BDSP Pokédex speculation

[Esserise]

In LGPE, when getting your Pokémon evaluated by the IV judge, the game displays your Pokémon’s National Dex number - which obviously for the vast majority of Pokémon in that game is the same as their Kanto Dex number anyway, but then you do have Meltan and Melmetal listed as 808 and 809, even though that implies the existence of 657 Pokémon missing from the game. I don’t see why trades in BDSP’s Union Room couldn’t do the same thing. Strictly speaking, we don’t know if the National Dex itself is coming back, so that info screen may be the only place where those numbers even show up.

 

[Tuoko]

Yeah, I don't think the National Dex numbers mean too much, but it does help the idea of all original 493 being included in.

Regarding the regional Dex, considering they said some Pokemon were only going to be found in the Hideaways as Houndoom was being captured, I'm thinking they'll still stick with DP's Dex, but use the Hideaways to increase the main story's available Pokemon.

 

[SeanWheeler]

Maybe they could stick with the Diamond and Pearl Pokédex and the Platinum Dex Pokémon seen in the trailers were post-game? I sure hope not considering how Flint's team ended up lacking his specialty type because there were only two Fire-types in Sinnoh. If BDSP's Pokédex is the Platinum Dex but expanded to include Sentret, Numel, Slugma, and the missing Sinnoh legendaries, then Flint could have a Camerupt and Magcargo on his team.

 

[Esserise]

Unless you mean that they’re just trying to make all Pokémon available across gen 8, which I still don’t think will happen.

Realistically I don’t either, but assuming BDSP does have only the first 493, then here’s what they’d have to chuck into Legends Arceus in order to make it happen:

Snivy
Tepig
Patrat
Pansage
Pansear
Panpour
Blitzle
Sewaddle
Ducklett
Deerling
Alomomola
Tynamo
Meloetta
Chespin
Fennekin
Froakie
Scatterbug
Litleo
Flabébé
Skiddo
Furfrou
Hoopa
Pikipek
Yungoos
Crabrawler
Oricorio
Minior
Komala
Bruxish

Certainly doable! Just… yeah, not very likely, I’d say.

 

[Kallyle]

In LGPE, when getting your Pokémon evaluated by the IV judge, the game displays your Pokémon’s National Dex number - which obviously for the vast majority of Pokémon in that game is the same as their Kanto Dex number anyway, but then you do have Meltan and Melmetal listed as 808 and 809, even though that implies the existence of 657 Pokémon missing from the game. I don’t see why trades in BDSP’s Union Room couldn’t do the same thing. Strictly speaking, we don’t know if the National Dex itself is coming back, so that info screen may be the only place where those numbers even show up.

If that’s the case, then I am once again worried that BDSP will contain less Pokémon than the original DP just to cut corners.

Maybe they could stick with the Diamond and Pearl Pokédex and the Platinum Dex Pokémon seen in the trailers were post-game? I sure hope not considering how Flint's team ended up lacking his specialty type because there were only two Fire-types in Sinnoh. If BDSP's Pokédex is the Platinum Dex but expanded to include Sentret, Numel, Slugma, and the missing Sinnoh legendaries, then Flint could have a Camerupt and Magcargo on his team.

If they stick with the DP Pokédex and have less than the originals, then there’s no way I’m getting this game. There’s a reason that people complained about DP’s limited regional Pokédex, and if Masuda and TPCi ignore it than it is safe to say that they no longer care about criticism.

 

[Esserise]

If that’s the case, then I am once again worried that BDSP will contain less Pokémon than the original DP just to cut corners.

I don’t see any reason to come to that conclusion. They said “all the Pokémon in the original Diamond & Pearl games” in the February video, and we know for a fact that these games have Pokémon that weren’t in the DP Sinnoh Dex (Houndoom, Swinub, the cross-gen evos), as well as Pokémon that weren’t even in the Platinum Dex (Numel, Chinchou). We’re most likely seeing the first 493. It’s just a matter of whether or not we see anything past that.

 

[SeanWheeler]

I think we'd see more than the first 493 Pokémon. It's only logical that if we're seeing more Pokémon than what's in the Platinum Dex and we saw a National Dex number for Bidoof that the National Dex is returning. Legends Arceus has confirmed some post-Sinnoh Pokémon in the Hisui region. Every remake from FireRed/LeafGreen to Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire had a National Dex that goes up to the concurrent generation. A Gen 8 National Dex with only 493 Pokémon would be weird.

 

[nickdt]

I don’t see any reason to come to that conclusion. They said “all the Pokémon in the original Diamond & Pearl games” in the February video, and we know for a fact that these games have Pokémon that weren’t in the DP Sinnoh Dex (Houndoom, Swinub, the cross-gen evos), as well as Pokémon that weren’t even in the Platinum Dex (Numel, Chinchou). We’re most likely seeing the first 493. It’s just a matter of whether or not we see anything past that.

Yeah and if Legends is an Indication, the Spheal line will also be in.

 

[SeanWheeler]

Yeah and if Legends is an Indication, the Spheal line will also be in.

If we go by what's included in Legends, then Oshawott, Rowlett, Braivairy and Basculin would be in, and they are post-Gen 4. Might even get Wyrdeer and Basculegion which are brand new Pokémon that aren't in Galar. And the Sinnohan forms of Growlithe and Braivairy.

