Pokédex entry recycling: Difference between revisions

Pokédex entry recycling refers to the same Pokédex text descriptions about certain Pokémon being reused in multiple games.

In the core series games

Some games share the same Pokédex entries about certain Pokémon (in particular, some remakes reuse most or all entries from the remade games).

Generation I

• The Japanese games Pokémon Red and Green share the same Pokédex entries, which were originally left untranslated in English until they were reused in later games.
• The Japanese Pokémon Blue introduced new Pokédex entries, which were translated into English in Pokémon Red and Blue.
• In Pokémon Yellow, no Pokédex entries was reused from previous games.

Generation II

• In Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, no Pokédex entries were reused from previous games. Each Pokémon species has a different entry in those games.

Generation III

• In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, there are no Pokédex entries reused from previous games. The Pokémon in the Hoenn Pokédex have separate entries in each game. All other Pokémon share the same entry in both games.
• Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were the first core series games with Pokédex entries reused from previous games.
  • The Generation I Pokémon had their FireRed entries reused from Japanese Pokémon Red and Green, making this the first time when those entries were translated into English; their LeafGreen entries were reused from Pokémon Red and Blue, originally from Japanese Pokémon Blue.
  • The Generation II Pokémon had their FireRed entries reused from Pokémon Silver; their LeafGreen entries were reused from Pokémon Gold.
  • The Generation III Pokémon have new Pokédex entries in FireRed and LeafGreen, each Pokémon sharing the same entry between both games except Deoxys has a different entry in each game.
• In Pokémon Emerald, the Pokémon in the Generation III Hoenn Pokédex have a new entry. All other Pokémon reuse the entry shared by Ruby and Sapphire.
  • None of the Pokédex entries from Emerald have been reused in any other game thus far, possibly due to their length.

Generation IV

• In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, there are no English Pokédex entries reused from previous games.
  • In Japanese, Parasect has the only reused Pokédex entry, having the same text in Pearl that was previously used in LeafGreen and Blue. However, Parasect's English Pokédex entry in Pearl was translated with different wording than the one used in previous games.
  • In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the Pokémon available in the Sinnoh Pokédex, as well as Darkrai, Shaymin, and Arceus, have different Pokédex entries in each game. All other Pokémon share a single entry in both games, except Parasect as mentioned above.
• In Pokémon Platinum, all Generation IV Pokémon and all Pokémon available in the Sinnoh Pokédex (which was expanded with more Pokémon than in previous games) have a new Pokédex entry.
  • Parasect reuses the Pokédex entry from Diamond.
  • All other Pokémon reuse the entry shared by Diamond and Pearl.
• In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, all Pokémon that appeared in Gold and Silver have their Pokédex entries reused in HeartGold and SoulSilver, respectively. Pokémon introduced in Generation III or Generation IV have new Pokédex entries.
  • The five Pokémon introduced in Generation IV that appear in the Johto Pokédex (Ambipom, Tangrowth, Yanmega, Mamoswine, and Lickilicky) have new entries that are different between the two games, while all other Pokémon introduced in Generation III or Generation IV share a single entry in both games.

Generation V

• In Pokémon Black and White, all Generation V Pokémon have new Pokédex entries that are different between those two games.
  • All the Pokémon from earlier generations reuse their entries from Pokémon Platinum (effectively reusing entries introduced in Diamond and Pearl for most Pokémon excluded from Platinum's Sinnoh Pokédex).
• In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, all Pokémon in the Unova Pokédex have new entries. All other Pokémon have entries reused from Pokémon Platinum, the same as in Black and White, but some have minor wording changes.

Generation VI

• In Pokémon X and Y, all Generation VI Pokémon have new Pokédex entries that are different between those two games.
  • The Pokémon from earlier generations have entries reused from several games.
• In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, only Kyogre, Groudon, Rayquaza, and Hoopa have new entries, which are different between those two games.
  • All other Pokémon from Generations I-III reuse their entries from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, respectively.
  • All other Pokémon from Generations IV-VI reuse their entries from Pokémon X and Y, respectively.

