There are more than 1,000 Pokémon out there, and as time goes on, that number will only increase with future generations and games added to the mix. Despite that growing number, there are still several animal species that have yet to be turned into Pokémon. We’ve gathered 10 of them here in alphabetical order. Here are some animals we think absolutely deserve to be represented as Pokémon.

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Animals that should be turned into Pokémon

Blue Glaucus

Let’s start with an animal that already looks like a Pokémon. This little sea slug almost resembles a mythical dragon, but it can fit in the palm of your hand. It has a stinger, too, so it’s easy to imagine it as a Water/Poison type, perhaps as an oceanic cousin to Slugma.

Golden Retriever

Picking a single dog breed to include on this list is tricky. Pokémon has many dogs, but there’s a lack of huskies, pugs, and other popular breeds. Golden retrievers win out thanks to starring roles in the likes of Air Bud and Up. Pokémon would be hard-pressed to find a more loyal good boy. It doesn’t matter how many dog Pokémon are added; we always will want more.

Hummingbird

Like with dogs, there are tons of bird Pokémon already, but none relatively as small as a hummingbird. Doesn’t this photo look like it could easily include a flower Pokémon like Flabébé or Floette? There’s a great opportunity to create a pollination-based evolution with a hummingbird ‘mon.

Narwhal

Narwhals seem like a great choice for a new Ice and Water Pokémon to be added to the roster. The horn could be made of an icicle, but you could also add in a Fairy moves with its similarity to unicorns. We also think it could potentially make an interesting evolution for Dewgong.

Platypus

Before you ask, no — Psyduck is just a duck. Despite the resemblance, Pokémon is yet to include nature’s strangest mammal. Given its venomous anatomy, a Water/Poison type is the obvious way to go, but however it ends up looking, we are just ready to add a platypus to our party.

Swordfish

Pokémon is severely lacking in Water/Fighting types. Poliwrath, Keldeo, and Rapid Strike Style Urshifu are the only ones, and none of them are fish. That’s a huge missed opportunity. We’ve seen new Scarlet and Violet Pokémon Cetitan fanart that imagines a pre-evolution resembling a swordfish, so perhaps we’ll see this idea executed in the new generation.

Tanuki

We have seen Mario dress up as a tanuki plenty of times, so maybe that’s why we haven’t seen a Pokémon based on this Japanese raccoon dog yet. There are myths of them changing their form and being mischievous, so a Ghost and Dark-type Pokémon seems like an easy sell here. We wouldn’t be against going with something different, though.

Tardigrade

If you don’t already know about tardigrades, here’s the elevator pitch: they can survive in subzero temperatures, inside volcanic vents, and even in outer space. They’re resistant to being irradiated, getting dehydrated, and starving, making them some of the most durable microscopic creatures. That’s a premise for a new legendary Pokémon if we’ve ever heard one.

Tasmanian Devil

Tasmanian devils are marsupials, the same family tree that Kangaskhan, the kangaroo-ish Pokémon ostensibly belongs to. They’re the size of small dogs, so if we’re ever going to get a real rival to Raticate, this could be the way to go. Plus, now that Taz has been nerfed in MultiVersus, this is Pokémon’s chance to get a leg up with the species.

Velociraptor

Despite all the dinosaurs and fossil Pokémon out there, we’ve yet to see one based on this fierce predator. Pokémon could knock out two birds with one stone here, giving us a new creature that comes back to life from a “Feather Fossil.” Using Scratch would be super effective with those talons.

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