Pokémon/Items

The Pokémon games, anime, and manga have a variety of items unique to their fictional world.

Assisting items

Berries

Berries were introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver. Berries are found on distinct-looking trees, and will regrow every day. They can be used like typical RPG consumable items, to heal damage or negate status effects, but they are different in that they can be given to a Pokémon to hold, in which case the Pokémon will use the item as soon as it is needed, thus saving a turn.

Starting in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and onwards, berries have greatly changed. Their new names and appearances are loosely based off of real fruits and vegetables. They no longer grow regularly in certain places - rather, picking a set of berries uproots the plant. Players can replant and water berries in order to grow berry plants from which more berries can be picked. Growing times range from four hours to four days. These games also introduce the ability to make Pokéblocks by spinning the berries in a Berry Blender.

In Pokémon FireRed, LeafGreen, and Pokémon Emerald, players can crush berries with 2-5 other players via the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter to make Berry Powder, which can be spent to buy rare items in Cerulean City. Some berries in Pokémon Emerald have effects that differ from other third generation games.

Elixirs and Ethers

Elixirs (referred to as Elixers in games prior to Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire) and Ethers have been essential to the Pokémon world since Pokémon Red and Blue. The counterpart to Potions, Elixirs and Ethers restore a Pokémon's Power Points (PP) rather than its HP (see Magic Point for related info). Power Points are essentially the number of times any given attack may be used. Elixirs and Ethers are limited and cannot be bought in any shopping mart by the player. Each move is assigned a default maximum amount (e.g. Surf has 15 PP, Fire Blast has 5). PP can be raised by one using a "PP Up" but that too is very rare. Using Elixirs and Ethers allows players to refresh used PP during battles or when visiting a Pokémon Center for healing would not be convenient. While the ability to "hold" items was introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver, giving Pokémon the ability to use certain items autonomously, Elixirs and Ethers need to be used by the player specifically so there is no benefit beyond extra storage to having a Pokémon hold one. Incidentally, several berries were introduced from this point on, mimicking their effects.

While Elixirs and Ethers cannot be purchased in any of the games, they are a welcome item often found while traveling around. There are four types, restoring varying amounts of PP:

Ether - Restores 10 PP to a selected move.
Max Ether - Restores all PP to a selected move.
Elixir - Restores 10 PP to all of a selected Pokémon's moves.
Max Elixir - Restores all PP of all of a selected Pokémon's moves.

PokéFlute

File:Pokeflute.jpg

The PokéFlute rendered in 3-D from the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

The PokéFlute, first introduced in Pokémon Red and Blue, was initially a Key Item used to wake a sleeping Snorlax that was blocking forward progress. It could also be used in any battle, to wake up sleeping Pokémon.

In Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, the Radio Tower in Lavender Town has a station devoted to PokéFlute music, which is also used to wake a sleeping Snorlax that is blocking forward progress.

The PokéFlute also appeared in Pokémon Snap, where it could awaken Snorlax from sleep, lure Pokémon out of hiding, and sometimes would make them dance or behave oddly—Pikachu unleash showers of sparks when they hear the music.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A PokéFlute appears in the Pokémon anime in episode #41, "Wake up! Snorlax!", when it is used to wake a Snorlax that is blocking an important river.

In chapter 22, "Vs. Victreebel," of Pokémon Adventures, a mechanical Pidgey tour guide in the Safari Zone rescues Red from being sacrificed as part of a Victreebel evolution ritual, by waking the assembled Bellsprouts and Weepinbells with a PokéFlute.

"Pokémon Flute" is a card in the first set of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, but doesn't wake Pokémon in that game.

Other flutes

While they are not specifically referred to as "PokéFlutes," flutes of various sorts play important roles in the Pokémon anime and manga, and video games.

In Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, a glassblower near Lavaridge Town makes five different types of glass flutes, which are not referred to as PokéFlutes (although one has the same sleep awakening effect). In order to purchase these flutes, instead of using money one must get a Soot Sack and walk around Route 113, where the glassblower is. The grass there is covered with volcanic ash that spreads from the volcano nearby, and 1 ash is collected for every white patch of grass walked through, which proceeds to revert to the normal green color after, signifying no ash left on that patch. Once one leaves the area or enters a house (such as that of the glassblower), the ash will reappear where it was lost. These are the types of flutes one can buy and their ash prices:

Blue Flute - Cures Pokémon afflicted by Sleep. - Cost: 250 ashes
Yellow Flute - Cures Pokémon afflicted by Confusion. - Cost: 500 ashes
Red Flute - Cures Pokémon afflicted by Attraction. - Cost: 750 ashes
Black Flute - Reduces encounter rate of wild Pokémon. - Cost: 1000 ashes
White Flute - Increases encounter rate of wild Pokémon. - Cost: 1000 ashes

In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the Blue Flute can be used to wake Pokémon in your party both in and out of battle, multiple times. Like the PokéFlute, it can be used as a replacement for "perishable" items used to cure "sleep". The only difference is that the Blue Flute wakes the Pokémon instantly, while the PokéFlute wakes the Pokémon only after the song is finished playing. The Red & Yellow flutes can be used to cure "Attraction" and "Confusion" in a similar way.

In the second Pokémon movie, the tune Melody plays on her unnamed flute (which somewhat resembles an ocarina) reawakens Lugia after it is defeated, and repairs the damage done by Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno.

In Pokémon Colosseum, the Time Flute is used to summon Celebi to heal Shadow Pokémon (Pokémon that have been tainted by a dark power).

In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the event item Heaven's Pipe is used to create a staircase to the Beginning Dimension, where Arseus can be captured.

Potions

Potions are items used to restore the hit points (HP) of the player's Pokémon after taking damage. Potions, like Elixirs and Ethers, are staples of the role-playing game genre. In particular, Potions are health-restoring items, and are kept in spray bottles for spraying onto the Pokémon.

There are four different Potions, differing only in the amount of damage they can heal and their in-game cost:

Potion - Restores 20 HP.
Super Potion - Restores 50 HP.
Hyper Potion - Restores 200 HP.
Max Potion - Restores all of a Pokémon's HP.

There are also other items similar in effect to potions that Pokémon can receive.

Fresh Water - Restores 50 HP.
Soda - Restores 60 HP.
Lemonade - Restores 80 HP.
Moo Moo Milk - Restores 100 HP.
Full Restore - Cures all status effects and restores all HP
Ragecandybar - Restores 20 HP. It's exclusive to Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, although mentioned in FireRed and LeafGreen.
Energypowder - Restores 50 HP, but the bitter taste upsets Pokémon.
Energy Root - Restores 200 HP, but the bitter taste upsets Pokémon.

These items come in spray bottles like potions, but are used for curing status effects:

Antidote - Cures Poison
Paralyze Heal - Cures Paralysis
Burn Heal - Cures Burns
Awakening - Wakes Pokémon from sleep
Ice Heal - Thaws frozen Pokémon
Full Heal - Cures all status ailments except "fainted"

In Pokémon Gold and Silver and Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, equipping Potions has no effect, presumably for the reason that a Pokémon would not be able to understand how to use a Potion. The trainer can equip a Berry that restores HP or status instead.

Enhancing items

Elemental Stones

Elemental Stones (occasionally known as Evolution Stones) are crystals with the power of a certain element. There are currently nine different stones for evolving Pokémon. Fire, Water, and Thunder Stones evolve certain Pokémon of the corresponding Type, for example Vulpix, Staryu, and Pikachu, respectively. The Moon Stone evolves fairy-like Pokémon, like Clefairy and Nidorina. Leaf Stones evolve Grass-types, such as Gloom and Weepinbell. The Sun Stone, introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver, evolves the plant Pokémon Sunkern and Gloom. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl added Light, Dark and Awakening stones: Light Stones are used to evolve Togetic and Roselia, Dark Stones are used to evolve Murkrow and Misdreavus, and Awakening Stones are used to evolve male Kirlia and female Snorunt.

There are a handful of other stones related to evolution, including the Everstone, which prevents a Pokémon from evolving, and the Sun Shard and Moon Shard (found in Pokémon XD only), which can evolve Eevee into Espeon or Umbreon, respectively. The King's Rock is also a stone that aids in evolution, though by a different mechanism. A Slowpoke or Poliwhirl that holds the King's Rock and is traded will evolve into Slowking or Politoed, respectively.

Pokéblock

In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (and later games), a Pokéblock is a Pez-like candy for Pokémon made from berries. Trainers use a Berry Blender to make the berries into Pokéblocks. Its primary use is to raise a Pokémon's special Pokémon Contest attributes, although they can also be used for bait in the Safari Zone.

