Lugia


As I've stated previously, my very first (official) Pokemon game was Pokemon Silver. As such, the very first legendary Pokemon I ever caught was Lugia. I mean, sure, I caught it with a Master ball, so it wasn't exactly a difficult battle, but it still felt epic at the time.

Lugia then went on to help me defeat the Tohjo Elite 4 and the Kanto Gym leaders, and it even helped me battle Red. Of all the legendary Pokemon in the series, Lugia definitely had the longest stay in my party. It even helped me get through Pokemon Stadium 2. Granted, Lugia, being an Olympus 'mon with godlike power, there was never any question it would be one of the most useful members of my team, but the memories I have of it certainly help place it in the number ten spot.

Competitively, Lugia is the single best wall in the game, bar none. Well, okay, maybe Giratina Altered forme gives it some competition, maybe. But it's still a toss up, and I give the edge to Lugia. I mean, sure, it's weak to Stealth Rock and Pursuit, but just look at its assets. Besides its gargantuan defensive stats (106/130/154) and surprisingly high speed (110,) Lugia has access to the always excellent Multiscale ability, as well as the moves Dragon Tail and Whirlwind. It also gets to dual screen, Poison stall, and Calm Mind. All the while, Roost and Recover make sure it stays healthy throughout. It is nearly impossible to take out one of these things without difficulty.

For these reasons and many more, Lugia is my all time favorite legendary Pokemon.

Tyranitar


So I'm trudging through Mt. Silver, wondering what could possibly be at the end, and avoiding those level 42 Graveler that just won't leave me alone, when I suddenly run into a cute little Pokemon at the paltry level of 15. It's called Larvitar, and I wonder what its doing in a place like this. I hadn't seen one before. Shrugging, I capture it (which was harder than I thought it would be) and store it in my PC for later inspection.

One day, I decide to train the lil thang. It's not very strong, but by the time it reaches level thirty and evolves into Pupitar (the same level Dratini evolves into Dragonair,) I start to catch on. This was Johto's answer to the Dratini family. Alright, I can dig it. So I keep training it, and when it evolves into Tyranitar at level 55, well...that was pretty much all she wrote. I was head over heels. Tyranitar has always been a favorite of mine ever since it was introduced in Generation II. I trained one in both Silver and Crystal versions, another in Pokemon Colosseum, at least two more in the Sinnoh games, and two more after that in Unova. The badass T-Rex/Godzilla design is amazing on its own, but it has amazing stats to back that up, a unique typing (Rock/Dark) and an absolutely insane movepool.

Competitively, Tyranitar is an interesting Pokemon. Its typing alone should land it somewhere in the Underused or Rarelyused tiers. Rock/Dark is weak to the always popular Earthquake, two common attacking types in Water and Grass, weak to U-Turn, and weak to the increasingly popular Fighting type (particularly moves such as Mach Punch and Close Combat.) As anybody with competitive experience can tell you, that's enough to cripple most Pokmeon. But Tyranitar isn't most Pokemon. It gets a semi-unique ability in Sand Stream, which as of Generation IV also increases its Sp. Def stat, making it a very bulky mon. Sand Stream also ensures that Tyranitar will be a staple of most sandstorm teams, competing for a slot with the much weaker Hippowdon. It also gets the aforementioned excellent stats and movepool to compliment this behemoth. Despite its flaws, Tyranitar consistently ranks high in usage statistics because of its assets.

Simply put, Tyranitar is one of the best Pokemon in the metagame today.

Ninetales


OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! VULPIX IS SOOOO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I seriously need to control my fangirl moments. But yeah, Vulpix is one adorable Pokemon. It was also one of the few Pokemon I actually raised in my first run of Pokemon Silver (by then, my strategy basically consisted of 'spam Feraligatr' so it's a miracle I got other Pokemon trained at all.) Like many people, I originally preferred Growlithe, but the more and more time I spent with Vulpix (I always picked the games with Vulpix as the version exclusive,) the more and more I started to like it. This culminated in Generation III. where Ninetales was the main Fire type for my first run of Pokemon Sapphire. Then in Pokemon LeafGreen, Ninetales became my de facto Fire type. Since then, I've been picking up a Ninetales for my team whenever possible. Even in Pokemon White 2, I farmed (for a week) for a female Drought Vulpix and used her as my main Fire type for the after game.

Competitively, Ninetales was always...just okay. Not distinct enough or good enough to land it outside of the Neverused tier, but always a solid Pokemon. Then came Generation V and the rest, as they say, is history. Ninetales obtained the Drought ability, which transformed it into the ultimate sun support Pokemon. A staple of any sun team, Ninetales skyrocketed into the Overused tier, where it remains today. Sure, it's arguably the worst of the weather inducers (Stealth Rock and her speed tier come back to bite it) but that's like saying it's the worst of the Olympic athletes. It is still an insanely good support Pokemon. A fitting end to one of my all time favorite Pokemon.

Blastoise


Blastoise is one of my absolute favorite Water type Pokemon, and by far my favorite Water Starter. I remember Ash's Squirtle in the anime being an incredibly funny and cool Pokemon, and his bromance with Bulbasaur basically made the show. I have been using Squirtle since I bought Pokemon Blue in Generation I. I've trained a Squirtle for Pokemon Yellow, Blue, Crystal, Silver, Gold, FireRed, LeafGreen, Platinum, Heartgold, Soulsilver, Black and I'm about to start training one for Pokemon White 2. And that's not even getting into Blastoise.

How to best describe Blastoise? Oh, that's right. It's a turtle with cannons on its back. I rest my case. Blastoise has also been the face of the Water type ever since the beginning of the series. Water is my favorite classical element, and my second favorite Pokemon type, and Blastoise represents all that. Also, have I mentioned the cannons on its back?

Although it has never seen the light of OU the way its Kanto Starter brethren have, Blastoise has always been a solid Pokemon in Underused. Culminating with its performance in Generation V as the ultimate Rapid Spinner in that tier (two tiers above Charizard, mind you.) This utility alone gives it a very good niche, but it doesn't end there. Scald lets it burn physical attackers, its bulk lets it take plenty of hits, and Dragon Tail is always good for some shuffling. The only thing Blastoise is missing (and the only reason why it isn't OU, in my opinion) is a method of reliable recovery. Just think how much more badass this thing would be if it had access to, say, Slack Off. Think about it.

Either way you spin it (see what I did there?) Blastoise is, was, and will always be an awesome Pokemon.

Meganium


If you don't know anything about me, then this is probably the part where I lose you. 'Meganium?' you say. 'That weak little thing? That awkward looking Pokemon? That thing is higher than Blastoise, Typhlosion, and Sceptile?'

Well, yes. The truth is that I always liked Chikorita. It was my Starter in every single one of my (many) Crystal playthroughs. And honestly, the more people hate on it, the more I love it. First, let's get something clear. Chikorita is not weak. Sure, it may seem so at first, considering Johto had a lot of Gym Leaders with apparent advantages over it, but let's look at the facts. Falkner is a pathetic excuse for a Gym leader and if you can't beat him with Chikorita, you have no business playing Pokemon in the first place. Bugsy...fine, I'll give you that. Whitney? Ha! Female Bayleef with Reflect and Poisonpowder. Try it some time. It's actually got a better shot against Whitney than Quilava does (weak to Rollout.) Morty? Fine. Chuck's Poliwrath is weak to Grass type moves. Jasmine's Steelix has notoriously low Sp. Def and is neutral to Grass moves. All of Pryce's Pokemon are weak to Grass. And Clair's Kingdra gets hit neutrally by Grass moves, all the while 4x resisting both Feraligatr's Water moves and Typhlosion's Fire moves. Then you get to Kanto and you find yourself steamrolling through Brock, Misty, and Lt. Surge, with your only worries being Janine and Blaine. Really, Meganium's just as good a Starter as its counterparts. Her strengths just aren't readily apparent.

Competitively, Meganium is still not weak. It is, however, vastly outclassed by many other Pokemon. As a cleric, it is outclassed by pink blobs and Vileplume (Poison typing makes it immune to Toxic and absorbs T-Spikes.) As a wall, it's outclassed by Tangela and Tangrowth. As a screen summoner, it's outclassed by the much faster Serperior. Meganium is one of those sad cases of a good Pokemon overshadowed by tons of better ones. Which is why I suggest it learn a good boosting move in tandem with Baton Pass and possibly Wish. Those three moves could give Meganium the niche its been missing.

So yeah, you may hate Meganium, but I love it, and the more hate I see directed at it, the more my love grows. Which is why it is at a solid #6 in my top favorite Pokemon countdown.

Scizor


Scizor is the undisputed king of Bug Pokemon. Okay, fine. The undisputed king of all non-legendary Pokemon (stupid Genesect.) It is a badass samurai praying mantis ninja with metal armor and a seriously sleek design. Its typing offers it a resistance to Normal, Grass, Ice, Rock, Steel, Psychic, Dark, Ghost, Bug and Dragon type moves with an immunity to Poison. It also has only one weakness, albeit a 4x one, to Fire. All this was more than enough to set it apart in Generation II, and it's only been getting better and better.

The moment I saw Scizor, I knew I had to have it. I'll admit it did take me a while to get one, but once I did, it became one of the most powerful members of my team. I was always a fan of Scyther, and Scizor managed to do the impossible and make Scyther even cooler. I've trained Scizor in Pokemon Silver, Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon Heartgold, Pokemon Soulsilver, Pokemon Black and Pokemon White 2. Not as much as some other Pokemon, but definitely with much more fervor. I also remember a time when I was battling with a friend of mine in Generation IV, and he had taken out my entire team with the exception of a weakened Scizor. It looked bleak for me, but my little Scizor managed to pull me from the ashes of defeat and into the throes of victory by simply spamming its Bullet Punch.

Which brings me to the competitive side of things. Competitively, Scizor is the king of OU. The Technician ability, combined with STAB Bullet Punch transformed Scizor from a decent OU Pokemon into one of the most devastating forces in the metagame. Throw in U-Turn for scouting and Pursuit for trapping those pesky Ghosts and Psychics, and you can start to see why Scizor constantly and consistently tops the usage charts in OU.

Scizor is a beast of a Pokemon, both conceptually and mechanically.

Dragonite


So, what's better than Garchomp, Metagross, Salamence, Hydreigon and Tyranitar put together? The one and only Dragonite, of course. Okay, so maybe it's not as good as all of them put together, but Dragonite is still an excellent Pokemon in its own right. The original dragon, Dragonite is often derided as being 'friendly' and 'looking like a Barney knockoff' and 'ruining the majestic design of Dragonair.' First, I don't agree it 'ruined' anything. It just took the design in a different direction. It wouldn't be the last time Game Freak does this (Octillery anybody? Samurott, perhaps?) Second of all, DNite is my favorite pseudo legendary because it looks friendly and huggable, not in spite of it. How many times have we seen 'rawr Im'ma kill you' monsters out there? We expect them to be badass. Dragonite looks like it just wants to play with you, but is capable of destroying almost anything that dares cross it. Again, the difference between a badass who looks the part and a badass who doesn't.

My experience with Dragonite started in Pokemon Silver, as with so many other Pokemon. Originally, I raised a Dragonair to level 100 (my party had a Houndour and a Bulbasaur. I was big on unevolved Pokemon back then,) but when I realized she just wasn't strong enough, I raised another one, and fully evolved this time. Thus my long affair with Dragonite began. I've trained multiple Dragonite in Pokemon Silver, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, Pokemon LeafGreen, Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon Heartgold, Pokemon Soulsilver, Pokemon Black, and Pokemon White 2. Even in Generation IV, where it was largely seen as an inferior Salamence, I still used it.

Now, in Generation V, with the advent of Multiscale, Dragonite can take its place as the queen of all (non-uber) Dragon Pokemon. Consistently on the top 5 most used Pokemon in the OU tier, Dragonite's Multiscale all but ensures it'll survive one hit, which then allows it to set up Dragon Dance (multiple times, if you take the time to heal with Roost,) and then proceed to Wreck. Shit. Up. It's varied movepool can finally shine through. With access to the elemental Punches, Superpower, Earthquake, Outrage and, most notably, Extremespeed on the offensive side, and access to Dragon Tail, Thunder Wave, Safeguard and Toxic on the defensive side, Dragonite can work as a defensive Pokemon, a parashuffler, or an offensive monster capable of tearing holes into your opponent's team. This is all backed by excellent stats and stat distribution.

Dragonite may be one of the original 151 Pokemon, but it still stands out as one of the best.

Milotic


Milotic is my favorite Hoenn Pokemon and my favorite Water type. As a Pokemon, this thing was designed to be a counterpart to Magikarp and Gyarados. While Magikarp can be found in almost every single body of water imaginable (outside of Unova,) Feebas is one of the hardest Pokemon to find in the games. While Magikarp goes from weak fish to strong fish/sea serpent, Feebas goes from ugly fish to beautiful fish/sea serpent. While Gyarados spends most of its energy being an offensive powerhouse, Milotic is much more defensive in nature.

Okay, confession time. I've never used a Milotic in Generation III. In fact, to this day, I still haven't been able to find a Feebas in any of the Hoenn games (and God knows I've looked.) Much more successful were my expeditions to find a Feebas in Sinnoh's very own Mt. Coronet. Once I finally found one, I immediately stuffed it full of Pamtre berries and lo and behold, it became a Milotic. I had been looking for one for so long that the second I found one, it became a permanent fixture on my Platinum team (until I restarted the game, but by then, I had a Milotic in Soulsilver and Heartgold.) I've also trained a Milotic in Pokemon Black and in Pokemon White 2, where it helped me get through the post-game. She quickly became one of the most valued members of my team (and even outperformed my Salamence, who was supposed to be the team's powerhouse.)

Competitively, Milotic has been a staple of UU since Generation IV, though it was OU in the third Generation. In UU, Milotic has proven itself to be a fantastic bulky water. It has access to Marvel Scale, an ability that strengthens its defensive properties when it's afflicted by a status condition. In terms of moves, it gets Scald to cripple physical attackers, Recover for reliable recovery, Hypnosis for trolling purposes, Haze to get rid of its opponent's status buffs, Ice Beam to deal with Grass types, and Rest/Sleep Talk to trigger Marvel Scale and heal at the same time. As you can guess, it is quite a daunting Pokemon to face.

The thing that gets me most about Milotic though, is how elegant and graceful it looks, yet absolutely nobody thinks it's a weak Pokemon. It is Pokemon's testament to feminine badassery at its finest.

Houndoom


This right here is my absolute favorite Fire type Pokemon, and my favorite Johto Pokemon of all. Houndour and Houndoom are just awesome conceptually and mechanically. First off, they have a unique typing, which is always nice. Secondly, they look like doberman wolves straight out of hell. That. Is. Awesome. Thirdly, they may or may not have taken inspiration from Cerberus himself. Fourthly, they definitely took inspirations from biblical hellhounds. Fifthly, they are just awesome. I also like the unabashedly dark and malevolent feel to it. While it does lack the overt malicious Pokedex entries of the Deino family, it is clear from looking at it that this is not a Pokemon you want to mess around with. I don't know whether or not Houndour and Houndoom are meant to be 'evil,' but they are certainly not nice. As I stated in my Hydreigon entry, Game Freak should make more dark creatures like these, and as stated in my Umbreon entry, I like the ambiguity about its intentions.

Actually, when I first ran into Houndour just outside of Celadon city, I thought it looked incredibly boss, and I needed to have one in my party, but I originally didn't want to evolve it into Houndoom. Why? Because I was a stupid kid at the time and thought that having a Houndoom would be the equivalent of worshiping Satan. No joke. That's how I ended up with my level 100 Houndour. And honestly? He kicked ass. After I grew up and realized that Houndoom=/=the devil, I actually raised one. Oh my god, this thing was amazing. Along with Vulpix (and later Blaziken,) Houndoom managed to convince me that not all Fire types suck. Charizard gave them a bad name, but Houndoom totally fixed their reputation in my eyes.

Competitively, Houndoom is also a staple of UU and has been so since Generation IV, and Borderline before that. Offensively, Houndoom packs a serious punch with its 110 Sp. Atk and access to Nasty Plot. It even has a usable 90 Atk stat and incentive to use it with moves such as Pursuit and Sucker Punch. 95 Base Speed is a good benchmark, though I feel it would be better at 100. The two big issues Houndoom faces are its weakness to Stealth Rock and its weak defenses, meaning this Pokemon won't be taking a hit all that well. Still, it is an incredible offensive force, able to cut through teams like a hot knife through butter if given half a chance. I expect nothing less from one of my favorite Pokemon

Venusaur


For those who know me, this should come as a surprise to absolutely none of you. For those who don't know me...uh....surprise! Yes, the number one Pokemon in the Pokedex is also the number one Pokemon in my heart. Bulbasaur is, in my opinion, the cutest Pokemon of all time. It's cuter than things like Jigglypuff and Clefairy because I feel they try too hard to be cute. It's better than things like Treecko and Torchic because it looks tough enough to defend me, even as just a base form Starter. Really, Treecko looks like you can snap it in two with your pinkie.

In terms of design, I'm...not really sure what it's supposed to be. A frog? A dinosaur? Who cares. It looks badass. And the way its evolutionary line mirrors a plant's maturity cycle (subtly showcasing how Pokemon evolution works at the same time) was just a brilliant touch.

Also, Ash's Bulbasaur in the anime was absolutely boss. Again, I make note of its bromance with Squirtle, but more importantly than that, its major stubborn streak really got Ash through many tough battles (even playing a crucial part in his battle against Pyramid King Brandon.) But it also has some major depth of character (as opposed to, say, Charizard,) explored when it became a diplomat in Professor Oak's lab.

In the games, Bulbasaur makes an excellent Starter Pokemon. It is strong against Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge, Erika and Giovanni. And yes, I'm talking about base form Bulbasaur, whom I trained in Pokemon LeafGreen. Remember when I said I wanted to buy Pokemon Blue even though Generation II had already come out? It was solely for the purpose of getting a Bulbasaur. So far, I've trained multiple Bulbasaur in Pokemon Blue, Yellow, Silver, Emerald, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, Platinum, Heartgold, Soulsilver, Black, and Pokemon White 2. That's A LOT of Bulbasaur.

