparky|Ritchie's]], nicknamed Sparky)
* If there is no official artwork, images captured by contributors should be used—images should never be taken from ''non-official'' sites. There will inevitably be disputes about which user-captured image is best; while there's no exact set of rules to resolve such conflicts, the main considerations should be using the highest quality and most informative image.
* Animated images should be avoided proportionately with how large and distracting the animation is. Small uses, such as a blinking dot on a world map to indicate location, are non-obtrusive and acceptable.
* Overwriting existing images is acceptable, since Bulbapedia favors the image with the higher quality, not the greater seniority. However, please try to avoid disputes by discussing the change with the user who uploaded the former image ''before'' uploading the new image.


When a Pokémon debuts - consider the television series, their openings and endings, and the movies to be separate continuities in this case:
===Videos (including YouTube)===
* {{p|Pikachu}} ([[Ash's Pikachu|Ash's]], new; debut)
Like images, videos are often helpful visual additions to the content of certain articles. Videos that are hosted on YouTube can be either be embedded directly into a article using the {{template|YouTubeEmbed}} template or linked to using the {{template|YouTubeVid}} template. Due to loading size and other server strain, please note the usage policy regarding '''embedded''' video:
* {{p|Pidgey}} (debut)


When a Pokémon is obtained:
'''Mainspace pages which may have embedded video:'''
* {{p|Bulbasaur}} ([[Ash's Bulbasaur|Ash's]], new)
* Glitch pages. Note that this is specifically pages about glitches, and '''''not''''' sections on an otherwise non-glitch page.
* [[Pokémon commercial]]
* Song articles, including anime openings and endings


When a Pokémon evolves:
'''Mainspace pages which must NEVER have embedded video:'''
* {{p|Caterpie}} ([[Ash's Caterpie|Ash's]], evolves)
* All [[move]] pages
* {{p|Metapod}} ([[Ash's Metapod|Ash's]], newly evolved)
* All [[species]] pages


When a Pokémon leaves:
For all other instances not mentioned above, or if unsure about a certain instance, please check with a member of staff.
* {{p|Butterfree}} ([[Ash's Butterfree|Ash's]], leaves)


When a Pokémon returns:
===Integration of content from other websites===
* {{p|Charizard}} ([[Ash's Charizard|Ash's]], returns)
It is against Bulbapedia's policy, and may be a violation of copyright, to directly copy text from other websites without permission. If other sources consent to allowing their text to appear on Bulbapedia and be subsequently edited and expanded upon to better fit Bulbapedia's style and standards, then and only then editors can directly copy their text into Bulbapedia. In this case, the source must be credited and the text on Bulbapedia will be covered by Bulbapedia's {{bp|copyrights|licensing terms}}.


