Top 10 Favourite Pokemon

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After seeing the list Cosmopoliturtle posted a couple hours ago, I thought, 'Why not put my hat into the ring and show my own favorites?' Now, for this Top 10, there's one disclaimer that should be noted: I'm not, in the words of the Bard, "Playing the objective" on this one. This list is exclusively my experiences on Pokemon, and which ones I feel may not be the best competitively, or even the best for a playthrough in certain cases, but hold a place in my heart nonetheless. Also to be noted is that this is exclusively MY opinion, so Comment at your own risk about how wrong I am, and feel free to tell me your Top 10 favorites below. With all that outta the way, let's first go over my Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

#1 - Psyduck, Golduck

Psyduck by dinoboygreenGolduck by dinoboygreen

I've always had a soft spot for these two duck Pokemon, even if Psyduck does have a permanent derp face. I don't know why, but for some reason, Psyduck in particular always cracked me up whenever he was on screen. Maybe it was his voice, maybe the fact that he caused such frustration for everyone else, or possibly the fact that his headache-induced Psychic attacks made him sound like a chain-smoking Alpha from Power Rangers. But it's not just Psyduck alone that carries this duo; Golduck, in my eyes, is one of the better Water types you can get in Kanto besides Starmie or Blastoise. 


#2 - Beautifly, Dustox

Beautifly by dinoboygreen Dustox by dinoboygreen

Yeah, not the strongest of the Bug types, especially compared to other Regions, but as far as these two early evolutions go, they do a pretty good job. They've got a surprisingly diverse move pool (relatively speaking), and their designs are both cute and colorful. Are they the best? No, there are plenty of better choices out there. But I just can't stay mad at those faces!

#3 - Xatu

Xatu by dinoboygreen


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!


#4 - Mawile

Mawile by dinoboygreen

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:


#10 - Butterfree, Pidgeotto

Butterfree by dinoboygreen Pidgeotto by dinoboygreen

This one's a toss-up because I love both for the exact same reason: Their depictions in the anime. See, for those who don't know, way back in 1998-1999, when Ash was still romping his way through Kanto, and Pokemon was still a rising star waiting to burst with Gen 3, Ash gained two early Pokemon, both were unquestionably loyal to him throughout his journey. The first was Butterfree (via Caterpie and Metapod), and the second was, of course, Pidgeotto. But like so many early characters that you don't see often, they both didn't get much screentime over the course of the series after Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle respectively showed up. Now, this is in no way meant to discredit either, all three are great characters in their own right.

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.

#9 - Vulpix 

Vulpix by dinoboygreen



*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.

#8 - Totodile

Totodile by dinoboygreen


Much like Vulpix, there's a bit of a cute factor here, but with a big difference. Aside from his depiction in the anime being where I first fell in love with him, I also really dug his design and cry. For one thing, sounding like Donald Duck is a good step in the right direction, but as for design, I really love crocodilyans (and no, not that way, ya perverted numbnuts!). With how stealthful they are, how voracious, and how gnarly their jaws can be, it's like a predator straight from the age of the dinosaurs (and I'm not too far off, either)!

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!


#7 - Cloyster
Cloyster by dinoboygreen

Though only an oyster in concept, Cloyster has always been a personal favorite of Kanto's water roster. It's part of a Triumvirate of sorts between itself, Starmie and a third Pokemon we'll meet a little later on. Regardless, Cloyster itself, while not the strongest of the three (Starmie wins that contest with how diverse it can be), it stands on its own nonexistent feet as a solid Physical wall. That, and its design reminds me a bit of myself, namely in its devious smile. A kind of, "You think you can top THIS?! Come at me, I dare ya!"


#6 - Cacturne

Cacturne by dinoboygreen

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

Roserade by dinoboygreen

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! :D


#4 - Toxicroak

Toxicroak by dinoboygreen
My personal favorite Poison type so far introduced, Toxicroak gets my vote for not only best design for a frog, but also one of the best smiles, too! Look at that face, the Cheshire Cat is turning from purple to green with envy! But it's not just the design that sells him on this list, it also helps that he's a surprisingly good fighter and attack dog (so to speak). I almost always get a Croagunk whenever I play Diamond and Pearl, and you can bet this punchy Kermit's not going away anytime soon!


#3 - Espeon, Umbreon

Espeon by dinoboygreenUmbreon by dinoboygreen



Now we come to two close favorites; again, I had to add these two together at once for this to be appropriate. Not just because they're surprisingly complimentary (though it certainly helps), but moreover, they hold a special place in my heart for being my first two Pokemon. See, while yes, Gale of Darkness was the first Pokemon game I ever played, the first Pokemon game I completed was Colosseum, which had both Espeon and Umbreon in easy access. With a great design and great stats, both Espeon and Umbreon both get a special spot on this list.


#2 - Lapras

Lapras by dinoboygreen


Hands down, one of my favorite Water types period! And that third Triumvirate member I told ya about; and is not only elegantly designed, but is the first one besides Vulpix that I just wanted to hug forever! Anyone who remembers the Orange Islands season of the anime will remember Ash's Lapras, and how she sounded and acted so cute that I just wanted to pinch her blue, koala-Nessie-like cheeks!

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!


#1 - Flygon

Flygon by dinoboygreen


Betcha didn't see that one comin', did ya? Always having a soft spot for the underdog, Flygon constantly gets pushed beneath the bus for being the odd-dragon out compared to his more popular brother, Salamence. And frankly, I don't get why. Sure, he's quad-weak to Ice attacks, but he also can be surprisingly strong for something so skinny. While granted, I personally think he'd be more unique as a Bug-Dragon type, I fail to see how that should detriment him.

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.




 






© 2017 - 2024 dinoboygreen
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Cosmopoliturtle's avatar

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