Capitalization Rules for Pokemon? (Discussion Topic)

[Giratina!]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

Drakon, I just felt that I should point this out, but in English there's not much of a pronunciation difference for capitalized words. That means if somebody told somebody else to get the pikachu, they wouldn't know if it was the weapon 'pikachu' or the pokémon Pikachu. Sure, it took away confusion in writing, but these stories are sort of intended to be spoken out...

 

[Zekurom]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

There are people on FF.net who will snub if not outright flame fics for using not using the Common Noun method. I have also noticed (on FF.net, at least) that the people using the Common Noun method seem to be a hell of a lot more arrogant than those who use other variants.

Yup. I know a few of them. There was an entire argument (that became a flame war) on FF.net about whether the Common Noun method or the Bulbapedia method was right.

A second thing I'd like to ask. Do you like the names I've given these methods? Or do you have suggestions as to what they should be named? Because I'd eventually like to create official names for these conventions in capitalization.

On a side note, I had a deleted scene from one of my fics where an electroshock weapon is nicknamed "the pikachu" as a joke. This is a bit of a demonstration showing why why I capitalize pokémon names.

My story, Of Electrodes and Magnetons, also hinges on this. It's a play-on-words fic where the Pokemon is confused for the real thing, and neither party ends up understanding where the other one comes from.

 

[Giratina!]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

I think I got it right this time!

I don't think they really have names, but yes, I think you should change the Bulbapedia method. After all, Bulbapedia can be edited by almost anyone, and some of those people may be in the camp of grammatical correctness. I'd just call it the Caps Method, because in the older games PROPER NOUNS tended to be CAPITALIZED. I should also say that it will take awhile for official names to be established, but since this is Bulbagarden and we are affiliated with Bulbapedia, I'm sure that after you've come to a decision, adding a Project Fandom entry on the types of capitalization classification (try saying that ten times fast!) would help.

 

[Zekurom]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

I'm sure that after you've come to a decision, adding a Project Fandom entry on the types of capitalization classification (try saying that ten times fast!) would help.

Well, I'd have to join Project Fandom first, but alright.

And yes, this time you got it right.

 

[Aladar]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

I use mainly the context-dependent Bulbapedia method.

 

[Zekurom]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

If you guys want to see the kind of heated debate that Shinneth and Drakon were talking about, go here. It's a handful of established writers on the Common Noun side (Farla being their unofficial leader), and pretty much everybody else on the Bulbapedia side.

In fact, I think most of you are thinking of Farla when you think of the most vocal supporters of the Common Noun method, but are afraid to call her out by name.

 

[TPJerematic]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

For the most part I use context-dependant.

Example:

Arkbird, Stephen's Togekiss used Air Slash on the opponents Blissey. Blissey responded with a Toxic, badly poisoning the Gym Leader's Pokemon. Arkbird comsumed the Lum Berry that he had been holding. The Challenger returned their Blissey to her Poké Ball.


I don't capitalise items such as potions or antidotes but I do for evolutionary stones and items like incense.

Also 'Poké Ball' is two words with both capitalised

 

[Drakon]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

In fact, I think most of you are thinking of Farla when you think of the most vocal supporters of the Common Noun method, but are afraid to call her out by name.

"Vocal" is a gross understatement. She is more like a fanatic when it comes to things like that.

Interestingly enough, there are a lot of established writers who are NOT on Farla's side. So far it seems the "Common Noun Method" is a minority.

I mean Farla actually broke her own rule when she "reviewed" my crackfic. She more or less implied that "Groudon", "Arceus" and the names of the Legendaries should not be capitalized...never mind the fact that in those cases "Groudon" is a proper name like "John".

Interestingly, Smogon's Grammar Standards seem to be a variant of the Bulbapedia style.

 

[Zekurom]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

So you're Jakayrta on FanFiction.net? I read your fic on there before that, too.

And yeah, Farla's criticism definitely does not apply to your fic, where you always use the legendaries' names as proper nouns, never as "the Groudon", for example.

The only other comment she posted was "Writing the legendaries as sugar high teenagers in a lazy OOC crackfic is not only a terrible idea, but it's not even an original one."

Unfortunately, it also turns out to be a hilarious one the way you wrote it, so her argument is moot.

 

[Giratina!]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

Hilariously, the only time Farla gave a serious look at any one of my stories, she went nitpicking and picked out exactly zero of the important grammatical issues I had back in those days. XD No mention of the improper use of commas, no mention of the capitalization of Pokémon names and whatnot, no mention of the failure to press the Enter key twice when a new person speaks... yeah, you get the point. So I don't know if Farla is the absolute most vile grammar Nazi on Earth.

