Thirty years and nine generations later, Pokemon has amassed over a thousand Pokemon, and yet most promotional material outside Japan still goes to the original 151. The launch of the US and UK Pokemon Centers have done a commendable job getting a variety of Pokemon more time in the spotlight through merchandise promotions, and Pokemon Go's community events keep lesser known Pokemon in game rotation. Did you know that Castform has only been obtainable in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and no other Nintendo Switch Pokemon games? Even in Pokopia, Castform only makes an appearance as a cute and helpful habitat item. But if you play Pokemon Go, the weather Pokemon can be found easily.

We suspect celebrations and inclusions of the most popular Pokemon will continue throughout Pokemon's 30th anniversary events, and we decided to take giving the spotlight to some of the lesser known Pokemon into our own hands. These Pokemon have been absent from recent mainline games, or even if they are present, are so under promoted that it's easy to forget they exist unless you're digging into old games, buy and play all the mainline DLC, or are deep into the TCG. We've thrown a few especially rare Pokemon that are only available in specific regions unless traded, however, we've tried to keep it to the ones dabblers in Pokemon may recognize least. We're skipping middle-stage evolutions (as much as we love some of them!) as it's natural that they are less likely to be present on their own. All Pokedex entries are from official descriptions on Pokemon.com's Pokedex.

Barraskewda #0847

Water-type | Skewer Pokemon

Barraskewda Pokedex Entries:

• It spins its tail fins to leap from the water, then viciously bites down on Wingull flying close to the water’s surface.
• It swims at speeds of over 100 knots and battles fiercely with pods of Finizen over prey.

First making an appearance in Pokemon Sword and Shield, Barraskewda has a whopping zero products at the Pokemon Center and just five Pokemon cards, despite being present in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It evolves from the more recognizable Arrokuda, which has only a slightly less devious expression. Unfortunately for the eager pocket monster, Arrokuda's fame comes from it being partially ingested by Cramorant and other Pokemon. It's fitting that if it's able to survive long enough to evolve, it can "viciously" protect itself against predators and competition. Barraskewda's last mainline game appearance was in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Durant #0632

Bug/Steel-type | Iron Ant Pokemon

Durant Pokedex Entries:

• They lay their eggs deep inside their nests. When attacked by Heatmor, they retaliate using their massive mandibles.
• With their large mandibles, these Pokémon can crunch their way through rock. They work together to protect their eggs from Sandaconda.

Frankly, Durant is terrifying. This giant, iron ant was introduced in Pokemon Black and White and has since only appeared in three other mainline games – including Black and White 2, of course. While it may only have one item at the Pokemon Center, it's got a whopping 19 cards in the TCG and somewhat recently had a brief starring moment in episode 24 of Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series, "Everybody's Doing the Underground Shuffle," where they terrorized Ash, Goh, Chloe, and Team Rocket. Its last mainline game was Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Terrakion #0639

Rock/Fighting-type | Cavern Pokemon

Terrakion Pokedex Entries:

• It has phenomenal power. It will mercilessly crush anyone or anything that bullies small Pokémon.
• In Unovan legend, Terrakion battled against humans in an effort to protect other Pokémon.

It's normal for the now long list of Legendary Pokemon to see some of its members come in and out of fashion, and though Terrakion got a Paradox makeover in Pokemon Violet's The Indigo Disk DLC with the new Pokemon Iron Boulder, it feels like a legendary lost to time. Since it was introduced in Pokemon Black and White, Terrakion has only received 15 Pokemon cards and one item in the Pokemon Center, and its fellow Sword of Justice legendaries Cobalion and Virizion haven't fared much better. Yes, there was a Pokemon movie in 2012 featuring these legendaries, but they certainly weren't featured on the English poster. We see many games get multiple groups of legendaries, but these three, and especially Terrakion, feel particularly easy to forget. At least Virizion got its own TCG box! Terrakion was last seen in Pokemon Legends: Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC.

Stakataka #0805

Rock/Steel-type | Rampart Pokemon

Stakataka Pokedex Entries:

• It appeared from an Ultra Wormhole. Each one appears to be made up of many life-forms stacked one on top of each other.
• When stone walls started moving and attacking, the brute’s true identity was this mysterious life-form, which brings to mind an Ultra Beast.

