Hack-Check Thread (Read the OP for simple hack-checking)

[ellie]

Disclaimer: Remember, it is impossible for anyone to truly say a Pokemon is legit unless you caught it yourself. This thread can serve as a guide to tell you if a Pokemon is definitely hacked, or tell you if it looks legit, but hackers can make any Pokemon look legit with enough effort.

Post here if you're not sure if your Pokemon is legitimate or not, or to help another user. Be sure to follow all other rules and use this form when posting:

Pokemon Species:
Pokemon Gender:
Nickname:
OT:
IDno:
Shiny?:
EV's: (if known)
IV's: (if known) Serebii's IV Calculator
Nature:
Characteristic:
Ability:
Moves:
Level Caught at:
Current Level:
Stats:
Location Caught: (link trade? time and space? distant land? fateful encounter? etc.)
Date Met: (if known)
Egg?:
Pokeball Caught In:
Ribbons:
Blue Pentagon? (yes/no):
Any other notes?:

If you can provide a picture with this info and more, that would help out people checking.

EDIT: Even if you're using PokeCheck to just check if a Pokemon is legit or not, please don't mention/link to it here as it's still deemed illegal.

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Quick ways to distinguish hacks:

Smogon's Tips for Simple Hack Checks
General Rules of Thumb for Distinguishing Hacked Pokemon:
Only 4 natures are possible for 31/31/31/31/31/31 Pokemon caught in generations 3 & 4 (exceptions below). These natures are calm, docile, modest, and timid.
----Wild Pokemon with variable genders (including Heatran) caught in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum have 7 possible natures for 31/31/31/31/31/31. These are calm, docile, hasty, modest, quirky, sassy, and timid. -----Wild Pokemon with variable genders caught in Heart Gold and Soul Silver have 6 possible natures for 31/31/31/31/31/31. These are calm, docile, modest, quiet, sassy, and timid.
----The Shiny Gyarados that appears in the Lake of Rage in Heart Gold and Soul Silver can have any IV/nature combination.
----Shinies obtained through the Pokeradar in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum can have any IV/nature combination, but it still requires ID abuse, and is considered one of the most difficult types of Generation 4 abuse. In most cases, unless it's someone who's proven themselves capable of doing such an abuse, it's pretty safe to assume it's a hack.
----Wild Pokemon (excluding Legendaries) from Ruby, Sapphire, Fire Red, Leaf Green, and Emerald have 9 possible natures for 31/31/31/31/31/31. These are calm, careful, docile, hardy, lax, modest, naive, rash, and timid.
----Generation 4 wonder card events may have any combination of IVs and nature. However, almost every generation 4 event is locked to not be shiny. The only exceptions are Manaphy who can be hatched shiny by transferring the egg to another save file, caught Shaymin and Darkrai from the Platinum Member Card and Oak's Letter events, and always shiny events (Eevee, Pichu, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, and Milotic).
----Generation 3 wonder card style events cannot be RNG manipulated at all. This includes the Bonus Disc / Channel Jirachi (aka, any jirachi with Body Slam) and Extremespeed Zigzagoon. Any flawless variety of these Pokemon are almost certainly hacked.
----The Wish event Pokemon are virtually non existent. Any you see offered are almost certainly hacked.
----There are no restrictions on the IVs and nature of most 5th gen wonder cards, including most of the competitively relevant ones. However, nearly all are locked to not be shiny.
The following Pokemon cannot be shiny:
Celebi
Victini
Keldeo
Meloetta
Zygarde
----Legendaries caught in X and Y cannot be shiny.
----A Shiny mew must be Japanese, from Hoenn, and at least level 30 as the only way to obtain it was through the Old Sea Chart in emerald given out exclusively in Japan.
----The 2011 event Celebi should have the OT WIN2011. OT GAMESTP Celebi are from an unreleased event from the ripping of an unreleased wondercard rom and are hacked.
----Shiny Deoxys can only be obtained through the 3rd gen event item.
----Wild Arceus from Generation 4 are not obtainable as the event was never released.
----No Shadow Pokemon from Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness can be shiny.
----Pokemon from the Dream World, Dream Radar, and Hidden Grottoes in the 5th gen games cannot be shiny.
----A Pokemon that does not normally have a premier ribbon attached from a special event is hacked. This is the result of improperly cloning through Pokecheck. However, this does not invalidate the legality of proper clones.
----Pokemon caught or bred on X and Y have "memories" that are checkable by an NPC outside the Anistar Pokemon Center, Pokemon brought over from previous generations (including those that have been hacked to look like they are from Kalos) and 6th gen events do not have memories and will say "The Pokemon seems to have a good memory, but it doesn't seem to be able to remember...".
Regarding apricorn balls:
----Only Pokemon obtainable in the Generation IV games Heart Gold and Soul Silver can be legitimately captured in an Apricorn ball. Transferring those Pokemon to Generation VI and breeding them will allow the offspring to have an Apricorn ball, along with any egg move combination, but they cannot have their hidden ability.

