Summary
Not many fans were likely expectingPokemon Legends: Z-Ato be the major new title announced during the Pokemon Day presentation after rumors of a new Unova or Johto game circulated in the online space. However,Pokemon Legends: Z-Ais a more than welcome surprise for a variety of reasons, including a return to the Kalos Region and the potential for closure on a lot of lore left unexplained at the end ofPokemon X and Y. Aside from these benefits, completionists will be happy to see one critter unavailable on the Switch up to this point make an appearance inPokemon Legends: Z-A, finally making them accessible in Gen 9.
RecentPokemongenerations have been criticized by fans for their lack of a complete National Dex, with “Dexit” being an infamous part ofPokemon Sword and Shield’s pre-release discussion.Pokemon Scarlet and Violetalso lacked a complete National Dexbut made up for it somewhat by adding a handful of missing mons to the game via its DLC. However, even across the three generations of games available on the Switch, there are still several unavailable on the console entirely, but it appears thatPokemon Legends: Z-Awill be helping to solve this issue by including Furfrou.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Makes Furfrou Accessible on the Switch
While thetrailer forPokemon Legends: Z-Adoesn’t reveal much about the game’s plot or gameplay, it does showcase several critters that will likely make an appearance in the game. One of the scenes highlighted in the trailer shows a Furfrou alongside a couple of Flabebe sitting outside what appears to be a cafe within Lumiose City. It would make sense for a game set in the Kalos Region’s Lumiose City to include most if not all of the Gen 6 Pokedex, but the fact that Furfrou had been missing from the Switch up to this point is an encouraging sign forPokemon Legends: Z-A.
Furfrou is a strange creature within the franchise, as it debuted inPokemon X and Ywith a gimmick that allowed players to change its fur pattern by visiting an in-game salon. After being obtainable inPokemon X and Y, Furfou has been hard to find in successive generations, only being natively found in Gen 7’sPokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. From Gen 8 onward, Furfrou has been unobtainable entirely until the trailer forPokemon Legends: Z-Aseemingly confirms that it will be coming to Gen 9 with the game’s release.
Pokemon Still Missing On the Switch After Legends: Z-A
While Furfrou’s addition inPokemon Legends: Z-Ahelps contribute to the total number of mons available on the Switch, there are still a few critters that will still be unavailable after the game releases. These remaining critters include several Gen 5 mons like Patrat and Watchog, as well as Pansage, Pansear, Panpour, and their evolutions. While many players expected aPokemon LegendsUnova game or Gen 5 remakesto fill in these missing gaps in the Gen 9 Pokedex,Pokemon Legends: Z-Acomplicates things despite bringing Furfrou to the Switch.
While it’s possible these missing mons could become available on the Switch viaPokemon Legends: Z-A, the fact that they were not originally found in the Kalos Region hurts their chances of coming back. Still,Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Pokedexincluded mons that were not originally available in the Gen 4 games, so there is always a chancePokemon Legends: Z-Acould do something similar for the few remaining mons missing from the Switch. With the Switch’s successor likely coming out in 2025, there isn’t much time left for the series to make these missing mons available on the Switch if they’re not included inPokemon Legends: Z-A.
