This MCP server connects to the PokéAPI to expose a set of tools that an LLM can use to fetch live Pokémon data, identify popular picks, and assemble a tournament squad. It leverages the FastMCP framework and the httpx library to perform authenticated or public REST calls to retrieve detailed Pokémon information, as well as curated lists. Developers can query for specifics about any Pokémon, request a list of popular picks, or request assistance building a competitive team, all through a standardized MCP interface that is compatible with various LLM hosts and agents.

To use the server, install the required dependencies, start the MCP server, and then interact with the exposed tools through the MCP protocol. Typical interactions include requesting detailed stats for a Pokémon by name or ID, asking for a suggested tournament squad based on a given budget or constraints, or listing current popular choices. The server is designed to be extensible, so you can add additional endpoints or data sources as needed for your use case.

Prerequisites:

• Python 3.8+ (for running the MCP server code)
• Node.js (optional, for certain LLM hosts)
• Internet access to fetch dependencies from PyPI

Installation steps:

1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/your-username/pokemon-mcp-server cd pokemon-mcp-server

2. Create a Python virtual environment and activate it:

   Unix/macOS

   python -m venv venv source venv/bin/activate

   Windows (PowerShell)

   python -m venv venv .\venv\Scripts\Activate

3. Install dependencies: pip install httpx "mcp[cli]"

4. If you plan to use the uv-based workflow, install the uvx runner (as described below) and ensure your environment is configured to run uvx with the server package name.

Optional: If you need Node.js tooling for specific LLM hosts, install Node.js from the official sources as well.

5. Start the MCP server through your chosen runner (example using uvx): uv init pokemon cd pokemon uv venv .venv\Scripts\activate # Windows

   or: source .venv/bin/activate # macOS/Linux

   uv add mcp[cli] httpx

   Create and start your server file as needed (see project README for details)

Note: The exact package name you pass to uvx (e.g., pokemon-mcp-server) should match the published or local package configuration you use for the MCP server.

Tips and common considerations:

• Ensure Python 3.8+ is used, as required by the project.
• If you encounter SSL or certificate issues when calling PokéAPI, verify your system certificates and consider updating the requests/HTTP library versions.
• Node.js is only necessary for certain LLM hosts that require it; the core server can run with Python and httpx.
• If you modify the server, you may need to re-install dependencies or re-run uvx/uv commands to reflect changes.
• When deploying in production, consider rate limiting and caching for PokéAPI calls to reduce latency and API usage.
• Environment variables can be used to configure API endpoints, timeouts, or authentication tokens if the server is extended to require them.