Which pokemon(s) do you like that doesn't have the stats or moves to play in mainline games?

[cloa513]

A pokemon that you like for design or personality but without a massive expenditure of level grinding or rare candies (or even with) it just doesn't work as anything other a niche player in your team such as intimidate swallower or capture assistant..... Pokemon that deserve a total rework. Do not consider competitive play. Such as Furret, Xatu, Beedrill, Farfetch'd. Cubone, Shuckle,

I would like to make a game with all of them improved enough to be competitive with other present pokemon.

 

[Sheep]

Delcatty! It was so cute and cool in the anime so I gave it that moveset, but gosh did it underperform. Even with a STAB Return it wasn't always great; its stats are just low and all those elemental moves hardly do anything for it. :(

 

[Zeostar]

Ledian is my favorite among these. It doesn't work. Trying to use it in game is painful.

Even Umbreon starts to tread the line, as it's good, but slows the game down drastically with small damage.

 

[Alex_Among_Foxes]

I'd say Sunflora for me. I've always wanted to use one on a team, but the stats are so bad that I can never really justify it over any other Grass Types...

 

[RadEmpoleon]

I've been thinking about Golduck recently, and it makes me sad that it isn't part Psychic type. (Maybe since there are already a few Water-Psychic types in gen 1 already and they didn't want another? Not sure, but it doesn't make sense considering how a lot of its dex entries reference its psychic powers.) I think giving it part Psychic type would give it some new life in battling. (Of course, I can hope that we get Mega Golduck in Legends Z-A and it's Water-Psychic type, but that seems highly unlikely.)

Also thinking of Meganium line for this question. I only played through a Johto game once (Gold) and picked Chikorita because it's my favorite of the 3 Johto starters. I knew I was basically handicapping myself by picking it, but I am a stubborn mule and insisted on Chikorita. I mean they have pretty decent defenses and access to screens is good, but that isn't too helpful with so many weaknesses, especially to the first 2 gyms (the only ones I fought before I couldn't play the game anymore). I think it also has a pretty shallow movepool too, if I'm remembering correctly. The Meganium line deserves more love.

 

[Devalue]

Perhaps Lumineon? Sits in a crowded type with poor stats. Fails to stand out with base 69 offenses. Sees only one means of boosting them: Storm Drain. Learns a surprising number of Flying and Fairy moves, on the plus side.

Wigglytuff. Has an impressive hitpoint stat. Undermines that with its bad defenses. Fiddled with its stats to become something equivalent in survivability: 74 HP / 70 Attack / 74 Defense / 85 Special Attack / 81 Special Defense / 45 Speed. Who else does that look close to? Brionne, with 60/69/69/91/81/50. (Pretty much already saw improved Wigglytuff with Scream Tail, as a note.)

Mentions Castform too. Really likes the ability. Suffers from underwhelming stats (all 70's) and being limited to four moves. Also needs to burn a turn to set up weather, if none is up. Could easily take two hits before even doing damage. Never gave it a Sandstorm form either, for some reason.

 

[cloa513]

Please tell me which Pokemon game had your pokemon.

 

[Palamon]

Haha... So many unfortunately. But, Spiritomb is an example I can think of. It's got no weakness prior to gen 6, but its stats aren't...good? Kinda sucks.

 

[Delta Crowned Sword]

1. Arcanine; 555 BST but spread everywhere. Moves and abilities are not that good, I feel.

2. Infernape; too frail and not fast enough too, for doing in meta games.

3. Diancie; I would have cut 15-15 defenses and added those 30 into HP.

4. Luxray.

5. Chandelure; bit more speed needed.

6. Braviary; very nice design but lacked by some stats and better moves.

 

[Devalue]

Games for the ones mentioned:

• Lumineon: Never used it. Looked at Generation 9 stats and movepool, however.
• Wigglytuff. Used it in X/Y. Fainted to Gyarados (with Iron Head), despite having Thunderbolt and Competitive. (Blames bad luck a little, but still. Missed the one-shot by a ways, if memory serves.)
• Castform. Also X/Y. Beat the game with it solo. Only fainted at the very start (level 1 versus level 3) and post-eighth badge. Benefitted considerably from the massive level advantage. Outsped the likes of Mienshao and Hawlucha and changed types before disaster struck. Still struggled versus Mega Gardevoir.

 

[ReKoil]

Shedinja. I like it, but like... that 1 HP stat is just too oofies even with Wonder Guard. I tried to use it in ORAS. It just died over & over due to how many Pokemon have a move that can hit it.

On the plus side though... Shedinja is amazing for capturing Deoxys in ORAS. It literally can't touch you and if you let Shedinja learn Heal Block, it's not gonna be healing either =P

Considered mentioning Delcatty, but that's actually a viable mon by comparison =P

 

[Megan]

I wanna say Phione. It's a Pokemon that is in a really weird place. You can't get it in most games due to it being stuck in mythical limbo. At the same time you could make the case that it isn't even a mythical. It didn't even have a good boosting move up until Legends: Arceus where it finally got a signature move (that it needs to share with Manaphy...). It's stats are 80 across the board which isn't awful but definitely worse than many other Pokemon out there.

It does have some interesting lore that, I feel, is definitely worth exploring.

 

[Explorer of Time]

Chimecho. It's adorable, but mechanically it's pretty useless in most actual playthroughs. Its sole advantages over other Psychic-types like Alakazam are support moves like Heal Bell, Heal Pulse, and Healing Wish, which can just be replaced by healing items without taking up a team slot, and battle facilities restrict you to teams of three that don't leave room for a pure support Pokemon. To top it all off, its base stats aren't even very good.