Depending on the flavor of the Pokéblock, it raises a different attribute of the Pokémon that eats it. Pokéblocks can be a combination of flavors, and thus raise more than one stat.

Pokéblocks are also used to evolve Feebas into Milotic, by raising the Feebas's beauty statistic to the maximum.

Pofin

Introduced in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Pofin replaces the Pokéblocks of the third generation. Pofin is a type of bread flavored with berries, which will similarly increase Pokémon Contest attributes.

Rare Candies

Rare Candy is a rare item that contains enough energy and nutrients to immediately raise a Pokémon to the next experience level. It is often falsely believed that the use of Rare Candies will ultimately leave a Pokémon weaker than if the player had levelled their Pokémon up normally through battling. However, when Rare Candy is used, the Pokémon in fact receives no effort values, meaning the Pokémon can potentially be just as strong as it would have been without the item.

Rare Candy also makes an appearance in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

TMs and HMs

Technical Machines

File:Pokémon Technical Machine.png

A Technical Machine teaches Ivysaur a new move.

A Technical Machine, or TM for short, is a special machine that teaches a Pokémon a new move, often a move it wouldn't normally learn on its own. They are usable only once, disappearing from a player's inventory afterwards. They are depicted in the trading card game as a small device that a trainer inserts their Poké Ball into, while in the manga, TMs are smaller boxes that are split in half, then held over the Pokémon's head to transmit the move directly into its mind. Starting in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the video games have depicted TMs as CDs, color-coded to indicate the type of move they teach. A related item, the TM Case, was introduced in FireRed and LeafGreen in order to hold the trainer's TMs.

Up until the fourth generation the games included only 50 TMs, each generation having some variance in what moves were available. Diamond and Pearl were the first to include 92 TMs, though the first fifty were the same TMs as in the third generation games. Approximately two-thirds of the TMs available in each game are given to the player by non-player characters or found throughout the world, with the rest being purchasable at stores - usually from a department store or from a Game Corner (a casino-like arcade). As with Pokémon, certain TMs are rare, one-of-kind, or hard-to-get (these TMs usually contain powerful moves). Every TM is only usable by certain species of Pokémon, and some, like Magikarp or Ditto, can't use any TMs. Conversely, the rare Pokémon Mew is able to learn any move teachable through a TM or HM.

Hidden Machines

A Hidden Machine (HM) is similar to a TM, teaching moves to Pokémon, except that it may be used multiple times. HM moves, once taught to a Pokémon, are permanent unless erased by the Move Deleter. HM moves also have special uses outside of battle. For instance, Surf lets the player cross over deep water, riding on their Pokémon like a living boat. Each HM is typically tied to a Gym Leader, and a player needs the corresponding Gym Badge to use an HM move outside of battle.

Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow have five HMs — they teach the moves Cut, Fly, Surf, Strength, and Flash.
Gold, Silver, and Crystal have seven HMs — the five from Red, Blue, and Yellow, plus HMs 06 and 07, which teach Whirlpool and Waterfall, respectively.
Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald have eight HMs — the same as Gold, Silver, and Crystal with a different HM 06 (Rock Smash instead of Whirlpool) plus HM 08, which teaches Dive.
FireRed and LeafGreen have seven HMs — the same as in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, save for HM 08, which can still be obtained using a Gameshark or Action Replay. Also, it can be replaced by another move without having to go to the Move Deleter.
Diamond and Pearl eliminated Flash (HM 05) for the first time and replaced it with the new move, Fog Clear. Another new technique, Rock Climb (HM 08), has been added to the list, bringing the total back up to eight.

Vitamins

Vitamins, or Nutrients, are items that were introduced in the original Pokémon Red and Blue, and have persisted in every sequel since. They are used to boost a Pokémon's stats. While considered rare items in terms of whether the player can find them while walking around in the world, they are able to be bought in shops - being one of the most expensive things a Trainer may purchase. Most Vitamins of a specific type can only be used 10 times on any given Pokémon. This cap essentially limits how much a player can "easily" increase their Pokémon's overall strength. In Pokémon Emerald a new attribute was added to certain Berries to counter the effects of Vitamins - lowering different stats. This is to benefit trainers who are concerned with a variable used to determine overall stats called Effort Values (EVs) or Effort Points. Vitamins and these Berries have a direct effect on EVs.

