Revolutionary Pokemon: Unveiling the Destiny of the Franchise

Highlights

Pokemon Sword and Shield limit the availability of certain Pokemon, leaving some stranded on older titles.

Spiky-eared Pichu and Cosplay Pikachu were unable to be transferred to future games due to their limited availability. This was because the developers chose not to program additional Pokemon and faced challenges in balancing the overall Pokemon experience.

In 1996, the global phenomenon of Pokemon began, starting with two Game Boy games. Over the course of 27 years, the franchise has continuously evolved, changed, and grown. Now, Game Freak's RPG series extends to numerous seasons and series of anime, hundreds of manga chapters, and a multitude of games. What originally comprised of 151 Pokemon in Gen 1 has now expanded into the thousands, fulfilling the desire of players to reach new milestones in each generation.

The concept of Pokemon has always revolved around the challenge of capturing all of the unique creatures. However, in recent years, this challenge has become increasingly difficult. With the release of Pokemon Sword and Shield, fans are now restricted in which critters can accompany them in their adventures. Due to the closure of the Nintendo 3DS eShop, players who didn't download the Pokemon Bank app are unable to access certain Pokemon stranded in older titles. While this is an unfortunate situation, it is not the first time that specific Pokemon have been left behind, as seen with Spiky-eared Pichu and Cosplay Pikachu.

Spiky-eared Pichu and Cosplay Pikachu Never Followed Players to the Next Pokemon Generation

Spiky-eared Pichu was an exclusive Pokemon found only in Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver. To encounter this unique Pichu, players needed a specific event Pokemon in their party. Spiky-eared Pichu was known for being best friends with a Shiny Pichu called the "Pikachu-colored Pichu." Together, they embarked on time travel adventures with Celebi. Because of her extensive travels with Celebi, Spiky-eared Pichu was unable to evolve, breed, or be traded, limiting her transferability to later games.

Cosplay Pikachu, on the other hand, was obtained by participating in Pokemon Contests in Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. This special Pikachu could be dressed up in various costumes to match the theme of the contest, with her final move adapting to complement her outfit. Without a costume, Cosplay Pikachu could be identified by a black heart shape at the end of her tail. Similar to Spiky-eared Pichu, she couldn't evolve, breed, be traded, or directly transferred into Pokemon Bank.

How a Pikachu and a Pichu Foretold the Limited Pokemon Options in Generation 8 and Above

Spike-ear Pichu and Cosplay Pikachu not being transferable was quickly noticed and disliked by fans. While there may be arguments for why Cosplay Pikachu wasn't transferable, Spike-ear Pichu's design was only slightly different in terms of the notch on her ear. This means that both Pokemon were cut from future games because the developers didn't want to program one more creature. As a result, the number of creatures fans could find and bring to each game was limited, causing issues with balancing the overall Pokemon experience and extending development time. It's interesting that this trend started with Pikachu and Pichu, as they are the franchise's mascot and are unlikely to be excluded from mainline games. Other favorite creatures will likely have to wait for a future Pokemon generation to be included.