Ivysaur is the member of the trio that I give the least attention to. With that said, it still looks amazing. Definitely one of the better designed middle form Starters of all time (along with the Johto group, Grovyle and Dewott.) Even though I've trained less Ivysaur than the other two overall, that's still an Ivysaur for Pokemon Silver, Soulsilver, Platinum, Black, and Pokemon White 2.

Then there's big daddy Venusaur. Never in my life have I seen a pink flower (actually a rafflesia, but it sure looks like a flower) be so badass. I'm just gonna save myself the trouble and state that I've trained at least one Venusaur in every single main series Pokemon game I have ever played. Venusaur has a balanced stat spread, with not a single one of its base stats being under 80. This gives it the ability to become a Jack of all trades sort of battler. It can go physical tank, special sponge, Subseeder, annoyer, physical attacker, special attacker, you name it. This versatility landed Venusaur highly in UU usage, and it even got banned to BL a few times. And this was before Generation V. With Generation V, Venusaur now gets Chlorophyll, a buffed up Growth, and a perfect partner in the form of Drought Ninetales. The perfect recipe for what is arguably the best sun sweeper in the game. I've used Venusaur in OU, and lemme tell you, there is a grand total of one Pokemon that can stop it in its tracks once it gets going. Heatran. But not even Heatran can counter all of Venusaur's sets. This is why Venusaur has earned a solid position in OU.

And yes, I'll admit, nostalgia does play a part in my love for Bulbasaur. I got into the series through Bulbasaur. I got into the anime because of Bulbasaur. I got into the games because of Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur represents my childhood, and it represents Pokemon to me. So yeah, nostalgia is a factor. Not the biggest one, but it is worth mentioning.

So yeah, I'll stop rambling now. I'll end on this note: Bulbasaur is my favorite Pokemon of all time. New Pokemon will come, old Pokemon will get better, but nothing will ever change the way I feel about the Bulbasaur family.

Breloom


Breloom is one of my top 5 favorite Hoenn Pokemon of all time. Let's be honest though, Hoenn had a lot of great Pokemon. However, I find Breloom to be one of the best. I remember somebody commenting on how Game Freak must have been high when they designed Tropius. Well, I think they designed Breloom at the same time. It is literally a kickboxing mushroom kangaroo with extendable arms. If that's not crazy awesome, then I don't know what is.

Until Generation V, Breloom was the only Pokemon to have the Grass/Fighting combination, which has its strengths and weaknesses. Its most notable weakness is its 4x vulnerability to Flying type moves, but offensively, it can hit Rock, Ground, Water, Dark, Steel and Normal type Pokemon for super effective damage. However, the three things that really set Breloom apart are: 1. Breloom gets access to Spore. Parasect can suck it. I'll take Breloom any day. Spore is a 100% accurate sleep inducing move, giving Breloom at least one turn of setup, should it get to use it. 2. Its outright massive Attack stat. The highest of all Fighting types, tied with Machamp. 3. The sheer synergy of Ability+movepool Breloom gets. Substitute+Poison Heal with a Toxic Orb means Breloom will get plenty of time to throw Focus Punches around after setting up the sub (which shouldn't be too hard if it firsts knocks the opponent unconscious with Spore) while Technician Mach Punch gives it a similar offensive output to Scizor, of all things.

My first real experience with Breloom was during Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, where it obliterated nearly every opponent it ever faced, with non-STAB physical moves. The only disappointment I had was the relative uselessness of its offensive Grass moves due to the Grass typing being a special type in Generation III. Luckily, this was changed for Generation IV, and Breloom became one of my favorite competitive Pokemon to use. In fact, my whole group of friends used, or at least liked, Breloom to some degree. I'm currently in the process of training two (a Poison Heal and a Technician one) for White 2.

Suicune


One of my favorite Legendary Pokemon of all time, Suicune exudes grace, composure, and class. Pokemon Crystal was one of my first Pokemon games. Being one of my first windows into the world of Pokemon, it stands to reason that Suicune would have a lot of nostalgic and sentimental value, but let's move past that.

What I like about Suicune is pretty much the same thing I like about Raikou, but times a hundred. I don't know why Game Freak decided to give this Pokemon a bigger role in Crystal version, but they did. Now I have to wonder what makes Suicune more special, more in tune with humanity than its siblings. Whether by accident or by design, the developers of Pokemon Crystal added an extra layer of mystery to Suicune. And that's not even getting into Eusine. Suicune's mystery provides even more questions than Rakou/Entei's, which is part of why I love it so much. Why did it choose you? What's its connection to the Clear Bell? And what about Eusine? All these questions pile up on top of the ones brought up by its origin, making Suicune one of the most mysterious Pokemon in the whole series.

Competitively, Suicune is pretty much the epitome of bulky water. With great typing, HP, defensive stats and an ability built for stalling, Suicune is sure to give nightmares to your opponents. Frankly, its ability to take insane amounts of punishment is only hampered by its lack of reliable recovery, tough I feel that if Suicune did get something along the lines of Recover or Slack Off, it might just be too good.

Kingdra


My favorite Johto Water type is further proof that Johto Pokemon are not forgettable. Who here doesn't have fond memories of wanting to rip your hair out while facing Clair's Kingdra (interestingly enough, Meganium was the best Starter Pokemon to use against it.) Kingdra is an epic Pokemon reserved only for the best of trainers. In fact, its even the only Pokemon to be the signature of two Gym Leaders (Clair and Juan both used one as their main Pokemon.) The thing about Kingdra is that, much like Lapras, it looks incredibly menacing and imposing while at the same time appearing gentle and calm. The Dragon/Water type that gives it only one weakness certainly helps with that.

Speaking of its typing, I'll use this opportunity to segue into Kingdra's competitive performance. Ever since Generation III, Kingdra's always been a premier rain sweeper. Having stats that are just shy of matching Mew and Celebi, coupled with an incredibly good typing (one weakness...to itself) is icing. In Generation V, the combination of Kingdra and Politoed was so feared, it contributed to Smogon's complex ban of Drizzle+Swift Swim. But did this cripple Kingdra like it would so many other Pokemon? Oh no. While not an Overused staple anymore, Kingdra is still wreaking havoc in Underused by creating its own damn rain and proceeding to go on massive sweeping rampages. For those that don't want to use Kingdra under rain, a Dragon Dance set is also quite viable. No matter which way you spin it, Kingdra is a monster of a Pokemon.

I've been training Kingdra since, interestingly, Pokemon Crystal. When I wasn't using Suicune (as you know, I've never been big on using legendaries in my teams. Suicune was one of the few exceptions,) Kingdra was my main Water type. I trained one again for Pokemon Platinum. And another for Pokemon Soulsilver. And then another for Pokemon Heartgold. And one more for Pokemon Black. And I'm planning on training another for Pokemon White 2. Yeah. I like Kingdra a lot. It's simply one of the best Pokemon I've ever used. It also made me actually care about the Horsea family, which I always thought of as forgettable prior to Generation II. Honestly, I'm getting the itch to train another Kindgra as I'm typing this.

Manectric


Manectric is currently my favorite Electric type Pokemon of all (it's usually duking it out with Raikou, but since I prefer using non-legendary Pokemon...) Actually, I only recently started giving this Pokemon a serious look. When I first saw Electrike in Pokemon Sapphire, I thought it looked pretty cool, but the head was weird. While Manectric looked considerably better, I discovered it at a point in the game where it was too late to raise one, so I filed it in the "train later" folder. I never actually used one in any of the Hoenn games. Shame, since it was the only Electric type introduced in Generation III worth anything. My interest in Manectric started increasing when I saw its 3D model for Pokemon Colosseum and XD. Then, in Generation IV, its much improved sprites and sudden ability to learn Overheat and Flamethrower finally convinced me to try one out. The wolf is my favorite animal, and Manectric is based on the wolf form of the raiju (giving it a connection to Raikou, interestingly enough,) so I always knew I would train one. It's just that Generation IV was the moment when I finally decided to get around to it.

So I trained a Manectric in Pokemon Platinum, and then another in Pokemon Soulsilver. And I have an Electrike ready for training in Pokemon White 2, and I'm training one retroactively in Pokemon Emerald, but the very first time I ever used Manectric in-game was in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. I mean, yeah, Manectric comes so late in that game that literally the only things left to do after catching it are the final battle, the post-game, and the optional things, but I actually stopped my playthrough of XD just so I could train Manectric (ironic, considering that's the very thing I didn't do in the Hoenn games.) Manectric is a total beast, that's all I can say. I mean, sure, it languishes in the Rarelyused tier of competitive play, but just look at its stats! 105 for both Sp. Atk and Speed is better than just usable, and it gets access to strong Fire and Electric type moves like Thunderbolt, Volt Switch, Flamethrower and Overheat. This means it can abuse Choice Scarf and Choice Specs incredibly well. It can even play mind games with Switcheroo and Volt Switch. After my experiences with Manectric, I'm honestly beating myself up for not taking the time to train one in my original run of Hoenn.

Roserade


Roserade is my second favorite Sinnoh Pokemon of all time. Honestly, I never cared much for Roselia back in Generation III. It was just a relatively weak Pokemon overshadowed by the many awesome Grass types of Hoenn. It wasn't until Generation IV introduced Roserade that I finally decided to give this Pokemon another look. The weird thing about Roserade was that, when it came to Sinnoh Pokemon, most of them had to grow on me. I didn't (and still don't) particularly care for most of Sinnoh's designs. Roserade, however, was one of the few Pokemon I instantly liked. The fact that it is Gardenia's signature Pokemon is a definite bonus (after Fantina, Gardenia's my favorite Sinnoh Gym Leader.) So I picked one of these up as soon as I had the chance. What I found myself with was an amazing Grass type, and an amazing Pokemon in general.

Roserade is a complete beast competitively. With access to Sleep Powder, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Leech Seed, plus a solid 105 Sp. Defense stat, Roserade is a fantastic utility Pokemon in any tier, but it doesn't end there. Roserade has an insane 125 Base Sp. Atk stat, the highest of all non-legendary Grass types (tied with Exeggutor) and a good 90 Base Speed. Combine that with incredibly powerful STAB moves like Leaf Storm and Sludge Bomb, as well as Weather Ball under favorable conditions, and you have yourself one insane sweeper. It even gets access to the coveted Technician ability (though it unfortunately can't abuse it as well as it would want, due to the bump in base power of Giga Drain.) Frankly, Roserade is one of the best Grass type Pokemon you will ever encounter.

In terms of design, Roserade looks like an attendee at a masquerade ball. Particularly the Venetian Carnival held every year, and that's always held an air of mystery and mystique that I find quite appealing (I'm realizing how much I tend to like mysterious things.)

Also, this post, which made my already considerable love for this Pokemon skyrocket:

Just think about that. Seriously, give it some thought.

Hydreigon


Hydreigon is my absolute favorite Unova Pokemon. Not only is it a complete and total BAMF Hydra, but it is also one of the few unabashedly evil Pokemon in the series. Hydreigon is, like, the ultimate big bad (amongst the Pokemon) in the main games. It's so evil, it's even Ghetsis' signature Pokemon, and we all know how much of a douche Ghetsis is.

I also find Zweilous' Pokedex entries to be quite interesting. The Pokedex states that Zweilous' heads do not get along, always fighting for food and trying to outsmart each other. This has led some people to theorize that Zweilous evolves into Hydreigon when one head finally overcomes and assimilates the other. That is dark, and incredibly awesome if it's true. I also like that Deino is stated to be have no eyes. It's just a nice little touch that makes this Pokemon feel more creepy and alien. I really think Game Freak should continue to make evil and creepy Pokemon such as these. Frankly, I enjoy the Hydreigon family's overt evilness (not so much evil for Deino and Zweilous, but I think we can all agree that they're just not very nice) much, much more than a half-assed attempt at another misunderstood antihero that will never be as well done as Absol anyway.

Competitively, Hydreigon is a pseudo legendary Pokemon, meaning it has insane stats and an excellent movepool. In fact, Hydreigon can learn moves from literally every type in the game bar Grass (but that's what Hidden Power is for.) Its Speed is a tad too slow for OU, but only just a tad. It's hardly too much of an inconvenience. Hydreigon is credited as one of the few Pokemon in the metagame who is literally uncounterable. That's not to say it's undefeatable, but it is nearly impossible to switch into it and force it out because of its insane Sp. Atk stat and movepool. Yeah, this Pokemon is just simply amazing, and very well executed in terms of design and story. I said it before but I'll say it again, Game Freak should make more Pokemon like this one.

Espeon


Espeon is my all time favorite Eeveelution. I first got an Espeon in Pokemon Crystal, where I trained my Eevee as a counterpart to my Silver version's Umbreon. Back then, I was confident nobody could dethrone Umbreon as my favorite member of Eevee's family. And in fact, Espeon didn't do so in Generation II. I liked it well enough, it was a solid Pokemon with good attacking stats, but nothing could beat Umbreon. Until Pokemon Colosseum. I mentioned in my Umbreon entry that people tend to give the Dark type Pokemon a bad rep in that game. Well, I think Espeon is the reason for that. While Umbreon works just fine, Espeon is an absolute monster in that game. Offensively, Espeon can and will obliterate any and all non-Dark type opponents. No, seriously, it will decimate them once it's got a few levels under its belt. I think the Pokemon Company and Genius Sonority were aware of this, which is why they placed Espeon at a lower starting level than Umbreon. Still, few things can stop Espeon once it gets going.

It's the same for its competitive performance. While it was seen as an inferior Alakazam prior to Generation V, the truth was that Espeon's excellent Sp. Atk and Speed made it a potent sweeper in its own right. Thanks to the Dream World though, Espeon has become one of the best utility Pokemon in the game. Its ability, Magic Bounce (exclusive to it and the Natu family,) deflects all non-offensive moves back to your opponent. That's insane. Especially in a metagame filled to the brim with hazards and status. Finally, Espeon can set itself apart from Alakazam and prove its own worth in the battlefield. The ability is so potent, that Espeon actually jumped from the Neverused tier (in Gen IV) all the way to OU (in Gen V.)

I personally haven't trained a Dream World Espeon yet, though I certainly want to (anybody willing to trade me a female DW Eevee?) However, I have trained a regular Espeon in Pokemon Crystal, Pokemon Colosseum, Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon Heartgold, Pokemon Soulsilver, and Pokemon Black. And in every single one of those games, Espeon consistently proved its worth, making it my aboslute favorite of all Eeveelutions.

Torterra


Torterra is the first of three consecutive Starters in this list. My favorite Sinnoh Starter, and my favorite Sinnoh Pokemon in general, Torterra is one of the main reasons I got back into Pokemon. I guess I should explain. Like many kids that were introduced to Pokemon in the late 90's, I eventually 'outgrew' the series after Generation II. Sure, I bought Pokemon Sapphire when it came out, but I wasn't all that into it at the time, and I only bought Pokemon LeafGreen because all my friends had it and I didn't want to be left out. When Generation IV was first announced, I wasn't even very interested. One day, out of sheer boredom, I decided to take a look at the new roster of Pokemon. My initial reaction was that some of them were pretty neat (like Honchkrow and Mismagius,) some of them were horrendous (Infernape and Garchomp,) and some of them were weird (Dialga and Palkia.) Then I saw Torterra. I instantly said to myself, I gotta have it. So about a week later, I walked out of my local Game Stop with Pokemon Diamond in hand. And the rest, as they say, is history.

My experience with Torterra was about as good as I expected it to be. A bulky Grass/Ground type was (and still is) a unique type and in-game, it proved to be one of the best types I could have asked for. Torterra took down Roark, Maylene, Crasher Wake, Fantina, Byron and Volkner. That's six of the eight Gym Leaders on its own. The Elite Four didn't fair much better. Bertha, Flint and Lucian all fell to my Torterra's wrath. Even Cynthia broke before the might of my (stupidly overleveled, I'll admit) Torterra. I got so into this Pokemon that I neglected to train the rest of my team, a mistake I hadn't made since my Totodile in Pokemon Silver. To this day, some of my best memories from Generation IV are of my Torterra. I've trained a Torterra in Pokemon Diamond, Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon Soulsilver, Pokemon Black, and Pokemon White 2. That's a lot of Torterra. And yes, they're always incredibly fun to use.

Competitively, Torterra hasn't fared quite as well. Currently stuck in NU due to its massive weakness to Ice type moves (why use a Torterra when you have a plethora of sexy dragons to choose from? And they all have the same weakness to Ice) and low speed. However, Torterra does have a few things going for it. Not only does it resist Stealth Rock, it can set it up as well. It's typing grants it an immunity to Electric type moves, Rock Polish fixes its speed issues, and it is a serious powerhouse with a solid 109 Atk stat and access to moves such as Wood Hammer and Earthquake. Torterra can be used successfully in higher tiers. Especially if you consider its synergy with Sandstorm teams.

Blaziken


Blaziken is the only Fire type Starter to ever give serious competition to a Grass Starter for a slot on my team. Blaziken is my favorite Fire Starter of them all, and one of my absolute favorite Fire type Pokemon ever. Honestly, when I first saw this thing, I brushed it off. It was just another Fire type. Just someone to beat, nothing more. In what is probably one of the rarest occurrences in my Pokemon career, the anime, of all things, is what got me into this Pokemon.

So yeah, I heard that Misty and Brock had left the series and that Ash was going to a visit a new region and that it would be a new beginning for Pokemon. Curious, I watched the first episode of the Hoenn saga. I liked May so much, that from that moment onward, I have only played the Hoenn games as her. I also thought her Torchic was adorable. So yeah, I decided to try one out when I played Pokemon Ruby, and I fell in love. Even today, Torchic is one of the two Hoenn Pokemon you will always see in my RSE party. Blaziken was the very first Fire/Fighting Pokemon (and, in my opinion, the best,) it beat Charizard's sorry ass in the anime, it's based on a cockfighting rooster, and it just looks like a total badass.

Competitively, Blaziken has the distinction of being the first, and so far only, Starter Pokemon to be banned to the Uber tier. It is just that awesome. Sure, it spent most of Generation IV under Infernape's shadow, but now that Generation V gifted it with Speed Boost (fixing the one major issue it had,) Blaziken became so overpowered it was not even funny. Throw in a buffed up High Jump Kick, and you can easily see why this Fire Starter was too good for OU. it even proves itself to be a capable fighter in Uber, a tier littered with Kyogre, Lugia and Mewtwo. For these reasons and many, many more, Blaziken is my favorite Fire Starter.

