Despite releasing two expansions for Pokemon Sword & Shield since its release, the Pokemon Company has still managed to leave out a fair number of Pokemon from the National Pokedex. When the games were initially released, it stirred up controversy as this was the first time that the entire roster of Pokemon wasn’t accessible in the mainline entries.

The two DLC expansions worked to remedy it by adding a good number of missing Pokemon, but fans are still a bit upset and will not be satisfied if the next mainline entries don’t correct this egregious misstep for the franchise.

10 Slaking

Slaking is arguably the biggest troll design the Pokemon Company ever pulled on its audience. It’s a Pokemon with base stats higher that pseudo-Legendary Pokemon, but with an ability called Truant, which makes it so it can’t attack in consecutive turns.

Fans have discovered that pairing it in a dual-battle with a Pokemon that can negate or swap abilities allows Slaking to shine and display its full potential. Since Pokemon Sword & Shield don’t have many double battles outside of competitive play, it sort of makes sense why it never was added.

9 Kalos Starters

Pokemon X & Y are considered by many to be the low point of the series in regards to the mainline games. The Pokedex for the Kalos region is rather small and it added a few dozen Pokemon to the overall national Pokedex.

All that being said, people still like some of the starters, as the Water-type Greninja has emerged as one of the more popular Pokemon in the entire franchise. It had a starring role in the film Detective Pikachu, but for some reason was seemingly an afterthought when it came to Pokemon Sword & Shield.

8 Zebstrika

Despite zebras pretty much being oddly colored horse-like animals, they’ve become a big part of pop culture due to them being featured in many animated films. Zebstrika is an Electric-type zebra from the giant Unova region and is known as the Thunderbolt Pokemon.

In many ways, it is Gen V’s version of Rapidash, but they decided to base it on a zebra and made it a different type. Its physical attack base stats mixed with its above-average speed make it a real threat in battle, but unfortunately, newcomers can’t experience it for themselves in Pokemon Sword & Shield.

7 Toucannon

Thanks largely in part to Froot Loops commercials, an entire generation of kids became familiar with the toucan. These birds are known for their colorful beaks and fans were stoked when a toucan-inspired Pokemon was released as part of Pokemon Sun & Moon.

Toucannon, or the Cannon Pokemon, is a Normal/Flying-type that’s somehow the final form of a base Pokemon that resembles a woodpecker. Most of the Alolan Island Pokemon are usable in Pokemon Sword & Shield, but for some reason, the giant lovable bird with a gradient beak was left out.

6 Unova Starters

When Pokemon Black & White were released it was the first time that a new generation of Pokemon games introduced over 150 new Pokemon since Pokemon Red & Blue. Fans quickly fell in love with the dozens of new Pokemon, but the starters became the attachment point for a whole new generation of Pokemon trainers.

Older fans were happy to finally get Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander in Pokemon Sword & Shield and there are arguably just as many fans who are upset their favorite generation’s starters never made it over to the Galar region.

5 Parasect

Parasect is one of the more forgettable Kanto region Pokemon, despite how useful the Bug/Grass-type can be. It’s one of the few Pokemon that can learn both False Swipe and Stun Spore, meaning that it can play a significant role in aiding its trainer when it comes to catching other Pokemon.

From a design perspective, it also deserves some love considering the Pokemon is apparently being controlled by the large fungus on its back. This is why Parasect’s eyes are whited out — the overgrown mushroom is in charge, and not the orange crab.

4 Donphan

Donphan gained some popularity after it was featured in the opening battle of Pokemon: The First Movie where Ash Ketchum had the opportunity to flex his battling skills with Pikachu.

The franchise has very few elephant Pokemon, but with the Galar region being home to Copperajah and its base form, maybe the Pokemon Company felt they didn’t need to make Phanpy and/or Donphan a priority when it came to adding more Pokemon to the National Pokedex.

3 Sinnoh Starters

The starters from the Sinnoh region not being in Pokemon Sword & Shield stings a little bit more now that the remakes of Pokemon Diamond & Pearl were announced.

Both of those games are slated to release in late 2021, but fans can’t even try out which starter they’re going to want to roll with in a modern game, since there’s no way to use Turtwig, Chimchar, or Piplup in the Galar region.

2 Primeape

Out in the Kanto region, there are ferocious and violently standoffish Pig Monkey Pokemon, more commonly referred to as Primeape. They are the evolved form of Mankey and pack a powerful punch. This evolutionary line is one of a couple that still haven’t made their way into Pokemon Sword & Shield.

Due to a very popular episode of the Pokemon anime featuring Primeape, it holds enough fan support that its exclusion from the newest games in the mainline series still doesn’t sit right with many.

1 Johto Starters

The Johto region may not be as beloved as the Kanto region, but there are still a large number of Pokemon fans who hold a sense of nostalgic connection to the second-generation starters.

Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile are pretty popular, and yet, they didn’t manage to make the cut in the two expansions Pokemon Sword & Shield released. Fans are hoping that the next games in the mainline series manage to contain the entire National Pokedex, something the series did with every new generation before Pokemon Sword & Shield.

NEXT: Pokemon That Became Or Should Become Fairy-Type