Highlights

  • Speculation is growing about the next mainline Pokemon games, with rumors suggesting a return to the Unova Region or Pokemon Black and White remakes.
  • The upcoming new console from Nintendo may be the target for developers, so Gen 5 Pokemon remakes should be released on the Switch before that happens.
  • The availability of the complete National Dex has been an issue in recent Pokemon games, and there are a handful of Gen 5 critters that could be permanently missing from the Switch if not included in a remake or new game.

As the release of The Indigo Disk DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet approaches, many players are starting to speculate on what will be next for the series. The common theory at the moment based on leaks and rumors is that the next mainline Pokemon games will return to the Unova Region in some form, either via a Pokemon Legends Unova game or Pokemon Black and White remakes. However, as the Switch winds down its life as a console and Nintendo's next system becomes the new target for developers, these Gen 5 Pokemon remakes must be released before the new console does, for one major reason.

The past few generations of the Pokemon series have struggled with giving players access to the complete National Dex, with Gen 8's Pokemon Sword and Shield being infamous for the "Dexit" controversy. While these games have attempted to address this issue by making additional mons available through DLC, even after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players get access to The Indigo Disk's Pokedex, there will still be a handful of critters completely unavailable on the Switch. The majority of these critters belong to Gen 5, and it would be a shame if they were unavailable on an entire console.

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Several Gen 5 Mons Risk Missing Out on the Switch Completely

Speculation as to what the Switch's successor could entail has started heating up as rumors of Nintendo's next console being shown to developers have started circulating. While Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa claims these rumors are not accurate, it's still likely that fans could see the release of the Switch 2 in the next year, as the Switch itself is almost seven years old. New hardware could be a huge help in addressing some of the Pokemon series' recent criticisms, but waiting to release new entries on this next console could mean leaving certain mons forever missing from the Switch.

Pokemon Missing from the Switch After The Indigo Disk

  • Patrat
  • Watchog
  • Pansage
  • Simisage
  • Pansear
  • Simisear
  • Panpour
  • Simipour
  • Furfrou

Aside from Furfrou, the bulk of the mons that would be missing from the Switch after the release of The Indigo Disk DLC would be Gen 5 critters. Most of these critters are early-route encounters from Pokemon Black and White, such as Patrat and the elemental monkeys, who are some of the less popular creatures from that generation. However, it would still be unfortunate for these mons to never be available on the Switch if they aren't present for a Pokemon Black and White remake before development shifts to the Switch's successor.

It would be simple for a Pokemon Black and White remake to include Patrat and the elemental monkeys, given that they are in the regional Pokedex for Gen 5. However, Furfrou wasn't introduced until Gen 6, meaning it wouldn't make sense for faithful Gen 5 remakes to include this mon. If Game Freak wants to ensure all of these mons are available on the Switch, the next mainline Pokemon game could end up being a Pokemon Legends Unova or even a Pokemon Black 3 and White 3 to give the developer a bit more flexibility with the Pokedex.

Despite the Switch containing games that span three generations of the franchise, it would be unprecedented to not have the complete National Dex available on the console. Recent games like Pokemon Sword and Shield and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are not the first to lack a complete National Dex given that some past critters were unavailable in Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, but all mons were eventually obtainable on the Game Boy Advance with the release of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen. Since then, each console with a mainline game has made all mons accessible in some way, so it would be a shame for the Switch to end this trend.