Encounter Database Legality Question

[PLAFiles]

So, does the Encounter Database only include Pokemon that could actually spawn in the games themselves, making them 100% legal/legitimate? Always wondered, never really asked.

[SkyLink98]

It includes entities that were released or obtainable through legitimate means. A genned Pokémon would still be legal, not legitimate. 

[PLAFiles]

But, for example, if I encountered a Pokemon through normal in-game play, could that exact Pokemon be in the Encounter Database too? Or where does PKHeX pull/make the info for them from? Does PKHeX generate real PID's and whatnot that the actual game would/could generate too?

[SkyLink98]

1 hour ago, PLAFiles said:

But, for example, if I encountered a Pokemon through normal in-game play, could that exact Pokemon be in the Encounter Database too? Or where does PKHeX pull/make the info for them from? Does PKHeX generate real PID's and whatnot that the actual game would/could generate too?

The encounter database is exactly what the name suggests: a database of encounters. It contains encounter data, not actual Pokémon. It includes information for all available encounters across games and events. An encounter is essentially a template from which a Pokémon can be generated.

PKHeX attempts to replicate the in-game behavior when generating entities. It mimics RNG calls and stat relationships just like the games do. Keep in mind that new discoveries may be made over time, which can lead to updates in legality checks and generation logic within the PKHeX code.