MartyTheGliscor
#472
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- Age 22
- Johto Region
- Seen Sep 18, 2019
So, I'm not gonna lie, I was influenced by a few videos like this on YouTube. So here's a list of my Top 18 Favorite Types. And, as an added bonus, I'll share my favorite Pokemon of that type. Just do you know, I don't hate any types. I like all of them, and this list is just least favorite to all-time favorite!
I you want, let me know what your favorite types are, along with your favorite Pokemon of each type.
(TL;DR WARNING, THIS IS A LONG ONE, PEOPLE.)
Here we GO!
18 - Ice
Ice is a very....unique type. The only type they resist is themselves, and they're weak to Fire, Steel, Fighting, and Rock (meaning they are also weak to Stealth Rocks), and is maybe the worst type defensively. A lot of Ice types also aren't available until fairly late into the game. Though, as of Gen 7, they are now immune to Sheer Cold, which is, err.... Somewhat helpful, I guess? But surprisingly, double weaknesses to Ice are very common. Pokemon such as Garchomp, Zygarde, and even Gliscor to an extent are very common in the metagame, giving Ice its time to shine. Not to mention they can increase their defensive capabilities with Aurora Veil and Reflect/Light Screen. Now my favorite Ice Type has to be the sneaky Ice weasel, Weavile.
Weavile was one of my team members on my first playthrough of Pokemon Pearl, and Frostbite (that's a thing I'm doing, using the nicknames I gave them if I tell you about one I used in a playthrough) did not disappoint. He actually nearly swept Cyrus's team (aside from his Gyarados) and took out Cynthia's Garchomp. That 120 Attack Stat coupled with his 125 Speed was just utterly amazing and got me through some tough situations. You go, Frostbite.
17 - Rock
The Rock type is quite risky defensively. Tied with Grass, Rock types have the most weaknesses of any type, with five weaknesses, those being Fighting, Water, Grass, Ground, and Steel-- all quite common types in the metagame. It always seemed odd to me-- from their name you'd think they'd be pretty tough and quite hard to take down. But every time I went up against one, it seemed as fragile as a glass plate. Most likely because of their common low Special Defense stats. And not to mention 2 of their key weaknesses, Water and Grass, are very common special attacking types, and that compared with lots of Rock Types early on being paired with the Ground typing only makes it worse. Though they are able to hold their own defensively, a lot of Rock Type moves come with penalties. Head Smash's recoil, Rock Wrecker's cooldown, and Stone Edge's accuracy. Though there is still a light at the end of the tunnel-- Rock types definitely aren't useless. If you look at someone's team you're most likely gonna see a Rock Type move as coverage, or see a Pokemon that can setup with Stealth Rocks. Now, my favorite Rock Type has to be the mountain-crumbling Tyrant of Johto, Tyranitar.
Tyranitar is an absolutely fearsome, well, Tyrant! It has an Attack stat of 134, making anything it throws at you pretty much lethal. Tyranitar's offensive capabilities sure do show with moves such as Stone Edge, Crunch, and Earthquake, Giga Impact, Dragon Claw, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang, Iron Head, and Brick Break. It also has a Defense Stat of 110, which can be raised with Iron Defense, a surprising base 100 Sp. Def, and a surprisingly decent enough Sp. Atk at 95. Though I've never had a chance to use this absolute beast of a Pokemon, I will try to use it in a SoulSIlver playthrough at some point. And yes, his Mega Evolution is even more amazing, sporting an Attack stat of 164, Defense of 150, and Sp. Def of 120.
16 - Bug
Now, the Bug type really kinda struggles to stand out in the series. A lot of Bug types are typically fragile and quite weak. Lots of them able to be caught early game and getting stomped by most other types later on. So many types resist Bug, and it has enough weaknesses to Poison, Rock, Fire, and Flying, all being quite common types. Not to mention in Generation 1 (Red, Blue, and Yellow), the type was pretty much a complete joke, with the strongest Bug type move having the same base power as TACKLE. But as time has passed, Bug types have had their time to shine, with many powerful moves being added such as X-Scissor, Megahorn, Bug Buzz, and most recently Pollen Puff and First Impression, not to mention the Leech Life buff, as well as introducing Bug Types that can be considered threats in the metagame, given amazing stats or an additional, more helpful second type, such as Volcarona, Scizor, Vikavolt, and Golisopod. And they're starting to become more prominent. And when a Bug type is good, it's utterly AMAZING what it can do. These days, I have a newfound respect for these creepy-crawlers, with a few being introduced every generation with some standouts, whether it be a cool/cute design, amazing stats, or both. And, crawling its way into this spot, we have a very formidable force. The Buff Hercules Beetle of the Johto region, Heracross.
This impressive beetle was one of two Gen 2 Bug types, the other being Scizor, that gave the typing a chance to step out from the obscurity and mediocrity into some formidable foes. First off, the little bugger (see what I did there?) just looks amazing. His design is so simple yet so sleek, and the color choice is perfect. This jacked beetle has an Attack stat of 125, 5 below GARCHOMP, and a decent enough 85 Speed and 95 Sp. Def. And if you have a Heracross with Moxie or Guts, its Attack stat has the potential of utterly SKYROCKETING. In terms of moveset, Heracross gets Close Combat AND Megahorn, 2 VERY powerful moves that both get STAB because Heracross is a dual Bug/Fighting type. It also gets Brick Break, and for coverage it can get Night Slash, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Shadow Claw, and Aerial Ace. Unfortunately, Heracross is cursed by its 4x weakness to Flying, and most Flying Type Pokemon will be able to easily outspeed it. After all, every Pokemon has its flaw. Oh, and it has a Mega Evolution too. It's alright, I guess. But base Heracross will always be the king of the Insect world.
Unless Volcarona dethrones it, I guess. Volcarona's cool, too.
15 - Fairy
The newest type added in Generation 6 was the Fairy type, and most people looked on in extreme skepticism. But they changed so much when they hit the scene. Now being the series' official Dragonslayers, with an immunity to their attacks AND being supereffective against them, as well as giving people more of a reason to use Steel and Poison type Pokemon. These little pixies changed SO much about the metagame. There are certainly some shining stars, as well as them tacking the type on to some older Pokemon such as Granbull, Mawile, and Azumarill. They also shine quite well in the Special department, with lots of them boasting high Sp. Atk and Sp. Def stats. And my favorite Pokemon is the happy-go-lucky Serene Grace blimp, Togekiss.
I LOVE Togekiss. I used it on my Platinum Playthrough, and Topher was probably the MVP of my team, taking out the majority of Aaron's team, and Cynthia's Lucario and Roserade. It was one of the Pokemon that was given the Fairy type when Gen 6 came around. Not to mention it is quite the annoyance in the metagame, with a trolly set like Serene Grace and Thunder Wave + Air Slash, which is known as the ParaFlinch Lock, giving the foe a narrow chance of landing an attack, with Roost to restore the HP lost in case they do land an attack. Togekiss has a Sp. Atk stat of 125, which is exceptionally good. Togekiss also boasts a Defense of 95 and Sp. Def of 115. It's still susceptible to Electric, Ice, and Rock type attacks, though. Not to mention its added weaknesses to Poison and Steel. It's still an amazing Pokemon nonetheless though, thanks to its amazing coverage and stats.
14 - Poison
Now this type is pretty underrated as to how useful it can be in my opinion. They are considered one of the best types in the game defensively, since it is adept in both blocking and inflicting various status conditions, especially the poisoned and badly poisoned status conditions. Its weakness the Ground types can be countered by the many Grass/Poison and Bug/Poison type Pokemon, along with Poison/Flying types or Poison types with Levitate. Though Poison Types are weak to Ground and Psychic Types, and are only super effective against Grass and Fairy types, their resistances and offensive capabilities are where they really shine. They resist themselves, along with Fighting, Bug, Grass, and Fairy, along with powerful attacks such as Sludge Bomb, Sludge Wave, Cross Poison, and Gunk Shot, and the array of status moves such as Toxic Spikes and Toxic. And though there are a few flops and forgettable ones that don't stand out as much, such as Qwilfish (who I actually REALLY like) and Dustox, there's also quite a few Poison Types that truly stand out. And for me, the one that stands out the most is the Toxic Bouquet of Roses herself, Roserade.
