One of the best things aboutPokemonis that every entry in the mainline series adds a surplus of new creatures to catch. Sometimes, a new game will add over 100 Pokemon to the Pokedex, which means that there are now over 1,000 total Pokemon in existence.
Unfortunately, hardware limitations mean that not all Pokemon can be included in every game. The developers have to pick which ones to include, which means some Pokemon from older generations are cut from the next roster. It seems that thePokemondevelopers will choose at random which ones are omitted from the games in favor of new regional species. There are many Pokemon in the series that fans assume are in every game. The super popular starter, Charizard gets a new form in almost every region, and legendaries, like Mewtwo should keep popping up. Plus, it can sometimes feel as if Zubat is easy to run into in every game. However, there are only a handful of Pokemon that are lucky enough to feature in every mainline game so far.
4Psyduck/Golduck
It Even Shows Up In Pokemon Legends: Arceus
ThePokemonmascot, Pikachu, became the face of the franchise after the first series of the anime debuted. The yellow rodent is found on almost allPokemonmerchandise, yet the electric mouse does not feature in every main game in thePokemonseries. Pikachu obviously is not available inPokemon Black and White, as these games only feature Pokemon from the Unova region, but it is also not featured as part of the Pokedex in Black and White 2, the Gen 5 games that brought older Pokemon to the region. However, one yellow favorite from thePokemonanime does appear.
Psyduck is a water Pokemon that was featured heavily inthe first series of thePokemonanime,mostly due to its comedic appearance and knack for getting headaches. Plus, as a Gen 1 Pokemon, it makes sense that it, and its evolution Golduck, would be in the very first games. However, this duck has continued to be featured in every generation of new games, and is even featured in spin-off games likePokemon Legends Arceus. Why Psyduck keeps getting included is still a mystery. Though its water type does give it access to plenty of HMs when they were used. However, Psyduck is not inPokemon: Leaf Greenas it is exclusive inFire Red, the counterpart to this generation of remakes.
3Magnemite/Magneton
It Gained A Secondary Type & An Evolution Over The Years
Magnemite is another Pokemon that debuted in Gen 1, and it also shares the same electric type as Pikachu. However, the people at GameFreak keep choosing to include this floating object Pokemon in all their new games instead of the franchise mascot.
It makes sense for Magnemite to be carried over into the second generation due to it receiving the new Steel type in this region. Plus, Magnemite receivesa third and final new evolution, Magnezone, in the Gen 4 games, so it makes sense as to why it shows up in these games. However, it still keeps cropping up later on. It did get a brief omission inSword and Shield, but the Magnemite line was later added to Galar region theIsle of Armor DLCto continue its long list of regional appearances.
2Magikarp/Gyarados
The Joke Pokemon That Can Even Be Bought
The flopping fish known as Magikarp can be found almost everywhere in Gen 1, so long as the player has a fishing rod. This weak Water-type is normally found knowing only one move, Splash. Splash is a move that does not do any damage, but represents the Pokemon struggling to survive as a useless encounter. However, any player that is patient enough to level up their Magikarp to level 20 will berewarded with the powerful Gyarados.
The Magikarp line represents an ancient Japanese myth of a carp swimming upstream to become a dragon, and it does so perfectly. That may be why the fish keeps being included in every new generation of games. It is very memorable, and rewards persistent players greatly. The developers are still adding to this creature, as Gyarados evenreceived a Mega Evolutionin Gen 6. Even when it appears that Magikarp is missing from the game, like in Black and White 2, the Pokemon is sneakily slipped in as a Magikarp can be bought by a trader on Marvelous Bridge.
1Rhyhorn/Rhydon
The First Pokemon Ever Created
Of all the generation 1 Pokemon that deserve to feature in every mainline game, Rhydon and its pre-evolution Rhyhorn are probably the most deserving. For those who do not know, Rhydon was the firstPokemondesign to ever be created, which is why the gym statues used in Gen 1 are supposed torepresent this creature. However, with the limited graphics capabilities of the Game Boy, these statues look like overworld sprites for a lot of the Pokemon in Kanto.
After Rhydon was created, Rhyhorn soon followed, and the two have been showing up in every game ever since. Unlike many of the Pokemon that appear in every main game in the series, Rhyhorn and Rhydon make sense as automatic inclusions.
