Stop Adding New Generations to Pokemon GO

Despite missing species from the third generation onward, Pokemon GO has recently released the first wave of Pokemon from the series' seventh generation.

When Pokemon GO first came out in 2016, it became an immediate cultural phenomenon. Strangers gathered in large groups to play together, chasing Pokemon across public spaces. The problem is that in 2016, the desire to "get 'em all" was a lot easier because the game only had the first generation of Pokemon. This generation saw the introduction of 151 Pokemon, with GO having less due to the game's legendary Pokemon arriving months later. Niantic has released Pokemon Sun and Moon, the series' seventh generation, into the game, nearly six years later. When the generation is complete, Pokemon GO players will be able to obtain 809 different Pokemon species.

This strategy, however, only makes sense if every Pokemon is made available. Long-time Pokemon GO users are dissatisfied with Niantic's decision to release new Pokemon into the game. For the first two generations, players can complete their Pokedex, however generations three and onward are impossible to complete. The release of Sun and Moon's Pokemon is already well underway, but Niantic should concentrate on releasing some previously unreleased species before moving on.

The Mysterious Case of Kecleon in Pokemon GO

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, the game's third generation, were initially presented in Pokemon GO in 2017. Many fan favorites appear in this generation, including the box art legendaries Groudon and Kyogre, as well as the ever-popular starter Blaziken. Although there are 135 new Pokemon in Ruby and Sapphire, only 134 are available in Pokemon GO. Only one Pokemon has avoided inclusion in the game for the past five years, and that is Kecleon, the chameleon Pokemon.

Players are the most concerned about Kecleon, out of all the missing Pokemon in Pokemon GO. This is due to the fact that there is just one Pokemon missing from the third generation's part of the Pokedex, preventing players from completing the page and earning an unique in-game achievement. Niantic has stated that Kecleon would be included in Pokemon GO, but no other information has been provided. If only to appease all the completionists out there, this introduction should arrive shortly.

Other Missing Pokemon GO Species

Although only one Pokemon is absent in Generation 3, the number grows with each subsequent generation. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, from Generation 4, are missing four species, whereas Pokemon Black and White, from Generation 5, are missing five. The majority of these are legendary and mythical Pokemon, such as Manaphy, Arceus, and Keldeo, however some fan favourites, such as Zoroark, have yet to arrive. Arceus' entry in GO would have been great if Pokemon Legends: Arceus had been released recently, but that was not the case.

There aren't just four or five missing Pokemon from X and Y, the sixth generation of the franchise, but a total of 17. That's over a quarter of the 72 Pokemon released in this game, not to include the many Mega Evolutions that were introduced in Generation 6. This is understandable, given that Gen 6 of Pokemon GO was released near the end of 2020. New Pokemon releases are usually limited to special occasions, so a little more than a year isn't enough time to catch up on all of them. The only concern is that Gen 7 is already here, while Gen 6 is still in the works. Players are concerned that Niantic will keep at this pace, resulting in the extinction of more Pokemon.

Generation 7, Generation 8, and Beyond

Pokemon GO's new Season of Alola has just begun introducing players to the species from Sun and Moon. Twenty-one of the generation's 86 Pokemon have been released since the beginning of March, with another on the way next week. Regardless of how much fans desire older, missing Pokemon to return, the advent of a new generation is always an exciting time in Pokemon GO. It's unusual for such a big number of new Pokemon to appear all at once, reinvigorating the fanbase to go out and catch them all.

Many Pokemon from Generation 8 (Pokémon Sword and Shield) made their way to GO last year, long before Alola was even on the horizon. Early game Pokemon like Greedent, evolutions of species from previous generations like Obstagoon, and the two primary legendaries, Zacian and Zamazenta, are among the 89 Pokemon available from this generation. The introduction of Gen 8 perplexed fans, with some believing Niantic was skipping Alola entirely in order to keep up with newer games. Thankfully, this was not the case, since these Pokemon were just given as a teaser for future releases.

The goal of Pokemon GO is to live up to the series' mantra of "must catch 'em all," but this is becoming increasingly challenging. With Pokemon that have been long overdue for introduction, future species that are currently unavailable, and several regionally exclusive Pokemon that only emerge in specific geographic places, players will have to wait a long time to complete their Pokedex. However, given Niantic's current rate, species from the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet might be released before the end of the year.