Sceptile


Although Blaziken's position in this list is almost interchangeable with Sceptile's, the truth is that this guy is one of my absolute favorite Grass type Pokemon, and my second favorite Hoenn Pokemon. Immediately when I got Pokemon Sapphire, Treecko was my Starter of choice. It wasn't even a question. I didn't even look at the others. I went through the game with Treecko. Even though I feel Treecko looks a little too anorexic for its own good, Grovyle was a very cool Pokemon, and when it evolved into Sceptile, holy shit! What a badass. Sceptile also had a signature move in Leaf Blade, and it singlehandedly managed to demand respect for the Grass type by virtue of its sheer badassery.

The very first Grass Starter to be OU in its debut generation, Sceptile proved to be a capable fighter with its Base 120 Speed (the fastest of all non-legendary Grass types, surpassed only by Shaymin, and even then, only in its Sky Forme,) which is unmatched by any other Starter to date, and a solid 105 Special Atk. This, coupled with a surprisingly wide offensive movepool for a Grass type, ensured Sceptile would be an incredibly unpredictable Pokemon. Although the physical/special split hurt Sceptile more than it helped (losing Leaf Blade, Dragon Claw and Thunderpunch as special attacks,) it still managed to be a potent threat in Generation IV, thanks to the addition of powerful moves like Leaf Storm and Dragon Pulse. Even though Sceptile is currently an RU staple competitively, it still sees use in OU, and is one of the best RU Pokemon there are.

Its design is magnificent. It's sleek but dangerous, graceful but imposing, badass but not overwrought with detail. Really, this Pokemon stands out as one of the best Pokemon of Generation III. I've trained three in the Hoenn games alone. Add the three I've trained in Platinum and Soulsilver, and the two I've trained for White 2 and Black, and you can easily tell that I love this Pokemon.

Samurott


I never cared much for Oshawott. Honestly, I think it is the worst looking of the base form Unova Starters. That's not to say I dislike it, I just don't like it as much as the others. While I wasn't as impressed with Dewott as other people were, I will admit that it is the best looking middle form Unova Starter and one of the best looking middle form Pokemon, period. Then came Samurott.

The reason Samurott isn't higher on this list is because the whole 'sea lion' thing seemed to come out of left field (it used to be an otter.) With that said, that's not a terrible inconvenience when you look as awesome as Samurott does. The whole 'dual wielding' samurai sea lion thing was just awesome. And the beard and moustache gives it a wise and regal appearance. I liked its design so much, that I chose it for as my Starter for Pokemon Black, where it remains today (at level 100, of course.)

Competitively, three things stand out about Samurott. First is its lack of Earthquake. Earthquake is a powerful move, and most Starters get it (Serperior being the only other one who doesn't.) I'm just sayin', if Infernape can get Earthquake, why not Samurott? Secondly, it has access to Megahorn. This is basically its one niche, as a pure Water type with access to Megahorn has a very reliable way to hit Grass types really hard with. Lastly are its impressively unimpressive stats. I mean, I guess they're fine, but they just don't stand out in comparison to the plethora of other, better, Water type Pokemon out there, which is why Samurott languishes in the Neverused tier. With that said, the samurai sea lion is a potent threat within that tier, so it does have some use.

Regardless, my experiences with Samurott, as well as it being a freaking samurai sea lion have placed it firmly on this list.

Heracross


OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!!!! Look at this thing! It's so adorable! When Heracross was first released, I thought it would be an evolution of Pinsir in the same way that Scizor was an evolution of Scyther. When I found out that wasn't the case, I was a little disappointed. Enough to never bother using one. I first started showing interest in it again when it appeared in FireRed and LeafGreen, but didn't actually get around to training one until the Sinnoh games.

And OH MY GOD THIS THING IS SO AWESOME!!!! AALKAJSFCJCMGJAMV!!!!! Not only does it look adorable, it has amazing stats and moves as well. In the original Johto games, it even had a signature move in Megahorn. Nowadays, it sees a lot of competition from other strong Bug types (a lot of which were introduced in Generation V,) but does Heracross break in the face of adversity? Heck no! It fights on. Even today, Heracross is one of the best Bug types in the game, and one of the most used Pokemon in the Underused tier. With abilities like Guts and Moxie, and moves like Close Combat and Megahorn, plus really good Attack stats, usable Speed, and what is frankly one of the sexiest type combinations I've ever seen, Heracross still proves to be a potent threat.

Most recently, I used a Heracross in my run of White 2 (heck no I didn't farm for it in a Hidden Grotto. That thing has less than a 1% chance of showing up. I got a friend to trade me one from his Black 2,) and, true to form, it was one of the best, most fun Pokemon I've ever used. I mean, Heracross is just...I got no words. It's not higher on this list because I like other Pokemon better, but damn, Heracross is one fine 'mon.

Ferrothorn


Ferrothorn is one of my favorite Unova Pokemon of all. First off, its design resembles a steel UFO full of spikes and whipping vines. It's awesome, that's the only word for it. Secondly, I adore its typing. Once I found out Unova was introducing a Grass/Steel Pokemon, I knew right away it would become one of my favorites. With this typing, Ferrothorn resists Normal, Grass, Water, Electric, Rock, Steel, Psychic, Dark, Ghost, and Dragon type moves with an immunity to Poison moves. Th Steel typing helps remove the Ice, Flying, and Bug weaknesses of the Grass type, which returns the favor by eliminating the Ground weakness of Steel and introducing resistances to Water and Electric. Frankly, this typing is awesome.

'Awesome' is a word you'll be seeing a lot in this entry because it's the only word that can accurately describe Ferrothorn. Competitively, Ferrothorn is one of the top used Pokemon in the metagame, period. So for all those naysayers that claim Grass types are weak, Ferrothorn proves them wrong. It has access to Spikes, Stealth Rock, Leech Seed, and Thunder Wave, giving it a pretty impressive support movepool as it is. But it gets better, its awesome defensive stats synergize well with its awesome defensive typing, and if that wasn't enough, it gets Power Whip and Gyro Ball on the offensive side. Throw in the Iron Barbs ability which discourages physical attacks, and you got yourself one hell of a Pokemon.

The one thing that Ferrothorn may not be so awesome at is in-game, due to its low Speed and relatively poor offense in comparison to others. Again, defensive Pokemon are frowned upon in-game, and Ferrothorn has one of the lowest speeds of all Pokemon. That said, if you know what you're doing, Ferrothorn will never let you down, in-game or competitively.

Lapras


Lapras is one of the most adorable Pokemon I have ever seen. This Kanto behemoth may be based on the Loch Ness monster, but it is one of the gentlest souls in all of Pokemon. So much so, that it's been almost hunted to extinction. Hence its rarity within the games (one is a gift Pokemon in Kanto, and there's a cave where they occasionally appear in the Sevii Islands. Thy appear once every Friday in Johto's Union Cave, and they're in Sinnoh's Victory Road too, you also have an obnoxiously low chance of finding one in rippling water in Unova's Village Bridge. I know that from experience.)

Perhaps what most appeals to me about Lapras' design is how imposing it manages to look, despite its gentle appearance. You can't tell me you weren't filled with a sense of awe the first time you sent out your Lapras, or when you faced Lorelei's Lapras. Personally, I get nervous every time I see one in-game. As you guys should know by now, I put a lot of value into gentle looking Pokemon, and Lapras epitomizes this idea.

Competitively, Lapras does not fare quite as well, unfortunately. Like most Ice types (and again, Game Freak, WHY do you keep doing this?!?!?!) Lapras is defensive in nature, but like most of its peers, its Ice typing hampers its defensive capacity. A Stealth Rock weakness, weakness to Fighting, Electric and Grass type moves, and being susceptible to Mach Punch priority do it no favors. Also, as a Water type, it naturally resists Scizor's infamous Bullet Punch, but its Ice typing negates that resistance. Just something to make note of. The sad part is that most people agree Lapras would be a great bulky water (with access to Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Surf, Scald, Sing, and a wide variety of moves, this should come as no surprise) if only it didn't have its Ice typing holding it back.

Still, for good or ill, Lapras is one of the defining Ice type Pokemon, and its certainly my favorite Ice type Pokemon of all.

Raikou


Raikou is one of my favorite Electric type Pokemon of all time. This is a big deal because I usually don't like grouping Legendary Pokemon with regular Pokemon (this list being the only exception I've ever made.) With that said, Raikou is so badass I almost always want to make an exception for it. I mean, it's an electric, storm cloud summoning, saber-tooth tiger raiju. What's not to love? Nothing, that's what.

While there are a lot of similarly cool Pokemon in the series though, what really puts Raikou over the edge is its story. Obviously, it is deeply connected to Ho-Oh's story, but I find myself quite enjoying the birth of this Pokemon. It's a story about adversity, tragedy, and rebirth. A tale about coming out of the fire a stronger creature than before, literally. At the same time, and this is something I really have to praise the Johto legendary Pokemon for, even though we are told the story of Raikou's birth, we are still left with many unanswered questions. What kind of Pokemon was it before it died? It could have been a Jolteon, but we don't know that for sure. I choose to believe it was a Sentret. What did it do after fleeing the Burned Tower and Ecruteak city? Was it a wild Pokemon, or did it belong to a trainer prior to its rebirth? Was it the same Raikou as the one in Colosseum? There are many unanswered questions surrounding this guy (and the Legendary Beasts in general.) That's what a good myth and legend should have, in my opinion, mystery. Later games, starting with Ruby and Sapphire, have a tendency to answer all the questions surrounding their legendary Pokemon, leaving you with a clear picture of what the myth was based on, but at the same time, it loses a little bit of that mystique that makes them truly memorable.

Anyway, on to Raikou's battle capabilities. It is actually a pretty damn good Pokemon in the Underused tier. With access to Calm Mind, Thunderbolt, Substitute and Hidden Power, Raikou can, and will, obliterate your opponent's entire team if given the chance to set up. Its stats are archetypal Electric type Pokemon stats (good Sp. Atk and excellent Speed) but they are excellent stats to have, and they compliment its play style rather well. Raikou is a beast in the UU metagame, and I think there's a chance it could even be Overused, provided Jolteon goes missing for a Generation or two. Why? Because Raikou is epic, that's why.

Celebi


Celebi is my absolute favorite Grass type legendary Pokemon, and one of my favorite legendaries of all time. First off, it's adorable. Second of all, it's based on a sprite or a fairy, and I do love me some fey folk (you can blame Dungeons & Dragons for that.) Third of all, it's a Grass type Mew. Fourth of all, it has time travel powers. And fifth of all, the pic I chose has a Celebi holding a sonic screwdriver. You can't beat that.

Competitively, Celebi has been a mainstay of OU since the third Generation, mostly due to its typing giving it the same amount of weaknesses as Exeggutor (seven, the most out of any Pokemon. One of them is even 4x effective,) which holds it back, but its great stats and moves still make it incredibly useful.

As for its story, well, Celebi is infamous in the west as one of the most difficult Pokemon to legitimately obtain in the games. In Crystal and Colosseum, Japanese players had their chance at exploring Celebi's myth and legend. Western players such as myself, on the other hand, were only left with vague references to a mysterious, time traveling, guardian of the Ilex Forest. I think this works even better than intended, as it gives Celebi an air of mystery and wonder that, as you probably know by now, I'm a huge fan of. So yeah, Celebi is my all time favorite Grass type Legendary, and one of my favorite Legendary Pokemon, period.

Empoleon


Empoleon is our third Water Starter on this list, so as you can probably guess, I like the Water Starters. Now, I don't follow the anime, and haven't done so since the middle of Johto, so I honestly don't understand why so many people hate Dawn's Piplup, but from what I can gather, some of that hate has bled into the game. Me? I find Piplup adorable (though I'm not a fan of its personality.) Prinplup, however, is a great example of how not to make a middle evolution. It just looks lazily thrown together, in my opinion. Then there's Empoleon.

I was on the fence about the Piplup line at first (liked Piplup, disliked Prinplup) but Empoleon definitely pushed me into loving this family. Definitely one of my favorite Sinnoh Pokemon, and my favorite Sinnoh Water type, Empoleon certainly has a lot going for it. A unique Water/Steel typing that gives it resistances to Normal, Water, Ice, Flying, Rock, Steel, Psychic, Dark, Ghost, Bug, and Dragon types as well as an immunity to Poison type moves, great Special stats, and a usable movepool (Grass Knot, Ice Beam, Stealth Rock, Agility and assorted Water moves are pretty much all you'll ever need from this thing,) make this Pokemon a potent threat in UU.

When the Sinnoh games first came out, I read a lot of people's opinions on Empoleon. They pretty unanimously agreed that it was good, but not great. That's not what I see. What I see is a Pokemon that managed to stay in OU during its debut generation, and is a UU staple now. In-game, Empoleon has carried me through playthroughs of Diamond and Platinum more than once. In fact, she's my current Starter in Platinum. It's design is finally worthy of a regal, Napoleonic, Poseidon penguin (much better than Prinplup) and its performance has just been very solid to me. Empoleon remains, to date, one of my favorite Water types.

Volcarona


So yeah. Volcarona. Okay, next!

Wait, I'm actually expected to explain this? Really? Volcarona needs explaining? It's freaking Volcarona. That's why it's on this list. Volcarona has an interesting unique typing, sexy Special stats (135 Sp. Atk, 105 Sp. Def) complimented by a good Speed stat, and decent HP. It has Flame Body to increase its physical bulk and discourage contact attacks, much like Ferrothorn's Iron Barbs. Finally, its movepool. Fiery Dance is a great signature move, and it has access to Giga Drain, Roost, and Morning Sun for reliable Recovery. But the real coup de grace of Volcarona's movepool is the one, the only Quiver Dance. With this move Volcarona increases its Speed, Sp. Atk, and Sp. Def at once after every use. What this means is that Volcarona is a deceptively bulky Pokemon with an amazing offensive game. It is such a magnificent beast, that it is currently in OU despite its 4x weakness to Stealth Rock. [insert snarky comment about Charizard here.]

Design-wise, it's a burning atlas moth. Yeah, I think that pretty much covers it, moving on.

Volcarona is not a legendary Pokemon. It's not even a pseudo-legendary Pokemon. It's just a regular, run of the mill, fire type. Until you realize that it is an interactable Pokemon (a trait shared by most legendary Pokemon) found at the end of a dungeon (again, like most legendary Pokemon) and that it was worshipped as a deity after it apparengly replaced the sun. Yeah. That's all I gotta say.

I like Volcarona so much, I've trained two over the years. Remember when, in my Arcanine entry, I mentioned using two Fire types for my White 2 playthrough? Yeah, Volcarona was the other Fire type. While Arcanine was useful, especially early on, Volcarona ultimately ran circles around Arcanine. And is anyone really surprised by this? Volcarona is Volcarona. That's all there is to it.

Serperior


Serperior is our final Unova Starter, but our first Grass Starter on the list. The reasons why it isn't higher are: its shallow movepool. That's it. Otherwise, Serperior is a great Pokemon.

Sure, its stats don't look amazing at first glance, but that 95/95 defenses is actually pretty good, and that 113 Speed stat is its saving grace. Well, one of the two. The other saving grace is Contrary, the move that transforms Serperior from NU fodder to OU behemoth by turning Leaf Storm into a 140 Base Power STAB Nasty Plot boost. Unfortunately, outside of Hidden Power and Dragon Pulse, it has nothing else to exploit the boost with. However, Those three moves are usually enough. Too bad Contrary is unreleased as of this writing.

The other side of the spectrum has Serperior receive some pretty solid boosting moves in the forms of Calm Mind and Coil, the first of which improves its special stats and the second of which improves its physical ones. This allows it to use the few good moves it does get, such as Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Return, Hidden Power, Aqua Tail and Dragon Tail. Serperior can't learn Earthquake, however (which is a shame because a three foot monkey can learn it, why not a ten foot snake?)

In-game, I've used Serperior for my first run of Black, as well as my first and my current runs of White 2. Yes, I like Serperior. I find that its shallow movepool isn't really too much of a problem in-game either. The low offensive stats are more of an issue than anything else, but usually Leaf Blade/Giga Drain/Energy Ball, Return and Dragon Pulse are more than enough to get you around in Unova. My Serperior even solo'ed Ghetsis in Pokemon Black. That's right, it even took out his Hydreigon (actually, Hydreigon was her first victim.) How could I not love a Pokemon who takes out evil abuser's Hydreigon for a living?

Feraligatr


Feraligatr means a whole lot to me. Why? Because Totodile was my very first official Pokemon. Due to my lack of a gaming system, I didn't own Pokemon Red, Blue or Yellow. By the time my parents bought me a Game Boy color, Pokemon Gold and Silver had been recently released. I still wanted RBY, but the store had run out of those, so I had to 'settle' for Pokemon Silver. When I first got the choice of Starter, I thought Chikorita looked too girly (internalized chauvinism that I eventually overcame, thankfully,) and Cyndaquil was a Fire type (bad memories of Charmander,) so that left the cute little crocodile as my only choice.

I never once regretted my decision. Feraligatr went on to become the star of my team, taking out Falkner, Bugsy, Whitney, Morty, Clair and even Lance on his own. He was the very first Pokemon I ever got to level 100, and I considered him my best Pokemon, period. Nowadays, the love for this Pokemon hasn't so much lessened as it's been overshadowed by my absolute love of other Pokemon, which is why it only ranks at number 21. Still, I will always have fond memories of my Feraligatr. Always.

Competitively, Feraligatr plays like an inferior Gyarados. It's a powerful physical attacker with moves such as Dragon Dance, Waterfall and Earthquake. The problem is that Gyarados has an immunity where Feraligatr doesn't, and Intimidate > Torrent. That's not to say Feraligatr doesn't have a few tricks up its sleeve. Aqua Jet and Ice Punch being the most prominent. This has given Frealigatr a powerful presence in the Rarelyused tier. However, I predict that once its Hidden Ability, Sheer Force (increases the power of moves with a secondary effect, but removes said effect) is released, Feraligatr will see a drastic rise in its usage, possibly enough to outshine its longtime rival, Gyarados. Here's hoping, because I really want to see the day when my very first Pokemon reaches the OU tier.

