published on June 18, 2024 in game

List of permanently missable items

This is a list of items in the Pokémon games that can be permanently missed.

This page does not include items that are missed by choosing another item (such as mutually exclusive Fossils), items missable due to exploiting glitches, nor event items. Furthermore, items that can no longer be obtained after the internal battery of Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald runs dry are also excluded.

In the core series games

Kanto

Professor Oak's Laboratory

In the Generation I and III games, five Poké Balls can be obtained from Professor Oak after defeating the rival on Route 22 if the player has no Poké Balls in the bag and has added no caught data to the Pokédex aside from first partner Pokémon.

S.S. Anne

Port

This item can only be obtained if Surf is used while the S.S. Anne is still in Vermilion Harbor. Once the S.S. Anne leaves, the player cannot access the area in which Surf must be used again.

Ship

In the Generation I games, FireRed, LeafGreen, Let's Go, Pikachu!, and Let's Go, Eevee! after obtaining HM01 (Cut)RB YFRLG/learning Chop DownPE and leaving the S.S. Anne, it sets sail.

In the Generation I games, exploiting a glitch can allow the player to board the S.S. Anne after it has left. In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, the player can receive extra Poké Balls for defeating the Trainers on the ship, but if the player doesn't battle a Trainer before learning the Secret Technique from the captain, that Trainer will act as if already defeated and cannot be battled.

	Location	Games
Hyper Potion	B1F, on the trash can in the lower right corner (hidden)	FR LG
Max Potion	B1F, in the first room from the right	R B Y
Super Potion	B1F, in the first room from the right	FR LG
Ether	B1F, in the third room from the right	R B Y FR LG
Full Heal	B1F, in the third room from the right (item closer to the door)	P E
Elixir	B1F, in the third room from the right (item further from the door)	P E
TM44 (Rest)	B1F, in the fourth room from the right	R B Y FR LG
Super Potion	B1F, in the fourth room from the right	P E
Hyper Potion	B1F, in the fifth room from the right, in the lower left cornerRG or on the bed's pillowRB Y (hidden)	R B Y
TM08 (Body Slam)	1F, in the second room from the left	R B Y
TM31 (Brick Break)	1F, in the second room from the left	FR LG
Paralyze Heal	1F, in the second room from the left	P E
Great Ball	Kitchen, in the lower left corner	FR LG
Super Repel	Kitchen, in the lower left corner	P E
Great Ball	Kitchen, on the lowest trash can (hidden)	R B Y
Chesto Berry	Kitchen, on the lowest trash can (hidden)	FR LG
Tiny Mushroom	Kitchen, on the lowest trash can (hidden)	P E
Cheri Berry	Kitchen, on the middle trash can (hidden)	FR LG
Pecha Berry	Kitchen, on the on the uppermost trash can (hidden)	FR LG
Max Ether	2F, in the second room from the left	R B Y
Stardust	2F, in the second room from the left	FR LG
Revive	2F, in the second room from the left	P E
Rare Candy	2F, in the fourth room from the left	R B Y
X Attack	2F, in the fourth room from the left	FR LG
Nugget	2F, in the fourth room from the left	P E
Pinap Berry ×3	Deck, under the lower left table (hidden)	P E
Poké Ball ×36	Reward for defeating Trainers on the ship	P E

Silph Co.

In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, if the player hasn't defeated Juggler Dalton before defeating Giovanni at the top floor of the Silph Co., he will disappear from the building, along with the rest of the Trainers associated with Team Rocket, and the three Poké Balls he hands out upon being beaten become unobtainable.

Johto

Mahogany Town

In the Generation II games, the Slowpoke Tail can be bought for $9800 in Just a Souvenir Shop prior to speaking to Lance at the Lake of Rage. Once Lance opens the secret entrance to the Team Rocket HQ, the salesman no longer sells anything, and once the player has cleared the HQ, the Slowpoke Tail is not a part of the new merchant's selection of buyable items. The tail isn't available for sale at the shop at any point during Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, even though it exists in the game's coding.

Just a Souvenir Shop

Hoenn

Trick House

After clearing a room, the Trick Master rebuilds the puzzle room into the next one. After clearing the final room, the Trick Master leaves and the player cannot access the puzzle room anymore.

