Many avid Pokémon players tend to have the same goal in mind of catching all of the different types of Pokémon in each game; however, players may be better off not catching them all. With 905 Pokémon currently in the National Pokédex, catching them all can be a serious challenge. Adding shiny Pokémon to that count doubles the number to 1,810 Pokémon, not including regional variants (such as Alolan and Hisuian forms). Regional variants make up 54 types (most Pokémon have one type of regional form; Meowth has two), plus shiny versions which brings the grand total to 1,918 Pokémon to catch to have a completely filled regular and shiny Pokédex.
However, as of November 18, 2022, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will release, adding even more new Pokémon to the National Pokédex. So far only eight new Pokémon have been officially shown in the Scarlet and Violet trailer, but there is speculation that upwards of 80 new Pokémon may be added. Ultimately it isn't clear how many total Pokémon will be available in the game, but it's safe to say it will be a lot.
Filling a Pokédex is no easy task and players shouldn't worry about catching them all, or at least not obsess about it. While a completed Pokédex is a point of pride for many players, filling it can be a tedious, time-consuming, and sometimes overly frustrating task. Unless players have the right resources, it can also be near impossible.
Pokémon Players Catching Them All May Learn That Burnout Is Real
With almost 2,000 Pokémon in existence (and more than 300-500 of them available in any given title to catch if a player wants to fill their Pokédex for an individual game), playing Pokémon can turn into a job. Players have to grind through multiple Pokémon encounters and battles to catch many individual monsters, or in the case of Legends: Arceus, hope they are lucky enough to catch it on the first few throws. If players are looking for all the regional variations of Pokémon and to get a complete Pokédex across the series, the job becomes even harder, as there are also Pokémon that are specific to certain games (e.g. Pokémon Sword versus Pokémon Shield), so players will need to either purchase every game or have the ability to trade with others online.
Players looking to catch all of the shiny Pokémon have to work harder still. Shiny rates vary from game to game, but can be as high as one in many thousands of chances, essentially meaning that players need to see a lot of Pokémon before encountering a shiny type. Some Pokémon are also "shiny-locked", where, in a specific game, players cannot encounter a certain type of Pokémon in its shiny form. While Pokémon Legends: Arceus made shiny hunting easier than previous games, that only makes the odds slightly better.
Catching all of the Pokémon in the National Pokédex becomes a chore for many players and can take the fun out of the Pokémon games. They can start to feel less like an adventure and more of a grind where players are just doing the same task repeatedly. Pokémon games are supposed to be a fun experience for players, and becoming obsessed with catching all Pokémon can sour that. Hopefully, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will give players a chance to enjoy the game instead of focusing too much on catching them all.