Reference list:
If Bulbapedia already has information addressing a topic, users should seek to edit and expand that text rather than replace it with another source's words, even if the other source has allowed their text to be used and has more information. Bulbapedia's preferred style prefers original content directly provided from its contributors over content taken from another website.
* {{p|Pikachu}} ([[Ash's Pikachu|Ash's]])
* {{p|Meowth}} ([[Meowth (Team Rocket)|Team Rocket]])
* {{p|Togepi}} ([[Misty's Togepi]])
* {{p|Togetic}} ([[Misty's Togetic]])
* {{p|Wobbuffet}} ([[Jessie's Wobbuffet|Jessie's]])
* {{p|Chimecho}} ([[James's Chimecho|James's]])
* {{p|Mime Jr.}} ([[James's Mime Jr.|James's]])
* {{p|Caterpie}} ([[Ash's Caterpie|Ash's]])
* {{p|Metapod}} ([[Ash's Metapod|Ash's]])
* {{p|Butterfree}} ([[Ash's Butterfree|Ash's]])
* {{p|Pidgeotto}} ([[Ash's Pidgeotto|Ash's]])
* {{p|Pidgeot}} ([[Ash's Pidgeot|Ash's]])
* {{p|Bulbasaur}} ([[Ash's Bulbasaur|Ash's]])
* {{p|Charmander}} ([[Ash's Charmander|Ash's]])
* {{p|Charmeleon}} ([[Ash's Charmeleon|Ash's]])
* {{p|Charizard}} ([[Ash's Charizard|Ash's]])
* {{p|Squirtle}} ([[Ash's Squirtle|Ash's]])
* {{p|Krabby}} ([[Ash's Krabby|Ash's]])
* {{p|Kingler}} ([[Ash's Kingler|Ash's]])
* {{p|Primeape}} ([[Ash's Primeape|Ash's]])
* {{p|Muk}} ([[Ash's Muk|Ash's]])
* {{p|Tauros}} ([[Ash's Tauros|Ash's]])
* {{p|Lapras}} ([[Ash's Lapras|Ash's]])
* {{p|Snorlax}} ([[Ash's Snorlax|Ash's]])
* {{p|Heracross}} ([[Ash's Heracross|Ash's]])
* {{p|Chikorita}} ([[Ash's Chikorita|Ash's]])
* {{p|Bayleef}} ([[Ash's Bayleef|Ash's]])
* {{p|Cyndaquil}} ([[Ash's Cyndaquil|Ash's]])
* {{p|Totodile}} ([[Ash's Totodile|Ash's]])
* {{p|Noctowl}} ([[Ash's Noctowl|Ash's]])
* {{p|Phanpy}} ([[Ash's Phanpy|Ash's]]) (prior to [[AG133]])
* {{p|Taillow}} ([[Ash's Taillow|Ash's]])
* {{p|Swellow}} ([[Ash's Swellow|Ash's]])
* {{p|Treecko}} ([[Ash's Treecko|Ash's]])
* {{p|Grovyle}} ([[Ash's Grovyle|Ash's]])
* {{p|Corphish}} ([[Ash's Corphish|Ash's]])
* {{p|Torkoal}} ([[Ash's Torkoal|Ash's]])
* {{p|Snorunt}} ([[Ash's Snorunt|Ash's]])
* {{p|Glalie}} ([[Ash's Glalie|Ash's]])
* {{p|Phanpy}} ([[Ash's Phanpy|Ash's]]) (from [[AG133]] onwards)
* {{p|Donphan}} ([[Ash's Donphan|Ash's]])
* {{p|Goldeen}} ([[Misty's Goldeen|Misty's]])
* {{p|Staryu}} ([[Misty's Staryu|Misty's]])
* {{p|Starmie}} ([[Misty's Starmie|Misty's]])
* {{p|Horsea}} ([[Misty's Horsea|Misty's]])
* {{p|Psyduck}} ([[Misty's Psyduck|Misty's]])
* {{p|Poliwag}} ([[Misty's Poliwag|Misty's]])
* {{p|Poliwhirl}} ([[Misty's Poliwhirl|Misty's]])
* {{p|Politoed}} ([[Misty's Politoed|Misty's]])
* {{p|Corsola}} ([[Misty's Corsola|Misty's]])
* {{p|Gyarados}} ([[Misty's Gyarados|Misty's]])
* {{p|Luvdisc}} ([[Misty's Luvdisc|Misty's]])
* {{p|Azurill}} ([[Misty's Azurill|Misty's]])
* {{p|Torchic}} ([[May's Torchic|May's]])
* {{p|Combusken}} ([[May's Combusken|May's]])
* {{p|Wurmple}} ([[May's Wurmple|May's]])
* {{p|Silcoon}} ([[May's Silcoon|May's]])
* {{p|Beautifly}} ([[May's Beautifly|May's]])
* {{p|Skitty}} ([[May's Skitty|May's]])
* {{p|Bulbasaur}} ([[May's Bulbasaur|May's]])
* {{p|Munchlax}} ([[May's Munchlax|May's]])
* {{p|Squirtle}} ([[May's Squirtle|May's]])
* {{p|Eevee}} ([[May's Eevee|May's]]
* {{p|Geodude}} ([[Brock's Geodude|Brock's]])
* {{p|Onix}} ([[Brock's Onix|Brock's]])
* {{p|Zubat}} ([[Brock's Zubat|Brock's]])
* {{p|Golbat}} ([[Brock's Golbat|Brock's]])
* {{p|Crobat}} ([[Brock's Crobat|Brock's]])
* {{p|Vulpix}} ([[Brock's Vulpix|Brock's]])
* {{p|Pineco}} ([[Brock's Pineco|Brock's]])
* {{p|Forretress}} ([[Brock's Forretress|Brock's]])
* {{p|Lotad}} ([[Brock's Lotad|Brock's]])
* {{p|Lombre}} ([[Brock's Lombre|Brock's]])
* {{p|Ludicolo}} ([[Brock's Ludicolo|Brock's]])
* {{p|Mudkip}} ([[Brock's Mudkip|Brock's]])
* {{p|Marshtomp}} ([[Brock's Marshtomp|Brock's]])
* {{p|Scyther}} ([[Tracey's Scyther|Tracey's]])
* {{p|Marill}} ([[Tracey's Marill|Tracey's]])
* {{p|Venonat}} ([[Tracey's Venonat|Tracey's]])
* {{p|Ekans}} ([[Jessie's Ekans|Jessie's]])
* {{p|Arbok}} ([[Jessie's Arbok|Jessie's]])
* {{p|Lickitung}} ([[Jessie's Lickitung|Jessie's]])
* {{p|Seviper}} ([[Jessie's Seviper|Jessie's]])
* {{p|Wurmple}} ([[Jessie's Wurmple|Jessie's]])
* {{p|Cascoon}} ([[Jessie's Cascoon|Jessie's]])
* {{p|Dustox}} ([[Jessie's Dustox|Jessie's]])
* {{p|Koffing}} ([[James's Koffing|James's]])
* {{p|Weezing}} ([[James's Weezing|James's]])
* {{p|Growlithe}} ([[Growlie|James's]])
* {{p|Victreebel}} ([[James's Victreebel|James's]])
* {{p|Cacnea}} ([[James's Cacnea|James's]])


