If you enjoy playing one of the Pokemon games, you may have heard that you can get banned for using a hacked pokemon. A hacked pokemon is one that has stats that have been altered. It might have altered base values or abilities and moves that it can’t get without a special event. Usually these pokemon are generated using a tool such as pokegen, and then they are transferred to someone’s game with a flashcart. Read on to learn how to know if your pokemon is hacked.

The Pokemon Has Illegitimate Abilities or Moves, or it Comes in an Illegal Poke Ball

In the Pokemon games, each pokemon has certain abilities and moves that it can learn. It is easy to find out what they are by doing a search. If you have a pokemon that can do things that this pokemon isn’t supposed to do, then it is likely hacked.

If you have a hacked pokemon with moves that it can’t learn naturally, you won’t be able to use it in play. The only way to find out is to look it up. If you find out that the pokemon has moves that it shouldn’t have, it is probably hacked.

If your pokemon comes in an illegal ball, then you know it is hacked. The starters only come in standard poke balls, so if you get one in a different ball, it is probably hacked. The thing to remember is that if you breed this pokemon, it will pass the ball down to the offspring, which means that it will look the same as a hack.

The Pokemon Is Too Good to Be True

If you trade and get a pokemon that is too good to be true, it is probably hacked. Most players aren’t going to trade away a valuable pokemon unless they are getting something good in exchange. If someone is trading you something that you are surprised to get, there is a good chance that it is hacked.

In addition, hackers like to create shiny pokemon and Pokemon with Pokerus. They will also make level 100s with competitive movesets and six perfect IVs. If you receive any of these kinds of pokemon in a trade, you can safely bet that it is hacked.

That said, most level one pokemon are bred and traded, and a level one could be legitimate even if it has egg moves or good IVs. As long as it isn’t shiny and doesn’t have Pokerus, it has a good chance of being legitimate and you can use it or breed it.

It’s Not in the Game

If you get a pokemon in a trade that is not in the game, it is likely hacked. There are only certain pokemon that have been released in different games, and the ones that have not been released can only be obtained if they have been hacked. Most pokemon hackers will try to make pokemon that look legitimate, but if it isn’t in the game, then you know it can’t exist without being hacked.

Playing Pokemon games is a lot of fun, and part of the adventure is to collect them all. It can take time to build up great Pokemon with good IVs and moves. People aren’t going to trade valuable pokemon away, especially to a random person in a trade. Pay close attention, and if you question it, you are probably right.

The bottom line is that using a hacked pokemon can get you in trouble. Once you get it, you won’t be able to use it or trade it. The system might tag it, and then you can get banned or blocked. So even if you end up with a pokemon with perfect IVs that is shiny, you won’t be able to battle with it or do anything without risking being flagged. This is the chance you take when you do online trades with people you don’t know.