This is consistently written as "Mail" starting with a capital letter in running text. For instance, in this system message in Generation V: "Send the removed Mail to your PC?"
From Generation IV onwards, this is also referred to as "stationery" in the item descriptions of each individual Mail item.
In the core series games
The various kinds of mail are held items given to Pokémon. Each mail item is able to contain a message written by the Trainer. This message can be sent to other Trainers by trading Pokémon.
In the Generation IV games, the player's Bag has a separate pocket for Mail. In the Generation V games, Mail is stored in the general items pocket, but has a unique icon.
Mechanics
Message
Generation II
Printed Mail
The player can freely enter 32 characters across two 16-character rows of text. Mail uses a unique text entry interface, that has a wider selection of characters than other text entry interfaces in these games.
Each different type of Mail has a unique background image, which can be viewed in the games themselves or in Pokémon Stadium 2. The Mail includes the message entered by the sending player, as well as their Trainer name at the bottom. Uniquely, the Portrait Mail also includes the sprite of the Pokémon holding the message, but using the same color palette as the Mail background.
Mail can be printed using the Game Boy Printer accessory. As with all documents printed by the Game Boy Printer, the image is grayscale. This feature is disabled in the Nintendo 3DSVirtual Console versions.
In the Western games, the language of the message is stored internally, so that if it is traded to a player in a different language game, the Mail can still be read using the correct character encoding; however, the English versions of Pokémon Gold and Silver ignore this value, instead trying to render the message using the English character encoding, which lacks several characters that can be typed in other Western languages.
Generation III
In Generation III, Mail is typed using the easy chat system, which restricts players to choosing from a pre-defined list of words and phrases. Mail has nine phrase slots, structured as four rows of two slots and a fifth row with one slot.
In Generation IV, Mail consists of three sentence slots, which can each be filled with a sentence structure from several pre-defined structures. These sentence structures themselves have one or two gaps within them, that the player can fill using the easy chat system (which restricts players to choosing from a pre-defined list of words and phrases). This facilitates translating the message between game languages automatically.
In Generation V, Mail consists of three sentence slots. For BridgeMail, the player can choose a sentence structure from several pre-defined structures for each of these slots, then fill gaps in those sentence structures using the easy chat system (which restricts players to choosing from a pre-defined list of words and phrases). For non-BridgeMail, all three sentence structures are fixed, depending on the specific type of Mail; the player can only fill the gaps inside the sentences, and cannot change which sentence structures are used.
Held item
Pokémon that are holding Mail use a special Mail icon instead of the normal held item icon.
Pokémon holding mail cannot be placed in the PC or released. When removing Mail from a Pokémon, the player has the option to store it in the PC's mailbox or placing it in the Bag; the Mail's message is lost if returned to the Bag, but preserved if sent to the mailbox.
Pokémon with Mail cannot be traded to Pokémon Colosseum or XD because Mail does not exist in those games.
Many item-manipulating effects cannot affect Mail, although which effects fail depends on the game.
In the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console versions, when the player attempts to enter the Trade Center while one of the Pokémon in their party is holding Mail, they are given a warning on the touch screen not to include offensive material in Mail.
Generation III
In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire only, Mail can be stolen with Thief and Covet; in all other Generation III games, Mail cannot be stolen. In the Japanese version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire only, Mail can be swapped by Trick; in the Western versions and all other Generation III games, Mail cannot be swapped with Trick. If Mail is moved in either of these ways, it can cause corruption.
This move effect may be in need of research. Reason:Details on how the message of stolen Mail is changed in Gen 5 You can discuss this on the talk page.
Trick and Switcheroo fail if either Pokémon is holding Mail. Bestow fails if the user is holding Mail.
Thief, Covet, and Pickpocket can steal Mail from an ally Pokémon; however, if Mail is transferred this way, the slots in the message are changed, being blank or taking on values previously used by Mail given to a Pokémon in that party slot.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Stationery featuring a print of dimly lit coal mine. Let a Pokémon hold it for delivery.
Generation V
Mail from previous generations is not present in the Generation V games, making Generation IV Mail the only holdable items from Generation IV to no longer exist in the data of the Generation V games.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.
Causes the secondary effect of Thief and Covet to fail when used on holder. Causes Trick and Switcheroo to fail when used by or on the holder. Causes Fling and Bestow to fail when used by holder. Pokémon holding this cannot be placed in the PC.