-----
===An important note about Wikipedia content===
No matter how similar the two may be, ''Bulbapedia and Wikipedia do not have compatible licenses.'' Therefore, for legal reasons as well as those of style, Bulbapedia does not allow articles to be copied directly from Wikipedia. Note that while in the past articles were started with Wikipedia content, this approach is not allowed under current policy.


We at Bulbapedia are here to create, provide, and upkeep an enormous database filled with Pokémon information. Your help is appreciated more than you know; contributions extend beyond just Bulbapedia to the entire online Pokémon Community.
{{Bulbapedia guidelines}}


[[Category:Bulbapedia policies|{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[fr:Poképédia:Conventions de style]]

Revision as of 16:44, 3 September 2024

This article is an official guideline on Bulbapedia.

Its contents are a strong recommendation for users and administrators alike.

Shortcuts
MOS
BP:MOS

This is an instruction manual that addresses the conventions adopted by Bulbapedia in writing, titles, articles, and linking. Please read it before you contribute to the Bulbapedia project. Note, however, that this document is not updated frequently; survey prevailing conventions as well as reading these guidelines.

This manual attempts to address all issues of style in an objective manner, though there are inevitably cases where issues of style are subjective. If there are any unresolved disputes over what best adheres to the style of Bulbapedia, please contact the Leadership Board.

Keeping continuity with existing style

The manual of style attempts to provide general guidelines for Bulbapedia's preferred style. It cannot address every possible style dispute, and some styles or conventions may be established across Bulbapedia without being formally defined in the manual of style. When a style is established (e.g. used across multiple pages), it should not be changed without a good reason. If you want to discuss using an alternate style, please use an article's talk page.

General style guidance

This section deals with the general writing style across Bulbapedia. For guidance using wikicode, see Bulbapedia's Wikicode page.

Article titles and terminology

There are often several different viable ways to title the page for a specific topic. Terminology used within articles can also vary. In order to provide a consistent experience and expectation with its readers and contributors, Bulbapedia has the following guidelines in place to determine which title or term is preferred in a given circumstance.

Note that while these standards aim to provide comprehensive guidance, there may be unique cases where exceptions will apply. However, it is crucial to adhere to these guidelines whenever possible.

