View source for Cloning glitches

'''Cloning glitches''' are [[glitch]]es in the [[Pokémon games]] that enable a {{player}} to make an exact copy or "clone" of a {{OBP|Pokémon|species}}. While a cloning glitch has been found in at least one game of each [[generation]] so far (except [[Generation V]]), the methods to achieve it vary from game to game. Most of these methods involve exploiting the relatively long save times of the Pokémon games to interrupt the [[Save|saving]] process when only a portion of data have been saved successfully. Like most glitches, there are negative side effects, such as the potential loss of the Pokémon to be cloned or even corruption of the saved data.

{{glitchResearch|Does it still work in the Virtual Console?}}
==Generations I and II==
There are two different methods for cloning Pokémon in the games from Generations {{Gen|I}} and {{Gen|II}}, one involving a Pokémon [[trade]], and the other the use of the {{Pkmn|Storage System}}. Even though both are possible in all of the handheld games of these two generations, the trading method is mostly associated with Generation I, and the storage system method with Generation II.

===Trading method===
The cloning glitch most popular in [[Generation I]] involves the interruption of the trading process. As [[Game Link Cable]]s for the [[Game Boy]] are unable to send and receive data simultaneously, one game cartridge first sends its traded Pokémon's data while the other receives it, and then vice versa for the second traded Pokémon. Interrupting the trade after one Pokémon was sent and the other wasn't causes the first Pokémon to be present on both games and the second one not present on either, essentially making two of the same Pokémon while making the other disappear. The interruption can be either accidental—because of dirty connectors or damaged Game Link Cables—or on purpose—by disconnecting the Game Link Cable or turning the Game Boy off.

In the Generation I games, this glitch is potentially very hazardous to the save file, because in the period of time between sending and receiving a Pokémon (or vice versa) the game saves the player's party. If the glitch is performed wrong and the game has not finished saving, the saved data will be corrupted. In Generation II this process was changed, and thus this method is not hazardous for the save file.

===Box change method===
Another cloning method present in the early Pokémon games involved the exploit of the [[Pokémon Storage System]] and the fact that the game needed to save every time a Box was changed. During the saving that takes place when switching the Box, first the Pokémon data on all the PC Boxes is saved, and then the Pokémon data on the player's [[party]]. If some Pokémon are deposited in the PC before switching the Box, interrupting the saving process (turning the power off) at the right moment (ideally, before the "S" in the dialog Box appears but after the Box has appeared) causes said Pokémon to be present both in the Box and the player's party. This method, unlike the trade method, allows the player to clone up to five Pokémon at the same time, as well as in Generation II, clone items by making the cloned Pokémon hold items before cloning it.

If the glitch is used with a game attached to Pokémon Stadium 2, there is a chance of getting strange glitch Pokémon. If the player withdraws a Pokémon and continues the cloning glitch, if the game is turned off at the right time, the cloned Pokémon will vanish and be replaced by a Pokémon with the same name, attack, and level as the Pokémon removed. Its sprite will be identical to the cloned Pokémon, but if sent into battle, it will appear as the withdrawn Pokémon. Its species name will be the same as the cloned Pokémon's and it will be able to learn all the TMs/HMs as the cloned Pokémon. However, it will evolve as the withdrawn Pokémon does.

This glitch may be used at the beginning of a game to obtain all three [[starter Pokémon]].

If this glitch is done on the Virtual Console, and then the player uses [[Poké Transporter]], the game will ''transfer'' Pokémon from the box the player swapped to, but the Pokémon will remain in the Virtual Console, essentially cloning them again. However, <!--if Box 1 isn't empty?--> this will glitch Box 1 and make it unusable. Depositing Pokémon inside will disappear, and PokéTransporter will detect the box as empty. Moving a Pokémon into Box 1 will change its nickname to its OT (but without the first character), and delete the OT.

