I promised it, here it is. Today, I list my 12 favorite Pokémon species. This means, what, one Pokémon out of 60, perhaps? There are, after all, 720 species (technically 721) out there as of writing. I won’t lie, this was a tough list. I tried to include species from all six Generations, because I believe that every Generation has brought to us a lot of clever concepts and a lot of great species or evolutionary lines.
Personally, I don’t believe that Generation 1 was the
best. It’s the most nostalgia-packed Generation, that’s for sure. But I don’t
believe that a Generation is better than another, in the grand scheme of things. I'm speaking species-wise, of course; I'm taking out that Generation's games and everything in them that's not directly related to the Pokémon species who appeared in that Generation. You’ll find that my list contains Pokémon from all Generations. There are some Pokémon on this list that I
like simply for being cute, others that I like for their rarity, others for
their unique gimmick that makes them very interesting to play with, others that
I appreciate simply for their backstory or their role in supplementary Pokémon
material. Also, I will sometimes include an entire evolutionary line in the
list, or a single member of said evolutionary line. Either way, I hope you
enjoy this list. Let the countdown begin!
12. The Gastly line (Gastly, Haunter, Gengar)
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| One of the species with the most drastic changes from one evolution to the other. |
The first ghosts of the Pokémon series, and the only
ghosts of the first Generation. That was before ghosts were established as
common in the Pokémon universe, so those gaseous critters could be caught only
in the Pokémon Tower, in Lavender Town. This was a time where nobody knew what
to do with them, really. The first generation was glitched and made them weak
to Psychic-type Pokémon when they were supposed to be the player’s sole
worthwhile weapon against Sabrina and her team. Even the anime treated them as
though there was only one Gastly, one Hanter and one Gengar, and they would do
some truly messed-up stuff. Like, oh, I dunno, killing Ash and Pikachu and
turning their souls into ghosts? (Fun fact: Dead Pikachu was the first
Ghost/Electric Pokémon, long before Rotom was even a thought.) These bizarre
episodes also portrayed these three ghosts as too unreliable to be allies. Later
Gens would introduce plenty of ghosts to the franchise, so this interpretation
of Ghost-types would no longer be accurate by Gen 3. Personally, I never had
any problems with these guys. “Yeah, but Nic, you only started playing Pokémon
in the third Generation, after the glitch was corrected,” you’ll say. So what?
The only thing I dislike about these is that you need to trade the Haunter to
get a Gengar, and that’s kind of problematic when you can’t trade at the
moment. But at least, Gengar has decent stats and a powerful Mega Evolution
(which, in my opinion, is just plain ugly, but if my sole problem is from an
aesthetic standpoint, it’s not too bad).
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| Can this giraffe look in two different directions at once? |
The Normal type has always been kind of strange. Most
commonly paired with the Flying type, hardly ever paired with other types.
Let’s see, the later Gens introduced more species that had the Normal type mixed with another (Bibarel, Deerling/Sawsbuck, Litleo/Pyroar, and all the Norrmal-type Pokémon who gained the Fairy type in 2013). However, the precursor to all of them was Girafarig, the Normal/Psychic
Pokémon. The main advantage of the Normal type is that it protects against
Ghost-type attacks, and Pokémon with that type learn a myriad of moves
(including some from the Dark type) that can prove useful. Combinations of
Normal with another type result in very peculiar Pokémon. Girafarig always
looked odd to me. Seriously. What the Hell is that thing on its tail? And yet,
despite that Chain Chomp Poké-reject on their posterior, Girafarig is a cute giraffe. And they’re very useful in battle. Only two weaknesses, no
4X weakness, able to learn Dark-type moves, and pretty good attack stats. Its main downside is its low total base stats total (455), though a well-trained
Girafarig can be very strong; however, isn't that the case for every well-trained Pokémon? I remember, back in Pokémon FireRed, I once battled
the Elite 4 with a Normal-type team, and Girafarig was one of my star players. And
I won. I like this species. Definitely deserve more credit than some people
give them.
10. The Deino line (Deino, Zweilous, Hydreigon)
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| This line proves that evolution is either miraculous or terrifying. |
Ah yes, the Dark/Dragon monsters of power from Gen 5.
Also known as the “Goddammit, are you finally gonna evolve??” species; Deino
evolves at Level 50, Zweilous at Level 64. This makes it the three-stage
species that starts evolving at the latest level (for two-stage Pokémon, the
champion is Larvesta, which evolves into Volcarona at Level 59), as well as the species that evolves at the highest level. The main problem with Gen 5 in general was that a lot
of Pokémon evolve at much later levels than in the other Generations, and the
new Experience calculation method made it a pain to reach the higher levels. Trust
me, when you finally got your Hydreigon, you earned it. I like this species
because it has the ferocious look of the Dragon-types and the mischief of the
Dark-types, and despite being some of the most evil-looking Pokémon out there,
they can be just as friendly as any other. The Pokémon-Amie proved that. Deino
is outright adorable, Zweilous too, and Hydreigon almost acts like a puppy. The
only downside is that for all this hard training, the final evolution is merely as strong as any other semi-Legendary, at 600 base stats total, while one would
have expected something better. However, one question remains: How the Hell did
Ghetsis get a Level 54 Hydreigon?
9. The Pumpkaboo line (Pumpkaboo, Gourgeist)
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| Available in just the right size for everyone! |
I like Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist because they have more
than one gimmick. The first one, and the best known, is that there are four
sizes for both of these Pokémon: Small, Average, Large and Super Size. The
difference in size is not always that noticeable in the wild, but you can
definitely see it when using the Pokédex’s functions, or in Pokémon-Amie. It
also has an effect on the stats, as smaller versions have less HP but higher
Speed, while the larger ones have less Speed and more HP. Super Size Pumpkaboo
and Gourgeist have cries different than the other sizes, so you can spot them
easily; and that’s a good thing, as the chances of encountering a Super Size
one in the wild are rather low. Also, these Pokémon have a special attack called
Trick-Or-Treating, which puts the Ghost type on the opponent. As a result, the
opponent receives double damage from Ghost-type moves! (Well, unless it’s a
Normal-type Pokémon, of course…) They’re a pretty cool species, maybe an
unconventional choice for such a list, but I really liked the concept.
8. Pikachu
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| Pika pi! Ka-Pi-Chu! |
Well, duh. You were probably expecting it. Being the
mascot of the entire franchise, Pikachu gets a favor treatment; along with
being a main character in the anime, it’s also prominently featured on
merchandise, in games, and in Pokémon X and Y, they actually say their name
instead of just making some nondescript electronic sound. Yet Pichu and Raichu
still make said nondescript sound… try to make sense of that! Yes, I admit it,
I like Pikachu. They’re not common but they’re not extremely rare. They’re not
all that strong but, when used efficiently, can be great fighters. You can
choose when they evolve. They’re the first walking Pokémon, way back in the
first Generation and Pokémon Yellow. Their legacy is one new cute electric
rodent in every subsequent Generation (Pichu, Plusle, Minun, Pachirisu, Emolga
and Dedenne). And, oh yeah, a Pikachu is officially the strongest
Trainer-owned Pokémon in the entire franchise. Red sure had to work a lot to
raise his own little rodent to Level 88! You think it’s easy for an Electric-type
to train in Mount Silver? So yeah, I like Pikachu, though one could say none of
my reasons are enough to make the list. But this is my blog, I make the call.
7. Audino
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| How could I resist those deep blue eyes? |
Audino is a species liked by a lot of people, and for
quite a few reasons. First off, they’re cute. Second, they’re the Unova
equivalent of Chansey, helping in hospitals as nursing aides. Third, their
stats aren’t amazing but they can be taught a wide array of Technical Machines
from most types, which can make them very deadly against unprepared opponents.
Fourth, they’re team players, so in double/triple/multi battles, they can help
and heal their comrades. Fifth, OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire gave them a Mega Evolution that gains the Fairy type, which makes all of these qualities even more meaningful. But their number 1 Reason for existing is as EXP
whales. All of us players who got games from the fifth Generation onwards,
we’ve all done that: Hunting for rustling bushes to fight an Audino, then beat
it and have our Pokémon gain a huge amount of EXP. What’s more, in the wild they
only know a few Normal-type attacks, and then some that can heal your own
Pokémon. I once used a LV1 Litwick that knew Will-O-Wisp, and I fought a LV55
Audino. The amount of EXP I got was in the five digits. Of course, they’re back
in Gen 6, used by a number of high-ranked Trainers in the Battle Chateau, and
once again, they sure deliver once they’re defeated! Audino is a great addition
to any team, and they’re also great to battle against – though I would shed a
(crocodile) tear for each adorable Audino that gets a savage beating for my
personal gain. Oh, I’m sorry!- No, not quite.
