Although the controversy regarding Gen 8Pokemongames' Pokedexes subsided when The Pokemon Company announced an Expansion Pass forPokemon SwordandShield, many iconic pocket monsters are stillmissing on the Switch. Among the most beloved missing monsters are the starters from Generations 5 and 6, alongside some forgotten Pokemon like Skiddo and Gogoat fromXandY, which is somethingPokemon Scarlet and Violetwill hopefully fix. Still, with 60 Pokemon missing from all Switch-based entries, it’s likely not all of them will return in Gen 9 - especially not in the base game, considering its Pokedex might be the same size as that of Gen 8.
On the other hand, there may be reasons why these critters are not yet returning, as The Pokemon Company might be working on newPokemon: Legendsgames or remakes for Gen 5.Pokemon BlackandWhiteare next in line for a remakein the franchise, but with Gen 9 on the horizon, it’s hard to predict whether these will come in the near future or not. If they do come, it’s possible that Gen 6 remakes are also in the pipeline, with a release date that’s probably sometime after Gen 10. These Gen 5 and 6 remakes might be why some Pokemon have not yet returned to the franchise.
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Why Gen 5 and 6 Remakes Might be in the Pipeline
A popular theory is that some of these critters did not get back to the Switch because they were too powerful in their respective generations, and thus they could similarly unbalance the modern games. Examples of this includeGreninjaand Eelektross, which were incredibly powerful on release for different reasons. Eelektross is a pure Electric-type that could have Levitate as its ability, meaning it would effectively have no weaknesses and still deal super-effective STAB damage to both Water and Flying-type Pokemon.
Meanwhile, Greninja was one of the most popular pocket monsters inPokemon XandY, even appearing successfully in multiple tournaments due to having its own sort of Mega Evolution equivalent thanks to Ash Greninja. Then again, The Pokemon Company brought back popular tournament monsters like Landorus in Gen 8, so there are ways it could handle the return of Pokemon such as Greninja and Eelektross.
Because some missing critters were and still are popular, it’s possible Nintendo wants to take advantage of that in the future when Gen 5 and 6 remakes are announced. Although the Oshawott line didreturn inPokemon Legends: Arceus, it’s still plausible that ifPokemon Scarlet and Violetdon’t include the remaining Gen 5 starters, it’s because they are going to be part of thePokemon BlackandWhiteremakes that may similarly come to Switch if no new console is announced by then.
All of this makes one wonder if Nintendo actually wants to keep the Switch as its main console for several years to come, instead of exploring other options for consoles.Pokemon Brilliant DiamondandShining Pearlcame out last year, and withPokemon Scarlet and Violetcoming in less than four months, it seems logical thatPokemon BlackandWhiteremakes are at least another full year away, if not more. Ultimately, if these monsters do end up being excluded from Gen 9Pokemongames' Pokedex, it may very well be a sign that the nextPokemonremakes will come at some point soon.
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