PokeTimeLine

(b4r:"none","none","double")+(b4r-colour:white)+(align:"=><=")+(text-style:"bold","emboss")+(box:"X=")[February 27th, 1996 ] <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/oakblueintro.gif" alt="Pokemon Blue Opening Scene" /> Pokemon Red and Green are released in Japan. These games are then released in North America just in time for the holiday gift-giving season in [[September of 1998->9-28-98]]. Translation and localization take considerable time for the early games. <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/bluecrawl.gif" alt="Pokemon Blue Title Crawl" /> These games take place in the [[Kanto->Kanto]] region. The [[player character->player character]] is limited to a young boy. Your [[rival->Rival]] is also a young boy. The guide you meet at the beginning of your journey who entrusts you with your first pokemon is [[Professor Oak->Professor Oak]]. The platform these titles were released on was the [[Nintendo Game Boy->Nintendo Game Boy]]. Next, [[Pokemon Yellow->9-12-98]] is released on September 12th, 1998

<img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/yellowbattle.gif" alt="A Battle Scene from Pokemon Yellow" /> Pokemon Yellow is released in Japan. <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/yellowlavtower.gif" alt="A Battle in the Pokemon Tower" /> Next, [[Pokemon Gold and Silver->9-21-99]] are released in Japan on November 21st, 1999.

<img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/goldtitle.gif" alt="Pokemon Gold Title Screen" /> Pokemon Gold and Silver are released in Japan. The platform is the [[GameBoy Color->Nintendo GameBoy Color]]. These games take place in the [[Johto->Johto]] region. Next, [[Pokemon Crystal->12-14-00]] is released on December 14th, 2000.

<img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/crystal-main-screen.gif" alt="Pokemon Crystal Title Crawl" /> Pokemon Crystal is released in Japan on December 14th, 2000. Pokemon Crystal features the first player character customization, allowing the player to select [[between a 'boy' and a 'girl' ->Gender]]. Next, [[Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire->11-21-02]] are released in Japan on November 21st, 2002.

<img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/sapphiretitle.webp" alt="Sapphire Title Screen" /> Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire are released in Japan on November 21st, 2002. These games take place in the [[Hoenn->Hoenn]]region. Next, [[Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen->1-29-04]] are released in Japan on January 29th, 2004.

<img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/leafgreentitle.webp" alt="LeafGreen Title Scene" /> Pokemon FireRed and LeafeGreen are released in Japan on January 29th, 2004. These are the first remakes in the main game series, re-releasing the content of the original Red and Green. Next, [[Pokemon Emerald->9-16-04]] is released on September 16th, 2004.

Pokemon Emerald is released on September 16th, 2004. Next, [[Pokemon Diamond and Pearl->9-28-06]] are released in Japan on Septemeber 28th, 2006.

Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are released in Japan on September 28th, 2006. These games take place in the [[Sinnoh->Sinnoh]] region. Your rival is [[Barry->Barry]]. Next, [[Pokemon Platinum->9-16-08]] is released on September 13th, 2008.

Pokemon Platinum is released in Japan. Next, [[Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver->3-14-10]] are released in Japan on March 14th, 2010.

Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver are released on March 14th, 2010, in Japan. These are the second remakes of the series, rereleasing the content of the original Gold and Silver games. These games take place in the [[Johto->Johto]]region. Next, [[Pokemon Black and Pokemon White->9-18-10]] are released in Japan on September 28th, 2010.

<img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/blacktitle.webp" alt="Pokemon Black Title Screen"/> Pokemon Black and Pokemon White are released on September 18th, 2010. These games take place in the [[Unova->Unova]] region. Your rivals are [[Cheren, Bianca, and N. ->Cheren, Bianca and N ]] Next, [[Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2->6-23-12]] are released in Japan on June 23rd, 2012.

Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2 are released in Japan on June 23rd, 2012. Your rival is [[Hugh->Hugh]]. Next, [[Pokemon X and Pokemon Y->10-12-13]] are released in Japan on October 12th, 2013.

Pokemon X and Pokemon Y are released in Japan on October 12th, 2013. These games take place in the [[Kalos->Kalos]] region. For the first time, the player character has customizable three pre-fabbed apperance options that indicate different [[race/ethnicity.->Race]] What happened to Pokemon Z? Next, [[Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire->11-21-14]] are released on November 21st, 2014.

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire are released on November 21st, 2014. These are the third remakes in the series, rereleasing the content of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. Your rival is either [[Brendan or May.->Brendan or May]]. Next chronologically, [[Pokemon Go->7-6-16]] is released in North America, Australia, and Europe on July 6th of 2016. Next, in the main series, [[Pokemon Sun and Moon->11-18-16]] are released in Japan on November 18th, 2016.

Pokemon Sun and Moon are released in Japan on November 18th, 2016. These games take place in the [[Alola->Alola]] region. Your rivals are [[Hau and Gladion.->Hau and Gladion]]. Like in Pokemon X and Y, the player character has basic prefabbed customization ability with four choices for the male and female player avatar, adding one additional choice. This cannot be changed once the game has started. The player is able to change their eye color, however. Next, [[Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon->11-17-17]] are released in Japan on November 17th, 2017.

Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon are released in Japan on November 17th, 2017. Next, [[Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu and Pokemon Let's Go, Eevee->11-16-18]] are released on November 16th, 2018.

Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee are released. The game uses the catching style of [[Pokemon Go->7-6-16]]. These games take place in the [[Kanto->Kanto]] region. Your rival is [[Trace->Trace]]. Player character customization once again includes four options for both male and female characters with pre-set combinations of hair, skin, and eye color. This game also allows for considerable freedom in clothing. Next,[[Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield->11-15-19]] are released on November 15th, 2019.

Pokemon Go is released in North America, Europe and Austalia on July 6th, 2016. It was released in Japan on July 22nd, 2016. Next chronologically, [[Pokemon UltraSun and UltraMoon->11-17-17]]are released in Japan on November 17th, 2017.

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are released on November 15th, 2019. These games take place in the [[Galar->Galar]] region. Your rivals are Hop, Bede and Marnie. [[Bede->Bede]] is the first [[gender variant->Gender Variance]] rival. Player character customization once again includes four options for both male and female characters with pre-set combinations of hair, skin, and eye color. The player can later change the color and cut of their hairstyle, their makeup (including eye color), and change outfits. This is the first Pokemon game to have later additions of downloadable content. Sword and Shield: Aisle of Armor and Sword and Shield: Crown Tundra are released on October 22nd, 2020. Next, [[Pokemon: Legends of Arceus->1-28-22]] is released on January 28th, 2022.

Pokemon: Legends of Arceus is released on January 28th, 2022. Player character customization once again includes four options for both male and female characters with pre-set combinations of hair, skin, and eye color. The player can later change the color and cut of their hairstyle, their makeup (including eye color), and change outfits. Next, [[Pokemon Scarlet and Violet->11-18-22]] are released on November 18th, 2022.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are released on November 18th, 2022. These games take place in the [[Paldea->Paldea]] region. Player character customization once again includes four options for both male and female characters with pre-set combinations of hair, skin, and eye color. The player can later change the color and cut of their hairstyle, their makeup (including eye color), and hair styles are not restricted by the player character's gender. Clothing options are limited to variations on a school uniform. This game comes with two sections of downloadable content. The Teal Mask is released on September 13th, 2023 and the Indigo Disc is released on December 14th, 2023. Next, [[Pokemon Legends: Z-A->??-??-2025]] was announced on February 27th, 2024, with an intended release date in 2025.

Announced on February 27th, 2024 during Pokemon Presents, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is described as a follow up to [[Pokemon: Legends of Arceus->1-28-22]] taking place in the Kalos region.

The Kanto region in Pokemon maps onto a real-world region of Japan also named Kanto. It is the only Pokemon region that shares a name with its real-world counterpart. <img src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/kantomap.png" alt="Map of Kanto" width="70%" height="70%"> <img src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/kantopoke.avif" alt="Map of Kanto" width="100%" height="100%"> Pokémon is one of the highest grossing media franchises of all time, with the video games alone having sold more than 480 million units with official translations into nine languages; in terms of overall video game sales, it is third in sales behind only the Mario franchise and Tetris , which are each a decade and fifteen years older than the first Pokémon release. The overall reach of the games cannot be understated, nor can their unique positionality as a site of study for representational rhetorics and change in local and global societies over the past twenty-six years. As procedural rhetorician Ian Bogost argues, video games can serve as models of how real-world social systems operate , and due to their participatory nature, provide a lens into how players of these games function and participate in those social systems. The Pokémon franchise has often taken Bogost’s work a step further by literally situating its world in fictional maps that neatly tie to real-world locations. This is of particular intrigue in the context of marginalized populations.

