Pokemon Champions has been a polarizing game since it came out, as it launched with only a few Pokemon and items, and it has some pretty significant glitches. Still, it seems like a good battling game for now, even with its issues, because it allows players to easily build the teams they want and experiment with them, possible movesets, abilities, and more. While Pokemon Champions does all these things well, one of the aspects that can feel the most frustrating for newcomers is how accessible some Pokemon really are. Since all critters are only found in the battle pass or in the Recruit screen, unless you have them in Pokemon Home, it boils down to luck.
For example, say you want to recruit a Sinistcha for your Trick Room team, but you don’t have one in Pokemon Home and/or don’t own Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Teal Mask DLC, or even the base games. You do get a free Recruit Pokemon attempt per day (technically, every 22 hours), but these Pokemon are chosen randomly from Pokemon Champions’ Pokedex, so you are not guaranteed to get any of those you want. Then, even if you do, you have to pay 2,500 VP or use a Teammate Ticket to permanently recruit Pokemon before you can edit them. As such, the game sort of “forces” you to play the most recent mainline titles to actually build your team.
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How Pokemon Champions’ Recruit Pokemon Mechanic Works
As it stands, you have the following options to speed up the process and help you choose which Pokemon to recruit first in Pokemon Champions:
Free lineup of 10 new Pokemon to choose from every 22 hours
Quick Coupons and/or VP to meet a new lineup of Pokemon by shortening the wait time of 22 hours (1 Quick Coupon equals one hour of wait time removed, and 100 VP equal one hour of wait time removed)
Complete Achievements to obtain Affinity Tickets, which guarantee three Pokemon in the new lineup to have the corresponding type on the ticket. For example, if you use a Ghost Affinity Ticket, you have three guaranteed Ghost-type Pokemon
You can use Affinity Tickets by clicking X on your Switch or Switch on the Recruit Pokemon screen before the new lineup of Pokemon appears, and it works both for free new lineups and those with Quick Coupons or VP
Some Daily Missions, Weekly Missions, Starter Missions, and Membership Missions award more Quick Coupons and VP that you can use to meet new Pokemon or permanently recruit the ones you have
Ranking up in Pokemon Champions awards one-time VP bonuses
Playing single and double battles in Pokemon Champions awards VP based on how long the battle was, and awards more VP to the winner
Why Pokemon Champions is Not Enough to Build Good Teams
Other than that, though, you have no other options to recruit Pokemon in the game if you don’t connect it to Pokemon Home. This is why playing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in 2026 seems all the more mandatory for anyone who is into competitive battles, as Gen 9 games have most of the Pokemon in the Champions Pokedex.
Other critters will require you to play Pokemon Legends: Arceus or Pokemon Legends: Z-A to get, though. A big example is Eternal Flower Floette, as you can only get Mega Floette in Pokemon Champions and use it to battle if you transfer one from Pokemon Legends: Z-A to Pokemon Home, and then allow it to visit you in Pokemon Champions.
Every Unobtainable Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet and How to Get It in Pokemon Champions
These are the Pokemon you cannot find in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet from the Champions Pokedex:
Beedrill – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Pidgeot – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Alakazam – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Kangaskhan – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Starmie – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Pinsir – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Aerodactyl – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Hisuian Typhlosion – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Steelix – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Aggron – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Manectric – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Sharpedo – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Castform – Obtained only in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
Absol – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Roserade – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Lopunny – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Hisuian Samurott – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Watchog – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Liepard – Obtained only in Pokemon Sword and Shield
Simisage – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Simisear – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Simipour – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Audino – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Cofagrigus – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Garbodor – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Vanilluxe – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Emolga – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Diggersby – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Pangoro – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Furfrou – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Aegislash – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Aromatisse – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Slurpuff – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Heliolisk – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Tyrantrum – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Aurorus – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Gourgeist – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Hisuian Decidueye – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Drampa – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Mr. Rime – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Runerigus – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Sneasler – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Hisuian Goodra – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Hisuian Avalugg – Obtained in Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Aside from these 44 Pokemon, all the remaining 142 Pokemon and their variants can be obtained in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Most of these 44 critters are Z-A exclusives, which makes sense because they either have new Mega Evolutions in Z-A, old ones, or they are Gen 6 Pokemon, for the most part.
Finally, it’s worth noting that while you can get Chesnaught, Delphox, and Greninja in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the only way to get Chesnaughtite, Delphoxite, and Greninjite in Pokemon Champions is to transfer these three Pokemon from Legends: Z-A. The same holds for Floettite, which you only get by transferring Eternal Flower Floette to Pokemon Champions. As such, whether you want to or not, Pokemon Champions makes all the most recent mainline releases mandatory in some way, unless you want to only recruit Pokemon in Champions and hope for the best. And even then, be prepared to spend way more VP than you think in order to recruit them permanently and then edit them.
