How Many Exclusive Pokémon Does The Violet Version Have?
One of the unique hallmarks of the "Pokémon" franchise is that every new generation begins with games released in pairs. When Game Freak started doing this back in the days of the Game Boy Color, it seemed that the primary purpose was to distinguish between which hue would be used in the monochromatic shading of the game itself. Later generations added other alterations, such as which group of criminal outlaws the player would face and legendary Pokémon they could capture.
One aspect has always differentiated the generational editions: exclusive Pokémon. There are always a handful of pocket monsters that can only be caught in one edition and a handful that can only be caught in the other, forcing players to trade with each other if they want to "catch 'em all." "Pokémon Scarlett" and "Violet" continue this tradition. There are a whopping 887 creatures in the Paldea Region Pokédex (via Eurogamer), but only a few Pokémon in each game that trainers will not be able to acquire in the other. This can be the deciding factor for those having a hard time choosing which edition to buy. Here are the "Pokémon" exclusive to "Violet."
Returning Violet exclusive Pokémon
"Pokémon Violet" boasts seven exclusive Pokémon (via Polygon). Some of them are Gen 9 originals, but a few favorites have returned from older generations as well. Three of these slots belong to the Gen 3 Dragon-type Pokémon Bagon and its two evolutions. Its second form is called Shelgon, and the third is the powerful Dragon/Flying hybrid Salamence. Certain fans consider Bagon and its evolutions some of the best non-Legendary Dragon-Type Pokémon from Gen 3. A fully trained Salamence is fast, hits hard, and its dual-type gives it access to more moves that might be "super effective."
"Violet" also features the Gen 8 Ice-type Eiscue. This Pokémon looks like a penguin with its head frozen in a solid block of ice, but players shouldn't let that fool them. Fans considered the odd creature quite powerful in "Sword" and "Shield" so it makes sense that it would make a grand return in the next Switch generation.
New Violet exclusive Pokémon
Ceruledge is a brand new Fire/Ghost Type Pokémon shown wearing ancient armor and wielding two flaming swords. It even has a fresh move: Bitter Blade. "Bitter Blade is a Fire-type physical move that gathers the lingering regrets of the fallen into Ceruledge's swords, allowing it to focus that bitterness into a slashing attack," explained the official website. "The swords then absorb life energy from wounds they made, and the user's HP is restored by up to half the damage taken by the target."
Then there's Miraidon, the mount-Pokémon trainers use to navigate the Paldea Region. Fans on Twitter have declared their love for this new motorcycle Legendary since it debuted during one of Nintendo's videos announcing features for the game. While it doesn't evolve, it does have three different forms: Drive Mode, Aquatic Mode, and Glide Mode. Players can use these forms to navigate the land, water and skies of Paldea.
The final exclusive addition to the "Pokémon Violet" roster is called Iron Treads. This Ground/Steel-Type Pokémon was revealed during a trailer that came out the week before "Violet" launched. In The Violet Book, it states "when this monster curls its body and rolls to attack, it leaves a trail gouged into the ground, as if it had scorched the earth."