Roserade is a fantastic Pokemon. She was one of my Platinum team members alongside Togekiss, and Demeter was a very intimidating Pokemon. With a 125 base Sp. Atk stat, 105 base Sp. Def, and decent base 90 Speed, she could set up Toxic Spikes and use Sludge Bomb and Energy Ball for STAB, along with Shadow Ball for coverage against those pesky Psychic Types, along with moves such as Synthesis or Spikes. The best part is that Roserade can be built as a powerful, hard-hitting Special Attacker on the offensive side, or a bulky, hard-to-take-down bulky defensive Pokemon. Either way, Roserade kicks serious butt.
13 - Normal
The second most common type behind Water, and the most prominent type early game, it's the Normal type. I always found them kind of odd, though. They aren't super-effective against anything, are weak to only Fighting, have an immunity to Ghost as well as Ghost types being immune to them, and are resisted by Steel and Rock. Other than that, they take neutral damage from everything else. But what really makes Normal types stand out is their extremely amazing COVERAGE. They have the widest move pool of any type, and can learn a variety of moves from pretty much any type, giving them high levels of diversity when planning out movesets and strategies for these Pokemon. And while Normal type moves aren't super-effective against any type, some of the most powerful and most useful moves such as Hyper Beam, Facade, Fake Out, and Giga Impact are Normal type, and status moves like Protect, Recover, Substitute, Pain Split, Work Up, Baton Pass, and Swords Dance. While they typically aren't all that special or fantastic, their variety of movesets and strategies and plethora of useful moves that can be used by Pokemon of other types. Now my favorite Normal type Pokemon is the Glitched out Polygon Duck from the Sinnoh region, Porygon-Z.
Oh my lanta, Porygon-Z is amazing. I have a competitively-built Porygon-Z in Pokemon Sun named Anomaly, and it's an absolute savage (I say "it" because Porygon-Z is genderless). It has amazing offensive capabilities, with a decent Attack stat at base 80, and amazing base 135 Sp. Atk. This Pokemon was my saving grace. I was losing quite a lot of battles before I added this handy little glitch duck to my team. It comes with amazing coverage, such as Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Tri-Attack, and Hyper Beam, and amazing status moves such as Recover, Protect, Thunder Wave, Agility, and Magic Coat. Porygon-Z has an amazing move to use at its disposal, though. This move is known as Conversion, which changes the type of the user to the type of the move in the first move slot of its moveset. Put Shadow Ball as its first move and any Fighting Type attack thrown your way after using it will be immediately countered, as Ghost types are immune to Fighting (duh). All I can say is Anomaly the Porygon-Z is my saving grace, and the new Ace of my competitive battling team.
12 - Grass
Ah, Grass types. One of the three starting types of the Pokemon you receive at the beginning of every main series Pokemon game. And it happens to be my least favorite of the three. Don't get me wrong-- Grass types can be very useful and they all have their niche. Typically though, they'll be a mix of offense and defense and carry a plethora of status-inflicting moves, such as Spore, Sleep Powder, Toxic, and Stun Spore to make your opponent's life a living hell. And being super-effective against Rock, Ground, and Water types is a great asset to have. On top of that, some Grass Types look and play absolutely AMAZINGLY. Though they do have their flaws, like their high number of weaknesses to common types such as Fire, Flying, and Poison, the others being Ice and Bug, and they're also resisted by 7 types, being themselves, Dragon, Bug, Flying, Fire, Ice, Steel, and Poison, with a lot of those being incredibly common types. A lot of Grass types also typically don't have the best Speed stats, letting them get utterly stomped by faster Pokemon with types that they are vulnerable against. Despite all this, I do really like this type. As for my favorite Grass type, we have the nimble Forest Gecko himself, Sceptile.
Sceptile is an absolutely amazing starter. And I know very well that I am nowhere near the only one that adores this thing. I mean, he looks so chill, calm, and collected. He could not care less about what others think But if you ever set foot on his turf, he will bring you to a swift end, my friend. Oh hey, unintentional rhyme~! Anyway, Sceptile boasted the highest base Speed stat of any starter before Greninja came along, at base 120. Unbefitting of a Grass type, and even MORE unbefitting of a Grass type, Sceptile doesn't really have access to any true status-inflicting moves, aside from Toxic and Grass Whistle. Instead, Sceptile is an all-out fast attacking FORCE, boasting a base Attack of 85 and base Sp. Atk of 105. Sceptile unfortunately suffered a bit due to the Physical/Special split in Gen 4, though, losing the effectiveness of Crunch, Leaf Blade, Dragon Claw, and ThunderPunch, which made it a force to be reckoned with in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, but even now it's nothing to mess with, with a plethora of Grass type moves that hit hard like Energy Ball, Giga Drain, and Leaf Storm, and can benefit from other special attacks like Dragon Pulse and Focus Blast. Sceptile also received a Mega Evolution, boosting its already high Speed and Sp. Atk, tacking on the Dragon Type, and giving him the ability....Lightningrod...? Seems kinda dumb, but who cares? Sceptile is amazing nonetheless.
11 - Flying
Sure, in a statistical or competitive sense, some of the types that are higher up on the list may in fact be superior. But since Fly is a basically essential HM in Generations 1-6, Most of the time you'll put a Flying type Pokemon on your team. And after using them in so many playthroughs of the main series games, Flying types have really grown on me. Flying types for the most part can be caught pretty early-game and have pretty good Speed and Attack/Sp. Atk stats, giving you a useful addition to your team, considering the amount of Bug types that also show up early-game. On top of THAT, flying types are pretty much ALWAYS paired with another type, be it Poison, Dragon, or most commonly, Normal type. Most flying types are able to hold their own and show what they can do in battle. They resist Bug, Fighting, and Grass, and are weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock. Electric, Rock, and Steel also resist them. Their greatest strength is their immunity to Ground, though, which counters any possible Earthquake spammer the opponent may have, and in double battles, will let you freely spam Earthquake yourself without having to worry about damaging your other Pokemon on the field. And my favorite flying type is a bit of a surprising choice. The should-be Psychic type Owl and Regional Bird of the Johto Region, Noctowl.
Noctowl may seem like quite the odd choice, but in my first SoulSiver playthrough, Atlas never let me down. He swept Chuck and the majority of Bruno's team, aside from his Onix (My Kingdra handled the Onix). With a decent base Sp Atk. stat of 76 (It was buffed to 86 in Gen 7, Praise Lord Helix for that), and a base Sp. Def of 96, Noctowl may not seem all that great at first glance. But when you use Noctowl, the combination of Extrasensory/Psychic, Air Slash, Roost, and Shadow Ball or even Fly works wonders. Along with the fact that, as of Gen 6, it now even gets Moonblast and, as of Gen 5, Synchronoise. Plus, my favorite animal is the Owl. I will forever love Noctowl because of the role it played in my first Pokemon playthrough. Thank god I knew what I was doing.
10 - Dragon
I suppose the time has come to discuss one of the most popular Pokemon types of all time, one that you'll see in every tournament and any kind of battle like that. The Dragon type is extremely common in the metagame, and let's just say it isn't without reason. Dragon types are for the most part extremely powerful and useful. With their type having only one resistance, that being Steel, and only being super-effective against themselves, their attacks have the potential to rack up high amounts of damage to the majority of Pokemon. Pokemon of this type typically have high Base Stat Totals, most of them being higher than any normal Pokemon, with a lot of them being classified as Legendaries, such as Kyurem and Giratina, or Pseudo Legendaries, such as Dragonite and Hydreigon. With resistances to the 3 starting types, Grass, Water, and Fire, Dragon types are meant to be the mythical beasts of the Pokemon universe, and a counter the most starters. For the most part, they're fast and can hit like a truck, easily having the potential to sweep entire teams. Not to mention they gave a few of these Dragon types Mega Evolutions, further increasing their raw power. They're absolutely NOTORIOUS for their pure strength. Luckily they were knocked down a peg in Gen 6 with the introduction of Fairy types, but they still reign supreme. Now, my favorite Dragon type is also a bit of a surprise. It may come to be expected, as I have mentioned it before, but it's the Dragon Seahorse of the Johto Region, Kingdra.
