Pok?mon of the Day - Dratini (163/???) [being remade]

[pkmin3033]

Pokémon of the Day - Dratini (163/???) [being remade]

Pokémon of the Day

Welcome to Pokemon of the Day! Since it's the 20th Anniversary, now is as good a time as any to go through the Pokedex and take a look at each Pokemon individually, to discuss what makes them great (or not so great) and look back on their two decade history, from the first generation right up to the sixth...and maybe even a seventh by the time we're done!

Each day, a random Pokemon will be posted in here for members to discuss! Love it? Hate it? Remember when it appeared in the anime, or when you used it in a game? We want to hear about it!

Whilst each Pokemon will come with some questions to prompt discussion, and you're free to discuss things however you want – this isn't a strict Q&A thread, although if it helps to structure your posts here that way nobody will penalise you for it - if you're stuck for things to say (which will probably happen for some Pokemon!) here are a few general questions you might want to think about:

• What were your first impressions of this Pokemon, and has that opinion changed over time? If so, what prompted that change?
• Has this Pokemon had any appearances that have made it stand out to you? Maybe a one-shot or recurring anime appearance, or as a character in one of the spinoff titles?
• Have you ever used this Pokemon in one of your games before? Was it a useful addition to your team, or something you swapped out right away? Something you used for a challenge?
• How would you improve this Pokemon? What sort of additional ability, moves, or stat bonuses would you give it that would make it more viable in competitive play? For Pokemon that are already very viable for competitive play, what makes them so useful, and how would you balance them?

List of Pokémon by Day:

