Overview

Pokémate is a cellphone application developed by Square-Enix that allows you to play a number of minigames and perform useful functions like sending and receiving messages. The application is free to download for one month, after which you are required to pay a small subscription fee. Pokémate came pre-installed on all FOMA P902iS phones. Currently, the service costs 210 yen per month in Japan.

Gameplay

Your Room

From Your Room you can access your Pokémon Box to view your Pokémon, visit the Chatroom, send text-message style mail to your friends, and invite people to visit your game world.

Chatroom

The chatroom function of Pokémate allows you to enter a small chatroom with your Pokémon and chat with other users.  It works like a traditional forum, with each message marke by your username and including an avatar of your Pokémon.

Pokémon Capture

When you install the game, you are assigned a random Pokémon and ten free Pokéballs to catch new Pokémon. In the game world, anytime you encounter a Pokémon, you can throw a Pokéball and try to capture it. Initially there are only three Pokémon in your game world that are available for capture, all also randomly assigned. When you sign up for the subscription service, more Pokémon begin to appear in the world. You can purchase more Pokéballs for 105 Yen.

Pokémon Storage

Just like in the Gameboy Advance Pokémon games, you are given a Box to store captured Pokémon. From here you can select which character to use as your chatroom avatar as well as view a short Pokédex entry for each Pokémon. The Box can be accessed from the PC in Your Room.

Plans for US Release

Pokémate is currently available only in Japan. It was on display at E3 2005, but the plan to localize the game has most likely been abandoned at this point.