Credit goes to:
- Dark Ray
- Hozu
- TheMantyke
- Esmeya
- ProjectTitan313

Posted with permission from Nexus

Hoopa and Volcanion CAN'T be shiny.
Diancie CAN ONLY be shiny from this event (TID 12125).
Arceus CAN ONLY be shiny from this event (TID 03075).
Xerneas (TID 10295) and Yveltal (TID 11055) CAN ONLY be shiny from an event.
Reshiram and Zekrom CAN ONLY be shiny from ORAS.
Most legendaries in ORAS CAN be shiny.
Pokemon in Apricorn Balls CAN'T have hidden abilities.
Shadow Pokemon from Pokemon Colosseum CAN be shiny.
Shadow Pokemon from Pokemon XD CAN'T be shiny, but basically everything else can.

Messages:
Seems to have traveled across both space and time in order to reach [destination region] from [original region] - usually regular/non-events
A fateful encounter seems to have led it across space and time to reach [destination region] from [original region] - usually past-gen. events
Seems to have traveled across both space and time in order to reach [destination region] from a distant land - Colosseum
A fateful encounter seems to have led it across space and time to reach [destination] from a distant land - XD


Not sure if a Pokemon can be caught in a specific Poke Ball?: Serebii's Poke Ball database

Event information: Serebii's Database and Bulbapedia's Database

6th Generation Hacked Event Dates: /r/pokemontrades

 

[FruitSalad]

Pokemon Species: Lucario
OT:JAMES
OT Gender: Male
IDno: 00498
It is Shiny
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Inner Focus
Moves: Extreme Speed, Swords dance, Close combat, Counter
Level Caught at: Came from egg
Current Level: 51
Stats: Atk: 180, Def:92, Sp.Atk: 110, Sp.Def: 90, Speed: 118

 

[DarumakkaImposter]

Nickname:MEGANIUM
OT:AUSTIN
OT Gender: Blue
IDno: 57523
Shiny?:nope
Nature: Adamant
Characteristic: often lost in thought
Ability: Overgrow
Moves:Tackle, magical leaf,aromatherapy, poison powder
Level Caught at: (its from HG and its on white now
Current Level:50
Stats: Attack 100
Defense 107
Sp. Atk 89
Sp. Def 111
Speed 95
Location Caught: From HG
Egg?: IDK
Pokeball Caught In: Masterball
Any other notes?:umm... no

 

[ForeverFlame]

Nickname:MEGANIUM
OT:AUSTIN
OT Gender: Blue
IDno: 57523
Shiny?:nope
Nature: Adamant
Characteristic: often lost in thought
Ability: Overgrow
Moves:Tackle, magical leaf,aromatherapy, poison powder
Level Caught at: (its from HG and its on white now
Current Level:50
Stats: Attack 100
Defense 107
Sp. Atk 89
Sp. Def 111
Speed 95
Location Caught: From HG
Egg?: IDK
Pokeball Caught In: Masterball
Any other notes?:umm... no

Starters can't be caught in Masterballs.

 

[Skresh]

Starters can't be caught in Masterballs.

Well, technically, there CAN be Johto starters from Colosseum(Distant Land + Long travel through time) in master balls. But if it is infact from a HG game, yeah, you're right.

