New Pokémon you disliked, but grew/are growing on you?

[Orion☆]

As you know, most of the new Pokémon didn't get such a warm reception - some of them with good reason. However, now that the games have been out for close to two months now, a lot of people have changed their minds about a couple of Paldea's native Pokémon - perhaps even including you! Maybe you actually got to use them in battle and grew attached to them, or you took a closer look and realized they weren't so bad after all.

The question is, is there any of the Gen IX Pokémon you disliked at first sight, but later grew to like, love or at least tolerate?

 

[Poke fan number 489]

Quaquaval gave the worst vibes I've ever gotten. Like truly terrible vibes.

I take back all Quaquaval slander. Those are some perfect vibes.

 

[Sweet Serenity]

As you know, most of the new Pokémon didn't get such a warm reception - some of them with good reason. However, now that the games have been out for close to two months now, a lot of people have changed their minds about a couple of Paldea's native Pokémon - perhaps even including you! Maybe you actually got to use them in battle and grew attached to them, or you took a closer look and realized they weren't so bad after all.

The question is, is there any of the Gen IX Pokémon you disliked at first sight, but later grew to like, love or at least tolerate?

All the new Pokémon that I disliked earlier, I still dislike them. As of right now, none of them are growing on me.

 

[Janp]

I wasn't really fan of Charcadet line at first. But more I looked at them and interacted with them, I have to say they are the type of humanoid Pokémon that I wish we see more. In the end, I've even used Ceruledge on my team in Violet.

 

[Corveone]

Might be too early for that. I only did one playthrough and there were more than enough options I did like to choose from, so no need to bother interacting with Pokémon that I personally don't like for whatever reason. In fact I actually didn't have room on my team for all the Pokémon I wanted to try.

Luckily we're not in the early Pokémon games in which you could consider yourself lucky if you found more than one or two new Pokémon per route 😀

I suppose eventually a few of them could grow on me, maybe in future playthroughs or future games, as I have fewer options I might give them a chance.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Meowscarada - Honestly I hated this pokemon at first, but the more I used Skeledirge, the more I began to dislike the design, but I kept seeing Meowscarada pop up with Nemona and it grew on me. I've also grown to like the design a lot more, even though I think Psychic would have been better.

Lokix - When I first started playing the game, I caught a Nymble and evolved and realized it was based on a Ninja, so I ended up liking it a lot more, even though it didn't stay on my team.

Arboliva - Again I didn't like this pokemon, but as I used Smoliv and evolved it, I began to like it. Sadly, I wanted to use Gogoat so much since we haven't seen it since Kalos games, plus Gogoat is my favorite grass type.

Scovillain - Much like other, I didn't like the design, but as a huge fan of cooking, I slowly began to like this pokemon. Though I haven't used it.

Palafin (Hero) - While I still think the pokemon is a terrible design and still one of the worst we've had, I really love the concept. So I like it a little more, but I still hate it.

 

[Zed01]

Probably Gholdengo, thought it looked stupid and to be fair it kinda does look stupid but I grew to like that about it and also how silly and derpy it is. It's not one of my favorites but I do like it a lot, especially compared to the first time I saw it. Maybe also Meowscarada but I'm still not a huge fan of that weird looking mask, however I can look past it now even though it's one of the main design points on this Pokemon lol.

Something completely opposite happened with Skeledirge, I thought it looked the best out of the three final starters because it was the most "animalistic" one but the more I looked at it the more I realized that something is bothering me about it's design. Skeledirege just looks off imo and something about it's design doesn't sit well with me. As recently as maybe a week ago I was saying that it was the least disappointing out of the three final starters but I think I was just saying that based on my first impressions without taking into account that my opinions changed and now I don't think that statement is true anymore, at least not for me. I don't hate it, I would even say that I still kinda like it but I definitely don't like it nearly as much as most people do I guess.

 

[Hashimi]

I was kind of indifferent towards Cetoddle/Cetitan but, now, after noticing these high HP and wonderful movepool with sheer force as an ability as well, I can say it is probably my favourite ice Pokémon. I wasn't expecting the snowy monster to learn ice shard either.

 

[Adam Levine]

I swear, every time I think about how much I hate a Pokémon long enough, I begin to like them ironically, then unironically.

Flamigo's a great example; I was distraught seeing that it barely looked any different from a real flamingo, but now I just think it's the funniest thing ever. Squawkabilly might be getting the same treatment from me soon, and Cetitan's Shiny form made me like it a lot more.

