Hardcore Pokémon Level Caps & Terrain Guide

Weather Restrictions
Level Caps
Focus Sash & Focus Items from Quests
About the Sheet
Ability Changes
Notes and References

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Weather Restrictions

Weather / Terrain set by the AI's Pokémon is permanent. Defog, Steel Roller, Ice Spinner and Splintered Stormshards do not remove terrain.

Electric Seed is unobtainable from wild Pokémon before beating Lt. Surge. Misty Seed is unobtainable from wild Pokémon before beating Sabrina.

Psychic Seed is unobtainable from wild Pokémon before beating Koga.

Your follower Pokémon cannot pick up an Eject Button in Power Plant.

The first four Level Caps are different (see the Level Caps below).

The location of Charizardite Y and Charizardite X are swapped.

The location of Gardevoirite and Cameruptite are swapped.

Rapid Spin does not boost speed. Moves that have a chance to Omniboost can't give boosts to the player.

Shedinja is unobtainable.

The player cannot find wild Pokémon with Egg Moves in Raid Dens or by searching with the DexNav. Weakness Policy, Throat Spray, Air Balloon and Weather Rocks are unobtainable.

Booster Energy won't spawn in Cerulean Cave.

Psyshock TM is given by Sabrina and not found on Underground Path.

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Level Caps

Pre-Brock (16)
Pre-Mt. Moon Archer (23)
Pre-Misty (28)
Pre-Lt. Surge (36)
Pre-Erika (44)
Pre-Game Corner Giovanni (47)
Pre-Silph Co. Archer & Ariana (56)
Pre-Giovanni Silph Co. (57)
Pre-Sabrina (59)
Pre-Koga (68)
Pre-May (73)
Pre-Blaine (76)
Pre-Cerulean Cave Archer & Ariana (79)
Pre-Cerulean Cave Giovanni (80)
Pre-Clair (81)
Pre-Brendan (82)
Pre-Elite 4 (85)
Post Game (100)

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Focus Sash & Focus Items from Quests

Show a Pokémon with 125+ base stat in the respective stat. For example, Chuck requests a Pokémon with strong attack; present a mon with 125+ base attack such as Terrakion. This section describes how to identify and present qualifying Pokémon to satisfy quest criteria and how these selections influence subsequent battles and team composition.

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About the Sheet

All of the trainer info in this sheet should be 100% accurate, because it was either obtained via byte copying and using the Stat Scanner, or thanks to source code data. Even if something looks very wrong, that is how it is in-game. Though, feel free to report text typos if you ever find those. All of the opposing Pokémon's moves in this sheet are PP maxed. Generally, if a Pokémon has Gyro Ball in its moveset or is part of a Trick Room team, you can safely assume it has zero speed IVs. Rival's chosen starter determines what team he gets. If he has the Squirtle team, that means the player chose a Fire-type starter Pokémon. Since Hardcore Mode auto-enables Minimal Grinding Mode, opponents don't have EVs. Except for one specific case which is the Ghost Marowak, having 252 HP EVs. All speed stats are determined based on the point when you're expected to battle with the trainer at that specific juncture in the game.

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Ability Changes

BANNED -> CHANGE BANNED -> CHANGE BANNED -> CHANGE

Drought -> Sheer Force Orichalcum Pulse -> Protosynthesis Tyranitar -> Intimidate Desolate Land Hadron Engine -> Quark Drive (Sand Stream)

Grassy Surge -> Self Sufficient

Speed Boost -> Infiltrator Mega Tyranitar -> Intimidate Seed Sower Imposter -> Limber (Sand Stream)

Sand Stream -> Sand Force Magic Bounce -> Magic Guard Mega Blaziken

-> Striker Sand Spit Blazing Soul -> Flash Fire (Speed Boost)

Drizzle -> Adaptability

Triage -> Natural Cure Spinda Keeps Contrary Primordial Sea Trace -> Synchronize

Defiant -> Clear Body Stamina -> Inner Focus Gigalith

-> Solid Rock Competitive Contrary -> Bad Company (Sand Stream)

Misty Surge -> Telepathy Psychic Surge -> Dazzling Comfey Keeps Triage Electric Surge Snow Warning -> Slush Rush

Moxie -> Unnerve

Toxic Debris -> Corrosion Rillaboom

-> Intimidate Chilling Neigh Anger Shell -> Regenerator (Grassy Terrain)

Grim Neigh Espathra Keeps Speed Boost Soul-Heart

Beast Boost

BANNED MOVES TOXIC & LEECH SEED ALLOWED

These Pokémon are considered subpar compared to others, yet are allowed to learn Toxic and Leech Seed, Aqua Step, Charge Beam, Acid Armor, Charm if they could already learn these moves outside of Restricted/Hardcore Mode: Fell Stinger, Electro Shot, Agility, Court Change, Butterfree, Sudowoodo, Bastiodon, Maractus, Shiinotic, Flame Charge, Esper, Wing, Amnesia, Decorate, Power-Up Punch, Fiery Dance, Autotomize, Destiny Bond, Raticate, Magcargo, Wormadam, Garbodor, Minior-Core, Scale Shot, Meteor Beam, Barrier, Leech Seed, Skull Bash, Spit Up, Belly Drum.

TERRAIN HAZARDS

Clangorous Soul Powder

Chilly Reception

Spikes

Coil

Psych Up

Parasect

Mightyena

Cherrim

Emolga

Thievul

Electric Terrain

Stealth Rock

Sticky Web

Sands

Mist

Misty Terrain

Toxic Spikes

Cotton Guard

Snatch

Electric Terrain

Grassy Terrain

Misty Terrain

Psychic Terrain

Sandstorm

Snow

Trick Room

Growth

Wide Guard

Harden

Persian-A

Spinda

Lumineon

Druddigon

Pincurchin

Hone Claws

Howl

Vileplume

Castform

Abomasnow

Vivillon

Eiscue

COOLING NOTES

THE ABOVE CHANGES ARE APPLIED ACROSS BATTLE SCENARIOS FOR HARDCORE MODE, INCLUDING REMATCHES AND ELITE FOUR CHALLENGES.
ADDITIONAL NOTES COVER STARTERS, GYM LEADERS, AND MAJOR BATTLE EFFECTS INCLUDING CERTAIN TERRAIN MODIFIERS AND WEATHER ASSIST.

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Notes and tips for navigating this guide: the document is a comprehensive compendium featuring hundreds of trainer pages, battle setups, and stat blocks. The data captures level caps, terrain effects, seed item availability, and a variety of battle mechanics tuned for Hardcore Mode. The reader should interpret these sections as reference material for planning run-throughs, strategy development, and in-game decision making under restricted conditions.

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References

Hardcore Mode restrictions and level caps overview
Seed item unavailability and terrain permanence notes
Quest based focus sash and item distribution rules
Terrain hazards and gym leader configurations

End of guide.