Why do Pokédex numbers jump around?
Grookey is number 810 in one list and number 1 in another. Nothing is missing.
Case status: Solved. The games or the developers give a clear answer.
What the games say
The National Pokédex puts every Pokémon in one big list, in the order they were first introduced. This site lists 1,025 of them. Bulbasaur is 1, Mew is 151, Chikorita is 152, Grookey is 810 and Sprigatito is 906.
Each region's game also has its own regional Pokédex, which starts again at 1 and lists only the Pokémon you can find there. In Galar and Paldea, the first starter in the regional list is number 1 even though its National number is far higher. In Black and White, Victini is numbered 000 in the Unova Pokédex, before the starters.
What fans think
Fans use "dex number" for the number you can see and "index number" for the secret number inside the game. Those are fan words. They help explain why the first games have gaps: the hidden list had 190 slots, but only 151 held Pokémon.
Fans also wonder why Victini got 000. Some say a number before 1 marks it as a bonus, a special extra. The games never explain it, so that is a guess.
- Index number (fan term): A fan word for the hidden number the game uses inside.
Our verdict
Case status: Solved
Solved. Nothing is missing. The National list is the master list, each region keeps a shorter one for its own Pokémon, and both can be right at the same time.
What do you think?
Which do you like better?
- The National Pokédex
- The regional Pokédex
- Both are useful
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