'Pokémon Sword and Shield' Pokédex leaks reveal some devastating cuts
You might Sobble when you see this list.
Some of the cuts coming to the Pokédex in Pokémon Sword and Shield might make you sob like a Sobble that’s just been plucked out of its favorite puddle, assuming a batch of leaks that hit the internet Monday turn out to be true.
Seemingly based on leaks from Twitter account @CentroLeaks earlier this week, someone posted a comprehensive image to the ResetEra forums of a chart detailing all 400 Pokémon included in the Galar Region Pokédex. This is an important distinction from a list of Pokémon you can catch or acquire through natural means during the course of the game. If a Pokémon is not on this list, then it means it can’t exist in the game, so even if you try to transfer it over into Sword and Shield, it simply won’t work.
A Reddit post on the r/gaming subreddit seemingly confirms this list, saying that the following leaked image originated on 4chan:
Green background means included in the new games, white means they are not, and dark green means they get a new regional form.
The ResetEra post has an enormous list of all the cut Pokémon, and it’s staggering. Around two-thirds of all known Pokémon won’t be included. Working your way through the master list is an exercise in utter heartbreak.
The most noteworthy takeaway from the whole thing is that other than the three starting Pokémon confirmed for the game — Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble — and their evolutions, the only starter Pokémon that’ll exist is Charmandar (unless you count Pikachu and Eevee, also in the game, as starter Pokémon). There are also no non-Galar Legendary Pokémon present.
Most of the reactions in the forums bemoan the loss of individual favorites like Luxray, Gible, or Scyther. I am personally very upset that Abra is not included. My beloved new Sirfetch’d is starting to feel like a petty consolation prize after all this punishment.
Oh god and they even took out Zubat!? One good thing: At least they got rid of the awful elemental monkeys.
During E3 2019 in June, the games’ producer Junichi Masuda revealed that this upcoming generation of games will only accept transfers via Pokémon Home (a cloud-based storage system) for Pokémon that exist in the Galar Region of Sword and Shield, so Pokémon not on this list won’t be available at all — even if you already own them in another game.
The real question then becomes: Is this really the finalized list? Will it change, either in the end-game or through DLC?
Some unconfirmed leaks claim that the Pokédex will be extended after players complete the main storyline, from 400 to 632, but that remains unconfirmed. It’s possible that additional areas or a whole new region open up after players complete the game, but we really won’t know until the game releases next week.
Pokémon Sword and Shield will be released November 15, 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.
