Fateful encounter

During the history of Pokémon games, several event Pokémon given away have been set to show them as received in a fateful encounter, as opposed to a normal capture. While this was a separate location listed in Generation III, in Generation IV, it became merely another statistic of a Pokémon, allowing different areas to be listed while maintaining the specialness of the Pokémon.

Due to this flag, special events can be accessed in games from Pokémon Platinum onward when specific Pokémon that are encountered by way of fateful encounters are in the party.

List of in-game events activated by fateful encounter Pokémon

• Shaymin
  • Pokémon Platinum - in the Floaroma Town Pokémon Center, players can receive a Gracidea from a woman.
  • Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver - in the Goldenrod City Flower Shop, players can again receive a Gracidea Flower from a woman.
  • Pokémon Black and White - in the Lacunosa Town Pokémon Center, players can recieve a Gracedia Flower from a woman.
  • Pokémon HeartGold, SoulSilver, and Platinum - only Shaymin obtained in a fateful encounter can use the Gracidea to become Sky Forme.

• Regigigas
  • Pokémon Platinum - Activates the appearance of Rock Peak, Iceberg, and Iron Ruins where the other legendary golems can be captured.

• Pikachu-colored Pichu
  • Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver - Activates an event involving an encounter with the Spiky-eared Pichu.

• Arceus
  • Pokémon Platinum - in Oreburgh Mine, a Hiker will give away a Flame Plate and a book in the Canalave Library will become available with the inscriptions on all plates.
  • Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver - When selected as partner Pokémon, the player will be able to teleport from the Ruins of Alph to the Sinjoh Ruins far to the north. This allows the player to obtain either a level 1 Dialga, Palkia or Giratina. It also allows the player to obtain the Griseous Orb if Giratina is chosen.

• Celebi
  • Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver - activates an event with an encounter and battle with Giovanni after being taken back in time with Celebi.
  • Pokémon Black and White - Allows the player to obtain a Zorua.

• Shiny legendary beasts
  • Pokémon Black and White - activates a battle with a wild Zoroark.

Trivia

• In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the Shaymin that is captured in the Flower Paradise will not be a fateful encounter Shaymin, while in Pokémon Platinum, it will be. This was likely implemented due to the tweaking and Surf glitches, which allow access to Shaymin in Diamond and Pearl, while this was removed in Platinum. Due to the way receipt and use of the Gracidea is programmed, if the Platinum Shaymin were not given this status, despite being able to be legitimately obtained with Oak's Letter, it would not be able to transform into Sky Forme.
  • Interestingly, this makes this Shaymin the only fateful encounter Pokémon that can be obtained with any Poké Ball available in Platinum, as all others are contained only in Cherish Balls and given out in events, while this one is encountered in the wild and captured.
• It was once believed that a fateful encounter flag was needed to be set on a Jirachi in order to activate the Night Sky's Edge Pokéwalker route; indeed, events where such Jirachi were distributed advertised such an unlockable. However, it was later discovered that any Jirachi at all, even those hacked through devices such as an Action Replay or transferred from Generation III, was capable of unlocking the route even without the fateful encounter flag.