If anyone of you have been to my previous site, Professor Glitch's Lab, then you would know a small bit about the wonders of these Glitches. It turns out I unearthed a lot more discoveries since then.

First off, Ghost/Skeleton MissingNOs look like Pokémon, not glitches. Their images are below.

It is surprising to note that in the 5th Pokémon movie. Pokémon Heroes, there were skeletons of an Aerodactyl and a Kabutops. Mere coincidence? Some might say so. I do not. More research must be done on this topic.

They are not regular Pokémon, that much is known. Most Pokémon fans agree that MissingNO, in all its forms, is a glitch and not a "real" part of the game. So if it's not a real part of the game, why is it there? That is where distinct opinions are formed. Some say it was intended to be a template Pokémon that was used to code the basic Pokémon behaviors, and was left out. Some say it was a remnant of a failed attempt to remove Mew from the game. And some say that it was a cheat that the developers placed in the game to help them progress.

No one knows why the Ghost/Skeleton MissingNOs exist. I myself do not have an idea. And I am afraid that, no matter how much I experiment on these creatures, I may not figure out the answer. As strange as their effects are, their origins seem to be even stranger. Why do they look like ghosts and skeletons, instead of glitchy blocks like the rest of them? Why are there four types of MissingNO.? And most importantly, why do they do what they do?

What is MissingNO.? A mystery. A mystery far more intriguing than any "real" Pokémon mysteries. It is much more mysterious than Mew. Much more than the Unown and the Regi Trio. It is much more mysterious, because the answers are still floating out there. And no movie or game will give us them.

The effects of the Ghost/Skeleton MissingNOs are far too varied and mysterious to explain here. In fact, I haven't discovered them all yet. So if you have anything to add, please do.

1. It is known that the Ghost/Skeleton MissingNOs have the unique ability to copy Pokémon attributes. For example:
   • In the wild, they copy the starting moves of the Pokémon who attacked last in a battle. For example, if your Bulbasaur beat your opponent's Squirtle, then the next Ghost or Skeleton MissingNO. you encounter will be Grass/Poison Type and have Bulbasaur's starting moves, but if your Bulbasaur was beaten by a Charmander, then the Ghost/Skeleton MissingNO. you encounter will be Fire-type and have Charmander's starting moves.
   • Also in the wild, they will copy the starting moves and type of the last Pokémon you saw in the Hall of Fame or PokéDex. For example, if you look at Golbat's PokéDex entry then battle a Ghost MissingNO., then the MissingNO. will have Golbat's starting moves and will be Flying/Poison type.
   • Please note that if you do encounter a Ghost or Skeleton MissingNO. and hope to catch it after you have tweaked it, using another Ghost/Skeleton MissingNO. would be your best option. Using any other Pokémon, including "Blocky" MissingNOs, will change the type/moves to its own attributes.
   • That said, if you encounter a Ghost or Skeleton MissingNO. you can put a powerful Pokémon like Mew in front so when you catch it it will have Mew's attributes.
2. When in the party you can change your Ghost/Skeleton MissingNO's attributes.
   • Whenever a Pokémon is positioned last in your party, all the Ghost and Skeleton MissingNO's will copy that Pokémon's type and attributes, but NOT its moves.
   • This also applies to Pokémon viewed in the Hall of Fame and PokéDex.

Note on naming different MissingNO.s: I identify Ghost/Skeleton MissingNOs by the Pokémon they're based on. The formula I have decided to use is: "Pokémonic" MissingNO. So, a MissingNO. based on Voltorb (with Voltorb's starting moveset) would be a "Voltorbic" MissingNO. Of course, since it's not official, feel free to use whatever naming conventions you wish. Of course, I might refer to "Dittoic MissingNO" or something like that.

This unique ability makes Ghost and Skeleton MissingNO's one of only 2 known species of Pokémon with the capability to learn every TM and HM move (the other is Mew).

1. (for Red&Blue Versions only) Restart your game and name yourself something with a w, x, or y in the 3rd, 5th, and 7th letter positions. "w" lets you get Kabutops skeleton, "x" lets you get Aerodactyl fossil, and "y" to get Ghost. Please note that they must be lowercase. For example, "Billy" lets you get Ghost MissingNO. The name "Zorax" gets you Aerodactyl fossil, "Zowayix" gets you all three special MissingNOs. Then talk to the old man at Viridian (the guy who likes coffee) and watch him catch a Weedle. Then fly to Cinnabar and surf on the eastern coast. They should pop up there, in alarmingly high levels (up to 255).
2. (for RBY versions)
   • Train a Pokémon so its Special stat is either 182 (for Kabutops skeleton), 183 (for Aerodactyl skeleton), or 184 (for Ghost).
   • Walk up to this Gambler. Before he sees you, quickly press Start and fly away to another area.
   • Find another trainer and battle him. Make sure he walks up to you.
   • Find a wild Ditto and force it to Transform into your Pokémon with the Special stat of 182, 183, or 184. Then run away.
   • Fly to Lavender town and walk towards the west. As soon as you exit the town, a menu will pop up.
   • Close it and you will fight a Ghost or Skeleton MissingNO.
3. Use the GameShark codes 01B6D8CF, 01B7D8CF, and 01B8D8CF. In Yellow version, that would be 01B6D7CF, 01B7D7CF, and 01B8D7CF.

The PPRL Research Team is not responsible for any damage caused to your Game by these Glitches.

This article (C) 2004 by Abwayax

Copyright © by Pokemon Phenomenon Research Laboratories All Right Reserved.

Published on: 2004-11-24