Pokémon Ribbons, Marks, and Titles

So, apparently there's this feature in Pokémon Gen 8 where if you send out a Pokémon, it sometimes has a title attached to its name. It turns out that what triggers these is ribbons and marks. So I decided to take a look through Pokémon history and see which ribbons exist and which ones trigger which titles. And then do the same for marks.

For starters, in Gen 3, beating the Champion and entering the Pokémon into the Hall of Fame gets you the Champion Ribbon. Note that this is the same ribbon regardless of whether you do it in Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald or FireRed/LeafGreen. A Pokémon with this ribbon will have the title "the Champion" in Gen 8.

Moving on to Gen 4, you can beat the Champions here as well and enter them into the Hall of Fame. Here, you'll get the Sinnoh Champion Ribbon. Note that this only occurs in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. No such ribbon is obtained in HeartGold/SoulSilver. A Pokémon with this ribbon will have the title "the Sinnoh Champion" in Gen 8.

Gen 5 didn't reward a ribbon for its Elite Four either. The next one was Gen 6, where we have two ribbons. The Kalos Champion Ribbon is obtained in X/Y, with the title "the Kalos Champion", and the Hoenn Champion Ribbon is obtained in Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, with the title "the Hoenn Champion".

Moving on to Gen 7, we can get the Alola Champion Ribbon here, and obtain the title "the Alola Champion". And of course, Gen 8 itself has the Galar Champion Ribbon, with the title "the Galar Champion".

That's all well and good for the easy-to-obtain ribbons. You get those for just beating the game which you were going to do anyways. But when most people think of ribbons, they think of Contests. So let's talk about Contests.

Starting with Gen 3, we get the Cool Ribbon, Cool Ribbon Super, Cool Ribbon Hyper, Cool Ribbon Master, Beauty Ribbon, Beauty Ribbon Super, Beauty Ribbon Hyper, Beauty Ribbon Master, Cute Ribbon, Cute Ribbon Super, Cute Ribbon Hyper, Cute Ribbon Master, Smart Ribbon, Smart Ribbon Super, Smart Ribbon Hyper, Smart Ribbon Master, Tough Ribbon, Tough Ribbon Super, Tough Ribbon Hyper, and Tough Ribbon Master.

These are the ribbons you get from winning each contest in each type and in each rank. Note that they are the same ribbons in Ruby/Sapphire as they are in Emerald, despite Emerald replacing most Contest Halls with Battle Tents.

Moving on to Gen 4, we have Super Contests here, and they have their own ribbons: Cool Ribbon, Cool Ribbon Great, Cool Ribbon Ultra, Cool Ribbon Master, Beauty Ribbon, Beauty Ribbon Great, Beauty Ribbon Ultra, Beauty Ribbon Master, Cute Ribbon, Cute Ribbon Great, Cute Ribbon Ultra, Cute Ribbon Master, Smart Ribbon, Smart Ribbon Great, Smart Ribbon Ultra, Smart Ribbon Master, Tough Ribbon, Tough Ribbon Great, Tough Ribbon Ultra, and Tough Ribbon Master.

In each case, these are completely separate ribbons from those in Gen 3, even though the Normal Rank and Master Rank ones share the same name. A Pokémon with these ribbons will keep these ribbons as they are transferred to Gen 3-5, but upon reaching Gen 6, they will be replaced with the Contest Memory Ribbon, which will also note how many Contest Ribbons it had, but regardless of number, it's the same ribbon. With one exception. If a Pokémon has all 40, then it gets a Contest Memory Ribbon that is, in fact, a different ribbon. In either case, the "less than 40" version only exists in Gen 6-7, and will be replaced with the 40 version in Gen 8. And the title that comes with it is "the Treasured Memory".

As for Gen 6, you can only obtain a ribbon in the Master Rank for Contest Spectaculars of Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire. The Coolness Master Ribbon earns you the title "the Former Star". The Beauty Master Ribbon earns you the title of "the Vintage Beauty". The Cuteness Master Ribbon earns you the title of "the Former Idol". The Cleverness Master Ribbon earns you the title of "the Historic Genius". And the Toughness Master Ribbon earns you the title of "the Formerly Buff".

If you manage to get all five Gen 6 contest ribbons on a single Pokémon, then that Pokémon will get the Contest Star Ribbon, and with it, the title of "the Shining Star" in Gen 8.