 

[Sheep]

Bellibolt. It was okay at first but am liking it a lot more now as a whole after seeing the shiny. Not sure why that was the case, but I do like it now!

Also Iron Valiant. I thought its face was quite ugly originally and really disliked it in leaks, but grew fond of it over time and now actually like it! Not as ugly after getting used to it in the game lol.

 

[Sandslash Fan]

Bellibolt. It was okay at first but am liking it a lot more now as a whole after seeing the shiny. Not sure why that was the case, but I do like it now!

Also Iron Valiant. I thought its face was quite ugly originally and really disliked it in leaks, but grew fond of it over time and now actually like it! Not as ugly after getting used to it in the game lol.

Bellibolt is so good at taking hits, I was happy to use it for my playthrough team.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

While I haven't used it very much, I have really started to like Gholdengo given he is the 1000 pokemon. Although his theme seems to be more like all the gold that GF has made because of Pokemon. I am not sure how he evolves from a manipulative pokemon to becoming fast friends with all. It also really matches the Spanish's involvement in the Colonial Age when it game to gold. I have always closely linked the Spanish with gold. So I don't think there could have been a better pokemon for the 1000th pokemon in a region based in Spain. I just wish it had a better design and not completely golden in color. They could have added some silver and copper into the mix.

But he is really growing on me. I feel like if the pokemon actually had a story in the game, I would like him hands down. I am excited to finally get mine.

 

[Sheep]

Kingambit is slowly growing on me. Still think it looks funny from certain angles but I like the fact that it's apparently a not-very-smart brute. Plus the blue shiny ❤️

 

[espurrgamer]

I think that I judged the three starter's final evolution lines too harshly. Meowscarada, Quaquaval, and Skeledirge are all lowkey bops and they all definitely grew on me as I played the game. Also orthworm grew on me so much after doing his dumb (I say that fondly) titan battle, I adore him now.

 

[Squirtkipfan01]

I honestly dont have any different opions than i did months ago. Future paradoxes are still really boring

 

[Devalue]

No real changes yet. Barely interacted with many of them, though. Forms different opinions after a replay, most likely.

Technically hates Wugtrio a little less. Dulled the edge of disappointment since the first sighting. Still dislikes it.

 

[Amore]

I've never got the Dunsparce hype, which makes Dudunsparce even funnier to me. But I mostly avoided the leaks so I'm still discovering new Pokémon as I move through the game and didn't dislike any I saw. Aesthetically I don't particularly enjoy Wigglet / Wugtrio but I do quite like the convergent evolution gimmick (as long as they don't go overboard on it in Gen X).

I think the Normal/Flying Parrots are one of the weakest early-route-birds we've had since Unfezant (Tranquill and female Unfezant are so far off the bottom of my ranking of these they may as well not exist), although I like the different colours and perhaps appreciate them more than I would have done since I saw green parrots (well, mostly heard) when I was in Spain last year. I really wish we'd got Toucannon back though, by the time I work through all my new game purchases it'll be 2025 before I finally start on SM and get to use it outside of Go!

Oh…this post is not being edited, kinda stream-of-consciousness…Fidough! Didn't care for it when it was revealed, still didn't when I encountered it in the game, but then I caught a Dachsbun, absolutely loved the pun and the Well-Baked-Boi ability, and now some of that love is rubbing off on Fidough.

 

[Yoshi808]

I'm finding that all of the Pokémon are wonderful. For example, just this morning I used a Talonflame with safety goggles for the first time in a 6 star raid against Toedscruel (fighting Tera type). While Toedscruel kept sporing away unsuccessfully and her teammates slept, my fully sword dancing Talonflame kept acrobating away until victory. It was sweet!

Edit: Don't know how I missed the word "New" but here goes: I never ever liked Hariyama. So when its "new" form Iron Hands came out, I didn't even consider using it since it was just Hariyama to me. After I was having issues in Tera raids though, I read that Iron Hands was great so I trained one up and started using it. It is just a pleasure to use. If my opponent doesn't have earthquake/moonblast, then I would most likely feel comfortable with Iron Hands in a Tera raid.

 

[AuroraVulpix]

I thought Rellor was ugly at first. Now I think it's a funny lil guy

 

[ReKoil]

I disliked Pawmo and Pawmot initially, but Pawmot has grown on me to be neutral.

Garganacl has been growing on me and I actually kinda like the weirdo now.