Typhlosion


Typhlosion is one of my absolute favorite Fire Starters. I probably don't like it as much as other people because I didn't get the chance to use it when I was little, during Generation II. I mean, I did start to train one in a borrowed version of Pokemon Gold, but the friend I had borrowed it from asked for the game back before I could go too far. That's not to say I never touched a Typhlosion back in Gen II (I did eventually get my hands on one for Pokemon Silver,) but I never played through the game with one as a child. So yeah, Typhlo is lacking in the nostalgia factor.

However, I did use Typhlosion for one of my Pokemon Colosseum runs, and I've done more than one playthrough of Heartgold with Cyndaquil, not to mention the two Typhlosion I raised in Pokemon Platinum, the three I've raised in Pokemon Heartgold, and the one I currently have in Pokemon White 2. So yeah, I do really like Typhlosion. It manages to look and be badass without overshadowing its two counterparts, which makes it a lot more tolerable than Mr. Ultimate Fire type.) Having the exact same Base Stats as Charizard is a bit of a disappointment, but its better typing (it doesn't get horribly mangled by Stealth Rock,) access to Flash Fire and Eruption more than make up for it. So much so that Typhlosion is in a higher competitive tier than Charizard. It does suffer from stat-movepool dissonance (most of its moves are primarily physical, but its stats want it to be a special sweeper) which hinders its usage enough to relegate it to Rarelyused, but hey, it's still better than Charizard. That's all I need.

Aesthetically, Cyndaquil is adorable, Quilava is quite possibly the best looking middle-evolution of any Starter and Typhlosion is a pissed off flaming badger of doom. This whole line is pretty much a win in my book.

Excadrill


What kind of list would this be without Excadrill? Hands down one of the best Unova additions, Excadrill is the kind of Pokemon most Ground types wish they could be. With a badass attitude and the ability to literally transform into a drill, is it any wonder this thing is so popular? I'm sure its run in the anime as one of Iris' best Pokemon certainly doesn't hurt, either.

Competitively, this thing was such a monster that it had to be banned from standard play. Sure, its defenses are shit, but they are mitigated by having a fantastic defensive type. Excadrill resists Normal, Flying, Rock, Steel, Psychic, Dark, Ghost, Bug and Dragon type moves, all the while being immune to Poison and Electric attacks. That's a mighty fine list of resistances. Offensively, Excadrill is even more broken. Its Attack stat is a whopping 135 and that's coupled with its access to STAB Earthquake and a usable Base 88 Speed. But what really sends it over the edge is its combination of Tyranitar (or Hippowdon. No judging) and its ability Sand Rush, which doubles its Speed to an insane 176! Basically, the only thing that could check Excadrill in OU was STAB priority, such as Aqua Jet or Mach Punch. It's no wonder Excadrill had to be banned.

I also enjoy the relative ease with which you can attain an Excadrill in-game. It is literally the only Pokemon that will appear in the dust clouds of most late-game caves throughout Unova, and it's always at a high level, to boot. The only thing I don't like about Excadrill is the look of its pre-evolution, Drilbur. When it comes to Pokemon designs, there's good derpy (Slowbro and Slowking) and then there's bad derpy, which is where Drilbur falls. Still, prevo aside, Excadrill is one badass motherfucker, and you'd best damn treat it as such.

Ho-Oh


Now it's time for your second Johto Fire type, and our very first Johto Legendary. Ho-Oh, the rainbow Pokemon. As I previously mentioned, my only experience with Pokemon Gold was a borrowed copy that I could never get too far into, so Ho-Oh lacks that nostalgia factor. Also, in the anime, it plays second fiddle to Lugia. It made a cameo in the first episode of the series, and was heavily alluded to when the group reached Ecruteak city, but as far as I know, that's all it ever got. Lugia, on the other hand, was the star of its own movie and had a fairly important arc in the anime. It is important to note that, in the games, this is reversed (at least until Pokemon Heartgold and Soulsilver, which managed to fix the issue to some degree.)

The main draw about Ho-Oh, to me, is the legend behind it. After finishing the game and catching this thing (in whichever of the five versions,) you are still left with a sense of mystery about Ho-Oh, which is something I like and wish Game Freak would do more often. Ho-Oh is said to have perched in the Tin Tower (or Bell Tower, whatever you want to call it,) until the day a massive lightning bolt hit its sister tower, the Brass Tower. The resulting Fire killed three Pokemon, which Ho-Oh then revived as the legendary beasts. After the crisis was over, Ho-Oh flew away, never to be seen again until a worthy trainer could call for it. That's some deep stuff right there. Honestly, I love that that's all we know about Ho-Oh. There's so much mystery to this Pokemon and I think that's just great. It should also be noted that Ho-Oh pulled a Big Damn Heroes moment at the end of Pokemon Colosseum, presumably as retaliation for Cipher's use and abuse of the Legendary Beasts. It was pretty awesome to watch.

Competitively, Ho-Oh is, of course, a member of the Uber tier. Though severely crippled by Stealth Rock, Ho-Oh's Regenerator ability has given it a new lease on life. In combination with its great defensive stats, Ho-Oh has surprisingly become one of the sturdiest Pokemon in the metagame, being able to Roost off some damage and regenerate the rest. It also has a great signature move in Sacred Fire, which has an absurdly high burn rate, further increasing its bulk and offense. Put it on a team with Groudon, and you'll learn just why this is a Pokemon not to be trifled with.

Crobat


Usually, when I like a Pokemon, I like its entire evolutionary chain. This is not one of those cases. I despise Zubat and everything it represents. It is an annoying piece of shit that should just go die in a hole. Its final form Crobat, however, is just simply amazing. Which is why it's worth getting your hands on one of those pathetic Zubat.

Crobat's stats are on par with the stats of Starters, it evolves from Golbat by happiness (which means you could potentially get one just one level after obtaining a Golbat, should you care for it enough) and has a sexy movepool to go with it. Oh, and it also looks like a badass. Plus it gets bonus points for being Koga's signature Pokemon. Because Koga is a ninja, and that means that his Crobat is also a ninja. And there are few things cooler than ninja bat. Just sayin'.

Competitively, Crobat distinguishes itself by having the highest BST of all Poison types, a truly sexy Base Speed of 130, a usable Attack stat, and surprising bulk. This, in combination with moves such as U-Turn, Super Fang, Taunt, Toxic, Brave Bird, and Roost means that Crobat is a good disruptive Pokemon as well as a good offensive Pokemon, allowing it to carve a niche for itself in the Underused tier, and even being usable in the Overused tier. It's as if Crobat was Game Freak's apology for its pre-evolutions.

Ampharos


Continuing with Johto, we arrive at one of the most popular Pokemon introduced in all of Generation II: Ampharos. You can't tell me you've never used one of these guys for your Johto run. Almost everybody has used it at one time or another. Ampharos is a great Pokemon with good bulk and a weird-awesome design. It's another off the beaten path electric types who is not very fast, thus breaking the stereotype. Instead, its good bulk and great Sp. Atk stat, combined with its surprisingly varied movepool, help to pull it through.

While Ampharos isn't especially noteworthy in competitive play, it is a great Pokemon to use in-game (huh, reminds me of Luxray.) With its 115 Sp. Atk stat and access to Thunderbolt, Focus Blast, Power Gem and Signal Beam, Ampharos should be tearing Team Rocket a new one, and cutting through Gym Leaders like butter. It can even defeat half of Lance's team on its own, with just its STAB moves. Seriously, there's a reason everybody likes Ampharos. The only thing that's disappointing about it is that it doesn't get Tail Glow (yes, I know, Firefly light in Japanese, but light is still light, and Ampharos can certainly produce light. Besides, Manaphy isn't a firefly either and it can use the move. Why not Amphy?)

I also like the subtle shout out they did to Phillip K. Dick's novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (Get it? Because Ampharos is literally an electric sheep.)

Virizion


Wow. Three Johto Pokemon in a row, and one at the start of the list. Let's take a break from Johto for a moment. And hey, while we're at it, why not look at a Grass type? We haven't seen one of those in far too long. Virizion is my favorite Unova legendary because, hey, Grass type. I don't really need more reasons, do I?

Okay, I'll elaborate further. Besides being an awesome Grass type, Virizion is part of Unova's musketeer trio (which is really more of a quartet.) Not only does it have a type advantage against every other member of its trio (Grass for Terrakion and Keldeo, Fighting for Cobalion,) it also gains points for being the trio's requisite graceful Pokemon. As you guys probably know by now, I love graceful Pokemon. It also has more personality than Cobalion, looks less like dumb muscle than Terrakion, and is much more experienced than Keldeo, making it the most well rounded musketeer, to me anyway.

Competitively, Virizion is surprisingly useful, able to use a Calm Mind set and a Swords Dance set to increase its decent offenses to outright scary levels. Calm Mind also lets it abuse its excellent 128 Sp. Defense, and its Speed tier of 108 is certainly a good speed tier to be in. For these reasons and many, many more, Virizion is my favorite Unova legendary.

Arcanine


Aww yeah, now we're talking. You know things are getting good when Arcanine joins the party. This guy is everyone's favorite tiger-dog-lion thing, and with good reason. Arcanine has the second highest BST of all non-legendary Pokemon (after Slaking,) two great abilities in Intimidate and Flash Fire, well distributed stats, a sexy movepool that includes things like Flare Blitz, Wild Charge, Close Combat, Morning Sun and Extremespeed. Arcanine really is the Legendary Pokemon.

Funny story about that, actually. As it turns out, Arcanine was originally supposed to be a legendary Pokemon. Specifically the legendary Pokemon that completed Kanto's legendary trio with Articuno and Zapdos. Then Game Freak realized that having to birds and a tiger-dog-lion would seem a little random, and thus Growlithe and Moltres were born (Growlithe is adorable as all hell, but I think Arcanine would have made a better legendary than Moltres.)

My experiences with Arcanine have all been recent as I always had the tendency to buy the games where it wasn't available. I trained an Arcanine for one of my Platinum runs, as well as bred one with Morning Sun for my Heartgold version (and currently resides in my copy of Pokemon Black,) plus I'm training one for my current run of HG. Finally, I raised an Arcanine as my Fire type of choice for White 2. It was the first time I ever used two Fire types on a team, and I was apprehensive about it, but after watching Arcanine perform (even as a Growlithe it was defeating enemies it really should have had no business fighting) I found he was way too good to ever bench, so I stuck with my two Fire types. I haven't regretted it yet.

Leafeon


Leafeon is one of my all time favorite Eeveelutions and one of my favorite Sinnoh Pokemon as well. I'm sure this comes as a surprise to absolutely no one. Leafeon (or Flareon done right, as I like to call it) is a great Pokemon to add to any team. Have you noticed that there's a discrepancy in the availability of Leafeon vis-a-vis the one for Glaceon in Sinnoh? You can theoretically obtain a Leafeon before the second gym, but you have to wait almost until the seventh gym to be able to get a Glaceon. Not fair, but I'm not complaining. I've been waiting for a Grass type Eeveelution since Generation I, and Leafeon did not disappoint.

Statistically, its Defense is its highest stat, so it's got the bulky part covered, but its second highest stat is Attack, and its third highest is Speed. It's an uncommon combination, but it lets Leafeon sweep with aplomb once given the chance to set up. Access to Chlorophyll turns that 95 Base Speed into a blistering 190, and Swords Dance doubles its already insane Attack stat. Throw in Leaf Blade for STAB, and X-Scissor/Return for coverage, and you got yourself a powerhouse. The shallow movepool severely limits its use though, plus it faces competition from the equally awesome Sawsbuck, but I've always had a soft spot for the Eeveelutions, so Leafeon wins out in my eyes.

I've actually trained three Leafeon to date. One of them helped me through my latest and current Pokemon Platinum adventure, while another one resides in my Pokemon Black version. The last one was the gift Eevee from Amanita's assistant in Pokemon White 2. Needless to say, I took that thing to Pinwheel forest the first chance I got. What else is there left to say? Leafeon is just a really great Pokemon.

Jumpluff


Hey look, another Johto Pokemon and another Grass Pokemon. You know, a lot of people complain that Johto had many forgettable Pokemon, but I find that for every one of those, there are at least just as many memorable ones. I've probably already mentioned quite a few Johto Pokemon that have made you go 'that's right, [x] Pokemon is awesome.' What does this have to do with Jumpluff? Well, because this was a case of a Pokemon going from absolutely forgettable to incredibly memorable, all in the course of one game.

I never bothered with Jumpluff in Generation II. It just looked like such a weak Pokemon. It doesn't help that Hoppip shared Magikarp's then signature move: the useless Splash. In fact, in single player mode, I still don't recommend Jumpluff for the games. In Colosseum however, I found Jumpluff to be damn near indispensable. It reached the point where Jumpluff became a staple of all my teams, even if I already had another Grass type. Its speed and access to Sleep Powder make it an excellent 'catcher' Pokemon that greatly facilitates achieving 100% completion. Its weak offensive stats actually become a blessing when you realize it can weaken the intended capture target reliably with little risk of accidentally fainting the Pokemon. Oh, and by putting the other opponent to sleep, you pretty much guarantee that Jumpluff's partner (who should be a powerful offensive Pokemon like Espeon or Feraligatr) can sweep with ease. Meanwhile, Jumpy's just whittling away at the Shadow Pokemon's HP until it's time to start chucking Pokeballs. The strategy has worked so well for me, that I'm literally lost without one in Colosseum.

Skarmory


Another memorable Johto Pokemon, Skarmory is probably known to most casual gamers as 'that badass bird I found south of Blackthorn city," and to competitive players as 'that bitch.' Me? I know it as both.

Together with Blissey, they form the infamous 'Skarmbliss' defensive combo that manages to wreak havoc in the metagame even today. Skarmory's stats are alright. Nothing to write home about. Oh, wait, except for that freaking base 140 Defense stat. Combine that with its absolutely terrifying defensive typing (resistances to Normal, Grass, Steel, Psychic, Dark, Ghost, Bug, and Dragon, with immunities to Ground and Poison) and you have yourself one hell of a wall. It's also immune to Spikes and Toxic Spikes while being able to set up its own (Spikes, that is. Not Toxic Spikes) and if that wasn't enough, it has access to Stealth Rock. And Sturdy for its ability, and both Whirlwind and Roar, and a usable Attack stat with access to Brave Bird. Seriously, this Pokemon is insane.

When I first traversed Route 45, I wasn't expecting much. Just the same random assortment of Geodudes and Gravelers I had been running into. Then in one fateful random encounter, I saw this thing, and I instantly fell in love. Cut to Gen IV and I find out that Skarmory is one of the best Pokemon in the metagame. I immediately knew I had to train one. I ended up training two. The one that helped me get through Pokemon Soulsilver now resides in Pokemon Black, while the other is currently in Pokemon White 2, in the process of reaching level 100. Skarmory is just one of the best Steel types ever created, one of the best bird Pokemon ever created, and one of the best Johto Pokemon ever created.

Giratina


Here is my favorite of all the Sinnoh Legendary Pokemon: Giratina. Admittedly, it didn't exactly have tough competition (most Sinnoh legendaries are, in my opinion, boring and/or poorly designed,) but still...

You can blame Platinum for Giratina's placement on this list. Platinum is, I think, the single best game the Pokemon franchise has ever done in terms of story. While Diamond and Pearl were 'meh,' Platinum was just on a whole other level, and it was largely due to the way they handled Giratina. By introducing the Distortion World and making Giratina a menacing beast that not even Big Bad Cyrus anticipated, it really increased the shock value of and the stakes of the game. The whole 'devil' allusions (intentional or not) also added to the creepy factor, making the story feel much darker.

And yes, I adhere to the theory that Giratina is Pokemon's answer to the devil. I don't like that every single potentially dark and evil Pokemon the series makes just turns out to be misunderstood *cough*Darkrai*cough* so I choose to believe Giratina is at least as evil as a Pokemon can get in the main series. Sue me.

Absol


Absol is another of those "but wait, he's not really evil, just misunderstood" Pokemon that the series seems so fond of lately. But unlike others *cough*Darkrai,*cough* this one's actually done well. Maybe its because of the smaller scope in which it finds itself. As a legendary Pokemon, Darkrai is a manifestation of an aspect or force of nature (nightmares, in its case) while Absol is just a person cursed with precognition and good intentions. It's much more believable to have this Pokemon as a dark anti-hero as opposed to a force of nature. Why? Because I expect multiple gods to come in multiple flavors. I like it when there are good gods and bad gods, not just different flavors of 'ultimately good.'

But enough about that, let's talk about Absol. This Pokemon is just amazing. It looks like a total badass, it has a sexy Attack stat, an insane movepool, and a good ability in Super Luck. Speaking of Super Luck, I also love its battle style. The whole 'abuse of critical hit' thing is really nice, especially with access to Focus Energy, Night Slash and other naturally high crit moves to compliment Super Luck. It's just really nice to see something off the beaten path again. However, Absol's speed lets it down, which is why it languishes in the Rarelyused tier. Still, Absol is such a cool Pokemon, that I always pick one up when I'm playing through my Hoenn games.

Kyogre


With apologies to Rayquaza, Kyogre is my favorite Hoenn legendary of all time. *insert bad Kanye joke here* I do like Rayquaza just fine, mind you, but Kyogre is where it's at. Let's start with the nostalgia: Sapphire was my first Hoenn game, so that came attached with a Kyogre, and I have fond memories of using it on my team (this is a big deal because I seldom use legendaries on my team, even competitively.)

Next, we move on to design. I imagine that a lot of the Rayquaza love comes from the fact that it greatly resembles a Chinese dragon (and dragons are cool,) but Kyogre is based on the Leviathan of Hebrew legends, and I'm a sucker for judeo-christian mythology.

Lastly, we have Kyogre's battle capabilities. Kyogre is basically the best Pokemon in the Uber tier (with the exception of Arceus. Maybe.) It just has all it needs to succeed: Stats befitting a legendary Pokemon, a fantastic ability in Drizzle that compliments its STAB, an insane pseudo-signature move in Water Spout, access to Thunder and Ice Beam, this thing is an absolute beast. Nigh unstoppable and clearly superior to its counterpart, Groudon. Really, Kyogre is just insane, that's all I can say.

Umbreon


I actually first got Umbreon by complete and total accident. I was training my little Eevee in Pokemon Silver, just outside of Celadon, and its happiness must have reached its maximum in time for the level up. I originally wanted to evolve him into a Jolteon, but I didn't have the stone (I would be getting it the next day) but when Eevee started evolving, instead of cancelling it, I chose to let it happen. What I got was a sleek looking Umbreon, and I've loved it ever since.