The Ultra Beasts were an odd addition to Pokemon in Generation 7, and Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon took that a step further by introducing four more. One of these and its evolution got decent screentime in Pokemon the Series: Sun and Moon as part of Ash's team, but it certainly wasn't this strange stone giant (it was Poipole and Naganadel). The unfortunate thing about the four added Ultra Beasts is unless you played the Ultra versions, got and played the Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC The Crown Tundra, or are kept up with the animated show, you may not even know they exist! Stakataka's design isn't doing it any favors, at least not in my opinion. To be fair, though, all the Ultra Beasts are rather strange. Stakataka has got one Sitting Cutie plush on Pokemon Center, seven cards (four of which are variations of the same GX card) and, as mentioned, was last seen in the Sword and Shield DLC from back in 2020.

Arctovish #0883

Water/Ice-type | Fossil Pokemon

Arctovish Pokedex Entries:

• Though it’s able to capture prey by freezing its surroundings, it has trouble eating the prey afterward because its mouth is on top of its head.
• The skin on its face is impervious to attack, but breathing difficulties made this Pokémon go extinct anyway.

Arctovish is one of four neat fossil Pokemon brought about by combining a fossilized fish and fossilized dino. Usually, the fossil Pokemon are rather cool, but though this has an appealing design at first glance, Arctovish is rather sad. It was first introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield and has been missing ever since. It's got one plush available at the Pokemon Center and a whopping four Pokemon cards. This is one I especially hope to see again soon. It's got great side quest potential!

Bruxish #0779

Water/Psychic-type | Gnash Teeth Pokemon

Bruxish Pokedex Entries:

• It grinds its teeth with great force to stimulate its brain. It fires the psychic energy created by this process from the protuberance on its head.
• When sunlight reflects on the ripples created by a Bruxish grinding its teeth, the water all around sparkles brilliantly.

This colorful Pokemon's home region is easy to guess: Alola! Introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon, Bruxish has since received eight cards (of which we hear can be quite common pulls despite the limited number) and one plush at the Pokemon Center. As far as the Nintendo Switch games go, it's only available in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. While Bruxish is one of the few on this list available in one of the latest games, I'd love to see it get another go soon with an evolution that's as colorful – and creepy. I think there's an argument to be made that Water-type Pokemon tend to be more terrifying than Ghost-type.

Palafin (Hero Form) #0964

Water-type | Hero Pokemon

Palafin (Hero Form) Pokedex Entries:

• This Pokémon’s ancient genes have awakened. It is now so extraordinarily strong that it can easily lift a cruise ship with one fin.
• This hero of the ocean swims at a speed of 50 knots and saves drowning people and Pokémon.

This is perhaps one of the oddest Pokemon introduced in Gen 9, though you may know it if you're a fan of the competitive scene. After taking extra steps to evolve the Dolphin Pokemon, Finizen, at the Union Circle, it seems to hardly change except for a heart on its chest. In battle, when switched out for the first time, its ability Zero to Hero is triggered, allowing it to completely change its form and stats. It's a shame it can only be in Zero Form outside battle! So far Palafin (Hero Form) has five products, including three TCG features. It was also featured in Pokemon Horizons: The Series's episode 42, "Transform! Hero of the Seas, Palafin." It wasn't available in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, meaning you'll only see this hero in action in the episode of the anime or if you take the time to evolve Finizen in Scarlet or Violet. It's such a neat Pokemon, and I hope future games allow us to see it more. It's just a shame people don't seem to know it – which is why we're highlighting it here!

Ferrothorn #0598

Grass/Steel-type | Thorn Pod Pokemon

Ferrothorn Pokedex Entries:

• This Pokémon scrapes its spikes across rocks, and then uses the tips of its feelers to absorb the nutrients it finds within the stone.
• Its spikes are harder than steel. This Pokémon crawls across rock walls by stabbing the spikes on its feelers into the stone.

This one is for me. Far too many people are unfamiliar with Ferrothorn, one of the coolest Pokemon to come out of Pokemon Black and White. With only one evolution from the Thorn Seed Pokemon, Ferroseed, it goes from a little weirdo to a bigger one with a design that's hard to forget. Though it may not look cute at first glance, the nightmarish yet pleasant Ferrothorn card illustrated by Kurata So encapsulates how lovely yet intimidating this Pokemon can be. Its power was definitely known in Gen 5, but since then it's seemed to decline in favor. Ferrorthorn has one plush and two TCG accessories, 11 cards, and was last seen in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Arctozolt #0881

Electric/Ice-type | Fossil Pokemon

Arctozolt Pokedex Entries:

• The shaking of its freezing upper half is what generates its electricity. It has a hard time walking around.
• This Pokémon lived on prehistoric seashores and was able to preserve food with the ice on its body. It went extinct because it moved so slowly.