And now let's talk about the battle facilities found throughout the games.

Starting in Gen 3, we have the Battle Tower, where you can get the Winning Ribbon for clearing the Level 50 version of the Battle Tower, and the Victory Ribbon for clearing the Level 100 version (in Ruby/Sapphire) or the Open Level version (in Emerald).

Moving on to Gen 4, clearing the Battle Tower here (whether in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum or in HeartGold/SoulSilver) gets you the Ability Ribbon. If you continue through the Battle Tower, you'll eventually face the Tower Tycoon a second time, which will earn you the Great Ability Ribbon upon victory. Doing the Double Battle version of the Battle Tower will earn you the Double Ability Ribbon. Doing it in Multi Battles with NPC trainers will get you the Multi Ability Ribbon. Doing it in Multi Battles with other real-life players will get you the Pair Ability Ribbon. And in theory, doing it online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will get you the World Ability Ribbon. However, this service was shut down in May 2014, so this ribbon is no longer obtainable.

In any case, much like the contest ribbons, these ribbons will all stop existing after Gen 5. Going to Gen 6 will replace it with a Battle Memory Ribbon and a number denoting how many there were. If you have all eight on a single Pokémon, then you get a different version of the Battle Memory Ribbon, but other than that, all versions with fewer than 8 are the same. Upon transfer to Gen 8, the "less than 8" version will simply become the 8 version. And it gets the title "the Exciting Memory".

Gen 5 once again has no ribbons in this category, so we can skip right to Gen 6. You can obtain the Ribbons here from the Battle Maison, which can be found in either Kiloude City (in X/Y) or in the Battle Resort (in Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire). Either way, they reward the same ribbons. Defeating a Battle Chatelaine will earn you the Skillful Battler Ribbon and the title "the Veteran". Defeating a Battle Chatelaine in a Super Battle, on the other hand, will earn you an Expert Battler Ribbon and the title "the Master".

In Gen 7, we have the Battle Tree, and winning against a Battle Legend here gets you the Battle Tree Great Ribbon, which causes its bearer to hold the title of "the Tree Victor". And winning against a Battle Legend in a super battle? That will get you the Battle Tree Master Ribbon, which earns you the title of "the Tree Master".

Gen 8 just has the Battle Tower in Wyndon. Conquering the Master Ball tier here gets you the Tower Master Ribbon, and with it, the title of "the Tower Master".

And that's it for the ribbons that fit into nice easy categories: beat the game, do contests, and use battle facilities. All that's left is the miscellaneous category.

So... let's do it.

Starting in Gen 3, if you score a high score in a Master Rank Pokémon Contest, you can get your Pokémon's portrait placed in the Lilycove Museum. Doing this gets you the Artist Ribbon and the title "the Model for Paintings" in Gen 8.

If you manage to maximize your Pokémon's effort values out to 510, you can get the Effort Ribbon by talking to an NPC. This NPC can be found in Slateport Market in Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald, Sunyshore Market in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, Blackthorn City in HeartGold/SoulSilver, Laverre City Pokémon Fan Club in X/Y, Slateport Market in Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, the Battle Royal Dome in Sun/Moon and Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, and Hammerlocke in Sword/Shield. Note that it is not possible to obtain this ribbon in FireRed/LeafGreen or in Black/White or Black 2/White 2. The title that a Pokémon with this ribbon obtains in Gen 8 is "the Once Well-Trained".

So now let's talk about the days-of-the-week ribbons. In Gen 4 and Gen 6, there are NPCs that will give a ribbon to your Pokémon if it is the appropriate day of the week. Each day has a different ribbon, is given out by a different NPC, and is found in a different location. In X/Y, the story ends here. But in HeartGold/SoulSilver, there is one more wrinkle: the NPCs who give out these ribbons actually initially give out items to the player and will not give you the ribbons until you wait a week for them to appear once again. In Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, there is only a single NPC (Ribbon Belle at Mauville Hills) that gives out all of the ribbons, rather than different NPCs for each one. Additionally, in Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, the ribbon will be given to all of your Pokémon in your party, rather than just the first one. Diamond/Pearl/Platinum also have a single NPC, Julia in Sunyshore City, that gives out all the ribbons, but she only gives one to your lead Pokémon.

Monday is the Alert Ribbon, given out by Monica on Route 40 in HeartGold/SoulSilver, and a tourist in Hotel Ambrette in X/Y. In Gen 8, a Pokémon with this ribbon will bear the title "the Once Vigilant".