Umbreon served me well again in Pokemon Colosseum. A lot of people don't like using Umbreon in Colosseum, but I have absolutely no complaints about it (he recently reached level 100 in that game.) Battle-wise, Umbreon is a bulky Pokemon with a movepool that just screams 'annoyer' and, as I said in my Nidoqueen entry, I do like annoying my opponent. So yeah, as it turns out, Umbreon and I are a really good match.

I also really like its design. It's all in the eyes. You never know whether it genuinely wants to help you or it's trying to deceive you. That kind of ambiguity is a quality I think more Dark types should have.

Salamence


So Salamence is a total badass. Nobody can deny that. It looks like a European dragon done right (take that, Charizard,) it's a pseudo legendary, which means badass is a prerequisite, it has a great movepool and fantastic offensive stats, and is a Dragon type (those are usually awesome.)

It's not higher on the list because, even though Game Freak never over marketed Salamence, the fans certainly took this Pokemon and ran with it. There was a time when I couldn't go anywhere without hearing praises to Salamence. It was Charizard all over again. The difference being that Salamence was actually good.

Now that the Salamence craze has died down some, I can better appreciate what this Pokemon has going for it. Aside from its aforementioned amazing stats and movepool, Salamence has a great story behind it. As a Bagon, its lifelong dream was to be able to fly. Jump to level fifty and suddenly that dream comes true (Salamence even learns the move Fly upon evolution.) I think that was just touching on Game Freak's part. Though I do have to wonder if the desire to fly is a trait of the whole species, because it's really weird that all Bagon are so emotionally in sync with each other. Oh well, Salamence is still awesome.

Flygon


So, what's better than Salamence and Garchomp? Flygon. Okay, so statistically, it is inferior to both, but who cares? It still has solid stats and its design is so much nicer (and sleeker.) As much as I like Salamence's design, it does look like it just got stepped on and flattened to some degree, which is not nice, and Garchomp has a terrible design, so screw that thing. Flygon, on the other hand, just looks all kinds of awesome. It also has a nice Levitate ability to bolster its defensive prowess and make up for its very mediocre defenses. Also, it can't learn a good boosting move outside of Hone Claws, which is a shame. Here's hoping it gets Quiver Dance next Generation.

I've actually never used Flygon in a Hoenn game, but I have used one in Colosseum and in White 2. In those games, Flygon was amazing. Due to the limited choices in Colosseum, Flygon basically took the role of my party's pseudo legendary for most of the main game (the two actual pseudo legendaries you can catch, Metagross and Tyranitar, don't actually appear until the final few battles) because its power in comparison to its opponents was just overwhelming. In White 2, it fared a little bit worse, emphasis on 'a little bit.' Flygon was still an awesome Pokemon that carried me through the game and helped defeat the Pokemon league, for which I will always be grateful. It's even one of the (comparatively few) Pokemon I have in that game to have reached the coveted level 100.

Flygon may not have the stats or moves to match some of its draconic brethren, but it is still far from useless. Flygon is just an amazing Pokemon and I can honestly say I had more fun with it than I did with Salamence or Garchomp.

Donphan


Like many people, I was first introduced to Donphan in "Pokemon, the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back." It didn't have a terribly important role in that movie. All it did was serve as fodder for Ash's Bulbasaur. It had literally less than a minute of screentime and didn't even make it past the opening credits. They never even uttered its name. So yeah, with such a first impression, is it any wonder I spent years thinking Donphan was just 'meh?'

Then came Generation III and its revamped sprites and I fell in love with Phanpy because [warning: fangirl moment ahead] IT'S JUST SO CUUUUTE!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD JUST LOOK AT IT! IT'S SO ADORABLE!!!!!!

Ahem. So yeah, I grew fond of Phanpy, so I decided to give Donphan a chance. Then I realized I should have done so sooner. Donphan is a very solid Pokemon. Now in Generation V, Donphan has access to the Sturdy ability (which ensures it will always survive at least one hit,) useful resistances/immunities to Rock and Electric, access to Stealth Rock, STAB Earthquake and even Ice Shard to help get rid of those pesky Dragons. Oh, did I mention it also gets the very coveted Rapid Spin? Donphan is such an amazing Pokemon, that I can honestly say it single-handedly made me like Ground types (which I always saw as weak due to my constant use of Grass and Water types.)

Reshiram


What's this? Three legendaries in one day? This is actually very unlike me. Anyway, when Reshiram and Zekrom were first revealed, I took one look at this thing and immediately said "That's it. That's the one I want." And true enough, Pokemon Black was my first Generation V game.

Why Reshiram over the much more popular Zekrom? Well again we come to the whole 'badass looking argument.' Zekrom looks like it was designed to be badass and, while the final product did look good, I've also seen it done many times before. Yes, the 'gentle and feminine' thing has also been done before, but in a game about battling, the 'badass' characters seem to be tailor made to have more appeal.

With that said, Reshiram is a total BAMF in its own right. In fact, I'd argue it's even a better battler than Zekrom. With its Fire STAB covering the one true weakness of the Dragon type (only resisted by Steel,) Reshiram can spam Blue Flares and Draco Meteors with abandon, and cause massive damage with those moves. Its Turboblaze ability also lets it hit Heatran, who would otherwise wall the combination, for neutral damage. Sure, Reshiram is weak to Stealth Rock where Zekrom isn't, but for a 'mon this powerful, that's only a minor inconvenience.

Lastly, Reshiram looks like an angel-dragon thing, and that's awesome.

Luxray


What is it with all of Sinnoh's early game Pokemon being incredibly awesome? Staraptor, Bibarel (as an HM Slave) and this thing are all incredibly solid Pokemon in the game. Luxray is an electric lion. I think that pretty much covers it.

It's ability, Intimidate, along with its good Attack stat, and complimentary physical movepool (it gets moves like Wild Charge, Crunch, Ice Fang, and Fire Fang) make it a dangerous threat, but its Speed lets it down. Still, it looks awesome, and for the actual Platinum adventure, it is a really good Pokemon that will never let you down. I have one in my Platinum party and it is honestly much more useful than the Garchomp I trained in that game.

I don't really have much else to say here. It's looks and in-game performance have made it one of my absolute favorite Electric types in the game. I mean, Lightning lion. What more do you want? Also, its ability to show up early in the Sinnoh games and remain useful throughout gives it a major boon. Plus, I like it when a Pokemon doesn't neatly fit its type's archetype. Luxray is slower and bulkier than most of its brethren, and that makes it stand out. So rock on, Luxray. Rock on.

Gardevoir


WARNING: Never Google image Gardevoir. I'm still traumatized from doing so.

Furry fandom aside, was there ever any doubt that Gardevoir would make this list? It seems fitting that a list teeming with Hoenn Pokemon would end with one of the most iconic Hoenn Poekmon of all. Anyway, back to Gardevoir. I like her much better than Gallade (Gallade being gender locked into male certainly doesn't help.) I imagine that this Pokemon was Generation III's answer to Abra, being difficult to find and raise as a Ralts but ultimately rewarding.

I love this thing's movepool. Access to Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Calm Mind, Gardevoir has everything it'll ever need to carry you through the Hoenn games. I should know, I pick one up in every playthrough I do of those games. I also like its sexy Special stats and usable speed. I'd recommend Gardevoir to everybody, but I feel as if I'd be preaching to the choir.

Its design is also amazing, taking the form of a medieval maiden or princess, and I love princesses. It's also an empathic Pokemon who is fiercely loyal and protective of its trainer. Really, what's not to love? Gardevoir is just...she's definitely one of the best things to come out of Generation III, hands down.

Pidgeot


I am about as tired of running into Pidgey as I am about running into Zubat. With that said, there is only one word that can describe Pidgeot: majestic. Its design is both simple and creative, familiar yet fantastical, and just damn cool. Sure, at the end of the day, it looks like an eagle with an epic hairdo, but it works.

As awesome and majestic as Pidgeot looks, however, its battle performance is not great. Remember when I said that Noctowl and Unfezant were probably the worst of the early birds? Yeah, that's not true. Pidgeot's the worst. Not a single one of its stats reaches the 100 benchmark. In fact, its highest stat is Speed, capping at Base 91. That is terrible for a fully evolved Pokemon. Its abilities, Keen Eye/Tangled Feet/Big Pecks, are nothing to write home about either, nor is its movepool. Honestly, this thing is pretty bad competitively. Game Freak needs to give this guy a complete overhaul.

Despite its poor competitive performance though, I always felt Pidgeot was a Pokemon best suited for in-game. During the story mode, Pidgeot is actually a useful member of any team due to its usable attacking stats, access to Featherdance, Mirror Move, Fly and Whirlwind, and its immunity to Sand Attack tactics (you know the ones. They were the bane of your childhood.) In fact, I've used a Pidgeot for every run of Pokemon Leafgreen I've ever done, and it hasn't let me down yet.

Accelgor


Yay, Bug type! Accelgor is a pissed off ninja bug who is not the least bit happy that its armor got stolen and seeks revenge on Escavalier for the wrongs its committed (at least, in my head its a revenge seeking badass.) Seriously though, Accelgor's design is just excellent. Everybody always seems to gravitate toward Escavalier, but I prefer Accelgor, and I will now list the reasons why:

1. It's a ninja. Ninjas are awesome. Sorry pirate fans, I don't care how many Johnny Depps, Orlando Blooms and Keira Knightleys you have, ninjas are just better. Period.

2. How many fully evolved mono-Bug types do you know that are actually usable? That's right, one: Accelgor. Escavalier, meanwhile, has to play second fiddle to Scizor, Durant, Genesect and Forretress, making it only better than Wormadam [-S]. Yeah. That's an accomplishment.

3. Accelgor has a sexy Sp. Atk and Speed stat combined with a great movepool. Escavalier has...Megahorn. Yeah, I'll stick to Heracross for that, thanks.

4. Accelgor is not a thief. Make no mistake, Escavalier may look like a knight in shining armor, but what it really is, is a dirty lying, cheating thief. Accelgor gets points for having a moral code.

Basically, Accelgor is just awesome.

Zekrom


Hey, look, a legendary Pokemon! We haven't seen one of those in a while. Zekrom is actually a pretty badass looking dude. It's got pitch black skin, looks threatening as all hell, and has a turbine for a tail. It also stands for ideals, proving that dark is not evil. What's not to love?

Believe it or not, Zekrom is not my favorite Unova legendary, but it is pretty cool. It has a unique typing, two signature moves in Fusion Bolt and Blue Bolt, it can Fusion dance with Kyurem to create the powerful Kyurem-B (though its performance is quite disappointing for a Pokemon with a 700 BST.) It has a unique ability in Terravolt. Really, Zekrom is just great. It is a far cry from the days of Mewtwo. To me, Zekrom is definitely much more memorable than most of the Kanto legendaries and even half of the Sinnoh ones.

The only reason I did not rank this guy higher is because, while its design is definitely quite awesome, it feels like Game Freak tried too hard to make this guy look badass. I think the badassedness of a Pokemon should exude from them naturally. When you try too hard to make it awesome, like in Zekrom's case, it just falls flat. But hey, what do I know? Zekrom is the more popular of the three Unova mascots and one of the most popular legendaries of all time, so I'm probably the only one that feels that way. Oh well...

Vileplume and Bellossom


Okay, so I may be cheating a bit by putting two Pokemon in one spot, but they're both part of the same evolutionary family so it totally counts. It does, I swear it does. Really, it counts. Both of these Pokemon are absolutely terrible in competitive play, with Vileplume being slightly better than Bellossom, probably due to its Poison subtype. It's a good thing competitive value isn't the only criteria for making the list.

Vileplume always stood out to me as the de facto (non-Starter) Grass type of Generation one. So naturally, I used it as my main Grass type in several games. Most notably in Pokemon FireRed. Between it and Victreebel, I think Vileplume's the better choice due to its bulk, and it has some good support moves that make it an excellent replacement for Venusaur. Like many Pokemon on this list, I remember being pleasantly surprised by Vileplume's in-game performance. I'll be honest, I didn't really have very high hopes for Vileplume when I first chose to train her, but boy did she prove to be a valued member of my team.

Bellossom, on the other hand, I've only played through the game with once, when I was walking through the Ilex forest and stumbled upon a shiny Oddish. It was also surprisingly powerful, though its shallow movepool did hold her back a bit, she managed to keep up with the rest of my team, and I had a great time taking down Kingdras and Charizards with my ridiculously overleveled Bellossom. Unfortunately, that Heartgold file got deleted, and I lost my shiny Bellossom. I also lost a shiny Weavile and a shiny Ursaring. It was a sad day. :-( Still, of the three, Bellossom is the one I miss the most, because she's the one I had the most fun with. I love using underrated Pokemon only to discover their hidden potential, and Bellossom certainly is that.

Glaceon


OH MY GOD!!! this thing is adorable!!!! It is quite possibly the weakest of all Eeveelutions (well, second weakest. Sorry Flareon) but it is also the most adorable, bar none. It's a pure Ice type Pokemon. Believe it or not, there aren't that many of those (and most of the ones that exist were introduced in Unova) and in that regard, it is one of the best. It shares its best stat with Espeon, which means it has a beastly Sp. Atk stat. Combine that with a Choice Specs and STAB Blizzard in Hail and watch things fall to your wrath.

Unfortunately, Stealth Rock weakness, Hail's relative unpopularity, and its bad speed hold it back, not to mention it has a shallow movepool even by Eeveelution standards. But you know what? Who cares? This thing is just too adorable for words. I haven't had the chance to train one for the Sinnoh games (though I will be doing so quite soon) but I did train one in White 2 and I can honestly say that, in-game at least, it is worth getting.

One more thing: OH MY GOD IT'S JUST SOOO CUTE!!!!!

Aggron


Okay, well, with that fangirly moment out of the way, I need MANLINESS. Because MAN! And nobody does MANLY as good as Aggron. Aggron is a true MAN's MAN. He's MANLY. And MAN.

In all seriousness though, Aggron is an awesome Pokemon. It's great watching that little Aron grow into a big, strong Aggron. It was a very well executed evolution chain with a type combination that had, at that point, never been done. Frankly, Aggron is just one sexy beast. Unfortunately, its 4x weakness to Fighting and Ground, combined with its laughable Speed hold it back, but just think of that great Attack stat combined with Head Smash and Rock Head. Also, it is a great tank with an insanely awesome Base 180 Defense stat. Just make sure it doesn't have to take Fighting or Ground type moves and watch it wreck shit up.

Basically, despite its typing and stats somewhat letting it down, Aggron is still an amazing Pokemon and one of the most visually impressive Hoenn additions. It is still one of my favorite Pokemon, even after learning of its shortcomings.

Nidoqueen


Don't expect to see Nidoking further down the list, Nidoqueen is where its at. Like with the Lati twins, most people tend to gravitate toward the male Pokemon, but I prefer the gentler looking queen. I dunno, I just got a thing for female Pokemon. Sue me.

On top of being the more defensive of the two Nidos (and have you noticed that when it comes to gender pairs, the female is always the defensive one while the male is, without exception, more offensive?) Nidoqueen is the better support and utility 'mon, and frankly, that's my favorite role in RPGs. I like being the guy that hinders, annoys, and hassles the opponent to no end, rather than the guy who goes in for the kill. To borrow a term from Dungeons & Dragons, I like being the group's Controller. And Nidoqueen is certainly the Pokemon equivalent of that. With access to Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes, Roar and Dragon Tail, Nidoqueen will certainly hassle your opponent with abandon until she finally gets taken down.

In-game, Nidoqueen is a staple of my Pokemon LeafGreen runs. It helps that I can get one as early as Mt. Moon, provided I train my female Nidoran enough to evolve into a Nidorina. With that said, I usually keep her in her middle stage until she learns Crunch, so that she has a way of dealing with those pesky Psychic types. Unlike many Pokemon on this list, I always expected Nidoqueen to excel, and excel she did.

Swellow


Swellow is...he's a...well, there's no other way to put it, Swellow is a badass. This is the last of the early bird Pokemon, and definitely the coolest. Swellow is just one of those Pokemon that will not give up. It's Guts ability can attest to that. Give this thing a Flame Orb, and watch it go to town on everything and everyone with super fast, boosted Facade. Though its attack stat is mediocre, it has several ways to increase it (okay, so maybe only the one I just outlined, but it's a good one) and it has a blistering 125 Base Speed, enough to outpace a good chunk of the metagame.

Sure, Swellow's stuck in Neverused because it's a one trick pony, but that one trick is so devastating that it's one of the best Pokemon in that tier. In fact, Swellow is even usable in Underused.

In-game, Swellow was always my saving grace against Brawly (whom I always found bafflingly difficult. Am I the only one who always had trouble with Brawly?) and went on to serve me well throughout my Hoenn adventures, battling the likes of Norman, Winona, and Juan/Wallace. Swellow is one of the few Pokemon that ever reached level 100 in any of my Hoenn games. Frankly, I used to think nothing could dethrone Pidgeot as king of the early birds, but then Swellow came around and stole that title, no questions.

Emboar


Our second Starter. Emboar gets a lot of hate from the fandom, mostly for being the third Fire/Fighting Starter in a row. And yeah, not gonna lie, that is annoying to no end. That said, I think that Emboar is much more visually pleasing than that dreaded monkey, Infernape. It's stats may be in all the wrong places, but at least they let it have a unique battle style. Again, unlike Infernape, who is just your quintessential sweeper. Instead, Emboar has loads of HP, an insane Attack stat, lots of powerful recoil moves, and an ability that encourages the use of those. That's right, Emboar is a high risk, high reward kind of Pokemon, which is different for a Starter, and I enjoy different.

With such a playstyle, it's obvious Emboar has survivability issues, much like Charizard. But unlike the overrated dragon, Emboar takes control of its own HP drain. By taking control of its survivability, it can abuse its assets much better than Charizard ever could.

