Found at the flea market, this Pokédex replica was made back in 1998 by Tiger Electronics and Habsro. According to Bulbagarden, it included information about Generation I Pokémon (" except for Mew, who was not yet revealed to the public at the time the toy was released"). Using a number pad as well as alphabetical keyboard, users could search Pokémon by name or page, compile a list of their favorite or captured creatures, search them by their height, weight, strength, or type. There's also a clock and a calculator, and users could even add a password to protect their lists. Rumor has it that Nintendo was not really happy about this device, arguing that it could hurt GameBoy sales.

Why do I blog this? Beyond the cutesy plastic aesthetic that was typical in the 1990s, this device is interesting as it can be seen as an electronic/new media equivalent to bestiaries. The logic of compilation, with drawings and little text reminds me of the material one could find in medieval compendium (without the moral that was common in there). I also find interesting the was players would interact with it alongside their game console, as a sort of notebook to compile the monsters they found... which behave like a sort of natural notebook. To some extent the Pokédex replicates the transition between intellectual tradition from the Middle Ages and Modernity. Using red plastic this time.