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| Audino can kill them with kindness. |
6. Hoopa
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| From nobody to nightmare? |
Hoopa is an intriguing Legendary Pokémon that comes in
two packages; there’s the Confined Hoopa, a cute 1 foot tall Arabic genie-like
critter that manipulates space to steal stuff… and Unbound Hoopa, a 21 feet
tall giant with six arms, six ribs, and six prongs. DEVIL! Devil, I say! This
was the last officially-released Legendary Pokémon for the sixth Generation (as
of writing, Volcanion is still not legally distributed), and boy does he leave
an impact. He’s the star of the 18th Pokémon movie, Hoopa and the
Clash of Ages (wait… 18=6+6+6!!!), where two Hoopas, an evil one and a slightly
less evil one, go at war with each other and pull most other Legendary Pokémon
of the franchise into the fight. In battle, Hoopa has the unique attacks
Hyperspace Hole and Hyperspace Fury, which both never miss; the Fury version
can be used by Hoopa Unbound only. What’s more, Hoopa Confined must be unbound
thanks to an NPC who owns a Prison Bottle, and can only remain Unbound for
three days. Oh, also, Confined has the Psychic/Ghost type combo, while Unbound
has Psychic/Dark. Last but not least, Hoopa Confined has a base stats total of
600 while Unbound has 680. It’s like a very slightly less powerful Mega
Evolution that doesn’t go away once the match is over! I love the concept! It’s
brilliant! You’d better get one of those, they’re a lot of fun to use.
…what’s that? The Prison Bottle is only in Pokémon
OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire? …Fuck!
5. The Lucario line
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| They'll aura-kick evil in the freaking face. ...I know that what I just said made no sense. |
There’s no denying that Pikachu is still the overall
mascot of the series, but someone from the Diamond and Pearl games has started
hogging the spotlight, and that Pokémon is none other than Lucario. Star of a
Pokémon movie, very present in promotional material, playable in Super Smash
Bros. Brawl and for WiiU and 3DS, and being the first Pokémon we see use the
Mega Evolution in Pokémon X and Y, there’s no denying that the
Fighting/Steel-type has become very prominent. In fact, an argument can be made
that Lucario is another mascot of the series, in a strange way; Pikachu,
Mew and Jigglypuff represent the “cute” side of Pokémon, what makes it
attractive for children. Lucario would then be the series mascot for another
aspect: The Pokémon battles. I like Lucario, but I also like Riolu, who seems
like just the right mix between “cute critter” and “battle critter”. Hm, maybe
Riolu should be the new mascot. Also, Lucario’s Mega Evolution is stylish and
remains contained, unlike other Mega Evolutions that go way too far into
exaggeration by adding spikes and dents and dangerous stuff everywhere. Lookingat you, Sharpedo.
4. Snorlax
I called mine Baymax, and it’s been loyal to me
ever since I caught in on that bridge on Route 7. Or was it in front of that
cave? Or did I receive it from a trade with an NPC while it was in its baby form? Snorlax are one of a kind;
when they don’t sleep, they eat. When they don’t eat, they sleep. The lazy ones
of the Pokémon universe. But catch one of them, and you’ll see the extent of
their power. Snorlax may keep on falling asleep in the worst possible places,
but it’s a damage sponge (with very high HP), and its other stats are pretty great too. It’s a giant with impressive
strength, and like Audino and Girafarig up there, it can learn a large number
of TMs from many Types, although some people will keep two move commands for
the Rest-Snore (or Sleep Talk) combo, which allows Snorlax to restore HP and
still attack while asleep. The rest? Flamethrower, Crunch, Brick Break, Surf,
Psychic, Ice Beam, Solar Beam, name it. But beyond battling, Snorlax are
adorable, cuddly animals. Sure, they’re really heavy and they can crush you in every possible way, but there’s something
inordinately cute about them. Just look at Snorlax in Pokémon-Amie. I like to
picture Snorlax as giants who can be gentle with the kids in everyday life, but
who can be fearful opponents in battle. Be on their good side, feed them and
let them sleep, and they’ll be your best friend. But when it’s clobberin’ time,
they’re ready.
3. The Chespin line
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| They're mean, they're green, they're fighting machines! Yeah, I know, the first two don't look mean at all. BUT DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THEM! |
Chespin, Quilladin and Chesnaught are now my favorite
Starter Pokémon. In Gen 6, Game Freak really upped their game by having three
final stage Starter Pokémon with dual types, and both type trios are
complementary; Chesnaught the Grass/Fighting soldier, Delphox the Fire/Psychic
wizard, and Greninja the Water/Dark… uh… ninja. I chose Chespin at the
start of my Pokémon X save file because I knew he would become a badass
combatant with a spiky back and a neat goatee. And, although I picked him because of Chesnaught, I also liked how Chespin
and Quilladin look, so I had no problem playing with them. And I’m of the kind
that keeps his Starter in the team all the way to the end. I found Chesnaught
to be extremely useful, in all kinds of situations and against most enemies.
