Just when we thought Game Freak was on to something with Pokémon Legends: Arceus (a single standalone game), they announced Pokémon Scarlet and Violet — yet another dual release. As usual, there are several instances of Pokémon that can only be found in a single game, and some of them are quite important ones too! We’ve got a full list of exclusives right here. Just be careful — this post contains spoilers. Bookmark this page and come back later if you’re trying to avoid them!

Exclusive to Pokémon Scarlet

Let’s start off with normal Pokémon that can only be found in Pokémon Scarlet. For some reason, pseudo-Legendary Pokémon like Tyranitar and Hydreigon always seem to get themselves wrapped up in version exclusivity. Regardless, here’s what you can expect to see in Pokémon Scarlet:

• Paldean Tauros’ Fire-type form can only be caught in Scarlet. These all look very similar to each other, so keep a close eye out!
• Larvitar, Pupitar, and Tyranitar. A robotic form of Tyranitar from the far future only appears in Violet, but for those wanting a normal Tyranitar on their teams, it only appears in Scarlet.
• Drifloon and Drifblim. These balloon Pokémon hail from the Sinnoh region, and only appear in Scarlet.
• Stunky and Skuntank. We’re not entirely sure why you’d want to use these, but in case you were planning on it, they can only be found and caught in Pokémon Scarlet.
• Deino, Zweilous, and Hydreigon. Future Hydreigon only appears in Violet, but normal Hydreigon only appears in Scarlet. Maybe you could trade a friend a Deino for an Iron Jugulis to help with Pokédex completion?
• Skrelp and Dragalge. These Pokémon are Poison/Dragon-types, and they’ve been version exclusives since they first appeared in Generation VI. They’re exclusive this time around too, so plan your teams accordingly!
• Oranguru. Let’s be real: if you’re just playing through the main story, the only reason you’re going to catch Oranguru is for Pokédex completion. It’s wholly designed for doubles and nearly useless in singles.
• Stonjourner. Indeed, the especially frail but surprisingly fast Rock-type only appears in Scarlet! It packs a decent punch, but make sure it’s far away from special attackers.
• Armarouge. Its baby form appears in both games, but it only evolves into Armarouge in Scarlet. If you’d rather have Ceruledge, you’ll need to play Pokémon Violet instead. Sorry!
• Koraidon. This is Scarlet’s box Legendary, so it makes sense that this Pokémon only appears in this game! It’s a Fighting/Dragon-type, by the way. Its Ability sets harsh sunlight and increases its Attack stat.

Additionally, several ancient forms of Pokémon only appear in Pokémon Scarlet. We won’t be posting any images of them just yet, but we do at least have a text list: Great Tusk (Donphan), Slither Wing (Volcarona), Brute Bonnet (Amoonguss), Scream Tail (Jigglypuff), Flutter Mane (Misdreavus), Sandy Shocks (Magneton), and Roaring Moon (Salamence). Yes, these are their actual names!

Exclusive to Pokémon Violet

If you like blue and purple Pokémon, good news: Pokémon Violet has plenty of them. Once again, a fair few pseudo-Legendary Pokémon only appear in this game, so plan out your preferred team accordingly. Here’s everything you can expect to see in Pokémon Violet, then:

• Paldean Tauros’ Water-type form can only be caught in Violet. They’re all jet-black with only minor differences, so keep an eye out.
• Misdreavus and Mismagius. Flutter Mane, an ancient form of Misdreavus, only appears in Scarlet. It’s kind of a theme that modern-day versions of ancient forms are exclusive to Violet, so keep that in mind when you decide which game to get.
• Gulpin and Swalot. These guys have been slightly buffed since their last appearance, as they now learn Swords Dance and Toxic Spikes. They’re still a bit mediocre, but they’ve improved a little bit for those who want to use them!
• Bagon, Shelgon, and Salamence. Ancient Salamence is exclusive to Scarlet, but you can only find a normal Salamence in Violet. Keep that in mind!
• Clauncher and Clawitzer. They’re pure Water-type Pokémon hailing from the Kalos region. If you don’t wind up picking Quaxly as your starter, Clauncher could be a suitable Water-type team member instead!
• Passimian. This Pokémon isn’t especially strong in a casual sense, as it’s sort of designed for doubles play. Still, its Attack stat is decent, so it’s still usable if you’d like.
• Eiscue. Everyone’s favorite (or least favorite) penguin Pokémon can only be found in Violet. It’s not especially strong, but it might be just strong enough to be worth a team slot.
• Dreepy, Drakloak, and Dragapult. These guys are fan favorites from Sword and Shield, but they only appear in Violet. Fortunately, you might be able to find them in Tera Raid Battles if you’re playing Scarlet.
• Ceruledge. Though its pre-evolved form exists in both games, it can only evolve into Ceruledge in Pokémon Violet. If you’re playing Scarlet, it can only evolve into Armarouge.
• Miraidon. This is Pokémon Violet’s signature Legendary Pokémon. It’s also an Electric/Dragon-type, and its Ability sets Electric Terrain whenever it appears on the field.

Furthermore, Pokémon Violet is home to several forms of Pokémon that hail from the far future. As stated before, we won’t be posting any images here, but here’s the list of names: Iron Treads (Donphan), Iron Moth (Volcarona), Iron Valiant (Gardevoir/Gallade), Iron Hands (Hariyama), Iron Bundle (Delibird), Iron Jugulis (Hydreigon), and Iron Thorns (Tyranitar). That’s a lot of iron.

That also completes our list of version exclusives in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet! If you’re still undecided on which game to get, hopefully this list helps you come closer to your decision. If you’d like to access a full list of all our Pokémon guides, you can do so via the link below! If you have any questions or just want to talk about the new Pokémon games, feel free to join our Discord server. See you there!

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