802+ Pokemon Retrospective - Gen 1 (Part 3)

[Rainbow Chara X]

Holy crap Gen 1 is meaty. I'm having a lot of fun doing this, though.

Rating scale:

Excellent (9-10 stars -

is a 10/10 rating)
Good (7-8 stars)
Servicable (5-6 stars)
Not A Fan (3-4 stars)
Hate (1-2 stars - don't worry about this one. I actually don't hate that many Pokemon.)

[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Kanto (#102-#151)[/FONT][FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]
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[Theme for this part: Gym Leader Battle]

Games:

• Red, Blue, Yellow, Green (February 27th, 1996 / September 12th, 1998)
• FireRed, Leafgreen (January 29th, 2004)

102-143:

Spoiler:

#102 - 103: Exeggutor Family
Type:

/

/

/

(Alolan)
Ability: Chlorophyll / Frisk (Alolan) / Harvest (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Exeggcute
• Exeggutor (Leaf Stone)
• Alolan Exeggutor (Leaf Stone in Alola)

Stats of final evolution: 530 (95, 95, 85, 125, 75, 55)
Additional forms?: One

• Alolan (Introduced in Sun and Moon): Stats swapped around (95, 105(+10), 85, 125, 75, 45(-10))

Thoughts:

• Easily one of the more surreal Pokemon ideas, especially for this early on. Exeggcute is a bunch of palm tree seeds (that resemble eggs but aren't actually ones) that evolve into a tree with coconut heads dangling from them... who also have mind bullets psychic powers. It helps that they're really strong, even if they're not too fast or really all that bulky.
• A neat idea revolving around Exeggutor is that they're also based off of a Japanese monster called the Jinmenju, a tree that grows fruit that resembles human heads. It's so weird that I love it.
• Despite this, it wasn't until Sun and Moon came along that I really sat down and thought about Exeggutor. It's mostly thanks to the comedically elongated neck and the sudden Dragon typing of their Alolan form. I've heard that the Dragon typing is due to them being based on the Dracaena genus of trees, aka. literal Dragon trees... which can be found in Hawaii. Really clever and hilarious ideas for Gen 7, just sayin'.

Overall rating: *******

-

#104 - 105: Marowak Family
Type:

/

/

(Alolan Marowak)
Ability (Normal): Rock Head (1st) / Lightning Rod (2nd) / Battle Armor (Hidden)
Ability (Alolan): Cursed Body (1st) / Lightning Rod (2nd) / Rock Head (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Cubone
• Marowak (Level 28)
• Alolan Marowak (Level 28 at night in Alola)

Stats of final evolution: 425 (60, 80, 110, 50, 80, 45)
Additional forms?: One

• Alolan (Introduced in Sun and Moon): The same

Thoughts:

• The Batman of the Pokemon series and for good reason. Cubone wearing the skull of its dead mother and the accompanying Lavender Town sort of established that Pokemon was always going to have a deeper dark side beneath all of the fluff (although it'd be stupid for it to be all dark all of the time).
• Marowak is pretty badass even if their stats don't necessarily reflect that, and I do follow the idea that Cubone might be the child of Kangaskhan. Key word might, because I don't subscribe 100% to a theory just to give my thoughts on it some room for error.
• Alolan Marowak is even cooler than normal Marowak due to it being a ghostly fire dancer. Now, the fire part doesn't need an explanation, but why do they become ghosts? See, Hawaii is filled to the brim with ghost stories (which is why Phoebe, the very Hawaiian-styled Elite Four member, is a Ghost-type trainer instead of Water).
• It's likely that Alolan Marowak is based off of the story of the Nightmarchers, the ghosts of ancient Hawaiian soldiers that roam the streets at night. You'd have to stay inside of your house to avoid getting detected, but they wouldn't harm you if they were part of your family.
• I adore this line of Pokemon, even if they aren't necessarily the strongest.

Overall rating: ********

-

#106 - 107 / #236 - 237: Hitmon Family
Type:

Ability (Hitmonlee): Limber (1st) / Reckless (2nd) / Unburden (Hidden)
Ability (Hitmonchan): Keen Eye (1st) / Iron Fist (2nd) / Inner Focus (Hidden)
Ability (Hitmontop): Intimidate (1st) / Technician (2nd) / Steadfast (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Tyrogue
• Hitmonlee (Level 20 - Attack>Defense)
• Hitmonchan (Level 20 - Defense>Attack)
• Hitmontop (Level 20 - Attack=Defense)

Stats of final evolution (Hitmonlee): 455 (50, 120, 53, 35, 110, 87)
Stats of final evolution (Hitmonchan): 455 (50, 105, 79, 35, 110, 76)
Stats of final evolution (Hitmontop): 455 (50, 95, 95, 35, 110, 70)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• The Hitmon Family is a peculiar if... amusing series of Pokemon due to how they evolve. The English names for the first two are based off of famous martial artists: Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan... It was a different time. That said, 'Top and 'Lee are my personal favorites out of the family, with Tyrogue coming in third because they're a feisty little guy that's training to be the best.
• Hitmonlee definitely encapsulates the monster fighter aspect of the evolutions due to their weird design, and it helps that they're the Attack over Defense one because wowza look at those legs. You could crush a dump truck with those. Unburden is a great ability and more Pokemon should have it.
• Hitmonchan is uh... a boxer with some squares jutting out of the top of their head. Their design looks like they're wearing clothes too, so that only begs the question of where they came from if they're not built into their body. Stats wise, that defense is not good enough. Maybe you could have traded some of that massive special defense for more speed? I don't know, man! (At least they get the most Priority moves out of any Pokemon.)
• Hitmontop is easily the more threatening of the trio due to them having Intimidate and relatively balanced stats. They have an interesting design that's likely inspired by how a top has to be balanced otherwise it'd be too uneven to keep spinning. My only problem is how they're so ridiculously hard to get - like you'd have to make sure Attack and Defense are equal for your Tyrogue are equal or you're getting the other two.
• Seeing as Super Training didn't reveal those kinds of things until Gen 6 (neither was I interested in effort values at that point), trying to get a Hitmontop was basically impossible for me. Oh well.
• Ultimately, they're a bunch of cool Pokemon with their own niche to fill even if I think Hitmonchan's design is kind of pushing it.

Overall rating: ******

-

#108 / #463: Lickilicky Family
Type:

Ability: Own Tempo (1st) / Oblivious (2nd) / Cloud Nine (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Lickitung
• Lickilicky (Level up knowing Rollout)

Stats of final evolution: 515 (110, 85, 95, 80, 95, 50)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Alright, so... We have a Pokemon with a giant tongue. That's the gimmick for this one. Lickitung is kind of stupid, but I can't help but love it? I mean sure, I sort of have an aversion to saliva just because of the massive squick that entails for me, but they're so dopey.
• Lickilicky takes the original design and... I love it even more. It's surprisingly kind of cute for a Pokemon that's all about licking things. You know, until you read their Pokedex entries where their saliva can induce a numbness that doesn't go away. Eeech.
• That said, they're alright. Not amazing... just kind of a novelty Pokemon.

Overall rating: *****

-

#109 - 110: Weezing Family
Type:

Ability: Levitate
Appearances:

• Koffing
• Weezing (Level 35)

Stats of final evolution: 490 (65, 90, 120, 85, 70, 60)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• A floating meteorite with multiple heads/lumps filled with poison... Strange, but I'll take it. I don't normally see Weezing around anymore, with the exception of the rare poison monotype team. The naming is cheesy, but I'm a connoisseur of ham and cheese so this is excellent for me.
• They're a cool idea ultimately overshadowed by other, stronger Poison types... like Muk for example.

Overall rating: ******

-

#111 - 112 / #464: Rhyperior Family
Type:

/

Ability: Lightning Rod (1st) / Solid Rock (2nd) / Reckless (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Rhyhorn
• Rhydon (Level 42)
• Rhyperior (Trade with Protector)

Stats of final evolution: 535 (115, 140, 130, 55, 55, 40)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Wasn't Rhydon one of the first Pokemon ever conceived? I mean idea wise, not in-universe wise.
• I never saw Rhydon as useful despite it being a giant rock rhino with a drill nose. It gets slaughtered by too many common weaknesses and just isn't defensive or fast enough to keep up with anything.
• Then there's... Rhyperior. One of my favorites and one of the best evolutions you could have given a Pokemon. It goes from just a rhino into a supertank with rock cannon arms. It's so blatantly cool that my inner 7 year old can't help but squeal with delight every time I see it.
• Solid Rock is an amazing ability just for how it reduces damage from super-effective attacks and adds to the bulk of this already physically impregnable Pokemon.
• Sure, a bit of water or grass and they go down almost instantly, but you should never be in that position.

Overall rating: ********

-

#113 / #242 / #440: Blissey Family
Type:

Ability: Natural Cure (1st) / Serene Grace (2nd) / Healer (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Happiny
• Chansey (Level up with Oval Stone during the day)
• Blissey (Level up with Happiness)

Stats of Chansey because it matters: 450 (250, 5, 5, 35, 105, 50)
Stats of final evolution: 540 (255, 10, 10, 75, 135, 55)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Oh hey look, it's Satan herself - I mean... yeah they're great. But no seriously, the Blissey family is notorious for their impeccable survivability and obnoxious playstyle.
• Design-wise, I love everything that's pink and round and they definitely fit this. I'm kind of surprised they didn't go the Fairy route, but they're more explicitly designed as nurses than anything supernatural so I guess it makes sense that way. Happiny is so fucking adorable you don't know how much I love it.
• Chansey gets her own stat roll because when you equip an Eviolite on them, they arguably become even more dangerous than Blissey due to their defensive stats getting boosted by x1.5. Their attack is useless, but that's remedied by the fixed-damage Seismic Toss.
• Attacking them doesn't work because they'll heal off the damage with Softboiled. Try to poison them? They'll swap out and put Natural Cure to work. They exist to wall out your special fighters. If you don't have any physical Pokemon in your party, you've basically lost from the get-go. There's no bones about it.
• Aside from battle frustrations, they're ridiculously hard to get too. Chansey has that name for a reason - it's up to pure chance to find them in the wild. They're rare and have a stupidly low catch rate of 30, so if they run away in the Safari Zone then... you might not ever see one again.
• Despite their status as cute egg medics, they're one of the most frustrating Pokemon to ever walk the earth. I can respect that.
• I also find it interesting to note that they're one of the first families of Pokemon whose evolutions are all spread across different generations.

