Alright so, Pokemon Sword and Shield both come out in a couple weeks, and Trainers still don’t officially know which of their legacy Pokemon will be eligible for transfer into the new games. It’s been months since The Pokemon Company first announced (and subsequently tried to explain) that Sword and Shield would be the first Pokemon games to ever not include all previous Pokemon in its Pokedex, but beyond announcing a few Galarian forms of existing Pokes, official sources have been mum on the issue.
Unofficial sources, however, have been more than happy to claim absolute knowledge regarding Sword and Shield‘s complete National Pokedex. Centro Pokémon LEAKS, a Twitter account that trades in (you guessed it!) leaked/mined Pokemon data, has posted what it purports to be a full list of the existing Pokemon supported in Sword and Shield. Based on this account’s track record, and the apparent veracity of other Sword and Shield leaks that it has posted, I felt safe presenting this information not as fact, but as a plausible rumor. At the very least, the information presented below can serve as a fire drill of sorts for when the official list manifests, should it differ.
⚠️Spoilers below this point!!⚠️
Centro’s complete Galar Pokedex can be accessed on Pastebin here, but if you’re only looking for spoilers about classic Pokemon, the denizens of ResetEra have produced the below infographic to make things a little easier to parse. Here’s how to read the chart:
- Pokemon with a green background are included in Sword and Shield‘s Pokedex.
- Pokemon with a dark green background are available, but only in their new Galar region forms.
- Pokemon with a white background are not included in the Pokedex.
If you’re a fan of Gen 1 Pokemon, you might want to sit down.
As you can see, the cuts made to the earlier generations are pretty substantial. No Squirtle hits the hardest for me personally, but no matter which previous generation is your favorite, the odds are good that your starter family of choice won’t be coming along for the Sword and Shield ride – the only exception appears to be Charmander and its evolutions.
And remember, this list might not be totally accurate. If it is though, heck y’all. Basically none of my favorite Pokemon made it into the new game. No Squirtle, no Froakie, no Polywag, no Jigglypuff, no Psyduck, no Spoink for crying out loud. Snorlax, Ditto, Wobbuffet, and Wooper are still in, so it’s not a total wash, but it’s more of a wash than I was anticipating.
On the other hand, this roster could be a blessing in disguise. Not having access to the Pokemon I’ve loved for 20 years might encourage me to spend time with Pokemon that I might not have otherwise considered, and that could lead to new favorites and fond memories. Maybe I’ll really love, uh … Hell, I dunno, Shelmet? Maybe 2019 is finally Shelmet’s time to shine?
It’s gonna be weird without Squirtle, though. I haven’t had the same Squirtle for two decades like some folk (I can only imagine what this list is like for them), but that little dude is Pokemon to me, more than Pikachu or Charizard or anybody else. I’ll probably still play Sword and Shield without him, but that don’t mean I won’t be thinkin’ about that sassy trouble maker the whole time.
