When I was a kid, I really disliked Aerodactyl. Its head was bigger than its body, its mouth was too widely-opened, its wing were a little small—overall, I found it to be quite… ugly. d: Eventually, I got into the competitive scene. My friend, who already had some knowledge in competitive battling, suggested that I should have an Aerodactyl on my team. I was a bit hesitant at first, but still ended up going along with his advice. After getting it on my team, I finally started to realize how good this Pokémon was. Its Speed stat was extremely high, which always allowed it to outrun other Pokémon and strike the first hit. Not only that, but it also had a variety of moves in its arsenal, including Stealth Rock, Taunt, Stone Edge, and Earthquake. If you put all four of these attacks together into a moveset, then this Pokémon would've been able to make a great lead for almost any of your team.
After the introduction of Mega Aerodactyl in X and Y, my love for this Pokémon grew even larger. Mega Aerodactyl looks quite intimidating, which I really like! Plus, it's got a gargantuan Attack stat. After with only one boost from Hone Claws, this Pokémon would become nearly impossible to stop. (: