Karma is a hidden value in the game that is used to encounter specific Legendary Pokémon.
Checking Your Karma Level[]
In Ecruteak City, in the house to the far north-east, there is an old lady whose dialogue as well as the floor of the room will indicate the player's current karma level.
| Karma | Dialogue |
|---|---|
| Below -20 | You seem like a very mean person. You have a lot of anger in your heart. |
| -20 to -11 | You don't strike me as a particularly good person... |
| -10 to -1 | You strike me as someone who can be a bit mean-spirited sometimes, but still generally well-intentionned. |
| 0 | You strike me as a very neutral person. Neither good, nor bad. |
| 1 to 10 | You strike me as someone who generally tries to do the right thing, but your heart isn't completely pure either. |
| 11 to 30 | You strike me as someone who generally tries to do the right thing, but you could also do a bit more. |
| 31 to 50 | You strike me as someone who tries its earnest to always do the right thing. |
| 51 or more | You seem like you're very pure of heart and always willing to help the ones in need. |
Below -20
-20 to -11
-10 to -1
0
1 to 30
31 to 50
51 or more
Changing Your Karma Level[]
There are a variety of actions that can raise or lower the player's karma.
Raise[]
| Action | Karma |
|---|---|
| Completing quests | 1 per quest |
| Refuse to join Team Rocket at Nugget Bridge. | 5 |
During the "No Fishing Zone" Team Rocket mission, report Team Rocket's harassment of the fishermen on Nugget Bridge to the police officer in Cerulean City before defeating Gym 2  .(If the police officer is no longer blocking Route 5 then he won't increase the player's Karma but can still be reported to.) |
10 |
| During the "Disobedient Pokémon" Team Rocket mission, report Team Rocket stealing Pokémon to the police officer in Cerulean City. | 10 |
| Cut down the trees for the old man on Route 2. | 1 |
| Report the Pokémon trafficker to the police officer in Celadon City. | 10 |
| Save every Silph Co. worker. | 10 |
| Return the Network Adapter to Bebe on Knot Island. | 1 |
| Confess to stealing the egg in the Goldenrod daycare. | 10 |
| Cutting down the trees next to the man with the Scyther in Ilex Forest. (Talk to the man afterwards to gain the karma) |
3 (for all trees, repeatable) |
| Giving the tourist that wanders the Johto region correct directions. | 1, repeatable |
| Give ₽1000 to the Wigglytop busker in Goldenrod's underground tunnel. | 1, repeatable |
Lower[]
| Action | Karma |
|---|---|
| Find the Revive under the bench in Pewter City and return to the hotel having used, sold or tossed it. | -5 |
| Agree to join Team Rocket at Nugget Bridge. | -5 |
| Completing Team Rocket missions | -5 per mission |
| Buying Pokémon from the Celadon City Black Market. | -15, repeatable |
| Sell a Pokémon at the Celadon City Black Market. | -15, repeatable (daily) |
| Give an egg to the girl in the Celadon City hotel. | -2 |
| While taking Eevee for a walk in Celadon City, trade it for an Elekid. | -20 |
| During the "Interception!" Team Rocket mission, deliver the Counterfeit TMs to the Celadon City Dept. Store. | -5 |
| During the "Pokémon Collector" Team Rocket mission in Celadon City, don't report the Pokémon trafficker to the police officer. | -5 |
| During the "Pokémon Collector" Team Rocket mission in Celadon City, deny recognizing the name of the Pokémon trafficker to the police officer. | -2 |
| During the "Pokémon Collector" Team Rocket mission in Celadon City, agree to go for a night-time coffee with the police officer. | -2 |
| Destroying sandcastles. | -1 each |
| Don't save every Silph Co. worker. | -10 |
| Stealing the egg in the Goldenrod daycare. | -5, repeatable (3 day cooldown) |
| Wasting the police officer's time by responding "I don't know" about the thief at Goldenrod daycare. | -1, repeatable |
| Accusing the man behind the Goldenrod daycare of stealing the egg. | -15 if talked to the man, -2 if not |
| Giving the tourist that wanders the Johto region wrong directions. | -2, repeatable |
| Stealing Sprout Statues in Sprout Tower. | -5 each |
| Steal the Rockruff egg in Secret Garden. | -5 |
| Steal the Venipede egg in Viridian Forest. | -2, repeatable (3 day cooldown) |
| Steal the Noibat egg in Rock Tunnel. | -2, repeatable (3 day cooldown) |
| Steal the Goomy egg on Route 15. | -2, repeatable (3 day cooldown) |
| Steal the Hawlucha egg in Saffron City. | -2, repeatable (3 day cooldown) |
| Steal the Swablu egg on Route 23. | -2, repeatable (3 day cooldown) |
| Steal the Snorunt egg in Seafoam Islands. | -2, repeatable (3 day cooldown) |
| Steal the Trapinch egg on Kindle Road. | -2, repeatable (3 day cooldown) |
| Take ₽1000 from the Wigglytop busker in Goldenrod's underground tunnel. | -2, repeatable |
| Collect a Lunar Feather | -5 each |
| Follow Darkrai from Moonlit Forest. | -20 |
Reset[]
It is possible to reset the player's karma to 0 by either:
- Donating ₽5000 to the old lady in Dragon's Den.
- Following Cresselia from Moonlit Forest.
Legendary Encounters[]
| Pokemon | Location | Karma Required |
|---|---|---|
| Mew | Mt. Moon Summit | 20 or higher |