Tuesday is the Shock Ribbon, given out by Tuscany on Route 29 in HeartGold/SoulSilver, and a tourist in Hotel Camphrier in X/Y. In Gen 8, a Pokémon with this ribbon will bear the title "the Once Cowardly".

Wednesday is the Downcast Ribbon, given out by Wesley at the Lake of Rage in HeartGold/SoulSilver, and a tourist in Hotel Marine Snow in X/Y. In Gen 8, a Pokémon with this ribbon will bear the title "the Once Shaken".

Thursday is the Careless Ribbon, given out by Arthur on Route 36 in HeartGold/SoulSilver, and a tourist in Hotel Coumarine in X/Y. In Gen 8, a Pokémon with this ribbon will bear the title "the Once Imperfect".

Friday is the Relax Ribbon, given out by Frieda on Route 32 in HeartGold/SoulSilver, and a tourist in Hotel Couriway in X/Y. In Gen 8, a Pokémon with this ribbon will bear the title "the Once Well-Rested".

Saturday is the Snooze Ribbon, given out by Santos in Blackthorn City in HeartGold/SoulSilver, and a tourist in Hotel Cyllage in X/Y. In Gen 8, a Pokémon with this ribbon will bear the title "the Once Sleepy".

Sunday is the Smile Ribbon, given out by Sunny on Route 37 in HeartGold/SoulSilver, and a tourist in Hotel Coumarine in X/Y. In Gen 8, a Pokémon with this ribbon will bear the title "the Once Cheery".

Now let's talk about money. If you have a load of cash to spare and nothing to do with it, you can buy ribbons for your Pokémon at either the Ribbon Syndicate in Gen 4 or at Ritzy Ribbon Retail in Gen 6. You get the same ribbons regardless of which generation you obtain them in. The Gorgeous Ribbon will cost you $10,000 and earns your Pokémon the title "the Gorgeous". The Royal Ribbon will cost you $100,000 and earns your Pokémon the title "the Royal". And the Gorgeous Royal Ribbon will cost you $999,999 and earns your Pokémon the title of "the Gorgeous Royal".

Now let's talk about the Footprint Ribbon. You can obtain this from Dr. Footstep on Route 213 in Gen 4 by simply showing him a Pokémon whose friendship is maxed out. You can also obtain it in Shalour City (X/Y), the Battle Resort (Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire), or Hano Grand Resort (Sun/Moon and Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon). But in this case, rather than looking for maximum friendship, they're looking for a Pokémon whose level is at least 30 more than the level that you originally obtained it at. A Pokémon with this ribbon will earn the title "the Strutter" in Gen 8.

The Record Ribbon is another ribbon that is theoretically available in Gen 4. But... there's no way to actually obtain it. It exists in the game's code, but there is no way to obtain it. And it continues to exist in future games too. A hypothetical Pokémon with this ribbon would have the title "the Record Holder" in Gen 8. (Note that its placement in the code seems to imply that it was meant to be obtainable in-game, as it is separate from the event-only ribbons.)

And lastly for Gen 4 is the Legend Ribbon, which is obtained by all Pokémon that you use in the battle to defeat Red at Mt. Silver in HeartGold/SoulSilver. A Pokémon with this ribbon will gain the title "the Living Legend".

Moving on to Gen 6, the Best Friends Ribbon can be obtained by any Pokémon whose Affection is maxed out. It can be obtained in Prism Tower (X/Y), Mauville Hills (Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire), Malie City (Sun/Moon and Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon), or Hammerlocke (Sword/Shield). Either way, it's the same ribbon, and it will cause its bearer to hold the title of "the Great Friend".

If you use Super Training to train up your Pokémon, you can obtain the Training Ribbon in North Boulevard (X/Y) or Dewford Town (Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire), and give your Pokémon the title of "the Tired and True".

If your Pokémon has obtained victory in the Master Rank Battle Royal in Gen 7, then it is given the Battle Royal Master Ribbon, and with it, the title of "the Royal Master" upon transfer to Gen 8.

And lastly, if you can successfully win against a trainer in the Master Ball Tier of the Ranked Battles of Gen 8's Battle Stadium, you get the Master Rank Ribbon and with it, the title of "the Rank Master".

