Every Unused Pokémon Type Combination | Screen Rant - Screen Rant

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The Pokémon games have been growing steadily more complex as each new generation emerges. Pokémon Red & Blue launched in 1996 with only 15 types, but several more were added in future generations. There are now 171 unique Pokémon type combinations possible, and yet there are only 17 unused type combos.

While many Pokémon's typings reflect those creatures' origins, environment, or way of battling, other typings might be assigned to address game balance needs. Several early-generation Pokémon, for example, received the Fairy type, added to help balance Dragon. In some cases, like Togepi's, Fairy took the place of the old type, while other Pokémon, like Mr. Mime, received Fairy in addition to their original type.

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Despite the almost 900 Pokémon that wander the regions of Galar, Alola, and the rest, there are still several Pokémon type combinations that remain unused. Sometimes, these combinations would make a Pokémon extremely weak, and other type combination just wouldn't make sense within the games' established universe.

Pokémon: Every Unused Type Combination

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Below is the full list of unused Pokémon type combinations, according to Pokémon Database:

Normal/Ice
Normal/Poison
Normal/Bug
Normal/Rock
Normal/Ghost
Normal/Steel
Fire/Grass
Fire/Fairy
Electric/Fighting
Ice/Poison
Fighting/Ground
Fighting/Fairy
Poison/Steel
Ground/Fairy
Bug/Dragon
Bug/Dark
Rock/Ghost

The lack of Normal/Ice-type Pokémon might seem like an oversight; Normal-type Pokémon represent the more standard-looking "animals" of the Pokémon world, so it would make sense for a mundane Pokémon that lives in a colder climate to end up as a Normal/Ice type. But if any Pokémon was granted this unused type combo, it would be incredibly disadvantaged in battle. Pokémon's Ice type is notoriously weak, and Normal would barely make up for any of its deficiencies. Normal only has resistance against Ghost, and Ice is only resistant against itself. A Normal/Ice type would, therefore, do only middling damage and have very little chance to resist incoming attacks.

Normal rears its head once again in the unused type combo of Normal/Ghost. These two types feel mutually exclusive on the surface, with Normal-type Pokémon being immune to Ghost-type attacks and Ghost types immune to Normal. A Normal/Ghost dual-type would theoretically be immune to both of its own types' attacks, potentially making it one of the best Pokémon type combos for battle. Something like that will probably never occur because of balance issues.

With an ever-expanding roster of Pokémon accompanying new game releases - ignoring the possibility of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes, of course - more and more of these unused type combos will likely be seen out in the wild. Given the potential gameplay abuses, though, Normal/Ice and Normal/Ghost seem to be very unlikely candidates for any new Pokémon.

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Source: Pokémon Database

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About The Author

Joseph Fonseca (43 Articles Published)

Joe Fonseca is a PhD Candidate in History and a Freelance Game Journalist. Joe regularly writes about history and games and maintains a blog and podcast titled "Let's Talk about Wargames" with a fellow writer.