The canon does not really do much to describe what Pokémon are, though it’s not needed. It can be safely assumed that Pokémon are “creatures that inhabit the Pokémon world as well as others, taking a great variety of forms, and that can be befriended”. The franchise implies at times a definition even simpler than that. Past that there are several facets that are left open or not even treated at all (such as if they are native to the Pokémon world), or aspects of Pokémon as species that are inconsistent across canons (such as if Pokémon are sapient).

For the purposes of Suocéverse an abstract definition of Pokémon is taken similar to what is seen above and that will be qualified somewhat with various bits of worldbuilding.

Starting Points

• Pokémon are one of various types of creatures to inhabit the Pokémon World / the Universe. Other types of creatures include but are not limited to, humans.
• “Pokémon” is merely the name they are given by humans as a collective or taxonomical group. What Pokémon call themselves is left to translation microbes. (This is also supported somewhat by canon via M12’s treatment of the “majuu” / magical creatures)
• Pokémon are several species, where the term is defined differently to IRL, that are organized in a taxonomy also dissimilar to what we see IRL.
• As a norm, Pokémon are sentient and sapient.
• Pokémon are native to “this world”, though see notes in Universe Fundamentals about the existence of other worlds.
• As functional analogues to our IRL lifeforms, Pokémon can have various species-defined or specimen-defined traits including but not limited to age, race, gender, personality.
• Pokémon sapience varies noticeably with age / maturity and exposition to social interaction just like humans.
• Pokémon have “Types”, a feature of the Pokémon setting in which they are physiologically attuned to certain types of energy.
• Pokémon can evolve, a process in which they suffer a systemic species-defined transformation.

Topics of Interest

• Pokémon per-Species Trivia
• Evolution
• Abilities
• Omnicrystal