Variant Pokémon
Variant Pokémon are variations that specific species or all Pokémon can have that is different from their regular form.
Multiple species
Form differences
- Main article: Form differences
Shiny Pokémon
- Main article: Shiny Pokémon
Shadow Pokémon
- Main article: Shadow Pokémon
Gender differences
- Main article: List of Pokémon with gender differences
From Generation IV onward, there are many Pokémon that appear differently as a result of their gender. Of these, Unfezant, Frillish and Jellicent differ so drastically that it is debatable whether or not these are true form differences, or simply extreme gender differences.
Giant Pokémon
- Main article: Giant Pokémon
Ancient giant Pokémon
Several ancient giant Pokémon appeared in the The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis. They were Gengar, Alakazam, and Jigglypuff. These Pokémon were all covered in tattoo-like marks.
Gengar emerged from a black dumbbell-like artifact, Alakazam emerged from a spoon-like artifact, and Jigglypuff emerged from an ancient bell.
Cloned Pokémon
- Main article: Cloning
Mirage Pokémon
- Main article: Mirage Pokémon
Toy Pokémon
- Main article: Toy Pokémon
Rusty Pokémon
- Main article: Rusty Pokémon
Valencian Pokémon
In the episode Poké Ball Peril, a number of alternately colored Pokémon were seen on Valencia Island, including Butterfree, Raticate, Nidoran♂, Nidoran♀, Vileplume, Paras, and Weepinbell.
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Butterfree
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Raticate
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Vileplume
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Paras
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Weepinbell
Pink Pokémon
In the episode In The Pink, all of the Pokémon native to Pinkan Island were shown to be colored pink, due to their diet of Pinkan berries. Pink Pokémon seen on the island include Caterpie, Weedle, Pidgey, Rattata, Pikachu, Nidoran♀, Nidoran♂, Nidoking, Vileplume, Paras, Parasect, Venonat, Diglett, Mankey, Primeape, Bellsprout, Dodrio, Exeggutor, Rhyhorn and Rhydon.
Further pink Pokémon seen during Team Rocket's fantasy include Pidgeotto, Oddish, Poliwhirl, Geodude, Scyther and Electabuzz.
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Caterpie, Mankey, Venonat, Weedle
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Rhyhorn
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Rhydon, Exeggutor, Bellsprout, Vileplume, Mankey
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Paras, Diglett
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Pidgey
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Nidoran♀, Nidoran♂
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Nidoking, Nidoran♂
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Dodrio
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Electabuzz, Rattata, Bellsprout (fantasy)
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Scyther, Venonat, Poliwhirl (fantasy)
Individual species
Arbok
The Generation I Pokédex entries for Arbok state that there are six variations of markings on its belly that differ between areas. Eight designs are known, but only four have appeared in the games, and only three of which appeared in main series games. In Pokémon Adventures, Arbok gains a special ability depending on its pattern.
The most common variation has teardrop-shaped eye-like marks, a black mouth-like mark, and a black arrowhead mark with a tail extending towards Arbok's face. This design appeared in the Generation I games and all games from Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen on, the anime, the manga (except Agatha's Arbok in Pokémon Adventures), most TCG art, the FireRed and LeafGreen Ken Sugimori art, Dream World art, and anime art. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, this is the regenerative pattern and is used by Koga's Arbok. These Arbok have a forked tongue and many fangs.
Arbok also has several variations with circular eye-like marks and a red-filled mouth-like mark with a black outline. The most common variation of this has two black fang-like marks descending onto its mouth-like mark, black eyebrow-like marks above each of its eye-like marks, and outward-pointing "eyelashes" on its eye-like marks. This design first appeared in the official Pokémon Red and Green Ken Sugimori artwork, and has also appeared in the Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald sprites, the TCG cards Arbok from Fossil, Arbok from Expedition, and Janine's Arbok from the VS set. These Arbok have a pointed tongue and four fangs.
Another variation with the circular eye-like marks appeared in Gold, Silver, and Crystal. It has no fang-like marks on its mouth-like mark, no eyebrow-like marks, and its "eyelashes" on its eye-like marks point up. It has also appeared in Pokémon Pinball and on the Arbok Coin in Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR!. These Arbok have a forked tongue and four fangs.
The final circular eye-like mark variation appeared solely in Pokémon Ranger. This design has no "eyelashes" on the eye-like marks and no fang-like marks on the mouth-like mark. It has three lines intersecting in the middle of the chest; two of these lines continue above each eye-like mark, while one connects from the middle to the mouth-like mark. At the end of the two upper lines are wide ends with semicircles removed from the ends. In the gaps created here is a small black dot on either side. These Arbok have four fangs.
Arbok's conceptual art had three other designs, but these were only used in the Pokémon Adventures manga, in which Agatha's Arbok's markings can be changed, altering its powers. These are the speed pattern, attack pattern, and invulnerability pattern.
A pattern with evil appearance was created by Mitsuhiro Arita solely for the TCG. It has two red eye-like marks with black marks in the middle and a combined yellow border. Its mouth-like mark represents a grin with eleven pointed teeth in red. It is featured in the card Dark Arbok from the Team Rocket set.
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Main pattern;
Regenerative pattern -
Main circular pattern
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Secondary circular pattern
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Pattern from Pokémon Ranger
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Conceptual art;
Invulnerability pattern -
Conceptual art;
Attack pattern -
Conceptual art;
Speed pattern -
Dark Arbok (TCG)
Pikachu
- Main article: Pikachu variants
Shellder
Shellder can be either a bivalve shell or a spiral-shaped shell, depending on whether or not it is attached to a Slowpoke. Though impossible in the games, multiple Pokédex entries state that a Shellder can be detached from the Slowbro (making it devolve into a Slowpoke) or Slowking (making it lose its memory) it is attached to. This gives them a few more characteristics of form differences than actual evolutions. However, because the Shellder is attached to and evolves with the Slowpoke, after evolution they are treated as one Pokémon. Slowbro's conceptual art depicted other variations, but they were never seen anywhere else.
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Shellder
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Spiral Shellder
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Crown Shellder
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Slowbro's conceptual art
Weezing
The Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum Pokédex entries for Weezing state that triplet forms have been discovered; however, this variant has not been shown in any Pokémon media. A third section of Weezing (without a face) appears on every Weezing seen so far.
Ditto
Ditto is known for its ability to transform into an exact replica of any other Pokémon. However, some Ditto are incapable of changing their face, with the result being a deformed replica of the target Pokémon with a blank, beady-eyed expression.
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Untransformed Ditto
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Bulbasaur
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Pikachu
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Clefairy
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Meowth
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Machoke
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Voltorb
Porygon
Porygon is able to change its color, shape and type to match its target with Conversion. It is also capable of changing its shape by using Sharpen.
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Unaltered Porygon
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Sword Porygon
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Shield Porygon and Hammer Porygon
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Porygon using Conversion to change its type to match Weezing's
Snorlax
In Snorlax Snowman, several ice-blue Snorlax adapted to more frigid climates appeared.
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Snorlax
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Snorlax Snowmen
Lugia
XD001 was a Shadow Lugia that was so thoroughly corrupted that its appearance changed.
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Lugia
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XD001
Spinda
Like Unown, Spinda has many visual variations in its species, all involving the placement of its spots. Like Unown's letter, the spot placement is generated based on the individual's personality value, and likewise, has no effect on the Pokémon's stats. Unlike Unown, however, these differences are rarely repeated, as the calculation uses the entirety of the personality value—a number that can range from zero to 4,294,967,295 (232 - 1).
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Examples of Spinda in
the anime -
Examples of Spinda in
Pokémon Adventures
Mantyke
Mantyke's Pokédex entry in Pearl says that the special patterns on its back vary from region to region. Unlike Arbok, however, its backsprite shows no difference between games.
Dialga
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky, Dialga became Primal Dialga when it lost control of time due to the collapse of the Temporal Tower. Dialga can regain control of time and revert to its normal self if all the Time Gears are brought to the tower. As Primal Dialga, it is incapable of logical reasoning or showing mercy, only seeking self-preservation and preventing time from flowing properly.
