ThePokemon SwordandPokemon ShieldPokeDex has been a matter of some controversy in recent months. ThePokemonfranchise’s most ardent fans, those who grew up with the mantra “Gotta Catch ‘em All,” are frustrated thatPokemon SwordandShieldwon’t include every Pokemon in the franchise. This stems from Game Freak confirming that not every Pokemon will be available in the Nintendo Switch games due to the workload. Fans have since wondered just how many Pokemon will be in the two new games. They may now have an answer.
Redditor slusho55 mase a post to thePokemonsubreddit, noting that the Amazon listing forPokemon SwordandShield’s official paperback PokeDex book has 448 pages. That’s notable in that the officialPokemonpaperback National PokeDex has 720 pages. Ergo, if the National PokeDex features 802 Pokemon, plus Mega Evolutions and Alola Forms, then it’s reasonable to assume thatPokemon SwordandShield’s Galar regionPokeDex will feature at least 500 Pokemon.
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This estimate is, of course, complete guesswork. There’s room for error in the extreme. Worse case, the newPokemon SwordandShieldPokeDexbook could feature extensive information about the 250 or so Pokemon already confirmed and no other Pokemon. Best case, the book could fit more Pokemon per page than previous PokeDex books and could climb into the 600s or 700s. What’s important is that the estimate provides evidence that whilePokemon SwordandShieldwon’t have all Pokemon, it will have a very significant amount overall.
If the estimate proves accurate, that means that The Pokemon Company and Game Freak have as many as 250 more Pokemon left to reveal forPokemon SwordandShield. Which when you consider that it took a 24-hour livestream to confirm three or four more Pokemon, includingGalarian Ponyta, might take a while. With just over a month until launch, it looks likePokemonfans will be discovering a lot ofPokemon SwordandShield’s PokeDex for the first time on their own.
It’s unlikely that the ultimate size of theGalarian PokeDexwill sate the frustrations ofPokemonfans hoping forPokemon SwordandPokemon Shieldto feature the National PokeDex. But it does put the controversy into perspective. WhilePokemon SwordandShieldwon’t feature all Pokemon, it will feature a very large amount. That does mean that some favorites are going to be left behind, but it also provides an opportunity forPokemonplayers to find new favorites.
