Top 10 Notable Pokemon Missing From Sword Shield

With so many Pokemon in the universe, one would think Game Freak would start recycling a few legendaries, especially since this is the first Pokemon game in AGES to be on a home console. Unfortunately, it appears that "Pokemon Sword & Shield" will not be including any Legendaries from previous games. There's no Zapdos, no Darkrai, no Celebi, no nothing, which is a shame because they could have been secret characters the same way Shaymin or the Lake Guardians were. On the plus side, maybe "Sword & Shield is housing a few hidden legendaries of their own. Or maybe Game Freak can implement them into limited time events in a similar vein to "Pokemon Go". Oh, but Mew made it in because why not?

Whether Game Freak and Nintendo like it or not, some Pokemon have become a part of the meme culture, the most recent one being the Alolan form of Exeggutor. However, of all the Pokemon to have become a meme, we’re feeling really somber about Slowpoke’s absence. His dumb face and slow demeanor will either creep you out or make you laugh uncontrollably. Honestly, Slowpoke isn’t our top pick for most battles (until he evolves into Slowbro, that is), but it is disappointing that such an internet-famous Pokemon isn’t famous enough to make it into the newest game.

Okay, so the title of these games are “Pokemon Sword & Shield”, correct? With titles like these, you’d think “Sword” would include a bunch of characters that have bladed limbs or abilities. While the new games will include Pokemon like Aegislash, we noticed the Disaster Pokemon, Absol, is missing. What in the flying False Swipe? Absol is all about destruction and cutting things up! You know, like a sword? It can learn moves like Shadow Claw, Hidden Power, Aerial Ace, and - OH! - SWORD DANCE!!! ...Okay, maybe we’re stretching it a bit with Absol, but really, after seeing it in action on the anime, Absol should have been a shoe-in!

Depending on who you ask, Psyduck is either famously infamous or infamously famous for his mannerisms and Psychic abilities. Really, the duck may look like a fool, but it can become a real threat as we’ve learned from our encounters with it in previous titles. So, why isn’t our constantly stressed bird in “Sword & Shield”? Sure, it can be really frustrating to deal with on the battlefield, but there’s a part of us that wants to see Psyduck waddling around in the grass or splashing by a pond! You cannot deny how cute that’d be!!

This is such a missed opportunity… Castform hasn’t been one of the most “actively present” Pokemon per se, but what makes it so special is its ability to change the weather on command. Given that “Sword & Shield” is implementing changes in weather, we can’t help but question why Castform is not in the game? Not only would it be able to turn the tides combat and adjust the stats of certain moves, it could also make for an interesting mechanic for finding hidden items like TMs and HMs or special Pokeballs. Just how exactly was this overlooked?

This mischievous and adorable fox-like pocket monster has become one of the most iconic Pokemon in recent generations, particularly for its stylish design and its abilities in creating illusions. With the power to disguise itself as a human or another Pokemon, hunting down a Zorua would be pretty tricky and make encounters more surprising. And yet, Zorua didn’t make the cut. We aren’t as mad about this as we are disappointed. Including Zorua would have added an interesting surprise to observing Pokemon. How cool would it have been to be ambushed by a Meowth or a Pikachu only for it to reveal itself as a Zorua? This was just as squandered as Castform’s exclusion.

Much like Absol, our frustration with Shieldon’s exclusion comes primarily from the obvious parallels. After all, this is the SHIELD Pokemon named SHIELDon who’s face is shaped like a SHIELD and is somehow not included in “Pokemon SHIELD”. Like, come on, man! This Pokemon was doing the whole “living shield” schtick before Zamazenta came strolling in! It even boasts the same traits you would expect from a living shield; its face is hardened and big to protect its fragile body, like a shield for a swordless knight. So, why exactly was the SHIELD Pokemon left out of “Pokemon SHIELD”? Again, you got the living sword in the game! Why not the shield?

Meltan's debut was a pretty big deal back in September 2018. How could it not be when the only way to obtain it was by capturing and transferring it from Pokemon Go? What's odd about Meltan is that it is now the first and only Pokemon to not be assigned to a generation. Fans were expecting the little guy to make an appearance in "Sword & Shield", but alas, this is not the case. Guys, we can't just abandon Meltan in "Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee"! Here's hoping it makes it into the game post-launch.

Okay, now this is just outrageous… Jigglypuff has been a mandatory inclusion for every single Pokemon game to date! You just can't put that cute face into every game and then drop it from the newest entry! Yes, Trainers, it is true - Jigglypuff is not in "Sword & Shield", and as irritating as its singing is, we miss the adorable Pocket Monster. It's absolutely confusing, too, given how Jigglypuff has been a star in "Super Smash Bros" since the series started in 1999. Just that fact alone should imply how many fans the Balloon Pokemon has!

Before we explode our frustration over the most glaring absence, here are a few Honorable Mentions...

Skarmory

Sandshrew

Dratini

Pansage, Pansear, & Panpour

Cubone

What in the absolute Distortion World is going on here!? You’re going to tell me that CHARMANDER was the only OG starter Pokemon deemed worthy enough to make it into “Sword & Shield”? Only Charmander??? What about Squirtle and Bulbasaur? These two would make awesome Gigamax evolutions! Blastoise could turn into a massive tank! Venusaur could borrow a few traits from Godzilla! What makes this even more maddening is the fact that Charmander is the ONLY starter Pokemon across the entire franchise to have made it in. Not Torchic, not Froakie, not even Rowlet… Why should every other starter take the backseat except for Charmander? Just...why?