Gender unknown: Difference between revisions

Gender unknown (Japanese: 性別不明 sex unknown) is a status certain species of Pokémon have. Pokémon such as Voltorb, Staryu, and Mew that display neither a ♂ nor ♀ symbol in battle or on their summary screen are gender-unknown Pokémon.

Gender-unknown Pokémon can only breed with Ditto, with the exception of Ditto itself and those in the No Eggs Discovered group. In battle, these Pokémon neither activate nor are affected by mechanics dependent on gender, such as infatuation or the Abilities Cute Charm and Rivalry; Attract and Captivate fail if used by or on these Pokémon.

In-universe, no one has been able to determine the gender of these Pokémon, including scientists.^[1][2][3]

Terminology

In English official media, these Pokémon are generally referred to as being gender unknown^{[4][5][6][7][8][1][2][9]}, as having unknown gender^{[10][11][12][13][14]}, or simply by stating that their gender is unknown^{[15][4][16][17][18][3][19][20][21][22][23][14][24][9][25]}. As a prenominal adjective, it is generally hyphenated, such as in "gender-unknown Pokémon"^[21][2][9], though it has also appeared without being hyphenated, such as in "gender unknown Pokémon"^[1].

Alternate terms that have been used officially include:

• no gender, which was used in an article on Pokémon.com and in various official guidebooks,^{[26][27][28][29][30][12]}
• genderless, which was used in the Nintendo Power Pokémon Gold and Silver: Complete Pokédex guidebook and in the Play! Pokémon Video Game Rules, Formats & Penalty Guidelines document as of October 23, 2019 and February 13, 2020,^[31][32]
• neuter, which was used in Nintendo Power guidebooks during Generation II,^[27][31][28]
• and indeterminate gender, which was used in Pokémon Platinum: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.^[13]

In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, Picnicker Siena on Route 205 mentions that there are some Pokémon whose gender can't be told^DP/that are neither male nor female^Pt; both of these merely correspond to usages of 「せいべつふめい」 "sex unknown" in Japanese.^[33][34]

As an Egg Group

In Pokémon Stadium 2 and in official Japanese and Chinese guidebooks for the Generation II and III games, Gender unknown also refers to an Egg Group consisting of gender-unknown Pokémon that are able to breed with Ditto. In these sources, gender-unknown Pokémon are listed in this Egg Group rather than in their actual Egg Groups. While Pokémon Diamond and Pearl: Official Nintendo Player's Guide also lists Gender Unknown as an Egg Group, it lists the Pokémon with their real Egg Groups in the data section.

In Pokémon Emerald: Prima's Official Strategy Guide and early Japanese official guidebooks for Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, gender-unknown Pokémon are instead listed in the No Eggs group, likely due to Ditto not being available without trading^RS/until after obtaining the National Pokédex in the Desert Underpass^E. Official guidebooks since Generation IV consistently list gender-unknown Pokémon in their actual Egg Groups.

Pokémon

The following Pokémon can only breed with Ditto. Manaphy is a special case; it can only produce Phione Eggs, and Phione cannot evolve into Manaphy or produce Manaphy Eggs.

#   Pokémon Type Egg Groups 0081 Magnemite Electric Steel Mineral 0082 Magneton Electric Steel Mineral 0100 Voltorb Electric Mineral 0101 Electrode Electric Mineral 0120 Staryu Water Water 3 0121 Starmie Water Psychic Water 3 0137 Porygon Normal Mineral 0233 Porygon2 Normal Mineral 0292 Shedinja Bug Ghost Mineral 0337 Lunatone Rock Psychic Mineral 0338 Solrock Rock Psychic Mineral 0343 Baltoy Ground Psychic Mineral 0344 Claydol Ground Psychic Mineral 0374 Beldum Steel Psychic Mineral 0375 Metang Steel Psychic Mineral 0376 Metagross Steel Psychic Mineral 0436 Bronzor Steel Psychic Mineral 0437 Bronzong Steel Psychic Mineral 0462 Magnezone Electric Steel Mineral 0474 Porygon-Z Normal Mineral 0479 Rotom Electric Ghost Amorphous 0479 Rotom Electric Fire Amorphous 0479 Rotom Electric Water Amorphous 0479 Rotom Electric Ice Amorphous 0479 Rotom Electric Flying Amorphous 0479 Rotom Electric Grass Amorphous 0489 Phione Water Water 1/Fairy 0490 Manaphy Water Water 1/Fairy 0599 Klink Steel Mineral 0600 Klang Steel Mineral 0601 Klinklang Steel Mineral 0615 Cryogonal Ice Mineral 0622 Golett Ground Ghost Mineral 0623 Golurk Ground Ghost Mineral 0703 Carbink Rock Fairy Fairy/Mineral 0774 Minior Rock Flying Mineral 0781 Dhelmise Ghost Grass Mineral 0854 Sinistea Ghost Mineral/Amorphous 0855 Polteageist Ghost Mineral/Amorphous 0870 Falinks Fighting Fairy/Mineral

Unbreedable

#   Pokémon Type Egg Groups 0132 Ditto Normal Ditto 0144 Articuno Ice Flying No Eggs Discovered 144G Articuno Articuno Psychic Flying No Eggs Discovered 0145 Zapdos Electric Flying No Eggs Discovered 145G Zapdos Zapdos Fighting Flying No Eggs Discovered 0146 Moltres Fire Flying No Eggs Discovered 146G Moltres Moltres Dark Flying No Eggs Discovered 0150 Mewtwo Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0151 Mew Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0201 Unown Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0243 Raikou Electric No Eggs Discovered 0244 Entei Fire No Eggs Discovered 0245 Suicune Water No Eggs Discovered 0249 Lugia Psychic Flying No Eggs Discovered 0250 Ho-Oh Fire Flying No Eggs Discovered 0251 Celebi Psychic Grass No Eggs Discovered 0377 Regirock Rock No Eggs Discovered 0378 Regice Ice No Eggs Discovered 0379 Registeel Steel No Eggs Discovered 0382 Kyogre Water No Eggs Discovered 0383 Groudon Ground No Eggs Discovered 0384 Rayquaza Dragon Flying No Eggs Discovered 0385 Jirachi Steel Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0386 Deoxys Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0386 Deoxys Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0386 Deoxys Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0386 Deoxys Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0480 Uxie Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0481 Mesprit Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0482 Azelf Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0483 Dialga Steel Dragon No Eggs Discovered 0484 Palkia Water Dragon No Eggs Discovered 0486 Regigigas Normal No Eggs Discovered 0487 Giratina Ghost Dragon No Eggs Discovered 0487 Giratina Ghost Dragon No Eggs Discovered 0491 Darkrai Dark No Eggs Discovered 0492 Shaymin Grass No Eggs Discovered 0492 Shaymin Grass Flying No Eggs Discovered 0493 Arceus Normal No Eggs Discovered 0494 Victini Psychic Fire No Eggs Discovered 0638 Cobalion Steel Fighting No Eggs Discovered 0639 Terrakion Rock Fighting No Eggs Discovered 0640 Virizion Grass Fighting No Eggs Discovered} 0643 Reshiram Dragon Fire No Eggs Discovered 0644 Zekrom Dragon Electric No