Where did my Pokémon go?

Question

This thread is designed to assist you in finding any Pokemon that seems to have gone missing. Please point out errors/omissions with a comment.

This question is a member of the common repeat question list. This means that any new questions which could be resolved using the contents of this thread will be closed. However, if, after reading the guide below, your issue is not resolved, then you may post a new question indicating this.

Comments

Finally, a thread for this.

Answer 1

In normal circumstances, the only situation in which your Pokemon will actually be gone is if you release it. Below is a list of every place your Pokemon could be.

• Your Pokemon is in the PC: Check every box in your PC multiple times. If you play a modern game, the PC has a search feature that you can sort by species.
• Your Pokemon is in your party: If you've been obsessively checking your PC then you might have forgotten to check the most obvious place.
• Your Pokemon is at the daycare/ nursery: Remember to check both if you're playing FR/LG or OR/AS.
• You traded, transferred, or released your Pokemon: It's unlikely that this has happened without you knowing, but it is possible.
• Your Pokemon is in Poke Pelago or at a Poke Job: If your Pokemon is at Isle Evelup or Isle Avue (in S/M/US/UM) or at a Poke Job (in SW/SH), they will not be in your party or in a PC box.
• Your Pokemon is fused: This only applies to Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyruem, Solgaleo, Lunala, Necrozma, Glastrier, Spectrier, and Calyrex. Reshiram/Zekrom can be fused with Kyruem to form White/Black Kyruem, and Solgaleo/Lunala can be fused with Necroza to form Dusk Mane/Dawn Wings Necrozma. Glastrier/Spectrier can be fused with Calyrex to form Ice Rider/Ghost Rider Calyrex.
• Your Pokemon is in the GTS: If you have deposited a Pokemon into the GTS and nobody has traded for it yet, you can take it out.
• Your Pokemon is in Pokemon Home/Bank: If using Home, you can open your profile -> Notebook to see a transaction history. Remember this is a cloud service and changes may not sync immediately. Pokemon from X/Y, OR/AS, S/M, and US/UM can be deposited into Pokemon Bank. You can also transfer Pokemon from B/W, B2/W2, and the Generation 1 and 2 Virtual Console games to Pokemon Bank, but you cannot bring them back into those games. Pokemon from LG:P/E and SW/SH can be deposited into Pokemon Home. Pokemon can be deposited into Home form Bank, but they cannot be transferred back into Bank once in Home.
• Your Pokemon is in the Pokewalker: Pokemon in HG/SS can be put into the Pokewalker. Pokemon in the Pokewalker cannot be accessed from the game.
• Your Pokemon is in the PokeBall+: In LG:P/E, you could deposit a Pokemon inside your PokeBall+. This Pokemon will not appear in-game.
• You didn't save after obtaining your Pokemon: Not much can be done about this.

Answer 2

If you caught a Pokemon, but closed the game without ever saving since then, it could be lost forever with nothing you can do about it now.

They could be in Poke Pelago (Isle Evelup/Isle Avue) or a Poke Job, where you have to go retrieve them before they can go back to your party or a PC box.

If you have a fused Kyurem or Necrozma, the data for the consumed Reshiram, Zekrom, Solgaleo, or Lunala is stored in a similar spot to where the game keeps track of your day care deposits. You'll have to use the un-fusion version of the item to get that back.

If you deposit something in the GTS, but no one has redeemed your trade yet, it's possible for you to go back there and retrieve your Pokemon--until you do so, it will be locked away in your GTS slot, not accessible from the PC.