Pokemon: Really running out of ideas

[Story]

I feel like they're running out of ideas because the lineup for this gen is small, so far. Just going by serebii.net, the pokedex only includes 68 new pokemon which is the smallest number of the generations so far. I also had my suspicions which I was watching a Let's Play of the game and you ran into many pokemon from earlier generations. It's cute and nostalgic and all, but it make the game feel like it's trying to hide its shortcomings with filler.

I was bummed out by this as well. But I would be willing to bet a lot of effort went into innovating the game since the couldn't recycle certain elements from older games like they could before so it took away the time they could but into coming up with new Pokemon designs.
Plus, I can't help but feel that mega-evolutions were a bunch of our "new" pokemon. That's a poor excuse however, since there are only about a dozen of those.

OT:
I just, well, strongly disagree with you OP. Mostly because your defense is poor. You say the garbage bag and the key-chain Pokemon are unoriginal, but they actually are for the Pokemon universe because there have been no Pokemon like them in the past. To me, they would be running out of ideas if they started to repeat designs. Like the Pikachu-like pokemon like Plusle and Minium or the constant bird pokemon like Pidge, Fetchling, Starly ect. Though even these examples are obviously a traditional thing that Nintendo does on purpose.
This is also why the counter argument to yours i.e What about Grimer or Voltorb? doesn't hold water for me either. Even Stunfisk (who actually is really cool looking to me) and Jinx/Mr.Mime can be argued as "original". They may be ugly designs, but at least they are different or original for that universe.
Personally I feel that these pokemon are unoriginal, if only because there are other unrelated pokemon that look so similar.

This of course, is only about pokemon in terms of design and not names.

 

[Mooboo Magoo]

While I agree that Pokemon like Trubbish are pretty poorly designed, and Stunfisk is probably my least favourite Pokemon ever, Gens V and VI have some great designs.

Pokemon like Haxorus, Zekrom, Pangoro, Greninja and of course Hawlucha (to name but a few) are really awesome designs.

And let's not pretend the early Gens don't have their fair share of stinkers. Voltorb is just a Pokeball with eyes, Oddish is just a blue radish with legs. And what the hell is Unown supposed to be?

How could you hate Stunfisk? That horrible little thing is HILARIOUS looking. Then again, I might just play too much Dungeons of Dredmor.

 

[Hazy992]

While I agree that Pokemon like Trubbish are pretty poorly designed, and Stunfisk is probably my least favourite Pokemon ever, Gens V and VI have some great designs.

Pokemon like Haxorus, Zekrom, Pangoro, Greninja and of course Hawlucha (to name but a few) are really awesome designs.

And let's not pretend the early Gens don't have their fair share of stinkers. Voltorb is just a Pokeball with eyes, Oddish is just a blue radish with legs. And what the hell is Unown supposed to be?

How could you hate Stunfisk? That horrible little thing is HILARIOUS looking. Then again, I might just play too much Dungeons of Dredmor.

I think it's because it reminds me of a rotting fish, like an old kipper, that you'd see in bins in cartoons, so I then I start imagining it smells D:

Plus I just plain don't like its design, and it because it doesn't evolve or anything it just seems kind of 'there' and so a bit pointless.

 

[spartandude]

Now i will admit i think that overall the bad in Gen V out weighs the good (i didnt like most of the new designs) to say that only now pokemon has started having bad designs is just laughable.

 

[go-10]

it's a screw with magnets, Pokemon has never had the best monster designs ever, just because you're just noticing that now doesn't mean they're running out of ideas

also 10 bad monster designs among 700... I don't know about you but it seems your math is WAY off as to what constitutes "loosing it"