Overall rating: *******

-

#114 / #465: Tangrowth Family
Type:

Ability: Chlorophyll (1st) / Leaf Guard (2nd) / Regenerator (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Tangela
• Tangrowth (Level up knowing Ancient Power)

Stats of final evolution: 535 (100, 100, 125, 110, 50, 50)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• I'll admit, Tangela was my Maractus for a while. They were just a bunch of vines with feet - a regular jungle Goomba that wasn't very memorable or strong.
• Tangrowth not only remedies this but absolutely knocks it out of the park! Like holy crap. Their new design is not only far more interesting due to being an actual hulking vine monster, but their stats have taken such an exhausting leap in quality that it's amazing.
• Special defense aside, they're thick and strong enough to deal with practically any threat that comes their way... assuming we're not talking about deliberately overpowered Pokemon like Megas or legendaries. Their hidden ability Regenerator even allows them to get some health back when they retreat! For a pure Grass type, this is all very impressive.

Overall rating: ********

-

#115: Kangaskhan
Type:

Ability: Early Bird (1st) / Scrappy (2nd) / Parental Bond (Mega)
Appearances:

• Normal
• Mega Kangaskhan (Kangaskhanite)

Stats of final evolution: 490 (105, 95, 80, 40, 80, 90)
Additional forms?: One

• Mega (Introduced in X and Y): +100 (105, 125(+30), 100(+20), 60(+20), 100(+20), 100(+10))

Thoughts:

• Christ alive, if you wanted a record of how the power of Mega Evolution improves a Pokemon, Kangaskhan is your woman. Parental Bond is so hideously broken that it's amazing that the nerf didn't come sooner.
• For the uninitiated (which... is an interesting question seeing as I'm putting this up at a Pokemon forum), Parental Bond does two attacks in one turn with the second doing reduced damage. In Sun and Moon, the damage is a quarter of the first attack's as opposed to half which is a tremendous difference.
• It helps that both the child and the mother are fighting at once - it's really adorable, even if it means certain doom for an unprepared team.
• In terms of design, they're a kangaroo with elements of armor - specifically Mongolian laminar armor. Given how they're named after Genghis Khan of all things, it makes sense. It's good stuff, even if they're stupidly overpowered.

Overall rating: ********

-

#116 - 117 / #230: Kingdra Family
Type:

(Horsea and Seadra) /

/

(Kingdra)
Ability: Swift Swim (1st) / Sniper (2nd) / Damp (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Horsea
• Seadra (Level 32)
• Kingdra (Trade with Dragon's Scale)

Stats of final evolution: 525 (75, 95, 95, 95, 95, 85)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Talk about balanced all around the board, jeez. Kingdra is a really neat concept as it's a seahorse that's based of off sea dragons, with it being one of the only Water/Dragon types in the entire game aside from Palkia (who is a legendary).
• Swift Swim makes them lethal when they're part of a Drizzle team, even with the advent of Fairy types and bulky Dragon types like Goodra. They're cool in my book.
• Horsea is cute, too. Admittedly, if it was just Horsea and Seadra, they'd get a lower score due to being alright but not impressive.

Overall rating: *******

-

#118 - 119: Seaking Family
Type:

Ability: Swift Swim (1st) / Water Veil (2nd) / Lightning Rod (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Goldeen
• Seaking (Level 33)

Stats of final evolution: 450 (80, 92, 65, 65, 80, 68)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• People remember Goldeen for splashing around, right? I mean, that's not just me, right?
• Seaking is more badass than I remember it being if it had access to Lightning Rod of all abilities. Insanely good for a Water Pokemon, but not in this case.
• As much as I want to go FUCK YEAH SEAKING to fulfill my meme quota of the week, they're kind of weak in the grand scheme of things. Shame too, because they have a nice design.

Overall rating: *****

-

#120 - 121: Starmie Family
Type:

(Staryu) /

/

(Starmie)
Ability: Illuminate (1st) / Natural Cure (2nd) / Analytic (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Staryu
• Starmie (Water Stone)

Stats of final evolution: 520 (60, 75, 85, 100, 85, 115)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Gen 1 has a lot of Water Pokemon, I noticed. What better addition than a starfish? It's only appropriate.
• Starmie has an odd but intriguing design with the multiple limbs and the big gem on their body. They're visually striking and I like my shiny gemstones so... I can't really avoid 'em.
• From my perspective, they've been one of the few Kanto Pokemon to remain strong without any boosts to their stats or alternate forms that give them wacky new powers. I like that in a series - where they can stand the test of time and remain useful even when everyone else is gradually losing steam. (Admittedly, this is speaking out of the context of megas and alternate forms)
• Illuminate is such an annoying ability. It basically acts as an anti-repel as it attracts Pokemon to you and has no effect in battle. Good thing Natural Cure exists.

Overall rating: *******

-

#122 / #439: Mr. Mime Family
Type:

/

Ability: Soundproof (1st) / Filter (2nd) / Technician (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Mime Jr.
• Mr. Mime (Level up knowing Mimic)

Stats of final evolution: 460 (40, 45, 65, 100, 120, 90)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Oh goody, a Pokemon based on a mime... just what we needed. (grits teeth unconvincingly)
• Mr. Mime is a strange Pokemon to me, although it errs more on the negative side than positive. They have impressive abilities, along with being the only other Psychic/Fairy Pokemon in the game... but I don't really like how they look.
• It's not that I don't like crazy weird clown/jester appearances, I just feel Mr. Mime isn't appealing enough in that regard. Like... they sort of look like a balding, middle-aged uncle with weird fingers.
• I think this disappointment can't be felt any more than with Mime Jr. Mime Jr. is so lovable and cute that... there was actually a time I refused to evolve it because then they'd grow up into that. I normally never do that.
• They're not too impressive to me in terms of stats either. 40 HP is not very comforting...
• Also, it's weird how they still call it Mr. Mime but it can be both male or female...

Overall rating: ****

-

#123 / #212: Scizor Family
Type:

/

(Scyther) /

/

(Scizor)
Ability: Swarm (1st) / Technician (2nd and Mega) / Light Metal (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Scyther
• Scizor (Trade with Metal Coat)
• Mega Scizor (Scizorite)

Stats of final evolution: 500 (70, 130, 100, 55, 80, 65)
Additional forms?: One

• Mega (Introduced in X and Y): +100 (80, 150(+20), 140(+40), 65(+10), 100(+20), 75(+10))

Thoughts:

• Scyther is badass in of themselves - they're an angry praying mantis with wings and scythe arms. Now, how do you improve on that?
• Give it a metal armored evolution and some crab claws, of course! Scizor is excellent and it's a cool Pokemon to use even if I despise trying to get trade evolutions. Its Mega Evolution is equally as impressive due to its slicker redesign with jagged claws and the boosts they get. They're ready for war!
• Admittedly, they can get crippled by burns and roast easily when it comes to Fire types but they're still hella powerful. Technician combined with Bullet Punch is scary.
• In hindsight, this means I'm giving more praise to the generations after this one for the evolutions and boosts received afterward but I don't care because if they're all part of the same family then it's all fair game.

Overall rating: *********

-

#124 / #238: Jynx Family
Type:

/

Ability: Oblivious (1st) / Forewarn (2nd) / Dry Skin (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Smoochum
• Jynx (Level 30)

Stats of final evolution: 455 (65, 50, 35, 115, 95, 95)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Oooh boy, we got to Jynx. What do I say about this one? I'm not necessarily a fan of how Jynx looks, even if they're supposed to be a reference to the ganguro style of fashion in Japan. You know, where girls tan the hell out of their skin, put on a ton of colorful make up and so on. Jynx also resembles those fat singing opera ladies dressed up as valkyries, which I can respect.
• ... They're also one of the only other Pokemon that wear clothes and resemble humans, along with having actual goddamn breasts like Nidoqueen. Christ almighty.
• Smoochum is alright though - they're a cutie.
• I am not going to mention any of the controversies regarding Jynx because that shit is not welcome in my house.
• Stats-wise, they're alright. That special attack is very nice, but that defense is just... ouch. Lovely Kiss, their signature move, is pretty screwed up as it's a french kiss that's so intense it puts the opponent to sleep. Yikes.

Overall rating: ******

-

#125 / #239 / #466: Electivire Family
Type:

Ability: Motor Drive / Vital Spirit (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Elekid
• Electabuzz (Level 30)
• Electivire (Trade with Electirizer)

Stats of final evolution: 540 (75, 123, 67, 95, 85, 95)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Electabuzz is the other Pokemon from my childhood that was made cooler by Generation 4. Electabuzz is servicable on their own due to being a electric ogre with a thunder bolt print on their skin, and that's cool.
• Elekid is cute like all of the other baby Pokemon, even if the top of its head tempts me to stuff it into an electrical socket.
• Their final evolution, Electivire, though... hot damn. In terms of pure looks, they're one of the best to me. They look really beefy and come with all sorts of brawling moves to compliment it, even if they're not a fighting-type Pokemon. They have a ton of firepower, but their defenses could be a lot better.
• Motor Drive is an amazing-if-limited ability that can possibly remedy Electivire's middling speed, but imagine if it was on another Pokemon that was weak to Electric. Now that, my friends, is a terrifying but amazing prospect.

Overall rating: *******

-

#126 / #240 / #467: Magmortar Family
Type:

Ability: Flame Body / Vital Spirit
Appearances:

• Magby
• Magmar (Level 30)
• Magmortar (Trade with Magmarizer)

Stats of final evolution: 525 (75, 95, 67, 125, 95, 83)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Magmar and Electabuzz seem to share a rivalry of sorts - all of their evolutions are right next to each other in the dex, they have opposite stat pools and have benefitted from Gen 4's evolution boom. I think it's great because they compliment each other really well. Hell, combine them together and you might even get the Plasma Pokemon. (that was a science joke, thanks for coming)
• Magmar is funny looking, but I wouldn't quite want to insult a creature that can burn me to a crisp. I fondly remember them from Pokemon Snap where you could photograph two fighting over an apple that you threw.
• Magmortar is fighting Electivire for "coolest evolution of an old Pokemon" because honestly? It's an evil clown with cannons for hands. They even pose like they're shooting fire at you! Can't help but love it.
• It is kind of lame how they got Flame Body instead of a brand new cool ability like.. an area-wide Flash Fire that boosts their Special Attack. I dunno, that would have been really neat and serve to help distinguish them from other Fire Pokemon.
• All in all, a great design and stats that are ultimately held back by other, stronger Pokemon. Ho hum.

