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+# Pokémon canon
+
+The goal of this page is to establish a base _Pokémon_{as=cite} “canon”
+ for making narrative fanworks in, roleplaying, or just generally
+ thinking about.
+*_Canon is a choice_* (documented set of choices) and the choices we
+ make on this _Wiki_{as=cite} won’t necessarily agree with the
+ _Pokémon_{as=cite} fandom at·large.
+
+## general approach
+
+- *The English main‐series games are the primary source of canon.*
+ When information in the anime, movies, trading card game, side‐series
+ games, ⁊·c conflicts with the main‐series games, the latter wins.
+ When games differ substantially between their original Japanese and
+ subsequent Western releases, the latter is considered canonical.
+
+- *All other pieces of Pokémon media _may_ be considered canonical
+ (when useful).*
+ This includes side‐series games like _Pokémon Conquest_{as=cite} as
+ well as non‐games like the anime, movies, or original YouTube
+ animations.
+
+ Specifically, the order of priority for sources of canon should
+ generally be main‐series games > original YouTube animations > new
+ movies (_I Choose You!_{as=cite} and later) > anime and older
+ movies > side‐series games > other media.
+
+ Even when canon directly contradicts with one part of a piece of
+ media, other parts (for example, a character of the day from the
+ anime) may be considered (somewhat) canonical.
+
+- *Consider every work in the _Pokémon_{as=cite} franchise to be an A·U
+ of every other work (and this canon).*
+ Obviously, the paired versions in each generation of games are A·U’s
+ of each other, and Ultra Sun is obviously an A·U of Sun, ⁊·c.
+ But this principle applies across the franchise, meaning that Black 2
+ is an A·U of Black (and White) and so forth.
+
+ What this practically means is that canon cannot offer exact details,
+ only suggestions.
+ Divergences from canon can and will take place so long as they
+ preserve the “spirit” of the originals.
+
+- *Avoid “world‐hopping”.*
+ The Pokémon franchise is replete with instances of people travelling
+ from one universe to another or travelling back‐and‐forth though
+ time.
+ This runs contrary to having a single, consistent timeline, so for
+ practical reasons it must be considered noncanonical.
+ This isn’t to say it won’t ever happen.
+
+- *Combine paired versions where possible; defer to the “red” version
+ otherwise.*
+ The “red” versions are:8--: _Red_{as=cite}, _Gold_{as=cite},
+ _Ruby_{as=cite}, _FireRed_{as=cite}, _Pearl_{as=cite},
+ _HeartGold_{as=cite}, _White_{as=cite}, _White 2_{as=cite},
+ _Y_{as=cite}, _Omega Ruby_{as=cite}, _Sun_{as=cite},
+ _Ultra Sun_{as=cite}, _Let’s Go! Pikachu_{as=cite},
+ _Shield_{as=cite}, _Shining Pearl_{as=cite}, _Scarlet_{as=cite}.
+
+- *Game plots follow the Gen ⅤⅠ–ⅠⅩ timeline.*
+ This means that, for game plot–related elements, _Omega
+ Ruby_{as=cite} & _Alpha Sapphire_{as=cite} takes precedence over
+ _Ruby_{as=cite}, _Sapphire_{as=cite} & _Emerald_{as=cite} and
+ _Let’s Go! Pikachu_{as=cite} & _Let’s Go! Eevee_{as=cite} takes
+ precedence over _Red_{as=cite}, _Blue_{as=cite}, _Green_{as=cite},
+ _Yellow_{as=cite}, _FireRed_{as=cite} & _LeafGreen_{as=cite}.
+
+ This does not mean that the other games do not contain canonical
+ information—for example, the Sevii Islands still exist, Anabel was
+ still Salon Maiden of the Hoenn Elite Four, ⁊·c.
+ But it does mean, for example, that Chase ∣ Elaine is the one to
+ defeat Team Rocket, not Red.
+
+- *Technological developments occur at the time depicted in the games
+ which introduced them.*
+ This means that a rudimentaly P·C system must have existed in the
+ time of _Red_{as=cite} & _Blue_{as=cite}; ⁊·c.
+
+- *There is a correspondence between the _Pokémon_{as=cite} world and
+ the real world.*
+ Very few things have definite dates in the _Pokémon_{as=cite} canon,
+ but it should be assumed that they roughly correspond to the
+ timeline of similar events in the real world.
+ The date of the moon landing is fixed at 1969, and considered
+ equivalent to the real‐world moon landing in that year.
Lady’s Gitweb / Wiki / blobdiff