Jan. 19, 2016 - Bulbasaur
Jan. 20, 2016 - Marill
Jan. 21, 2016 - Wurmple
Jan. 22, 2016 - Graveler
Jan. 23, 2016 - Archeops
Jan. 24, 2016 - Rotom
Jan. 25, 2016 - Ampharos
Jan. 26, 2016 - Cubchoo
Jan. 27, 2016 - Porygon
Jan. 28, 2016 - Sylveon
Jan. 29, 2016 - Cherrim
Jan. 30, 2016 - Chandelure
Jan. 31, 2016 - Deoxys
Feb. 1, 2016 - Koffing
Feb. 2, 2016 - Wailord
Feb. 3, 2016 - Mr. Mime
Feb. 4, 2016 - Pachirisu
Feb. 5, 2016 - Sawsbuck
Feb. 6, 2016 - Thundurus
Feb. 7, 2016 - Metapod
Feb. 8, 2016 - Infernape
Feb. 9, 2016 - Snorlax
Feb. 10, 2016 - Ho-Oh
Feb. 11, 2016 - Oshawott
Feb. 12, 2016 - Shedinja
Feb. 13, 2016 - Zubat
Feb. 14, 2016 - Luvdisc
Feb. 15, 2016 - Frillish
Feb. 16, 2016 - Wobbuffet
Feb. 17, 2016 - Pyroar
Feb. 18, 2016 - Kingler
Feb. 19, 2016 - Banette
Feb. 20, 2016 - Lickilicky
Feb. 21, 2016 - Cresselia
Feb. 22, 2016 - Magikarp
Feb. 23, 2016 - Lanturn
Feb. 24, 2016 - Gourgeist
Feb. 25, 2016 - Starly
Feb. 26, 2016 - Entei
Feb. 27, 2016 - Pikachu
Feb. 28, 2016 - Starmie
Feb. 29, 2016 - Gogoat
Mar. 1, 2016 - Castform
Mar. 2, 2016 - Parasect
Mar. 3, 2016 - Chatot
Mar. 4, 2016 - Cryogonal
Mar. 5, 2016 - Meganium
Mar. 6, 2016 - Ekans
Mar. 7, 2016 - Seaking
Mar. 8, 2016 - Beldum
Mar. 9, 2016 - Lopunny
Mar. 10, 2016 - Gothitelle
Mar. 11, 2016 - Miltank
Mar. 12, 2016 - Xerneas
Mar. 13, 2016 - Absol
Mar. 14, 2016 - Klinklang
Mar. 15, 2016 - Cloyster
Mar. 16, 2016 - Tyrogue
Mar. 17, 2016 - Cacnea
Mar. 30, 2016 - Togekiss
Mar. 31, 2016 - Tropius
April Fools' 2016 - Ariel
Apr. 3, 2016 - Riolu
Apr. 4, 2016 - Joltik
Apr. 5, 2016 - Sunflora
Apr. 6, 2016 - Whimsicott
Apr. 7, 2016 - Trapinch
Apr. 8, 2016 - Porygon-Z
Apr. 9, 2016 - Darumaka
Apr. 10, 2016 - Kricketune
Apr. 11, 2016 - Genesect
Apr. 12, 2016 - Rhydon
Apr. 13, 2016 - Throh
Apr. 14, 2016 - Spoink
Apr. 15, 2016 - Slowpoke
Apr. 16, 2016 - Jumpluff
Apr. 17, 2016 - Tynamo
Apr. 18, 2016 - Lumineon
Apr. 19, 2016 - Fennekin
Apr. 20, 2016 - Drilbur
Apr. 21, 2016 - Chansey
Apr. 22, 2016 - Duskull
Apr. 23, 2016 - Zoroark
Apr. 24, 2016 - Farfetch'd
Apr. 25, 2016 - Ursaring
Apr. 26, 2016 - Garchomp
Apr. 27, 2016 - Hoopa
Apr. 28, 2016 - Houndoom
Apr. 29, 2016 - Flareon
Apr. 30, 2016 - Pangoro
May 1st, 2016 - Pidove
May 2nd, 2016 - Gliscor
May 3rd, 2016 - Snubbull
May 4th, 2016 - Beautifly
May 5th, 2016 - Rapidash
May 6th, 2016 - Roggenrola
May 7th, 2016 - Zapdos
May 8th, 2016 - Unown
May 9th, 2016 - Litwick
May 10th, 2016 - Vigoroth
May 11th, 2016 - Whirlipede
May 12th, 2016 - Muk
May 13th, 2016 - Hippowdon
May 14th, 2016 - Floette
May 15th, 2016 - Gardevoir
May 16th, 2016 - Rattata
May 17th, 2016 - Heatran
May 18th, 2016 - Sharpedo
May 19th, 2016 - Barbaracle
May 20th, 2016 - Empoleon
May 21st, 2016 - Honchkrow
May 22nd, 2016 - Amoonguss
May 23rd, 2016 - Smeargle
May 24th, 2016 - Purugly
May 25th, 2016 - Mudkip
May 26th, 2016 - Diggersby
May 27th, 2016 - Dragonite
May 28th, 2016 - Volcarona
May 29th, 2016 - Tangrowth
May 30th, 2016 - Roselia
May 31st, 2016 - Lugia
June 1st, 2016 - Druddigon
June 2nd, 2016 - Phione
June 3rd, 2016 - Cubone
June 4th, 2016 - Tyruntrum
June 5th, 2016 - Yanma
June 6th, 2016 - Kecleon
June 7th, 2016 - Keldeo
June 8th, 2016 - Shieldon
June 9th, 2016 - Bellsprout
June 10th, 2016 - Feraligatr
June 11th, 2016 - Patrat
June 12th, 2016 - Mantine
June 13th, 2016 - Inkay
June 14th, 2016 - Lunatone
June 15th, 2016 - Meowth
June 16th, 2016 - Alomomola
June 17th, 2016 - Voltorb
June 18th, 2016 - Mawile
June 19th, 2016 - Cofagrigus
June 20th, 2016 - Bronzong
June 21st, 2016 - Tepig
June 22nd, 2016 - Kabutops
June 23rd, 2016 - Seviper
June 24th, 2016 - Ledyba
June 25th, 2016 - Hawlucha
June 26th, 2016 - Jirachi
June 27th, 2016 - Skuntank
June 28th, 2016 - Klefki
June 29th, 2016 - Durant
June 30th, 2016 - Beedrill
July 1st, 2016 - Hitmontop
July 2nd, 2016 - Alakazam
July 3rd, 2016 - Vivillon
July 4th, 2016 - Braviary
July 5th, 2016 - Clefairy
July 6th, 2016 - Simisear
July 7th, 2016 - Aerodactyl
July 8th, 2016 - Chespin
July 9th, 2016 - Flygon
July 10th, 2016 - Pidgeot
July 11th, 2016 - Dunsparce
July 12th, 2016 - Emolga
July 13th, 2016 - Dratini