Why anyone would use a masterball I dunno, but if you had mutliple, ya might...

Just wanted to mention that. =U

 

[Ditto_Dude]

Pokemon Species: Lucario
OT:JAMES
OT Gender: Male
IDno: 00498
It is Shiny
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Inner Focus
Moves: Extreme Speed, Swords dance, Close combat, Counter
Level Caught at: Came from egg
Current Level: 51
Stats: Atk: 180, Def:92, Sp.Atk: 110, Sp.Def: 90, Speed: 118

a shiny pokemon with a nature that benefits it just looks suspicious, not 100% but my guess it is

 

[Falconx03]

Pokemon Species: Lucario
OT:JAMES
OT Gender: Male
IDno: 00498
It is Shiny
Nature: Adamant
Ability: Inner Focus
Moves: Extreme Speed, Swords dance, Close combat, Counter
Level Caught at: Came from egg
Current Level: 51
Stats: Atk: 180, Def:92, Sp.Atk: 110, Sp.Def: 90, Speed: 118

That looks fine to me. It is capable of being shiny and from an egg since Lucario can breed, it would hatch as Riolu but evolves through happiness. It can also learn all of those moves. If I missed something and someone else notices it as fake, then I apologize.

 

[DarumakkaImposter]

Starters can't be caught in Masterballs.

o.0...i honestly dont know why i didnt notice that before. thanks for that though. ill release it now

 

[DominusSapientia]

Nickname:Tepig
OT:Brent
OT Gender: Male
IDno:39632
Shiny?: Yes its Shiny
EV's: Unknown
IV's: Unknown
Nature:Gentle
Characteristic:Alert to sounds
Ability:Blaze
Moves:Tackle and Flame Charge
Level Caught at:1
Current Level:1
Stats:
6,5,6,5,6
Location Caught: Day-Care Couple, Route 3
Egg?:From an Egg
Pokeball Caught In: Default Pokeball.

A friend wanted me to check his two shinies, going to edit post with the other.

Nickname:Rhyhorn (apparently nicknamed that way/not capital)
OT:Wish
OT Gender: Female
IDno:07898
Shiny?: Yes its Shiny
EV's: Unknown
IV's: Unknown
Nature: Adamant
Characteristic: Alert to Sounds
Ability: Rock Head
Moves: Stealth Rock, Substitute, Aqua Tail, Rock Polish
Level Caught at: 1
Current Level:1
Stats:7,7,4,5,5
Location Caught: Sinnoh "Apparently arrived at Lv.1"
Egg?: Unknown
Pokeball Caught In: Default Pokeball.

This one doesn't seem legit even to me and I don't even know what to look for, but positive nature on a shiny just seems suspicious to me.

 

[Rakurai]

A good first step to determining whether or not a shiny is hacked is to have it inspected by the judge at the Battle Subway, since many hackers like to take things a step further and give the Pokemon flawless IVs in every stat.

 

[Lucario0708]

just because a shiny has a benefitting nature doesnt mean its hacked, using an everstone on one of the parents that has that nature during breeding = nature passed down, in fact many MM'ers do that

@dominussapientia(sp?): both pokemon look legit, both seem to have been bred, so i'd say they are legit

@fruitsalad: legit

@darumakkaimposter: thats not a good idea to release it, look at what skresh said, if its not along the lines of what he said, it's hacked stupid me, didn't see HG on there, so yes it's hacked

 

[hydrasly]

Pokemon Species: Espeon
Nickname: In Japanese
OT: In Japanese
OT Gender: Rd
IDno: 32760
Shiny?: Yes
EV's: (if known)
IV's: (if known)
Nature: Timid
Characteristic: Somewhat Vain
Ability: Synchronize
Moves: Psychic, Morning Sun, Curse, Yawn
Level Caught at: 1, seems to have came from an egg
Current Level: 100
Stats: HP: 272, Atk: 153, Defense: 156, SpAtk:298, SpDef: 226, speed: 281
Location Caught: Skyarrow Bridge (Again, seems to be from an egg)
Egg?: Seems like it.
Pokeball Caught In: N/A
Any other notes?: N/A