Good LORD, this thing is infamous. Next to Clair's Smokescreen spamming Kingdra in G/S/C/HG/SS to Juan's Double Team spamming Kingdra in Emerald, this thing is known for being an annoyance to face. But I can't help loving it, it's so good! With base 95 in 4 of its stats, being Attack, Defense, Sp. Atk, and Sp. Def, and a base 85 in Speed, this thing is incredibly versatile. Slap Dragon Dance, STAB Dragon Pulse, and STAB Waterfall on Kingdra and it has the potential to easily sweep teams. I would know, I run this set competitively. And I used a Kingdra on my first Playthrough, SoulSIlver. And Neptune swept Clair's team, including her own Kingdra. The competitive Kingdra I use is the same, good old Neptune. I transferred it to White, then to Y, then Sun, where I use it in the Battle Tree as well. Though the only coverage it really has is Flash Cannon, it's still amazing.
9 - Steel
Now we have the Steel type. Introduced along with the Dark Type in Gen 2. Essentially, Steel types by default are meant to be walls for you or your opponent to break through. As of now, they have 10 resistances and one immunity. As a whole, Steel types were made to be able to take hit after hit and stay standing, which is unfortunately not always the case due to its 3 weaknesses to Fire, Fighting, and Ground, all of which are very common in the metagame. Simply the amount of abuse Steel types are able to withstand before fainting is truly amazing, especially if they have defense-increasing or health-restoring moves. And if they're paired with the right additional type, they can be even MORE effective. There's also a great deal of Steel types that are as great offensively as they can be defensively, and they have seen more usage thanks to the Fairy type's introduction. Also, just look at some of the designs. They look incredibly unique and well-designed. And my favorite Steel type is no exception to any of this. Yeah, it's Unova's Bishop of Blades, Bisharp.
Good lord, I absolutely love Bisharp. It is incredibly well-designed and its stats do not disappoint. 125 base Attack and base 100 Defense. Swords Dance, Sucker Punch, Knock Off and Iron Head for STAB, Slap the BlackGlasses on and BAM, you're good to go! The first time I saw Bisharp was facing Grimsley in Pokemon White, and from that moment on I KNEW I needed one. Now here I am, with a Bisharp named Voorhees on my Battle Tree team in Pokemon Sun. And I can tell you, he did NOT disappoint me. In fact, I got to 50 wins the first time I put him on my Battle Tree Team, along with Kingdra and another Pokemon that I'll mention later on.
8 - Dark
This type was initially known to be pretty bad when it first came out, but has since become better and is now a fan-favorite type. The Dark type! Before the Physical/Special split, most Dark type Pokemon were thought of as a joke. Lacking in any really good STAB moves and being quit fragile as a type. It was pretty confusing and dumb, too. I mean, how could 2 of the most common Dark type moves, Bite and Crunch, be classified as Special moves? How is clamping your teeth down on something to attack NOT a Physical attack? But, come Gen 4 and they EXPLODED with usefulness. Powerful moves for both Physical AND Special attackers helped Pokemon like Tyranitar, Houndoom, and Absol to really start being utter attacking forces, letting them become quite big threats. They were also knocked back a bit with Fairy types, but Steel Types lost their Dark resistance and they completely counter Psychic types. Besides that, Game Freak goes out of their way to make so many incredibly-designed Dark Type Pokemon, such as Weavile and Bisharp (which were both mentioned earlier on). My favorite Dark type is the desert-dwelling hoodlum of the Unova region, Scrafty.
First off, just look at him. I love his design. And in my most recent Pokemon White Playthrough, I caught one and named him Callum, after the PokeTuber known as HoodlumScrafty. Scrafty has low-hanging skin like a pair of pants, and has the same thing going on with his neck to make it look like a hoodie. It's adorable! Anyway, Scrafty may not be the most IMPRESSIVE Fighting type in the series, but not only do I think it has a great and lovable design, it can certainly put in work. Its Physical Attack may not be as high as other Fighting types, but its ability Moxie makes up for that in SPADES, boosting its attack every time it KOs an opponent. It's also a great mix of offense and defense, boasting base 115 in both Defense stats and a fantastic learnset to support both assets. Attacking moves like High Jump Kick, Brock Break, Sucker Punch, Dragon Claw, Crunch, Stone Edge, Zen Headbutt, Poison Jab, and all of the Elemental Punches, as well as lots of status moves and setup moves to make it even MORE threatening, such as Substitute, Swagger, Dragon Dance, Detect, Quick Guard, and Counter. Since Fairy types were introduced, though, Scrafty has taken a COLOSSAL blow in terms of effectiveness, but I love it regardless.
7 - Fighting
This is a pretty popular type, sort of in the main fanbase and quite a bit in the metagame. But there's a reason people like Fighting types-- they're almost ALWAYS about Physical offense, sporting high Physical Attack stats that come paired with incredibly powerful attacks, such as High Jump Kick, Brick Break, Low Sweep, and Close Combat. They're the only type that is super-effective against Normal types, and they also fare well against Dark, Steel, Rock, and Ice types.They struggle against Flying types and are practically helpless against Psychic and now Fairy types. And for me, I feel there's a ridiculous amount of Pros and Cons when it comes to this type. But enough of that, my favorite Fighting Type is the Aura-sensing, Anubis-esque Canine of the Sinnoh region, Lucario.
I know to the high heavens above that I am far from the only one that completely adores this Pokemon. The secondary Steel typing completely walls the Psychic and Flying weaknesses it would have if it were pure fighting, and it is super-effective against Fairy, yet now it is weak to Fighting, Fire, and Ground. He's an all-out mixed attacker with a base 110 in Attack and base 115 Sp. Atk. that can lay a beating with moves such as Close Combat, Flash Cannon, Metal Claw, Brick Break, Aura Sphere, and Sky Uppercut, along with coverage moves such as Shadow Claw, Psychic, Bone Rush, Stone Edge, ExtremeSpeed, Dragon Pulse, Dark Pulse, and even Blaze Kick from breeding. It also has a Mega Evolution, which just furthers its awesomeness. I almost always have one in a Platinum Playthrough, unless I choose Infernape as my starter.
6 - Water
Like Flying, you were kind of forced to have a Water type on your team in Generations 1-6 to utilize Surf and Waterfall, which are both pretty much essential to get through the Gen 1-6 games. But unlike Flying, Water types have NO chance of being a burden on your team. As a type, Water just appeals to me as a great type. Pokemon of this type can pretty much do anything they want to do. They can attack Physically, Specially, they can be the speedster of your team, they can wall Physical or Special attacks, they can Stall, they can play support, they can do pretty much ANYTHING. Pretty much any role on your team, a Water type is capable of filling that role. Water types only have 2 weaknesses, those being Electric and Grass, and I don't count Grass a lot of the time because a lot of the time Water Types will be carrying Ice Type moves like Blizzard or Ice Beam, or even Flying and Bug type moves to counter them leaving only Electric as a threat, and even then Water Types can hold their own. The designs of these Pokemon can range from awesome, to cute, to beautiful, to mysterious, to weird, to even FEARSOME. And my favorite Water Type is the Bulky Axolotl of the Hoenn region, Swampert.
Swampert is such a cool Pokemon in my eyes. I almost always choose him over Sceptile, but I love them both. Blaziken is also cool, but he really never appealed to me as much. Swampert is an udder attacking force, being able to wall attacks just as well as he can dish them out. Slap on Waterfall and Earthquake for Stab, with Ice Beam and Hammer Arm for coverage. Though his Speed stat is pretty lackluster, he is a tanky Physical attacker that can definitely be a formidable asset to your team.
5 - Psychic
I'm sure everyone has used this type quite a lot during playthroughs. Psychic types are some of the strongest Pokemon. Back in Red and Blue, they were extremely powerful. So much so that they had to introduce 2 new types to counter them, Dark and Steel. And while they are more balanced, they are still incredibly powerful as a type, boasting high Sp. Atk stats and packing some of the hardest-hitting moves in the game and typically having high Speed stats to truly maximize their offensive power. They do have some down sides, though. The only types Psychic types resist are Fighting types and themselves, and more often than not, if they're hit with a super-effective move, they're going down. Of course there's a lot of Defensive Psychic types and even some Physical ones, most fall into the role of Special Attackers. They're also a fun type to utilize, and there also comes many risks and consequences when using Psychic types, but I absolutely adore this type. And my favorite Psychic type is the Sun Pokemon and also my favorite Eeveelution, Espeon.
