Outsider Pokémon

An outsider Pokémon (Japanese: こうかんしたポケモン exchanged Pokémon) is a class of Pokémon in the Pokémon games that is not originally from the same save file as the player's.

Once on the player's game, Elyssa's Farfetch'd is classed as an outsider Pokémon

A Pokémon is recognized as an outsider if its recorded data about its Original Trainer does not match that of the player for the current game. The exact properties checked vary between different parts of the game.

Mechanics

When used in a battle, high-leveled outsider Pokémon may disobey the player if the player does not have the appropriate Gym Badges or in the case of Alola, island challenge Stamps. A disobedient Pokémon may use a different move, do nothing, hurt itself, or even take a nap (putting itself to sleep).

Outsider Pokémon also grow faster than native Pokémon. Outsider Pokémon gain 1.5 times the normal experience points for participating in battles. From Generation IV onward, if the outsider Pokémon is from a game in a different language, it will gain 1.7 times (approximated as 6963/4096 from Generation V onward) the normal experience instead.

Outsider Pokémon normally can only have a nickname set or changed by their Original Trainer. In Pokémon Sword and Shield and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet only, any Pokémon that does not have a nickname and was not met in a fateful encounter can be given a nickname in a game of the same language as its language of origin, even by players other than its Original Trainer; however, once it is given a nickname this way, it has become a nicknamed Pokémon, so players other than its Original Trainer cannot change its nickname.

From Generation III onward, outsider Pokémon have their met location listed as "apparently met".

Specific requirements

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Generation VIII, any differences between SWSH, BDSP, and Legends: Arceus, and Generation IX details.

The exact properties checked to determine if a Pokémon is an outsider Pokémon vary between generations and game features.

Name Rater

A Pokémon is considered an outsider Pokémon for the purposes of Name Rater if any of the following properties of the Pokémon do not match the player's.

Property	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII
Trainer ID	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Secret ID			✓		✓	✓	✓
OT name	✓	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓
OT gender					✓	✓	✓
Game of origin					✓	✓	✓

Experience and obedience

A Pokémon is considered an outsider Pokémon for the purposes of experience boosts and obedience if any of the following properties of the Pokémon do not match the player's.

Property	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII
Trainer ID	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Secret ID			✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
OT name			✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
OT gender			?	?	✓	?	?
Game of origin

Met location

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.

A Pokémon is considered an outsider Pokémon for the purposes of being described as "apparently met" if any of the following properties of the Pokémon do not match the player's.

Methods of obtaining outsider Pokémon

Outsider Pokémon can be obtained in a number of ways. Pokémon originally obtained in another player's save file obtained in a trade are outsider Pokémon. Additionally, in-game trade Pokémon are also treated as Outsider Pokémon.

Normally, the player is treated as the Original Trainer of gift Pokémon they receive from NPCs; however, in some particular cases, such as Webster's Spearow in Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver and N's Pokémon in Black 2 and White 2, the NPC is retained as the Pokémon's Original Trainer.

Pokémon obtained from event distributions usually have predefined Original Trainers, and so, they are considered outsider Pokémon. Only on rare occasions, such as Pokémon Sun and Moon's Snorlium Z Munchlax and Egg distributions, do the distributed Pokémon's Original Trainers match the player's.

In other languages

Language Title French Échangé German Außenseiter Italian Esterno Spanish Forastero

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