Living Pokédex

A living Pokédex is a fan term for a game file which not only has a complete Pokédex, but has one of every available species of Pokémon stored in its PC boxes as well, usually in their National Pokédex order. It follows the most literal interpretation of the slogan of the series, "Gotta catch 'em all!".

Living Pokédexes have occasionally featured in official Pokédex books such as Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Pokédex and Pokémon Black Version 2 & Pokémon White Version 2: The Official National Pokédex but the term "living Pokédex" is not used.

Additional formats

While the aim of the standard living Pokédex format is to store one of every species, a regular expansion of this is to create a living form Pokédex in which all possible forms are stored.

These basic formats can be further expanded or mirrored to include Shiny variants and create a Shiny living Pokédex or Shiny living form Pokédex, which increases the challenge significantly due to their rarity. Formats with other key visual indicators include Shadow Pokémon in Pokémon Colosseum and XD; Gigantamax Factor from Pokémon Sword and Shield, which mostly represents Gigantamax forms; alpha Pokémon from Pokémon Legends: Arceus; and costumed, Dynamax, Gigantamax, Lucky, Shadow and Purified Pokémon in Pokémon GO.

Other formats often involve collecting unique Pokémon based on minimizing or maximizing their attributes. For example, forming a level 1, level 50 or level 100 living Pokédex. Other examples of this theme include obtaining Pokémon with minimum and maximum stats, as well as small and large Pokémon.

Another theme is collecting based on where a Pokémon was obtained. This can be based on its origin mark or met location. A notable living Pokédex called the Origin Dex tasks players to obtain each Pokémon in the game it debuted in.

In Pokémon HOME, a Pokémon's most recent game (where it was last transferred from) is also displayed, represented by a multicolored software logo called a stamp. Due to the difficulty in faking this stamp and faking Pokémon generation with Pokémon GO, as well as the general inability to transfer Pokémon back to Pokémon GO, a living Pokédex of verifiable Pokémon with Pokémon GO stamps can often be desired.

Further challenges also come in the form of obtaining groups of Pokémon in your own Trainer ID number or name, caught in a specific type of Poké Ball, with a specific language of origin, or with specific marks, Natures, Ribbons, or Tera Types. Also, a living form Pokédex can be expanded by collecting both genders of a Pokémon where possible.

Sometimes duplicates of Pokémon are deliberately kept to create a sense of symmetry. This can involve completing a whole team of six or row in a box with the same Pokémon. In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, transferring 25 of the same Pokémon species or Alolan form from Pokémon GO to the GO Park activates a mini-game for that Pokémon, thus motivating a potential 25× Living Pokédex.

Storage

Perhaps one of the most challenging questions is what to do with the living Pokédex once it is complete. In particular, in this instance, or with any large Pokémon collection in general, the question of storage arises.

In Generation I and Generation II, the Pokémon Stadium games could be used to store large amounts of Pokémon for the purpose of a living Pokédex.

In Generation III, Pokémon Box was introduced, which allowed players to store their large collections without worrying about taking up PC space; in fact, players were rewarded for transferring more Pokémon into Pokémon Box, making the living Pokédex goal more appealing.

In Generation IV, players can use My Pokémon Ranch to store up to 1000 Pokémon, and up to 1500 with the updated version. Unlike Pokémon Stadium games and Pokémon Box, players could not use My Pokémon Ranch to transfer large amounts of Pokémon from one game to another very quickly.

In Generation V, there were no storage utilities or accessories available. However, trading between Boxes could facilitate more trades per session. Also, beginning with Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, players could obtain additional rewards for completing the Pokédex.

In Generation VI and Generation VII, Pokémon Bank can store up to 3000 Pokémon online. The ability to transfer many Pokémon between games was also restored.

In Generation VIII onward, Pokémon HOME can store up to 30 Pokémon online for free and up to 6,000 Pokémon online on a premium plan. At launch, this was the first instance of a game giving out a distinct reward for completing the living Pokédex, with an Original Color Magearna. However, an update one month later reduced the reward's requirements to just completing the National Pokédex.

Since the release of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, the core series games no longer include every Pokémon, so only Pokémon HOME, with the premium plan, can store a full living Pokédex. However, every game from Generation VIII to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet can freely transfer available Pokémon among each other, so since the release of The Indigo Disk, a living Pokédex can be distributed between games without a premium plan. Almost every Pokémon can fit in the boxes of Sword/Shield, Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, and Scarlet/Violet, while the remainder not in these games can fit in the free Basic Box of Pokémon HOME.

Use

Aside from the satisfaction of completion, maintaining a Living Pokédex can be a useful resource when playing various titles in the main series games. The in-game Pokédex completion can be progressed rapidly by bulk-withdrawing compatible Pokémon from Bank or HOME, and depositing them into the target game and saving. The target game can then be loaded, and progress triggered, before saving again. The Pokémon can then be re-deposited into Bank or HOME, followed by a final save. This process saves time by not requiring repetitive captures and so negates the otherwise desirability of catching Pokémon with Repeat Balls en masse. For completing Pokédex species entries, a full collection also requires Regional forms, due to some games not being compatible with the original (regional) form.

A Living Pokédex is also an ideal source of parents for Pokémon breeding, particularly when combined with a smaller collection of high-IV parents for each Egg Group.

Living Pokédex

Contents

Additional formats

Storage

Use

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