Of course, such a playstyle isn't practical in-game. You can't be Flare Blitzing and Wild Charging every Purloin or Patrat you find, lest you spend copious amounts of money on Potions or take too many trips to the Pokemon center. For those instances, Emboar has a great, non-recoil heavy movepool. This includes moves like Heat Crash, Earthquake, and Scald of all things, making Emboar a surprisingly versatile Pokemon. Really guys, I know the Fire/Fighting typing sucks this many times in a row, and Emboar is definitely the worst of the three, but give this guy a shot. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Also? It looks like Ganon. Just sayin'

Metagross


Aww yeah, now we're talking. Metagross, the very first pseudo legendary on the list. What better way to end today's countdown than with one of the most awesome Pokemon Game Freak ever created. Metagross loses points by being Steven's signature Pokemon. Why? Because Steven was the most bland and boring Champion we've ever had, good looks or not. However, it makes up for this in bulk by being simply AMAZING.

600 BST, 135 Attack stat, usable Speed, semi-unique typing (shared with only Jirachi and Bronzor's line as of this writing) and incredible design, a sexy movepool with attacks such as Bullet Punch, Thunderpunch, Ice Punch, Earthquake, Zen Headbutt and its signature move, Meteor Mash. Metagross is just one walking, talking hunk of awesome just mashed together to make an incredible Pokemon.

Unfortunately, it's lost some of its luster in Generation V, as it seems to have lost its niche in Overused, relegating it to one of the least used Pokemon in the tier, which hinders its placing in this countdown some, but not terribly so. In-game, I've trained a Metagross in Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon Soulsilver, and am about to start training one in Pokemon White 2. I would say this Pokemon has never disappointed me before, but why state the obvious? Really, if you haven't trained a Metagross before, you absolutely should. This thing is insane.

Lanturn


Did you know that in Generation II, you can fish out wild Chinchou at level 40 near the docks of the S.S. Aqua? I figured it out when I was still young and impressionable and hadn't finished discovering the Johto region. At the time, I had already blasted through the Kanto leaders and defeated Red, so I thought I knew all there was to know about Pokemon, and then I discovered Chinchou. I had never seen such a Pokemon before. No trainer in Johto used one, and I hadn't fished one out anywhere else. This was mind blowing to me at the time.

Even more mind blowing was that just one level later, my Chinchou evolved into a Lanturn. Just when I thought Pokemon could never surprise me anymore, I discovered these guys. That's why they're on this list. They are a symbol, a promise, of more surprises and more discoveries to be made in the years to come.

Lanturn's typing it unique as of this writing, and its bulk is actually quite respectable with great HP and usable Sp. Def, plus two abilities that make it immune to either Electric or Water attacks. However, it doesn't get much more than that, meaning it languishes in the Rarelyused tier of competitive play. :-( It is important to make note of its access to Heal Bell, which makes it one of the scarce clerics in the game though. That certainly gives it some value.

Staraptor


Staraptor is the second early bird Pokemon on this list, and it is not the last. The Sinnoh bird is pretty definitively considered to be the best early game bird in the series, both in-game and competitively. This is basically due to three factors: 1. an ability that is actually usable (Intimidate.) 2. A wonderful 125 Base Attack stat, and 3. Close Combat.

Actually, that last one is the factor most people focus on. Close Combat is an incredibly powerful Fighting type move, to the point where most actual Fighting types tend to use it whenever possible. Giving this move to a Flying/Normal type like Staraptor means it solves most of its coverage issues. CC can hit Steel and Rock types that would otherwise wall this bird for super effective damage and get past many of its counters. Access to what is arguably the single best Flying type move in the game (Brave Bird) means that Staraptor has pretty much all the power it needs to muscle through many threats its fellow early birds can't. However, Staraptor's weakness to Stealth Rock, frail defenses and good -but not great by today's standards- Speed hold it back.

The reason Staraptor isn't higher on the list despite being better than all the other early bird Pokemon is that its design is, in my opinion, inferior to the others. Don't get me wrong, it is definitely one of the more aesthetically pleasing Sinnoh Pokemon, but something about it just feels...awkward. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it puts me off. Still, it is a powerful and reliable Pokemon, and it served me well on my many Pokemon Diamond runs, so for that reason, Staraptor finds itself a solid spot in my top 100.

Sawsbuck


Here be the first of today's Grass types: Sawsbuck. I can't really tell you why, but whenever I used to think of Unova's vast list of Grass types, Sawsbuck would always slip my mind, despite its fun seasonal gimmick. It used to be pretty forgettable to me, as Grass types go. Then I trained one.

Sawsbuck has a unique typing, which is always sexy, a solid Attack and Speed stats, Swords Dance, Chlorophyll, Jump Kick and even a signature move in Horn Leech, all of which allow it to be a strong physical sweeper. Even though it is in the Neverused tier, Sawsbuck still sees use in OU sun teams. This great combination of stats and moves also translate to its in-game performance. Even though by the time it becomes available, its really only useful against Clay in theory, in practice, this thing can tear holes into the opponent's teams. I remember my Sawsbuck being able to take on the entire Elite Four (rematch round) on her own at level 80.

Nowadays, I never forget Sawsbuck.

Lilligant


A couple of things about Lilligant. While she is adorable, I do think her design is a little overstuffed with details. I tend to prefer simpler designs over complex ones, which is why aesthetically, I always preferred her counterpart. Her movepool is also incredibly shallow; shallow enough to give Simisage some competition, and that's saying something.

With that said, the moves and abilities she gets are just so wonderful. Quiver Dance is fantastic, Petal Dance works very well in tandem with her Own Tempo Ability, Sleep Powder and Leaf Storm combined with Chlorophyll and Giga Drain make for a very dangerous threat, and she even gets Teeter Dance for more chances to annoy her opponent. All of these things and more make her a great Grass type, and help make me respect her so much more than I originally gave her credit for.

In-game, I was lucky enough to get a Lilligant with access to Hidden Power [Rock] and I had an absolute blast watching the Elite Four fall to her wrath in Pokemon White. She managed to solo the Elite multiple times and do so handily every time. I could never go wrong with her. Eventually, she reached the coveted level 100 through this method. Watching her cut through the supposed toughest trainers in the game, I couldn't help but feel a little proud of this southern belle.

Whimsicott


Ever since I knew Reshiram was gonna be the mascot of Pokemon Black version, I knew that was the game I would be getting first. So yeah, there's some favoritism here, but I'll bet none of you can tell me you've never been guilty of that in a Pokemon game. So yeah, I like Whimsicott better than Lilligant partly because Black version>White version. Sue me. In fairness though, Whimsicott does have a lot of things going for it.

As my main Grass type in Pokemon Black, Whimsicott distinguished itself as a superb annoyer and support Pokemon, seldom netting me victories directly, but always making sure that one of my team's sweepers could get in safely by screwing the enemy over. She can even claim victory over Drayden. She was also the first Generation V Grass type to ever reach level 100. Not an easy road considering I was using a Pokemon with almost no offensive power, but it was so rewarding when I got there.

Its ability, Prankster, is solely to thank for Whimsicott's usage. It was such a good ability that this 'lil thing had a stint in Overused early in the Black and White metagame. Unfortunately, the metagame shifted and it could no longer keep up, dropping all the way to RU. Still, there is something to be said for priority Tailwind, Substitute, Leech Seed and Stun Spore. And god forbid she get Sleep Powder in Generation VI, for she'd be an absolute beast.

Hitmontop


Taking a bit of a break from Grass types, we move on to Hitmontop, my favorite of the Hitmon family and one of my all time favorite Fighting types. Hitmontop was actually the very first Fighting type I ever liked, probably because of how off the beaten path it felt compared to its fellow Fighters at the time. Machamp was all about brawn, Hitmonchan was a boxer, Primape had anger management issues... I could relate to none of that. Hitmontop, however, was just fun loving and quirky and he loved spinning. So much spinning. I could see myself liking that.

Of course, there was one deciding factor that sealed the deal on my love for Hitmontop: Pokemon Stadium 2. Anybody who owns this game will probably remember the mini-games. Now, while the PvP and Gym Leader Castle were fun and all, it was the mini-games that kept me entertained for the longest intervals of time when I was a kid. Not just me, my whole family got into it. Keep in mind that nobody in my family cares for Pokemon one way or another, but the mini-games in Pokemon Stadium 2 were so fun, they became the de facto party games at family gatherings. Even moreso than Mario Party.

Of these, the Hitmontop game stands out as one of my favorites. It was also the only one my sister could obliterate me in. Keep in mind that she was seven at the time. But yeah, Hitmontop was her favorite Pokemon (precisely because she could beat me with him,) and it is one of mine too.

Swampert


Hello? What is this? It's our very first Starter Pokemon on this list! Swampert. Now, as far as Starters go, Swampert is...not one of my favorites. I still like it better than Charizard or Infernape, but eh. I could go on a rant about how my first impression was thinking it was a weirdly shaped Mudkip and how I think evolutions should look distinct enough from their previous forms to ensure that doesn't happen. Also, it had really ugly sprites in Generations III and IV. Plus, what the hell is a mudskipper anyway? But I won't rant about...oh, I think I just did. My bad. Anyway, that's the reason I didn't originally like Swampert: a bad first impression. I'm trying to get over it, but it ain't easy.

However, despite my general distaste for it in comparison to other Starters, when looking at the Pokemon world at large, Swampert does come off in a much better light. It is by far my favorite Water/Ground type, it has excellent physical stats and bulk, and its access to Sealth Rock make it a great asset to any team. Plus, it gets two great STAB combinations (arguably the two most common attacking types in the game) and a good Attack stat to use them with. While Swampert was an OU mainstay in Generations III and IV, it has taken a bit of a tumble in Generation V. I think this is partly due to team preview eliminating the need for dedicated leads, and partly because it got screwed over by the Dream World. Damp? Really, Game Freak? Damp? That's the best you could come up with for Swampert? How about Hydration? Or Mold Breaker? Or anything else.

I seem to be in a ranty mood today. Anyway, Swampert is an excellent Pokemon statistically, and I've been learning to appreciate its design more and more every day (it helps when his sprites are on all fours, I think it looks better that way.)

Exeggutor


Today's final Grass type is Exeggutor. One of my absolute favorites from Generation I, Exeggutor has seen better days. Competitively, Exeggutor takes a hit with every new Generation. Currently, it languishes in NU, where its absurdly high Sp. Atk and Chlorophyll actually make it usable. Did you know that Exeggutor has the highest Sp. Atk stat of all Grass type Pokemon (tied with Roserade?) Unfortunately, its middling Speed and insane amount of weaknesses hold it back.

Hey, remember when I said that Grass and Dark had pretty bad defensive synergy during the Shiftry entry? Yeah, as it turns out, Grass and Psychic is even worse. Tied with Abomasnow and Celebi for the Pokemon with the most weaknesses of all time, Exeggutor has a whopping 7 weaknesses. These are: Fire, Poison, Flying, Ice, Dark, Ghost, and a 4x weakness to Bug. I can only imagine that if Exeggutor didn't have this many weaknesses, it would be in a higher tier because its movepool --containing moves such as Leaf Storm, Leech Seed, Psychic, and Psyshock-- is actually pretty good.

However, despite its shortcomings, Exeggutor remains one of my favorite Generation I Pokemon. For starters, it was a BEAST in Generation I, where the strongest Bug type move was Pin Missile, Ghost and Poison moves sucked, and Dark wasn't a thing. Basically, if you weren't using Alakazam or Mewtwo, chances are you were using Exeggutor. Then there's its adorably quirky appearance. It is deliciously random to have a psychic palm tree/coconut...thing. Also, cookie points for turning Ash into their personal bitch for the anime. I always enjoy that. This guy was just an incredibly fun Pokemon to use, and when I brought mine to Generation IV, I was both surprised and delighted by its performance.

Noctowl


Well, that doesn't look creepy at all. Anyway, what we have here is another one of the early birds. I don't know how many people actually used a Noctowl during their run of Generations II and IV, but I know I did, and I love it. With Noctowl, it's the little things that really make the difference. I love its swag. Its permanent 'I am not impressed' expression always gets me, and in Pokemon Platinum, Pokemon Heartgold and Pokemon Soulsilver, whenever you summon it, it turns back to look directly at you with such contempt and condescension it would make a Serperior blush. Its face just says "Really now, you couldn't handle this on your own? Is this really such a difficult battle that you require my assistance? How droll." All the while speaking in the most pretentious British accent imaginable.

I also like its more defensive approach, which is markedly different from its fellow early birds, who are all about offense. Its a nice change of pace. However, it is true that Noctowl was a product of the second generation, and Game Freak was still wetting their toes in the water when it came to competitive play, so Noctowl doesn't have the best stats, or the best battle performance. In fact, it's arguably the worst of the early birds (duking it out with Unfezant, I believe,) but, hey, a Pokemon doesn't need to be strong to make this list, I just have to like it, and boy do I like Noctowl.

I also have fond memories of playing through Gold and Silver and using Noctowl as my go-to catcher Pokemon. Noctowl would put the intended target to sleep with Hypnosis, and then whittle at its HP with Nightmare, while I chucked Pokeballs at it until it got caught. It was a nifty way of weakening the target whilst making sure it would almost never over harm it, and I could spend most of the battle trying to go for the capture as opposed to weakening it enough to get to the red. Say what you will about this tactic, but I caught the legendary beasts with it, so it has its merits.

Altaria


And at last we've reached Altaria. People always say that Altaria is the weakest Dragon type Pokemon. I tend to think that title belongs to Druddigon. I really like Altaria though, but, much like with Torkoal, it is a defensive Pokemon that belongs to a primarily offensive type. Dragon types have key resistances to Grass, Fire, Water and Electric types, which is excellent for Altaria's bulk, but a weakness to Stealth Rock and a 4x weakness to Ice hinders her defensive capabilities. It still gets access to Roost and Heal Bell, as well as having two great abilities in Natural Cure (to rid itself of status) and Cloud Nine (to ignore weather.) Access to Dragon Dance and a usable physical movepool also mean that Altaria can double as an offensive 'mon. Really, this Pokemon's a lot more versatile than people often think.

My first experience with Altaria was when battling Winona in Fortree city. Not only was she 4x resistant to my Sceptile's signature move (which already made me nervous) but it was also the very first experience I had with Dragon Dance. Even my 13 year old self knew how dangerous that move was (and I was someone who always disregarded boosting moves as nothing but a free turn to get hit in the face.) To this day, I don't even know how I managed to get past that beast.

I would later go on to use an Altaria in my Ruby version party, and she was just as good as Winona's was. Better even. Really, I have never had any problems with Altaria. Plus, look at its adorable design. Can I just say, she is one of the absolute cutest Dragon types of all time. You just wanna cuddle up next to her!

Walrein


Walrein is one of the only two Ice type families introduced in Hoenn, and of the two, I think it is certainly the better one. Based on the walrus, Walrein's design is excellent. Just look at those sexy tusks and fearsome appearance. Unfortunately, it was used by Glacia of the Elite Four, quite arguably the most out of place boss in the series so far (an Ice type trainer in a tropical region? With only two Ice families? Really Game Freak? You can do better than that,) so it loses points for that. However, it regains those points in bulk for its sheer badassery.

Competitively, Walrein is known as quite possibly the single best abuser of Hail ever created, which of course makes it a perfect partner for Abomasnow. The Ice Body ability, combined with its bulk, access to Substitute and Toxic, Walrein can stall the ever loving crap out of almost anybody, Is it the most exciting battle tactic ever? Nope, but I'll be damned if it isn't functional.

Braviary


Braviary is one cool looking dude. From the moment I first saw it, I told myself that I had to have one. I'm a fan of eagles, and Braviary being based on the bald eagle was just an awesome concept very well executed (I won't touch upon its 'AMERICA!!!' motif as it is the one thing I don't particularly care for in its design.)

Braviary was my main flier during my run of Pokemon White. Y'know, when it became available. I actually halted my journey so I could train my Braviary enough to catch up with the rest of my team. Once I finished, I had one supremely powerful Pokemon by my side. Too bad it didn't have access to Roost in Pokemon White.

Competitively, Braviary's stats let it down, keeping it in the Neverused tier. However, its access to Brave Bird, Rock Slide, U-Turn, Superpower and now Roost keep it a popular choice within that tier. In fact, it is considered one of the best Pokemon of NU. Really, I wouldn't expect anything less from my awesome bald eagle of a Pokemon.

Shiftry


Yup. You knew this was coming. It's been a while since we've had a Grass type on this list, so I'm gonna overcompensate for that with an overabundance. Okay, fine, it's only been a four Pokemon gap, but I really like Grass types and this is my list, so there.

Shiftry is a great looking Pokemon based on the tengu. First off, I love its sinister look. Secondly, I love its lore. It's all about being mysterious and living deep in the forest where humans do not venture. Its Emerald, Heartgold, and Soulsilver entries talk about it having a connection to wintry winds, and in fact, this Pokemon is very closely tied to the wind, according to its other Pokedex entries. It's mysteries like the ones surrounding Shiftry that make me simply love the Pokemon games.

Competitively, Shiftry has to duke it out with the plethora of Chlorophyll users for a team slot, and its many weaknesses (4x weak to Bug, weak to Flying, Fire, Ice, Poison, and Fighting as well) really doesn't do it any favors. However, its almost unique typing (shared only with Cacturne as of this writing) does bless it with an immunity to the ever present Psychic type, and resistances to common types, such as Water, Electric, Grass, Dark, Ghost, and Ground. However, its lackluster defenses let it down, relegating it to the NU tier, which is a shame. Oh well, here's hoping someday it'll get its chance to shine.

Ludicolo


Much more successful in what it sets out to do is the Sapphire exclusive Grass type, Ludicolo. Honestly, at first, I was like "WTF!?!?!" when I saw it, but then something amazing happened. Two words: Mirror B. Mirror B's sheer swag in Pokemon Colosseum combined with having Ludicolo as his signature Pokemon immediately made me do a 180 in terms of my reaction to it. Suddenly, I could appreciate all the things Ludicolo had going for it.

First off, it has the unique type combination of Water/Grass, two of my favorite types in the game. Secondly, it's just such a happy guy! And thirdly, is how utterly devastating this thing can be under the effects of rain. It's Grass and Water STABs have good synergy with each other, especially in combination with Ice Beam. Swift Swim lets it boost its average Base 70 speed to blisteringly fast levels in the rain, and the inception of Drizzle Politoed has given it a reliable way to use rain outside of Ubers. Even the complex ban of Swift Swim+Drizzle can't hold it back, as it can still use Rain Dish in tandem with Politoed (though said ban did create a crippling problem that led it to fall to NU.)

