Feature: 30 Pokémon You Probably Forgot That Deserve A Second Chance

Munchlax #446

First in our final Abandoned Mascots section, while most of the entries in this category fall under the classification of legendary or mythical, Munchlax is the true poster child of abandoned mascots.

Snorlax’s baby counterpart was the first Gen 4 Pokémon to be revealed, headlining spin-offs (most notably Pokémon Dash) two years before Diamond and Pearl released. The Pokémon Company was very clearly positioning Munchlax to be a superstar, placing it at the forefront of marketing. The tiny sleeper even found itself participating in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Then, as Gen 4 wound down, so too did Munchlax. It’ll always retain some level of relevance due to Snorlax’s franchise omnipresence, but it’s destined to live in the bigger ‘mon’s shadow after its momentum to become more was squashed.

Victini #494

Victini was designed with the sole goal of making a Pikachu 2. It sports a similar body type and spunky personality to the franchise’s #1 player. Its human-esque personality was an unabashed tell that The Pokémon Company had big plans for Victini, as a scant few Pokémon are afforded such a luxury.

While Victini was warmly received and there were signs lightning could strike twice, it didn’t sustain. Perhaps this is in part due to its lack of visibility in the games with its tough-to-obtain mythical status. Ultimately, Gen 5’s more abundant Pika-clone Emolga found longer-lasting notoriety as Victini’s flame flickered out.

Castform #351

Like any Pokémon you can only obtain one copy of, Castform stood out as special despite its lack of legendary status. Its gimmick of changing forms based on the weather was a perfect companion for Gen 3’s overworld weather mechanics, and its simple design made it broadly lovable (not to mention ready-made for plush toy prime time).

Despite all this, it never found much relevance beyond its plot moment in Ruby and Sapphire. If anything, by becoming a wild Pokémon in Sun and Moon, it was robbed of its elusive 'only one' lustre. Maybe this was all The Pokémon Company ever had planned for Castform, but I can’t help but feel like there were broader plans that never panned out.

Glastrier #896, Spectrier #897, and Calyrex #898

Sword and Shield’s expansion packs showcased Game Freak’s ability to tell compelling stories in more open-ended environments. However, that feat wasn’t enough to give deer-like telepath Calyrex and its steeds Glastrier and Spectrier staying power.

The latter two feature some of the most rad horse designs in the franchise, and the option to have Calyrex ride them and gain new signature moves in the process made the trio quite novel among legendary groups.

People were just too clocked out to care, sadly. I imagine they would’ve gained greater notoriety if they weren’t allocated to a final expansion pack for a generation that many had already moved on from. Hopefully Game Freak gives these another chance to shine.

Regieleki #894 and Regidrago #895

I won’t beat the dead horse again about The Crown Tundra, where these two also appear, other than to say their notoriety wasn’t helped by players being able to obtain only one on a given save file.

However, the real issue at play is that The Pokémon Company has yet to formally align them alongside the classic and fan-favourite 'Regi' trio in a meaningful way. This has left them in a weird limbo of irrelevance in the franchise when they should’ve been surefire overnight sensations.

I imagine that the next appearance of the Regis will bring them into the fold and solve this, but until then, these Regis’ bodies won’t be ready.

Eternatus #890

It might be strange to include the effective final boss of an entire Pokémon generation on a list of misfits, but Eternatus proved not to be memorable despite the climactic battle against it.

Its futuristic, alien aesthetic would’ve made sense if positioned as the ultra-est Ultra Beast in the prior generation or an anomaly lurking around Area Zero in the generation to follow, but it was a complete mismatch for Sword and Shield’s more grounded tone. This resulted in Eternatus not quite being destined for eternity.

Tapu Lele #786, Tapu Bulu #787, and Tapu Fini #788

Tapu Koko was one of the standout stars of Sun and Moon’s story, playing a central role throughout the journey. This earned it special treatment as one of the generation’s mascots.

Meanwhile, the three other guardian deities of Alola — Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, and Tapu Fini — played second fiddle as context-light endgame legendaries to catch and box. There was ample opportunity here to introduce each as you adventured on their respective islands, but sometimes common sense and execution don’t align.

On the positive side, their sacrifice in the name of Tapu Koko’s heroism made that guardian deity one of the most story-rich legendaries in the series.