List of Transform glitches
These are glitches involving the move Transform.
List of glitches
Generation I
- Main article: List of glitches (Generation I)
--
- Main article: -- (move)
In Generation I, if a Pokémon transforms into another Pokémon that knows more moves and, while transformed, switches around the copied moves with the SELECT button, after the battle the Ditto will not have Transform and will instead have the glitch move --. This can also be done with other Pokémon by having them use Mimic on Transform, or use Transform directly, such as Mew.
| |
| This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here. | |
Ditto glitch
- Main article: Mew glitch
The primary method of the Mew glitch involves having a wild Ditto transform into the player's Pokémon, as this copies the Special stat, which is used to modify the species of Pokémon encountered.
Color loss glitch
In Generation I only, a transformed Pokémon will lose its color and become gray if any of these happen:
- If the transformed Pokémon uses Transform again.
- If the other Pokémon successfully uses any move on the transformed Pokémon.
- If the opposing Pokémon is transformed and the player throws a Poké Ball on it. (including a failed Poké Ball thrown in a battle against a Trainer)
- If the player opens the party screen and returns to battle.
Level up glitch
Only in Generation I, if a transformed Pokémon levels up and learns a new move, it will use its original moveset (unaffected by Transform) from this point onwards in the current battle. Additionally, any PP lost from this point onwards in the current battle will not affect the Pokémon's actual PP as shown in the summary, which will effectively be restored once the transformed Pokémon switches out, faints, or the battle ends. For instance, if a Mew transformed into Pikachu reaches the level 20 and learns Mega Punch, then it will have Mew's moveset (including Mega Punch) from this point onwards in the current battle, not Pikachu's moveset (even though Mew remains transformed into Pikachu). If that Mew had 29 PP remaining for Pound when it transformed, then it will still lose PP as usual for each use of Pound, if any (decreasing to 28 PP, then 27 PP, and so on), but once the current battle ends, Mew will still be shown to have 29 PP for Pound, just like it had before transforming.
Transform + Mirror Move/Metronome PP error
If Mirror Move or Metronome is used by a Transformed Pokémon, the move of the same slot in that Pokémon's actual moveset will have its PP increased by 1. This occurs even if there is no move in that slot, which can prevent the use of Struggle or cause a softlock when targeted by Disable. PP of slots without moves will not be reset to 0 when healing at a Pokémon Center; the glitch can only be repaired by repeating it 256 times, at which point the PP count will overflow to 0.
| |
Generations I and II
Transform assumption glitch
In Generations I and II, any Pokémon that uses Transform is regarded as a Ditto in its new form, and its only move will be Transform.
If a transformed wild Pokémon is caught in a Generation I game (and becomes a Ditto), then Ditto's catch rate will be saved as well, so this Ditto will be holding a Metal Powder if transferred to a Generation II game (regardless of the original or transformed species). However, if a transformed wild Pokémon is caught in a Generation II game, this wild Pokémon's held item (if any) remains unaffected by this glitch.
This means that if the player catches a Mew or a glitch Pokémon which has used the move Transform, or a Pokémon which has used Transform via Mirror Move, instead they will obtain a Ditto. Mew turning into Ditto was not an issue in these games because a wild Mew could not be legitimately encountered prior to Generation III. However, the Clefairy, Pidgey, and Fearow lines, which could be found in the wild, could use Transform via Metronome and Mirror Move, and would turn into Ditto on capture. This system was fixed in Generation III.
| |
| This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here. | |
| |
| This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here. | |
Ditto DV manipulation
If a wild Pokémon transforms again while it is already transformed, when it is caught it will have the DVs of the penultimate Pokémon it transformed into. The caught Pokémon will always be Ditto due to the Ditto assumption glitch.
For instance, if the player already has any Pokémon with Transform (Ditto, Mew or certain glitch Pokémon) that has perfect DVs (15 for Attack, Defense, Speed, and Special), then this glitch can be used to catch any number of wild Ditto perfect DVs as well. This is accomplished by waiting for a wild Ditto to use Transform twice against the player's Pokémon, and then catching this wild Ditto.
As another example, if the player has any Pokémon with Mimic in Generation I, then it is also possible to catch a wild Ditto with the player Pokémon's DVs. This is accomplished if the player's Pokémon uses Mimic and copies Ditto's Transform, and then the wild Ditto uses Transform twice (by first using its original Transform move, and then using Transform that was copied by the player with Mimic).