Eggs Discovered 0646 Kyurem Dragon Ice No Eggs Discovered 0646 Kyurem Dragon Ice No Eggs Discovered 0646 Kyurem Dragon Ice No Eggs Discovered 0647 Keldeo Water Fighting No Eggs Discovered 0647 Keldeo Water Fighting No Eggs Discovered 0648 Meloetta Normal Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0648 Meloetta Normal Fighting No Eggs Discovered 0649 Genesect Bug Steel No Eggs Discovered 0716 Xerneas Fairy No Eggs Discovered 0717 Yveltal Dark Flying No Eggs Discovered 0718 Zygarde Dragon Ground No Eggs Discovered 0719 Diancie Rock Fairy No Eggs Discovered 0720 Hoopa Psychic Ghost No Eggs Discovered 0720 Hoopa Psychic Dark No Eggs Discovered 0721 Volcanion Fire Water No Eggs Discovered 0772 Type: Null Normal No Eggs Discovered 0773 Silvally Normal No Eggs Discovered 0785 Tapu Koko Electric Fairy No Eggs Discovered 0786 Tapu Lele Psychic Fairy No Eggs Discovered 0787 Tapu Bulu Grass Fairy No Eggs Discovered 0788 Tapu Fini Water Fairy No Eggs Discovered 0789 Cosmog Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0790 Cosmoem Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0791 Solgaleo Psychic Steel No Eggs Discovered 0792 Lunala Psychic Ghost No Eggs Discovered 0793 Nihilego Rock Poison No Eggs Discovered 0794 Buzzwole Bug Fighting No Eggs Discovered 0795 Pheromosa Bug Fighting No Eggs Discovered 0796 Xurkitree Electric No Eggs Discovered 0797 Celesteela Steel Flying No Eggs Discovered 0798 Kartana Grass Steel No Eggs Discovered 0799 Guzzlord Dark Dragon No Eggs Discovered 0800 Necrozma Psychic No Eggs Discovered 0801 Magearna Steel Fairy No Eggs Discovered 0802 Marshadow Fighting Ghost No Eggs Discovered 0803 Poipole Poison No Eggs Discovered 0804 Naganadel Poison Dragon No Eggs Discovered 0805 Stakataka Rock Steel No Eggs Discovered 0806 Blacephalon Fire Ghost No Eggs Discovered 0807 Zeraora Electric No Eggs Discovered 0808 Meltan Steel No Eggs Discovered 0809 Melmetal Steel No Eggs Discovered 0848 Toxel Electric Poison No Eggs Discovered 0880 Dracozolt Electric Dragon No Eggs Discovered 0881 Arctozolt Electric Ice No Eggs Discovered 0882 Dracovish Water Dragon No Eggs Discovered 0883 Arctovish Water Ice No Eggs Discovered 0888 Zacian Fairy No Eggs Discovered 0889 Zamazenta Fighting No Eggs Discovered 0890 Eternatus Poison Dragon No Eggs Discovered 0893 Zarude Dark Grass No Eggs Discovered 0894 Regieleki Electric No Eggs Discovered 0895 Regidrago Dragon No Eggs Discovered 0896 Glastrier Ice No Eggs Discovered 0897 Spectrier Ghost No Eggs Discovered 0898 Calyrex Psychic Grass No Eggs Discovered

In other languages

Gender unknown

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 性別不明 Singbiht Bātmìhng Mandarin 性別不明 / 性别不明 Xìngbié Bùmíng French Sexe inconnu German Geschlecht unbekanntNew Pokémon Snap Unbekanntes GeschlechtHOME Geschlecht ?Stad2 Italian Sesso sconosciutoHOME Genere sconosc.Stad2 Korean 성별 불명 Seongbyeol Bulmyeong Brazilian Portuguese Gênero desconhecido Russian Пол неизвестен Pol neizvesten Spanish Sexo desconocidoHOME, New Pokémon Snap Género no conocidoStad2 Thai เพศไม่แน่ชัด Phet Mainaechat

Unknown

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 不明 Bātmìhng Mandarin 不明 Bùmíng Danish Ukendt Dutch Onbekend Finnish Tuntematon French Inconnu German Unbekannt Hebrew לא ידוע Lo Yadu'a Italian Sconosciuto Korean 불명 Bulmyeong Norwegian Ukjent Portuguese Desconhecido Russian Неизвестно Neizvestno Spanish Desconocido Swedish Okänt Thai ไม่แน่ชัด Mainaechat Turkish Belirsiz Vietnamese Chưa xác định

References

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.