What a PID is and why it matters in PKHeX

A PID (Product ID) is a unique number assigned to every Pokémon in the games. PKHeX is an editing tool that lets you view and modify Pokémon data on your computer, and the PID controls things like a Pokémon's nature, shininess, and gender. If you edit a Pokémon's stats or appearance in PKHeX without updating the PID to match, the game may reject it as invalid when you transfer it back.

Setting a legal PID means generating a number that follows the game's rules — one that produces the nature, gender, and shiny status you actually want. PKHeX can do this automatically, but you need to know where the button is and what to do before you press it.

Key Takeaways

  • The PID is a number that determines a Pokémon's nature, gender, and whether it appears shiny, and it must match those traits or the game will reject the Pokémon.
  • PKHeX has a button labeled "Regenerate" that creates a legal PID based on the nature, gender, and shiny status you have already set.
  • You should set the nature, gender, and shiny status first, then regenerate the PID, not the other way around.
  • If you are editing a Pokémon that came from your own save file, you can usually leave the PID alone unless you changed the nature or gender.

Finding the Regenerate button in PKHeX

Open PKHeX and load the Pokémon you want to edit. On the main editing screen, look at the left side of the window where the Pokémon's basic stats are listed. You will see fields for Nature, Gender, Shiny, and other traits. Below or near these fields, you should see a button labeled Regenerate or sometimes Regenerate PID. The exact position varies slightly depending on your PKHeX version, but it is always in the stats section on the left half of the screen.

If you cannot find it when ready, scroll down in that left panel — the button may be below the visible area. You can also use the search function (Ctrl+F on Windows, Cmd+F on Mac) and type "Regenerate" to jump to it.

Setting nature, gender, and shiny status before regenerating

The PID is calculated from three things: the nature you want, the gender you want, and whether the Pokémon should be shiny. Before you click Regenerate, make sure all three of these are already set to what you want.

Click the Nature dropdown and choose the nature (Adamant, Timid, Modest, and so on). Then click the Gender dropdown and pick Male, Female, or Genderless depending on the species and what you want. If you want the Pokémon to be shiny, check the Shiny checkbox. Once all three are correct, then click Regenerate.

If you regenerate first and then change the nature afterward, the PID will no longer match, and the Pokémon will be invalid. Always set these three things first.

What happens when you click Regenerate

When you click the Regenerate button, PKHeX calculates a new PID number that produces the exact nature, gender, and shiny status you just set. The number itself appears in a field labeled PID (usually shown in hexadecimal, which looks like a mix of numbers and letters). You do not need to type this number yourself — PKHeX generates it automatically and fills it in.

After regeneration, the Pokémon is now legal according to the game's rules. The nature will produce the correct stat changes, the gender will display correctly, and if you checked Shiny, the Pokémon will appear shiny in the game.

When you do not need to regenerate

If you are editing a Pokémon that you caught or bred yourself and exported from your own save file, the PID is already correct. You only need to regenerate it if you change the nature, gender, or shiny status. If you are just adjusting stats, moves, or items, leave the PID alone.

Regenerating unnecessarily does not hurt anything, but it is not needed. The main reason to regenerate is after you have edited the nature, gender, or shiny setting and want to make sure the PID matches those changes.

Checking that your PID is legal

After you regenerate, PKHeX will usually show a green checkmark or no error message if the PID is legal. If you see a red X or an error that mentions the PID, it means something went wrong — usually that the nature, gender, or shiny status is impossible for that species (for example, a Pokémon that is always male cannot be set to female).

If you get an error, check that the nature, gender, and shiny combination is actually possible for that Pokémon species. Some species are always one gender, and some cannot be shiny. If the combination is impossible, change one of the settings and regenerate again.

Transferring your edited Pokémon back to the game

Once the PID is legal and you see no error messages, you can save your changes and export the Pokémon back to your save file. PKHeX will write the new PID along with all your other edits. When you load the save file in the game, the Pokémon will have the correct nature, gender, shiny status, and all the other changes you made.

If you did not regenerate the PID after changing the nature or gender, the game may reject the Pokémon or it may accept it but display the wrong nature or gender. Regenerating before you export prevents these problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the PID number actually look like?

The PID is displayed as a hexadecimal number, which uses digits 0–9 and letters A–F. It looks something like "A1B2C3D4". You do not need to understand what it means — PKHeX calculates it for you. The only thing that matters is that it matches your nature, gender, and shiny settings.

Can I manually type in a PID instead of regenerating?

Technically yes, but you should not. If you type a random number, it almost certainly will not match your nature and gender, and the Pokémon will be invalid. The Regenerate button exists specifically so you do not have to guess. Always use Regenerate unless you have a specific PID from another source that you know is correct.

What if I want to keep the original PID from my save file?

If you did not change the nature, gender, or shiny status, the original PID is already correct and you should leave it alone. Do not click Regenerate. Only regenerate if you actually changed one of those three settings.

Does regenerating the PID change anything else about the Pokémon?

No. Regenerating only changes the PID number itself. It does not affect moves, stats, items, level, or any other data. The only things it controls are nature, gender, and shiny status — and only to make sure the PID matches what you already set.

Why does the game reject my Pokémon even after I regenerated?

The most common reason is that you regenerated, then changed the nature or gender afterward without regenerating again. The PID no longer matches. Go back, make sure nature and gender are what you want, and regenerate one more time. If you still see errors, check that the nature-gender-shiny combination is actually possible for that species.