  • Language terms: English terms are preferred over equivalents in another language. For example, the English term "Pokémon animation" should be used to refer to official animated Pokémon media instead of the Japanese-based term "Pokémon anime", which may refer to Japanese animated Pokémon works only. Similarly, avoid specific industry terms that are not commonly understood by most English speakers. For example, use the term "voice actor" instead of the Japanese term "seiyū".
  • Official names: Use the most recent official name used in English-speaking territories, provided it has been used consistently. For example, use "Thunder Shock" instead of "ThunderShock", "Never-Melt Ice" instead of "NeverMeltIce", and "first partner Pokémon" instead of "starter Pokémon".
    • This mainly applies to franchise terms and products, and does not apply universally to out-of-franchise or real-world terms, which may use their common name in descriptive titles. For example, the article "Pokémon in Brazil" uses the common name Brazil instead of the country’s official name, the Federative Republic of Brazil.
  • Names of characters: The name of a character should be written as typically formatted in Pokémon media e.g. "Gary Oak", "Bill", and "Professor Oak". Other known names or abbreviations (such as "Prof. Oak" and "Samuel Oak") may be created as redirects, where applicable. (See the Names of people section for specifics on the names of real people.)
  • Capitalization: Page titles are written in sentence case, not title case. Proper nouns that appear in page titles (such as the names of most locations) should be capitalized in line with official media. (See the Capitalization section for specifics on franchise terms, which use their game capitalization.)
  • Singular vs. plural: In most cases, titles should be kept singular, such as "item" rather than "items". For comprehensive lists, consider a "List of" format e.g. "List of moves".
  • Consistent formatting: Where possible, maintain consistency in the format of titles between similar types of articles. For example, avoid inconsistencies like "List of items in Pokémon Conquest" and "List of items (Shuffle)". The second article is instead titled "List of items in Pokémon Shuffle" to match the first article and other such list pages.
  • Definite and indefinite articles: Do not use definite or indefinite articles such as the, a, or an at the beginning of titles unless they are part of the subject's proper name e.g. "The Teal Mask".
  • Disambiguation: Disambiguation tags (dabtags) should only be used for subjects with the same or similar official names. Otherwise, prioritize using sentence-style descriptors over dabtags. For example, use "Pokémon in the United States" instead of "Pokémon (United States)". Exceptions apply for certain types of pages that are formatted in a consistent manner, such as the pages for types and moves. (See the Disambiguation section for more details.)
  • Non-Latin characters: Do not use non-Latin characters such as Japanese, Chinese, or Korean characters. Instead, words in languages with a non-Latin alphabet should be romanized. (See the Opening line section and Bulbapedia:Manual of style/Romanization for more details.)
  • Abbreviated titles: Certain articles may use abbreviated or shortened titles.
    • Articles about a group of individually named subjects that do not have a group name may omit shared words, provided it does not impact identifiability. For example, use "Pokémon Red and Blue Versions" instead of "Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version", or "Chrom and Phossa Molybdenum" instead of "Chrom Molybdenum and Phossa Molybdenum".
    • Multiple articles whose names share a naming convention that cause searchability or understandability issues may use their own naming scheme. For example, the majority of TCG products are prefaced with "Pokémon TCG:", from expansions to card sleeves. This is abbreviated to a (TCG) at the end of the title.
    • For some serialized media, Bulbapedia may forgo having titles be subject names in lieu of a standardized epicode format (e.g. EP001) for ease of use.
  • Character limitations: Due to the MediaWiki software that Bulbapedia operates on, some characters cannot be used in article titles, such as {, [, and >. These must be omitted from titles, in which case the {{Wrongtitle}} template should be used at the top of the page. Additionally, while unicode characters that are not part of standard keyboard layouts such as the curly apostrophe or double-barred dollar sign may be used in a subject's official name, article titles should use the similar characters found on keyboards for ease of use (' and $).
    • Other technical limitations include mandatory capitalization of the first letter of titles and the identical treatment of spaces and underscores _ as spaces. Use {{Lowercase}} for titles that should begin with a lowercase letter. Also, note that formerly & was not an acceptable character, but now it is acceptable to use up to two ampersands in a title, though more than two ampersands in a row will cause problems. The plus sign + can also now be used. Special care must be taken with ?, though usually things will work as expected.
    • With regards to romanized Japanese titles, omit macrons ¯ and apostrophes ' in the title (but create redirects from the accurate romanization if appropriate).

