These are the standards concerning the various kinds of Pokémon tags.
Tagging human characters
- Use English names for human characters, with the (pokemon) qualifier.
- Ex.: Sabrina (Pokemon), Brock (Pokemon), etc.
- Use English names for trainer classes, with the (pokemon) qualifier.
- Ex.: Lass (Pokemon), Swimmer (Pokemon), Fisher (Pokemon), etc.
- As an exception, human characters with surnames don't have the qualifier.
- Ex.: Tracey Sketchit, Blue Oak, etc. (not Blue Oak (Pokemon))
Pokémon tags were formerly partly grandfathered-in tags, where human characters were originally referred to by their Japanese names in compliance with usual Danbooru standards, despite having English names on exported versions. The English names were sometimes available as aliases, especially in the case of major characters such as players and rivals. However, as raised in topic #17160, this created an inconsistency with the use of the English names of the Pokémon themselves and other terms used in the franchise as well as several other factors that had to be addressed, thus the reversal, marking Pokémon tags as completely grandfathered-in copyright tags. See our Copyright Tag Guidelines for more info about "grandfathered-in copyright tags".
Most human characters are known by a single name (they lack a full name) such as "Misty" and would be likely ambiguous with characters from other copyrights, hence the (pokemon) qualifier.
Trainer classes are often descriptive words such as "Swimmer" or "Lass", so English trainer classes are used. They would often clash with common English vocabulary, so the (pokemon) qualifier is used here as well.
See List of Pokémon characters for all names.
Tagging Pokémon species
- Simply use the English names of Pokémon species.
- Ex.: Pikachu, Mewtwo, etc.
- There are ten species that require the (pokemon) qualifier:
- Gloom (Pokemon), Persian (Pokemon), Golem (Pokemon), Electrode (Pokemon), Kabuto (Pokemon), Mew (Pokemon), Roselia (Pokemon), Deino (Pokemon), Iron Hands (Pokemon) and Chi-Yu (Pokemon).
- For a regional form, use just "alolan_(species)", "galarian_(species)", "hisuian_(species)" or "paldean_(species)". Don't use just "(species)".
- Ex.: Alolan Meowth should be tagged just Alolan Meowth, not Meowth.
- Ex.: Galarian Meowth should be tagged just Galarian Meowth, not Meowth.
- Ex.: Hisuian Braviary should be tagged just Hisuian Braviary, not Braviary.
- Ex.: Paldean Wooper should be tagged just Paldean Wooper, not Wooper.
Owing to their sheer number (1025 registered species, as of the Scarlet and Violet versions), remembering their English names is no easy task, much less their Japanese names. The Japanese names of Pokémon also cover many highly-ambiguous words that can and will conflict with other characters, artists, and objects. (Beedrill = "Spear" in Japanese; Magnemite = "Coil" in Japanese, etc.)
Historically, Japanese names had been applicable to newer Pokémon as temporary tags, when necessary, until their English names became officially available. However, in the latest generations, the English and Japanese names have been usually released at the same time.
Some miscellaneous tags about Pokémon species, such as Shiny Pokemon and Clothed Pokemon, are also available.
See List of Pokémon for all names.
Tagging media
- Use game tags to group human characters and designs from various games.
- Ex.: Pokemon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow, Pokemon Sun And Moon, Pokemon Sword And Shield, etc.
- Use anime series tags to group human characters and designs from different anime series.
- Ex.: Pokemon (Classic Anime), Pokemon The Series: Diamond And Pearl, Pokemon The Series: Sun & Moon, etc.
- Other media tags are available as well:
- Ex.: Pokemon Adventures, Pokemon Pocket Monsters, etc.
- Make sure to check the different designs of each character to see where it fits.
- Ex.: Red is visibly different in RGBY, FRLG, SM, and LGPE, so various posts depicting Red are expected to have different media tags. Many game characters also have different designs when they appear in remakes.
- In the vast majority of cases, don't use game tags for Pokémon species.
- Ex.: Posts depicting a Squirtle should not be tagged Pokemon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow (unless there are human characters from that game in the post as well). All the same, posts depicting a Wooloo should not be tagged Pokemon Sword And Shield.
- As an exception, Official Art posts depicting a Pokémon may use game tags.
- Ex.: Official art of Charizard from FRLG may be tagged Pokemon Firered And Leafgreen. Official art of Wooloo from SwSh may be tagged Pokemon Sword And Shield.
A post depicting a Pokémon species is not necessarily a visible reference to any game in particular.
For instance, adding Pokemon Sword And Shield to a Wooloo post (post #3528342) would be a mistake, because Wooloo is expected to appear in other media as well.
Discussion: topic #15030.
See List of Pokémon media for all forms of media.
Prototype Pokémon
Prototype Pokémon are the unused Pokémon designs and creatures. They sometimes appear in fan art.
- All prototype Pokémon have their own tags and don't use normal Pokémon tags. Examples:
- post #3360231 - the correct tag is Girafarig (Prototype), not Girafarig.
- post #3355587 - the correct tag is Gyarados (Prototype), not Gyarados.
- post #3148107 - the correct tag is Rai (Raikou), not Raikou.
- post #3148591 - the correct tag is Leafy (Leafeon), not Leafeon.
- Prototype versions having the same names as normal Pokémon have the (prototype) qualifier.
- Ex.: Igglybuff (Prototype) (to distinguish from the normal Igglybuff), Gyarados (Prototype), Pichu (Prototype), Girafarig (Prototype), etc.
- Whenever possible, use a name found in official sources (which are usually in Japanese).
- Ex.: Some prototype Pokémon have been found, with their respective names, in the Gold/Silver from Space World 1997: Hanamogura, Honooguma, Volbear, Dynabear, etc.
- Don't use fan translations as tags. Stick to the "official" Japanese names as said above. (sometimes fanart and fan sites use fan translations, but please ignore them) Feel free to mention major fan translations in the wiki pages (such as those by The Cutting Room Floor).
- Ex.: The website The Cutting Room Floor translated the Pokémon names from Space World 1997: Koonya (original) became Meowsy (fan translation), Haneko (original) became Lefmew (fan translation), etc.
- A prototype Pokémon is often found in a single game and is unlikely to appear in other games and media such as anime and manga, so it may use the normal game tag, as well as the prototype game tag.
- Ex.: All posts depicting Pichu (Prototype) should be tagged Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal, as well as Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal (Prototype).
Lists of prototype Pokémon: