Every mainline Pokémon title features a fresh Pokedex entry for all gamers. However, some fans aren't yet satisfied with this change. As early as now, fans have been talking about different things, including the possibility of more double battles in "Winds and Waves."
With more than 1,000 creatures now introduced across generations, the discussion has shifted from nostalgia to long-term feasibility.
Why a Full National Dex Is Unlikely Today
Many fans believe modern Game Freak releases are unlikely to include every Pokémon again. The biggest challenge is scale. On the r/PokemonWindsWaves subreddit, a Reddit user says that a new generation adds dozens of creatures. This increases the complexity of balancing stats, animations, abilities, and interactions.
Every Pokémon also requires updated assets, movesets, and compatibility testing. As the roster expands, development demands grow significantly, potentially slowing production cycles and increasing costs for each new title.
Pokémon HOME and New Titles Fill the Gap
Instead of packing every creature into a single game, The Pokémon Company appears to be shifting toward a more distributed ecosystem. Platforms like Pokémon HOME allow players to store and transfer Pokémon across multiple games.
Upcoming titles such as "Pokémon Champions" are also expected to act as centralized hubs for battling, where a huge roster of Pokémon may be usable without requiring every mainline game to support the full roster.
"Pokémon Champions" will launch on April 8 on Nintendo Switch.
Technical Power vs. Game Design Reality
While modern hardware like the Nintendo Switch and future systems could theoretically handle a full roster, the real limitation lies in design and maintenance. Developers must ensure that every Pokémon works seamlessly with new mechanics, environments, and battle systems.
Balancing over 1,000 characters in a single game would require extensive testing and ongoing updates, making it a major design challenge rather than just a technical one. The rebalancing of IVs and other aspects will be more than challenging for the developers.
The Future of the National Dex
Although some fans still hope for a return, possibly in a 2D revival or a large-scale online experience, the general consensus is that the National Dex era in traditional Pokémon games is likely over.
Instead, the franchise appears to be evolving toward a segmented model, where different games and services handle portions of the roster. For now, let's embrace the new changes that we will likely see for the upcoming Gen 10 title.
Fans think that making gym battles harder is even more feasible than seeing over 1,000 Pokemon in a single Pokedex.