Linking

Only link to an article once within a given portion of text. If you mention "Ash" more than once in a paragraph, only link it the first time. Instances further apart may be linked to more than once; it is up to you how far apart to place repeated links. For consistency, if most elements of a list are links, then link to an article as many times as needed in that list.

Also, use link templates for linking to articles that are commonly disambiguated, such as using {{p}} by typing {{p|Pikachu}} to link to the article "Pikachu (Pokémon)". Some common examples can be found in the Disambiguation section, or see the complete list of link templates.

Opening line

The full name of the subject of an article should appear within the first few words of the article itself. Alternate and popular names may be included anywhere afterwards. For song, episode, and movie titles, the "full name" that should appear first should be translated, not romanized if it is not English.

If the subject originates from a non-English language (Japanese, for the great majority of Pokémon subjects), then the subject's original name should be included immediately after the Anglicized name in parentheses. If the subject has not officially been given any name in English, then only the parenthesized original name should be included along with a romanization if necessary. For Pokémon names, the trademarked romanization should be used in the parenthetical. Names besides English and the original language should not be included in the opening line, but rather later in the article, preferably in a section titled In other languages near the bottom with only Related articles and External links following after.

Some examples of opening lines follow:

Archaic
Liam Pomfret, better known as Archaic, is the current head of Bulbagarden.
Hirokazu Tanaka
Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka (Japanese: 田中宏和 but usually credited in hiragana only) is a Japanese composer and musician, born on December 13, 1957, best known for creating or co-creating various video games by Nintendo.
Hiromoto-SIN-ichi
Hiromoto-SIN-ichi (Japanese: ヒロモト森一 Hiromoto Shin'ichi) is a manga artist, born on January 4, 1966.
Professor Oak
Professor Samuel Oak (Japanese: オーキド・ユキナリ博士 Dr. Yukinari Ohkido) is a Pokémon Professor who lives and works at his research lab in Pallet Town of the Kanto region.
Blastoise
Blastoise (Japanese: カメックス Kamex) is a Water-type Pokémon introduced in Generation I.
Aim to Be a Pokémon Master
Aim to Be a Pokémon Master (Japanese: めざせポケモンマスター Mezase Pokémon Master) is the first Japanese opening theme of the original series, with a cover by Whiteberry being the fourth.
Inakano Town
(Japanese: イナカノタウン Inakano Town) is an anime-exclusive location in Unova.

Writing style and opinion

Bulbapedia is an encyclopedia, and as such should use a clear, easily understood literary style. Writing should be informative and brief, and avoid flowery language or unusual sentence structures. A second-person perspective should be avoided. Instead of "You can get the Reaper Cloth in Turnback Cave", an article should say "The Reaper Cloth can be obtained in Turnback Cave."

Check for spelling and grammatical errors before saving changes to a page; if you notice factual or spelling errors on a page other than the ones you have created, please correct the problems, as Bulbapedia is an open project.

Overall, as a wiki, Bulbapedia's content should focus on being informative and avoid opinions. As a rule, random opinions from the fandom, even if fairly widespread (such as, say, Charmander is the worst of the original starters), are not notable. If there's no "point" to mentioning an opinion—if it's only mentioned "because" and it illuminates nothing else—then it doesn't belong.

Names of people

The title of a page about a real person should usually be the name they are most commonly known by in English in the Pokémon franchise.

All modern persons should have their names given in Western order: first name first, last name second. Since the definition of "modern" may vary from culture to culture, for the Japanese, all names from the Taishō period onward should be given in Western order. Names from the Meiji restoration may be given in Western or Eastern order—use prevailing convention on a person-by-person basis. Names prior to the Meiji restoration should be given in Eastern order.

When a person has a specific preference for the way their name is rendered, or where convention differs, use that instead. For example, use Hiromoto-SIN-ichi, Ikue Otani, and Rica Matsumoto, instead of Shin'ichi Hiromoto, Ikue Ōtani, and Rika Matsumoto.

If a person has indicated they no longer wish to be known by the name most commonly used in the Pokémon franchise—such as if the subject is a transgender/non-binary person who changed their name, or if the subject has explicitly expressed desire to be represented by a different name—their chosen name should be used for the title. In all prose, their chosen name should also be used. In credits where an old name was used, their credit should be documented as a footnote (such as Chosen Name<ref group="note">Credited as "Credited Name"</ref>), or another format if specified by a project's manual of style.

