Pokémon that are not from the Regions that they were Introduced in.

[Rune Knight]

This is a list of pokémon that I believe to not be native to the region that they were introduced in.

Also this is subject to the current state / generation of the franchise.

I also included a list of rules that I believe to be universal when considering my list.

Feel free to share your opinions, including other pokémon that you believe to be from somewhere else.

Spoiler: My Personal General Rules

Gen 1 mons and Regional variants are arguably the easiest to distinguish.

Since Kanto is close to Johto, then a good majority of the Kantonian pokémon are likely originally from there.
Example: I suspect that Pikachu is originally from Johto because of the discovery of Pichu.

Any non-regional variant that gains an evolution in a later generation is not from that generation's region.
Example: I suspect that Aipom got an evolution in Sinnoh after it migrated from Johto.

Any pokémon that are only found in a region's Safari Zone are probably from somewhere else.
Example: In Kanto, Tauros are only found in the Safari Zone; whereas in Alola they can be found in the wild.

Pokémon introduced in a later generation cannot be from the regions of previous generations, because otherwise they would have appeared there.

Spoiler: My Personal List of Pokémon

Meowth is originally from Galar.

Ponyta / Rapidash are originally from Galar.

Exeggcute / Exeggutor are originally from Alola.

Mime Jr. / Mr. Mime are originally from Kalos.

Kanghaskhan is originally from Alola.

Tauros / Milktank are originally from Alola.

Lapras is originally from Alola.

Skurskit / Masquerin are originally from Alola.

Trapinch / Vibrava / Flygon are originally from Alola.

Carnivine is originally not from Sinnoh.

Sandile / Krokorok / Krookodile are originally from Alola.

Phantump / Trevenant are originally from Galar.

Honedge / Doublade / Aegislash are originally from Galar.

Yungoos / Gumshoos are confirmed to not be from Alola.

Mimikyu is originally not from Alola. (Or at least not its true form).

 

[NovaBrunswick]

Gible and its evolutions could arguably not be originally from Sinnoh, since Gible's Pokédex entry from Ultra Moon says:

Its original home is an area much hotter than Alola. If you’re planning to live with one, your heating bill will soar.

It could be from a region that is mostly desert, with some possible candidates being a Sahara-like region, or an Australian outback-inspired region. Australia is well-known for its sharks, and Gible is called the Land Shark Pokémon.

Corphish and Crawdaunt are said to be foreign Pokémon who were imported into Hoenn from another region as pets, and Cufant and Copperajah are also said to have been imported into Galar from another region long ago, which is a possible reference to Britain colonizing India (where elephants, their real-life basis, are from).

Yungoos / Gumshoos are confirmed to not be from Alola.

Yungoos and Gumshoos' introduction to Alola and them being non-native there is based on mongooses being imported from Asia into Hawaii to try to control the rat population there, but the mongooses' population exploded to the point they are considered an invasive species in Hawaii.

 

[Rune Knight]

Gible and its evolutions could arguably not be originally from Sinnoh, since Gible's Pokédex entry from Ultra Moon says:

It could be from a region that is mostly desert, with some possible candidates being a Sahara-like region, or an Australian outback-inspired region. Australia is well-known for its sharks, and Gible is called the Land Shark Pokémon.

I was looking for a Gen 4 pokémon to mention and overlooked Gibble, lol. I think you are likely right, and I've been hoping for an Australia inspired region for some time so hopefully that will be the case.

Yungoos and Gumshoos' introduction to Alola and them being non-native there is based on mongooses being imported from Asia into Hawaii to try to control the rat population there, but the mongooses' population exploded to the point they are considered an invasive species in Hawaii.

For some reason that reminded me of this little scene from the anime.

Spoiler: Mongoose

Could this be the original form of Yungoos or Gumshoos!? Only time will tell.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

You forgot about Corphish/Crawdaunt who have been said in a few Dex entries not to be native to the regions it is currently found in. In Hoenn they were household pets that had escaped and multiplied meaning that they are an invasive species. Unova could be the place of their origin but even that Dex says that they are from another region. They definitely aren’t from Galar as the Dex says they were household pets again.

 

[Ignition]

Galarian Zigzagoon is said to be the oldest branch of the species according to the SwSh website

Galarian Zigzagoon | Official Website | Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield

Galarian Zigzagoon enjoy battles and will charge at people and other Pokémon in an attempt to provoke a fight.

swordshield.pokemon.com

 

[Rune Knight]

You forgot about Corphish/Crawdaunt who have been said in a few Dex entries not to be native to the regions it is currently found in. In Hoenn they were household pets that had escaped and multiplied meaning that they are an invasive species. Unova could be the place of their origin but even that Dex says that they are from another region. They definitely aren’t from Galar as the Dex says they were household pets again.

According to Bulbapedia, Corphish and Crawdaunt are based on a Red Swamp Crawfish, an invasive species that likely originated from Northern Mexico / Southern USA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procambarus_clarkii

Since Unova is based on New York, it's probably the closest to their native region.

Wait, what about Orre?

 

[Italianbaptist]

Depending on your country of origin, Jynx may originally be from Johto. The international versions only had her as a trade mon in Gen 1, then available to catch in Gen 2’s Ice Path. Japanese Blue, on the other hand, made her catchable in the Seafoam Islands (and later the Let’s Go games did the same).

