By Matt
TVs have existed since the very first Pokemon games. In the first games, there weren’t any applications for a TV; it was used as decoration. The same went for Generation III; it showed limited events or shows. Starting with Generation IV, TVs started to have purpose and broadcasted random shows to make it look like a modern TV. Ever since then, the versatility of the TV has improved, giving it more shows in Generation V and a new aesthetics change to reflect those of the widescreen TV. The reason why I called this “Educational Television” was to explain all of the available programs, which occur randomly whenever you interact with a TV.
The first program is very interactive, and is titled “Pokemon Trainer (your Trainer name)”, and broadcasts random things you have achieved. For example, Pokemon TV shows use “independent research” to find out how many times you have ridden a Bicycle, used the move Splash, create nicknames for how many Pokemon, how many times you have went shopping and how much money you spent, etc. Some of the down-to-earth shows include “Eyes on Unova”, which focus on certain places in Unova. The show highlights special places like regular television does. “Unova News” is a newscast which is an interview with people who have been involved or witnessed minor events. For example, a lady who bought ice cream, but turned out to be a Vanillish, was broadcasted. “Your Pokemon” focuses on Pokemon with nicknames that have extraordinary trainers. It focuses on their daily lives, and what they do with their trainers when they have the time. “Personality Assessment and Horoscope” is a less common show, but has a Pokemon designed for each month of the calendar. Although the horoscope remains the same, the host tells the kind of Pokemon your birth month would make you, and what item you should (metaphorically) carry around.
Shows that feature game mechanics include “The Waving Weaving Walk”, which is also known as “Wawalk”. It displays a random Ability, and its effect in the game. It ends with “That would be cool if I had an Ability like that… I wonder where I should walk next”. “What’s That?” is a TV show explaining the use of held items, with a host and a Pokemon known as Watchy Watchog. The host shows the hold item to Watchog, who doesn’t know what it is, and then explains the item’s effect. The final two shows deal with the Japanese language. “PokeQuiz” is a show where three kids try to answer correctly the name of a Pokemon in Japanese.
Finally, “Koukan Talk” features Japanese speakers who educate the viewer about speaking a phrase in Japanese every time they tune in. Sometimes, when providing an example for their quote, they will use the first Pokemon in your slot, making it interactive. So wherever you are, you can rely on a TV to bring you entertainment.