The only real downside is that he has a 4X weakness to Flying-type attacks, which
are rather common out there. Mine had a set of attacks with four different types
(Dark, Fighting, Grass and Rock), and overall great stats. I’ll be perfectly
honest, I never understood the hatred towards Starter Pokémon. Sure, they’re
“Starters” and you can replace them with other Pokémon during your journey, but
I tend to get emotionally attached to them quickly. And they can be great
members in your team. Chespin, Quilladin and Chesnaught just so happen to be my
new favorite Starter Pokémon. With their versatility, and the great design (how
sad that Delphox didn’t get something so great), what’s not to love? I wished
more Starter Pokémon were that versatile and useful.
2. Gardevoir
Alright, Gardevoir made the list mostly thanks to
Level 30 Psychiatry, the webcomic about an English-speaking Gardevoir who decides to become a
psychiatrist in a world where all the game universes have collided. The high
intelligence of this species (due to the Psychic type) and their natural
empathic abilities would make a Gardevoir perfect for this task - and besides, a talking Pokémon isn't all that farfetched, as the Pokémon anime has shown us. But let’s talk
about the games. Upon gaining the Fairy type in Generation 6, Gardevoir gained
a whole lot of new resistances (and a weakness to steel…). The
species also got a Mega Evolution, which transform their cloth (or skin???)
into what looks like a wedding dress. As if the jokes weren’t frequent enough. Still,
Gardevoir has good stats, access to a good movepool, great type coverage, and can defend itself
against most opponents. (Note that I’m saying “it” since not all Gardevoir are
female.) So, all I’m saying is that Gardevoir are some of my favorite Pokémon mostly due to
a fanmade work, but does that make my opinion any less valid? Nope, it’s still valid.
Now, a couple honorable mentions before the #1 spot.
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| Cute. Sings for defense. Dragon killer. Will Sharpee your face. |
-Spinda: A case where I like the gimmick more than the
Pokémon, as Spinda has terrible stats, but has a near-unlimited number of
possible patterns for the spots on its face. Now that’s what I call unique.
-The Litwick line: Candle/Lantern/Chandelier Pokémon?
Ghost/Fire type? Unconventional, sure, but who am I to judge. I like to use
this Pokémon, especially against Audino.
-Shedinja: Another gimmick Pokémon that I really like,
the one-HP wonder that can be deadly when used correctly.
-The Beldum Line: Because I like robots and Metagross
is cool and powerful.
-Greninja: I like it, and I know it’s friggin’ epic
with its Protean ability and its other neat talents… but I guess that was not
enough for it to go on my list. Sorry!
-Hitmontop: The harder one to get in the Hitmon-Trio, as
Hitmontop can only be obtained by raising a Tyrogue at Level 20 and keeping its
Attack and Defense equal. Not easy, but feasible. I like this guy’s design, he
has good attacks, and he’s dancing in his idle animation. I wonder if people
going to parties in the Pokémon world dance the Hitmontop?
-Last but not least, Gyarados: Yes, it’s an awesome
Pokémon, and its Mega Evolution is pretty cool too. It’s still a powerhouse,
though a lot of Pokémon have since become more dangerous than it. And it’s not
all that difficult to get, too. A lot of upsides, but still, I had to limit my list to 12. Or you'd still be reading this tomorrow.
1. Mewtwo
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| You know that if this franchise wasn't rated G, he would pull a Scanners on your head. Be thankful he can't. |
Basically, Mewtwo represents my adoration of the Pokémon series, as every encounter with him had me at the top of my shape, at the end of my travels. Catching Mewtwo is usually the crowning achievement in Pokémon-catching in one's journey as a Trainer in Kanto (for Gens 1 and 2) and Kalos (Gen 6). And that's the case for a lot of Pokémon players out there.
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| Mega Mewtwo X |
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| Mega Mewtwo Y |
Well, this concludes my list. It was a long one, and
it was very difficult to write, so I hope you enjoyed. Which are your favorite
Pokémon? Do you prefer a Pokémon for its stats, the attacks it can learn, its
appearance, or its gimmicks? Don’t be afraid to reply and share.
Next week, if everything goes fine, I should have the
opposite list: The 12 Pokémon (or evolution families) I just can’t stand. Then
again, weird stuff always seems to happen around Halloween.
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