 

[Falconx03]

Pokemon Species: Espeon
Nickname: In Japanese
OT: In Japanese
OT Gender: Rd
IDno: 32760
Shiny?: Yes
EV's: (if known)
IV's: (if known)
Nature: Timid
Characteristic: Somewhat Vain
Ability: Synchronize
Moves: Psychic, Morning Sun, Curse, Yawn
Level Caught at: 1, seems to have came from an egg
Current Level: 100
Stats: HP: 272, Atk: 153, Defense: 156, SpAtk:298, SpDef: 226, speed: 281
Location Caught: Skyarrow Bridge (Again, seems to be from an egg)
Egg?: Seems like it.
Pokeball Caught In: N/A
Any other notes?: N/A

To me, that looks legit. Psychic and Morning Sun are Level Up moves while Curse and Yawn are both egg moves. I am not an expert on egg moves so I am not completely sure on how egg moves work, I only have novice knowledge on egg moves. But from what I got out of looking it up, Torkoal was egg moved to learn Yawn and knew Curse and then he was bred with whatever to make it hatch an Eevee with those two moves.

If it hatched as an egg and it says Sky Arrow Bridge it's probably because the bridge is very large and an ideal place to hatch eggs.

 

[Thehackcatcher]

This reminds me of the good ol GTS Guardians i used to do with some people for gen 4 I will help out in anyway possible
Falcon is correct , that is a VERY rare and legit specimen you have there , shiny pokemon are hard to hack unless this person somehow made a program to hack pokemon for black and white (which currently does not exist) CONGRATS on your shiny pokemon it is indeed legit
EDIT: Wait did it say from an egg or caught on skyarrow bridge?

 

[hydrasly]

Egg, Looks like it hatched on Skyarrow Bridge.

 

[Thehackcatcher]

Egg, Looks like it hatched on Skyarrow Bridge.

its legit , congrats you got a very rare shiny pokemon

 

[Juxta]

Dont the IDno's need to be Over 10000 and not anything below?

 

[Black&White]

Nickname:Tepig
OT:Brent
OT Gender: Male
IDno:39632
Shiny?: Yes its Shiny
EV's: Unknown
IV's: Unknown
Nature:Gentle
Characteristic:Alert to sounds
Ability:Blaze
Moves:Tackle and Flame Charge
Level Caught at:1
Current Level:1
Stats:
6,5,6,5,6
Location Caught: Day-Care Couple, Route 3
Egg?:From an Egg
Pokeball Caught In: Default Pokeball.

A friend wanted me to check his two shinies, going to edit post with the other.

Nickname:Rhyhorn (apparently nicknamed that way/not capital)
OT:Wish
OT Gender: Female
IDno:07898
Shiny?: Yes its Shiny
EV's: Unknown
IV's: Unknown
Nature: Adamant
Characteristic: Alert to Sounds
Ability: Rock Head
Moves: Stealth Rock, Substitute, Aqua Tail, Rock Polish
Level Caught at: 1
Current Level:1
Stats:7,7,4,5,5
Location Caught: Sinnoh "Apparently arrived at Lv.1"
Egg?: Unknown
Pokeball Caught In: Default Pokeball.

This one doesn't seem legit even to me and I don't even know what to look for, but positive nature on a shiny just seems suspicious to me.

I'm not 100% sure if the Tepig is legit or not, but why would somebody trade a very rare shiny like Tepig? It took me over 500 eggs to hatch mine, so I know I wouldn't trade it for anything, so my guess is it's hacked.

 

[Marvs]

If someone is new to the game they may not even know what a shiny is, and tepig isn't that different in its first form.

 

[Jessie Mulay]

I'm not 100% sure if the Tepig is legit or not, but why would somebody trade a very rare shiny like Tepig? It took me over 500 eggs to hatch mine, so I know I wouldn't trade it for anything, so my guess is it's hacked.

He said his friend wanted him to check them for him. Also, some MM'ers have gotten Shiny Starters in less than 100 eggs.