 

[Yveltal91057]

Houndour/Houndoom, Slugma/Magcargo and Murkrow are in the Johto Dex, but they can only be found in Kanto (G/S/C).

Metagross is in the Hoenn Pokedex, but can be caught in Unova (B2W2).

Bagon, Shelgon and Salamence are all native to Alola. Only Bagon can be caught in RSE and ORAS.

Other pokemon that are not native to their home regions, but can be caught in other regions, the IOA and CT.

Here’s the full list

Kingdra
Flygon
Dusknoir
Gengar
Conkeldurr
Magnezone
Luxray
Blissey
Slaking
Nidoking
Nidoqueen
Electivire
Magby
Elekid
Magmortar
Chandelure
Gourgeist
Milotic
Dragonite
Hydreigon
Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and Sylveon
Azumarill
Forretress
Honchkrow
Mismagius
Slowking
Steelix
Tangrowth
Mamoswine
Clefable
Weavile
Lucario
Gallade
Tyranitar
Politoed
Gliscor

 

[Red and Blue]

Cuffant and Copperajah were said to have been imported to Galar from another region. My guess is an region based on India like historical Elephants

 

[Luthor]

I've often wondered if Yamask is originally from Unova. Considering where Unova is based on having Yamask and Cofagrigus there does seem odd. Its purely speculation on my part but I could see it imported from another region a long time ago and that's not going into speculation if Galarian Yamask predates the Unovan one or if both were imported.

 

[Leonhart]

I've often wondered if Yamask is originally from Unova. Considering where Unova is based on having Yamask and Cofagrigus there does seem odd. Its purely speculation on my part but I could see it imported from another region a long time ago and that's not going into speculation if Galarian Yamask predates the Unovan one or if both were imported.

Why does Isshu's (Unova's) basis have to matter in this case? Isshu's based on New York City, so by that logic Shimama (Blitzle) isn't native to the region either because it's based on a zebra, and zebra's aren't native to New York City. The same applies to many other Gen V Pokemon if you dig deep enough, which is why that logic is sort of flimsy from my viewpoint.

 

[Tsukuyomi56]

The Skorupi line could potentially actually come from Galar. Their Sword entry mentions Skorupi and Sizzlipede having a common ancestor and most of their other Dex entries mentions them inhabiting arid areas.

 

[Rune Knight]

I'm just going by basis of its name according to Bulbapedia:

Yamask may be a combination of 闇 yami (darkness), や ya (bad), or Yama (lord of the dead in Hindu and Buddhist mythology), and mask.

Since the Galarian version of Yamask doesn't carry around a mask yet bears the same name, I assume that the Unovian version predates the Galarian one.

 

[TwilightBlade]

I always thought Beldum was native to Sinnoh instead of Hoenn because in RSE you can't find Beldum in the wild but there are Beldum swarms north of the Resort Area in DPPt. :]

 

[Rune Knight]

It seems that a majority of the Pseudo Legendaries are not native to the regions that they were introduced in.

 

[Icy-Snowflake]

Clefairy line, Deoxys, Necrozma, all Ultra Beasts, Eternatus are from space/other dimensions. Do we include them?
Edit: Elgyem from UFO crash site

 

[Rune Knight]

Clefairy line, Deoxys, Necrozma, all Ultra Beasts, Eternatus are from space/other dimensions. Do we include them?
Edit: Elgyem from UFO crash site

I would personally say that they count.

Others may argue that you could point their origins to the place where they first settled at. For example: if Clefairy decided to settle in Kanto after it arrived from Space.

 

[Ophie]

Eiscue: Some of the Pokédex descriptions say that Eiscue drifts around in the waters and settles wherever it finds land.

Rayquaza and Minior: Their native habitats are the sky. You encounter them in the games where they're featured because they make their way to the ground.

Deoxys: Comes from outer space.

Exeggutor: Originated in Alola but assumed the squat appearance and part-Psychic typing in other regions.

While this one is pure speculation, I suspect that Gossifleur and Eldegoss are not native to Galar, since historically, cotton is not native to the UK but was brought in for industrial reasons (which I also mentioned in the "Did You Know?" topic). Eldegoss's Pokédex articles, in particular, talk about it drifting for long distances.

Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon and Sylveon

Eevee itself too. In most of the games set in Kanto (I don't remember if it's all of them), you can't get Eevee in the wild. Rather, Eevee is either given to you at the start of the game, given to you from an NPC, or as a reward at the Game Corner. Signs point to it being an exotic pet in Kanto. Eevee would retain that "exotic pet" treatment by NPCs to at least as far as Generation IV: Sinnoh is the first time you find Eevee in the "wild," but it's wild only in the game mechanics sense--it's found in the rich man's garden, which strongly suggests he put them there intentionally. The first truly wild Eevee are found in the Pokéwalker, or if you count only traditional wild encounters, that'd be Castelia City in Unova. (Every region from there on out would have Eevee as a grassy field encounter though.)

 

[Icy-Snowflake]

Eevee is normally unobtainable in the wild until Kalos. It was probably imported to other regions for its cuteness. Maybe Sylveon is the normal evolution. Others are probably mutant evolutions.

 

[Rune Knight]

Speaking of which. I know that a lot Gen 1 Pokémon that originally didn't appear in the wild or outside of the Safari Zone did so in LGPE, but I don't really consider that to be 100% canon although they are mainline games. Not sure if most people would agree with me.