The Johto region

<img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/hoennstart.gif" alt="Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire Professor Introduction" /> The Hoenn region is inspired by the real-world region of Kyushu. <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/hoennhotspring.webp" alt="Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire Hot Springs" /> <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/hoennremake.webp" alt="Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire Hot Springs" /> Topics of interest Slateport = Nagasaki The appearance of the Pokémon League building in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire resembles Shuri Castle, the former official residence of the kings of the Ryukyu Kingdom, that was anexed by Japan in 1879. The Ryukyuan people inhabits the Kagoshima and Okinawa Prefectures.

The Sinnoh region maps on to Hokkaido, the home of the[[Ainu->Ainu]] people. It also appears in [[Pokemon Legends: Arceus->1-28-22]] in the distant past under a different name, [[Hisui->Hisui]].

Unova maps onto New York City

Kalos maps onto France. Kalos character customization options.

(Under Construction)

The GameBoy was an 8-bit handheld console released by Nintendo on April 21st, 1989. It had a monochrome screen. The Gameboy was a [[fourth generation->fourth generation]] handheld console. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E-ej_8XBwmI?si=jSDmisaVhqjy4Tfu" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> It was succeeded by the [[GameBoy Color->Nintendo GameBoy Color]], which was released in Japan on October 21st, 1998. Pokemon releases on this console included [[Red, Green/Blue->2-27-96]], and [[Yellow->9-12-98]].

The Nintendo GameBoy Color was released in Japan on October 21st, 1998. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eRiwW6M55qg?si=bPOjo2AXeuw6xYHS" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> It was succeeded by the [[Game Boy Advance->Game Boy Advance]] on March 21st, 2001. Pokemon Games released on this console include [[Pokemon Gold, Silver->9-21-99]], and [[Crystal->12-14-00]].

The Game Boy Advance was released in Japan on March 21st, 2001. It was released in North America on June 11th, 2001. This console was a 32-bit handheld console that suceeded the Nintendo Gameboy and Gameboy Color. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EvK4HA9qKzc?si=k-kOfdAEtDC4emvX" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> There were additional models before it was ultimately suceeded by the [[Nintendo DS->Nintendo DS]]. Pokemon games released on this console include [[Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire->11-21-02]], [[FireRed and LeafGreen->1-29-04]], and [[Pokemon Emerald->9-16-04]]

The Nintendo DS was released globally on November 21st, 2004. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ULMjlig6Imo?si=8L1EZfnjkb-casP2" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> Additional models were released with functions like backwards compatibility and It was succeeded by the [[Nintendo 3DS->Nintendo 3DS]] in March of 2011. Pokemon Games released on the the Nintendo DS include [[Diamond and Pearl ->9-28-06]], [[Platinum->9-28-06]], [[Black and White->9-18-10]], and [[Black2 and White2->6-23-12]].

The Nintendo 3DS was released globally on March 27th, 2011. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kcW0BpXFed0?si=PkMPv5CaDpSnUT8n" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> It was succeeded by the [[Nintendo Switch->Nintendo Switch]] on March 3rd, 2017. Pokemon releases on this console include [[Pokemon X and Y->10-12-13]], [[Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire->11-21-14]], [[Sun and Moon->11-18-16]], and [[UltraSun and UltraMoon->11-17-17]].

