Variants are a mechanic in Pokémon Vortex that gives Pokémon slightly different appearances, as well as stat bonuses or special effects. A Pokémon's variant is set when it's generated by the game (when it appears in the wild, when it's received as a promo code, etc.) and cannot be changed.
There are 6 obtainable variants for each Pokémon. Each variant counts as a separate Pokémon in the Main Pokédex; completing the Pokédex requires having all six variants of every obtainable Pokémon.
List of variants
Obtainable
| Variant | Appearance | Bonus | Wild rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 
|
None | The most common variant |
| Shiny | 
|
+25% HP | One of the two rarest variants |
| Dark | 
|
+25% damage dealt | Rarer than Normal |
| Mystic | 
|
25% chance to prevent opponent from acting | Rarer than Normal |
| Metallic | 
|
+25% Defense | Rarer than Normal |
| Shadow | 
|
Immune to status effects | One of the two rarest variants |
Unobtainable
| Variant | Appearance | Bonus | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pink | 
|
None | Used by Orange Islands Sidequest opponents |
Retired
| Variant | Appearance | Bonus | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient | 
|
+25% Defense | Replaced by Metallic Pokémon |
Notes
- Before Version 5, all five non-Normal variants had the same rarity.
- The Ancient variant was replaced with Metallic in Version 3.
- The Side Pokédex is an unreleased feature that is planned to be "a collection of Pokémon that do not come in the usual 6 variants."