	Location	Games
Orange Mail	Puzzle 1, in middle area of the maze (requires Cut)	R S
Orange Mail	Puzzle 1, in the north part of the maze, west of the exit (requires Cut)	E
Lava Cookie ×2	Puzzle 1, in middle-left area of the maze (requires Cut) Puzzle 1, in top-left part of the maze (requires Cut)	OR AS
Wave Mail	Puzzle 2, near entrance	R S E
Harbor Mail	Puzzle 2, far northeast corner of room	R S
Harbor Mail	Puzzle 2, middle area of room, past the second hole	E
Rage Candy Bar ×2	Puzzle 2, far southeast corner of the room, past Schoolkid Georgie (requires Rock Smash) Puzzle 2, near Black Belt Yuji after defeating him in battle	OR AS
Wood Mail	Puzzle 3, near Picnicker Martha	R S
Wood Mail	Puzzle 3, far northwest corner, past sliding door	E
Shadow Mail	Puzzle 3, near Hiker Alan	R S
Shadow Mail	Puzzle 3, behind Picnicker Martha	E
Lumiose Galette ×2	Puzzle 3, behind the wall beyond Ace Duo Pike & Shiel Puzzle 3, north of the password scroll	OR AS
Mech Mail	Puzzle 4, near Black Belt Yuji	R S
Mech Mail	Puzzle 4, near Battle Girl Cora	E
Casteliacone ×2	Puzzle 4, north of the entrance (requires Strength) Puzzle 4, south of the exit, next to a three-boulder Strength puzzle (requires Strength)	OR AS
Old Gateau ×2	Puzzle 5, between Mechadoll 2 and Mechadoll 3 Puzzle 5, next to door to prize room	OR AS
Glitter Mail	Puzzle 6, near exit of room	R S
Glitter Mail	Puzzle 6, in the southeast part of the maze	E
Shalour Sable ×2	Puzzle 6, northwestern corner of the room Puzzle 6, southeastern corner of the room	OR AS
Tropic Mail	Puzzle 7, to the right of Hex Maniac Patricia	R S
Tropic Mail	Puzzle 7, in center of room, via transport tile	E
Bead Mail	Puzzle 8, between the upper and lower area	R S
Bead Mail	Puzzle 8, northwest area of room	E
Nugget	Prize room, under the Trick Master's cushion after completing Puzzle 8 (hidden)	R S E
Big Nugget	Prize room, under the Trick Master's cushion after completing Puzzle 6 (hidden)	OR AS

Magma and Aqua Hideouts

In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the entrance to the Magma HideoutR or the Aqua HideoutS is sealed after defeating Tate and Liza.

	Location	Games
Master Ball	Middle room on 2nd floor, the top-left item a cluster of two real and two fake items, just after a maze of teleports	R S
Nugget	The bottom-left item in the same cluster as the Master Ball	R S
Max Elixir	Near generator-like thing on 2nd floor, accessible with right teleport near stairs	R S
Nest Ball	West-middle room on 3rd floor	R S

Sky Pillar

In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, when Rayquaza has appeared and wants to battle the player, Zinnia will give the player an Ultra Ball if they have no Poké Balls (of any kind) in their Bag.

Sinnoh

Lake Valor

In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl, Lake Valor is initially drained by a Galactic Bomb, allowing the player to walk across the lakebed. After Dialga, Palkia, or Giratina has been caught or defeated, the lake is refilled and the player can no longer access the HP Up on the lakebed.

Unova

N's Castle

In Pokémon Black and White, the player cannot access N's Castle after defeating Ghetsis.

Alola

Altar of the Sunne/Moone

In Pokémon Sun and Moon, when battling SolgaleoS/LunalaM at the Altar of the SunneS/Altar of the MooneM, if the player has no Poké Balls (of any kind) in their Bag after defeating or running from Solgaleo/Lunala, Lillie will give the player 10 standard Poké Balls.

Item		Location	Games
	Poké Ball ×10	From Lillie if the player has no Poké Balls in their Bag after defeating or running from SolgaleoS/LunalaM (repeatable)	S M

Galar

Motostoke

In Pokémon Sword and Shield, the player can accept a request from a boy near the northwest Pokémon Center to find a lost Minccino. If the player heads to Motostoke Stadium and checks around the fountain to the right of the building, they will find a man who will give them a Fresh Water. Once the Minccino is found and returned, the player is unable to obtain the Fresh Water.

Item		Location	Games
	Fresh Water	Obtainable from a man in the Motostoke Stadium fountain to the right of the entrance after accepting to look for the lost Minccino	Sw Sh

In the side series games

Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness

ONBS

At ONBS, if the player returns a girl named Kandee on 2F to her mother on 3F before Cipher invades the building, they will receive a Soothe Bell from her mother. If the invasion has already happened, Kandee will have already been reunited with her mother and the Soothe Bell cannot be obtained. This is the only way to obtain a Soothe Bell in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness without trading.

Item		Location	Games
	Soothe Bell	3F, from Kandee's mother for bringing her daughter back from 2F	XD

Trainers' Pokémon's held items

In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, during the post-game battle with Eagun at the Pokémon HQ Lab, both of his Pikachu are each holding a Light Ball. Eagun cannot be rematched, so if it they are not stolen with Thief, Covet, or Trick when he is battled, it is impossible to obtain them later. This is the only way to obtain a Light Ball in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness without trading.

In the spin-off games

Trading Card Game series

In Pokémon Trading Card Game, a Lad in the west room of the Fire Club asks the player to give him all his unused Energy cards. If the player complies, he receives a Slowpoke card. If the player refuses, the Lad goes away without giving him the Slowpoke card.

In Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!, it is possible to delete mail from the Minicom without reading it or getting any attached booster packs. The mail and attached booster packs cannot be recovered if deleted.