Identifier
| Bulbapedia also has an article about Identifier. |
| Wikipedia also has an article about Identifier. |
"ID number" redirects here, for the player's ID number, or 'secret ID' please see Bulbapedia's respective article
In the Pokémon games, an identifier (also index number or ID number) is a number used within the game's code to identify pieces of data. Pokémon, items, locations, moves, and abilities all have unique identifiers; in each game, no two Pokémon have the same identifier. Pieces of data in different categories, however, may share identifiers -- a Pokemon and an item may use the same identifier, for instance. Identifiers may be likened to character codes in computer text.
In the first generation (Red/Blue and Yellow versions), the Pokémon's identifiers did not match the PokéDex numbers assigned to them (PokéDex number 1 is assigned to Bulbasaur, while identifier 1 is assigned to Rhydon). The identifier, not the PokéDex number, must be used for cheat codes and in-game tricks like the Old Man Trick or Ditto Trick. This was fixed in the second generation. Item identifiers are relatively constant throughout generations (i.e. item ID 1 is always the Master Ball).
An identifier is also referred to as a "hex", due to the fact that identifiers are almost always represented in hexadecimal notation.