Unstable hybrid Pokémon

If you were looking for the glitch Pokémon that share a family with official Pokémon, see Glitch Pokémon family.

Hybrid redirects here. For the glitch Pokémon in Generation IV, see Generation IV hybrid.

An unstable hybrid Pokémon is a Pokémon in either Generation I or Generation II that simultaneously has the properties of two different species of Pokémon. An unstable hybrid Pokémon is composed of a "recipient" Pokémon—the Pokémon it truly is and will revert to—and a "donor" Pokémon. This is due to there being two species addresses for the player's party Pokémon in Generation I and II. The first address manages data for the "donor", whereas the second address manages data for the "recipient".

In Generation I, unstable hybrid Pokémon can be created by the Pokémon merge glitch, Rhydon glitch and Time Capsule exploit. In Generation II, unstable hybrid Pokémon can be created by the Pokémon merge glitch, or in the Japanese versions of Gold and Silver by the Bug-Catching Contest data copy glitch.

Properties

The properties of unstable hybrid Pokémon differ between slightly Generation I and Generation II.

In Red, Blue, and Yellow

In Generation I, an unstable hybrid Pokémon displays the sprite, mini-sprite and type of the donor Pokémon, and evolves in the same way as it. It has the original name, learnset, TM/HM compatibility and effective type combination of the donor Pokémon.

An unstable hybrid Pokémon has the color palette of the recipient.

In Gold, Silver, and Crystal

In Generation II, an unstable hybrid Pokémon displays the sprite outside of battle, the minisprite, and type of the donor Pokémon, and evolves in the same way as it. An unstable hybrid Pokémon also has the learnset of the donor, the TM/HM compatibility of the donor and a gender outside of battle calculated based on the donor.

An unstable hybrid Pokémon has the sprite in battle, gender in battle and effective type combination of the recipient.

Stabilizing

Stabilizing an unstable hybrid Pokémon is the act of causing both Pokémon species bytes to become the same. The Pokémon may retain changes that happened to it while unstable, such as the Pokémon knowing normally impossible moves. To stabilize an unstable hybrid, a Pokémon can be evolved (in the way the donor would), traded to Pokémon Stadium 2 (this makes both species bytes match the recipient), or deposited and withdrawn from Pokémon Day Care (this makes both species bytes match the recipient). In both Generation I and Generation II, if an evolutionary stone is used the 'ABLE/NOT ABLE' message is shown is based on the recipient Pokémon, but a donor Pokémon that can be evolved by the relevant stone will still be able to evolve even if the 'NOT ABLE' message is shown. An unstable hybrid Pokémon cannot be traded to Pokémon Gold, Silver, or Crystal; once stabilized, the Pokémon can be traded to the Generation II games.

By glitchhunter09

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Glitches which create unstable hybrid Pokémon

Bug-Catching Contest data copy glitch

Main article: Bug-Catching Contest data copy glitch

Performing this glitch allows the player to receive mainly a full copy of the last Pokémon, but with the second Pokémon species as the donor and the last Pokémon species as the recipient.

Rhydon glitch

Main article: Rhydon glitch

When a glitch Pokémon with an invalid Pokédex number (valid numbers are 1-151) has a Pokédex entry displayed after capture and is sent to Bill's PC, it will become a hybrid with Rhydon (it is the recipient, Rhydon is the donor).

Pokémon merge glitch

Main article: Pokémon merge glitch

When 'M (FF), Q ◣ or ????? (FF) is used to merge two Pokémon together, the result is an unstable hybrid of the two species.

Time Capsule exploit

Main article: Time Capsule exploit

When a Pokémon is hidden by ????? (FF) to bypass the Time Capsule party check and traded to Red, Blue, or Yellow, it will be a hybrid of the equivalent Generation I Pokémon (as the recipient) and 'M (00)^RB/3TrainerPoké $^Y (as the donor).

Cloning glitch

When cloning Pokémon by exploiting the computer storage system in Generation II, there is a chance to get a bad clone. This Pokémon is an unstable hybrid of the Pokémon you cloned and ?????.

Using unstable hybrids to level past 100

If the donor and recipient Pokémon have different experience groups, the unstable hybrid can level past 100, or drop down levels if the donor Pokémon was level 100. If the donor Pokémon requires more experience points to reach level 100 than the recipient, the hybrid can be leveled up until it reaches the amount of experience the donor would require. If the donor Pokémon requires less experience than the recipient to reach level 100, then the hybrid will level down to the level it would be in the recipient's experience group if it had the amount of experience the donor requires at level 100. Stabilizing the hybrid will preserve the level.

This occurs because the amount of experience is capped to the donor's experience group's maximum amount of experience, but the levels are calculated using the recipient's experience group.

By Pacoo81

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Using unstable hybrids to make Pokémon have unusually high stats

If the glitch Pokémon X ゥ- xゥ,, whose stats reach around 400 each by level 100, is captured and then fused with another Pokémon (with X ゥ- xゥ as the recipient and the other Pokémon as the donor), the hybrid Pokémon will have unusually high stats as a result.

Using unstable hybrids to train MissingNo.

Normally (at least in Pokémon Yellow), MissingNo. cannot be trained above level 1. However, if MissingNo. is fused with another Pokémon (with MissingNo. as the donor) the resulting hybrid Pokémon can be trained and leveled up in battle, even past level 100 using the method above.

Glitches in the Pokémon games Multiple generations Transform glitches • Glitch Trainers • Cloning glitches • Error messages • Arbitrary code execution Generation I Glitches • Battle glitches • Overworld glitches -- • 0 ERROR • Broken hidden items • Cable Club escape glitch • Dual-type damage misinformation Experience underflow glitch • Fight Safari Zone Pokémon trick • Glitch City • Item duplication glitch • Item underflow Mew glitch • Old man glitch • Pewter Gym skip glitch • Pokémon merge glitch • Rhydon glitch • Rival twins glitch Select glitches (dokokashira door glitch, second type glitch) • Super Glitch Time Capsule exploit • Walking through walls • ZZAZZ glitch Generation II Glitches • Battle glitches Bug-Catching Contest glitch • Celebi Egg glitch • Coin Case glitches • Experience underflow glitch Glitch dimension • Glitch Egg • Teru-sama • Time Capsule exploit • Trainer House glitches • GS Ball mail glitch Generation III Glitches • Battle glitches • Overworld glitches Berry glitch • Dive glitch • Pomeg glitch • Glitzer Popping Generation IV Glitches • Battle glitches • Overworld glitches Acid rain • GTS glitches • Pomeg glitch • Rage glitch Surf glitch • Tweaking • Pal Park Retire glitch Generation V Glitches • Battle glitches • Overworld glitches Charge Beam additional effect chance glitch • Charge move replacement glitch • Choice item lock glitch Frozen Zoroark glitch • Sky Drop glitch Generation VI Glitches • Battle glitches • Overworld glitches Charge Beam additional effect chance glitch • Charge move replacement glitch • Choice item lock glitch Lumiose City save glitch • Symbiosis Eject Button glitch • Toxic sure-hit glitch Generation VII Glitches • Battle glitches Charge Beam additional effect chance glitch • Charge move replacement glitch • Choice item lock glitch Toxic sure-hit glitch • Rollout storage glitch Generation VIII Glitches Charge Beam additional effect chance glitch • Charge move replacement glitch • Choice item lock glitch Toxic sure-hit glitch • Rollout storage glitch • Party item offset glitch Generation IX Glitches Glitch effects Game freeze • Glitch battle • Glitch song Gen I only: Glitch screen • TMTRAINER effect • Inverted sprite Gen II only: Glitch dimension Lists Glitches (GO • Mystery Dungeon • TCG GB • Spin-off) Glitch Pokémon (Gen I • Gen II • Gen III • Gen IV • Gen V • Gen VI • Gen VII • Gen VIII) Glitch moves (Gen I) • Glitch types (Gen I • Gen II)

This glitch Pokémon article is part of Project GlitchDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on glitches in the Pokémon games.