Disambiguation

When two subjects would have the same article title, a disambiguating term is added to the end of the title for at least one of the pages. A single short word is preferred for these terms. The term should also be in sentence case (i.e. lowercase unless it would be capitalized in a sentence).

In some cases, a disambiguating term is used for all pages of the same type, such as Pokémon and moves. Common disambiguations have templates to make linking them easier. A sample of these follows:

Pokémon
An article for a general species of Pokémon, for example, Bulbasaur (Pokémon). Short link: {{p}}
move
An article for a move, for example, Tackle (move). Short link: {{m}}
Ability
An article for an Ability, for example, Pressure (Ability). Short link: {{a}}
type
An article for a type, for example, Normal (type). Short link: {{t}} {{type}}
game
An article for a game, or a character from a game, for example, Silver (game). Short link: {{game}}
anime
An article for an anime, or a character from an anime, for example, Brock (anime). Short link: {{an}}
Adventures
An article for Pokémon Adventures characters, for example, Silver (Adventures). Short link: {{Adv}}.
TCG
An article for a product, set, or other aspects of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, for example, Base Set (TCG). Short link: {{TCG}}
Specific cards within the TCG are identified using the TCG ID format, for example, Alakazam (Base Set 1). Short link: {{TCG ID}}
TFG
An article for a product, set, or other aspect of the Pokémon Trading Figure Game, for example, Next Quest (TFG). Short link: {{TFG}}
Specific figures within the TFG are identified using the TFG ID format, for example, Charizard (Next Quest 1). Short link: {{TFG ID}}

For a list of all link templates, please see this page.

General formatting guidance

  • For backgrounds and templates, obtrusively bright colors should be avoided. Generally, Bulbapedia's style favors pastels, particularly green, blue, or gray, depending on the content.
  • Smaller tables are generally considered better, assuming they still have adequate information. Even little details can matter: a thin, 1px border is preferred over a large border.
  • When listing a TM or HM as an item, make use of the {{TM}} or {{HM}} templates, written as {{TM|50|Overheat}} for TM50 (Overheat) and {{HM|08|Dive}} for HM08 (Dive).
  • Navigation templates should aspire to be as useful as possible, not as large as possible. Navigation templates do not need to be exhaustive to be useful.
  • Unless there is a specific reason to order them otherwise, lists of Pokémon should be sorted according to their National Pokédex number.

Pokémon franchise terminology

Franchise topics should be described based on the specific piece of media they appear in, rather than merely the medium they appear in. For example, instead of simply saying that a character appears in the games or in the anime, they should be described as appearing in a particular game, such as Pokémon Red and Blue, or in a particular series, such as Pokémon the Series: XY. Additionally, instead of linking to "animation", "games", or "manga" directly, the {{pkmn}} link template should be used.

The e-acute (é) is always used where appropriate; always use "Pokémon", not "Pokemon".

Naming conventions

Naming conventions in Bulbapedia have been determined to go by English names of characters unless a character does not currently have an English name. Redirects from Japanese names should be created in order to alleviate confusion. For instance, the page Kasumi redirects to Misty.

An article titled with a Pokémon name with a very well known instance in any form of canon should have a disambiguation page. For example, due to Meowth (Team Rocket) being extremely well-known, a disambiguation page exists at Meowth (disambiguation).

Some specific naming conventions include:

  • 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" are not used outside of the TCG pages.
    • 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.
  • When writing episode or chapter names, write them as ''[[Episode code|Episode name]]''; for example, the fifth episode of the original series is Showdown in Pewter City.
    • Note only English titles are used in this way, otherwise the episode or chapter code is used, such as in XYS06.
    • Due to special circumstances, certain episodes may lack an episode code (epicode), such as Holiday Hi-Jynx.
  • When multiple numbered routes are to be listed, they should be listed in numerical order, and only the first should have any prefix to it; for example, "Jigglypuff appears on Routes 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 34, 35, and 115, depending on the version played" is preferred to "Jigglypuff appears on Route 3, Route 4, Route 5, Route 6, Route 7, Route 8, Route 34, Route 35, and Route 115 depending on the version played". The link template {{rtn}} can be used for handily linking route numbers.

