Game Mechanics

Pokemon is not as simple as it may appear. In fact, there are tons and tons of game mechanics that, when utilized properly, can make a big difference. Here are some of the key ones:

Damage Multipliers

 * STAB (Same Type Attacks Bonus): If a Pokemon uses an attack of the same type as its own, they will receive a 50% damage bonus.
 * Type Advantages: Every pokemon has a type and has certain strenghts and weaknesses against other types. Depending on the attack and the defending, the damage can range from 25% to 400%.
 * Weather/ Area Effects: Attacks such as Rain Dance or Sunny Day give a damage bonus to all attacks of its respective type.

Experience Multipliers

 * Shiny Experince Bonus: Shiny pokemon receive experience at a rate of 150% compared to non-shiny pokemon.

Miscellaneous

 * Shiny Pokemon: Any wild pokemon have a 0.01% chance of being Shiny. Note: not all pokemon currently have shiny counterparts yet.
 * Status Effects: Certain attacks can cause a variety of status effects. These Include Burn, Paralysis, Freezing, Sleep, Infatuation, Confusion.
 * Held Items: This is not yet implemented into the game.
 * Natures: This is not yet implemented into the game.

(Note: I will be updating this as I have time! I'll update all of the linked pages too.)