One of the most awesome and adorable Pokemon to come out of Gen 2, this thing really does look so cute and cuddly with its pinkish purple color scheme and house pet-like body. But when you get to those deep bluish purple eyes and the jewel on its head, you know it means business. Let's start of by noting that Espeon has the highest base Sp. Atk of all Gen 2 Pokemon, at base 130. That's kinda scary. That coupled with its base 110 Speed and STAB Psychic has the potential to destroy entire teams one after the other. That is, unless, they have a Dark Type to counter Espeon. Espeon's moveset, while covered with Psychic moves , was all it could really do before Gen 4. Some coverage moves added to its moveset include Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, and Dazzling Gleam. And if you throw on Calm Mind and allow it to set up, it can become utterly UNSTOPPABLE. Its design, its battle capability, and everything about it just makes it so lovable.
4 - Electric
Electric as a type is probably the type with the highest average Speed stat, which really is their strongest trait. The majority of Electric types are capable of outspeeding almost any other Pokemon in the series. That coupled with them being able to learn Thunder Wave is pretty electrifying (Whoa, that was forced), as it paralyzes the opponent, halving their speed and giving a chance to prevent the foe from attacking. They also typically have great Sp. Atk stats, coupled with the majority of Electric type moves, being special attacks and having the chance to Paralyze the opponent. Though the flaw they have is that they usually aren't all that great in the defensive department, one decently hard hit being enough to knock them down. They luckily only have one weakness, being Ground, but they're still pretty fragile as a type nonetheless. But their frailty is compensated for massively by their offensive capabilities, mostly in the Sp. Atk department, and crazy high Speed stats. And my favorite Electric Type is an amazing Pokemon and one that I also put on my competitive battling team, the electric lamprey of the Unova region, Eelektross.
This Pokemon is extremely underrated in my opinion. It has a surprising amount of bulk and is the only Pokemon with no weaknesses, as its ability Levitate eliminates its only weakness, being Ground. Its attacking capabilities are absolutely amazing, with a base 115 Attack stat and base 105 Sp. Atk. This thing could easily be utilized as a mixed attacker, with moves such a Thunderbolt, Crunch, Discharge, Thrash, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Acrobatics, Brick Break, Volt Switch, Facade, Flash Cannon, and Dragon Tail. The amount of coverage it has is absolutely INSANE. Not to mention it is incredibly useful thanks to the no-weakness gimmick it has.
3 - Fire
It's top 3 time, baby!
So, Fire is my favorite starting type. I always found Fire types a bit odd, though. They have the second highest number of resistances in the series, yet they are one of the worst types defensively. Doesn't really add up, does it? Anyway, the main draw of Fire types is their, well, Firepower! Fire types are based mostly on offensive power, the main objective being to tear apart your opponent with powerful attacks before they can land a substantial hit on you. Kinda the perfect type for people who are just starting out or aren't familiar with Pokemon games or RPGs in general. Their power is typically accompanied by at least average or above-average Speed stats, although this isn't always the case... *cough* torkoal *cough* ...Though their main drawback is their overall weakness to Water and Ground-- 2 very common types in the metagame. But still, Fire types are still a very prevalent and powerful type. Especially with a lot of their attacks having the chance of burning an opponent, lowering their physical attacking capabilities and causing damage every turn. Kind of a good compliment to their low defenses, huh? Now, the Fire type may not be my favorite type, but it boasts my all-time favorite Pokemon. The blazing volcano badger of the Johto region, Typhlosion.
God, I absolutely ADORE this blazing honey badger. He's the third member of my Battle Tree team, I use him in competitive battles, and he was my first ever starter. I nicknamed him Vulcan, and I transferred him to White, then to Y, then Alpha Sapphire and finally to Sun. He's been with me the whole way. If I were the champion of a Pokemon League, Typhlosion would easily be my Ace. Not to mention he is a fast special attacker, with a base Sp. Atk of 109 and a base Speed of 100, and he can wreck anything with Choice Scarfed Eruption.
2 - Ground
By process of elimination, you should know what my favorite type is.
In my eyes, as soon as Ground types removed themselves from being anchored to Rock types, they IMMEDIATELY became a lot cooler and so much more effective, losing their 4x weaknesses to Water and Grass. They naturally have impressive offensive stats, their sheer brute force being one of their real drawing points. That coupled with usually bulky defense stats allow them to be truthful threats on the battlefield, if it weren't for their typically low Special Defense and weakness to Water, Grass, and Ice. Kind of a serious drawback. But like hell THAT's gonna hold them back. Ground types have the capabilities to absolutely tear everything apart. If there's one thing Ground types are known for, it's obviously Earthquake. One of the most powerful and effective moves in the entire series, even after 21 YEARS being an easy go-to move for any Physical Attacker than can learn it. And it's so easy to spam it! They actually had to invent a Held Item to make Pokemon temporarily immune to Earthquake (Air Balloon). THAT'S how fearsome it is. On top of all these great things about them on the battlefield, also check out some of their designs. So many of these designs are straight up SPECTACULAR. Despite having so many amazing and fearsome Ground types to choose from, you already know what my favorite Ground type is. My second all-time favorite Pokemon and Sinnoh's flying scorpion bat, Gliscor.
You can probably already guess how much I love this thing. I made it my mascot for a reason, don'tcha know? Anyway, being a Ground/Flying type, the only other Pokemon with this typing are of course Gligar, its pre-evolution, and both forms of Landorus. With base 95 in both Attack and Speed, and base 125 Defense, this Pokemon is a SAVAGE. Its hidden ability is Poison Heal, which heals the Pokemon instead of damaging it if it is inflicted with Poison. Couple this with the Toxic Orb and you're set. Gliscor also comes with some great STAB and coverage moves, with moves such as Earthquake, Knock Off, Steel Wing, Acrobatics, Stone Edge, Poison Jab, Aerial Ace, Sky Uppercut, X-Scissor, Night Slash, U-Turn, and Fire Fang. That's quite the list, along with Substitute, Swords Dance to raise its Attack, and Roost to restore lost HP, stacking with Poison Heal. Not to mention, I recently completed Pokemon Platinum again with a Gliscor, fittingly named, well, Marty!
1 - Ghost
My all-time favorite type. Ghost types, as of the release of Gen 6 in 2013, have gotten so powerful. Going from being a kinda lackluster type in early generations before the Physical/Special Split, since most Ghost types were Special Attackers while Ghost type was stupidly a Physical type, to being resisted by almost NO type thanks to Steel losing its Ghost resistance, and it has the potential to be called one of the greatest offensive types in the series. And only having 2 weaknesses, being Dark and unfortunately itself, makes them even MORE of a threat, as well as an immunity to they very common Fighting type and Normal type as a bonus. They're really diverse honestly. Some of the most well-known Ghost types are fast attackers that threaten entire teams, but they also have a number of more defensive and annoying supportive Ghost types. The variety of Ghost type Pokemon is actually quite surprising, given their diverse movepools and moves that vary in offensive and support capabilities. Anyone who has grown up with Pokemon over the years really understands what Ghost types are capable of. And, as the years go by, they just keep getting more and more fearsome. And out of every Ghost type in the series, I've gotta say that my favorite has to be the enchanting, soul-consuming light in the darkness, Chandelure.
I'm certain a lot of older Pokemon fans will question why this floating, living chandelier is my favorite Ghost type over something as cool as Gengar, but Chandelure just warms my heart more than Gengar ever could (see what I did there?). First of all, Chandelure has the second highest Special Attack of all non-Legendary, non-Mega Evolved Pokemon besides Blade-Forme Aegislash. Another GHOST type. Having a base 145 Sp. Atk stat, making its brute attacking power greater than the likes of Alakazam, Gengar, Espeon, and even outranking every non-Mega Evolved Starter. Any attack from this thing will tear holes in almost any Pokemon. And having STAB Shadow Ball that almost no type resists, makes this Pokemon incredibly threatening. Besides Shadow Ball, Chandelure has an interesting learnset, including moves like Fire Blast, Overheat, Inferno, Dark Pulse, Dream Eater, and the best coverage move to deal with Ground, Rock, and Water types, Energy Ball. In terms of why it's my favorite Ghost type in particular, I absolutely LOVED raising one up. Starting off with an adorable Litwick, then evolving it into a snazzy enough looking Lampent, then into this mystical and glorious-looking ghostly figure with a Dusk Stone. I mean, I adore its design. The eerie bluish-purple flames and unblinking yellow eyes that pierce your soul, and the way it drifts from side to side really captures the feel of a ghostly ornament. It is a bit of a long process getting one, getting a Litwick all the way up to level 41, then having to evolve Lampent with a Dusk Stone is a bit of a time-consuming process, but like every Pokemon that takes work to get, the absolute powerhouse you get in the end definitely is worth it. Oh yeah, it also steals and consumes souls, leaving the bodies of the victims as empty husks. Interesting, I guess. If not, y'know, terrifying. Still an amazing Pokemon with an amazing type!
I you want, let me know what your favorite types are, along with your favorite Pokemon of each type.
(TL;DR WARNING, THIS IS A LONG ONE, PEOPLE.)
Here we GO!
18 - Ice
Ice is a very....unique type. The only type they resist is themselves, and they're weak to Fire, Steel, Fighting, and Rock (meaning they are also weak to Stealth Rocks), and is maybe the worst type defensively. A lot of Ice types also aren't available until fairly late into the game. Though, as of Gen 7, they are now immune to Sheer Cold, which is, err.... Somewhat helpful, I guess? But surprisingly, double weaknesses to Ice are very common. Pokemon such as Garchomp, Zygarde, and even Gliscor to an extent are very common in the metagame, giving Ice its time to shine. Not to mention they can increase their defensive capabilities with Aurora Veil and Reflect/Light Screen. Now my favorite Ice Type has to be the sneaky Ice weasel, Weavile.
Weavile was one of my team members on my first playthrough of Pokemon Pearl, and Frostbite (that's a thing I'm doing, using the nicknames I gave them if I tell you about one I used in a playthrough) did not disappoint. He actually nearly swept Cyrus's team (aside from his Gyarados) and took out Cynthia's Garchomp. That 120 Attack Stat coupled with his 125 Speed was just utterly amazing and got me through some tough situations. You go, Frostbite.
17 - Rock
The Rock type is quite risky defensively. Tied with Grass, Rock types have the most weaknesses of any type, with five weaknesses, those being Fighting, Water, Grass, Ground, and Steel-- all quite common types in the metagame. It always seemed odd to me-- from their name you'd think they'd be pretty tough and quite hard to take down. But every time I went up against one, it seemed as fragile as a glass plate. Most likely because of their common low Special Defense stats. And not to mention 2 of their key weaknesses, Water and Grass, are very common special attacking types, and that compared with lots of Rock Types early on being paired with the Ground typing only makes it worse. Though they are able to hold their own defensively, a lot of Rock Type moves come with penalties. Head Smash's recoil, Rock Wrecker's cooldown, and Stone Edge's accuracy. Though there is still a light at the end of the tunnel-- Rock types definitely aren't useless. If you look at someone's team you're most likely gonna see a Rock Type move as coverage, or see a Pokemon that can setup with Stealth Rocks. Now, my favorite Rock Type has to be the mountain-crumbling Tyrant of Johto, Tyranitar.
Tyranitar is an absolutely fearsome, well, Tyrant! It has an Attack stat of 134, making anything it throws at you pretty much lethal. Tyranitar's offensive capabilities sure do show with moves such as Stone Edge, Crunch, and Earthquake, Giga Impact, Dragon Claw, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang, Iron Head, and Brick Break. It also has a Defense Stat of 110, which can be raised with Iron Defense, a surprising base 100 Sp. Def, and a surprisingly decent enough Sp. Atk at 95. Though I've never had a chance to use this absolute beast of a Pokemon, I will try to use it in a SoulSIlver playthrough at some point. And yes, his Mega Evolution is even more amazing, sporting an Attack stat of 164, Defense of 150, and Sp. Def of 120.
16 - Bug
Now, the Bug type really kinda struggles to stand out in the series. A lot of Bug types are typically fragile and quite weak. Lots of them able to be caught early game and getting stomped by most other types later on. So many types resist Bug, and it has enough weaknesses to Poison, Rock, Fire, and Flying, all being quite common types. Not to mention in Generation 1 (Red, Blue, and Yellow), the type was pretty much a complete joke, with the strongest Bug type move having the same base power as TACKLE. But as time has passed, Bug types have had their time to shine, with many powerful moves being added such as X-Scissor, Megahorn, Bug Buzz, and most recently Pollen Puff and First Impression, not to mention the Leech Life buff, as well as introducing Bug Types that can be considered threats in the metagame, given amazing stats or an additional, more helpful second type, such as Volcarona, Scizor, Vikavolt, and Golisopod. And they're starting to become more prominent. And when a Bug type is good, it's utterly AMAZING what it can do. These days, I have a newfound respect for these creepy-crawlers, with a few being introduced every generation with some standouts, whether it be a cool/cute design, amazing stats, or both. And, crawling its way into this spot, we have a very formidable force. The Buff Hercules Beetle of the Johto region, Heracross.
This impressive beetle was one of two Gen 2 Bug types, the other being Scizor, that gave the typing a chance to step out from the obscurity and mediocrity into some formidable foes. First off, the little bugger (see what I did there?) just looks amazing. His design is so simple yet so sleek, and the color choice is perfect. This jacked beetle has an Attack stat of 125, 5 below GARCHOMP, and a decent enough 85 Speed and 95 Sp. Def. And if you have a Heracross with Moxie or Guts, its Attack stat has the potential of utterly SKYROCKETING. In terms of moveset, Heracross gets Close Combat AND Megahorn, 2 VERY powerful moves that both get STAB because Heracross is a dual Bug/Fighting type. It also gets Brick Break, and for coverage it can get Night Slash, Stone Edge, Earthquake, Shadow Claw, and Aerial Ace. Unfortunately, Heracross is cursed by its 4x weakness to Flying, and most Flying Type Pokemon will be able to easily outspeed it. After all, every Pokemon has its flaw. Oh, and it has a Mega Evolution too. It's alright, I guess. But base Heracross will always be the king of the Insect world.
Unless Volcarona dethrones it, I guess. Volcarona's cool, too.
15 - Fairy
The newest type added in Generation 6 was the Fairy type, and most people looked on in extreme skepticism. But they changed so much when they hit the scene. Now being the series' official Dragonslayers, with an immunity to their attacks AND being supereffective against them, as well as giving people more of a reason to use Steel and Poison type Pokemon. These little pixies changed SO much about the metagame. There are certainly some shining stars, as well as them tacking the type on to some older Pokemon such as Granbull, Mawile, and Azumarill. They also shine quite well in the Special department, with lots of them boasting high Sp. Atk and Sp. Def stats. And my favorite Pokemon is the happy-go-lucky Serene Grace blimp, Togekiss.
I LOVE Togekiss. I used it on my Platinum Playthrough, and Topher was probably the MVP of my team, taking out the majority of Aaron's team, and Cynthia's Lucario and Roserade. It was one of the Pokemon that was given the Fairy type when Gen 6 came around. Not to mention it is quite the annoyance in the metagame, with a trolly set like Serene Grace and Thunder Wave + Air Slash, which is known as the ParaFlinch Lock, giving the foe a narrow chance of landing an attack, with Roost to restore the HP lost in case they do land an attack. Togekiss has a Sp. Atk stat of 125, which is exceptionally good. Togekiss also boasts a Defense of 95 and Sp. Def of 115. It's still susceptible to Electric, Ice, and Rock type attacks, though. Not to mention its added weaknesses to Poison and Steel. It's still an amazing Pokemon nonetheless though, thanks to its amazing coverage and stats.
14 - Poison
Now this type is pretty underrated as to how useful it can be in my opinion. They are considered one of the best types in the game defensively, since it is adept in both blocking and inflicting various status conditions, especially the poisoned and badly poisoned status conditions. Its weakness the Ground types can be countered by the many Grass/Poison and Bug/Poison type Pokemon, along with Poison/Flying types or Poison types with Levitate. Though Poison Types are weak to Ground and Psychic Types, and are only super effective against Grass and Fairy types, their resistances and offensive capabilities are where they really shine. They resist themselves, along with Fighting, Bug, Grass, and Fairy, along with powerful attacks such as Sludge Bomb, Sludge Wave, Cross Poison, and Gunk Shot, and the array of status moves such as Toxic Spikes and Toxic. And though there are a few flops and forgettable ones that don't stand out as much, such as Qwilfish (who I actually REALLY like) and Dustox, there's also quite a few Poison Types that truly stand out. And for me, the one that stands out the most is the Toxic Bouquet of Roses herself, Roserade.
Roserade is a fantastic Pokemon. She was one of my Platinum team members alongside Togekiss, and Demeter was a very intimidating Pokemon. With a 125 base Sp. Atk stat, 105 base Sp. Def, and decent base 90 Speed, she could set up Toxic Spikes and use Sludge Bomb and Energy Ball for STAB, along with Shadow Ball for coverage against those pesky Psychic Types, along with moves such as Synthesis or Spikes. The best part is that Roserade can be built as a powerful, hard-hitting Special Attacker on the offensive side, or a bulky, hard-to-take-down bulky defensive Pokemon. Either way, Roserade kicks serious butt.
