Are Pokemons unique?

[Shin-Chan]

This may be a stupid question, but are Pokemons unique? Are they randomly assigned some sort of code? Except for the trainer ID. In a sense that if I for example catch a Mewtwo in FireRed in the cave, does no other Mewtwo that is exactly the same exist?

[theSLAYER]

This may be a stupid question, but are Pokemons unique? Are they randomly assigned some sort of code? Except for the trainer ID. In a sense that if I for example catch a Mewtwo in FireRed in the cave, does no other Mewtwo that is exactly the same exist?

Probably unique, but not truly unique.

For the older generations, PID/IV/Gender and TID/SID follows a known PRNG generation method,

Which with the same seed and frame advancement, one can catch the same critter.

That means that there can be two same Mewtwo, down to the IVs and PID, just with different nickname and OT name.

TID/SID may or may not be the same. and EVs are determined by how the trainer wants it trained.

At least for newer generations, stats aren't tied PID, so it gives more variance,

But as data generation are tied to a PRNG, it can never be truly random,

Just highly scattered that it appears random ro human perception.

To an extent, the "value" of a pokemon is more emotional than it is logical,

And you may want it to be "special" or "unique", but it highly unlikely isn't.

[shadowofdarkness]

For Emerald (or Ruby and Sapphire with a dead battery) which has a broken RNG for the seed if you hit the same frame with the same wild species you will have exact copies.

[Shin-Chan]

Thanks both!

[suloku]

Well, Sun and Moon will change this, as apparently you'll be able to increase the IVs, so in competitive the pokemon will probably be less unique.

For event pokémon, which lately come with fixed OT and IDs, this will make them practlically clones once IV "enhanced".

I'm not a fan of this feature, even though it simplifies competitive, since competitive players already breed for perfect IV pokemon anyways. Maybe they'll even de-cap EVs as in gen 1...

By the way, the red gyarados in Gen 2 is exactly the same for everyone (except ot, tid and nickname).

[Guest]

Depends on if PID changes as you increase IVs. If PID will even still be a thing, that is.

As long as that can be different for everyone then technically they'll still be unique

[rulesoferick]

Learning lots from the experts :rolleyes: haha thank you guys!