Credits for the CSS go to Sopheria
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[pkmin3033]

001 - BULBASAUR

"A strange seed was planted on its back at birth. The plant sprouts and grows with this Pokémon." ​

Our first Pokemon of the Day is the very first Pokemon in the National Pokedex – Bulbasaur! One of the three starter Pokemon for the original titles and their remakes alongside Charmander and Squirtle, Bulbasaur has a reputation as being easy to raise for beginners (although it shares the same Medium-Slow EXP growth rate as the other two, only reaching it's final evolutionary stage four levels earlier by comparison) and is often portrayed with a more even or aloof temperament than the other two starter Pokemon, with Ash's Bulbasaur being the best example of this. Bulbasaur has also been used by May (who later fully evolved hers) and more recently Shauna, who has evolved hers into an Ivysaur.

Share your opinion, memories, and experiences of Bulbasaur! As well as the general questions in the first post of this topic, here are some fun things to think about:

• May's Bulbasaur in the anime had heart-shaped head markings. What sort of head markings would you want your Bulbasaur to have, and why?
• Did Bulbasaur's reputation as easy to train for beginners prompt you to choose it for your starter the first time you played Red/Blue or Fire Red/Leaf Green?
• What sort of plant bulb do you think Bulbasaur has, and what would it taste like?

 

[Brendino]

Ash's Bulbasaur was always one of my favorite characters in the early days of the anime, and I always got a laugh out of its interactions with Heracross.

Speaking of that, Bulbasaur's bulb is obviously a lot sweeter than I imagined, considering that it turns into a flowering plant once it fully evolves. Since it's part Poison type, it's probably something that humans shouldn't try eating, but there's nothing stopping Pokemon, I suppose :p

I never really used Bulbasaur in the games though, and it took me until my 2nd or 3rd playthrough of Fire Red to use it, and that's only because I had access to the other two, and I wanted to complete my Pokedex. It ended up being a pretty reliable member of my team, but I still think I'd take either of the other 2 starters given the chance.

 

[PageEmp]

Bulbasaur is my MC for PMD. I didn't choose it; I decided to let the game pick my main character and I pick the partner. I served me quite well in the game so I would really like to use one in a real main series game.

Though sadly; It's pretty hard for me to get ahold of it in a main series game. The first Bulbasaur I used was in a hack where the save file was deleted(Why, Glazed? WHY!? Why did you have to choose the gen4 starters as your main starters when I have already used them all in other runs!? WHY!?), and I have yeat to pick him in X; for the first 2 tries, I picked the grass starter, and in other times I've played X I came across a grass mon who I wanted to use more.

All in all, seeing how when I had it in SMD it was decent, I hope to pick/use Bulbasaur in a nuzrun as soon as I get the chance to.

 

[KorpiklaaniVodka]

i'm against potd/potw threads tbh. they tend to die quickly and we have a whole lot 2 years and a little bit if we were to do every pokemon and every forme lol.

bulbasaur's good

 

[blue]

Bulbasaur is my favourite of the three Kanto starters, and it was actually my first ever starter choice too. I always found Charmander to be severely overrated whilst Bulbasaur being much more underrated therefore received less attention.

• Did Bulbasaur's reputation as easy to train for beginners prompt you to choose it for your starter the first time you played Red/Blue or Fire Red/Leaf Green?

No. I chose Bulbasaur based on the appearance of the three starters, but obviously the easy to train is a bonus! I do think Charmander and Squirtle have the preferential treatment when it comes to moves, but I'd still choose Bulbasaur over the other two.

 

[ddrox13]

Random Pokemon, eh? 721 options and you roll a 1?

Anyway... Bulbasaur is the OG Grass starter, and not much matches the cuteness and nostalgia of the Seed Pokemon. It is the only duo-type starter. And yes I played as a Bulbasaur in Time and somehow managed to beat Dialga. Somehow. But what does it say about me that I rolled Lonely on my first run through the personality test? You know, the one where I wasn't looking at the guide on how to answer the questions. Life is hard.