{{youtubevid|c2zHd1BPtvc|zachtheglitchbuster|gold|silver}}

===Storage system move method===
The player can also exploit the move function within a box to clone a Pokémon. The box must not be full or it will cause the Pokémon to disappear. The player should select the Pokémon they wish to clone, select "move" and move it to somewhere else within the box. During the time that it is saving, the player should count three to five seconds then disconnect the power. This will result in a clone.

==Generation III==
===Battle Tower===
Due to improvements of the games and hardware such as the capability of the [[Game Boy Advance]] [[Game Link Cable]] to send and receive data at the same time, the auto-canceling of [[trade]]s if something goes wrong, the lack of need to [[save]] while changing [[Pokémon Storage System|PC Boxes]] and new data corruption protection, both methods exploited in the first two generations to clone [[Pokémon]] were essentially removed for the [[Generation III|third]]. While Pokémon cloning was completely absent on most games of this generation, the glitch returned in a different form in {{game|Emerald}}, where the Link-Battle mode of the {{Gdis|Battle Tower|III}} saved only the [[party]] and Bag of the {{player}}, even if they chose "no" when the game asks to; this was due to the game's need to save a massive amount of data and check connections. Like in the methods from the previous generation, if the save is interrupted at the right moment, up to six Pokémon can be cloned at one time. However, unless the player is willing to lose a Pokémon, up to five of them can be cloned at once. It is also possible to clone numerous items at once.

{{youtubevid|efOYWtrj8dM|Wooggle|Tower}}

==Generation IV==
===GTS===
In [[Generation IV]], a cloning method reminiscent of the methods from the first two generations appeared, involving the use of the [[Global Trade System|GTS]]. If the Pokémon is deposited in the GTS and the connection were to be interrupted at the right time, the Pokémon in question would be both in the player's [[party]] or [[Pokémon Storage System|PC Box]] and in the GTS, requiring the {{player}} only to withdraw the Pokémon from the GTS to obtain the clone. In [[Pokémon Platinum Version]], however, the glitch of cloning via GTS was removed; if attempted, the game simply reported a communication error and returned the player back to the main desk.

Due to the Wi-Fi shutdown, this method is no longer possible.

===Trading===
In [[Generation IV]], if a player is trading Pokémon and one of the [[Nintendo DS]] systems is turned off at a certain time, the Pokémon that was traded to the game that was not turned off will appear in both player's parties. However, this glitch is very difficult to perform and quite commonly corrupts save data. There are reports that this method is effective in the [[Generation V]] games, but such reports are unconfirmed.

===Corrupted save file===
Sometimes, when a game's save file gets corrupted, the Pokémon in that save file are kept. When this happens, the game can still be saved, but the save file will be unable to be loaded. With the assistance of another [[Nintendo DS]] and Generation IV game, the Pokémon can be traded from the corrupted game. After the trade is completed, if the game is reset, the Pokémon traded from the corrupted game will be in both games, but the other traded Pokémon will be lost.

==DNS abuse==
In Generations IV and V, by manually specifying the DNS address so as to connect to a server other than the GTS, it was possible to clone Pokémon using features on that server. However, online services for these games [http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/vywpom6cbie6fjw8niy7bvzorgburhzw were ended] on May 20, 2014, thus making this method impossible. <!--I'm assuming the server shutdown made DNS abuse impossible, but I haven't seen confirmation of this, whether from the operator of a fake GTS or from experimentation, and haven't been able to try it myself.-->

==Generation VI==
The cloning glitch in [[Generation VI]] works much the same as the method in [[Generation I]], by breaking off a trade between two nearby [[Nintendo 3DS]] systems connected via infrared connection. Depending on the timing, the first Pokémon may be cloned, the trade may complete, or the Pokémon will be erased. However, the chance of a Pokémon being erased is small and this method is not known to pose any harm to the player's save data. Most Pokémon will clone at about three seconds, although it has been observed that some held items impact the time taken to clone.

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[[Category:Glitches]]

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