Thread: How to identify hacked Pokémon

This is a list of reasons why a Pokémon would be considered hacked by someone. These things are relatively easy to check/notice. Remember, Bulbagarden has its own Wiki which you can use to check movesets and event lists.

The GTS has a somewhat accurate hack check system, but it is not perfect and can be fooled. Getting a Pokémon from the GTS does not guarantee that it is legit.

NOTE: This list is not foolproof and it is still possible your Pokémon is hacked even if it passes all these tests.

~ illegal move
~~ a move that cannot be learned by any means by the Pokémon
~ illegal moveset
~~ a combination of moves that cannot legally be bred/learned together
~ illegal Poké Ball
~~ Wild Pokémon can be caught in any ball but event Pokémon are in Cherish Balls or Poké Balls and starters can only be in Poké Balls (except for the Johto starter evolutions from Colosseum and Dream World starters)
~ illegal location data
~~ a Pokémon caught in a location that it cannot appear in is not legit
~ illegal level
~~ Pokémon have a certain level at which they cannot be below. All single stage and first stage Pokémon can be as low as level 1 but most evolved Pokémon must be higher level than that.
~ illegal ability
~~ Pokémon only have at most three abilities (with the exception of Basculin who has four). If the ability shown on the Pokémon's summary is not one of those three, it is hacked.
~ non-event having event-only ribbons/moves
~~ Only event Pokémon can have their event Ribbons and moves. Unless the move is breedable, you won't find a Pokémon with that move and without the Ribbon.
~ shiny event Pokémon that aren't preset as shiny
~~ Pokémon received through Mystery Gift go through a shiny check and are always made to be not shiny unless they are set to be.
~ illegally shiny
~~ Currently, only Arceus, Victini, Zekrom, and Reshiram cannot be shiny. The Zorua and Zoroark obtained in the Celebi and Crown Beast events, respectively, as well as Pokémon obtained in the PokéWalker or in Entree Forest cannot be shiny either.
~ not currently available
~~ Right now, only Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genesect aren't available due to them not having an event
~ Some Pokémon haven't been released in the DW yet
~~ No Unova Pokémon (except Musharna and Darmanitan) can be found in the DW yet.
~ Certain DW Pokémon cannot be female
~~ The Dream World events Chlorophyll Bulbasaur, Solar Power Charmander, Rain Dish Squirtle, Poison Touch Croagunk, Shell Armor Turtwig, Iron Fist Chimchar, Defiant Piplup, Unburden Treecko, Speed Boost Torchic, Damp Mudkip, Super Luck Togekiss, and Thick Fat Mamoswine are all male and cannot pass down their ability.
~ previous generation ribbons
~~ A Sinnoh or Unova Pokémon from Gen IV or V respectively cannot legally have ribbons from previous Generations
~ wrong language name on an unevolved Pokémon
~~ When foreign Pokémon evolve, their nickname will change to whatever language game they are in when they evolve. Unevolved Pokémon cannot have a foreign name with a not foreign Original Trainer
~ disappearing nickname upon evolution
~~ indicates the nickname flag hasn't been set; foreign names must be taken into account
~ Pokémon with egg moves in non-Poké Ball
~~ Pokémon with egg moves can only be in a Poké Ball
~ Pokémon can't keep HM moves when being transferred from Gen III to Gen IV or Gen IV to Gen V
~~ Pikachu with Surf and/or Fly can't be transferred to a later generation

If you have any questions about whether or not your Pokémon is hacked based on this list, feel free to ask here. There is also a "Is My Pokémon Hacked?" Thread in the Video Games section if you want someone else to check for you. Again, this is not foolproof.

Originally Posted by Blazevoir

~ illegally shiny
~~ Currently, only Arceus, Zekrom, and Reshiram cannot be shiny.

Vinciti, Global Link pokes, event Zoroark/Zoroa, and Pokewalker pokes cant be shiny.

You also might want to add that they only 2 Unova Pokemon that can have DW Abilities are the Musharna from the Dream Yard and then Monkey from the dessert. No other Unova have been released in the DW.

Originally Posted by Blazevoir

~ Certain DW Pokémon cannot be female
~~ The Dream World events Hydration Vaporeon, Quick Feet Jolteon, Guts Flareon, Magic Bounce Espeon, Inner Focus Umbreon, Chlorophyll Leafeon, Ice Body Glaceon,...

Female Eevee has been released on the Japanese Global Link. If need be I can provide a picture.

Also, no Unova Pokemon can have Dream World abilities other then the ones that are found ingame. And none on the Johto starters have been released yet.

~~ Currently, only Arceus, Victini, Zekrom, and Reshiram cannot be shiny. The Zorua and Zoroark obtained in the Celebi and Crown Beast events, respectively, as well as Pokémon obtained in the PokéWalker cannot be shiny either.