13 - Normal
The second most common type behind Water, and the most prominent type early game, it's the Normal type. I always found them kind of odd, though. They aren't super-effective against anything, are weak to only Fighting, have an immunity to Ghost as well as Ghost types being immune to them, and are resisted by Steel and Rock. Other than that, they take neutral damage from everything else. But what really makes Normal types stand out is their extremely amazing COVERAGE. They have the widest move pool of any type, and can learn a variety of moves from pretty much any type, giving them high levels of diversity when planning out movesets and strategies for these Pokemon. And while Normal type moves aren't super-effective against any type, some of the most powerful and most useful moves such as Hyper Beam, Facade, Fake Out, and Giga Impact are Normal type, and status moves like Protect, Recover, Substitute, Pain Split, Work Up, Baton Pass, and Swords Dance. While they typically aren't all that special or fantastic, their variety of movesets and strategies and plethora of useful moves that can be used by Pokemon of other types. Now my favorite Normal type Pokemon is the Glitched out Polygon Duck from the Sinnoh region, Porygon-Z.
Oh my lanta, Porygon-Z is amazing. I have a competitively-built Porygon-Z in Pokemon Sun named Anomaly, and it's an absolute savage (I say "it" because Porygon-Z is genderless). It has amazing offensive capabilities, with a decent Attack stat at base 80, and amazing base 135 Sp. Atk. This Pokemon was my saving grace. I was losing quite a lot of battles before I added this handy little glitch duck to my team. It comes with amazing coverage, such as Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, Psychic, Tri-Attack, and Hyper Beam, and amazing status moves such as Recover, Protect, Thunder Wave, Agility, and Magic Coat. Porygon-Z has an amazing move to use at its disposal, though. This move is known as Conversion, which changes the type of the user to the type of the move in the first move slot of its moveset. Put Shadow Ball as its first move and any Fighting Type attack thrown your way after using it will be immediately countered, as Ghost types are immune to Fighting (duh). All I can say is Anomaly the Porygon-Z is my saving grace, and the new Ace of my competitive battling team.
12 - Grass
Ah, Grass types. One of the three starting types of the Pokemon you receive at the beginning of every main series Pokemon game. And it happens to be my least favorite of the three. Don't get me wrong-- Grass types can be very useful and they all have their niche. Typically though, they'll be a mix of offense and defense and carry a plethora of status-inflicting moves, such as Spore, Sleep Powder, Toxic, and Stun Spore to make your opponent's life a living hell. And being super-effective against Rock, Ground, and Water types is a great asset to have. On top of that, some Grass Types look and play absolutely AMAZINGLY. Though they do have their flaws, like their high number of weaknesses to common types such as Fire, Flying, and Poison, the others being Ice and Bug, and they're also resisted by 7 types, being themselves, Dragon, Bug, Flying, Fire, Ice, Steel, and Poison, with a lot of those being incredibly common types. A lot of Grass types also typically don't have the best Speed stats, letting them get utterly stomped by faster Pokemon with types that they are vulnerable against. Despite all this, I do really like this type. As for my favorite Grass type, we have the nimble Forest Gecko himself, Sceptile.
Sceptile is an absolutely amazing starter. And I know very well that I am nowhere near the only one that adores this thing. I mean, he looks so chill, calm, and collected. He could not care less about what others think But if you ever set foot on his turf, he will bring you to a swift end, my friend. Oh hey, unintentional rhyme~! Anyway, Sceptile boasted the highest base Speed stat of any starter before Greninja came along, at base 120. Unbefitting of a Grass type, and even MORE unbefitting of a Grass type, Sceptile doesn't really have access to any true status-inflicting moves, aside from Toxic and Grass Whistle. Instead, Sceptile is an all-out fast attacking FORCE, boasting a base Attack of 85 and base Sp. Atk of 105. Sceptile unfortunately suffered a bit due to the Physical/Special split in Gen 4, though, losing the effectiveness of Crunch, Leaf Blade, Dragon Claw, and ThunderPunch, which made it a force to be reckoned with in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, but even now it's nothing to mess with, with a plethora of Grass type moves that hit hard like Energy Ball, Giga Drain, and Leaf Storm, and can benefit from other special attacks like Dragon Pulse and Focus Blast. Sceptile also received a Mega Evolution, boosting its already high Speed and Sp. Atk, tacking on the Dragon Type, and giving him the ability....Lightningrod...? Seems kinda dumb, but who cares? Sceptile is amazing nonetheless.
11 - Flying
Sure, in a statistical or competitive sense, some of the types that are higher up on the list may in fact be superior. But since Fly is a basically essential HM in Generations 1-6, Most of the time you'll put a Flying type Pokemon on your team. And after using them in so many playthroughs of the main series games, Flying types have really grown on me. Flying types for the most part can be caught pretty early-game and have pretty good Speed and Attack/Sp. Atk stats, giving you a useful addition to your team, considering the amount of Bug types that also show up early-game. On top of THAT, flying types are pretty much ALWAYS paired with another type, be it Poison, Dragon, or most commonly, Normal type. Most flying types are able to hold their own and show what they can do in battle. They resist Bug, Fighting, and Grass, and are weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock. Electric, Rock, and Steel also resist them. Their greatest strength is their immunity to Ground, though, which counters any possible Earthquake spammer the opponent may have, and in double battles, will let you freely spam Earthquake yourself without having to worry about damaging your other Pokemon on the field. And my favorite flying type is a bit of a surprising choice. The should-be Psychic type Owl and Regional Bird of the Johto Region, Noctowl.
Noctowl may seem like quite the odd choice, but in my first SoulSiver playthrough, Atlas never let me down. He swept Chuck and the majority of Bruno's team, aside from his Onix (My Kingdra handled the Onix). With a decent base Sp Atk. stat of 76 (It was buffed to 86 in Gen 7, Praise Lord Helix for that), and a base Sp. Def of 96, Noctowl may not seem all that great at first glance. But when you use Noctowl, the combination of Extrasensory/Psychic, Air Slash, Roost, and Shadow Ball or even Fly works wonders. Along with the fact that, as of Gen 6, it now even gets Moonblast and, as of Gen 5, Synchronoise. Plus, my favorite animal is the Owl. I will forever love Noctowl because of the role it played in my first Pokemon playthrough. Thank god I knew what I was doing.
10 - Dragon
I suppose the time has come to discuss one of the most popular Pokemon types of all time, one that you'll see in every tournament and any kind of battle like that. The Dragon type is extremely common in the metagame, and let's just say it isn't without reason. Dragon types are for the most part extremely powerful and useful. With their type having only one resistance, that being Steel, and only being super-effective against themselves, their attacks have the potential to rack up high amounts of damage to the majority of Pokemon. Pokemon of this type typically have high Base Stat Totals, most of them being higher than any normal Pokemon, with a lot of them being classified as Legendaries, such as Kyurem and Giratina, or Pseudo Legendaries, such as Dragonite and Hydreigon. With resistances to the 3 starting types, Grass, Water, and Fire, Dragon types are meant to be the mythical beasts of the Pokemon universe, and a counter the most starters. For the most part, they're fast and can hit like a truck, easily having the potential to sweep entire teams. Not to mention they gave a few of these Dragon types Mega Evolutions, further increasing their raw power. They're absolutely NOTORIOUS for their pure strength. Luckily they were knocked down a peg in Gen 6 with the introduction of Fairy types, but they still reign supreme. Now, my favorite Dragon type is also a bit of a surprise. It may come to be expected, as I have mentioned it before, but it's the Dragon Seahorse of the Johto Region, Kingdra.
Good LORD, this thing is infamous. Next to Clair's Smokescreen spamming Kingdra in G/S/C/HG/SS to Juan's Double Team spamming Kingdra in Emerald, this thing is known for being an annoyance to face. But I can't help loving it, it's so good! With base 95 in 4 of its stats, being Attack, Defense, Sp. Atk, and Sp. Def, and a base 85 in Speed, this thing is incredibly versatile. Slap Dragon Dance, STAB Dragon Pulse, and STAB Waterfall on Kingdra and it has the potential to easily sweep teams. I would know, I run this set competitively. And I used a Kingdra on my first Playthrough, SoulSIlver. And Neptune swept Clair's team, including her own Kingdra. The competitive Kingdra I use is the same, good old Neptune. I transferred it to White, then to Y, then Sun, where I use it in the Battle Tree as well. Though the only coverage it really has is Flash Cannon, it's still amazing.
