The majority of the main game generations have been introduced into Pokemon GO at this point, with hundreds of Pokemon to encounter and catch. Despite the addition of Pokemon from the Galar region, prior generations of Pokemon remain unaccounted for. Only one Pokemon is absent from the third generation, and it isn’t even a legendary or mythical Pokemon.
Kecleon is a Hoenn-exclusive Normal-type Pokemon that has yet to emerge in Pokemon GO. While it is not a very popular Pokemon in comparison to others, many players have been eagerly anticipating its debut so that all of the third generation could be properly captured in-game.
While Niantic has been quiet about Kecleon for a long time, the Pokemon has not been forgotten, according to a recent interview with Gfinity Esports. Not only is the Pokemon still being worked on, but it has also been announced that when it is ready for Pokemon GO, Kecleon will receive a special release.
Those unfamiliar with Kecleon may be perplexed as to why a non-legendary pure Normal-type Pokemon would require so much effort. It has to do with Kecleon’s Color Change ability from the main series of games.
Although Pokemon GO does not employ abilities like the main series games, Kecleon’s whole existence revolves around its ability. This is owing to the fact that the third generation of Pokemon was the first to include abilities as a gameplay feature, resulting in several Pokemon from the Hoenn area having unique mechanics based on their abilities.
Castform’s form, for example, fluctuates according to the weather. While this has been translated to mean that players can only capture Castform’s various forms as separate Pokemon depending on the weather in the actual world, this is not the case for Kecleon.
Color Change is a unique ability that allows Kecleon to change its type to that of the last move it was hit by. With Pokemon in Pokemon GO only knowing two moves by default, if a player utilizes Kecleon in a battle, this can definitely lead to some fascinating scenarios. If Kecleon is a raid monster, there may be further concerns, given how numerous Pokemon typically fight a raid boss at once with a variety of moves.
It’s unclear how Niantic will handle Kecleon and how it works, but given how long it’s taken to release, it’s likely that it’ll keep its Color Change feature in some form. It’s unclear when players will be able to catch this Pokemon until an official announcement is made.