And now for the event-exclusive ribbons! The winners of Pokémon Festa 2004, 2005, and 2007 were each given the Country Ribbon. One of these Pokémon will obtain the title of "the Victor".

And then after that, we come to the release of the GameCube game Pokémon Colosseum. Here we get two event-only ribbons that are actually still obtainable. The first is the National Ribbon, which is given to any Shadow Pokémon that you obtain and then purify with the Relic Stone. You can also get it in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness by purifying a Shadow Pokémon there as well, either with the Relic Stone or with the Purify Chamber. In either case, however you obtain it, this ribbon bestows the title of "the Triumphant".

And, of course, in either of the GameCube games, you can run through Mt. Battle, and doing so will reward the Earth Ribbon, which will give you the title of "the 100x Victorious". Anyways, back to the ribbons that are actually unobtainable.

So Pokémon Festa 2004 and 2005's country winners each got the Country Ribbon, but only the world champion got the World Ribbon, which gives the title of "the World Conqueror".

Moving on to Gen 4, certain event Pokémon come with ribbons. These ribbons, and their titles, are as follows:

The Classic Ribbon gives the title of "Pokémon Fan". And the Premier Ribbon, given out during the holidays, gives the title of "the Celebratory". That's it for Gen 4, but moving on to Gen 5, we also have the Event Ribbon, with the title "the Festive", the Birthday Ribbon with the title "the Best Buddy" (it was given on special birthday event Pokémon), and then we get to a weird one. The Special Ribbon exists in Gen 5, but no Pokémon was ever distributed with it in Gen 5. You can find it on Pokémon distributed in Gen 6-7 though. Its title is "the Premium". The ribbon still exists in the code for Gen 5, but there is no way to legally obtain a Pokémon with it in that game. Anyways, continuing with Gen 5, we have the Souvenir Ribbon with the title "the Cherished", the Wishing Ribbon with the title "the Wish Granter", and the Battle Champion Ribbon with the title "the Battle Champion". After that, we come to more weird stuff: the Regional Champion Ribbon, the National Champion Ribbon, and the World Champion Ribbon. All of these have been coded in to all games starting with Gen 5, but are completely unobtainable. The Regional Champion Ribbon gives you the title of "the Regional Champion", the National Champion Ribbon gives you the title of "the National Champion", and the World Champion Ribbon gives you the title of "the World Champion". Several generations later, in Gen 7, we finally got the World Champion Ribbon on an event Krookodile based on the one used by World Champion Ryota Otsubo. So now this one is finally obtainable.

Those are all of the ribbons that exist. So now all that's left is the ones that don't exist! Wait, what?

Yeah, the ones that don't exist. These were coded into previous Pokémon games, but are no longer in the latest games. Obviously, you don't get titles for having these in Gen 8, since they don't exist in Gen 8. In all cases, these are completely unobtainable without hacking.

Gen 3 gave us the Marine Ribbon, the Land Ribbon, and the Sky Ribbon. These continued to exist in Gen 4, but are no longer in Gen 5-onwards.

Gen 4 also has the History Ribbon, the Red Ribbon, the Green Ribbon, the Blue Ribbon, the Festival Ribbon, and the Carnival Ribbon. These do not exist in any generations other than Gen 4.

And that's it, all the ribbons!

But we're not done yet, because Gen 8 introduced a new mechanic: marks. Unlike ribbons, you can't just put a mark on any Pokémon you want to. Either the Pokémon had a mark when you obtained it, or it did not. A Pokémon will NEVER have a mark if it was hatched from an Egg or encountered in a Max Raid Battle. But other than that, any Pokémon that you encounter has a chance of having a mark, though the odds are unlikely. You can triple your chances of encountering one if you have the Mark Charm key item, which can be obtained by completing your Pokédex on the Isle of Armor. The numbers that I present below are assuming you do not have the Mark Charm. If you have it, triple all of the numbers that I say from now on.

So, first up, we have the Lunchtime Mark, the Sleepy-Time Mark, the Dusk Mark, and the Dawn Mark. These have a 1/50 chance of appearing at a specific time of day. Lunchtime is for the afternoon (12pm to 7pm), Sleepy-Time is for the night (8pm to 6am), Dusk is for the evening (7pm to 8pm), and Dawn is for the morning (6am to 12pm).

