"Pokemon Sun and Moon" fans wearing Pikachu shaped sun visors celebrate the Pikachu Outbreak event hosted by the Pokemon Company. (Photo : Getty Images/ Andrew H. Walker)
Illegal Pokemon in "Pokemon Sun and Moon" have led to the ban of nearly 6,000 accounts from the game. Such banning is a consequence of either hacking Pokemon or merely possessing them.
According to Digital Trends, those primarily targeted are players who hack Pokemon. To cherry pick hackers from legit "Pokemon Sun and Moon" players, The Pokemon Company is using one's possessed altered save data.
Altered save data is any Pokemon that was either not supposed to be in "Sun and Moon," or one added via alternative means. When a player uploads a modded Pokemon, they break the user agreement, thus putting guilty trainers at risk of getting banned from the game.
The latest ban is preventing players from using "Pokemon Sun and Moon's" online functionality. Technically, when they try to access the restricted modes, they will get an error code.
The error reads "The connection to the Pokémon Global Link from this saved data has been denied. (Error Code: 090-0212)." If one gets a similar message, they should know they are banned. The ban represents the first wave of bans which The Pokemon Company plans to enforce in the near future.
Although the focus lies on those hacking Pokemon, the mere possibility of receiving a hacked Pokemon through online trade puts those possessing contraband Pokémon at risk. Thankfully, unassuming players possessing illegal Pokemon are at a lower risk of getting banned.
The Pokemon Company had already flagged out Illegal Pokémon in "Sun and Moon, " but it appears that there is much work to do in the identification of legal viruses versus illegal pocket monsters. According to Kotaku, since the launch of the game, there have been few cases of legitimate Pokemon getting banned without notice. Players hope that something will be done to protect genuine fans from that.
Meanwhile, the company announced that it is planning on taking similar measures on a regular basis in the battle of wiping out "Pokemon Sun and Moon" cheaters. Bans are expected to become much severe if further restrictions are imposed for those who persist on cheating.
Before applying any cheat or trick on the game, players are advised to consult the "Pokemon Sun and Moon" instruction manual unless they want to risk it all. Here is what it looks like to be banned from the game:
