If you were looking for the TCG set, seeFossil (TCG).For thePokémon with thecategory "Fossil Pokémon", seeAerodactyl (Pokémon).

Afossil^[a] (Japanese:化(カ)石(セキ)Fossil), orPokémon fossil, is a trace or piece of an organism from the past such as a skeleton, shell, or leaf that has been preserved in the earth.

In thePokémon world, fossils of prehistoricPokémon areitems which can be revived into living Pokémon using techniques developed by theDevon Corporation and a research laboratory onCinnabar Island. The two institutions purportedly developed their techniques independently of each other at around the same time. There are also other scientists around the Pokémon world who can revive fossils using these techniques.

Pokémon revived from fossils and theEvolutions of those Pokémon are calledFossil Pokémon, occasionally formatted as "fossil Pokémon".^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

In the games

Scientists who can revive fossils can be found in everycore series game except theGeneration II games andPokémon Scarlet and Violet.

• Kanto:Cinnabar Lab^RBYFRLGPE orPewter Museum of Science^HGSS
• Hoenn:Devon Corporation
• Sinnoh:Oreburgh Mining Museum
• Unova:Nacrene Museum
• Kalos:Ambrette Fossil Lab^XY orPokémon Research Lab^ZA
• Alola:Fossil Restoration Center
• Galar:Route 6

Prior to Generation IV, fossils were Key Items. However, from Generation IV and on, they are normal items, meaning that they can be traded freely between games.

In the games, relatively fewPokémon Trainers possess Pokémon revived from fossils, since they are considered rare and difficult to obtain.

Generation I

InPokémon Red, Blue, andYellow, the first three fossils were introduced. They have also appeared in most of the later games. They can be resurrected into these respective Pokémon:

→	→	→
Helix Fossil	Dome Fossil	Old Amber

The Helix and Dome Fossils are chosen near the end of the second basement passage inMt. Moon, being guarded by a Super Nerd, but the player may only choose one to keep. The other one that the Super Nerd takes will be revived and put on display in theFuchsia City zoo in front of theSafari Zone. The Old Amber is located in the secret part of thePewter Museum of Science, which can only be accessed withHM01 Cut. In the regularly accessible portion of the museum are complete fossilized skeleton displays ofKabutops and Aerodactyl.

A scientist in the Pokémon Lab onCinnabar Island can revive the fossils. The resulting Pokémon are level 30.

There are no held items inGeneration I, so fossils cannot be given to Pokémon to hold.

Lance is the first Trainer to be seen with a Fossil Pokémon, possessing an Aerodactyl due to its draconic appearance.

Generation II

No new fossils were introduced inPokémon Gold, Silver, andCrystal, and the three fossils from Generation I have been removed from the games' data. In-game, the player simply doesn't happen to find any fossil during their adventure, while the previously introduced Cinnabar Lab has been destroyed.

However,Omanyte,Kabuto, andAerodactyl are prominently featured in the puzzles located atRuins of Alph. Of the three, only Aerodactyl is actually obtainable in the games via an in-gametrade with an NPC in Kanto (forChansey). Omanyte and Kabuto must be traded from Generation I.

Lance, who is now thePokémon Champion, continues to have an Aerodactyl on his team. In addition,Brock, being a fossil enthusiast, has anOmastar and aKabutops in this generation's games, as well as theStadium games inGym Leader Castle. His fondness of fossils is referenced again in the next generation of games when a man inMt. Moon mentions that Brock helps excavate fossils at the location, which implies that he excavated Omastar and Kabutops's fossils himself.

Generation III

InPokémon Ruby, Sapphire, andEmerald, two new fossils were introduced. They can be resurrected into these respective Pokémon:

→	→
Root Fossil	Claw Fossil

In Ruby and Sapphire, the player can choose one of either the Root or Claw Fossils atRoute 111, and upon choosing, the other will sink away into the sand. In Emerald, however, while the player can only choose one initially at theMirage Tower, they can retrieve the other later at the end of theDesert Underpass. In all three versions, fossils may be revived by a scientist in theDevon Corporation building inRustboro City and the newly resurrected Pokémon are obtained at level 20.

In theGeneration I remakes, the player can obtain the same fossils as in the original versions: a required choice of theHelix or theDome Fossil after fighting a Super Nerd in the second basement ofMt. Moon, and theOld Amber from a scientist in the secret area of thePewter Museum of Science. Likewise, a Scientist onCinnabar Island can still revive the fossils; however, the newly resurrected Pokémon are this time obtained at level 5.

InRuby and Sapphire, theChampionSteven Stone has two Fossil Pokémon,Cradily andArmaldo. InEmerald, over the course of rematches,Roxanne will eventually gain aKabutops, anOmastar, and anAerodactyl for her team. In this game, Steven is no longer the Champion, but he may be encountered atMeteor Falls with a higher level variation on his original team that still includes his Fossil Pokémon partners. InFireRed and LeafGreen, Lance continues to have Aerodactyl on his team, the resurrected form of the fossil that wasn't chosen at Mt. Moon can still be viewed at the zoo inFuchsia City, and complete fossilized skeletons of Kabutops and Aerodactyl are still on display at the Pewter Museum of Science.

In Generation III, all fossils are Key Items, and cannot be traded to other games to be revived.

Generation IV

InPokémon Diamond, Pearl, andPlatinum, two new fossils were again introduced:

→	→
Skull Fossil	Armor Fossil

These fossils can be turned into level 20 Pokémon at theOreburgh Mining Museum.

In Diamond and Pearl, for the first time in the series, the fossils the player is able to receive are dependent on the version played: Skull Fossils are available in Diamond only and Armor Fossils in Pearl only. In Platinum, whichever fossil a player digs up will depend on whether the Trainer ID is even or odd. If the Trainer ID is even, the player will dig up Armor Fossils only, and if the Trainer ID is odd, the player will dig up Skull Fossils only.

InSinnoh, when players travel to theUnderground, they can find most of the fossils by digging, along with several other rare items, potentially. After getting theNational Pokédex, they can also find the five fossils from the previous three generations. However, the chances of finding most of the previous generation fossils, much like with several other items, follows a similar formula to the Sinnoh Fossils. This makes it easier to find certain fossils which are found uncommonly, while the others become more difficult in the opposite version which instead are found very rarely. For example, the Helix and Claw Fossils have an easier chance to be found if the Skull Fossil is available, or the Dome and Root Fossil if the Armor Fossil is available. The Old Amber is the only fossil whose ratio remains unchanged regardless of version as it will always be found rarely.

InJohto'sGeneration IV games, theDome^SS andHelix^HG Fossils as well as theOld Amber can be found randomly by smashingbreakable rocks outsideRuins of Alph.Root^SS andClaw^HG Fossils can be found randomly by smashingbreakable rocks in theCliff Cave after entering theHall of Fame. Fossils found inPokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver can be revived as level 20 Pokémon at thePewter Museum of Science. The Skull and Armor Fossils are absent from both games, so either they, or the Pokémon revived from them, must be transferred from Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum.

Starting in this generation, fossils are considered to be normal items. As such, they can be held by a Pokémon and traded to another game.

Roark has a Cranidos, while his father,Byron, has aBastiodon.Rampardos and Shieldon are also used by two minor Trainers. After entering theHall of Fame,Aerodactyl can be spotted with other Trainers.

As inPokémon Gold, Silver, andCrystal,Brock has anOmastar and aKabutops on his team inHeartGold and SoulSilver and also uses a Rampardos in rematches.Lance continues to have Aerodactyl on his initial team, but it is not used in rematches.

Generation V

Pokémon Black and White once again brought a new set of fossils to the Pokémon world:

→	→
Cover Fossil	Plume Fossil

These fossils can be revived into level 25 Pokémon using a machine in theNacrene City Museum.

In Pokémon Black and White, one of these two fossils will be given away by a person inRelic Castle, similar to how the Helix and Dome Fossils are originally obtained in the Kanto-based games.

In thesequels to these games, the Cover and Plume Fossils are instead given away by former Gym LeaderLenora at the Nacrene City Museum itself, which is only accessible after defeatingIris and entering the Hall of Fame.

After defeatingGhetsis^BW orIris^B2W2, fossils that were introduced in previous generations will be given out by aWorker inTwist Mountain, with one being given out per day. In addition, after defeating Iris and achieving Rank 15 forJoin Avenue, the Antique Shop on Join Avenue has a chance of selling a mystery box that could contain any fossil, whether introduced in Generation V or earlier. And as with Generation IV, fossils are regular items and may be held by Pokémon and traded to other games.

In Black 2 and White 2, fossils can also be obtained from two sets of version-exclusiveFunfest Missions that are made available after defeating Iris. NPCs that appear during "What is the Best Price?"^B2 have a small chance of offering Dome, Root, Skull and Cover Fossils, while "What is the Real Price?"^W2 has Helix, Claw, Armor and Plume Fossils, with Old Amber being found in both missions. Cover^B2 and Plume^W2 Fossils also have a 10% chance of appearing during "Forgotten Lost Items!"^B2 and "Not-Found Lost Items!"^W2 respectively.

InChargestone Cave, a couple ofAce Trainers battle with aTirtouga and anArchen in both sets of games. The potential Pokémon used by opponents on theBattle Subway are inclusive of both Fossil Pokémon and theirEvolutions, andSubway BossEmmet usesArcheops in one of his rematch battles.

In Black and White, bothCarracosta and Archeops are used byN in the final battle against him withinhis castle.

In Black 2 and White 2, twoBackpackers onRoute 1 also use teams entirely made out of Fossil Pokémon, and new Gym LeaderMarlon usesCarracosta in all battles against him. DuringPokémon World Tournament competitions, many contenders use teams that may include of Fossil Pokémon:Blue hasAerodactyl;Brock hasOmastar,Kabutops, and Aerodactyl;Erika hasCradily;Falkner has Aerodactyl;Bugsy hasArmaldo;Roxanne has Cradily, Armaldo, and Carracosta;Steven has Cradily, Armaldo, and Archeops;Roark hasRampardos and Archeops; Byron hasBastiodon;Skyla has Archeops;Marlon has Carracosta; Ace Trainer X has Archeops; and Ace Trainer Makina has Tirtouga. In the Rental Tournaments, all four Generation V fossil Pokémon are available to rent by both the player and all other competing trainers.

Generation VI

Two Fossil Pokémon were introduced forPokémon X and Y.

→	→
Jaw Fossil	Sail Fossil

One of the two fossils is given to the player inGlittering Cave and can be restored at the research facility inAmbrette Town. The resulting Pokémon are level 20. TheOld Amber can also be collected after this by smashingbreakable rocks in the back of Glittering Cave.

Gym LeaderGrant usesTyrunt andAmaura and theirevolved forms in subsequent rematches. ChampionDiantha also usesTyrantrum andAurorus.

After entering theHall of Fame, the player can return to Glittering Cave and smash rocks to find the Skull, Armor, Plume, and Cover Fossils, regardless of version, as well as Root and Claw Fossils^X or Dome and Helix Fossils^Y.

In Hoenn's Generation VI games, the Root and Claw Fossil are collected and restored the same way as the original Ruby and Sapphire games. Restoring fossils can be done at the second floor of theDevon Corporation. After battlingGroudon^OR/Kyogre^AS, a number of other fossils can be collected by smashingbreakable rocks at theMirage spots. While the Old Amber can be found regardless of version, the Dome, Armor, and Plume Fossils are exclusive to Omega Ruby and the Helix, Skull, and Cover Fossils are exclusive to Alpha Sapphire. The Jaw and Sail Fossils are absent from both games, but may be transferred from X and Y - for as with Generations IV and V, fossils are regular items and may be held by Pokémon and traded to other games.

Generation VII

Generation VII introduces no new fossils, but the player may obtain most of the previous fossils depending on the game. InPokémon Sun and Moon, only the fossils from Sinnoh and Unova are available. Their location is atOlivia's jewelry shop inKonikoni City, where the player can buy aSkull Fossil and aCover Fossil in Pokémon Sun or anArmor Fossil and aPlume Fossil in Pokémon Moon.

InPokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, this has been expanded to include more of the previous fossils which were absent from the original games. TheHelix,Claw, andJaw Fossils may be purchased alongside the Skull and Cover Fossils in Ultra Sun, and theDome,Root, andSail Fossils may be purchased alongside the Armor and Plume Fossils in Ultra Moon. Additionally, unlike the original games, any of these fossils can now also be obtained from Isle Aphun atPoké Pelago regardless of version. This is done from conducting a Rare Treasure-Hunting expedition (or an Interesting Item-Hunting expedition once the island has reached Development Level 3), where any of these fossils have a very rare chance of being obtained.

The fossils can be revived at the Fossil Restoration Center onRoute 8. The newly revived Pokémon come at level 15.

Unlike the other fossils, theOld Amber is unobtainable inAlola. Instead, anAerodactyl can be obtained atSeafolk Village as agift Pokémon.

Several minor Trainers use some of these Fossil Pokémon or theirevolved forms as part of their teams. In addition for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon only,Olivia uses bothLileep andAnorith during her grand trial. Later, when the player faces Olivia at thePokémon League, they have evolved intoCradily andArmaldo respectively as part of her upgraded team. At theBattle Tree,Battle LegendBlue uses Aerodactyl, much as he had in for thePokémon World Tournament inBlack 2 and White 2.

InPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, all three Kanto fossils are obtainable in the same locations as they were in Generations I and III. On the second basement ofMt. Moon, the player must still make a choice of either theHelix orDome Fossil to proceed with the main story, and theOld Amber may still be obtained from a scientist in the restricted annex at thePewter Museum of Science after their first partner Pokémon has learned the Secret TechniqueChop Down. All three fossils may be revived at the lab onCinnabar Island, but this time the resulting Pokémon are obtained at level 44.

Additional instances of the Kanto fossils may be obtained in these versions; a first for theGeneration Igamesandtheirremakes. All three fossils may be found on the second floor ofCerulean Cave, where random rare items spawn occasionally.

During rematches,Brock adds anOmastar and aKabutops to his team in a reflection of their usages inGeneration II,HeartGold and SoulSilver, and Black 2 and White 2.Lance still uses an Aerodactyl on both his teams, as does Blue in his rematch team in a reflection of its usage in his teams in Black 2 and White 2, Sun and Moon, and Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. EitherOmanyte orKabuto may still be seen at the Zoo inFuchsia City, depending on which fossil was not chosen in Mt. Moon, and the fossilized skeletons of Aerodactyl and Kabutops are still on display in the Pewter Museum's normally accessible floors.

Generation VIII

Generation VIII introduced four new fossils, the most of any generation. Reviving fossils inPokémon Sword and Shield is a much different process than it has been in the past generations. Two completely different fossils must be combined, byCara Liss onRoute 6, to form a chimeric Fossil Pokémon. These Pokémon all start atlevel 10, theirgenders are unknown, andcannot breed. These are also the only Fossil Pokémon that are notRock-type.

Fossil Combination	Fossilized Bird	Fossilized Fish
Fossilized Drake
	Dracozolt	Dracovish
Fossilized Dino
	Arctozolt	Arctovish

Most previous Fossil Pokémon can be encountered in thewild in theCrown Tundra, often aswanderers, with possible exceptions beingOmanyte andOmastar (exclusive to Sword),Kabuto andKabutops (exclusive to Shield), andGeneration IV Fossil Pokémon (unavailable in both versions). While no attention is brought to the reason for their presence as wild Pokémon in modern times, with most of theirPokédex entries in Sword and Shield either mentioning they were revived from fossils or glossing over their status as Fossil Pokémon entirely,Omanyte's entry in Pokémon Sword specifically mentions specimens that either escaped or werereleased after their revival. The only other clearly stated case isKabuto, whose Pokédex entries have been mentioning its status as aliving fossil sinceGeneration II. Data for their respective fossils still exists in the games, but they cannot be obtained.

InPokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, it is for the most part the same asDiamond and Pearl, with only the fossils from the first four generations available, with Skull Fossils being exclusive to Brilliant Diamond and Armor Fossils being exclusive to Shining Pearl. They can be dug up in the Underground's replacement, theGrand Underground. Unlike the originals, the fossils from the first three Generations are available earlier; the requirement for them to appear in the Grand Underground is to defeat or captureDialga^BD orPalkia^SP on theSpear Pillar, rather than obtaining theNational Pokédex, but their encounter ratio is still the same depending on the version like the original games, excluding the Old Amber. Like in the originals,Roark uses aCranidos and his fatherByron uses aBastiodon, both as their highest-leveled Pokémon.Rampardos andShieldon are used by a few Trainers, and the formerevolves from Roark's Cranidos in therematch with him, which can be done once per day after entering theHall of Fame and obtaining the National Pokédex. In said rematch, Roark additionally uses anAerodactyl and anArmaldo, two other Fossil Pokémon.

InPokémon Legends: Arceus, fossils do not exist at all, in the game's coding or otherwise. Rather, onlyCranidos andShieldon can be obtained, and they can be found as rare spawns inspace-time distortions in theCoronet Highlands.

Generation IX

Generation IX introduces no new fossils or Fossil Pokémon, andPokémon Scarlet and Violet, similar to the Generation II games, do not allow the player to obtain or revive any fossils. TheCranidos andShieldon lines are the only Fossil Pokémon present in the games, found in the wild in theTerarium.

InPokémon Legends: Z-A, the Jaw and Sail Fossils, as well as Old Amber, are available for sale at the Stone Emporium in the southern part ofLumiose City. They can be revived by Reg on the second floor of the nearbyPokémon Research Lab. The revived Pokémon normally start at level 20, but there is a small chance for each fossil to revive as analpha Pokémon, which starts at level 35 instead.

Gallery

Pokémon Red and Green

Helix Fossil	Dome Fossil	Old Amber

Underground

Helix Fossil	Dome Fossil	Old Amber
Root Fossil	Claw Fossil	Skull Fossil	Armor Fossil

Grand Underground

Helix Fossil	Dome Fossil	Old Amber
Root Fossil	Claw Fossil	Skull Fossil	Armor Fossil

Pokémon Global Link

Helix Fossil	Dome Fossil	Old Amber
Root Fossil	Claw Fossil	Skull Fossil	Armor Fossil
Cover Fossil	Plume Fossil	Jaw Fossil	Sail Fossil

Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Old Amber	Jaw Fossil	Sail Fossil

In spin-off games

Pokémon Quest

A Fossil is an ingredient that can be used incooking to attract wild Pokémon inPokémon Quest. They are grey ingredients that are hard, small, and a mineral.

Description

Acquisition

Fossil is a possible ingredient that can be obtained by completingexpeditions. As they are grey, Fossils are most commonly found in the areasParched Peak andFarside Fjord. They can also be obtained randomly by recyclingPower Stones.

In animation

Pokémon the Series

InPokémon the Series, some Fossil Pokémon are in fact, not extinct, but have simply been hibernating underground for millions of years, as seen inAttack of the Prehistoric Pokémon,Shell Shock!, andFossil Fools. HoweverGary has used research to directly revive Fossil Pokémon, as seen in thePokémon Chronicles episodePutting the Air Back in Aerodactyl!. Unlike in thegames, where fossils of ancient Pokémon are resurrected into the skeletons of the prehistoric using a machine that recreates the missing organs that had decomposed away from the genes extracted in the remains, this Aerodactyl was in fact completely revived from a fossil that was fully preserved inside of an Old Amber for millions of years and thus still had the memories of its past life.

Jirachi: Wish Maker

Butler tried to create aGroudon forTeam Magma in a flashbackJirachi: Wish Maker from a fossilized remnant, but the experiment failed and Butler was kicked out of Team Magma. In the present day, he attempted to useJirachi's power to complete the resurrection process to prove his theory, only to end up creatinga monster resembling Groudon that needed to be stopped.

Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire

InWhere's Armaldo?,Professor Proctor was shown to have used research to directly revive fossils onWales Island, his dream being to create a wildlife park filled with Fossil Pokémon.

Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl

Roark, as he does in thegames, has a Cranidos whichevolves into aRampardos. Roark and his team retrieve fossils from theOreburgh Mine and give them to theOreburgh Mining Museum. The museum's directorDr. Kenzo uses the fossils for their fossil revitalization program. Roark's Pokémon, as well as several other Fossil Pokémon revived by the Fossil Restorer Machine, appear inA Gruff Act to Follow!,Wild in the Streets!, andO'er the Rampardos we Watched!.Byron, Roark's father, also has quite a collection inhis Gym. This includes the Fossil PokémonKabuto,Kabutops,Omanyte,Omastar,Cradily, andArmaldo, as well as a giant Claw Fossil. He also kept aSunkern leaf fossil that Roark found when he was a child.

Pokémon the Series: Black & White

InA Night in the Nacrene City Museum!, aKabuto fossil was first seen chasingHawes, as he claimed it to be doing, but was later seen safely placed in a display case. Hawes later explained what it was to the trio. It was later revealed that theYamask in the Nacrene City Museum was using its movePsychic to make the Dome Fossil float and chase after Hawes after he put its mask in a display case, thinking that it was a replica Yamask mask given to him as a gift from the company that made aCofagrigus replica after purchasing it from them for the museum.

Lenora gave a Plume Fossil toProfessor Juniper andFennel prior toArcheops In The Modern World!. They successfully resurrected a femaleArchen from the fossil usingMusharna's dream energy. With the help ofAsh and hisTranquill, Archen learned how to fly and then evolved intoArcheops.

InA Restoration Confrontation! Part 1,Team Rocket stole a Cover Fossil fromFerris.Dr. Zager revived it into aTirtouga as part of a plot to lead the team to atime gate beneathTwist Mountain, but the Tirtouga subsequently escaped, evolved intoCarracosta, and returned to the past through the time gate inthe next episode.

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon

Kiawe found two fossils inTreasure Hunt, Akala Style!, during theStoutland Search treasure hunt set up for Ash and his classmates byOlivia. On the first round, he found a Skull Fossil, and on the second one, he found a Plume Fossil.

Pokémon Journeys: The Series

Goh found an Old Amber inRestore and Renew! during a fossil excavation at thePewter Museum of Science. It was later revived into anAerodactyl and caught by him.

InA Pinch of This, a Pinch of That!, Ash, Goh, andChloe traveled toGalar to dig up fossils in theWild Area. With the help ofCara Liss andBray Zenn, they found four fossils and revived them into aDracovish and anArctozolt, which Ash and Goh, respectively, later caught.

Gallery

• 
  A Dome Fossil inA Night in the Nacrene City Museum!
• 
  An Old Amber inRestore and Renew!
• 
  A Root and Claw Fossil inWhere's Armaldo?
• 
  A Claw Fossil inRestore and Renew!
• 
  A Skull Fossil inTreasure Hunt, Akala Style!
• 
  A Cover Fossil inA Restoration Confrontation! Part 1
• 
  A Plume Fossil inArcheops In The Modern World!
• 
  A Sail Fossil inComing Back into the Cold!
• 
  A Fossilized Bird inA Pinch of This, a Pinch of That!
• 
  A Fossilized Fish inA Pinch of This, a Pinch of That!
• 
  A Fossilized Drake inA Pinch of This, a Pinch of That!
• 
  A Fossilized Dino inA Pinch of This, a Pinch of That!

Pokémon Origins

The Dome and Helix Fossils were seen briefly inFile 2: Cubone, being hogged by aSuper Nerd whomRed encountered onMt. Moon.

InFile 3: Giovanni, Red was seen using aKabutops in his battle againstGiovanni, presumably revived from a Dome Fossil. Since Red is mentioned to have caught all 150Generation I Pokémon (excludingMew) by the time ofFile 4: Charizard, it means that he has also obtained the other Kanto Fossil Pokémon, presumably also revived from fossils. AsBlue was mentioned to have collected 148 Pokémon, it is likely that he had also collected all Kanto Fossil Pokémon.

In the manga

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: other manga

Pokémon Adventures

In thePokémon Adventures manga, Lance and Brock both have Fossil Pokémon, just as in the games. Misty also temporarily has anOmanyte, but she gives this toYellow. In addition,Red usesBlaine's laboratory to revive anAerodactyl. InHoenn,Ruby fights a revivedLileep and anAnorith atProfessor Cozmo's laboratory inFallarbor Town. InSinnoh,Roark has aCranidos like in the games, andhis father aShieldon, which he later gives toDiamond. InUnova,N had anArcheops, which he released, andBlack has aCarracosta, which was owned byMarshal as aTirtouga.Blake also has aKabutops. InKalos,Grant has anAurorus and aTyrantrum. InGalar,Marvin obtained aDracovish after saving it from severalMacro Cosmos employees.

In the TCG

This section does not yet meet thequality standards of Bulbapedia. Please feel free to edit this section to make it conform to Bulbapedia norms and conventions. Reason: general housekeeping, removing run-on sentences, etc.

Fossils are included as cards in thePokémon Trading Card Game. The first of these cards was released in theFossil expansion. Cards depicting fossils areTrainer cards, and following theBlack & White expansion, they are printed asItem cards. Their primary role is puttingFossil Pokémon into play, which normally cannot enter play without a Fossil card due to their unique mechanics. As such, Fossil cards are released in the same expansions as the Pokémon that are revived from them.

When cards reference cards depicting fossils, they use the phrase, "Item card that has 'Fossil' in its name", or variations of that. Notably, this means such effects excludeOld Amber cards. However, it is more common for cards to check for exact card names than the phrase "Fossil".

Sometimes cards reference Fossil Pokémon in a similar manner, using phrases that refer to the cards that theyevolve from. These include "Pokémon that evolve from an Item card that has "Fossil" in its name," "Pokémon that evolve from Unidentified Fossil," or "card that evolves from Mysterious Fossil," among others. The broadest of these, ones that only call out Fossil Pokémon in general, excludeAerodactyl that evolve from Old Amber cards. Still, cards more commonly check for the exact card name of Pokémon than for evolutionary lines like this.

Restored Pokémon is a special stage used for Fossil Pokémon in the Black & White Series and the XY Series, starting inNoble Victories. They have unique mechanics separate from the normal way Fossil Pokémon are depicted. However, this change was only implemented temporarily. The Sun & Moon Series reverted back to the normal way Fossil Pokémon are depicted, starting inUltra Prism the period where Fossil Pokémon had this stage was able to include Aerodactyl when referring to Fossil Pokémon broadly by checking for stage.

Fossil Trainer card

Most cards depicting fossils areFossil Trainer cards, which are Trainer or Item cards while not in play but are played asBasic Pokémon. The name has not changed since the introduction of the Item subtype. They are non-Pokémon cards printed withHP values, and use that HP value while in play. While in play, they have anEnergy type ofColorless. They were introduced in theFossil expansion. They do not haveattacks and are unable to retreat, lacking aretreat cost entirely. Additionally, since they are not Pokémon while not in play, Fossil cards cannot be retrieved using effects that search for Pokémon, but instead by effects that search for Trainer cards.