Overall rating: *******

-

#127: Pinsir
Type:

(Normal) /

/

(Mega)
Ability: Hyper Cutter (1st) / Mold Breaker (2nd) / Moxie (Hidden) / Aerilate (Mega)
Appearances:

• Normal
• Mega Pinsir (Pinsirite)

Stats of final evolution: 500 (65, 125, 100, 55, 70, 85)
Additional forms?: One

• Mega (Introduced in X and Y): +100 (80, 155(+30), 120(+20), 65(+10), 90(+20), 105(+20))

Thoughts:

• Pinsir was always one of those Pokemon I never looked into until just recently when I had to think of new Pokemon to put on my Showdown team. To my surprise, Mega Pinsir was easily one of the most powerful and the most badass designed out of any I could have picked.
• Normal Pinsir is a vicious looking bug with a vertical mouth full of scary teeth and sharp horns. Great stuff, but I didn't really feel they were enough to warrant a spot on my team.
• Again, Mega Pinsir is fantastic. Their new design with the Judge Doom eyes and the transparent wings make them look like the spawn of Satan themselves, and I love it. It's like the last thing you see before they crush your tiny body with an Aerilate-boosted Return.
• The Shiny enhances my love for this psycho bug as it turns them a nice shade of blue.

Overall rating: *********

-

#128: Tauros
Type:

Ability: Intimidate (1st) / Anger Point (2nd) / Sheer Force (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Normal

Stats of final evolution: 490 (75, 100, 95, 40, 70, 110)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Tauros is simple but effective - it's a bull. Well, a bull based on the zodiac sign of the same name with three tails, but it's still just a bull. They're surprisingly really fast and come with neat abilities all around. I like that they're pretty much your bicycle in Sun and Moon... one that has horns and breaks giant rocks.

Overall rating: ******

-

#129 - 130: Gyarados Family
Type:

(Magikarp) /

/

(Gyarados) /

/

(Mega Gyarados)
Ability: Intimidate / Moxie (Hidden) / Mold Breaker (Mega)
Appearances:

• Magikarp
• Gyarados (Level 20)
• Mega Gyarados (Gyaradosite)

Stats of final evolution: 540 (95, 125, 79, 60, 100, 81)
Additional forms?: One

• Mega (Introduced in X and Y): +100 (95, 155(+30), 109(+30), 70(+10), 130(+30), 81)

Thoughts:

• We all know about Magikarp - it's the quintessential story of a weak Pokemon turning into a real scary motherfucker. How they rose up through the levels despite all odds and became one of the toughest Pokemon out there.
• The story of Magikarp is based on a legend of a carp that would become a dragon if it swam up a waterfall into the Dragon's Gate. Hell, their thing is all about overcoming adversity and it's exemplified in the Mega Evolution.
• Their defensive stats get one hell of a boost and their attack gets even higher, although... it begs the question of why they're Dark instead of Dragon. See, regular Gyarados is known to be violent. The Mega is literally their animalistic rage and animosity encapsulated in physical form, hence the more reckless fighting style and the Dark typing. I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that.
• Dragon Dance is terrifying when Gyarados uses it, made worse if the opponent tries to play mindgames on you by not immediately switching over to the mega. You know, for type coverage.

Overall rating: ********

-

#131: Lapras
Type:

/

Ability: Water Absorb (1st) / Shell Armor (2nd) / Hydration (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Normal

Stats of final evolution: 535 (130, 85, 80, 85, 95, 60)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• In a sharp contrast to Gyarados, we have Lapras - the masters of chill. They have an elegant design and a gentle personality to boot, easily making them one of the more appealing Pokemon to me.
• It's kind of screwed-up how they've been hunted near to extinction, seeing as they seem to be doing alright for themselves otherwise.
• They have a ridiculous amount of health, but their stats are mainly average around the board.
• I like how they're the universal water ferry Pokemon - like you don't need a boat, you can just get a Lapras to take you around.

Overall rating: *******

-

#132: Ditto
Type:

Ability: Limber / Imposter (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Normal

Stats of final evolution: 288 (48, 48, 48, 48, 48, 48)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• I love the idea of shape-shifters and Ditto definitely delivers. They are as malleable as possible - they can be anything in the world and nothing can stop them. They also have the cutest little dopey smiles and are little blobs in their base form so that's a plus from me already.
• Imposter Ditto is dangerous. Since transforming copies stat changes too, you could have your best Pokemon become your worst enemy seeing as Imposter copies the other Pokemon the instant Ditto is sent out.
• Not only that, they're lean, mean breeding machines - pair them up with any Pokemon that can breed and they'll get to work in a heartbeat. You'll have so many babies on your hands that it'll make you wonder how they do it.
• I've also heard of the theory that Dittos might be failed Mew clones due to their similar colors and powers... neat concept that I wish was real, but alas.

