Regional Pokemon Just Out of Reach

Regional Pokemon in Pokemon GO have always been a little odd. Instead of spawning worldwide, they only spawn in specific countries an geographical areas. As time passes on, it is possible that we will get more regional Pokemon, despite a lot of players not liking regionals. For many, getting a complete pokedex is impossible, due to being unable to travel the world. Instead, we have to just be content with what we have.

However, regional Pokemon aren’t particularly evenly spread out. Some Pokemon are available on other sides of the planet. Others only spawn in tiny areas, and a lot of countries don’t really get anything unique. There is very little balance when it comes to regional Pokemon.

Regional spawns are better for some over others.

Regional Pokemon are not spread out evenly among countries and locations. Parts of the US get multiple regional spawns based on location. There are also Pokemon who are continent-bound. The Pansear family of ugly elemental monkeys are split between the Americas, Europe and Africa, and Asia. Because, well, why not, I guess? The regional Legendary Pokemon, the Spirits of the Lake, are the same, but at least we can use remote raid passes.

And then there’s Sigilyph. This weird, alien-like Pokemon is based on the Nazca Lines in Peru, massive works of art embedded in the hills. Do you know where Sigilyph spawns in Pokemon GO? Greece, Egypt and parts of Turkey. That’s just stupid.

On the flip side, at least we can (albeit rarely) get the Pokemon split by hemispheres. These are normally time-limited events. But you need to keep an eye out for them, and not lose track of events in general. Occasionally, hemisphere regions do swap over from time to time – Durant and Heatmore, or Zangoose and Seviper, have done this a few times. And Solrock and Lunatone will flip around once a year.

All I have is Tropius

When it comes to location-based spawns, the country I live in should be a hotspot of regional Pokemon spawns. After all, this tiny dumb island is sitting in the middle of THREE continents. Cyprus lies between the far eastern side of Europe, the Middle East AND the tip of Africa. Yet, despite our unique position, Cypriot players get one regional.

Tropius is a good Pokemon, and I do like the leafy banana dinosaur. But I’d like more than one. Currently, Cyprus doesn’t have any Kanto regionals at all. Despite being part of the EU, Cyprus doesn’t even get Mr Mime. Okay, sure, Mr Mime has featured in some events. But I only managed to get Mime Jr thanks to a recent hatching event. Mime Jr is only available in eggs from Europe.

Frankly, as far as I’m concerned, finishing my own pokedex will forever be a goal I may never reach.

I get it, you need something exclusive, but isn’t that what shinies and costumed Pokemon are for?

That being said, being unable to catch every Pokemon has always been difficult. Even back in the original games, you could never fill the whole pokedex on your own. At the very least, you had to trade with a friend with the other game. Assuming you knew anyone with the other game. Regionals are bad, but it’s really nothing new with the Pokemon Company.

Events fuck up regional Pokemon more than anything else.

You know the absolute worst thing though? Regional Pokemon spawns aren’t even guaranteed. Even if you manage to travel across the planet, there’s always a chance that the regional Pokemon one wants simply won’t spawn. Events in Pokemon GO tend to mess around with the Pokemon that spawn, and everything between the normal trash and the regional Pokemon just, well, might not spawn. For example, the recent Ed Sheeran event was spawning a lot of water types, and these overtook many current spawns, to the point that I have hardly seen Tropius.

Thanks to constant events, even if you DO manage to travel the planet, you might not find what you are looking for anyway. And that’s just shitty design…