Pokemon fans count that, following the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, there will still be 9 unique type combinations that aren't associated with any Pokemon. The Pokemon franchise has 18 different Pokemon types and has managed to create Pokemon with almost every typing combination there can be. Pokemon ScarletandViolet are going to shrink the list a good amount, but not enough that certain combos still won't be part of the franchise.
Leading up to the announcement of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the Pokemon franchise had 16 unused type combinations. There's no obvious explanation for why Game Freak has decided not to use these combinations. Some may not make sense thematically, like Ice/Poison or Ghost/Rock. Others may not work in terms of gameplay, perhaps due to potential ability combinations or certain type advantages or weaknesses being too powerful.
A huge wave of leaks has revealed what many Pokemon fans believe could be the entire PokeDex for Pokemon ScarletandViolet, revealing all new type combinations for the games. Without spoiling the Pokemon that have yet to be revealed, the new typings include Electric/Fighting, Ground/Fighting, Fairy/Fighting, Normal/Poison, Bug/Dark, Grass/Fire, and Steel/Poison. It should be repeated that there are no Pokemon with these typings in previous games. Pokemon Scarletand Violet will be the first appearance for these 7 new type combinations.
A Reddit user known as Nebula707 shared a post that highlighted the remaining 9 type combinations that will remain missing from the Pokemon franchise. They will be Normal/Rock, Normal/Ice, Normal/Steel, Normal/Bug, Fairy/Ground, Fire/Fairy, Ice/Poison, Ghost/Rock, and Dragon/Bug. Pokemon fans have a generation to wait before there's another opportunity for Game Freak to introduce any of these combinations to the franchise. And even then there's no guarantee Game Freak will add any more going forward. The type combinations could simply be held back and never introduced to the Pokemon series.
It's quite interesting to see the Pokemon fandom's reaction to certain combinations continuing to not be used. Some of them have developed their own fandoms, like Bug/Dragon having those that believe Yanmega, Flygon, or Vibrava could have been a good choice for the typing. Ice/Poison also has a following, though it's tough to imagine what it might look like.
For now, Pokemon fans can look forward to what may be one of the most diverse ranges of Pokemon typings to ever be released in the series. More Pokemon typing diversity means more counterplay, which results in new approaches to combat and more creativity. And that's before even considering Pokemon ScarletandViolet's Terastal forms. There's a lot worth looking forward to.
Pokemon Scarletand Violet release November 18 on Switch.
