could you write an article about the history of pokedex and how it came to be what it is now? thank you!
Thank you for the question!
History of the Pokédex... that's quite the topic. There's enough here to write a book. In fact, Professor Hyacinth has; Development and Iteration of the Modern Digital Pokédex was published in 2021, and it's 377 pages long!
In all seriousness, this is a complicated and involved topic. What follows is a (very) abridged history of the models of the Pokédex.
Early Pokédexes
The basic concept of a Pokédex is very old; a written description of the basic appearance and abilities of local Pokémon. These have existed for nearly as long as humans and Pokémon have lived together.
During the settlement of Sinnoh (then referred to as Hisui), Professor Laventon created the first example of what would be recognized as a Pokédex today. Though still a written book, it was the first to include illustrations, type information, height and weight measurements, and gender differences.
(Recently, there has been some debate over the validity of some of the claims about Laventon, particularly his involvement with developing the Apricorn Pokéball. However, his involvement with the Pokédex remains unchallenged.)
This idea continued to be used worldwide for well over 100 years before being significantly changed!
The Digital Era
In 1997, the first digital Pokédex was released by Professor Oak in Kanto. It was similar to the written versions that came before it but contained in a small digital device, with editing capabilities for the user to enter new information about caught Pokémon. Since the Kanto region's Pokémon had not yet been fully cataloged, Oak gathered the remaining information with the help of volunteer Trainers. This model of gathering information for a cutting-edge model of Pokédex with Trainers before releasing it to the public has become standard.
Oak's model of Pokédex was refined further into the now widespread HANDY line. Later models featured holographic components and customizable exteriors.
The functionality of the Pokédex grew as well. As it evolved, it was able to store and categorize a Pokémon's cry, footprints, color, "Egg Groups" (essentially, which Pokémon can breed with others), forms, and locations found in the wild. It could also display information specific to a particular individual Pokémon, such as its "Stats" and "Level".
In Alola, a device was designed specifically for a Rotom to inhabit and act as a sort of sentient Pokédex with enhanced capabilities. This model was short-lived and quite rare.
The Pokédex App
As smartphones become more and more prominent, an opportunity for the Pokédex to be a mobile app became more and more apparent. Unfortunately, smartphones didn't have quite the capabilities to keep all of the features that Trainers had grown accustomed to.
Inspired by the Rotom Pokédex of Alola, it was found that a Rotom inhabiting a smartphone greatly enhanced its capabilities. Armed with this breakthrough, Naranja-Uva Academy's Jacq was able to develop the Pokédex App. This application keeps all the functionality of previous models, with the convenience of being available on one's smartphone. This was quickly adopted as standard in Paldea (Jacq's home region), and shortly after in Galar. The Pokédex App is seeing more and more use across the world today.
We are endlessly proud that our sister academy was able to so significantly contribute to the history of one of our society's most integral tools!
