Date change exploit
The date change exploit is an exploit in the Pokémon series, where the player can re-access certain daily events by manually changing the day of the week, either from in-game (Pokémon Gold, Silver and Crystal) or through the Nintendo DS or 3DS firmware (Generation IV, Generation VI).
Similar exploits include the Daylight Saving Time exploit and the midnight exploit. The latter can be used to change events in Pokémon games from Generation IV to Generation V that won't change with the date change exploit.
In Generation II
In Pokémon Gold and Silver and Pokémon Crystal, the day of the week can be changed by accessing the "The clock's time may be wrong" screen.
This screen can be accessed with the clock reset function with a suitable password.
In Pokémon Gold and Silver, the clock reset function can be accessed from the title screen with down, select and B and the password depends on the player's name, ID number and current money (see here for a password generator)
In Pokémon Crystal, the way to access the clock reset function was made more complicated. It can be accessed with this method:
- Hold down+select+B
- Release down+B, leaving select still pressed
- Hold left+up
- Let go of select
The password generation process in Pokémon Crystal may not have been changed.[citation needed]
(Thanks to the Pokémon Crystal disassembly)
On emulators that don't properly support the real-time clock, the 'The clock's time may be wrong' menu may appear without the password. Glitch Unown including the hex:83 and hex:84 types in Pokémon Gold and Silver are capable of getting the menu to appear as well after a Glitch Dimension.
Possible events
Things that the player can do after changing the day of the week include but are likely not limited to: accessing the Bug-Catching Contest from any day of the week rather than a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, and causing the move tutor outside of the Goldenrod Game Corner in Pokémon Crystal to appear.
In Generation IV and Generation VI
The date change exploit can be used to do a limited number of things such as:
- Causing Drifloon to appear outside the Valley Windworks in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum (if the date is changed to Friday).
- Changing the Pokéathlon Dome prizes in Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver.
- Changing the clothes in a boutique in Pokémon X and Y (requires going out of the shop and back in, or upstairs/downstairs for Lumiose City's Boutique Couture).
All the player needs to do is change the day of the week on their Nintendo DS or Nintendo 3DS firmware, though the midnight exploit has to be used if the player wants to cheat for most other events, such as changing swarm Pokémon.