The Nintendo Switch was released globally on March 3rd, 2017. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8RngAaAhdmk?si=vnOz69Gw9MFtXzzf" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> Pokemon titles released on the Nintendo Switch include[[Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee->11-16-18]], [[Sword and Shield->11-15-19]], [[Pokemon Legends: Arceus->1-28-22]], [[Scarlet and Violet->11-18-22]], and[[Pokemon Legends: Z-A->??-??-2025]]

Gender <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/pokemon-boy-or-girl.gif" alt="test" /> In the Generation I games, non-player characters were coded as both male and female. The player character avatar only had one option, which is male by default. The only Pokemon who had gender differences were Nidoran. The first female-coded character we meet is the player's [[mother->Mom]]. We also meet some helper characters, such as Nurse Joy, who heals Pokemon at the Pokemon Center. <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/joyblue.gif" alt="Nurse Joy in Pokemon Blue" /> Later, in Generation II, most Pokemon have a gender. Some legendary and mystical pokemon do not. Beginning with [[Pokemon Crystal->12-14-00]], the player must select either a 'boy' or 'girl' player sprite at the beginning of the game. Further customization options for the player character sprite do not appear until [[Pokemon X and Y->10-12-13]], when the first hints of [[skin->Race]] and hair color variation appear. <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/xygirlidle.gif" alt="Pokemon X/Y Light Skinned Girl Player Character Idle Animation" /> In later generations, [[gender variant->Gender Variance]] characters appear, including [[Bede->Bede]] and [[Blanche->Blanche]].

Race When does the first person of color appear in Pokemon? This is difficult to determine. The affordances of the Game Boy with its 8-bit monochrome display meant that for the first Pokemon games, color was less useful for representing race and ethnicity, and therefore challenging to interpret on visuals alone. These games also occur in the Kanto region, mapped onto real-world Kanto, Japan. In theory, it is possible that every human character, including the player character, in Pokemon Red and Green is intended to be Japanese. The implication is that the player character is, at very least, not a cultural other to those around him -- no human character is specifically racialized. Others argue that the character Brock (different from Andre Brock, a scholar mentioend later on this page) may be the first person of color in Pokemon, or at very least, that his features in the animation and in the first generation of games set him apart from other characters. By Generation III, non-player characters with different skin tones appear, including Iris and Archie. Considering Hoenn's real-world adjacent, it's possible to theorize that these characters are ethnic [[Ryukyu people->Ryukyu people]]. The first time the player character has skin tone customization ability is in [[Pokemon X and Y->10-12-13]]. Andre Brock's work in //Distributed Blackness// starts right off the bat with an intriguing claim: that online identity is conflated with whiteness “even as whiteness is itself signified as a universal, raceless, technocultural identity. By this I mean that whiteness is what technology does to the Other, not the technology users themselves.” Brock traces a history of online black culture, moving into a space of rethinking online “disembodiment” as rather a different sort of embodiment. He traces this kind of digital black experience through some very specific online discourse communities like Black Twitter. There is, of course, a very obvious, tangible argument for whiteness as default / whiteness in technological othering when there is literally no avatar body option customization ability in a game, forcing all players to literally play as a white(ish) character.

<img src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/pokesplash.gif" alt="Pokemon Twineline Start" width="100%" height="100%"> [[Are you a boy or are you a girl?->2-27-96]]

In most of the games, we begin with the player's Mom. The player character typically does not have any siblings. <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/momconvo5.webp" alt="Player Character and Mom in Gen 6" /> We see a mention of a [[dad->Dad]] once.

(under construction)

Ryukyu One of two indigenous groups implied to exist in the Pokemon world, alongside the [[Ainu->Ainu]] people. (under construction)

(Under Construction)

Hisui is Sinnoh in the past. Prior to colonization, Hokkaido was called 'Ezo' by the [[Ainu->Ainu]] people, or Ainu Morsir.

(b4r:"none","none","double")+(b4r-colour:white)+(align:"=><=")+(text-style:"bold","emboss")+(box:"X=")[The Player Character] Pokémon is not the franchise that comes to mind first in a discussion of representational issues and rhetoric in video games. When we think of Pokémon, we think of Pikachu: a kawaii icon of Japan’s soft power as recognizable and beloved as Hello Kitty. <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/crystalpark.webp" alt="Player Character in a Park in Pokemon Crystal" /> When we think of the topic of representational issues in video games, we often imagine grotesque displays of gender-based violence such as the assault of prostitutes in Grand Theft Auto, or racist caricatures going back to early games of the 1980s, not of Pokémon’s now over a thousand non-human characters with designs that range from vaguely plantlike or animal-esque to ice cream cones and literal garbage. In fact, when we think of Pokémon, we seldom think of the human characters at all, let alone the player character, a silent child protagonist that up until more recently was represented by an avatar with extremely limited customization features. We are even less likely to think about how and when those customization features began to include options for [[gender->Gender]],[[race->Race]], or any other positionalities that the human player might embody, even features as seemingly cosmetic and inconsequential as hair and eye color or freckles.