Overall rating: ********

-

#133 - 136 / #196 - #197 / #470 - 471 / #700: The absolutely giant Eevee Family

Type: Eevee is

, but since there's so many I'm doing this instead-

• Vaporeon:
  
• Jolteon:
  
• Flareon:
  
• Espeon:
  
• Umbreon:
  
• Leafeon:
  
• Glaceon:
  
• Sylveon:
  

Ability:

• Vaporeon: Water Absorb / Hydration (Hidden)
• Jolteon: Volt Absorb / Quick Feet (Hidden)
• Flareon: Flash Fire / Guts (Hidden)
• Espeon: Synchronize / Magic Bounce (Hidden)
• Umbreon: Synchronize / Inner Focus (Hidden)
• Leafeon: Leaf Guard / Chlorophyll (Hidden)
• Glaceon: Snow Cloak / Ice Body (Hidden)
• Sylveon: Cute Charm / Pixilate (Hidden)

Appearances:

• Eevee
• Vaporeon (Water Stone)
• Jolteon (Thunder Stone)
• Flareon (Fire Stone)
• Espeon (Level up with Happiness during the day)
• Umbreon (Level up with Happiness during the night)
• Leafeon (Level up near a Mossy Rock)
• Glaceon (Level up near an Icy Rock)
• Sylveon (Level up knowing a Fairy move and two affection hearts in Pokemon Amie/Refresh)

Stats of final evolution: 525 for all

• Vaporeon (130, 65, 60, 110, 95, 65)
• Jolteon (65, 65, 60, 110, 95, 130)
• Flareon (65, 130, 60, 95, 110, 65)
• Espeon (65, 65, 60, 130, 95, 110)
• Umbreon (95, 65, 110, 60, 130, 65)
• Leafeon (65, 110, 130, 60, 65, 95)
• Glaceon (65, 60, 110, 130, 95, 65)
• Sylveon (95, 65, 65, 110, 130, 60)

Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• How in the world am I going to cover all of the Eevee family in one entry? That's like nine Pokemon at once!
• Oh well, I brought it upon myself it seems. *clears throat*
• Eevee and its forms are absolute muffins, I love them with all of my heart and I want all of them as pets - they're just too precious. Sylveon and Glaceon in particular are the ones I like the most.
• The Eeveelutions are a novel concept that brings a lot of variety to the table - Eevee itself is a little cute fox/dog/cat thing that has all of the potential in the world due to its unique cell structure allowing it to take on any type for its evolution.
• Vaporeon is a little cat mermaid with a lot of health, Jolteon is a really speedy electric dog and Flareon is a fluffy fire dog that tackles into things.
• Espeon is a psychic sun cat that can bounce back status effects and Umbreon is a black moon cat that can stomach a lot of punishment.
• Leafeon is a grassy fox that gets really fast under the sun, and Glaceon is an arctic fox that sort of reminds me of someone wearing a coat for cold weather.
• Sylveon is a fairy fox with ribbons that can scream loud enough to kill any dragon in the area, and that's just adorable.
• Eevee themselves is worthy of discussion thanks to their unique Z-Move - Extreme Evoboost has all of their forms give them a power boost with a really dynamic and awe-inspiring animation that... kind of takes too long. At first I was like "but why give Eevee such a cool thing if they're not gonna do anything with it?"
• ... Then I discovered that Eevee has Baton Pass and that could be a really nasty strategy for anybody clever enough to properly use it.
• All in all, I'm curious as to what more Eeveelutions will come our way. Simply put, I love them to death.

Overall rating: **********

-

#137 / #233 / #474: Porygon-Z Family
Type:

Ability: Trace (1st) / Download (2nd) / Analytic (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Porygon
• Porygon2 (Trade with Upgrade)
• Porygon-Z (Trade with Dubious Disc)

Stats of Porygon2 because it matters: 515 (85, 80, 90, 105, 95, 60)
Stats of final evolution: 535 (85, 80, 70, 135, 75, 90)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Now we're cooking with brain juices. Porygon is definitely an outlier when it comes to conventional Pokemon designs, seeing as it's a digital Pokemon that was programmed and then made physical by magic science. The first Porygon is an example of the rough and blocky graphical style of the times and is a neat Pokemon by itself.
• Porygon2 is a great evolution as it smooths out the design and gives it more firepower... on top of making it look like one of those birds that dip into a cup of water. I dunno. Porygon2 is the perfect Pokemon to take advantage of Eviolite as it has defenses that are already decent made exponentially better thanks to the 50% boost Eviolite grants.
• It's amazingly durable, although status effects and Knock Off serve as a real threat against it.
• Generation 4 rolled around and brought us Porygon-Z, an insane and glitched-up counterpart to Porygon2 that was caused when you traded them with a virus-infested disc. Maybe it had PC Optimizer Pro on it.
• Alola gave Porygon-Z a new leash on life thanks to Z-Conversion boosting every stat... I mean yeesh.
• The most intriguing thing about the glitched-up Porygon is that they trade away some defenses for a lot of special attack and more speed. Maybe it's a PSA to warn you about the side-effects of putting weird stuff into your computer.

Overall rating: ********

-

#138 - 139: Omastar Family
Type:

/

Ability: Swift Swim (1st) / Shell Armor (2nd) / Weak Armor (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Omanyte
• Omastar (Level 40)

Stats of final evolution: 495 (70, 60, 125, 115, 70, 55)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Apparently there's a stanky meme about a "Lord Helix" going around that I don't really know about? Oh well. Omastar is an ammonite Pokemon. That's nice, but they're not really that important to me. They look cool, but I'm blanking on what else to say about them.