 

[Phosphene]

Yeah and if Legends is an Indication, the Spheal line will also be in.

If we go by what's included in Legends

Spheal and Sealeo can be found in Pearl and Platinum respectively in the Battle Zone. I don't think a Pokémon's presence is Legends is an indicator that it will be in BDSP considering the two games are made by two different development teams.

 

[SeanWheeler]

Spheal and Sealeo can be found in Pearl and Platinum respectively in the Battle Zone. I don't think a Pokémon's presence is Legends is an indicator that it will be in BDSP considering the two games are made by two different development teams.

True. Especially if Legends is coming after BDSP, including every Pokémon from Legends would steal Wyrdeer and Basculegion's debut. I highly doubt BDSP would include those two new Pokémon and the Hisuian forms. I always found the idea of Sinnohan forms in a remake silly. But now Wyrdeer and Basculegion is in the same boat as Meltan not existing in the region of their generation.

 

[BlueWaves]

RS already had those Pokémon in their code while SwSh doesn’t, so I don’t think that’s going to happen, especially considering SwSh and BDSP are developed by two different studios.

They've added Pokémon via patches for the DLC, I don't see why they could’ve do the same for BDSP.

 

[Defiant]

Hoping the first 493 are all back, and just as the IoA and CT updates made them available for free in SwSh if traded, hope to see the same here.
Good sign is that SwSh remaining the main games for battles and ranking.
Hope to take Hisvuian Growlithe to Galar, plus some other mons in Sinnoh that not in SwSh

 

[Phosphene]

They've added Pokémon via patches for the DLC, I don't see why they could’ve do the same for BDSP.

I’m think some or all DLC Pokémon were already in the games code seeing as images of early SwSh builds with Pokémon like Rockruff have circulated. Also, considering that GameFreak A) said that the removal of Pokémon is now a policy and B) is working on a very ambitious project, I really don’t think they’re going to be patching in any Pokémon anytime soon.

Edit: Not to mention, but there are still some Kanto Pokémon not in SwSh despite already being on a Switch game. I remember reading a pre-DLC article about a fan who modded in Omastar using LGPE’s model—it looked a exactly like the LGPE model. This suggests that simply being in a Switch game doesn’t mean seamless importation into SwSh. I’d imagine that at the very least the patched-in Pokémon from BDSP would have to be retextured. And I imagine the two games being developed by two different studios would complicate things to a degree.

 

[Defiant]

I think they would hope to get all mons on Gen 8 / SwSh eventually. They want to show off the new mons for a start, would be pretty lacklustre if they couldn't be used in tournaments.

I think the reason will be that the BDSP/LA mons are patched into SwSh, but SwSh mons aren't patched into either of those 2.

So Chimchar can come to Galar but Scorbunny can't go to Sinnoh/Hisui

 

[Kallyle]

I think they would hope to get all mons on Gen 8 / SwSh eventually. They want to show off the new mons for a start, would be pretty lacklustre if they couldn't be used in tournaments.

I think the reason will be that the BDSP/LA mons are patched into SwSh, but SwSh mons aren't patched into either of those 2.

So Chimchar can come to Galar but Scorbunny can't go to Sinnoh/Hisui

Even then, they’d only patch in the ‘mons and forms that debuted in either Gen 4 or Legends: Arceus at most.

 

[SeanWheeler]

I think they would hope to get all mons on Gen 8 / SwSh eventually. They want to show off the new mons for a start, would be pretty lacklustre if they couldn't be used in tournaments.

I think the reason will be that the BDSP/LA mons are patched into SwSh, but SwSh mons aren't patched into either of those 2.

So Chimchar can come to Galar but Scorbunny can't go to Sinnoh/Hisui

Why wouldn't they put Scorbunny in Sinnoh if they would patch Chimchar in Galar? If anything, I find the reverse more likely with Scorbunny being in Sinnoh's code at the start but Chimchar will not be patched into Galar. I mean, I've wanted Sword and Shield to patch in the entire National Dex when Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, but that was more wishful thinking. They're probably done patching Sword and Shield after Crown Tundra.

 

[Bolt Strike]

I think we'll be able to get all of the National Dex Pokemon between SwSh (+ DLC), BDSP, and LA, but there will be some exclusive to each game (pairs) without being able to be transferred to the other. Dexit started precisely because they couldn't finish the models for every Pokemon in each game, and BDSP and LA have different artstyles and textures, I can't see them going back on that and adding everything to SwSh or adding everything from SwSh to the other games.

 

[Silktree]

If they don't update SwSh, then all the returning Pokemon and new forms/evolutions won't get to participate in ranked/VGC battles (who knows if the next generation will change that for most of them). That doesn't make sense to me.

Game Freak should have picked a single texture style for all Switch games.

 

[Oriden]

I don't think it would be weird if they weren't patched into SwSh... considering how close we are to a new gen- I wouldn't be surprised if one was announced next February to be released by the end of the year.

Though if not that, then I wonder if we mightn't get another wave of SwSh DLC to finish adding in the rest of the dex and buy some more time to work on the next generation, since I'd imagine that adding on to an existing game is probably easier and quicker than building a whole new one.

Whether any more pokemon get added to SwSh would probably depend on how soon that next gen drops, though. And who knows, maybe they would be willing to make us wait over a year to use them in battles, just to use that long wait as extra incentive to buy or preorder the next games.