What is the Blue Aura behind Pokémon in the Pokémon Menu

While playing Pokémon GO, trainers can view all the Pokémon in their collection by tapping the Pokéball at the bottom of the screen, then selecting Pokémon. This menu is divided into two sections: one lists all the Pokémon you currently have, and the other shows your Pokémon eggs. You’ll see a scrollable list that displays the names, CP (Combat Power), and images (sprites) of each Pokémon in your inventory.

While scrolling through this list, many trainers notice that some Pokémon have a blue aura or outline around their images. Naturally, this makes players curious about what the blue aura means. For example, you can see the blue aura around Cubone, Horsea, Staryu, and another Horsea in the image below:

When the game first launched, some players thought the blue aura might indicate a Pokémon with special stats or moves, or maybe even a hidden connection to Ditto, a rare Pokémon that hadn’t yet been discovered in-game. However, it’s now confirmed that the blue aura simply marks freshly caught Pokémon. In other words, any Pokémon in your Pokémon list that has been caught within the last 24 hours will have this blue glow. After 24 hours have passed, the blue aura disappears, and the Pokémon’s icon returns to normal.

Niantic, the company behind Pokémon GO, has added several ways to help trainers quickly identify certain Pokémon in their collections. For example, you can mark your most valuable Pokémon as Favorites or give them nicknames to make them stand out. The blue aura is another helpful feature—it lets you instantly recognize which Pokémon you’ve recently caught without needing to tap on each one and check the details. This simple visual cue makes it easier to sort and keep track of your newest Pokémon right from the Pokémon menu.