Error message

In the core series Pokémon games, like in any other piece of, there are several s for when an unintended behavior occurs.

Generation I


In the Generation I games, there are several error codes with the format (x) ERROR. or (x) error. (Japanese: (x)エラー) that usually appear as result of glitches. They are commonly triggered when the game prints an internal 0x00 byte in the middle of a text string. In most cases, the number in the code is the index number of the text box that contains the 0x00 byte. When an error code is printed on-screen, the game ignores all following text.

The memory address $FF8C usually stores the identifier of the text box after the message is closed. When displaying Game Corner prizes, it is used to store the current window. Error codes can also appear during Trainer escape glitches. For example, in, fleeing from the long-range on , re-enabling the ability to use the menu with a Trainer in a location other than Route 6, and returning to Route 6 after reading the Poké Mart signpost in Vermilion City will bring up a "9 ERROR." This is because said signpost has index number 0x09 stored in the memory address $CF13. Upon returning to Route 6, the game attempts to print text box 0x09 but the corresponding text for Route 6 doesn't exist and is presumably just a single 0x00 byte, so the game prints a "9 ERROR."

Due to the fact that Generation I games were never designed to use text boxes with an index number greater than 0x63, error codes from text boxes with index number 0x64 and higher will display using a tile rather than a number.

Mixed error codes
"Mixed error codes" is a misnomer for false error codes that can appear to have large numbers. In glitch dialog, numbers can precede the 0x00 byte that prints an error code, giving the impression that the error code ID is larger than it actually is. For example, it is not possible to have a "9991234 error"; that message is either "99912" followed by 34 error, or "999123" followed by 4 error. This effect can be combined with the error code IDs of text boxes with index number 0x64 or higher mentioned above.

Generation II
The Generation II games still have the original error code system from Generation I with the exact same format; in English versions, the text is rendered as "(x)Df-" due to the Japanese string エラー (error) not being translated. These error codes are commonly seen while browsing through corrupted Mail or after performing the Trainer House glitch.

Generation II also features a more detailed method of handling errors compared to Generation I, although error messages are uncommon in-game without cheating devices.

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