Generation VII

• In Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, the only Pokémon with entries are those available in the Alola Pokédex (either the first version^SM or the expanded second version^USUM).
  • No Pokédex entry in those games was reused from previous games or repeated between multiple Alola games.
  • Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon uniquely reuse the same entry for several Pokémon: Buzzwole, Xurkitree, and Guzzlord in Ultra Sun and Pheromosa, Celesteela, and Kartana in Ultra Moon all share one entry.
• In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, only the Pokémon in the Kanto Pokédex have entries.
  • Most Pokémon have their entries reused from Pokémon Yellow, except Pikachu, Eevee, Meltan, and Melmetal, the available Mega Evolutions, and the Alolan Forms have new entries.
  • Arcanine's Pokédex entry was reused from Pokémon Yellow, except now saying that this Pokémon is legendary in the East (instead of legendary in China).

Generation VIII

• In Pokémon Sword and Shield, the Pokémon in the Galar Pokédex, Isle of Armor Pokédex, or Crown Tundra Pokédex have Pokédex entries available in-game as usual. There are also some Pokémon obtainable in Sword and Shield that are not present in any of the three Pokédex listings, which have no entries seen in-game but in Pokémon HOME they have entries associated with Sword and Shield nonetheless.
  • All available Pokémon and alternate forms introduced in Generation IV or later have new entries. All available Legendary Pokémon have new entries regardless of when they were introduced. Most of the available Pokémon introduced prior to Generation IV have entries reused from several games, except some of those Pokémon have new entries as well.
  • Pokémon exclusive to the Isle of Armor or Crown Tundra have new Pokédex entries, regardless of when those Pokémon were introduced, with the exception of the Bulbasaur and Squirtle evolutionary families.
  • There are no Pokédex entries reused between Sword and Shield. This also applies to the Sword and Shield entries that are only available in Pokémon HOME.
• In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, every Pokédex entry is reused from either Diamond or Pearl, respectively.
• In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, no Pokédex entries are directly reused from previous games, as many of the entries are written in first person by Professor Laventon.

Generation IX

• In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Pokémon in the Paldea Pokédex have entries. Pokémon introduced in Generation VI or later have new Pokédex entries, as do some Pokémon introduced before Generation VI.
  • With the exception of Kantonian Tauros, regional forms not found in Paldea are not included in the Paldea Pokédex. Kantonian Tauros reuses old Pokédex entries.
  • Pokémon with reused Pokédex entries have their entries reused from several games.

In the side series games

Pokémon Stadium series

Main article: Pokédex (Stadium)

The Pokédex entries introduced in Japanese Pokémon Stadium were reused in Pokémon Stadium.

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Pinball series

Main article: Pokédex (Pinball)

• The Japanese version of Pokémon Pinball uses the Pokédex entries from Pokémon Yellow, except Yellow's entry for Rattata has an additional space, and there are minor wording changes in the entries about Pikachu, Sandslash, Meowth, Persian, Golbat, Oddish, and Dragonair.
  • The English version of Pokémon Pinball uses the Pokédex entries shared by Pokémon Red and Blue instead, possibly due to the fact that Pokémon Pinball was released in English before Pokémon Yellow.
• Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire has 205 available Pokémon, of those 201 being from the Generation III Hoenn Pokédex (except Deoxys is not available). This game uses 97 Pokédex entries from Pokémon Ruby and 104 entries from Pokémon Sapphire. The other 4 Pokémon are the only ones outside the Hoenn Pokédex, with their entries simply being "Bonus appearance on Ruby Field."

Pokémon Trading Card Game series

• In Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!, the Pokédex entries seen on the cards are taken from the real-life Pokémon Trading Card Game, which itself features Pokédex entries from the core series games.

In the anime

The Pokémon anime often reuses Pokédex entries from the games, in addition to introducing original Pokédex entries.

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

The Pokémon Adventures manga often reuses Pokédex entries from the games.

In the TCG

• In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the Pokémon cards often feature the text from Pokédex entries originally introduced in the core series games.
  • An exception is the Double Crisis expansion, featuring Pokémon cards with original Pokédex entries.

This item article is part of Project ItemDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on all items.