It also was the ace of my FR Monograss.

 

[Sirenita55]

I've always loved Bulbasaur, it was so cute in the anime! I remember owning the red/blue guide which said that choosing Bulbasaur would ensure an easier start to the game (something which really stuck with me considering that I had to struggle with charmander XD ) anyone else remember the first time Bulba used Solar Beam to save Venusaur and the Ivysaurs? Team Rocket were sure made to regret overlooking it. :D
I remember playing HG and constantly waiting for the post game where I could choose a Charmander. When the time came, I actually chose Bulba to my surprise (named Sora because I'm so original...)

 

[pkmin3033]

i'm against potd/potw threads tbh. they tend to die quickly and we have a whole lot 2 years and a little bit if we were to do every pokemon and every forme lol.

Then...don't post in it? Derp.
Also, we most certainly will not be doing individual forms separately...because if we did that we'd have to do every single Unown, and that'd be silly. Amongst other things.

Random Pokemon, eh? 721 options and you roll a 1?

OK, so I fudged it a bit - there will be a couple of special days where the featured Pokemon is chosen deliberately. Today is one such day, because hey, first day, first Pokemon. It appeals to my sense of symmetry. Hush.


Aaaaaaanyways.

I didn't pick Bulbasaur as my starter until Leaf Green, and I only chose it for that because Venusaur was the mascot for that version, so of course I had to have one then. I'd also learned a bit from painful experience...I started with Red, and I wanted Charmander, because Charizard was awesome. I had no idea how much hell I'd put myself through choosing it, though. Brock I cheesed with Butterfree, but Misty...I really wished I'd picked Bulbasaur when I got to Misty. Having Bulbasaur as my starter for Leaf Green made things a little less painful in the remakes.

I always thought Bulbasaur's bulb was supposed to be a tulip...it's stretching it a bit with Venusaur's massive tree, but it sort of follows through, since you can get tulip trees and the colour isn't too far off...although the bulbs are brown, so maybe not. I've probably put waaay too much thought into this over the years.

As far as the anime goes, I've always liked Ash's Bulbasaur, except for one thing...the Bulba-by? Even ten-year-old me frowned a bit at that. xD

 

[Otamajakushi]

I've got to say, I was never really fond of Bulbasaur in the past. It's not that I didn't like it, but I just always picked Charmander. And when I didn't pick Charmander, I picked Squirtle. Recently, however, I've selected Bulbasaur on a couple of occasions and have been really happy with the results Venusaur does amazing work and it's still pretty cool. I think, overall, it's still not my favorite, I'll still prefer Charmander, but I do like it a lot now.

 

[Poké Bean]

Ash's Bulbasaur was always one of my favorite characters in the early days of the anime, and I always got a laugh out of its interactions with Heracross.

I loved those moments too, they made such a good on-screen pairing!

I have used one in-game as I always pick the grass starter but I can't really think of any special memories right now.

May's Bulbasaur is so cute with the heart shaped spots on her head and it was cool that her's and Ash's had different personalities and were used differently.

 

[Sopheria]

Oh man, Bulbasaur! It and its evolutionary line are my favorites out of the three 1st gen starter families. I didn't chose it my first time around when I played Blue--I distinctly remember choosing Squirtle because I knew from the anime that Brock's Rock types would be easily dealt with by a Water-type. Of course, had I known Grass is just as effective as Water, I'd probably have chosen Bulbasaur instead haha. Funny little throwback to my days as a child when most of my knowledge about type match-ups came from the anime~

Something I've always wondered though, does it being #001 mean that it was the first to have ever been discovered? Or just the first to get indexed by the Pokédex? Probably the latter, but still, interesting little thought to throw out there haha

 

[pkmin3033]

183 - MARILL

"The fur on its body naturally repels water. It can stay dry, even when it plays in the water."

Our second Pokemon of the Day is Marill! Amongst the first Pokemon of the second generation to be revealed, Marill is perhaps best known for being mistakenly dubbed as "Pikablu" due to its very slight resemblance to Pikachu. In the days before the second generation titles were released Marill also received a great deal of attention in the anime, being one of Tracey Sketchit's Pokemon, as well as having a role in the short Pikachu's Vacation. Despite receiving a pre-evolution in the third generation and an additional type in the sixth, Marill has never been quite as popular as it was when it was known as Pikablu, however.

