The most forgotten Pokemon of all time, ranked
The matter of most forgotten Pokemon is always a subjective one. Everybody’s got different favorites, and they say that every single Pokemon is at least one person’s favorite. That being said, some Pokemon are more obscure than others – and there are bound to be instances where a specific Pokemon is the favorite of very few players.
Today, we’re going over a list of some of the most forgotten Pokemon of all time. Do note that we’re actually not including Lumineon on this list – it’s always on “most forgotten Pokemon” lists, and it’s so forgettable that it’s looped around into being memorable for being forgettable (if that makes sense). We’re including Pokemon who really aren’t talked about very much.
Trumbeak
Though the Pikipek line has returned for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC, we can guarantee that just about every Pokemon player has forgotten about Trumbeak (at least for a time). Prior to its return in the Indigo Disk, Trumbeak hadn’t been available since its home generation in Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon. There’s not very much to note about Trumbeak – as a middle stage, it’s of course not viable competitively, plus you tend to find wild Pikipek most often. Definitely one of the most forgotten Pokemon out there.
Binacle
It’s hard to say whether Binacle is forgotten or just disliked – there’s a fine line between the two, and Binacle definitely blurs it. Generally speaking, the Binacle evolutionary line is one of the least popular Kalos lines. Barbaracle is a bit more memorable because of its numerous hands, but Binacle remains one of the most forgotten Pokemon. It’s also not in Scarlet and Violet, the current-gen games, which adds to its forgotten status.
Gorebyss
Both Huntail and Gorebyss are forgettable in different ways, but we eventually settled on Gorebyss for the purposes of this list. Clamperl is actually not so unpopular – it’s cute, which makes it well-liked enough. Its evolutions, however, completely change its appearance. Huntail is at least the same color, but Gorebyss doesn’t look connected to Clamperl in any way at all. Plus, the only Switch game where Gorebyss is available is Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. It’s completely absent from Sword, Shield, Scarlet, and Violet.
Patrat
Watchog is remembered for how ugly (and competitively mediocre) it is, but Patrat is definitely one of the most forgotten Pokemon of all time. It hasn’t been catchable in the wild since Pokemon Black and White, which was over ten years ago now. Watchog was catchable in the wild in Pokemon X and Y, but Patrat wasn’t – and both are completely unavailable on Switch in any capacity. They’ve been out of the public eye for a long time now, which is bizarre! Patrat is Unova’s “Normal-type rodent Pokemon”, and that category of Pokemon are often memorable. Bidoof and Bibarel are popular, for instance, but certainly not Patrat.
Simisear
In online polls that rank Pokemon popularity, Simisear almost always comes last (or close to last). It tends to be the least popular out of the elemental monkeys, which are already unpopular. So much so, in fact, that they haven’t appeared in any modern Switch game! They share this unfortunate trait with Patrat, Watchog, and Furfrou. Pair that with the fact that you aren’t even guaranteed to get Pansear during your playthrough of Black and White (since it depends on the starter you chose) and you have one of the most forgotten Pokemon out there.
Bouffalant
Bouffalant is kind of a stealth-forgotten Pokemon. You don’t usually see it on most forgotten Pokemon lists, mainly because it’s just that forgotten. Bouffalant is a one-off Pokemon that has no baby form or evolved form. It’s in every generation except for Scarlet and Violet, which might detract a couple of points from its forgettable value, but it’s still absent from most Pokemon conversations. We’d be impressed if you could name this Pokemon if you only saw its picture!
Ducklett
Lots of Unova Pokemon are making this list, but that’s just because Unova introduced an absolute ton of brand-new Pokemon to the series. Ducklett is one such Pokemon, and although it’s in every generation somehow, it’s still forgotten. Its evolution, Swanna, has a more notable presence thanks to its more elegant design and huge wings, but Ducklett itself remains one of the most forgotten Pokemon of all time.
Runerigus
Another Pokemon that doesn’t usually appear on the most forgotten Pokemon lists. Runerigus is a deep cut, and for good reason. It evolves from Galarian Yamask when you walk under an arch in the Wild Area after Yamask has taken at least 49 HP worth of damage. It’s an incredibly obscure evolution method. Plus, Runerigus didn’t get much of any time in the anime nor is it present in Scarlet and Violet. It was introduced in Sword and Shield and cut in the very next generation – that’s so sad!
Those are just a few examples of most forgotten Pokemon. There are absolutely more, and if you have any to share that we didn’t include here, you’re welcome to let us know in the comments below! On the other hand, if you completely forgot about any of the Pokemon here, be sure to let us know as well.
In the meantime, we have a bunch of guides for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that you can read via this link if you’re interested. It’s also important to note that we didn’t include any Kanto Pokemon here because The Pokemon Company frequently includes them in games and highlights them with merch, anime time, and new forms – to a much greater extent than any other region.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (which, fittingly, are missing most of these super-forgettable Pokemon) are available now on Switch. You can check out the official site here.
