The Pokémon anime has been around for almost 30 years now, and just like the video games it spawned from, it’s introduced far too many Pokémon for the average fan to count, many of which, like Pikachu and Meowth, have become mascots for the franchise thanks in large part to how well-received they were in the anime.
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Unfortunately, not every Pokémon benefits from the popularity of the anime, as due to the anime’s various divergences from the games and its overall massive length, there are plenty of Pokémon that have never gotten their due. A few Pokémon like that especially stand out, and even after so many years, it’s a shame that they haven’t gotten their due.
5) Hoopa
Hoopa is one of three mythical Pokémon introduced in Generation VI. It was once a monstrously powerful Pokémon before its true strength as “Hoopa Unbound” was sealed away in the Prison Bottle. In its smaller and weaker form of “Hoopa Confined,” it’s mostly a harmless prankster who causes trouble by warping people and Pokémon around the world.
While mythical Pokémon typically don’t get much attention in the anime, it’s especially notable for Hoopa. Aside from starring in a movie, it’s mostly used as a plot device to justify the player meeting new legendary Pokémon. That being said, Hoopa will star in Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s DLC, and that could lead to a bigger role in the anime.
4) Ho-Oh
Ho-Oh is one of the most iconic legendary Pokémon in the anime, despite making very few appearances over the years. Ho-Oh first appeared at the beginning of Ash’s story (which he took as a good omen for his journey), and it would continue appearing at various milestones in Ash’s career, up until his retirement as the protagonist.
Not only did the anime’s take on Johto largely exclude Ho-Oh from the plot, but despite the iconic part Ho-Oh played in Ash’s journey, it only had a major role in Pokémon: I Choose You!, which is non-canon to the anime. Granted, Ho-Oh does its job of mostly facilitating Ash’s journey, but its lack of screentime is no less disappointing.
3) Raikou
Raikou is one of the Legendary Beasts of Generation II, created by Ho-Oh after the burning of the Brass Tower ended its previous life. Like Entei and Suicune, Raikou watches over humanity at times when Ho-Oh isn’t present, and the three of them often have to protect humanity from crises when their master is otherwise unavailable.
While Entei and Suicune have both had prominent roles in the anime and its movies, Raikou hasn’t been as lucky, with its only noteworthy appearance being in Pokémon Chronicles, a spinoff series most fans have probably never even heard of. Raikou is just as iconic as Entei and Suicune, though, so hopefully, it will get its due one day.
2) Xerneas
Xerneas is one of the box art legendaries of Generation VI games, Pokémon X and Y. Xerneas makes up the Aura Trio alongside fellow Generation VI legendaries Yveltal and Zygarde, with Xerneas having the power to use its aura to create massive amounts of life before hibernating for 1000 years, in contrast to Yveltal stealing life before hibernation.
Because of how much the anime changed X and Y’s story, Xerneas was completely irrelevant to the story, only appearing in the standard movie and a filler episode explaining the history of Kalos that was otherwise irrelevant. Even in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Xerneas and Yveltal are ignored in favor of Zygarde, so unfortunately, the anime is unlikely to change that.
1) Porygon
Porygon is a Normal-type Pokémon that’s been around since the original Pokémon Red and Green games were released in 1996. Porygon is an artificial Pokémon made from computer code, which explains its oddly boxy appearance, and that also gives it and its evolutions, Porygon2 and Porygon-Z, the power to enter computers like a computer virus.
Porygon’s debut was the infamous Pokémon episode that hospitalized hundreds of children with strobing lights, and due to that controversy, Porygon and its evolutions can only make small cameos. What’s especially unfair is that the scene in question involved Pikachu and Team Rocket, not Porygon, and that makes it even worse that Porygon barely appears in the Pokémon anime.
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