Pokémon: Every Alola Creature That Never Made It Into Sword & Shield

Each new Pokémon generation introduces some number of brand new Pokémon to keep things fresh. Some include more than others, however. The Alola region, the setting of the Sun and Moon games, introduced 104 new Pokémon, including 18 new regional variants of existing Pokémon.

The Generation VIII flagship games Sword and Shield made the controversial decision to omit a good chunk of previous generation Pokémon, though Alolan Pokémon were pretty fortunate in making the cut. Only ten Pokémon lines from Alola were omitted from Sword and Shield, three of which are Alolan forms of Kanto Pokémon also not available in these games.

10Toucannon Doesn’t Have A Ton Going For It

Toucannon was the early-game bird Pokémon found in Alola, evolving from the very cute Pikipek and Trumbeak. In terms of design, Toucannon does little to stand out, as it largely resembles a real-life toucan. It has fair stats and access to several interesting abilities in Skill Link and Sheer Force, but Normal/Flying is a type combination with stiff competition. Toucannon’s exclusion from Sword and Shield, and Gen VIII writ large, is an understandable measure.Close

9Gumshoos Is Missing Its Criminal Quarry

Gumshoos, and its pre-evolved form Yungoos, is a great example of a Pokémon with a clear design identity, but with little else going for it. It is a pure Normal type, blending into the pack of early game Normal types across generations. Gumshoos’s only real draws are its Stakeout ability and the noir detective theming conveyed by its design. Stakeout is a powerful ability, doubling the power of moves used against targets that have switched in that turn. But without the mobster-themed Alolan Rattata and Raticate to face off against, Gumshoos doesn’t really have a place in Galar.

8Alolan Rattata And Its Original Are Both Gone

Rattata is the early-game Normal type from all the way back in Kanto, and it appears that the Mouse Pokémon traveled to Alola at some point in the distant past.

Alolan Rattata and Ratticate are Dark/Normal types that resemble organized crime mooks and bosses, forming a nice duo with the investigator-themed Gumshoos. Rattata is fully absent from Galar, and neither form is obtainable in Sword and Shield. 

7Alolan Muk Had Its Turn Last Generation

Muk and Grimer were one of two major Poison type families in Generation I, the other being Koffing and Weezing. Muk and Grimer saw a revamp in Sun and Moon, with brand new Poison/Dark type forms. Koffing is present in its normal form in Galar, but Weezing has a brand new form that resembles a pair of smokestacks. The focus on Koffing and Weezing in Generation VIII came at the expense of Muk, as both forms are absent.

6Alolan Geodude Is Nowhere To Be Found

All Pokémon Legends: Arceus fans will be quite familiar with Geodude, as the Rock Pokémon and its evolutions are scattered throughout that game. Geodude was not so fortunate when it came to Sword and Shield, however.

Alolan Geodude, which is a slightly different color and features hair made from magnetized iron sand, is also completely absent from Sword and Shield. This exclusion means that there are no Rock/Electric type Pokémon in Generation VIII

5Crabominable Covers An Otherwise Unused Typing

Alolan Pokémon covered several unused type combinations, including the Fighting/Ice type. Crabominable, which has the longest English name of any Pokémon, is roughly based on some kind of crab, likely a the yeti and/or horsehair crab. As the only new Ice type introduced in Alola, not counting regional forms, it seems like a real shame not to include this line and its unique typing in Generation VIII.

4Oricorio Is Too Tied To Its Home Region

Some Pokémon are difficult to imagine ported to another region, and Oricoio is definitely one of them. This bird Pokémon is found throughout Alola, and has a different type combination depending on which kind of Nectar it has consumed last. Oricorio has a fun gimmick, a nice range of designs, and some powerful typings and moves, but it’s tough to imagine it existing comfortably in a region so drastically different from its home.

3Minior Has Several Different Forms

Several Alolan Pokémon featured alternate forms, accessible by using items or moves in battle. Minior’s signature ability, Shields Down, causes it to change into Meteor Form if it has more than half its health, or Core Form if it has less. Meteor Form renders it immune to status conditions and drowsiness.

Additionally, its offensive and defensive stats swap places upon a form change. In addition to this binary form change, Minior comes in seven different colors, one for each color of the rainbow. Minior is found near an observatory in Sun and Moon, but there’s really no reason it couldn’t have made some kind of an appearance in Sword and Shield, as meteor showers happen across the world.

2Komala Doesn’t Belong In Galar

Alola is largely inspired by the islands of Polynesia, especially Hawai’i. However, like the semi-tropical Hoenn region, it draws inspiration from all across the world. One of these is the Drowsing Pokémon Komala, which is clearly based on the koala. Komala has an interesting gimmick, as its Commatose ability means that it is essentially always asleep. Komala is immune to other status conditions, can use Sleep Talk and Snore, will be affected by Dream Eater, take double damage from Hex, and more. However, it can still use other moves as if it weren’t asleep. Koalas are from Australia, not Hawai’i, but it still makes some sense that Komala wouldn’t be present in the European-based Sword and Shield. 

1Bruxish Would Be Out Of Place

Numerous one-off Pokémon were introduced in the Alola region. These Pokémon are not known to evolve from or into any other, and they tend to be a bit harder to remember than Pokémon with full evolutionary lines. Bruxish’s reputation is not helped by its gaudy color scheme and off-putting design. Sword and Shield already don’t have a ton of water areas, let alone areas that could reasonably contain a three-foot-long pink and yellow tropical magic fish.