9 - Steel
Now we have the Steel type. Introduced along with the Dark Type in Gen 2. Essentially, Steel types by default are meant to be walls for you or your opponent to break through. As of now, they have 10 resistances and one immunity. As a whole, Steel types were made to be able to take hit after hit and stay standing, which is unfortunately not always the case due to its 3 weaknesses to Fire, Fighting, and Ground, all of which are very common in the metagame. Simply the amount of abuse Steel types are able to withstand before fainting is truly amazing, especially if they have defense-increasing or health-restoring moves. And if they're paired with the right additional type, they can be even MORE effective. There's also a great deal of Steel types that are as great offensively as they can be defensively, and they have seen more usage thanks to the Fairy type's introduction. Also, just look at some of the designs. They look incredibly unique and well-designed. And my favorite Steel type is no exception to any of this. Yeah, it's Unova's Bishop of Blades, Bisharp.
Good lord, I absolutely love Bisharp. It is incredibly well-designed and its stats do not disappoint. 125 base Attack and base 100 Defense. Swords Dance, Sucker Punch, Knock Off and Iron Head for STAB, Slap the BlackGlasses on and BAM, you're good to go! The first time I saw Bisharp was facing Grimsley in Pokemon White, and from that moment on I KNEW I needed one. Now here I am, with a Bisharp named Voorhees on my Battle Tree team in Pokemon Sun. And I can tell you, he did NOT disappoint me. In fact, I got to 50 wins the first time I put him on my Battle Tree Team, along with Kingdra and another Pokemon that I'll mention later on.
8 - Dark
This type was initially known to be pretty bad when it first came out, but has since become better and is now a fan-favorite type. The Dark type! Before the Physical/Special split, most Dark type Pokemon were thought of as a joke. Lacking in any really good STAB moves and being quit fragile as a type. It was pretty confusing and dumb, too. I mean, how could 2 of the most common Dark type moves, Bite and Crunch, be classified as Special moves? How is clamping your teeth down on something to attack NOT a Physical attack? But, come Gen 4 and they EXPLODED with usefulness. Powerful moves for both Physical AND Special attackers helped Pokemon like Tyranitar, Houndoom, and Absol to really start being utter attacking forces, letting them become quite big threats. They were also knocked back a bit with Fairy types, but Steel Types lost their Dark resistance and they completely counter Psychic types. Besides that, Game Freak goes out of their way to make so many incredibly-designed Dark Type Pokemon, such as Weavile and Bisharp (which were both mentioned earlier on). My favorite Dark type is the desert-dwelling hoodlum of the Unova region, Scrafty.
First off, just look at him. I love his design. And in my most recent Pokemon White Playthrough, I caught one and named him Callum, after the PokeTuber known as HoodlumScrafty. Scrafty has low-hanging skin like a pair of pants, and has the same thing going on with his neck to make it look like a hoodie. It's adorable! Anyway, Scrafty may not be the most IMPRESSIVE Fighting type in the series, but not only do I think it has a great and lovable design, it can certainly put in work. Its Physical Attack may not be as high as other Fighting types, but its ability Moxie makes up for that in SPADES, boosting its attack every time it KOs an opponent. It's also a great mix of offense and defense, boasting base 115 in both Defense stats and a fantastic learnset to support both assets. Attacking moves like High Jump Kick, Brock Break, Sucker Punch, Dragon Claw, Crunch, Stone Edge, Zen Headbutt, Poison Jab, and all of the Elemental Punches, as well as lots of status moves and setup moves to make it even MORE threatening, such as Substitute, Swagger, Dragon Dance, Detect, Quick Guard, and Counter. Since Fairy types were introduced, though, Scrafty has taken a COLOSSAL blow in terms of effectiveness, but I love it regardless.
7 - Fighting
This is a pretty popular type, sort of in the main fanbase and quite a bit in the metagame. But there's a reason people like Fighting types-- they're almost ALWAYS about Physical offense, sporting high Physical Attack stats that come paired with incredibly powerful attacks, such as High Jump Kick, Brick Break, Low Sweep, and Close Combat. They're the only type that is super-effective against Normal types, and they also fare well against Dark, Steel, Rock, and Ice types.They struggle against Flying types and are practically helpless against Psychic and now Fairy types. And for me, I feel there's a ridiculous amount of Pros and Cons when it comes to this type. But enough of that, my favorite Fighting Type is the Aura-sensing, Anubis-esque Canine of the Sinnoh region, Lucario.
I know to the high heavens above that I am far from the only one that completely adores this Pokemon. The secondary Steel typing completely walls the Psychic and Flying weaknesses it would have if it were pure fighting, and it is super-effective against Fairy, yet now it is weak to Fighting, Fire, and Ground. He's an all-out mixed attacker with a base 110 in Attack and base 115 Sp. Atk. that can lay a beating with moves such as Close Combat, Flash Cannon, Metal Claw, Brick Break, Aura Sphere, and Sky Uppercut, along with coverage moves such as Shadow Claw, Psychic, Bone Rush, Stone Edge, ExtremeSpeed, Dragon Pulse, Dark Pulse, and even Blaze Kick from breeding. It also has a Mega Evolution, which just furthers its awesomeness. I almost always have one in a Platinum Playthrough, unless I choose Infernape as my starter.
6 - Water
Like Flying, you were kind of forced to have a Water type on your team in Generations 1-6 to utilize Surf and Waterfall, which are both pretty much essential to get through the Gen 1-6 games. But unlike Flying, Water types have NO chance of being a burden on your team. As a type, Water just appeals to me as a great type. Pokemon of this type can pretty much do anything they want to do. They can attack Physically, Specially, they can be the speedster of your team, they can wall Physical or Special attacks, they can Stall, they can play support, they can do pretty much ANYTHING. Pretty much any role on your team, a Water type is capable of filling that role. Water types only have 2 weaknesses, those being Electric and Grass, and I don't count Grass a lot of the time because a lot of the time Water Types will be carrying Ice Type moves like Blizzard or Ice Beam, or even Flying and Bug type moves to counter them leaving only Electric as a threat, and even then Water Types can hold their own. The designs of these Pokemon can range from awesome, to cute, to beautiful, to mysterious, to weird, to even FEARSOME. And my favorite Water Type is the Bulky Axolotl of the Hoenn region, Swampert.
Swampert is such a cool Pokemon in my eyes. I almost always choose him over Sceptile, but I love them both. Blaziken is also cool, but he really never appealed to me as much. Swampert is an udder attacking force, being able to wall attacks just as well as he can dish them out. Slap on Waterfall and Earthquake for Stab, with Ice Beam and Hammer Arm for coverage. Though his Speed stat is pretty lackluster, he is a tanky Physical attacker that can definitely be a formidable asset to your team.
5 - Psychic
I'm sure everyone has used this type quite a lot during playthroughs. Psychic types are some of the strongest Pokemon. Back in Red and Blue, they were extremely powerful. So much so that they had to introduce 2 new types to counter them, Dark and Steel. And while they are more balanced, they are still incredibly powerful as a type, boasting high Sp. Atk stats and packing some of the hardest-hitting moves in the game and typically having high Speed stats to truly maximize their offensive power. They do have some down sides, though. The only types Psychic types resist are Fighting types and themselves, and more often than not, if they're hit with a super-effective move, they're going down. Of course there's a lot of Defensive Psychic types and even some Physical ones, most fall into the role of Special Attackers. They're also a fun type to utilize, and there also comes many risks and consequences when using Psychic types, but I absolutely adore this type. And my favorite Psychic type is the Sun Pokemon and also my favorite Eeveelution, Espeon.
One of the most awesome and adorable Pokemon to come out of Gen 2, this thing really does look so cute and cuddly with its pinkish purple color scheme and house pet-like body. But when you get to those deep bluish purple eyes and the jewel on its head, you know it means business. Let's start of by noting that Espeon has the highest base Sp. Atk of all Gen 2 Pokemon, at base 130. That's kinda scary. That coupled with its base 110 Speed and STAB Psychic has the potential to destroy entire teams one after the other. That is, unless, they have a Dark Type to counter Espeon. Espeon's moveset, while covered with Psychic moves , was all it could really do before Gen 4. Some coverage moves added to its moveset include Shadow Ball, Signal Beam, and Dazzling Gleam. And if you throw on Calm Mind and allow it to set up, it can become utterly UNSTOPPABLE. Its design, its battle capability, and everything about it just makes it so lovable.