Either way you spin it though, Ludicolo is just fly.

Vaporeon


At last we reach the first of the Eeveelutions on this list, but certainly not the last. I've always had an afinity for graceful Pokemon over 'cool' Pokemon, and Back in Generation I, I had a blanket hatred of all Fire types thanks to Charmander. My tastes have since evolved, but the eventual fallout of that was that I liked Vaporeon over both Jolteon and Flareon. In Pokemon Leafgreen, Vaporeon was always my go-to Water type in almost every playthrough I did, and I even evolved my Eevee into a Vaporeon in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness. It is also the Water type of choice for my current run of Pokemon White 2. So yeah, Vaporeon's always had a strong presence in my games.

Competitively, Vaporeon's typing and HP make it one of the bulkier Pokemon in the metagame. An OU Pokemon with good bulk, access to Wish, Baton Pass, Acid Armor, Scald and Toxic, Vaporeon is a great addition to any team looking to be a little sturdier. Both of its abilities give it an immunity to Water type moves, making it an excellent check to Rain teams as well. Vaporeon is, without a doubt, one of the premier bulky waters in the metagame.

Tropius


What? You thought I was done with Grass types? Hahaha, that's funny. Seriously though, Tropius is the final Grass type I'll be covering today. Grass/Flying has only been used a handful of times in the games so far, and Tropius is definitely unlike any other Grass/Flying type out there.

It is a gigantic sauropod that flies on leaf-wings and has bananas literally growing out of its chin. If that's not creative, then I don't know what the hell is. Most of you remember Tropius as that excellent HM slave you could find in the Hoenn games, but I remember it as the badass Grass type that helped me get through my second playthrough of Pokemon Ruby version. In-game, it is found a little bit after the halfway mark of the game, where you only have three real gyms left to fight, but it is still a serviceable Pokemon. Sporting advantages against Tate&Liza's signature Pokemon, as well as against the final gym and, in Emerald, the Champion, not to mention having favorable STABs against Teams Aqua and Magma, and against both Groudon and Kyogre, you really can't go wrong with actually training yourself a Tropius.

Like a lot of the Pokemon in today's list, however, Tropius' stats do let it down in the competitive metagame. It gets Chlorophyll to boost its Speed under the sun, but even after the boost, its still somewhat disappointing. I should make note of its Harvest ability though, which can lend to some pretty nice tactics with the right berry, but overall, it can't save Tropius from its fate in NU. However, while in NU, Tropius can make a decent wall, and access to Leech Seed and Roost will ensure it stays alive for a long time. Just watch out for Ice attacks. And Stealth Rock, always watch out for Stealth Rock.

Articuno


Oh look, a legendary Pokemon. Haven't seen one of those since Shaymin [-S] way back at the bottom of the list.
Of the legendary birds of Kanto, Articuno is unequivocally my favorite. I pointed out in Vaporeon's entry that I really like graceful Pokemon, and I believe Articuno is the embodiment of grace. I mean, just one look at it and 'graceful' is basically the first word that pops to mind.

The story of Articuno is...well, it's practically nonexistent, which is why I can't place this Pokemon any higher on the list. It's implied to have a connection to Lugia, but that only extends to the anime (as far as I know) and has no canonical backing in the games. Even so, we don't know what its connection to Lugia is. "Pokemon the movie 2000: The Power of One" heavily implied that Articuno, along with Zapdos and Moltres, are physical manifestations of their elements, which is why disrupting their balance caused 'the beast of the sea,' an incredibly powerful underwater current, to go awry and the weather all over Kanto to suffer dramatic changes. All well and good, but still all anime canon. The games tell us absolutely nothing about Articuno (or Zapdos and Moltres.) I am willing to somewhat forgive them for that though, since Generation I was Pokemon's first venture, its conceivable that things weren't as refined as they were in later installments. Still doesn't explain why they didn't give them a backstory retroactively in Generation II.

Competitively, Articuno suffers from SRMDS, or "Stealth Rock Massive Damage Syndrome." It's a real thing, lots of Pokemon suffer from it. Just ask Charizard. By taking a whopping 50% damage from Stealth Rock when switching in, Articuno's good bulk practically goes to waste, relegating it to the NU tier. Further hindering Articuno is its stat-type dissonance, wherein its stats suggest it should be a bulky wall, but its Ice typing is the single worst defensive typing in the game. It's really a problem with a lot of Ice types. What the hell are you thinking Game Freak? Why do you keep making bulky Ice types when you know full well that Ice sucks as a defensive type? Play to the damn type's strengths, not its weaknesses.

Rant over. Anyway, for its grace, beauty, and elegance, Articuno gets a spot in my top 100.

Machamp


Machamp is one of those Pokemon that I sort of just brushed off initially. Fighting types were ridiculously weak in the first Generation due to the prevalence of the Psychic type, and Machamp's concept (a bodybuilder) wasn't something I could see myself relating to. So I just ignored it for over three generations.

Then in the Generation IV post-game of Pokemon Diamond, I decided to give it a shot. A lot of time had passed since this Pokemon's introduction and my feelings toward Fighting types had warmed up, so I figured, why not? Then I discovered No Guard Dynamicpunch, and the rest is history. Machamp became a mainstay of my Diamond version party, and I even used it again for Pokemon Soulsilver and for Pokemon Platinum, before I knew it, Machamp had become one of my favorite Fighting types. Not my favorite, but still a good one.

Competitively, Machamp was OU last generation, precisely because of No Guard Dynamicpunch, but took a tumble to Underused in Generation V, mainly because of the introduction of Conkeldurr. Now, while I do like Conkeldurr well enough, nothing will be able to replace Machamp in my heart. Sorry.

Latias


What's this? Two legendary Pokemon in one day? Gasp. Okay, let's make something clear first. If you don't think Latias is omg!adorable, then I'm pretty sure you have no soul. Latias is one of the two Eon Pokemon, and while most people tend to gravitate towards Latios (I'm assuming because it's the more 'badass' looking of the two,) I always preferred the more friendly looking sister.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with a badass that looks the part, but I'd much rather see a badass that doesn't, and that's what Latias is. If you were to see her on her own and not know what she was, you probably wouldn't think she was a freaking Legendary Dragon Pokemon. Also, according to the anime, she can shapeshift and make herself invisible. Oh, and she's an empath. What's not to love about this Pokemon?

Competitively, she's a bit underrated as most players gravitate towards Latios in the Overused metagame, but unlike most of the rest of the fandom, this isn't because of its looks. Rather, Latios is a more offensive Pokemon in a fast paced metagame, garnering it more favor. However, Latias' offenses (particularly her Sp. Atk) are nothing to sneeze at either, and with solid defensive stats and speed, she has more chances to set up than Latios does. The fact that most people are expecting her brother can also come as a benefit to Latias, who can oftentimes catch teams completely off-guard. Recently, she's seen a bit of a bump in her usage, so I'm guessing people are finally realizing the amazingness that is Latias. And that's not even getting into the Soul Dew.

Snorlax


Snorlax was a mainstay of OU since Generation I, but has fallen into UU with the advent of Generation V, mainly because things were hitting much harder than what his defenses could handle. Still, I really like Snorlax. Y'know, aside from its role in the games as a giant, annoying roadblock.

Snorlax is actually my best friend's favorite Pokemon of all time. In honor of that, I chose to train one in Generation IV. I thought it was alright, for the most part. Solid, but nothing too special. At least, until I was battling with another friend of mine one day, and my little Curselax swept his whole team, bringing me back from the verge of defeat. From that moment on, Snorlax wasn't just 'my best friend's favorite Pokemon,' it was one of mine too.

Competitively, Snorlax fills an interesting niche as a Special wall that uses physical attacks for its offense. It's not something that's often seen, and its unique factor makes it stand out from the crowd, which is probably one of the reasons its remained so popular all these years. It's abilities are nothing to write home about, with the exception of Thick Fat, but it does have a wide movepool and a solid 110 Attack stat to abuse it with, which is definitely a boon. I also find this Pokemon incredibly funny in the sense that it is the logical extreme of the concept of 'couch potato.'

Simisage


Unlike most people, I actually like the elemental monkeys. Sure, they all have the same BST and similar designs, but I dunno, I love the Grass/Fire/Water core and "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" is an interesting concept. Of the three, Simisage always looked the coolest to me. I mean, c'mon, it looks like a Grass type Fonz. Who doesn't like the Fonz?

Believe it or not, I've actually played through all of Black, White and White 2 with the elemental monkeys (Sear for Black, Sage for White, and Pour for White 2, in case you were wondering.) Yes, I was expecting them to suck as much as everybody said they did, but I found myself being pleasantly surprised by all of them. They were all serviceable up until the very end of the games. None of them ever became liabilities. Of the three, I was the most skeptical about Simisage due to its pathetically shallow movepool, but as it turned out, I needn't have worried. Sage served me quite well during my run of Pokemon White, netting me victories against Cress, Elesa, Clay, and even Iris.

Competitively though, Simisage just can't catch up to the plethora of Grass types and sweepers that have considerably better movepools and stats. It languishes in the Neverused tier waiting for its chance to shine. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening any time soon. It doesn't hit hard enough to muscle through opposing walls, and its movepool is too shallow to be a wallbreaker, despite its respectable stats. All in all, it is obvious that even Game Freak intended for the monkeys to be early game 'mons to be replaced at a later date. Still, I have fond memories of my Simisage, which is why it gets a solid spot in my top 100.

Mismagius


Y'know, the very first time I trained a Misdreavus was actually in Pokemon Heartgold. Before then, I had never really been interested in this ghost type. I actually had so much fun training her, that I got her to level 100 without even realizing it (she got there before even my Starter.) I didn't evolve her. I didn't want to. Sometimes I like using unevolved Pokemon, and Misdreavus has usable stats.

However, I did become curious about Mismagius, so I popped open my Pokemon Platinum and trained one there. I have always had an affinity for the occult, and Mismagius being a witch-ghost always piqued my interest, but I was always training other Pokemon, so I never got around to her. Once I did though, Holy mother that thing was awesome. Being Fantina's signature Pokemon was also a great boon to it, as Fantina is unequivocally my favorite Gym Leader in Sinnoh.

Competitively, Mismagius has been an Unedrused mainstay since her introduction, but boy does she wreck havoc in that tier. Blessed with great Speed, special stats, Nasty Plot, Taunt and Substitute, Mismagius has lots of toys at her command, which can make her both a dangerous sweeper with Shadow Ball and Thunderbolt, or a disrupter with Taunt. She can also use Substitute to abuse Calm Mind and increase her offense and bulk simultaneously. Everybody who plays UU knows to prepare for Mismagius, because if she catches you off guard, it could easily spell a loss for you.

Hariyama


Hariyama is an interesting Pokemon. It has amazing HP and Attack stats, but lackluster...everything else. It does get three great abilities in Guts, Sheer Force, and Thick Fat, and it can definitely put its movepool to good use, but those lackluster defenses cut into the durability otherwise granted by its excellent HP, and that Speed prevents it from fully abusing its Attack stat. It does get Bullet Punch to bypass this issue, but it doesn't get STAB from it. Honestly, given its build, I expected it to have more in the way of Defense. Still, I really like Hariyama.

I first started appreciating the great Hariyama back in my latest (and current) run of Colosseum. Since Makuhita is the very first Shadow Pokemon you encounter, I decided to give it a shot in my party (in previous playthroughs, I always benched it because I just do not like Makuhita's design, but this time, I was feeling a little adventurous.) While it never rose above and beyond the call of duty like other members of my team, it proved a very solid and reliable Pokemon, which is why I started liking it. As opposed to some others, my liking for Hariyama was gradual.

Competitively, Hariyama is in the Rarelyused tier, and its ability to fire of terrifyingly powerful Close Combats make it a dangerous foe, but its defenses keep it from being the absolute monster in the tier it would otherwise be. Honestly, I don't play RU too much, so I can't say I have to much experience with this thing. It's still one of my favorite Pokemon for its design alone, but also because it's slowly been growing on me.

Gengar


I know I'm gonna get some flak for this, but yes, Gengar is only number 87 on my list. Despite being one of only two Kanto Pokemon to have remained in the Overused tier since the beginning, and despite its badass design, I just can't seem to like Gengar as much as others do. The reason for this is that it feels to me like it is just a stock 'bad guy' Pokemon, meant to be edgy and nothing else. It has no noteworthy history, or personality (besides being mischievous.)

With that said, I do like it, otherwise it wouldn't be on this list. I really enjoy the theory that Gengar has a relation to Clefable (possibly being its shadow, or potentially the ghost of dead Clefable.) While, as far as I know, this hasn't been confirmed or denied by Game Freak either way, the theory does add some depth, and some much needed intrigue, to the Pokemon.

Secondly, you just cannot argue with its competitive performance. It's been OU since the creation of Pokemon for a reason, after all. I mean, just look at that sexy Sp. Atk stat (130) and Speed stat (110.) When you combine that with it's Levitate ability giving it an immunity to Ground type moves (to note: it is immune to a total of three types) and its fantastic offensive movepool, plus access to Disable and Pain Split, Gengar is an absolute nightmare to face. Luckily, its frail defenses keep it from being too good, making it a perfect fit for the OU tier.

Lastly, I have fond memories of trudging through the Pokemon tower in my first Blue playthrough (when I was too stupid to know you had to get the Silph Scope from Giovanni in Celadon first) and running into unidentifiable ghost Pokemon that would terrify my team into inaction. Sure, it gave my eleven year old self the creeps, but it was also one of the most intriguing and enjoyable parts of the original game.

Unfezant


Unfezant is a very interesting Pokemon, and I'm not just talking about the markedly different gender characteristics (a drastic change from what Generation IV introduced, though not as drastic as the next Pokemon on the list.) First of all, it's one of the starting birds, which for some odd reason, I always value in high regard. Secondly, it is a very cool looking Pokemon (both genders,) and thirdly, it suffers from stat-movepool dissonance.

Unfezant's stats have it lean toward physical offense, but the best Flying type move it can abuse that with is Aereal Ace of all things. Sky Attack and Fly have charge turns which make them undesirable, and almost anything else of note uses its much more lackluster Special Attack stat. Thank God for STAB Return. It shines more in supporting its teammates, but even then, it is deeply overshadowed by other Pokemon. Though I suppose access to Hypnosis is pretty nifty.

However, despite its shortcomings, its design and the fact that I've managed to use it successfully in White 2 (twice, I actually trained one of each gender) allow it to make the list. However, it isn't any higher because even though it is a cool Pokemon, compared to others, and even other Unova birds, it just kind of feels...bland.

Jellicent


Jellicent has arguably one of the coolest typings ever created. It's design is a little weird, especially considering its downright scary Pokedex entries, but I like it. The juxtaposition of its jolly look with its terrifying behavior is something I find quite appealing. I did read somewhere that the person who designed Jellicent didn't originally plan for it to be so terrifying, but I have no way of confirming this, so I dunno.

Anyway, Jellicent was my main Water type in Pokemon White, and it was awesome. From the moment I saw it, I knew I had to train one eventually, and when I finally did (I may have cheated a little and traded a Pokemon with Surf from Pokemon Black immediately after the first badge so I could go pick one of these up as soon as possible) I was absolutely delighted with it. In fact, I'd say Jellicent is my second favorite Unova Water type (a less crowded field than you'd think) both in design, and typing. Water/Ghost is just sexy.

Competitively, Jellicent continues to make me proud by being one of the premier bulky waters in OU. With access to Taunt for shutting down Hazard laying Pokemon, to Will-o-wisp for crippling physical Pokemon, to its great bulk and solid STAB options, Jellicent is a reliable Pokemon and a defensive monster. Really, I can't say enough good things about Jellicent, so I'm gonna end it here before I start to nonsensically gush.

PS. I chose the female pic because my personal Jellicent is a girl, so I'm showing her some solidarity.

Tangrowth


So, it's Generation IV, and I've recently beat Platinum, but still don't know Heartgold and Soulsilver are in development. I'm bored, so what do I decide to do? Train as many new (at the time) Pokemon as possible. So far, my team looked pretty much the same in every Gen IV game I played, and I had already finished training the older Pokemon that interested me at the time, so I figured I might as well try to warm up to the designs of some of the Sinnoh Pokemon.

Which is basically how training Tangrowth came about. Tangrowth was one of the many Gen IV Pokemon I trained out of pure boredom. However, unlike some of them (I'm looking at you, Floatzel,) I actually really quite enjoyed training Tangrowth. First of all, it was a Grass type, so that automatically made me biased. Secondly, it had much more bulk than I initially expected, which was definitely a pleasant surprise. Thirdly, have you seen its freaking offensive stats? 100 Attack and 110 Sp. Atk, combined with its great 100 HP/125 Defense made for a very strong and dependable Pokemon. This was a guy that could dish it out and take it. Not many Pokemon can say that. Most either lean towards defense or offense, but few can pull off both. Even less can do so without being given preferential treatment (absurdly high BST for a regular Pokemon, being a Starter, being a Pseudo Legendary, being a Legendary, you know what I mean.) Sure, its Speed was middling, but Chlorophyll and Sunny Day remedied that. It also had some of the funnest Grass type moves available in the form of Sleep Powder, Leech Seed, Power Whip, and Leaf Storm.

Really, Tangrowth was such a great Pokemon, that I'm surprised its fallen into disuse competitively. Another RU Pokemon, Tangrowth is constantly competing for a team slot with other Bulky Grass types and bulky Pokemon in general. Sad, but 'tis life. With that said, I will never forget the absolute blast I had training this 'lil thing. For that reason, Tangrowth is one of my favorite Pokemon.

Abomasnow


From the beginning, Abomasnow was a Pokemon rife with problems. It primary draw is to set up Hail, which is widely agreed to be the absolute worst weather condition in the game. Not only that, but it had to fight to keep its weather with the likes of Tyranitar and Hippowdon in Gen IV. And now in Generation V, you can add Politoed and Ninetales to its list of grievances. Next is its wholly average stat distribution. Abomasnow's stats are so average, that not a single one of them ever reaches the 100 benchmark. Then there's its typing. Unique and interesting though it is, Grass and Ice, as it turns out, have terrible synergy together. Abomasnow winds up with a whopping seven weaknesses, including a crippling 4x one to Fire (for those curious, the weaknesses are 1. Fire 2. Bug 3. Poison 4. Flying 5. Steel 6. Fighting 7. Rock.) It has a weakness to Stealth Rock to boot.

