If you think completing the National Pokédex means collecting 1,025 Pokémon, think again. A proper living Pokédex - one entry per storable form stored in a single location - actually demands 1,389 distinct entries, according to a detailed breakdown by Pocket Tactics drawing on PokéPC's National Living Dex Guide.
What Is a Living Pokédex?
A living dex is a complete collection of one of every Pokémon stored in one place. Because no single game's storage can realistically hold every variant, most serious collectors rely on Pokémon HOME as the central hub. The premium plan for Pokémon HOME carries a subscription fee and offers greater storage capacity, allowing players to deposit up to 6,000 Pokémon. That ceiling is more than enough for a living dex - but filling it is another matter entirely.
Why the Count Jumps from 1,025 to 1,389
The gap of 364 extra entries comes from several sources. Not every form counts: temporary transformations like Mega Evolutions and Dynamax forms are excluded because they revert when the Pokémon enters a box. That rules out Meloetta's form change, and means Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina each count for only one entry despite their alternate forms.
The forms that do count stack up fast:
| Category | Notable Example | Extra Entries |
|---|---|---|
| Legendary formes | Deoxys (4 forms) | High per species |
| Incarnate/Therian | Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus, Enamorus | x2 each |
| Regional variants | 55 species across Alola, Galar, Hisui, Paldea | 55+ extras |
| Color/pattern variants | Vivillon (20 patterns), Alcremie (63 combos) | Dozens |
| Gender differences | Pikachu heart tail, Wobuffet lipstick, etc. | Scattered throughout |
Regional variants alone span four regions introduced since Sun and Moon, and some species like Meowth have multiple regional forms across different generations.
The Rotom, Alcremie, and Spinda Problem
Some Pokémon contribute a surprising number of entries on their own. Six different Rotom appliance forms, 20 Vivillon wing patterns, and Alcremie's 63 flavor-and-decoration combinations are all naturally occurring variants that must be tracked separately. Squawkabilly adds four color variants to the pile.
Then there is Spinda. The spiral-eyed Pokémon is technically unique in every individual encounter - its spot pattern is generated by underlying code that produces over 4.2 billion possible combinations. Most living dex trackers sensibly count just one Spinda, or the nine patterns available in Pokémon GO, but completionists are warned.
Shiny Living Dex: Double the Work
Collectors who also want a living shiny dex on top of their standard one must essentially double their workload, since every storable form has a shiny variant. On the Premium Plan, up to 6,000 Pokémon can be deposited in 200 boxes named "HOME 1" through "HOME 200", which can be freely organized. That storage cap accommodates both a full living dex (1,389 entries) and a shiny mirror of it with room to spare - assuming you can find them all.
Cap Pikachus - the event-costume variants - are excluded from the 1,389 figure; including them pushes the total to roughly 1,400.
What This Means for Collectors
The 1,389-entry figure underscores just how ambitious a living dex project really is, especially with Pokémon Legends: Z-A expected to introduce new Hisuian-style regional forms or variants that could push the total higher still. For anyone starting fresh, Pokémon HOME's premium tier is a near-mandatory investment.
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