The rules for if a Fossil Trainer card can be put into play while setting up to play has varied as the rules have changed over time:

• The original Fossil FAQ allowed it, only for a subsequent rule to disallow it on the basis of the card being a Trainer while it is in a hand.^[7]
• In the EX Series starting fromEX Sandstorm, this was changed to fully allow putting Fossil Trainer cards into play while setting up to play.^[8]
• Starting withUltra Prism in the Sun & Moon Series, this was fully repealed. There is no longer a window to play Fossil Trainer cards without them being a Trainer card.^[9]

When players were allowed to do this, it was because the Fossil Trainer card functionally acted as a Basic Pokémon while setting up to play. This means that players were not allowed to take a mulligan when they had a hand that only has Fossil Trainer cards. Even with this in mind, Fossil Trainer cards are not "Basic Pokémon" and decks require a minimum of one Basic Pokémon in them to be legal for play. Also note that this allowance was never afforded to any of the other Trainer cards that are played as Pokémon.^[8].

When this permission was allowed, there is an extra incongruity to remember exclusive to the Diamond and Pearl Series and the HeartGold & SoulSilver Series. In those rules, Trainer cards could not be played on the first turn of the player going first, including Fossil Trainer cards that were allowed to be put into play before the first turn of the game.^[8]

A player is allowed to discard a Fossil Trainer card from play at any time, which is not considered Knocking Out a Pokémon. Also, most Fossil Trainer cards have an immunity toSpecial Conditions. Fossil Trainer Cards can havePoké-Bodies orAbilities as well. Lacking a Retreat Cost also offers an interesting advantage, as a null Retreat Cost cannot be increased.^[8]

Whether or not Knocking Out a Fossil Trainer card allows the opponent to take aPrize card varies by the card, with cards of the EX Series or older not providing Prize cards, while cards from the Diamond and Pearl Series or newer provide Prize cards.

The primary purpose of a Fossil Trainer card is that they canevolve into Fossil Pokémon. Even the lowest form of a Fossil Pokémon's Evolution chain is aStage 1 Pokémon, so those cards have to enter play by evolving from a Fossil Trainer card. The Fossil Trainer card that a Fossil Pokémon evolves from varies by which set the Fossil Pokémon is in, as new Fossil Trainer cards are released in new expansions. In some cases, multiple different Evolution chains start from a singular Fossil Trainer card. In other cases, each Evolution chain has a dedicated Fossil Trainer card, having the name of the fossil the species is revived from.

The first Fossil Trainer card wasMysterious Fossil, which could be evolved into any of the three Generation I Fossil Pokémon:Omanyte,Kabuto, andAerodactyl. It has only 10 HP, lower than evenMagikarp. It does match the HP ofClefairy Doll, another Trainer card played as a Pokémon. This card continued to see printings into the EX Series, althoughEX Legend Maker increased its HP to 50. It does not allow opponents to take Prize cards when it is Knocked Out and is immune to Special Conditions.

The EX Series introduced two new Fossil Pokémon,Lileep andAnorith. These species received dedicated Fossil Trainer cards for their line starting with theEX Sandstorm expansion: theRoot Fossil and theClaw Fossil, respectively. These cards included beneficial Poké-Bodies, making these cards slightly stronger. They have 40 HP. Like Mysterious Fossil, these cards do not allow opponents to take Prize cards when they are Knocked Out and cannot be affected by Special Conditions.

The Diamond & Pearl Series added theSkull andArmor Fossil cards, for the new species ofCranidos andShieldon. It also added individualDome Fossil,Helix Fossil, andOld Amber cards for its printings of Kabuto, Omanyte, and Aerodactyl. All of these cards included included Poké-Bodies, were printed with 50 HP, and cannot be affected by Special Conditions. The Root and Claw Fossil cards were also reprinted, keeping their older 40 HP. However, starting withMysterious Treasures, the expansion which added the Skull and Armor Fossils, a prize card is taken when a Fossil Trainer card is Knocked Out.

No Fossil Trainer cards would be printed for nine years, as their last printing was inPlatinum: Arceus. Fossils and Fossil Pokémon skipped the HeartGold & SoulSilver series wholesale, and the Black & White Series and XY Series experimented with a different set of mechanics for putting Fossil Pokémon into play.

Ultra Prism, of the Sun & Moon Series, saw the return of a shared Trainer card which could evolve into any Fossil Pokémon released during the Sun & Moon Series. The card isUnidentified Fossil, and this card broke the long standing tradition of being unable to be affected bySpecial Conditions. It has 60 HP, indicating a gradual increase with each series. It was also printed in the Sword & Shield Series, primarily in later sets, continuing to evolve into most of the Fossil Pokémon that saw print. This included the Fossil Pokémon of Generations V and VI,Archen,Tirtouga,Tyrunt, andAmaura which previously did not evolve from Fossil Trainer cards. By this point,Pokémon Powers had been phased out in favor of Abilities. However, Unidentified Fossil does not have an Ability in lieu of the older Poké-Body.

