Special Pokémon

This Page is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this Page to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Gen 9

Special Pokémon (Japanese: 特別なポケモン Special Pokémon) is a term referring to a group of Pokémon in the core series games and side games that are restricted or banned from certain official tournaments, battle facilities, and link battle formats. Most Special Pokémon are Legendary game mascots. While the concept exists in all generations, the term was not used until Generation IV.

Terminology

Whenever Special Pokémon are restricted or banned, Mythical Pokémon are also usually banned. While often only "special Pokémon" are mentioned to be banned when both Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon are, the description of the GS Cup indicates that Mythical Pokémon are not Special Pokémon.

The term "special Pokémon" is also used in a purely descriptive sense (as opposed to being used as a key term) in the Rotom Pokédex. Pokémon whose QR Codes cannot be viewed in the Rotom Pokédex (all Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, as well as the Ultra Beasts) are referred to as "special Pokémon". This usage is entirely distinct from the usage to describe Pokémon that are restricted from certain battles.

List

The following list only includes the Pokémon that are always considered to be Special Pokémon. Mythical Pokémon are considered to be Special Pokémon in most, but not all, contexts.

#	Pokémon		Type
0150		Mewtwo	Psychic
0249		Lugia	Psychic	Flying
0250		Ho-Oh	Fire	Flying
0382		Kyogre	Water
0383		Groudon	Ground
0384		Rayquaza	Dragon	Flying
0483		Dialga	Steel	Dragon
0484		Palkia	Water	Dragon
0487		Giratina Altered Forme	Ghost	Dragon
0487		Giratina Origin Forme	Ghost	Dragon
0643		Reshiram	Dragon	Fire
0644		Zekrom	Dragon	Electric
0646		Kyurem	Dragon	Ice
0646		Kyurem Black Kyurem	Dragon	Ice
0646		Kyurem White Kyurem	Dragon	Ice
0716		Xerneas	Fairy
0717		Yveltal	Dark	Flying
0718		Zygarde	Dragon	Ground
0789		Cosmog	Psychic
0790		Cosmoem	Psychic
0791		Solgaleo	Psychic	Steel
0792		Lunala	Psychic	Ghost
0800		Necrozma	Psychic
0800		Necrozma Dusk Mane	Psychic	Steel
0800		Necrozma Dawn Wings	Psychic	Ghost
0888		Zacian	Fairy
0889		Zamazenta	Fighting
0890		Eternatus	Poison	Dragon
0898		Calyrex	Psychic	Grass
0898		Calyrex Ice Rider	Psychic	Ice
0898		Calyrex Shadow Rider	Psychic	Ghost
1007		Koraidon	Fighting	Dragon
1008		Miraidon	Electric	Dragon

Potential Special Pokémon

In Generation VII, it is unclear whether Greninja with Battle Bond is considered a Special Pokémon. Unlike Special Pokémon, it is allowed in the Battle Tree, but like them it is banned from the Battle Spot and Battle Stadium.

Usage restrictions

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Restrictions in Generation VII and VIII

Official tournaments

In Generation I, many official tournaments banned Mewtwo and Mew, the only existing Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon, respectively. As subsequent generations expanded both groups, the additional members were also banned from most official tournaments. However, some tournaments, such as the Mobile Cup 2001 and Pokémon Emerald Ultimate Frontier Brain Battle, only banned Mythical Pokémon and allowed Special Pokémon. Several online competitions specifically allow Special Pokémon, or Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon.

At the Pokémon Video Game Showdown 2008, Dragonite, Tyranitar, and all Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon were banned. In the 2009 Pokémon Video Game Championships, Tyranitar and all Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon were banned.

In the 2010 Pokémon Video Game Championships, a player could have up to 2 Special Pokémon on their team, but all Mythical Pokémon were banned.

In the Pokémon Video Game Championships from 2011 to 2015, all Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon were banned.

In the 2016 Pokémon Video Game Championships, a player could have up to 2 Special Pokémon on their team, but all Mythical Pokémon were banned.

In the Pokémon Video Game Championships from 2017 to 2018, all Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon were banned. This also included Ash-Greninja.

In the 2019 Pokémon Video Game Championships, a player could have up to 2 Special Pokémon on their team, but all Mythical Pokémon and Ash-Greninja were banned.

Battle facilities

In Generation II, Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon can only enter the Battle Tower if the level chosen is 70 or higher (Eggs are not allowed to enter).

From Generation III onward, Eggs, Spiky-eared Pichu, Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon are banned from most battle facilities (except Trainer Tower and Trainer Hill). Additionally, in Generation IV, Rotom will revert to its normal form when entered in a battle facility.

In Generation VIII, Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon can enter the Battle Tower without restriction but are banned from Restricted Sparring.

Battle modes

Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon are banned from all cups in Pokémon Yellow's Colosseum 2, and all Stadium Cups except Prime Cup in Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2.

In the Generation IV games' special rulesets in link battles, Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon are banned from the Fancy Cup and Light Cup (and the Little Cup implicitly). In the GS Cup, a player can only have up to 2 Special Pokémon on their team, but all Mythical Pokémon are banned.

In Generation VI, Special Pokémon and Mythical Pokémon cannot participate in Rating Battles in Battle Spot Random Matchup.

Global Trade System

From Generation VI onward on the Global Trade System, the player can choose to filter out people seeking special Pokémon. Doing so also filters out players seeking Mythical Pokémon.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 特殊的寶可夢 Dahksyùh-dīk Pokémon Mandarin 特殊的寶可夢 / 特殊的宝可梦 Tèshū-de Pokémon French Pokémon spécial German Besondere Pokémon Italian Pokémon speciale Korean 특별한 포켓몬 Teukbyeolhan Pokémon Spanish Pokémon especial

This game-related article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.