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Create-A-Pokémon Mission Statement
 Based on the project name, many people jump to conclusions about the Create-A-Pokémon project. Often these initial impressions are incorrect. So, just to dispel any false notions, perhaps it is best to list some common misconceptions about the Create-A-Pokémon project.
That's a fairly long list of exclusions. Many of those exclusions could be fun and interesting to pursue. Some of those goals have been done before by other communities. Many of those goals are "fan projects". Meaning, as fans of Pokémon, those pursuits can be very interesting and fun. The CAP project has many avid Pokémon fans amongst its contributors, but it isn't a fan project. It is a project dedicated to detailed exploration and experimentation with competitive Pokémon play. To pose an analogy: "Who knows more about cars—a driver or a mechanic?" Actually, they both know a lot, and they both know different things because of their perspective. A driver knows how to drive cars, and a mechanic knows how to build and fix cars. This project is focused on the knowledge set analogous to the mechanic. "If you really want to learn about cars, then build one. The construction of a proper competitive Pokémon is a complex process and requires a detailed understanding of the game of Pokémon and the competitive metagame in which it will be played. Through the construction process, every facet of competitive Pokémon play is investigated and discussed in exacting detail. Pokémon typing, stat distribution, damage calculation, movesets, abilities, breeding characteristics, battling strategies, current threats and counters—all of this must be taken into account in order to create a viable competitive Pokémon. In some ways, this is the purest form of learning the competitive metagame. It is like a lab class on the various factors that underlie the Pokémon metagame. Despite the project's name, the goal is not to create Pokémon. The Pokémon that come out of the project are simply a by-product of the community construction process. The process is the goal—with all the discussions and discoveries that go along with it. Like they say, "Life is about the journey, not the destination." The same wisdom applies here. This is the key difference between the CAP project and every other Fakedex / Fakemon effort that has been done before. As such, it is perfectly suited to be sponsored by the knowledgeable Smogon community, aka Smogon University. People that participate in the project are expected to present reasoned ideas and to engage in intelligent debate of those ideas. That is why we are here. The Pokémon created by the CAP project are intended to be used in competitive metagame play. That is the primary factor driving the design and construction process. Each Pokémon should add something new or necessary to the metagame, hopefully making the metagame more balanced, and increasing the number of viable Pokémon available for competitive play. However, almost everyone involved in the CAP project is a fan of the Pokémon game. As such, although it is not the main focus of the construction process, the CAP project strives to create holistic Pokémon concepts that make sense within the spirit and example of the actual Pokémon game. The Create-A-Pokémon project fosters an interesting environment for intelligent students of the competitive Pokémon metagame to exercise both creative and analytical talents for the betterment of the competitive Pokémon community.
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