Deviation Actions
One of the most unique of the Johto roster, Xatu holds a place in my heart for a surprisingly different reason than most of the others in this portion. See, before I got into the main series of games, I gained my first Gamecube and Gamecube game in about the same length of time between each other. Said Gamecube game and outer shell were all colored with the same game's title: Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness.
When I first played through, I had no idea what to expect, and aside from a few balance issues, and a rather short snagable roster compared to the 800+ Pokemon nowadays, it still holds up. Back to the point, Xatu and I first met as a Natu during the Phenac portion of the game, and I fell in love with its evolution, Xatu, immediately after. Why? For one, look at that design! I can guarantee you nobody's gonna forget that face anytime soon, and its reference to Native American totem poles doesn't hurt either. Anyhow, Xatu (dubbed Standing Bird by yours truly) stayed in my party ever since, and has never let me down!
A Pokemon whose in a perpetual bad hair day, and said hair has a mind of it's own. What more can I say?!
And now, onto the main list:
I simple wished these two got more of a headway in terms of how they are as characters; instead, they send Butterfree away to never be seen again, and Pidgeotto, while proving himself to be a loyal friend, doesn't get much characterization til the very beginning of Season 2. And even then, I feel he left way too soon.
That, and both Pokemon are those I used quite a bit in my Leafgreen/Firered playthroughs, mostly out of sentiment rather than team building.
*squees* Okay, I'll just say this now for the record: she's so damn CUTE! *ahem* Sorry, had to get that out of my system. On that note, I really love this little vixen. She looks so cuddly, and very affectionate! But she's more than just a pretty face; she also has quite the culture behind her. After all, it's not every day you run into a Kitsune that could be your personal lap dog.
So make a crocodile that can spray water, sound like a duck, and does the cutest little jig when happy? You bet I'm gonna fall head over heels for him!
Rising out of the sand is one of my all-time favorite Grass types, the scarecrow that gives new meaning to the term "On Pins and Needles", Cacturne! Truth be told, kinda like Cloyster, Cacturne isn't the strongest of the strong. But unlike Cloyster, I'm more comfortable using him as my Grass type in games like Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire due to both how balanced the elements have gotten since Gen 3, and also because he's also surprisingly sturdy for a walking desert plant.
As for his design, it reminds me a bit of something out of Tim Burton, and his Pokedex entry seems to showcase this.
#5 - Roserade
And now, we come to the most flashy of the entries on this list thus far, Roserade! A solid special attacker, Roserade is a Pokemon not just liked for its design, but also for its moveset, which is surprisingly diverse for a rose by any other name. Noted favorite moves to use with her include Mega Drain, Solar Beam and Toxic, among others, and while not the most defensive, can dish out hits to most enemies.
Some have depicted her as a superhero figure, what with the cape leaves and mask. And if so, she definitely can be my Zorro any day!
#4 - Toxicroak
But it's not just her design that gets her a spot on this list; her stats and movepool make her surprisingly diverse for someone you can find only in the late game at Silph Co. And if you're not interested in taking Starmie, then Lapras definitely ranks a close second!
After all, he not only has a cool design, but also a unique typing among the Dragon types already with Ground and Dragon. Not to mention, he who goes for a more unexpected roster such as myself will find solace in that he's rarely expected for most playthroughs.
And that was my Top 10 Favorite Pokemon; I hope you enjoyed my thought processes, and I'll be sure to get the full version of that Unlikely Allies chapter up as soon as possible. Til then, I'm the Bomb Specialist, and if you'll excuse me, I'm due for a nice, long shower.
ShoPro, YOU SONNOVA BITCH!
Remembering my Grandmother
Pride Month Thoughts
Personal Update
Really good list! I had a fun time reading through it!
I have a big soft spot for Pokemon like Psyduck, Mawile and Totodile who are just proportioned perfectly to look like a little monster friend who'd be perfect for following you around or to scoop up in your arms. The little derpy guys are always definetly among my favourites since I love watching how they grow, both in the sentimental sense and artistically how their designs change, but still reflect their previous stage.
I didn't watch the show much so a lot of my attachment came from the early games, but I can definetly appreciate how the show could give certain Pokemon a personality and a persona that you may not of seen otherwise. It's also cool hearing about your first Pokemon gaming experience-- I haven't heard of anyone starting at the Gamecube games so it must of offered an interesting look as a stepping stone!
Also I really really like that you have like, a party of smug-looking Pokemon in a row with Cloyster, Cacturne, Roserade and Toxicroak who all look slightly dubious but fun XD I remember playing through Platinum with Roserade and really enjoying it, and I think Toxicroak needs more love so it's nice to seem them make an appearance. I really dig the Pokemon who show off a sense of personality just by looking at them. C:
Flygon is a really good fave for sure! For some reason I was also partying around with Salamence when I first played Pokemon Ruby but like, not for any particular reason. I think retrospectively I like Flygon more, and I really dig the crazy transitions it goes through starting at Trapinch.
Really good choices and a good read! n_n