Are there any Pokémon that Nuzlockes have changed your opinion on?

[Pendraflare]

As you all know, the Nuzlocke challenge requires you to only catch the first Pokémon that any area presents you, and if anything faints, it's considered dead and you can never use it again. And it technically requires you to nickname everything you obtain. This not only forces you to use Pokémon that you normally wouldn't touch with a 39 1/2 foot pole, but causes you to feel stronger bonds with them, between nicknaming them and knowing that if they faint, they're done. This can totally make you think what you used to consider total garbage to be one of the coolest things you've ever used, and that can even make you want to use them in normal playthroughs! So...are there any Pokémon that this gruesome challenge has had this effect on you with?

I'll start by naming one: Zubat's evolution line. I've had Crobat in two of my locke challenges - one in Soul Silver, which was the very first I did, and one on White 2 which was one of my hardest challenges to date, and both times it held very well. In the former, part of why I loved it so much was because it pulled through at one point - when my rival's Quilava in the Burned Tower had wrapped my Geodude without a scratch and then narrowly cut my Bayleef short, I thought he was about to sweep my team and end the challenge. I still had a Zubat with a bit over half health, and he used Flame Wheel and I lived with 4 HP thanks to Reflect. Then I killed him. After that, said Zubat eventually became a Crobat and lived to the end, even dealing the final blow to Red's last Pokémon (his Venusaur). I don't think i'll ever bad talk Zubat after that again. In White 2 I had one but it died against Ghetsis, but that didn't stop it from being amazing.

What about you guys? What Pokémon have the Nuzlocke challenge totally made you take back what you've said bad about? Discuss.

 

[Hiatus]

From top of my head, one would have to be MIghteyna line.

Last time I had done a Nuzlocke run, which was in Pokémon Emerald, I've managed to capture myself Poochyena at very beginning, which I did not use for a while, due to me trying to focus on Torchic, which was my starter. When I'd gotten up to Brawly--by that time, Tochic evolved into Combuskin--it eventually wound up fainting, so I had to drop it and pick Poochyena to see how things go and whatnot.

Afterward, I began training it, had it evolve into Mighteyna (definitely took some time), and went up against Brawly again. Surprisingly, even though it's super-effective against fighting-types, it still wound up getting through his team. Things like this caused me to like this Pokémon more and more as time moved forward, and now, it's one of my most-favorite dark-types.

I'm hoping to see an evolution for this Pokémon some day, if they plan on giving it any. If it does receive one, I could imagine it to become better when it comes to battling and whatnot, and climb up ladder in terms of popularity. It truly deserves to be in the spotlight! Mega-evolution form wouldn't be so bad, either.

 

[Emboar]

The Geodude line.

I caught a Geodude on Route 46 in my SoulSilver Nuzlocke, and it survived all the way. I didn't think it would last too long, as Geodude always seemed to be so easy to knock out before this Nuzlocke. But, no, I was proven wrong, as my Golem lived through 2x effective attacks, and even some 4x effective attacks, so my opinion on the Geodude line has definitely changed.

I would also have to say the Hoppip line.

My encounter for Route 32 was a Hoppip. I had NEVER used a Hoppip in anything before, but I thought, well, it could make a decent team member, even though I had Chikorita. Hoppip was a great team member! There were many times when it lived through Ice type attacks, including Ice Beam, and Blizzard! (Granted I did have it hold the berry that weakens super-effective Ice type attacks.) And, surprisingly, Jumpluff outlived Meganium, and also made it to the Hall of Fame.

 

[Pendraflare]

Oh my goodness, one that I cannot believe I forgot to mention: UNFEZANT. And its evolution line. In my huge White 2 Wedlocke, when I came to Castelia City, I ran into two Pidove and was very underwhelmed, but I caught one of them anyway. I trained it up and it didn't get that much action early on. There were SO MANY times that it almost died. To name some:
-A wild Pinsir in Lostlorn Forest, that left me with 9 HP with a critical hit Brick Break when I was a bit below full, then it wouldn't let me run away but only used Harden.
-A Hiker's Excadrill in Reversal Mountain, I had been smacked down by his Boldore and it came to the wire against that thing, if I didn't kill it from half with Return (an NVE move) it would have killed me...and I made it.
-Drayden's Altaria. After my Giga Impact came short of killing it, he used Cotton Guard and healed. We were speed tied, and there were not one but TWO occasions where I had to not only wake up after one turn but win the speed tie or she would have died. And it happened both times. I killed that thing with 11 HP.
-The Black Belt near the Abundant Shrine. His Conkeldurr barely lives my Fly, Stone Edge leaves me with 13 HP and he dies from sandstorm while I still have 3 HP left.

Unfortunately, she did fall against Iris' Lapras, but sadly there was very little else I could have done. After two massacres (Ghetsis and in Victory Road), she was one of two long-timers (the other being my Serperior) to live to reach the league.

I also had another Unfezant in a Black Nuzlocke, which died against Marshal. It did me well but nowhere near as good as the one above.

I think that was a resourceful 2,500th post.

 

[Hiatus]

Unfezant's overall stat might not be overly-impressive, but its Attack is definitely decent; outranks a variety of Pokémon on its class in regards to that. Plus, it also has a great amount of physical moves to take good advantage of it and whatnot, such as U-Turn, Quick Attack, and Sky Attack. Personally, though, I've used Unfezant during only one of my runs; should have considered giving it a bit more of chance.