Types

Types 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!.)

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.

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 (every first letter of a new word capitalized).

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.

Sectional style guidance

For detailed style guidance applicable to various projects on Bulbapedia, please review the subpages below.

Anime

See Bulbapedia:Manual of style/Anime

Core Games

See Bulbapedia:Manual of style/Core Games

Manga

See Bulbapedia:Manual of style/Manga

Side Games

See Bulbapedia:Manual of style/Side Games

TCG

See Bulbapedia:Manual of style/TCG

Language

American English should be used rather than Commonwealth English in Bulbapedia articles. This is consistent with most English language Pokémon games, as well as much of Pokémon media as a whole. In general, Bulbapedia follows standard American English style conventions, not all of which are listed within the manual of style.

  • Exceptions to the preference for American English 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).
  • In an article, the title of an album should be italicized. When writing the titles of individual songs, including anime opening and ending themes, italics should not be used.
  • In an article, the names of series, games, or generations are not italicized.

Japanese

Kanji

See Bulbapedia:Manual of style/Kanji

Romanization

See Bulbapedia:Manual of style/Romanization

Multimedia and external content

Addressing images, videos, and content from other websites and sources.

Images

For further details, please see the Archives manual of style

Images are often a helpful visual addition to the content of articles. These are some brief guidelines about what kinds of images should be used.

  • If there is official artwork, such as the Sugimori stock artwork or video game sprites, this is always the preferred primary image.
  • If there is no official artwork, images captured by contributors should be used—images should never be taken from non-official sites. There will inevitably be disputes about which user-captured image is best; while there's no exact set of rules to resolve such conflicts, the main considerations should be using the highest quality and most informative image.
  • Animated images should be avoided proportionately with how large and distracting the animation is. Small uses, such as a blinking dot on a world map to indicate location, are non-obtrusive and acceptable.
  • Overwriting existing images is acceptable, since Bulbapedia favors the image with the higher quality, not the greater seniority. However, please try to avoid disputes by discussing the change with the user who uploaded the former image before uploading the new image.

Videos (including YouTube)

Like images, videos are often helpful visual additions to the content of certain articles. Videos that are hosted on YouTube can be either be embedded directly into a article using the {{YouTubeEmbed}} template or linked to using the {{YouTubeVid}} template. Due to loading size and other server strain, please note the usage policy regarding embedded video:

Mainspace pages which may have embedded video:

  • Glitch pages. Note that this is specifically pages about glitches, and not sections on an otherwise non-glitch page.
  • Pokémon commercial
  • Song articles, including anime openings and endings

Mainspace pages which must NEVER have embedded video:

For all other instances not mentioned above, or if unsure about a certain instance, please check with a member of staff.

Integration of content from other websites

It is against Bulbapedia's policy, and may be a violation of copyright, to directly copy text from other websites without permission. If other sources consent to allowing their text to appear on Bulbapedia and be subsequently edited and expanded upon to better fit Bulbapedia's style and standards, then and only then editors can directly copy their text into Bulbapedia. In this case, the source must be credited and the text on Bulbapedia will be covered by Bulbapedia's licensing terms.

If Bulbapedia already has information addressing a topic, users should seek to edit and expand that text rather than replace it with another source's words, even if the other source has allowed their text to be used and has more information. Bulbapedia's preferred style prefers original content directly provided from its contributors over content taken from another website.

An important note about Wikipedia content

No matter how similar the two may be, Bulbapedia and Wikipedia do not have compatible licenses. Therefore, for legal reasons as well as those of style, Bulbapedia does not allow articles to be copied directly from Wikipedia. Note that while in the past articles were started with Wikipedia content, this approach is not allowed under current policy.

Bulbapedia policies and guidelines
Manual of style AnimeGamesMangaSidegamesTCG
Help pages Dispute resolutionFAQList of link templatesWikicodeValues
Articles Manual of styleNotability requirementsSpeculation policy
Machine-assisted contributionsUnreleased materialsProtectionVandalism
Talk pages Code of conductSignature policyTalk page policy
Templates Link templatesList of link templatesTemplate policyUsertag policy
Userspace Username policyUserspace policyUsertag policy