With the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the 9th generation of Pokemon has officially crossed the 1,000 threshold for total monsters in the series. Coming in with a whopping 1,008 as of the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, catching them all has become a much more daunting task than before. To make matters worse, some Pokemon are still only available on 3DS titles, and with the imminent discontinuation of eShop services for the 3DS, this may be the last chance players will have to add some Pokemon to their collection for the foreseeable future.

Right now players can transfer Pokemon from their 3DS to their Switch using Nintendo's Cloud services Pokemon Bank and Pokemon Home. Players with the Pokemon Bank application installed on their 3DS will be able to continue to use the service after the eShop is shut down in March 2023. Anyone without the application can download it now before the eShop shuts down at which point it will be free to use. Nintendo will be focusing on Pokemon Home as its Cloud storage system for Pokemon on the Switch going forward.

RELATED: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Primeape Evolution Was a Missed Opportunity

Pokemon Currently Available on the Switch

pokemon scarlet and violet sales

With now five titles from the franchise on the Switch, a large chunk of those 1,008 Pokemon are available without the need to transfer from the 3DS. Pokemon Sword and Shield caught flak from fans at launch due to its incomplete National Dex and the fear that many fan favorites would be inaccessible for some time. Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee included pocket monsters primarily from Kanto, and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl included ones from Sinnoh. But even with these titles, much of the Pokedex was still incomplete.

Two new Pokemon titles launched in 2022 brought additional monsters to the Switch that were previously only available on the 3DS. Pokemon Legends Arceus and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet saw several lines of mons make their debut on the Switch, such as the Oshawott line in Pokemon Legends Arceus and the Tynamo and Skiddo lines in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. While these games do rectify some of the gaps in the National Dex, many Pokemon are still missing from this list.

All Pokemon Unavailable on Switch

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet terastallizing pokeball catch

Despite the new additions from Pokemon Legends Arceus and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, many Pokemon are still unavailable on Switch and can only be found as recently as the 3DS. Many popular Pokemon have yet to make the jump to the Switch, leaving fans of these creatures wondering when they will get the chance to see their favorites again after the 3DS eShop shuts down. The following list details every Pokemon currently unavailable on the Switch.

  • #495 - Snivy
  • #496 - Servine
  • #497 - Serperior
  • #498 - Tepig
  • #499 - Pignite
  • #500 - Emboar
  • #511 - Pansage
  • #512 - Simisage
  • #513 - Pansear
  • #514 - Simisear
  • #515 - Panpour
  • #516 - Simipour
  • #522 - Blitzle
  • #523 - Zebstrika
  • #540 - Sewaddle
  • #541 - Swadloon
  • #542 - Leavanny
  • #580 - Ducklett
  • #581 - Swanna
  • #648 - Meloetta
  • #650 - Chespin
  • #651 - Quilladin
  • #652 - Chesnaught
  • #653 - Fennekin
  • #654 - Braixen
  • #655 - Delphox
  • #656 - Froakie
  • #657 - Frogadier
  • #658 - Greninja
  • #676 - Furfrou
  • #731 - Pikipek
  • #732 - Trumbeak
  • #733 - Toucannon
  • #774 - Minior

The 34 Pokemon unavailable in any game on the Switch can only be transferred in from the 3DS using Pokemon Bank and Pokemon Home. Once the 3DS eShop shuts down, Pokemon Bank will no longer be available to download. Fans who want these Pokemon on the Switch should act fast and transfer them to Pokemon Home before March 2023 when the 3DS eShop goes offline.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are now available for Nintendo Switch.

MORE: It's Time to Let Monolith Soft Make a Pokemon Game