Overall rating: *****

-

#140 - 141: Kabutops Family
Type:

/

Ability: Swift Swim (1st) / Battle Armor (2nd) / Weak Armor (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Kabuto
• Kabutops (Level 40)

Stats of final evolution: 495 (60, 115, 105, 65, 70, 80)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Kabuto is a horseshoe crab. I am naturally afraid of crabs due to them reminding me of my fear of insects... but they're not too bad. Kabuto are kind of cute, actually.
• Then they evolve into a deranged bipedal serial killer crab with scythe arms. Allow me to scream at least just once?
• Kabutops is terrifying and cool at the same time, as they're predators from an ancient time that sucked out the bodily fluids of their victims. Undeniable proof that Pokemon is not always a happy-go-lucky game.
• Swift Swim in the rain lets them dash around and slice victims with ease, although a single Grass type Pokemon would take them out in a snap.
• Fossil Pokemon tend to be intriguing due to the concept of what Pokemon were like in prehistoric times...

Overall rating: *******

-

#142: Aerodactyl
Type:

/

Ability: Rock Head (1st) / Pressure (2nd) / Unnerve (Hidden) / Tough Claws (Mega)
Appearances:

• Normal
• Mega Aerodactyl (Aerodactylite)

Stats of final evolution: 515 (80, 105, 65, 60, 75, 130)
Additional forms?: One

• Mega (Introduced in X and Y): +100 (80, 135(+30), 85(+20), 70(+10), 95(+20), 150(+20))

Thoughts:

• A pterodactyl that serves as the first Rock/Flying Pokemon... Nice. Due to their status as one of the various fossil Pokemon, their fierce looks and ridiculous speed must have been terrifying to deal with back in the day.
• Their Mega Evolution makes things even worse as now they look like dragons with jagged black rocks all around their body. They're also the fastest Rock-type Pokemon in the entire game and come with this nice little Pokedex entry about how the excess power of Mega Evolution might be making it go insane.
• ... You know, as if I needed to feel guilty about using Mega Evolution. Then again, the Rotom Dex might just be messing with people. I literally do not know anymore.
• Aerodactyl is a good Pokemon, I like it, and that's all I have to say about that.

Overall rating: *******

-

#143 / #446: Snorlax Family
Type:

Ability: Immunity (1st) / Thick Fat (2nd) / Gluttony (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Munchlax (You have to breed Snorlax with a Full Incense to get one)
• Snorlax (Level up with Happiness)

Stats of final evolution: 525 (160, 110, 65, 65, 110, 30)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• The ultimate of fat badasses and a big bear that just wants to sleep on the road. Snorlax is a memorable Pokemon to me for its design and their wacky antics all throughout the series. They block the road, they eat and eat without pause, and they also serve as one of the most frustrating Pokemon to fight behind Chansey.
• Their thick strength and their defenses make them a nightmare to battle, made worse by stuff like Rest and Sleep Talk.
• Pulverizing Pancake is goddamn hilarious because they rush at you with all piss and vinegar before crushing you ass-first with a giant lard explosion. It is a sight to behold.
• Not sure why Munchlax needed to exist, but hey they're cool with me.

Overall rating: ********

Dragonite and Legendaries (144-151):

Spoiler:

#144-146: Elemental Bird Trio
Type:

/

(Articuno) /

/

(Zapdos) /

/

(Moltres)
Ability (Articuno): Pressure / Snow Cloak (Hidden)
Ability (Zapdos): Pressure / Static (Hidden)
Ability (Moltres): Pressure / Flame Body (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Articuno
• Zapdos
• Moltres

Stats of Articuno: 580 (90, 85, 100, 95, 125, 85)
Stats of Zapdos: 580 (90, 90, 85, 125, 90, 100)
Stats of Moltres: 580 (80, 82, 83, 100, 100, 80)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• Nice, now we've gotten into legendary territory! The elemental birds serve as the first trio in the series, and represent the most common form of elements in fantasy fiction - fire, ice and electricity.
• Articuno is a beautiful blue bird that governs over ice...
• Zapdos sort of looks like an electrified version of Fearow that governs over lightning... and Moltres is a flaming phoenix bird.
• Basic designs, but it's how they work together that makes this interesting.
• Their connection with Lugia is fascinating, although I don't necessarily see it as the elemental birds and the sea don't necessarily tie into each other.
• I see Zapdos and Articuno a lot more than I see Moltres... poor fire bird.

Overall rating: *******

-

#147 - 149: Dragonite Family
Type:

(Dratini and Dragonair) /

/

(Dragonite)
Ability: Inner Focus / Multiscale (Hidden)
Appearances:

• Dratini
• Dragonair (Level 30)
• Dragonite (Level 55)

Stats of final evolution: 600 (91, 134, 95, 100, 100, 80)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• The first legit Dragon Pokemon in the series! I want a Dratini and Dragonair is so elegant it hurts. You can imagine my surprise for the first time when I realized Dragonair evolved into Dragonite. It was uh... not what I expected. I don't see the progression in the design to go from a beautiful blue serpent to a big round dragon.
• That said - do not underestimate Dragonite. They're merciless killing machines! Their already impeccable attack is made more impressive with a setup like... oh let's say... Weakness Policy Multiscale? Multiscale is easily one of the best abilities you could give them, with only the occasional Stealth Rock ruining it.
• I would love to have a Dragonite watch over me as a bodyguard. That way when someone laughs at them, they'll get blasted to pieces.