Pokemon captured in the High Link can't be shiny.

Useful. Thanks!

I received a Shaymin from a friend. As far as I'm aware the friend believes the Shaymin to be legit, unhacked. I thought I would be able to get the Gracidea from the Lacunosa Pokemon Center, but the woman there doesn't give me the Gracidea even when Shaymin is the lead pokemon in my party. Can this happen with a legit Shaymin?

Yes, it can. Only Shaymin with a Fateful Encounter flag (like TRU Shaymin) will get you the Gracidea. If it was caught in Flower Paradise, it won't let you get the Gracidea in Lacunosa (even though it does in Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver).

This is probably a n00b question... but how do you check this stuff before making the trade? All I see in the GTS is the nickname, species name, Original Trainer, picture, etc.
Or is this topic just saying that you can check these things to find out if it's a hacked Pokémon after making the trade?

Originally Posted by dannyjenn

This is probably a n00b question... but how do you check this stuff before making the trade? All I see in the GTS is the nickname, species name, Original Trainer, picture, etc.
Or is this topic just saying that you can check these things to find out if it's a hacked Pokémon after making the trade?

This is for trading here on BMGf using the Wi-Fi room. Not for trading on the actual in-game GTS. The name of the section is just the GTS as a tie-in with the games. :)

This thread is to be used to identify whether a pokemon is hacked before or after you arrange a trade here on the forums. Although it can be used for things you get from the in-game GTS aswell, but of course there's nothing we can do if someone on there trades you a hack.

Thanks. Yeah, I knew that, I just read it wrong, lol

I recently got a Cyndaquil through a trade which contained the moves Thrash, Reversal, Flare Blitz and Extrasensory which are all breeding moves. Is this Cyndaquil hacked, or is it possible to get all those on a single Cyndaquil through chain breeding?

Originally Posted by WatcherMark

I recently got a Cyndaquil through a trade which contained the moves Thrash, Reversal, Flare Blitz and Extrasensory which are all breeding moves. Is this Cyndaquil hacked, or is it possible to get all those on a single Cyndaquil through chain breeding?

According to bulbapedia, all those moves are obtainable as egg moves. I don't know if chain-breeding is involved or not. Here's a link to the page.

Originally Posted by WatcherMark

I recently got a Cyndaquil through a trade which contained the moves Thrash, Reversal, Flare Blitz and Extrasensory which are all breeding moves. Is this Cyndaquil hacked, or is it possible to get all those on a single Cyndaquil through chain breeding?

That combination of Egg moves on Cyndaquil is possible since it is in the Field Egg group, which means that it can breed with a male Smeargle that Sketched those moves. No chain breeding required.

Originally Posted by Blazevoir

Originally Posted by WatcherMark

I recently got a Cyndaquil through a trade which contained the moves Thrash, Reversal, Flare Blitz and Extrasensory which are all breeding moves. Is this Cyndaquil hacked, or is it possible to get all those on a single Cyndaquil through chain breeding?

That combination of Egg moves on Cyndaquil is possible since it is in the Field Egg group, which means that it can breed with a male Smeargle that Sketched those moves. No chain breeding required.

Awesome, thanks for letting me know!

Hi I'm relatively new to using the GTS (the in-game pokemon one), and recently a Japanese person traded me a female Zorua which I had requested.

It seems legit enough. It came in at level 1 with the moves: Scratch, Leer and Cut. Naughty nature, Illusion ability, Met at Route 3 and hatched from an egg taken from the Day-Care Couple on the same day (5th July 2012).
I got annoyed at the Cut move because it's obviously a taught HM and I can't unteach it right? Just wondering if newly hatched Zorua only came with 2 moves scratch and leer.
I think I got slightly ripped off with a Zorua that got taught a Cut ability. :/

Originally Posted by mineowyn

Hi I'm relatively new to using the GTS (the in-game pokemon one), and recently a Japanese person traded me a female Zorua which I had requested.

It seems legit enough. It came in at level 1 with the moves: Scratch, Leer and Cut. Naughty nature, Illusion ability, Met at Route 3 and hatched from an egg taken from the Day-Care Couple on the same day (5th July 2012).
I got annoyed at the Cut move because it's obviously a taught HM and I can't unteach it right? Just wondering if newly hatched Zorua only came with 2 moves scratch and leer.
I think I got slightly ripped off with a Zorua that got taught a Cut ability. :/

You can make it forget cut if you bring it to the move deleter or forgeter in mistralation city. Sorry, this didn't really answer your question but yes Zorua is hatched with only scratch and leer if the parents don't have egg moves and/or moves that the pokemon can learn.