Dr Lava
patreon
Translating 1996's Lost Pokedex
🕑 Added 2021-04-24 05:13:33 +0000 UTCBig update below. First off, let me just say to the new Patreon supporters -- thanks so much for signing up, it really means a lot. The previous 3 or 4 Patreon posts have links to some translation articles and videos only available here on this website, so check those out if you haven't already.
Okay, now for today's news. So I've been using y'all's generous donations to, along with other projects, commission translations for an official Pokemon book called Pokedex, published by Creatures in Japan in April 1996. I shared a small section in my previous Patreon post, and there's an 8 page Tajiri interview with some really interesting development info almost finished -- I'll share it here soon, I just need to combine it with some translations from the 2018 Tajiri biographical manga. But the main point of this post is that this book has an entirely unique Pokedex. 150 entries with interesting lore not seen outside this book -- like what happens if a human drinks Moltres' blood? The Pokedex also has a unique classification system with descriptions, and an introduction with Pokemon lore going back to the 18th century. Really cool stuff.
I was about to put one of my usual translators on the job, then it occurred to me that there's one guy who really oughtta be the one to translate this Pokedex into English for the first time. Nob Ogasawara, the former Nintendo staffer who localized the first 26 Pokemon games -- who could be better than that? So I talked to Nob and he agreed he'd do it. He's a very expensive translator, but I think it's worth it, to make this Pokedex localization as official as possible. Did You Know Gaming's owner Shane Gill (great guy btw, truly) generously agreed to pay most of Nob's fee, RacieBeep said she'll kick in $100, and the rest will be paid from your Patreon pledges. Being a good steward of y'all's money is something I take very seriously -- this is an expensive translation, but I think it's worth it. I hope you agree.
These book scans and the translations be used in an upcoming Did You Know Gaming video, and also published in full on my website in a month or two. The 8 page Tajiri interview will be shared only here on Patreon in about a week, then someday in the future it'll make its way onto my website as well. I wanna give y'all special stuff as thanks for your support on these projects, but I also think it's best for the community as a whole to share everything publicly eventually -- months, sometimes years after it's posted here (like the Tao Trio translations). Beyond that, there's a few more pages of the book that still need translating, and also some cool artwork that needs scanning. I'll be doing all that, so the book will essentially be translated in its entirety. You'll have access to all of it. The only exception are the pages of battle stats and things of that sort, which obviously don't need to to be translated.
Okay, that's the update. I'm really excited about this. Let me know your thoughts in the comments if you fancy. Thanks again for your support, these kinds of projects wouldn't possible without you. Cheers :)
-Dr Lava
Comments
Dr Lava
Cheers mate, but I'm presently on-budget. There's been a few months I didn't spend everything, so I've got some Patreon funds saved up to be able to afford quite a bit this month. And like I said, Shane Gill from DYKG was kind enough to fund most of Nob's translation fee (which is REALLY expensive lol), so the bank hasn't broke. Cheers Alex :)
Dr Lava
Printing the book physically would definitely get me sued >_< But I'm gonna get as close to the line as I can without crossing it, by translating all the stuff that's worth translating (by that I mean stuff that's not battle stats) and sharing them in articles and one YouTube video. And also scanning the artwork. Any more than that would be a bit risky. Cheers Adam :)
Alex Nagler
Oh my goodness this is nothing short of fantastic. Thank you for going a million miles past what any of us would have required. Please do not hesitate to reach out to this community if you need more money pitched in should additional expenses arise. This is absolutely one of those things that’s worth it.
Adam Falkenstein
This is awesome! Would be great to buy the book then print the translations and finally be able to read them together.
Dr Lava
Nob definitely loves Pokemon fans. He's very happy to get back into the game.
Ko
Honestly it makes me want to cry?? That WE have the ability to collectively hire someone like Nob, someone who shaped so many of our memories?? like wtf?? And I mean that in an incredible kind of way. I think it's so cool that Nob has been so willing to be involved in these projects. It makes me feel that he really appreciates the fans
