Cross-posting this from the Annoyance thread, since it is probably more on-topic here:
I know we're all saying it, but how hard are the new Gen VII Pokémon really to come by in a regular playthrough? Since there are only 81 of them, I think an in-depth analysis wouldn't be too hard to conduct. Heck, let's do colour codes.
Green - Ordinary, easy-to-find Pokémon. A 20 % encounter or more, unlimited availability.
Yellow - Not using this colour, since it's awkward to read.
Orange - Somewhat uncommon, but not rare. Between 5 and 20 % encounters, or common only at limited times of day.
Red - Rare. 5 % encounters or rarer, but technically of unlimited availability.
Blue - Requires some hoops to go through before it can be found (smashing rocks, fishing, etc), but not awfully hard to come by if you try.
Purple - Requires you to go through hoops
and wrestle with RNG. Appears less than 25 % of the time after hoops are jumped through, or is otherwise limited.
Dark Purple - The ones that make us curse Game Freak - Jump through hoops, wrestle with the RNG, still unreasonably rare.
Brown - One-off gift Pokémon, may exclude other Pokémon. Prime example from past gens: the Odd Egg in Crystal. Or, you know, starters.
Black - Unavailable until post-game, if available at all.
As for evolutions, I'd really like to use colour codes there too. Would the following be confusing?
Black - Evolution by level-up, straightforward unless otherwise noted (various minor conditions for level-up evolution) in
italics.
Pink - Evolution by friendship
Light Yellow - Seriously, who added this colour, it's completely unreadable. Not used.
Light Brown - Location-based evolution (problematic, because those are late-game)
- Rowlet - Gift, starter
- Dartrix - level-up
- Decidueye - level-up
- Litten - Gift, starter
- Torracat - level-up
- Incineroar - level-up
- Popplio - Gift, starter
- Brionne - level-up
- Primarina - level-up
- Pikipek - Common encounter
- Trumbeak - level-up - can be found in the wild, common encounter
- Toucannon - level-up
- Yungoos - Common encounter
- Gumshoos - level-up, but only in the day - can be found in the wild, common encounter
- Grubbin - 10 % encounter on Routes 1, 4 and 5
- Charjabug - level-up
- Vikavolt - location-based (Vast Poni Canyon)
- Crabrawler - Occasionally found in berry piles - the few of which respawn at midnight.
- Crabominable - location-based (Mount Lanakila)
- Oricorio - Common encounter
- Cutiefly - Common encounter
- Rockruff - Common encounter, but in optional side area
- Lycanroc - level-up, but day/night depending on version - can be found in the wild, common encounter
- Wishiwashi - Common enounter. Forced, even.
- Mareanie - Excruciatingly hard to find, since it's a rare summon for Corsola, which is a 5 % encounter in fishing spots (20 % in rippling spots in MeleMele Sea).
- Mudbray - Common encounter
- Dewpider - Common encounter, but only in the day.
- Araquanid - level-up - can be found in the wild, common encounter
- Fomantis - Common encounter
- Lurantis - level-up, but only in the day
- Morelull - Common encounter, but only at night
- Salandit - Common encounter
- Salazzle - Only female Salandit will evolve, and those are relatively rare (3.125 %).
- Stufful - Rare encounter (5 %)
- Bounsweet - Common encounter, but only in a small area.
- Steenee - level-up
- Tsareena - level-up, but requires Steenee to learn Stomp.
- Comfey - Rare encounter (5 %)
- Oranguru - Rare encounter (5 %)
- Passimian - Rare encounter (5 %)
- Wimpod - Roams a small area and is easy to find, but a hassle to track down - or charge it with Tauros.
- Sandygast - 20 % encounter in spots of rippling sand.
- Pyukumuku - Common encounter (Surfing)
- Type: Null - Postgame
- Minior - Common encounter
- Komala - 10 % encounter on Route 11.
- Turtonator - 10 % encounter, Blush Mountain
- Togedemaru - 10 % encounter, Blush Mountain
- Mimikyu - Rare encounter (5 %)
- Bruxish - 20 % encounter in bubbling fishing spots
- Drampa - 10 % encounter in Mount Lanakila
- Dhelmise - 10 % encounter in bubbling fishing spots - Twice as rare as Bruxish, for reference.
- Jangmo-o - Rare encounter (5 %)
- Hakamo-o - level-up
- Kommo-o - level-up
- Tapu Koko - Postgame
- Tapu Lele - Postgame
- Tapu Bulu - Postgame
- Tapu Fini - Postgame
- Solgaleo/Lunala - One forced encounter, forced capture.
- Cosmog - Postgame
- Cosmoem - Postgame
- Nihilego - Postgame
- Buzzwole - Postgame
- Pheromosa - Postgame
- Xurkitree - Postgame
- Celesteela - Postgame
- Kartana - Postgame
- Guzzlord - Postgame
- Necrozma - Postgame
- Magearna - Event only
- Marshadow - Event only
So... now I can write a conclusion, I guess. It seems like of the new Pokémon, roughly a third are easy to find, roughly a quarter are relegated to the post-game, and the remaining invoke certain degrees of frustration when trying to find them.
Evolution is rarely a problem, though. There are no new Pokémon that evolve using items of any kind, none require trade, only two that require level-up in certain locations, and the rest are fairly straightforward.
I'd say there are some availability problems, at a glance. If anybody else want to do similar analyses for the other generations, in the games of their introduction, feel free to do so.