 

[Zekurom]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

What story was that, anyway? (Predictable. Your username on FanFiction.net is "Giratina". Kind of strange how nobody took it at that point, considering you registered two months after I did.)

Anyway, let's get back on track. I started mentioning Farla and everyone's talking about her now.

I'm not really sure I like the "Caps method" name for the Bulbapedia method. It just seems like the thing I'd do, making up a name based on an organization or some other proper noun for it. I'm not going to call it the German method either. And "caps" doesn't fit that.

 

[Giratina!]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

Yeah, everywhere I post fanfiction I go under the name Giratina. It's a long and elaborate gag which under a different username would make no sense whatsoever. (The story was Metal Coat.)

Meh, until you brought the topic up I just divided it into "people who capitalize stuff" and "people who don't", so I'm not exactly the best reference for those sorts of names.

 

[Zekurom]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

(The story was Metal Coat.)

I found it, and saw her reviews. Nothing about grammar, it was all storyline that she was flaming.

"ADULTS SHOULD NOT BE WRITTEN AS IF THEY ARE THE SAME AS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS." Classic. (But some of them are the same as elementary school kids, you could protest.)

Actually, she does mention your grammar, in one line.

"There's also the capitalization issue and dialogue issue, both of which I've covered elsewhere."

Meh, until you brought the topic up I just divided it into "people who capitalize stuff" and "people who don't", so I'm not exactly the best reference for those sorts of names.

I guess. I wonder if the Serebii people would appreciate it if I called it the Bulbapedia method on their forums? (I'm not calling it the Bulbagarden method because it's not exclusive to our site.)

 

[Drakon]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

How about these names?

"Common Noun Method" = "Common Noun Method"

"Field Guide Method" (Ornithology Method) = "Pokémon-only Method"

"Game Method" = "Bulbapedia Method"

"Variant (Context-Dependent) Game Method" = "Context-Dependent Bulbapedia Method"

 

[Zekurom]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

How about these names?

"Common Noun Method" = "Common Noun Method"

"Field Guide Method" (Ornithology Method) = "Pokémon-only Method"

"Game Method" = "Bulbapedia Method"

"Variant (Context-Dependent) Game Method" = "Context-Dependent Bulbapedia Method"

I'm not too keen on "Game Method", because the convention also applies to other franchises with virtual pets such as Digimon and Neopets. But the Field Guide method is an excellent suggestion.

 

[Giratina!]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

Yeah, that one Evolution = adulthood thing kind of confused me because... well... I haven't ever followed the idea that Pokémon evolve according only to age, which entirely contradicted Farla. That's what bugs me about her - she can have any darn belief she wants, but nobody should go around trumpeting their fanon as canon. I also love it how, in the one line where she got somewhere close to making a competent and helpful review, she's just "***** you, random author, go hunting through my review archives if you want any actual advice".

...though I gotta admit, the story was shaky at the beginning. Fifth-grade writing FTW.

I can't say I completely understand the logic behind the christening of the Field Guide Method, but it sounds cool to me. /nodnod Yeah, I know, I'm a total help.

 

[Zekurom]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

I can't say I completely understand the logic behind the christening of the Field Guide Method, but it sounds cool to me. /nodnod Yeah, I know, I'm a total help.

In field guides, the name of the animal being discussed is often capitalized, especially in field guides for birds, hence the alternative name "the Ornithology method".

 

[Giratina!]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

Ah. That's pretty clever, actually.

 

[Azure Butterfly]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

I must say, seeing everyone else say that Farla chews them out for capitalization makes me feel much better about a couple of things. She's been ripping me apart for the way I capitalize for almost... two years? XD

I usually use the official capitalization - the one Bulbapedia uses - but sometimes I don't capitalize words based on how they're used. Pokemon, attacks, and items are always capitalized, League, Contest, and Poffin are too, but trainer depends on the context.

 

[Zekurom]

Re: [discussion] What capitalization convention do you use?

I must say, seeing everyone else say that Farla chews them out for capitalization makes me feel much better about a couple of things. She's been ripping me apart for the way I capitalize for almost... two years? XD

I blocked her preemptively because of the capitalization thing.

She's chewed me out for worse, and not in a review. I chewed her out for acting all arrogant in her story Unoriginality: An Original Trainer's Story and she went and said that I had no idea what I was talking about. Half of my reviews didn't even criticize what she was saying.

We're on better terms now, although she's still on my block list.