What is the Bad Clone Glitch in Pokémon?
The bad clone glitch, also known as the clone glitch, is a natural glitch in the Pokémon games Gold, Silver, and Crystal that allows players to obtain an unstable hybrid Pokémon known as a bad clone. In this article, we will delve into the details of this glitch, its characteristics, and its implications.
What is a Clone Glitch?
A clone glitch is a glitch that enables players to create an exact copy or clone of a Pokémon. This is different from a hack, which is a completely user-generated Pokémon with impossible stats or abilities. Cloning glitches are often used to duplicate Pokémon, which can be advantageous in competitive battling.
How Does the Bad Clone Glitch Work?
The bad clone glitch works by exploiting a bug in the Pokémon games’ data storage system. When a player tries to clone a Pokémon, the game stores the Pokémon’s data in a temporary buffer. If the player then saves the game and restarts it, the buffer is not properly cleared, causing the cloned Pokémon to be stored with incorrect data. This results in a bad clone, which is a Pokémon with mixed characteristics from two different Pokémon.
Characteristics of Bad Clones
Bad clones have the following characteristics:
- Mixed characteristics: Bad clones have a mix of characteristics from two different Pokémon, including their types, stats, and moves.
- Unstable: Bad clones are unstable and may change their characteristics or disappear if not stored properly.
- Cannot be transferred: Bad clones cannot be transferred to other Pokémon games or Pokémon Bank.
Are Cloned Pokémon Banned?
In Pokémon Sun and Moon, the game’s developer, Game Freak, added a feature to ban cloned Pokémon from competitive battling and trading. This was done to prevent players from using the clone glitch to duplicate rare or powerful Pokémon.
What Pokémon Were Banned?
The following Pokémon were banned from competitive battling and trading:
- Milotic from XY – Flashfire, 23/106
- Oranguru from Sun and Moon – Ultra Prism, 114/156
- Sableye from Black and White – Dark Explorers, 62/108
- Shaymin-EX from XY – Roaring Skies, 77/108, 77a/108, and 106/108
Are Clone Pokémon Rare?
Despite being called "Clones", these fighters present slight visual differences from their more familiar counterparts. Since some of these entities also knew rare attacks, they were regarded as extremely rare. Some Clone Pokémon are:
- Clone Charizard
- Clone Blastoise
- Clone Venusaur
Conclusion
The bad clone glitch is a fascinating aspect of the Pokémon games that allows players to create unstable hybrid Pokémon. While cloning glitches are often used to duplicate Pokémon, the bad clone glitch is a rare and unique phenomenon that requires careful handling to maintain its characteristics. As the game’s developer continues to work on preventing the use of cloned Pokémon in competitive battling and trading, the bad clone glitch remains a testament to the creativity and ingenuity of Pokémon fans.