Main article: Chris Maple
Ask any Pokémon fan, a core part of the franchise's visual identity in the West is its iconic blue-and-yellow Pokémon logo, which played no small part in making Pokémon a globally recognized phenomenon. Thanks to the extensive research and careful writing of Meeper12346, we bring you a detailed account of how Chris Maple, a Washington-based graphic designer, was tapped by Nintendo of America in early 1998 to craft the international Pokémon logo for the franchise's Western launch.
Drawing inspiration from early Pokémon merchandise and guided by minimal instruction, Maple designed a versatile logo that works anywhere, seen in living rooms across the world on game screens, merchandise packaging, trading cards, TV ads, the animated series, and more. The article also highlights his ongoing influence, such as the colors and aesthetic being used for logos for Pokémon Sword and Shield in Japanese and other language versions.
Created under intense time pressure and with limited resources, Maple's logo has helped define the global identity of the Pokémon brand for more than 25 years. Dive into the evolution of the design and Maple's story in the full article now!
Documenting the Templates of Time
A lot of effort goes into making the encyclopedia a place where both beginner and veteran editors can feel comfortable contributing new information. One aspect of that effort is template documentation. What is template documentation? It's essentially a user manual written by our more technical oriented contributors explaining all the functions and uses of our infoboxes, tables, and other templates function. It's thankless work, in the words of former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé 'the yeoman's work', but it's important nonetheless.
That's why we're recognizing staff member SuperPikaPool13 for the immense effort they put in this past month writing the documentations for several dozen legacy templates on the encyclopedia. Well done!
Berries, ball and burlap
Over at the Bulbagarden Archives, user Moribundead has been hard at work sorting through a cornucopia of images, planting Berries and Poké Balls into fitting plots. By creating new subcategories, such as the freshly sprouted Beast Ball category, and moving around files accordingly, they're transforming two of our biggest image categories from overgrown jungles into well-pruned gardens.
When the dust settles, browsing these categories will be a much smoother, more pleasant experience. Huge thanks to Moribundead for rolling up their sleeves and bringing some much-needed order to the orchard!
From Ultra Space straight to your Pocket
Main article: Extradimensional Crisis (TCG Pocket)
Ultra Beasts have arrived in Pokémon TCG Pocket! Players can experience the phenomenon first hand in the new Extradimensional Crisis expansion, featuring over 100 new cards including the Ultra Beasts, Pokémon from Alola, and more! Each expansion brings a load of content to enjoy in the app, new battles, drop events, wonder pick events, and a new season of ranked matches to test your battling skills. Big thanks to everyone who helped cover Extradimensional Crisis! You can keep up to date on all of your TCG Pocket needs via our very own Pocket Portal, powered by our TCG Pocket Team.
Trading Card Game Pocket finally lives up to its name!
Main article: Trade → Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Did you know that trading was not a thing in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket at the time of its initial release?! In fact, this feature was only recently added alongside Space-Time Smackdown! Bulbapedia now has the details on this shiny new feature, as documented by C.Ezra.M! Want to trade the most coveted 4-diamond and 1-star cards? Well now you can find out how many Trade Tokens those trades cost. How handy! Thanks C.Ezra.M!
Main article: Kotobukiya figurines
Kotobukiya has been bringing Pokémon to life in 3D since 2016 with a growing lineup of high-quality figurines. The ARTFX J series features iconic Trainers alongside their partner Pokémon in dynamic poses based on artwork by Hitoshi Ariga, while the Pokémon Center Original Figure line focuses on individual Pokémon, originally released as online exclusives through the Pokémon Center store. Whether you've been collecting from the start or are just discovering them now, these figures are a fun and stylish way to celebrate your favorites.
Big thanks to Akurochan for putting together the full article, complete with images, details, and artwork for every figure!
Gotta Build 'Em All
Did you know? Nanoblocks are the adorable, teeny micro-sized building block models produced by the Japanese company Kawada Co., Ltd., designed to be enjoyed by builders ages 12 and up.
Since their release in Japan in 2013 and in the U.S. in 2015, Pokémon Nanoblocks have offered a fun and hands-on way to collect Pokémon for fans across the globe, with new models being released to this day, and plenty more to come in the future!
Special thanks to Nanoblocks expert Whiteace for their continuous efforts this past month in updating the Pokémon Nanoblocks article with the latest info. You rock!
Bulletin Board refresh!
Want to help grow the garden? We've renewed the Bulbapedia Bulletin Board with a fresh set of tasks to complete, spanning all areas of the franchise! If you find a task that interests you and complete it, not only will you have improved the wiki, but your contribution will be featured in the next issue of What's Growing On! Take a look!
The Bulbapedia team is able to bring this article thanks to the contributions of our dedicated community volunteers. We’re always welcoming new editors as we continue to expand and enhance our shared knowledge of the Pokémon franchise. If you'd like to help out, check out our guide on getting started, or come chat with us on the Bulbagarden Discord server. We look forward to seeing you!