Shiny Ditto DV manipulation
Due to Shininess being determined by DVs in Generation II, if a non-Shiny wild Pokémon transforms into a Shiny Pokémon and then uses Transform again, it will become a Shiny Pokémon. Conversely, if a Shiny wild Pokémon transforms into a non-Shiny Pokémon and then uses Transform again, it will become a non-Shiny Pokémon. This way, a wild Pokémon can even switch between Shiny and non-Shiny versions multiple times in the same battle. This does not work on a Pokémon owned by a Trainer (either the player or a non-player character).
This allows the player to make a wild Ditto Shiny by having it use Transform while already transformed. This is possible by using a Shiny Pokémon that knows Transform (Mew, certain glitch Pokémon, or another Ditto) in battle against a wild Ditto, and then waiting for the wild Ditto to use Transform twice (by first using its original Transform move, and then using the Transform that was copied from the player's Pokémon). In Generation II games, after the wild Pokémon transformed twice in the current battle, it still appears with its original color palette at first. However, if the player opens the list of Pokémon or the Pack and then returns to battle, or simply catches that wild Pokémon, the color palette will be updated. At this point, a Ditto that was originally non-Shiny (purple) will appear with its Shiny (blue) color palette.
Alternatively, the player may transfer a Shiny Pokémon with Mimic from a Generation II to a Generation I game (even though this Pokémon won't appear as Shiny in the Generation I game, it still will have the correct DVs of a Shiny Pokémon). In Generation I (but not in Generation II), Mimic is able to copy Transform, and it can even copy moves that haven't been used yet (because the player chooses the move from a list). If the player uses that Shiny Pokémon with Mimic in battle against a wild Ditto in Generation I, the player's Pokémon can use Mimic to copy the wild Ditto's Transform, and then the wild Ditto can use Transform twice (by first using its original Transform move, and then using Transform that was copied by the player with Mimic). As a result, the wild Ditto will have the same DVs as the player's Shiny Pokémon, and therefore will be a Shiny Ditto; its Shiny appearance will be shown if it's caught and transferred to a Generation II game.
It's not possible to catch a Shiny version of any other Pokémon species using this method, due to the additional glitch in both Generations I and II that causes any transformed wild Pokémon to be a Ditto when caught.
| |
| This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here. | |
Generation II
- Main article: List of glitches (Generation II)
In Generation II only, this glitch can be used to change the DVs of any Pokémon used by the NPC, provided both the NPC and the player have the required moves (or use these moves as a result of Metronome).
If a NPC's Pokémon uses Transform twice and the player forces the NPC to switch Pokémon with Roar or Whirlwind, this glitch is activated. The DVs copied from the player's Pokémon at the penultimate use of the NPC's Transform are used by the next Pokémon sent by the NPC.
If the NPC copies the DVs of a Shiny Pokémon owned by the player by using this glitch, the next Pokémon sent by the NPC as a result of Roar or Whirlwind will be Shiny as well. That Shiny Pokémon will display the sparkle animation when entering battle, but it will appear with the non-Shiny color palette at first. Once the player opens the party or Pack, that NPC's Pokémon will appear with the Shiny color palette.
This glitch can only be used to change the DVs of the NPC's Pokémon's, not the DVs of the player's Pokémon. If this glitch is attempted the other way around (the player's Pokémon uses Transform twice, and the NPC's Pokémon uses Roar or Whirlwind to force the player to change Pokémon), no DVs will change as a result.
| |
| This video is not available on Bulbapedia; instead, you can watch the video on YouTube here. | |
Sketch glitch
- Main article: Sketch glitch
In Generation II, if a Pokémon uses Sketch while transformed, it will permanently learn the Sketched move.
Mirror Move failure
In Generation II only, Mirror Move always fails when used by a transformed Pokémon.
Generation IV
- Main article: List of glitches (Generation IV)
Transform held item glitch
In Japanese versions of Diamond and Pearl, if a Pokémon holding an item uses Transform and has its item stolen, as long as it does not faint before the end of the battle, both the transforming Pokémon and the thief will retain the item after the battle.
Mimic glitch
- Main article: Mimic glitch
In Japanese versions of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, if a Pokémon uses Transform via Mimic then faints, it will keep the moves it learned via Transform.
Rage glitch
- Main article: Rage glitch
In Generation IV, if a transformed Pokémon uses Rage and causes the message "Rage is building" to appear, then defeats or captures the opponent, the Pokémon will permanently learn the moves it knew while transformed.
|
This glitch Pokémon article is part of Project GlitchDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on glitches in the Pokémon games. |