However, Abomasnow and its pre-evolution, Snover, are still the only permanent summoners of Hail in the game, and that makes them invaluable assets to players of that style. This makes them somewhat indispensable (enough to warrant a stint in OU this Generation, short-lived as it may have been.) It's typing is also unique, which is definitely a boon to its appeal. And its design? Abominable snowman Christmas tree? That's gold right there. Look no further.

However, I will never forget trudging through Mt. Coronet in Diamond version, weary but determined to battle Cyrus, and randomly running into one of these in the snow. It was love at first sight. So Abomasnow, despite its shortcomings, earns itself a solid spot on my top 100. Also, it's a Grass type.

Mandibuzz


Ah, Mandibuzz. I remember when I first got Pokemon Black. I already knew in advance that I would eventually get Pokemon White, and I wanted to plan my teams so that they'd be counterparts to each other (as a throwback to my experience with Generation II.) Mandibuzz was chosen for its exclusivity to Black, which would make it a perfect juxtaposition to Braviary in White. My experience with Mandibuzz was...difficult, but it did help me appreciate this Pokemon much more.

As a wall, Mandibuzz was nigh unbeatable in-game, but offensively, it was pure crap. Which is why although she was never a liability to my party, I had trouble leveling her up. Especially when she went up against repeated Elite Four challenges on her own. Even at her high level, she couldn't OHKO most of their Pokemon, and I had precious few Elixirs to replenish her PP between battles with. I make note of Elixirs and PP, because her HP was never a problem. She is an amazing tank, and with access to Roost, has basically nothing to fear from anyone.

I'm all for girl power, and Mandibuzz being a 'bad girl' was appealing to me, however, so I powered through. I still remember that feeling of joy and pride when my little birdie reached that magic level of 100. Keep in mind that by the time I did this, BW2 hadn't been released yet, so the only way to get Roost on a Mandibuzz was to breed for it. That's right, I trained this bird since she was a level 1 Vullaby. While I don't know much about her competitive value because again, RU, I do understand that she's actually in a higher tier than her counterpart, which both surprised and delighted me.

Oh Mandibuzz, it was a long and difficult road, but I managed to learn how to love you in the end, and I don't regret it for a second.

Chandelure


Lastly, we have the one, the only, Chandelure. My God this thing is great. Not only does it have really awesome Dex entries (they're all about burning one's soul in an all consuming fire, leaving nothing but the empty shell of its victim's body behind) but it also has an amazing and unique type. Basically, Chandelure is what Gengar should have been from a conceptual standpoint. Sure, its weakness to Stealth Rock and its only average Speed let it down, but it has an incredible 145 Special Attack Stat. It is also deceptively bulky, with Base 90 defenses on both sides. Its movepool is also great, with its dual Fire and Ghost STABs getting complimented by the likes of Energy Ball and Psychic. This Pokemon is basically a beast.

I first used one during my 'experimental' first run of Pokemon Black (when starting a new Generation, I will first run a playthrough just to get acquainted with the region and story before jumping into my real one.) All I can say is that this thing is Bad. Ass. This is also one of those Pokemon who isn't higher on the list solely because I like others better, not because I dislike it in any way. Chandelure is one of my favorite Unova Pokemon, and definitely my favorite non-legendary Ghost type.

Shaymin Sky Forme


Alright, we're starting off with the legendary Shaymin Sky Forme. I generally think that Sinnoh had the weakest cast of Pokemon in terms of design, and I think it overdid it with the number of legendary Pokemon introduced, plus Shaymin Land Forme is a bit...bland, so I guess that's part of the reason why this Pokemon isn't any higher on the list. The other reason is that while I do like this Pokemon, I like the other 99 more. Anyway, on to the anime.

The only place I've ever seen Shaymin Sky Forme in the anime has been in the movie "Pokemon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior." In it, Shaymin was...well...she was a little bitch. At least in her Land Forme. Given the complete and total irony of having the gratitude Pokemon be a self-absorbed ass, I actually kind of liked her. However, when she transformed into her Sky Forme, she gained a lot more humility and a lot more power. This duality was actually very well executed, in my opinion, so points for that. Aside from her role in the movie, I can't really say too much else about her from this perspective, but in the games, Shaymin [-S] has been the only Grass type so far to be banned to the Uber tier (kudos for that) and, if I recall correctly, the very last Pokemon to have been voted off unanimously.

Competitively, Shaymin's stats are fantastic for a sweeper, and it's Grass/Flying STAB gives it some really good coverage. Add to that it's signature move in Seed Flare (which I think is what Solarbeam should have looked like) and you got yourself a really solid Pokemon. Unfortunately, it fails to stand out among so many other legendary Pokemon, hindering its use. Still, this legendary Pokemon is a solid addition to any team, and one of Sinnoh's better creations, earning the spot of number 100 on this list.

Yanmega


Continuing with Generation IV Pokemon, we have Yanmega in number 99. When Generation II introduced Yanma, it really went under the radar. The design was 'meh' at best and it had no real redeeming qualities over the plethora of Bug/Flying types it had to compete with. Generation III blessed it with Speed Boost, which made it stand out, but it still wasn't great.

Then came Generation IV, and Yanmega rose to greatness.

Sure, it suffered from a massive Stealth Rocks weakness (a move that was, ironically, also introduced in Gen IV,) but its great stats and complimentary movepool have allowed it to muscle through that weakness. Blessed with, not one, but two great abilities to abuse, it was banned from the Underused tier in Generation IV, and is a member of said tier in Generation V (which, due to the addition of RU, it now holds more prestige. Some people even call BW UU the equivalent of DP OU,) Yanmega has managed to carve a nifty niche for itself in a metagame that is increasingly hostile to Pokemon with 4x weakness to Rock. It's design is also a massive improvement over Yanma's, finally standing out as a terrifying ancient dinosaur insect...thing, as opposed to its pre-evolution's downright boring look.

Unfortunately, I don't know jack about Yanma's role in the anime. I never saw one, but then, I don't watch the anime religiously so...sue me. Despite that, its looks and combat performance have seen it fit to place this Pokemon in my top 100.

Leavanny


See Game Freak? This is how you make a good Grass/Bug type. I knew you had it in you. I'm just gonna assume that Leavanny is your apology for Parasect (as you can probably tell, Parasect will not be featuring on this list.) Now, Grass/Bug may not be the best type combination out there (4x weak to both Fire and Flying, though a 4x resistance to Ground and Grass is pretty decent,) but Leavanny manages to do the best with what it's given. Sure, its stats aren't terrific, with only Attack and Speed being somewhat passable, but it does get Leaf Blade and X-Scissor as solid STAB moves. As far as Generation V Grass types go, Leavanny fails to stand out (and you will be seeing some other Gen V Grass types further down the line) but for its sheer ability to show up that waste of space Parasect, Leavanny already earns itself a good spot on the list.

So...what does it have going for it? Well, for one, Leavanny's design is omg!adorable, it gets Leaf Blade (which is always a good thing) and it is a Grass type. As my username suggests, I like Grass types. Competitively, it languishes in the Neverused tier because of its only average stats and limited movepool but...who cares? Leavanny looks awesome and shows us that Grass/Bug Pokemon don't have to resemble Parasect (ugh.) For that reason alone, Leavanny is worth putting on this list.

Torkoal


Torkoal is a Pokemon that I really wish I could have put higher on this list because I really do like it, but it is one of those cases where it's not so much about how much I like this Pokemon as it is about how much more I like everyone else. Torkoal has a great design, in my opinion. It manages to strike that perfect balance between quirky and genuinely threatening. Plus its Flannery's signature Pokemon, what's not to like? Well, given that Hoenn only introduced three Fire type families, you'd think Torkoal would be used more, but a certain Fire chicken's popularity eclipsed Torkoal so immensely, that the poor turtle fell into disuse. Further hindering its in-game performance is its low speed and relatively weak offenses, turning off many potential players from using it. Not even being owned by Ash in the anime could save it (to be fair, May's Torchic got more screen-time, from what I can remember, so even in the anime, it was overshadowed.)

Competitively, Torkoal has the misfortune of being a mono-Fire type wall. Fire is a bad defensive typing to begin with, but when you add Stealth Rocks to the mix, things start looking bleak. Torkoal can learn Rapid Spin, but having a spinner that is weak to the thing its supposed to spin is rather unappealing to most. Furthermore, its lack of reliable recovery does it no favors. I imagine that if Generation VI blessed it with a usable evolution, Torkoal's popularity would greatly rise. As it stands, it feels as if I'm one of the few people that can appreciate the greatness of Torkoal. It's okay, buddy, I still love you, in spite of everything.

Xatu


Xatu was such a mysterious Pokemon in Generation II (it still is.) Back when I was first playing Pokemon Silver, I ran into Natu in the ruins of Alph and was immediately intrigued. What was this Pokemon? What could it evolve into? Why was it here? I dunno what compelled me to train this bird, but I did, and I can honestly say I had a lot of fun doing so. Xatu was a little creepy, and unlike anything I had ever trained at the time, but honestly, that's probably why I enjoyed training it so much. Come to find out that Will of the Elite Four uses, not one, but two Xatu in his party. Xatu is even his signature Pokemon.

Competitively, Xatu was the only Pokemon to share its typing with the legendary Lugia until Generation V, but unlike Lugia, this bird was never able to stand out from the crowd...until Black and White came. Like many other Pokemon, Xatu got a new lease on life with the introduction of its Hidden Ability: Magic Bounce. Now, Xatu can do in UU what Espeon does in Overused, which is to bounce back hazards and status to your opponent's side of the field. The sheer utility of this ability has been so game changing that the only two Pokemon who obtain it have done a massive jump from the Neverused tier, with Xatu capping in UU. Finally, this mysterious bird can shine.

Xatu's Pokedex entries are also interesting, and a bit disconcerting. One entry states that it is constantly looking at both the past and the future at the same time, while another states that it is paralyzed in fear by the future it is seeing. Super creepy, and super awesome.

Victreebel


Victreebel is...weird. Yeah, I think that's the right word for it. Weird. Based off a Venus flytrap, this Pokemon certainly looks vicious, but I've never been truly impressed with it, maybe because Generation I introduced other Grass types that I much prefer. Still, taken in a vacuum, without comparing it to others, Victreebel is cool. I loved James' Victreebel in the anime (before they overused the joke of it swallowing James whole and drove it into the ground) and I think it has a pretty cool design. It's also a Grass type, so it gets major cookie points for that.

In-game, Bellsprout is basically your only hope early on against Misty if you chose Charmander. Me? I never did, so I never felt the need to use one. However, I will say this: Bellsprout should count itself lucky that Misty's Starmie doesn't know any Psychic type moves. I have trained Victreebel retroactively after finishing the main story, and I have greatly enjoyed using it, but as I haven't actually beat the game with one, I don't think I'm qualified to gauge its usefulness throughout the Kanto games.

Competitively, Victreebel is actually pretty good. It makes for a strong sun sweeper with access to Chlorophyll, Power Whip, Weather Ball and solid offensive stats on both sides of the spectrum. It's base 70 speed is respectable, especially when it doubles to 140 under sunlight, and it has just the right moves in just the right places to succeed. So, what's holding it back? Well, again we come to the issue that Victreebel is not in a vacuum. It has to compete with other equally good sun sweepers and some that are better than it for a team slot. Plus the fact that its defenses can let it down in a pinch.

Aerodactyl


Aerodactyl is one of my favorite fossils, and one of the most badass looking Pokemon in Generation I. In-game, you can get the Old Amber as soon as you get Cut (that is, after reaching Vermilion city for the first time,) but you can't actually get an Aerodactyl almost until the end of the game (Cinnabar Island. ie. seventh badge,) limiting its usefulness. The fact that Aerodactyl will be revived sorely underleveled won't do it any favors either. However, if you were to go out of your way to make sure this Pokemon caught up to the rest of your party, I guarantee you would NOT be disappointed. With a solid attack and a blistering Speed stat, Aerodactyl can cut a bloody swath through most of your enemies up until that point. It's typing also provides it some useful resistances, including an immunity to Ground type moves (meaning it has an inherent advantage against the final gym.) Aerodactyl is so badass that even Lance of the Elite Four uses one. And three years later, when he becomes the League Champion? Aerodactyl is stilll in his party.

All these benefits translate to the competitive side of the game as well. Aerodactyl's blistering speed, typing, access to Stealth Rocks and Taunt all made it a solid lead in Gen IV OU (maybe the quintessential lead.) However, it has taken a bit of a tumble (all the way down to the Rarelyused tier) in the Generation V metagame since Team Preview basically eliminated the use of dedicated leads. Still, it is a very solid Pokemon in its tier and should not be overlooked.

Miltank


Oh Miltank... I'm sure those of us who were young enough to have played through Gold and Silver as kids remember the absolutely devastating hellspawn that was Whitney's Miltank. I also remember that when I finally got my hands on my very own Miltank, she turned out to be utterly useless.

Now that I'm older, I can appreciate what I was doing wrong, both in my battle against Whitney (just use a female Bayleef and set up a Reflect. Also, get Muscle the Machop. The cow won't stand a chance) and when training my own. Now that I'm older, I can appreciate all the nuances of Miltank. A signature (healing) move in Milk Drink, three excellent abilities, access to Heal Bell, Stealth Rocks and Thunder Wave...Miltank is a fantastic support Pokemon. However, it suffers from its lackluster stats, which keep her down in NU. With that said, I highly encourage the use of Miltank. With some smart switching, she should be able to aid your party in whatever support role you need.

Also, her design is so motherly and jolly and, well, fun. You wouldn't believe that this adorable little cow haunted your every nightmare when you were a child.

Cradily


Basically the last Fossil Pokemon on this list. Not gonna lie, what made me choose this Pokemon over Aerodactyl was the Grass typing. I tend to put a lot of value on a Pokemon's Grass typing, and while this may not save some Pokemon (Parasect,) it could very well make the difference for others, such as Cradily.

It's design is odd. It's based on sea lilies (or crinoids,) which were believed to be extinct. Hence the whole 'fossil Pokemon' thing. It's not bad. In fact, I think its design is better than most other fossils (Bastiodon and Rampardos, for example,) but it is definitely a strange looking Pokemon. In this sense, it's cool-strange, not creepy-strange.

In-game, you get access to it much sooner than the Kanto fossils, being able to revive it almost immediately after you get it (which is roughly halfway through the game.) However, it is a defensive Pokemon, and defensive Pokemon tend to be seen unfavorably by most trainers, so keep that in mind. Me? I like a little bulk with my Pokemon, so Cradily actually makes a perfect fit for my party.

However, what really earns Cradily its spot on this list is its typing. Who would have thought that the two types with the largest amount of weaknesses would combine together so well? Grass and Rock have surprisingly good synergy. Rock covers Grass' weaknesses to Flying, Poison and Fire, while Grass covers Rock's weakness to Grass, Water and Ground. It's movepool and stat arrangement is also a boon to any defensive player. With access to Ingrain, Toxic, and Stealth Rocks, Cradily makes an excellent support Pokemon and Staller. It's Ability, Storm Drain, also gives it an immunity to one of the most common types in the metagame. Oh, and did I mention it gets Recover? Yeah, basically, if you want a defensive Pokemon, you cannot go wrong with Cradily.

Togekiss


I'll admit, it took me a while to warm up to Togekiss when I first saw it. I didn't initially like the direction they had taken with its design, plus I was using a very competent Staraptor in DP at the time, so I sort of just brushed it off at first. However, once I did eventually come around to giving Togekiss a try, I found one of the most dependable Pokemon ever, and I had to wonder why I hadn't used one before. In fact, a Togekiss currently my main flier in Platinum.

Togekiss is one of those Pokemon whom I like despite their design, not because of it. I still don't like the direction they took with it, transforming Togetic into a weird...thing, but one just can't argue with those stats, those moves and that Serene Grace. Togekiss is one of the few Pokemon gifted with Extremespeed, but that's not even one of its best toys. It is also the only non-legendary Pokemon besides Lucario and Mienfoo's family to get Aura Sphere, which, aside from being great coverage with its STAB Air Slash, also shows you how much faith Game Freak had in Togekiss.

Thunder Wave and Air Slash in tandem with Serene Grace will cause your opponent no end of grief, both competitively and in-game, and Togekiss even learns Nasty Plot for an offensive set. Having decent speed and excellent special bulk and special attack, Togekiss is a Pokemon that can both take a hit and dish one out. And if its health gets low? It gets Roost to heal itself right back. Really, there is not enough good to say about this Pokemon. Despite its goofy appearance, it is incredibly reliable and dependable (provided you can ignore that Stealth Rock weakness) and you won't be disappointed when you train one. It wasn't OU in Gen IV and it's not UU in Gen V for nothing, after all.

So the Ground types...ie the ones I care about the most in this list. There really isn't much to say about them. There are a few I liked, but overall (like the other types on this list,) it didn't ever really make much of an impact on me. Weird, because I do like Grass, which can be considered a sub-category of the "Earth" element (which is what Ground is supposed to represent.) I do like the move 'Earthquake' though. That's always a fun one.

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Rock types. Yeah....I really do nothing these guys. There are a couple that are pretty nice, I suppose, but I did have to grasp at straws to find five that held my interest enough to put them on this list.

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Now these guys are the final type to be covered. And boy do I really not give a rat's ass about them. Take away the bird Pokemon (which I mostly see as Flying types anyway) and I got nuthin'. I don't dislike the type, I just don't particularly like it either. So...Uh...well, I guess...here we go?

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Poison types have never been that impressive to me, those that aren't part Grass anyway, but recently I've developed quite a fondness for more than a couple of them. The Poison type itself isn't that great, but it lends itself to some pretty cool and pretty useful combinations. These are my top 10 favorite Poison types.

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Again, I'll try to limit it to just bird Pokemon, but I make no promises. Flying is one of those types that I don't think much about, but when I do, I realize that I really like it. It's a very understated like for me. I don't consciously acknowledge it, but when I'm sifting through my favorite Pokemon, I'm always impressed by the amount of Flying types that are there. Here are my top 10 favorite Flying types (not including Dragonite or Salamence because, much like Bulbasaur and Budew, that just wouldn't be fair. Also, not including Crobat since it topped the Poison list.)

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