Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Every player knows the little jolt of satisfaction when a Water move lands on a Fire type and the box announces it. The sentence has escaped the battle screen entirely: people use it ironically when a plan works, when a joke lands, or when an obvious counter is deployed in any game or argument. It is the cleanest example of a game's rules becoming everyday speech.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Pokémon seriesShow the scene
The message is part of the battle system the Pokemon games have used since their first generation. When a Pokemon's move is of a type that the target is weak to, the game prints this line in the text box after the attack, and the damage is doubled. The same battle text has a counterpart for moves that are not very effective against the target and a third for moves that have no effect at all. Bulbapedia notes that Pokemon types were originally called elements in Generation I, and the type chart that triggers the message remains the heart of every battle.
Sources (1)
- Bulbapedia: TypeType effectiveness section and introductionReference checked
Context reviewed
