Guide to customizing event Pokémon
Modifying the build, stats, or values of an event Pokémon to your liking follows various rules and guidelines to keep the event Pokémon as technically legal as possible, as customizing them out of the roof will render them illegal. When they are illegal, they won't be tradable, thus we can't send them over to you. In the rare chance that they can be traded despite being illegal, there may also be the possibility that you might not be able to use them online for battling, or you might be hit by the banhammer at worst for owning a technically illegal Pokémon.
Here are the reminders to keep your event Pokémon customization as legal as possible.
- Pokémon Level: The level cannot be below the distribution level. It can only be modified higher, as Pokémon, commonsensically, can be leveled up. If the event Pokémon was distributed as Level 50, you can customize it to be Level 51 or 100, or any level in between, but not below 50.
- Shininess: If the event Pokémon was released as shiny, it cannot be customized to be non-shiny, as well as modifying a non-shiny event Pokémon to be shiny, unless the event distribution clearly states that the event Pokémon can be obtained in either shiny or non-shiny form.
- Nature: Only when the event Pokémon was released with "random Nature" can you choose any Nature that you want. Some event Pokémon have a permanent Nature and cannot be altered.
- Individual Values (IVs): Most event Pokémon come with random IVs, and that's when you can change them to your liking. When they are released with fixed IVs, it will be mentioned in the listing's description, and that's when you cannot change their permanent IVs as distributed.
- Effort Values (EVs) or Awakening Values (AVs) in Let's Go versions: Most event Pokémon come with 0 EVs or AVs in all stats, and that's when you can change them to your preference. When they are released with fixed EVs/AVs it will be mentioned in the listing's description. Please note that the EVs can only be up to 510 EVs in total with max EV in two stats only up to 252 each. In Let's Go game versions, all stats can have 252 Awakening Values (AVs).
- Moves: All the moves that come with the event Pokémon have their PPs (Power Points) non-maxed. You can customize them to have them maxed. All event Pokémon moves can be replaced with any moves that you want, as long as the moves are technically learnable by that Pokémon in the game version that they will be received at.
- Ability: This aspect of the event Pokémon cannot be altered under any circumstance. Unless the event Pokémon was distributed with two or three available Abilities, you cannot choose what Ability it will have.
- Held item: This can be replaced with any Held Item you fancy, as long as it is available in the game version you are receiving the Pokémon in.
- Ball: You cannot change the ball in which the event Pokémon is contained.
- Ribbon: You can add a Ribbon or two (as long as they are available in the game version) to the event Pokémon but not remove the Ribbon that originally came with it.
- Date Received: You can customize this information if it matters to you, however, we recommend choosing a date that's within the duration of the distribution of the event Pokémon. We highly recommend the first date of release, so you get that feeling, albeit false, that you had it on the first day of distribution.
- Nickname: Unless the event Pokémon comes in a fixed or permanent Nickname (very rare), it is okay to give a Nickname to the event Pokémon.
- Gender: Only when the event Pokémon was released as either Male or Female can you choose the Gender. If the event Pokémon was distributed as Male you cannot alter its gender to Female or vice versa.
- Language: A common notion is that whenever an event Pokémon is released in a particular region, say for example Japan, its language should be of that same region, in this case Japanese (shown as JPN). However, this is not entirely correct and true. Most event Pokémon can come in any language, as originally they will be set to the same language as the game that received it (remember when you first open the game, it asks for the language that you prefer). Unless it is explicitly stated that the event Pokémon is strictly set in a specific language, any Language is okay.
- OT and ID number: Only when the event Pokémon's info indicates "Yours" "Hatcher's" or "Player's" can you customize its Original Trainer (OT) name and ID number. Most event Pokémon come in unmodifiable OT and ID numbers.
- All other important values such as Met Location and Fateful Encounter cannot be altered.