Distribution device

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Distribution devices are special devices that are used to distribute Pokémon events.

Various distribution cartridges for Generations IV and V

Distribution devices include machines, distribution cartridges, Pokémon Colosseum Bonus Discs, European and Australian versions of Pokémon Channel, the GameCube Interactive Multi-Game Demo Disc Version 14 and 16, Game Link Cables, Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapters, and infrared. However, other methods of distributing events includes Wi-Fi and mailing in a game cartridge.

Pokémon Machines

Special Machine

Special Machines (Japanese: 特製マシン) were used to distribute events in Generation I starting with the Nintendo Space World '97 Mew. They were mainly used to distribute Mew but also other events like Surfing Pikachu. An updated version of the special machine was used starting with the Nintendo Space World 2000 Celebi for all Celebi events during Generation II. Pokémon game cartridges containing event Pokémon downloaded from machines were sometimes used as distribution cartridges, the event Pokémon were exchanged via Game Link Cable.

Generation I

Mew received from the Special machine
Special machine for distributing Nintendo Space World '99 Mew

Generation II

Special machine for distributing Pokémon Fun Fest Celebi

Pokémon Distribution Machine

Pokémon Distribution Machines (Japanese: ポケモン配布マシン) also known as Pokémon Vending Machines were used starting in November, 2001 at the Pokémon Center New York for the distribution of the Gotta Catch 'Em All campaigns in Generation II. An updated version of the machine's software for Generation III was made in June, 2003 and used for the distribution of Wishing Star Jirachi at the 18th World Hobby Fair and Pokémon Festa 2003 in Japan. In August, 2003 the machines from the Pokémon Center New York were updated for the distribution of the Gotta Catch 'Em All campaigns in Generation III. The Pokémon Center New York machines were promoted as "Gotta Catch 'Em All Stations" and later succeeded by a different hardware setup promoted as the new Gotta Catch 'Em All Station which was used for the wireless Mystery Gift distribution of the Wish Eggs campaign. The distribution machine was connected to a developer Gamecube and stored configurations, logs, and other information on a memory card. While shiny Pokémon could be configured, this was never used in Generation III. The devices distribution could was used as the Trainer ID starting with 1. If more than 65535 Pokémon were distributed without restarting or powering off the device, then the ID would overflow to 0.

Generation II

New York Pokémon Center's "Gotta Catch 'Em All Station"

Distribution Cartridges

Game Link Cables were used to distribute many events until the start of Generation IV. Starting in Generation V, infrared was used to distribute certain events in Japan and South Korea.

Distribution cartridges are given to stores for event distributions, and are not sold commercially. Starting in Generation IV, they only contain information for the event Pokémon, and have no actual game data or save possibilities. These cartridges use DS Wireless Communications to distribute events starting in Generation IV. At the end of an event, they are intended to be sent to Nintendo's Waste Management facility in Redmond, Washington, where they are presumably destroyed. However, sometimes, distribution cartridges are leaked or sold to the public.

No distribution cartridges are known to exist for event distributions for the post-Generation V games.