Overall rating: ********

-

#150-151: Mew Family
Type:

(Mew, Mewtwo and Mega Mewtwo Y) /

/

(Mega Mewtwo X)
Ability (Mew): Synchronize
Ability (Mewtwo): Pressure / Unnerve (Hidden) / Steadfast (Mega X) / Insomnia (Mega Y)
Appearances:

• Mew
• Mewtwo
• Mega Mewtwo X (Mewtwonite X)
• Mega Mewtwo Y (Mewtwonite Y)

Stats of Mew: 600 (100, 100, 100, 100, 100, 100)
Stats of Mewtwo: 680 (106, 110, 90, 154, 90, 130)
Additional forms?: Two

• Mega X (Introduced in X and Y): +100 (106, 190(+80), 100(+10), 154, 100(+10), 130)
• Mega Y (Introduced in X and Y): +100 (106, 150(+40), 70(-20), 194(+40), 120(+30), 140(+10))

Thoughts:

• Mew is an absolute cutie and possibly the progenitor of every Pokemon due to having the DNA of every Pokemon or something? You got me, man. That said, the rarity of Mew astounds me - they were put in as a last minute addition. As a result, they were so hidden that even Nintendo themselves didn't know initially. Now that is crazy.
• They can learn any move and even know transform... given the similar color palette, I'm still standing by that "Ditto is a failed Mew clone" theory. The Mew glitch is also one of the most beneficial in the series due to it letting you actually catch a Mew without having to deal with real life events that nobody can really go to.
• Then we have... Mewtwo. Arguably one of the most popular Pokemon besides Pikachu (the mascot) and one with a lot of development. They were cloned from the original Mew and made more powerful to create the ultimate fighting Pokemon, with a whole movie dedicated to their efforts to seperate Pokemon from people.
• They were also one of the most powerful Pokemon in the original Red and Blue due to the imbalanced nature of Psychic types. That's pretty crazy stuff.
• Not only do they have an alien design that reminds me a lot of Frieza from Dragon Ball Z, they are one of the most fearsome Psychic Pokemon in the entire series due to their ridiculous stats and intimidating appearance. The fact they are driven by battle doesn't help.
• Come Generation 6 and... well, say hello to two completely necessary Mega Evolutions, Mega Mewtwo X and Y. (I swear they only get two out of popularity.)
• Mega Mewtwo X turns Mewtwo into Pretty Much Frieza For Real with an absolutely massive attack stat and the Fighting type added onto them. They're brutal in every way possible - if you somehow overpower/outsmart this thing, you deserve a medal.
• Mega Mewtwo Y, on the other hand, turns Mewtwo smaller and more Mew-like... along with removing some defense. However, it turns also them into a god. There's no arguing with a Special Attack and Speed like that!
• It's amazing how blatantly overpowered they are, almost as if they revel in the fact they're better than almost everyone else.
• That said, wow, they're great designs. I love how they all look and the backstory of Mewtwo is a sad one when you learn that it was a genetic experiment that was kept from any kindness or warmth that would have nurtured it all for the sake of making it a strong Pokemon.
• Ouch.

Overall rating: *********

-

#000: Missingno
Type: Bird / Normal
Ability: None
Appearances:

• Glitchy L Block, Glitch mass, Unidentified ghost, Kabutops skeleton and Aerodactyl skeleton
• Can become a Kangaskhan at any level

Stats of Red/Blue Missingno: 210 (33, 136, 0, 6, 6, 29)
Stats of Yellow Missingno: 254 (178, 19, 11, 23, 23, 0)
Additional forms?: N/A
Thoughts:

• What's this? A glitch Pokemon? How could I not, given the rocky nature of the first generation? Missingno may not have been made on purpose, but it's still one of the most peculiar Pokemon out there. It's easily one of the most famous ones out there aside from 'M, even if 'M is the one that can do any actual damage to your game.
• I am not going to cover other Glitch Pokemon because those can fill a Pokedex all on their own, and this is more focused on the actual Pokemon created in the series.
• Missingno themselves can appear as a glitched L block, a mass of pixels in Yellow, a horrifying ghost with blank eyes that serves as the basis for unidentified Pokemon in Lavender Town's tower and two skeletons - those of Aerodactyl and Kabutops.
• The different forms are creepy and all, but Missingno is easily one of the least harmful glitches in the game... if we're speaking Red and Blue. When it comes to Yellow, encountering it crashes the game and has some weird side-effects like multiples of your character in the overworld.
• Their most useful aspect is the ability to duplicate your 6th item slot by 128, so you could conceivably put a Master Ball or Rare Candy in there and be set for life.
• Missingno is hella weak, but I can forgive it considering they're not supposed to even exist. Them being a secret hidden Ultra Beast would be amazing but firmly a pipe dream due to the sheer weirdness that would invite.

Overall rating: i̢̜̭̙̙n͇̤̺͓͘v̧̯̫͖̙̩̗̼̺͜ạ̛̙̻̪̖͈̻̜̕ḽ̮̯̜̭̥͈͜i͜͠͏̳̳̘͔̞d̸̸͉͕͔̹̼̼ ̝̝̳̮̜̖͓̦͘n҉̰̼̟͎̣͘ͅù̵̘͙̯m̷̛̰͉̞̖͘ḅ̰̞̦ȩ̷̩̱͚̖r͈̣͇̯̜̻̰̞͓͡

Yeaaaah, boy! That's the end of Generation 1 - we've got a good foundation going here, even if a fair amount of the Pokemon are weedy and unimpressive compared to their contemporaries. Next time we'll tackle Generation 2 and move onto the Gameboy Color, where greater things await us.

You know what that means.