There are currently eight different types of Vitamins, up from the original six of Red and Blue:

Protein - Increases the Attack stat.
Iron - Increases the Defense stat.
Calcium - Increases the Special Attack stat. Before Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire were introduced, Calcium was responsible for augmentation of both Special Attack and Special Defense stats (although in previous Pokémon Gold and Silver the "Special" stat was already divided).
Zinc - Increases the Special Defense stat. Introduced with Ruby and Sapphire.
Carbos - Increases the Speed stat.
HP Up - Increases the HP stat.
PP Up - Increases the amount of PP for a specific move by roughly 20%. (also see Elixirs and Ethers or Power Points for more specific information)
PP Max - Raises the amount of PP for a specific move to its maximum allowable limit, equivalent to using three PP Up. PP Max was introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.

General purpose tools

Pokégear

In Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, the Pokégear is a general-purpose tool for Pokémon trainers, including the player. It is usually worn around the wrist (like a watch), hanging from the neck by a lanyard, or sometimes kept in the trainer's pocket.

The Pokégear starts off as a combination wristwatch and cell phone. The latter function is used by the player in the games to receive calls from computer-controlled Pokémon trainers. After obtaining a Map Card, the Pokégear can also double as a map of the Johto region.

The Pokégear can also act as a radio by adding a radio card from the Goldenrod Radio Tower to it. This not only allows the player to listen to different background music from the area's default tune, but it also allows him to hear programs such as the Lucky Number Show (a lottery) or Buena's Password (a memorization challenge). Certain radio stations can also attract or repel wild Pokémon.

In the Pokémon anime, the Pokégear only appears in a three-part episode of Pokémon Chronicles, titled The Legend of Thunder, and in Pokémon 3: The Movie - Spell of the Unown but later it is used by Misty in an episode of Advanced Battle.

The Pokémon Company licensed toy manufacturer TOMY to create a toy Pokégear, which included a radio, a watch, and other Pokémon related features. It was sold through the Japanese Pokémon Centers and their websites only.

Pokémon Digital Assistant

The Pokémon Digital Assistant (P*DA) is the digital organizer used by the protagonists of Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD. Much like the Pokédex, it keeps track of the Pokémon captured and snagged by the user. (As the P*DA's interface serves as these games' menu screens, game data such as money accumulated and time played are also available from the P*DA screen.)

By going to the Pre Gym in Phenac City, Strategy Memo information of Pokémon encountered is downloaded to P*DA. The Strategy Memo mode contains information on every Pokémon fought, including type, abilities, and size. This mode was greatly expanded upon in Pokémon XD.

Much like the Pokégear and Pokémon Emerald version of the PokéNav, the P*DA also has a connection to a network, used in this case to receive e-mail. NPCs use this to contact the protagonist.

In Pokémon XD, the P*DA can also be used to keep tabs on bait left in PokéSpots.

PokéNav

Introduced in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and appearing in Pokémon Emerald and the Pokémon anime, the PokéNav (short for Pokémon Navigator) is a general-purpose communication and navigation tool for Pokémon trainers, similar to the Pokégear in previous games.

In Ruby and Sapphire, it monitors the condition of the player's Pokémon, keeps profiles of other trainers defeated by the player (including keeping track of when a trainer is ready for a rematch), and keeps track of awards and ribbons won by the player's Pokémon, and has a map to keep track of the player's location in Hoenn. In Pokémon Emerald, it also doubles as a cell phone, allowing the player to call up computer-controlled Pokémon trainers for tips or rematch challenges.

In the Pokémon television series, Max carries the PokéNav belonging to his sister, May, since he is better at using it than she is. Typically, Max uses the PokéNav to help Ash decide which city to head to next.

Pokétch

The Pokétch, short for Pokémon Watch, is a watch-like device reminiscent of the Pokégear from Gold and Silver and the PokéNav from Ruby and Sapphire from the upcoming games "Pokémon Diamond and Pearl". It has the most features of any of the gear devices, combining things that used to only be accessible in one area (clock), things that were previously obtained as items (Itemfinder), and a host of new features.

A full list includes:

Digital and analogue clock
Calculator
Memo Pad
Step counter
a page showing your current party of Pokémon
Happiness checker
Itemfinder
Berry checker
Breeding center checker
Pokémon history
Counter
Marking map
Wireless searcher
Coin toss
Type chart
Calendar
Drawing board
Roulette
Pokétore checker
Kitchen timer
Color changer.