Introduced alongside Arctovish in Pokemon Sword and Shield, Arctozolt is another strange combination fossil Pokemon and has also been unavailable since its introduction. This silly Pokemon has been featured in Pokemon Journeys: The Series, has three Pokemon cards, and one plush available at the Pokemon Center. If you have a moment, check out the very sweet reviews of this unique fossil Pokemon's plush on the Pokemon Center website to see that truly, any Pokemon can be someone's favorite!

Blipbug #0824

Bug-type | Larva Pokemon

Blipbug Pokedex Entries:

• A constant collector of information, this Pokémon is very smart. Very strong is what it isn’t.
• Often found in gardens, this Pokémon has hairs on its body that it uses to assess its surroundings

Like many other Bug-type Pokemon, Blipbug's future evolution is fierce, but it begins as a cutie. Blipbug was first introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield and hasn't been available since. This charming bug Pokemon has seven cards but only has a pin available in a set at the Pokemon Center, making it one of the most difficult Pokemon to collect merch of. Blipbug's evolution line rocks, especially since its final form, Orbeetle, has a fantastic Gigantamax.

Rabsca #0954

Bug/Psychic-type | Rolling Pokemon

Rabsca Pokedex Entries:

• The body that supports the ball barely moves. Therefore, it is thought that the true body of this Pokémon is actually inside the ball.
• An infant sleeps inside the ball. Rabsca rolls the ball soothingly with its legs to ensure the infant sleeps comfortably.

Rabsca, the evolution of Rellor, was introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Like the other Gen 9 Pokemon on this list, it hasn't been seen since its introduction. Evolving the plentiful Rellor into Rabsca wasn't exactly the most intuitive process, either, as it required you to walk around the game world until you’d travelled a set number of steps with the Pokemon using the Let's Go feature and then level it up. There's another (more charming) Pokemon on this list whose evolved form has the same requirement. Of the three Pokemon that have this Let's Go walk-then-level-up evolution method, it's easy to say that Pawmo to Pawmot was by far the most popular. To back that claim up, Rabsca has a whopping zero items available at the Pokemon Center, made it into just one episode of Pokemon Horizons, and has six Pokemon cards.

Bramblin #0947

Grass/Ghost-type | Tumbleweed Pokemon

Bramblin Pokedex Entries:

• A soul unable to move on to the afterlife was blown around by the wind until it got tangled up with dried grass and became a Pokémon.
• Not even Bramblin knows where it is headed as it tumbles across the wilderness, blown by the wind. It loathes getting wet.

Since we're on the topic of Scarlet and Violet Pokemon that use the Let's Go walk-and-level-up method for evolution, let's talk about the other, not-Pawmot Pokemon: Bramblin. Now this may just be my penchant for deserts and dry, flat fields after growing up in Texas, but it's strange that Bramblin and its evolution, Brambleghast, don't get more love. It's a strange yet charming addition to the small number of Grass/Ghost-type Pokemon. First introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Bramblin has not been seen since, has no merchandise at the Pokemon Center, and only five TCG cards.

Runerigus #0867

Ground/Ghost-type | Grudge Pokemon

Runerigus Pokedex Entries:

• A powerful curse was woven into an ancient painting. After absorbing the spirit of a Yamask, the painting began to move.
• Never touch its shadowlike body, or you’ll be shown the horrific memories behind the picture carved into it.

This is an unfortunate case of a rare regional variant. Introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield, Reunerigus was only obtainable after letting a Galarian Yamask take at least 49 damage in one hit without it fainting. Then, you have to take the poor unhealed creature to a particular stone arch where the Pokemon evolves into Runerigus (if you're looking to do this yourself, we've got a guide with the strategy on how to evolve Galarian Yamask here). It's not the most intuitive evolution process, meaning this neat Pokemon is harder to stumble on. More unfortunate, though, is Runerigus only has three cards, no merch, and was last available in Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC.

Whismur #0293

Normal-type | Whisper Pokemon

Whismur Pokedex Entries:

• The cry of a Whismur is over 100 decibels. If you’re close to a Whismur when it lets out a cry, you’ll be stuck with an all-day headache.
• When Whismur cries, the sound of its own voice startles it, making the Pokémon cry even louder. It cries until it’s exhausted, then it falls asleep.