Earlier in the Sword and Shield Series,Darkness Ablaze includedRare Fossil. This card exclusively evolves into the Generation VIII Fossil Pokémon:Dracozolt,Arctozolt,Dracovish, andArctovish. Those Pokémon do not evolve from Unidentified Fossil. Rare Fossil does include the Special Condition immunity, and has 10 more HP compared to the concurrent Unidentified Fossil for a total of 70 HP

Antique Fossils

During the Scarlet & Violet Series, the151 expansion introduced three brand new cards for the Generation I Fossil Pokémon, theAntique Helix Fossil,Antique Dome Fossil, andAntique Old Amber. They only evolve into the corresponding species, bringing back that set of rules after not appearing since the Arceus expansion. The rulebook for the set refers to these cards asAntique Fossils. Each of these cards has the word "Antique" printed in smaller font before the name of the fossil, differentiating them from the older cards. These cards also have 60 HP. Once again, these cards have the Special Condition immunity, and also have a helpfulAbility for the first time on a Fossil Trainer card. They have unique templating that specifies the exact Pokémon they evolve into, which cards normally do not have.

List of Fossil Trainer cards

The following is a list of all Fossil Trainer cards.

Fossil Trainer cards Cards listed with ablue background are only legal to use in the currentExpanded format. Cards listed with agreen background are legal to use in both the currentStandard andExpanded formats.
Card	Type	Mark	English Expansion		Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion		Rarity	#
Mysterious Fossil	T		Fossil			62/62	Mystery of the Fossils
			Legendary Collection			109/110
			EX Sandstorm			91/100	Magma VS Aqua: Two Ambitions			067/080
			EX Legend Maker			79/92	Mirage Forest			078/086
			EX Holon Phantoms			92/110
			EX Power Keepers			85/108	World Champions Pack			087/108
Claw Fossil	T		EX Sandstorm			90/100	Miracle of the Desert			047/053
			EX Legend Maker			78/92	Mirage Forest			077/086
			EX Holon Phantoms			91/110
			EX Power Keepers			84/108	World Champions Pack			086/108
			Legends Awakened			138/146	Temple of Anger
Root Fossil	T		EX Sandstorm			92/100	Miracle of the Desert			048/053
			EX Legend Maker			80/92	Mirage Forest			079/086
			EX Holon Phantoms			93/110
			EX Power Keepers			86/108	World Champions Pack			088/108
			Legends Awakened			139/146	Cry from the Mysterious
Armor Fossil	T		Mysterious Treasures			116/123	Secret of the Lakes
							Bastiodon the Defender
							Unnumbered Promotional cards
			Platinum			119/127	Galactic's Conquest			086/096
Skull Fossil	T		Mysterious Treasures			117/123	Secret of the Lakes
							Rampardos the Attacker
							Unnumbered Promotional cards
			Platinum			120/127	Galactic's Conquest			085/096
Old Amber	T		Majestic Dawn			84/100	Dawn Dash
			Arceus			89/99	Advent of Arceus			083/090
Dome Fossil	T		Majestic Dawn			89/100	Dawn Dash
			Arceus			92/99	Advent of Arceus			082/090
Helix Fossil	T		Majestic Dawn			91/100	Moonlit Pursuit
			Arceus			93/99	Advent of Arceus			081/090
Unidentified Fossil	I		Ultra Prism			134/156	Ultra Sun			055/066
							Ultra Moon			055/066
			Forbidden Light			116/131	Forbidden Light			078/094
			Team Up			155/181	Tag Bolt			079/095
			Unified Minds			210/236	Miracle Twin			083/094
			Cosmic Eclipse			207/236	Alter Genesis			084/095
			Astral Radiance			157/189	Time Gazer			062/067
			Silver Tempest			165/195	Space Juggler			061/067
							Paradigm Trigger			090/098
Rare Fossil	I		Darkness Ablaze			167/189	Infinity Zone			091/100
							Shiny Star V			165/190
Antique Dome Fossil	I		151			152/165	Pokémon Card 151			155/165
Antique Helix Fossil	I		151			153/165	Pokémon Card 151			154/165
Antique Old Amber	I		151			154/165	Pokémon Card 151			156/165
Antique Cover Fossil	I		Stellar Crown			129/142	Stellar Miracle			091/102
			Black Bolt			080/086	Black Bolt			080/086
Antique Root Fossil	I		Stellar Crown			130/142	Stellar Miracle			090/102
Antique Plume Fossil	I		White Flare			079/086	White Flare			081/086
Antique Jaw Fossil	I						Nihil Zero			068/080
Antique Sail Fossil	I						Nihil Zero			069/080

Other cards depicting fossils

Some expansions have other cards that depict fossils, but are not Fossil Trainer cards. These cards generally offer an alternative means of putting Fossil Pokémon into play.

The first of these wasFossil Egg fromNeo Discovery, which is aTrainer card that puts any card that evolves from Mysterious Fossil into play from either the deck or the hand, but only on a successful coin flip.Buried Fossil fromSkyridge is aColorless-type Pokémon, one of very few Pokémon cards that does not depict a Pokémon species. It has unique templating that allows it to evolve into any card that evolves from Mysterious Fossil. Unlike the Fossil Trainer cards, it can retreat, and includes a helpfulPoké-Power. It has 30HP. It also keeps the immunity to Special Conditions from the Fossil Trainer cards, but cannot be freely discarded from play. Last in this odd group isHolon Fossil fromEX Holon Phantoms. It is a Trainer card that updates Fossil Egg. It still uses a coin flip, but on Heads it puts a Fossil Pokémon from one's deck into play, and on Tails it puts a Fossil Pokémon from one's hand into play. The Fossil Pokémon it works with are specified by name, so it only includes the ones from Generation III and older.