Key items

File:Silphscope.PNG

The Key Items menu screen from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.

In all of the Pokémon games, key items are either used to guide the player to a certain area or task, or are useful multipurpose items not required to progress in the story. These items often make an appearance in the anime and manga as well (although they are not referred to as "key items" in those contexts), serving much the same role.

Some examples:

Bike: Collapsible bikes that can fit inside a backpack were first introduced in Pokémon Red and Blue, and are used to cross bike-only paths or jump gaps, as well as cut down on travel time.
Devon Scope: In Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Pokémon Emerald, this allows the players to see and defeat chameleon-like Pokémon, Kecleon, which are blocking a few areas. It supposedly works by emitting a sound that removes the Pokémon's invisibility.
Fishing Rod: Fishing rods are optional items used to fish for water Pokémon. They aren't required to progress in the game's main storyline.
Go-goggles: In Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Pokémon Emerald, these goggles allow the player to see and pass through an obstructing sandstorm in an optional desert region.
Silph Scope: Found in Pokémon Red and Blue, Pokémon Yellow, and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, this scope, won from Giovanni in the basement of the Celadon Game Corner, allows the player to see and battle the Ghost Pokémon in Lavender Tower.

Poké Balls

A Poké Ball is a spherical device used by Pokémon trainers to capture new Pokémon and store them when they are not in use, and they appear in all of Pokémon's various incarnations. Poké Balls come in a variety of styles and types.

The Poké Ball is also one of the many logos used for Pokémon as a franchise.

Pokédex

In all of Pokémon's different incarnations, the Pokédex is an electronic encyclopedia of Pokémon-related information. In the games, the information about a Pokémon is added as soon as the player captures that Pokémon, and completing the Pokédex by capturing or trading for every single Pokémon at least once is one of the major goals.

In the anime and manga, the Pokédex is already a comprehensive resource, and often delivers exposition, describing a Pokémon or otherwise explaining what's going on. In the anime, it has a characteristic electronic-sounding voice.

Numerous different (real life) Pokédexes, ranging from electronic toys to mundane books, have been manufactured under license from The Pokémon Company.

Nearly every protagonist of a Pokémon game, anime, or manga has a Pokédex, but many later-generation protagonists supplement or, in the case of Wes in Pokémon Colosseum, supplant it with a general-purpose utility device, such as a Pokégear, PokéNav, or Pokémon Digital Assistant.

Snag Machine

The Snag Machine, in Pokémon Colosseum, is a device that allows a Pokémon trainer to steal Pokémon from another trainer (by capturing them in the usual way with a Poké ball), despite the usual prohibition against doing so.

In Pokémon Colosseum, the protagonist Wes uses it to steal the Shadow Pokémon from the trainers who have corrupted them, in order to purify the liberated Pokémon. His theft of the machine is what sets him on the course of events depicted in Pokémon Colosseum. It resembles a large piece of armor worn on the arm, with no fingers.

Later, in Pokémon XD, Michael, the protagonist, receives a new Snag Machine from Krane, his mother's boss, in order to rescue and purify Shadow Pokémon being created by the Cipher syndicate. This one had a more modern appearance, as well as actual fingers.

Zero-One

The Zero-One is a multi-terrain vehicle that Todd rides in Pokémon Snap, as he photographs Pokémon.

References

The following games and their instruction manuals: Pokémon Red and Blue; Pokémon Yellow; Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2; Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal; Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald; Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen; Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

Publications

Barbo, Maria. The Official Pokémon Handbook. Scholastic Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0439154049
Loe, Casey, ed. Pokémon Special Pikachu Edition Official Perfect Guide. Sunnydale, CA: Empire 21 Publishing, 1999. ISBN 1-930206-15-1
Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Snap Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., 1999. ASIN B000CDZP9G
Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Ruby Version & Sapphire Version Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., 2003. ISBN 1930206313
Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Colosseum Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., March 2004. ISBN 193020647X
Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon FireRed & Pokémon LeafGreen Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., August 2004. ISBN 193020650X
Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon Emerald Version Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., April 2005. ISBN 1930206585
Nintendo Power. Official Nintendo Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness Player’s Guide. Nintendo of America Inc., September 22 2005. ISBN 1598120026

External links

Detailed explanation of Effort Values on Bulbapedia, a Pokémon wiki.