Pikachu, one of the most recognized pokemon
Source: pokemon.wikia.com
Pokemon is game series for the Gameboy (and subsequently, the Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS) that is based on two basic principles: collecting and battling. The goal of the game is to collect samples of all of the available pokemon species to complete the pokedex, and at the same time build a powerful team for the purpose of becoming the Pokemon Master. The game originated with 151 pokemon, and with each generation, more pokemon were added. By the fifth generation there were 649 pokemon species, further complicating both the collecting and battling aspects of the game.
This game series has developed a fan following, with various products created to expand the franchise (such as pokemon cards, stuffed dolls, ect.). As technology advanced, so did the levels of complexity in the games, and as more people started to play, communities formed. With the advent of the internet and the ability to connect mobile gaming devices to it, Pokemon players (while formerly a community) can now be considered an internet culture.
In order to determine the extent to which the competitive battling community uses the internet, I used my personal experience as well as information obtained from websites that members use to communicate and spread information (Smogon and Serebii among others). The more that I looked at their posts and the detail that they contained, the more I began to realize that this community cannot possibly exist without the internet to spread strategies and ideas.
This Website will go over some of the basic characteristics of the Pokemon internet culture over several webpages:
Culture and Pokemon: In this page, I discuss why the game has become an internet culture.
Growth of the Game: This page discusses how the game as grown to attract new members while retaining older players as well.
Member Interactions: This page includes a discussion on how members interact helping to solidify the arguement that competitive pokemon battling is an internet culture.
Personal Experience: This page details my personal experience with competitive pokemon battling.
Glossary: This page explains some of the terms that can be found on competitive battling websites.