A Pokémon with a Lunchtime Mark receives the title "the Peckish". A Pokémon with a Sleepy-Time Mark receives the title "the Sleepy". A Pokémon with a Dusk Mark receives the title "the Dozy". A Pokémon with a Dawn Mark receives the title "the Early Riser".

Next, let's look at weather. You have a 1/50 chance of getting a Pokémon with the Cloudy Mark if it is cloudy, the Rainy Mark during rain, the Stormy Mark during a thunderstorm, the Snowy Mark during snow, the Blizzard Mark during a blizzard, the Dry Mark during harsh sunlight, the Sandstorm Mark during a sandstorm, and the Misty Mark during fog.

A Pokémon with a Cloudy Mark receives the title "the Cloud Watcher". A Pokémon with a Rainy Mark receives the title "the Sodden". A Pokémon with a Stormy Mark receives the title "the Thunderstruck". A Pokémon with a Snowy Mark receives the title "the Snow Frolicker". A Pokémon with a Blizzard Mark receives the title "the Shivering". A Pokémon with a Dry Mark receives the title "the Parched". A Pokémon with a Sandstorm Mark receives the title "the Sandswept". A Pokémon with a Misty Mark receives the title "the Mist Drifter".

Next up is the Destiny Mark. No one has been able to obtain a Pokémon with this mark, so it is theorized to be event-only, and said events have not happened yet. A Pokémon with the Destiny Mark carries the title "the Chosen One".

Next up is the Fishing Mark. This has a 1/25 chance of showing up while you're fishing. A Pokémon with the Fishing Mark will be given the title "the Catch of the Day".

After that, we come to the Curry Mark. Any Pokémon that comes to your Pokémon Camp after you cook curry will have this mark. This is a 100% chance. A Pokémon with this mark will be given the title "the Curry Connoisseur".

Next up is the Uncommon Mark and the Rare Mark. These can show up on any encounter, with the Uncommon Mark having a 1/50 chance of appearing, and the Rare Mark having a 1/1000 chance. A Pokémon with an Uncommon Mark is given the title "the Sociable" and a Pokémon with a Rare Mark is given the title "the Recluse".

And then we come to the miscellaneous marks, which is the majority of them. These can each show up on any encounter with a chance of (1/28)/100. The marks, and their corresponding titles, are as follows:

A Pokémon with a Rowdy Mark is "the Rowdy". A Pokémon with an Absent-Minded Mark is "the Spacey". A Pokémon with a Jittery Mark is "the Anxious". A Pokémon with an Excited Mark is "the Giddy". A Pokémon with a Charismatic Mark is "the Radiant". A Pokémon with a Calmness Mark is "the Serene". A Pokémon with an Intense Mark is "the Feisty". A Pokémon with a Zoned-Out Mark is "the Daydreamer". A Pokémon with a Joyful Mark is "the Joyful". A Pokémon with an Angry Mark is "the Furious". A Pokémon with a Smiley Mark is "the Beaming". A Pokémon with a Teary Mark is "the Teary-Eyed". A Pokémon with an Upbeat Mark is "the Chipper". A Pokémon with a Peeved Mark is "the Grumpy". A Pokémon with an Intellectual Mark is "the Scholar". A Pokémon with a Ferocious Mark is "the Rampaging". A Pokémon with a Crafty Mark is "the Opportunist". A Pokémon with a Scowling Mark is "the Stern". A Pokémon with a Kindly Mark is "the Kindhearted". A Pokémon with a Flustered Mark is "the Easily Flustered". A Pokémon with a Pumped-Up Mark is "the Driven". A Pokémon with a Zero Energy Mark is "the Apathetic". A Pokémon with a Prideful Mark is "the Arrogant". A Pokémon with an Unsure Mark is "the Reluctant". A Pokémon with a Humble Mark is "the Humble". A Pokémon with a Thorny Mark is "the Pompous". A Pokémon with a Vigor Mark is "the Lively". And lastly, a Pokémon with a Slump Mark is "the Worn-Out".

And that's all the marks, and with it, all the titles.

Here's a chart detailing this information:

Quick note on how to read this chart: a cell that displays "Yes" or "No" simply indicates whether it is possible to legally obtain a Pokémon with that ribbon in that generation, including via events. But the ribbon existing in the game's code of that generation is enough to warrant a definitive "Yes" or "No", so a "No" ribbon can still be obtained by transferring from a previous generation. If the ribbon is not in the game's code at all, then the cell will be blank.