Unlike a number of Pokemon on this list, Whismur has a surprising number of products compared to its general lack of presence in some of the more recent Pokemon games. Introduced way back in Generation 3, Whismur was last available on a Nintendo Switch game with Pokemon Sword and Shield's The Isle of Armor DLC, then also in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, but only if you breed its evolution, Loudred (or its evolution, Exploud). Neither is entirely all that accessible for getting Whismur,. Whismur is also arguably less recognizable than its evolution, Loudred, which has quite a unique name and design. Not saying Whismur isn't cute – it totally is, and has five related products on Pokemon Center, one of which is a super cute Spring celebration plush keychain, and 12 cards. Of the small, round, and cute Pokemon, though, it's less recognizable these days.

Druddigon #0621

Dragon-type | Cave Pokemon

Druddigon Pokedex Entries:

• Druddigon lives in caves, but it never skips sunbathing—it won’t be able to move if its body gets too cold.
• Druddigon are vicious and cunning. They take up residence in nests dug out by other Pokémon, treating the stolen nests as their own lairs.

This is one of the few Pokemon where I'm not certain if fading into obscurity isn't the worst thing when there are other neat Dragon-type Pokemon out there (Druddigon fans please sound off). Introduced in Pokemon Black and White, the last time we saw this strangely designed Dragon-type was in the Pokemon Sword and Shield DLCs. Yet another DLC-only Pokemon. Based on the reviews and restock request for the singular item for Druddigon on Pokemon Center, a Druddigon Sitting Cutie plush, there is still clearly a demand for this forgotten Pocket Monster. It's less common to see pure Dragon-type Pokemon these days, let alone ones that don't evolve. Druddigon has 15 cards and my hopes that we'll see it again soon so I can give it a chance on my team.

Golett #0622

Ground/Ghost-type | Automaton Pokemon

Pokedex Entries:

• These Pokémon are thought to have been created by the science of an ancient and mysterious civilization.
• Its movements are powered by a mysterious energy. It has continued to move since ancient times, so its power may soon run out.

Just after Druddigon in the Pokedex is Golett, who also was introduced with its evolution Golurk in Pokemon Black and White. It's one of the exceedingly rare Ground-Ghost Types, and after its Nintendo Switch introduction in Pokemon Sword and Shield, was sent to the DLC-only realm for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. We were given a unique look into Golett’s past in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and I'm hoping Golett, along with other technological marvels of long ago, get a special spotlight should Game Freak decide to take another shot at Pokemon's bygone eras. Golett has one Sitting Cutie plush on Pokemon Center, a better presence in the TCG with 13 cards, and a few appearances in the Black and White animated series.

Karrablast #0588

Bug-type | Clamping Pokemon

Karrablast Pokedex Entries:

• Its strange physiology reacts to electrical energy in interesting ways. The presence of a Shelmet will cause this Pokémon to evolve.
• It spits a liquid from its mouth to melt through Shelmet’s shell. Karrablast doesn’t eat the shell— it eats only the contents.

The fussy-looking yet charming Karrablast was introduced in Gen 5, Pokemon Black and White. It was last seen in Pokemon Sword and Shield and has been unavailable since, which is a shame not only since we don't get to enjoy this Pokemon's aggressive face, but also as its evolution, Escavalier, transforms it into a cool Bug/Steel-type. Like a few others, it only has a Sitting Cutie plush available at the Pokemon Center. There are 11 Karrablast cards and it’s made very few appearances in side games and the animation.

Veluza #0976

Water/Psychic-type | Jettison Pokemon

Pokedex Entries:

• When Veluza discards unnecessary flesh, its mind becomes honed and its psychic power increases. The spare flesh has a mild but delicious flavor.
• Veluza has excellent regenerative capabilities. It sheds spare flesh from its body to boost its agility, then charges at its prey.

Yet another terrifying aquatic Pokemon! Veluza is another new monster introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that has yet to make any other appearance. It has no merchandise, no appearances in the animated series or any side game. It has no evolution, either, so this violent fish really only has itself in the Paldaian waters. Surprisingly, the one place it has been shown a lot of love is in the TCG. It has six cards, all that have neat artwork, especially for a Pokemon that has limited facial expressions.

Considering the massive number of Pokemon available, I was impressed at how difficult it was to find many that haven't had at least some time in the spotlight by The Pokemon Company or in the last few big games, like Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Pokopia. If a Pokemon you love is on this list, let us know in the comments, especially what you love about them. Curious about which Pokemon made it into the lastest Pokemon game? Check out our Pokedex for Pokopia!

Miranda Sanchez is the executive editor of guides at IGN and a member of Unlocked. She's a big fan of stationery, reading, knitting, and bouncing between forever games like Pokopia and Dota 2. You can sometimes find her on Bluesky.