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Dialga
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Primal Dialga
Arceus
Arceus has seventeen different type variatons, which correspend to the seventeen different types.
Arceus's transformation between these forms is brought about by its held item: if it is holding a Plate, it draws its type from that Plate as stated in Sinnoh's mythology, while remaining Normal-type when not holding a Plate.
In the Generation IV games, there is dummy data and a sprite programmed for a ???-type Arceus, but it cannot be obtained as there is no ???-type Plate. This data no longer exists in Generation V due to the removal of the ??? type.
While its base stats remain constant despite its changing type, its Pokéathlon performance changes slightly. Additionally, it can learn Draco Meteor only while holding the Draco Plate.
Normal ![]() |
Fire ![]() |
Water ![]() |
Electric ![]() |
Grass ![]() |
Ice ![]() |
Fighting ![]() |
Poison ![]() |
Ground ![]() |
Flying ![]() |
Psychic ![]() |
Bug ![]() |
Rock ![]() |
Ghost ![]() |
Dragon ![]() |
Dark ![]() |
Steel ![]() |
??? ![]() |
Genesect
In the games, the Drive on Genesect's back is visibly depicted on its sprite depending on which Drive it holds. However, this does not change Genesect's type, but rather the type of the move Techno Blast. If it lacks a Drive, it will be Normal-type and show a dark yellow Drive connected to it. The four Drives that can be equipped are the Shock, Burn, Chill, and Douse Drive, which make Techno Blast Electric, Fire, Ice, and Water-type, respectively. Otherwise, the change is purely cosmetic.
Normal![]() Bug Steel |
Shock Drive![]() Bug Steel |
Burn Drive![]() Bug Steel |
Chill Drive![]() Bug Steel |
Douse Drive![]() Bug Steel |
Individual Pokémon
Pink Butterfree
- Main article: Pink Butterfree
Crystal Onix
- Main article: Crystal Onix
Crystal Onix is a special individual Onix that lives on Sunburst Island. Its body is made out of glass crystal. Due to being made out of crystal, it is no longer weak to Water-type attacks and instead weak to Fire-type attacks.
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Onix
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Crystal Onix
Gold Sudowoodo
In All That Glitters is Not Golden!, a Trainer named Keenan owned a Sudowoodo that he had turned to gold during a science experiment, in an attempt to make Sudowoodo immune to Water-type attacks. The changes made to Sudowoodo were eventually reversed.
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Sudowoodo
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Golden Sudowoodo
Purple Kecleon
A purple Kecleon is one of the two Kecleon Brothers in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. He also appeared in the special episodes Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters out of the Gate! and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time & Darkness.
In The Kecleon Caper, a purple Kecleon nicknamed Reddy appeared under the ownership of Madison.
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Kecleon
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Purple Kecleon
Fake Groudon
In Jirachi: Wish Maker, Butler created a fake and pure evil Groudon using the power of his machine and Jirachi. This fake Groudon absorbed all life in Forina, until it was defeated by Jirachi.
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Groudon
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Fake Groudon
Green-crystal Deoxys
One of the Deoxys that appeared in Destiny Deoxys had a green crystal instead of a purple one. It also had a green mark on its face instead of a purple one.
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Purple-crystal Defense Forme Deoxys
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Green-crystal Defense Forme Deoxys
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The green crystal
Combined Pokémon
Venustoise
In The Ghost of Maiden's Peak, a Gastly, who had the ability to create illusions that were tangible enough to attack people, created a fusion of Venusaur and Blastoise to scare Bulbasaur and Squirtle, calling it a "Venustoise". The Gastly also created a ball of twine, along with a mousetrap, mongoose, and fire extinguisher.
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Venustoise
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Venusaur
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Blastoise
Rayquaza and Mismagius
In Malice in Wonderland!, a real Mismagius merged with a Rayquaza illusion it created, giving Rayquaza the color palette and some features of Mismagius. It then attacked Ash and his friends.
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Mismagius and Rayquaza fusion
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Rayquaza
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Mismagius
Zapmolcuno
- Main article: Zapmolcuno