??? (type)
For other uses of question marks in the Pokémon games, see Question marks.
Template:ElementalTypes The ???-type (Japanese: ???タイプ ??? type) is an elemental type which exists in the generations from Generation II until Generation IV. It is not present in Generation V.
Characteristics
The ???-type is the oddity among the types. Unlike the Bird type and other glitch types, the ??? type does not exist in the coding of Generation I: it, along with the Dark and Steel types, was introduced in Generation II, though unlike its counterparts, it does not have as much fanfare. In Generations II, III, and IV, The ??? type exists solely to be the type of Pokémon eggs and the move Curse, a unique move which changes effect depending on whether or not it is used by a Template:Type2 Pokémon.
Unlike other types, the ???-type is not programmed to have weaknesses or resistances: it is effectively neutral. Due to this, however, issues arise if damaging moves are hacked to be of this type in the Generation II and Generation III games: since it was considered neither a physical nor a special move, the damage dealt by a ???-type move is minimal, even if the move has 255 power, the highest possible.
Curse
The move Curse was given the ???-type when introduced in Generation II, likely because of its mysterious nature: it is so far the only move which differs in its use between Pokémon of different types. It was retyped with the Template:Type2 in Generation V. In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, Curse is a Template:Type2 move.
Eggs
Pokémon eggs are displayed as having the ???-type in Generation III on their status screen; this is likely because, like all other data, information about a Pokémon egg is supposed to be sparse, including its original Trainer and ID number. This information does not appear in Generation II, which uses a special status screen for Pokémon eggs that is different from that of Pokémon, and was removed in Generation IV, when the section of a Pokémon's status screen that displays type was separated from where it was met. From Generation IV on, eggs are counted as Template:Type2 Pokémon by the game.
Weather Ball
Weather Ball's type changes depending on the weather condition. If Weather Ball is used when the field is under effect of Shadow Sky, Weather Ball changes to a ???-type move.
Arceus
Arceus, the final Generation IV Pokémon, has the ability Multitype, which lets it attain any of the types with the proper plate. When it attains these types, likewise, it will change appearance. Possibly as a precaution against those who would hack Arceus to change its type without a plate, a ???-type form of Arceus was included in the game, and sprites of it are present in Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver Versions.
Type change
In Generation IV, if a pure Flying-type Pokémon uses Roost, it becomes a ???-type Pokémon until the end of the turn. However, all Flying-type Pokémon have two types (except Arceus, which is unable to learn Roost). To obtain a ???-type Pokémon, the player must change a Pokémon to be a pure Flying-type Pokémon (with Color Change, Conversion or Conversion 2), followed by using Roost. In Generation V, if a pure Flying-type Pokémon uses Roost, it becomes a pure Normal-type Pokémon.
The game will not allow the player to use Conversion to convert to the ??? type. Curse, the only move of this type, will be ignored by Conversion, so that a Pokémon with only Curse and Conversion will result in the move failing.
Retirement
The ??? type is not present in the coding of the Generation V games. This was possibly because making exceptions for a type that is used solely by a single, non-damaging move in the case that hackers would alter a Pokémon or move and crash their game had become tiresome. Considering that the only other "official" uses of the ???-type had been the unavailable form of Arceus and the typing of eggs in Generation III, the type itself was essentially useless.