Share your opinion, memories, and experiences of Marill! As well as the general questions in the first post of this topic, here are some fun things to think about:

• Did you refer to Marill as "Pikablu" before it's official reveal, and did you believe any of the rumours about how to obtain it in Gen I titles?
• What do you think of Marill's early concept art? Is it better or worse than the final design?
• What is your opinion of Marill's re-classification to a dual Water/Fairy type? Does the added type suit it?

 

[Killua]

Marril... hmm i Remanber it being one of the first pokes that i captured in both Ruby and Emerald, But i replaced her for Tentacruel later, i had one or two experiences with an Azumarril, but i just didn´t had the patience to perfect ivs and proper ev training, so i lost a lot.
Water fairy is an incredible typing and the concept art is ugly

 

[PageEmp]

I've said this before in the Water club(Well technically we were talking about Azumarrill but nevermind), I have used Marill in one of my X runs. It was great when I had it... But I had to box it. I had a rule that if a teammate exceeds the starter's level by 3 levels it should be boxed, and Marrill levels up quickly. For onece, the gen6 exp share is bad >_<.

I would probably use it again if I could tho. Especially with the fairy part typing.

 

[ddrox13]

Marill is a ball of fluff. That is all.

I was never around to call it any pre-release nicknames, I just thought it looked cute and cuddly and I wanted one. Never ended up using it though :(

 

[Hikamaru]

I really love Marill, because its design is simple but at the same time unique, and it's cute so it appeals to a wide audience. Becoming Water/Fairy-type really helped it get some newfound use battle-wise considering how powerful the Fairy-type is on the competitive scene.

 

[Otamajakushi]

Did you refer to Marill as "Pikablu" before it's official reveal, and did you believe any of the rumours about how to obtain it in Gen I titles?
I did, briefly, before realizing that that was kind of silly. I didn't believe any of the rumors because they were also pretty outlandish.

What do you think of Marill's early concept art? Is it better or worse than the final design?
It wasn't bad; I quite enjoyed it. However, it's definitely worse than the final.

What is your opinion of Marill's re-classification to a dual Water/Fairy type? Does the added type suit it?
I wasn't a huge fan of reclassification in general, but putting that aside, I think Marill's was pretty on-point. It gave the Pokemon more depth and I can appreciate that.

 

[pkmin3033]

I have a confession to make: 90% of the Marill I catch I nickname Pikablu. I've never actually used one in-game after my initial disastrous attempt in my first Silver file - it was far too weak, and once the red Gyarados came along that was it, out it went - but I've usually nicknamed them that when I've caught them. Of all the new Pokemon revealed before G/S were released - excluding Ho-Oh, although at the time I thought that was a Moltres - Marill was my second favourite after Steelix, because it was just so cute! The Pikachu connection and the rumours about it being in the game only made it more appealing, too~

I don't really see the Fairy-type motif suiting it, though. It's cute, but in a round, bouncy ball sort of way, not a mysterious, ephemeral sort of way, which is what Fairy should be to me. It clashes with my weird sense of aesthetics. But not quite as much as, say, Snubbull or Mawile. But it's still an odd choice, at least to me.

 

[Ammako]

• Did you refer to Marill as "Pikablu" before it's official reveal, and did you believe any of the rumours about how to obtain it in Gen I titles?
• What do you think of Marill's early concept art? Is it better or worse than the final design?
• What is your opinion of Marill's re-classification to a dual Water/Fairy type? Does the added type suit it?

1. No, because when I started getting into Pokémon, Marill was already well-known and Gen. II/III were already out. I however did believe some of the rumours for Gen. I that said you could find Pikablu if you fished in one of the water tiles in Glitch City, which I tried and failed. :p

2. Eh, I prefer the final one, possibly because it's what we're all used to.

3. I don't really care. They needed to make some old Pokémon into Fairy types otherwise there wouldn't have been so many. But nothing about it really strikes me as fairy-like so it's a bit odd. But don't really care either way. Mostly puts me off as it gives it new resistances :p

I just wish it and its evolution were stronger... their offensive stats are disastrously low.