User:SnorlaxMonster/Pokémon Syntax
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This article is a proposed policy for Bulbapedia.
Please discuss the proposed policy and suggest possible changes on the article's talk page. |
Unfortunately, Bulbapedia isn't always great with Pokémon-related capitalization and types. Entries with a dagger (†) next to them are ones we do poorly/not at all. This is all the syntax that the games use, and I have yet to see an example in another situation where they don't.
Note that this list is constantly expanding. Feel free to make requests on the talk page.
Also, this page will hopefully serve as a replacement for Bulbapedia:Manual of style#Nouns, capitalization, and specific terminology, as a separate page. One of the reasons I created it was to fix the errors spread by the MoS, especially the highly incorrect usage of things like "Normal-types".
This page also somewhat hints any pages I plan to move in the future (such as Abilities from "<name> (ability)" to "<name> (Ability)".
Hyphenation
- "Super effective" is not hyphenated when used as a noun ("The attack was super effective"), but is when used as an adjective ("A super-effective attack").
- "Day-Care Couple", "Day-Care Man", "Day-Care Lady", and "Day-Care Checker" are all hyphenated as it is used as an adjective in these phrases. "Pokémon Day Care", and "Day Care" when used as a noun, are not hyphenated. While the term "Day-Care Center" does not appear in any Pokémon game, it can be assumed to be hyphenated due to it being used as an adjective rather than a noun in this phrase. All are also always capitalized.
Types
- The types themselves are always capitalized, regardless of context
- As adjectives, types are "<typename>-type".
- Example: Squirtle is a Water-type Pokémon.
- As nouns referring to a Pokémon of that type, they are "<typename> type"*†
- As nouns referring to the types themselves, they are "<typename>" or "the <typename> type".†
- Example: Fire is super effective against Grass-type Pokémon.
- Example: The Steel type was introduced in Generation II.
- This means that "Water-types" is never correct, as when hyphenated, they are always adjectives.
- Anime episode titles may go against the standard, such as The Grass-Type Is Always Greener! and Battling For The Love of Bug-Types!.
Capitalization
Capitalized
The following words are always capitalized:
- Pokémon
- Trainer
- Ability†
- Hidden Ability
- Egg
- Berry
- Gym
- Ball
- Badge
- Symbol
- Power Points
- Shiny
- Shadow
- Single Battle
- Double Battle
- Triple Battle
- Rotation Battle
- Launcher Battle
- Prop
- Décor
- Battle Video
- Pokémon Storage System
- Box
- Plate
- Contest
- Ribbon
- Accessory†
- Backdrop
- Fossil†
- Mystery Gift
- Day-Care Man
- Day-Care Lady
- Day-Care Couple
- Day Care
- Pokémon Day Care
- Catching Show
- Safari Game
- Rock
- Mud
- Bait
- Friend Area
- Ranch
- Browser
- Special Traits
- Toy Pokémon
The names of all people, Pokémon, moves, Abilities, items, Trainer classes, stats (except accuracy and evasion), and villainous teams are also always capitalized, as are officially named locations (places like "Kurt's house" do not count).
Uncapitalized
- While legendary Pokémon is often capitalized on merchandise, and even on the box of Pokémon Black and White, it is never capitalized in-game, so should not be considered to be in this category.
- While nature is capitalized in some strategy guides, it is not in-game.
- move
- The names of status ailments
- rental Pokémon (Pokémon rented for use in the Battle Factory)*
- wild
- treasure box (capitalized in guidebooks, but not in-game)
All unofficial terms are lowercase by default.
The
Present
The following always have "the":
- The Slowpoke Well
- The Glitter Lighthouse
- The Tin Tower*
- The Bell Tower*
- The Whirl Islands
- The Sky Pillar
- The Eterna Forest*
- The Vista Lighthouse
- The Spear Pillar
- The Snowpoint Temple
- The Skyarrow Bridge
- The Driftveil Drawbridge
- The Tubeline Bridge
- The Celestial Tower
- The Entralink
- The Pokémon Global Link
- The Pokémon Dream World
- The Global Battle Union
- The Pleasant Forest
- The Windswept Sky
- The Sparkling Sea
- The Spooky Manor
Absent
The following do not use "the":
- Victory Road (all)
- Geonet
- Pal Park
- Soul Dew