The Black & White Series changed how Fossil Pokemon enter play, and therefore how Fossil cards work. The base species of Fossil Pokémon have a differentstage than normal:Restored Pokémon. This stage is a non-Basic, unevolved Pokémon stage, so they are not Evolution cards. However, they still cannot be put into play from a player's hand. Instead, each Restored Pokémon has a matching fossil Item card, which is a card that depicts the fossil the species is restored from in the video games. These cards all have the same effect, looking at the bottom seven cards of a deck. If a Pokémon card associated with the fossil is one of those cards, that Pokémon can be into play. This is the primary way for Restored Pokémon to enter play. For example,Archen can only be put into play via the effect ofPlume Fossil, one of this group of Fossil cards. Notably, this group of cards only checks for a Pokémon's name, not its stage, which allows these cards to put non-Restored Pokémon into play as well.

Noble Victories introduced this mechanic, along with theCover andPlume Fossils forTirtouga andArchen. The cards were reprinted inPlasma Blast along with the newRoot Fossil Lileep. This card incorporatesLileep into the Restored Pokémon mechanics, using the name of the Pokémon as a suffix to avoid conflicting with the older Fossil Trainer card namedRoot Fossil. It also marked the first time one of the Fossil Pokémon was printed without the others introduced in the same Generation.

The XY Series continued to use Restored Pokémon and these fossil mechanics, with theJaw, andSail Fossil cards ofFurious Fists working withTyrunt, andAmaura.Fates Collide brought back the Generation I Fossil Pokémon, withDome Fossil Kabuto,Helix Fossil Omanyte, andOld Amber Aerodactyl cards. Lastly,Steam Siege included aClaw Fossil Anorith to work withAnorith and anArmor Fossil Shieldon to do the same forShieldon. No cards for theSkull Fossil were released to work with the Restored Pokémon mechanics, and the Sun & Moon Series returned to the traditional Fossil Trainer card mechanics.

Some cards have fossils in their art, especially ones that are related to cards depicting fossils, Fossil Trainer cards, or Fossil Pokémon.

The following is a list of these Fossil cards, excluding the ones tied toRestored Pokémon. Those are found on the articles of the fossils they depict, as well as on theRestored Pokémon article. Cameos of fossils are also excluded.

Other Fossil cards Cards listed with ablue background are only legal to use in the currentExpanded format. Cards listed with agreen background are legal to use in both the currentStandard andExpanded formats.
Card	Type	Mark	English Expansion		Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion		Rarity	#
Fossil Egg	T		Neo Discovery			72/75	Crossing the Ruins...
Buried Fossil			Skyridge			47/144	Split Earth			070/088
Holon Fossil	T		EX Holon Phantoms			86/110	Holon Phantom			049/052

Trivia

• The Fossil Pokémon introduced inGeneration I are the onlyRock-type Pokémon introduced in said generation to not also have theGroundtype.
• The Fossil Pokémon introduced inGeneration VIII are the only ones that are not Rock-type, the only ones that aregender unknown, and the only ones that are in theNo Eggs DiscoveredEgg Group.
• Some Fossil Pokémon have unique attributes:
  • Cranidos andRampardos are the only ones to not be dual-type.
  • Tirtouga andCarracosta are the only ones to have Rock as their secondary type.
  • Archen andArcheops are the only ones without aHidden Ability.
  • Aerodactyl is the only one capable of undergoingMega Evolution.
• All Fossil Pokémon are capable of learning themoveAncient Power byleveling up.
• Although theFossilized Fish offers the "-vish" head forDracovish andArctovish, the item itself looks more like the "Draco-" body, while theFossilized Drake looks like the "-vish" head but instead offers the "Draco-" body forDracozolt and Dracovish. This is simply the result of mistakenly sorted item sprites.
• Relicanth has some similarities to Fossil Pokémon, being an ancient Rock-type Pokémon that is often considered aliving fossil, as it has survived extinction for a hundred million years. SinceGeneration II, various Pokédex entries forKabuto have suggested that it too may be a living fossil. However, since Relicanth is never revived from a fossil, it is not included in the Fossil Pokémon group.
• While it cannot be revived from a fossil, theMythical PokémonGenesect is known to have been created byTeam Plasma by reviving a prehistoric Pokémon and upgrading it by attaching a cannon to its back.
  • Similarly, inPokémon: The First Movie,its remake, andPokémon Adventures, the Mythical PokémonMew had a fossilized eyebrow from which its genetic material was used byTeam Rocket to createMewtwo. Mew's introduction to thePokémon Trading Card Game in the Japanese version of theFossil Expansion may be a reference to this. However, in the games, no mention of this fossil is made, and the journal entries in thePokémon Mansion onCinnabar Island suggest that a living Mew was captured and "gave birth" to the clone Mewtwo.
• Fossil Pokémon are featured in a Japan-only nationwide traveling exhibition,Pokémon Fossil Museum. Visitors can learn about the real-life prehistoric animals that inspired the designs of Fossil Pokémon and compare them, and view conceptual artwork depicting the skeletal anatomy of certain Fossil Pokémon, as well as real life replicas of said skeletons.^[10]
• Oddly, the rulebook for151 has an appendix section for the "Antique Fossils", which is not included in the rulebooks for later sets.

In other languages

Notes

References

Related articles

Fossils and Fossil Pokémon

Helix

Dome

Amber

Root

Claw

Skull

Armor

Cover

Plume

Jaw

Sail

Bird

Fish

Drake

Dino

Generation I

Generation III

Generation IV

Generation V

Generation VI

Generation VIII

This item article is part ofProject ItemDex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on allitems.

• Articles needing more information
• Articles needing improvement
• Fossils
• Groups of items