4 - Electric
Electric as a type is probably the type with the highest average Speed stat, which really is their strongest trait. The majority of Electric types are capable of outspeeding almost any other Pokemon in the series. That coupled with them being able to learn Thunder Wave is pretty electrifying (Whoa, that was forced), as it paralyzes the opponent, halving their speed and giving a chance to prevent the foe from attacking. They also typically have great Sp. Atk stats, coupled with the majority of Electric type moves, being special attacks and having the chance to Paralyze the opponent. Though the flaw they have is that they usually aren't all that great in the defensive department, one decently hard hit being enough to knock them down. They luckily only have one weakness, being Ground, but they're still pretty fragile as a type nonetheless. But their frailty is compensated for massively by their offensive capabilities, mostly in the Sp. Atk department, and crazy high Speed stats. And my favorite Electric Type is an amazing Pokemon and one that I also put on my competitive battling team, the electric lamprey of the Unova region, Eelektross.
This Pokemon is extremely underrated in my opinion. It has a surprising amount of bulk and is the only Pokemon with no weaknesses, as its ability Levitate eliminates its only weakness, being Ground. Its attacking capabilities are absolutely amazing, with a base 115 Attack stat and base 105 Sp. Atk. This thing could easily be utilized as a mixed attacker, with moves such a Thunderbolt, Crunch, Discharge, Thrash, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Acrobatics, Brick Break, Volt Switch, Facade, Flash Cannon, and Dragon Tail. The amount of coverage it has is absolutely INSANE. Not to mention it is incredibly useful thanks to the no-weakness gimmick it has.
3 - Fire
It's top 3 time, baby!
So, Fire is my favorite starting type. I always found Fire types a bit odd, though. They have the second highest number of resistances in the series, yet they are one of the worst types defensively. Doesn't really add up, does it? Anyway, the main draw of Fire types is their, well, Firepower! Fire types are based mostly on offensive power, the main objective being to tear apart your opponent with powerful attacks before they can land a substantial hit on you. Kinda the perfect type for people who are just starting out or aren't familiar with Pokemon games or RPGs in general. Their power is typically accompanied by at least average or above-average Speed stats, although this isn't always the case... *cough* torkoal *cough* ...Though their main drawback is their overall weakness to Water and Ground-- 2 very common types in the metagame. But still, Fire types are still a very prevalent and powerful type. Especially with a lot of their attacks having the chance of burning an opponent, lowering their physical attacking capabilities and causing damage every turn. Kind of a good compliment to their low defenses, huh? Now, the Fire type may not be my favorite type, but it boasts my all-time favorite Pokemon. The blazing volcano badger of the Johto region, Typhlosion.
God, I absolutely ADORE this blazing honey badger. He's the third member of my Battle Tree team, I use him in competitive battles, and he was my first ever starter. I nicknamed him Vulcan, and I transferred him to White, then to Y, then Alpha Sapphire and finally to Sun. He's been with me the whole way. If I were the champion of a Pokemon League, Typhlosion would easily be my Ace. Not to mention he is a fast special attacker, with a base Sp. Atk of 109 and a base Speed of 100, and he can wreck anything with Choice Scarfed Eruption.
2 - Ground
By process of elimination, you should know what my favorite type is.
In my eyes, as soon as Ground types removed themselves from being anchored to Rock types, they IMMEDIATELY became a lot cooler and so much more effective, losing their 4x weaknesses to Water and Grass. They naturally have impressive offensive stats, their sheer brute force being one of their real drawing points. That coupled with usually bulky defense stats allow them to be truthful threats on the battlefield, if it weren't for their typically low Special Defense and weakness to Water, Grass, and Ice. Kind of a serious drawback. But like hell THAT's gonna hold them back. Ground types have the capabilities to absolutely tear everything apart. If there's one thing Ground types are known for, it's obviously Earthquake. One of the most powerful and effective moves in the entire series, even after 21 YEARS being an easy go-to move for any Physical Attacker than can learn it. And it's so easy to spam it! They actually had to invent a Held Item to make Pokemon temporarily immune to Earthquake (Air Balloon). THAT'S how fearsome it is. On top of all these great things about them on the battlefield, also check out some of their designs. So many of these designs are straight up SPECTACULAR. Despite having so many amazing and fearsome Ground types to choose from, you already know what my favorite Ground type is. My second all-time favorite Pokemon and Sinnoh's flying scorpion bat, Gliscor.
You can probably already guess how much I love this thing. I made it my mascot for a reason, don'tcha know? Anyway, being a Ground/Flying type, the only other Pokemon with this typing are of course Gligar, its pre-evolution, and both forms of Landorus. With base 95 in both Attack and Speed, and base 125 Defense, this Pokemon is a SAVAGE. Its hidden ability is Poison Heal, which heals the Pokemon instead of damaging it if it is inflicted with Poison. Couple this with the Toxic Orb and you're set. Gliscor also comes with some great STAB and coverage moves, with moves such as Earthquake, Knock Off, Steel Wing, Acrobatics, Stone Edge, Poison Jab, Aerial Ace, Sky Uppercut, X-Scissor, Night Slash, U-Turn, and Fire Fang. That's quite the list, along with Substitute, Swords Dance to raise its Attack, and Roost to restore lost HP, stacking with Poison Heal. Not to mention, I recently completed Pokemon Platinum again with a Gliscor, fittingly named, well, Marty!
1 - Ghost
My all-time favorite type. Ghost types, as of the release of Gen 6 in 2013, have gotten so powerful. Going from being a kinda lackluster type in early generations before the Physical/Special Split, since most Ghost types were Special Attackers while Ghost type was stupidly a Physical type, to being resisted by almost NO type thanks to Steel losing its Ghost resistance, and it has the potential to be called one of the greatest offensive types in the series. And only having 2 weaknesses, being Dark and unfortunately itself, makes them even MORE of a threat, as well as an immunity to they very common Fighting type and Normal type as a bonus. They're really diverse honestly. Some of the most well-known Ghost types are fast attackers that threaten entire teams, but they also have a number of more defensive and annoying supportive Ghost types. The variety of Ghost type Pokemon is actually quite surprising, given their diverse movepools and moves that vary in offensive and support capabilities. Anyone who has grown up with Pokemon over the years really understands what Ghost types are capable of. And, as the years go by, they just keep getting more and more fearsome. And out of every Ghost type in the series, I've gotta say that my favorite has to be the enchanting, soul-consuming light in the darkness, Chandelure.
I'm certain a lot of older Pokemon fans will question why this floating, living chandelier is my favorite Ghost type over something as cool as Gengar, but Chandelure just warms my heart more than Gengar ever could (see what I did there?). First of all, Chandelure has the second highest Special Attack of all non-Legendary, non-Mega Evolved Pokemon besides Blade-Forme Aegislash. Another GHOST type. Having a base 145 Sp. Atk stat, making its brute attacking power greater than the likes of Alakazam, Gengar, Espeon, and even outranking every non-Mega Evolved Starter. Any attack from this thing will tear holes in almost any Pokemon. And having STAB Shadow Ball that almost no type resists, makes this Pokemon incredibly threatening. Besides Shadow Ball, Chandelure has an interesting learnset, including moves like Fire Blast, Overheat, Inferno, Dark Pulse, Dream Eater, and the best coverage move to deal with Ground, Rock, and Water types, Energy Ball. In terms of why it's my favorite Ghost type in particular, I absolutely LOVED raising one up. Starting off with an adorable Litwick, then evolving it into a snazzy enough looking Lampent, then into this mystical and glorious-looking ghostly figure with a Dusk Stone. I mean, I adore its design. The eerie bluish-purple flames and unblinking yellow eyes that pierce your soul, and the way it drifts from side to side really captures the feel of a ghostly ornament. It is a bit of a long process getting one, getting a Litwick all the way up to level 41, then having to evolve Lampent with a Dusk Stone is a bit of a time-consuming process, but like every Pokemon that takes work to get, the absolute powerhouse you get in the end definitely is worth it. Oh yeah, it also steals and consumes souls, leaving the bodies of the victims as empty husks. Interesting, I guess. If not, y'know, terrifying. Still an amazing Pokemon with an amazing type!
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