With the Galar Region being based on the UK, Gamefreak made some really odd choices for the Galar Pokedex, probably influenced by not including a national Pokédex. So with 400+ pokemon getting the Thanos treatment, many Pokémon were treated as the great survivors, even though their placement in the UK makes absolutely no sense for the region.
From wild Elephants to weird desert areas that seem to only last about 20 feet in a square area, a lot logic was cut for the sake of Pokémon diversity. Out of the 400 in the region, in a way the largest local region Pokédex, there are 10 Pokémon who should have never been included in Galar and 10 that really should have been exhumed to better match the feeling they were going for.
10 Minccino for Bulbasaur
Minccino was always an odd inclusion when you have Charmander. It doesn’t seem to fit the UK style they were going for but could be found in abundance anyways. This odd and out of place Pokemon should be replaced for another starter to be out in the wild, Bulbasaur. Its placement isn’t outrageous because it’s based on a plant and makes a sense of symmetry with the rest of the series. Charmander is alright to have in because of the popularity of Charizard but leaving the rest out feels a bit like an insult mixed with a hole in everyone’s collective souls.
9 Joltik for Squirtle
Joltik is another that is so out of place. Its evolution line is so forgettable that you even forget caught it during Sword & Shield. It’s bright yellow color contrasts with everything around it and when you find it in the main wild area it doesn’t feel special. Since Charmander is included in the Pokedex for plot reasons Gamefreak should have thrown long-time players a bone and included Squirtle for old time’s sake. It would have been a much better experience randomly running into a Squirtle than a Jotik out in the wild, and it isn’t a far thought that there would be a turtle around in the UK. Sorry, but Chewtle just doesn’t itch the scratch.
8 Vanillite for Ekans
There is a severe lack of snakes in Galar, which is odd for an ecosystem filled with bugs. Ekans seems it was made for running around the UK and Arbok wouldn’t be a bad inclusion by relation.
Everyone except Gamefreak seems to think Vannillite is a very weird and bad idea that would be preferred to be kept to the past, but it appears in every game since its inaugural inclusion. With how common you find Vanillite in the wild area, many would prefer a break from this weird unedible food pokemon that sprang up from Cloudy WIth a Chance Of Meatballs.
7 Munna for Grimer
Munna is rare and very forgettable, it looks too close to so many other Pokémon and it’s placement in this generation doesn’t add to its importance from it being any more than a picture with a number to fill in the Pokedex. With what they did in Sun & Moon, it would be easy to make a Galarian form Grimer and it would add symmetry with the rest of the series because of the inclusion of Koffing.
6 Pancham for Furret
There are wild pandas in Britain, yeah that makes sense. Seeing a couple dozen of these things running around the wild area is unimmersive if you think of it as the UK. With the first generation making many references to real-life countries, its jarring to see pandas running amok in what’s supposed to be England. Furret’s evolution line would make much more sense with it’s long rolling fields rather than angry pandas running around chasing trainers away.
5 Pyukumuku for Skiploom
Not only is it one of the most tongue-twisting Pokémon that made you wish you gave it a nickname, but it also looks so close to other Pokémon like Snom that it holds no independence. It’s one of those that you see and didn’t even realize it’s a Pokémon. Skiploom’s line would make more sense and even replace the other “Fluff” Pokémon if need be. The need for Pokémon that are essentially the same to replace the originals are completely unnecessary because after a while people will just forget the repeat.
4 Type Null/Silvally for Snubull
This one is quite a mind-boggling inclusion, being it was supposed to be a one of a kind Pokémon made in a laboratory. It’s just wild and the professors not only expected you to encounter one, but also catch one. it’s a Pokémon that was essentially made no more than a year beforehand and not even released for other trainers to use. Considering the UK’s affinity for bulldogs, Snubbul would be a much more logical inclusion, yeah Silvally is really cool, but why is it there and not Z moves? There’s no sense in the decision for world-building.
3 Oranguru for Starly
Just like with Pandas roaming free in England this issue comes again when you have Oragantans roaming free with other large-sized apes, something that makes no sense whatsoever for the country they are basing it on.
This inclusion feels like one of the most shoehorned in, like a decision to keep them in because they were popular rather than it made sense for the region. the Starly line makes more sense for the region because there’s a lot more biodiversity on birds then apes in the world.
2 Maractus For Absol
Random bits like a sand storming desert next to a cold blizzard is one of the most jarring parts of Sword & Sheild. The need for diversity in the environment is again senseless because it isn’t necessary with all the Pokémon they have available to use. To make it worse, many of them they didn’t even follow the rules for what habitats they like which makes including a desert even more pointless. With the sword -like feature on Absol’s head, it would fit the knights and armor atmosphere that Gamefreak was going for much better than a cactus.
1 Cufant for Murkrow
And to add to the escaped Zoo that is the wild area in Pokémon Sword & Shield is an elephant. With all the other huge Pokémon in the wild area, it’s hard to believe that it also has room for a 12 foot elephant as well. Murkrow was one of those pokemon that seemed to be based on the UK before Gamefreak made a region based on it and would have fit in quite well, even considering the amount of duplicate Pokémon they already included.
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