<img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/garysnes.gif"alt="Player Character Visits Rival's Room"/> Your rival is a counterpart character to you as the player character. Over the course of the franchise, some of these rivals have been more antagonistic than others. In many of the early releases, the player gets to name the rival character. <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/rivalname.gif"alt="Naming Your Rival"/> <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/rivalbutthead.gif" alt="Naming the Rival Butthead" /> The first Rival is [[Blue->Blue]]. In Pokemon Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee, Blue is recreated as the much more friendly [[Trace->Trace]].

Professor Oak is your guide in... He recurrs in... Next in [[Pokemon Gold and Silver->9-21-99]] we meet [[Professor Elm->Professor Elm]].

Professor Elm is your guide in... In the next sequential game series we meet [[Professor Birch->Professor Birch]].

Professor Birch is your guide. He is followed by [[Professor Rowan->Professor Rowan]].

Professor Rowan is your guide in the Sinnoh Region. In the next sequential game, he is followed up by [[Professor Juniper->Professor Juniper]].

Professor Juniper is the first female-coded Pokemon Professor and is introduced in the [[Unova->Unova]] Region. In the next sequential release, she is followed up by [[Professor Sycamore->Professor Sycamore]].

Professor Syacmore is your guide through the [[Kalos->Kalos]] region. In the next sequential game, he is followed up by [[Professor Kukui->Professor Kukui]].

Professor Kukui is the Pokemon guide through the [[Alola->Alola]] Region. There's an interesting dynamic here because the player character is distinctly not Alolan no matter what customization they choose for themselves and is always treated as a cultural outsider. In the next sequential game release, the Pokemon Professor is [[Professor Magnolia->Professor Magnolia]].

Professor Magnolia is the Professor in the [[Galar Region->Galar]]. She later retires and is replaced by her granddaughter, [[Sonia->Sonia]]. She is followed by[[Professor Laventon->Professor Laventon]] in the [[Hisui region->Hisui]] and [[Professor Sada and Professor Turo->Professor Sada and Professor Turo]] in the [[Paldea Region.->Paldea]].

Professor Laventon is the Professor in the [[Hisui Region->Hisui]].

under construction Professors of the [[Paldea Region->Paldea]].

Under construction

under construction <img class="fit-picture" src="https://veekenne.github.io/poketimeline/bluebattle.webp" alt="Player Battles Blue" /> Followed up by [[Brendan or May->Brendan or May]]

under construction

In [[Ruby and Sapphire->11-21-02]], depending on which character sprite the player character selects, the unchosen sprite becomes the player's rival. This rival character is either Brendan or May, depending on the chosen gender of the player character. This mechanic is seen again in [[Pokemon X and Y->10-12-13]], where the unchosen sprite becomes one of [[several rivals->Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor]].

under construction

(under construction)

under construction

Generation of Consoles - Thinking of Console Revolutions in the Context of Kuhn When published in 1962, there was apparently a sort of paradigm in the scientific community that scientific progress was a sort of accumulation of proven facts (and ‘facts’ is probably not the right word, here, but this is just me attempting to separate Kuhn’s notion of ‘normal science’ with ‘revolutionary science’). ‘Normal Science,’ for Kuhn, appears to be the kind of research and experimentation of given phenomena that neatly fits within a given existing paradigm and doesn’t push any boundaries too significantly. When we hit an ‘anomaly,’ or series of them, we end up with a paradigm shift, which can lead to a scientific revolution. The sort of main example used here is the change from the Copurnican idea that the sun was at the center of the universe versus Galileo’s later contributions which revolutionized the study of astronomy, although at the time, Galileo was considered a heretic. I was fortunate to visit his grave in Italy towards the end of my Master’s. If I recall, there was even a hesitation to bury him in the Basilica at Santa Croce because he’d been condemned by the church; his remains were eventually reinterred, but for about a hundred years, he was buried elsewhere. I’ve often wondered what kind of conversations were happening a hundred years after he died, still long before the information age, that led to the relocation of his body.