Adam Levine
[color=#ffffff][font="Century Gothic"]I have tried
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- Seen Feb 27, 2024
This thread might overlap with other existing threads in this forum, but I wanna hold a discussion that not only talks about Pokémon designs or Pokémon during leak season. Now that the game has been out for about two weeks and we've sunk our teeth into Scarlet and Violet, what do you think of the new Pokémon so far? Any favorites/least favorites? Any trends you've noticed in Game Freak's design philosophy? Some Pokémon you simply think are interesting in terms of concept/gameplay?
I'll be talking about certain Pokémon I feel strongly about in order of index number (not dex order, because the index number order is kind of a mess and we'll have to wait for HOME compatibility for an official dex order). Spoilered just to be safe, and because boy are my thoughts about the Pokémon loaded.
I'll be talking about certain Pokémon I feel strongly about in order of index number (not dex order, because the index number order is kind of a mess and we'll have to wait for HOME compatibility for an official dex order). Spoilered just to be safe, and because boy are my thoughts about the Pokémon loaded.
Spoiler:
Paldean Tauros
Well, Tauros comes before everything else in dex order so...might as well start here. Of course this region has regional forms for Tauros. Three of them. It was such a no-brainer, and I'm glad it happened. The fact that it has multiple breeds, each with its own type and movepool, is cool too, and it's a smart way to liven the region a little without filling in a separate dex slot.
Sprigatito, Floragato, and Meowscarada
It's funny how this is the second Protean starter in a row (Cinderace counts) whose second stage I prefer over the first and third. I don't hate Meowscarada, certainly not as much as Cinderace, but Floragato just tickles my fancy for some reason, and Sprigatito looks far too generic.
Fuecoco, Crocalor, and Skeledirge
Ever since Scarlet and Violet were revealed, I immediately fell in love with Fuecoco because it was a crocodile and it looked like an apple. Crocalor is a rather awkward second stage, and while I don't hate it per se, I can see why people do. I really like Skeledirge, even if it looks like it's trying to incorporate too many things at once. I'm just glad we have a fully evolved Fire starter that doesn't look so anthropomorphic after seven generations. I will say it's weird that Skeledirge looks more Mexican than Spanish, though.
Quaxly, Quaxwell, and Quaquaval
I like Quaxly too, but boy is it hard to like after it evolves. Quaxwell is just Prinplup 2 in how forgettable it is, and Quaquaval is...too much. Don't get me wrong, I like how it's animated, but its color scheme just looks awful to me and its feet look strange. Funny how they had to specify that Quaquaval isn't based on Spanish tradition. I find it strange that, overall, only one of the fully evolved starters (Meowscarada) is undoubtedly Spanish in inspiration.
Dudunsparce
I can see why people would be beyond disappointed that Dunsparce's new evolution, which it had been begging for for about 22 years, looks like Dunsparce but longer. But honestly I was a little bummed out when a leak revealed Dunsparce was getting an evolution in the first place, because I thought part of Dunsparce's novelty and charm was that it was awful and useless. But Dudunsparce...I kind of love it because of how disappointing it is, fitting for Dunsparce already being such a disappointment from Generations II to VIII. You can't tell me Game Freak don't have a sense of humor. I love a good joke, and Dudunsparce is one of Game Freak's funnier ones.
Spidops
There's a silly joke I see in the competitive VGC community that Spidops is the most overpowered new Pokémon this generation or something, and that's because Spidops is disappointing on all fronts. A secret-agent spider sounds cool but they dropped the ball here (literally too, because Spidops forgoes the cute spherical design Tarountula has), and its stats are AWFUL. Seriously, who at Game Freak decided to make a Bug-type bad again?
Espathra
I'm so glad we finally have an ostrich Pokémon. And to be honest, this wasn't a bad way to introduce one. I do find it weird that its actual mouth is below where I thought it should be, but I still like it regardless. Like real ostriches, however, I'm scared of Espathra because Geeta's punished me hard for using Shift Gear.
Wiglett and Wugtrio
I love that Pokémon is pulling out all the stops when it comes to biology. Convergent evolution was a no-brainer for the franchise to explore, and I especially love that Wiglett is based on a garden eel (and that we finally have an eel Pokémon, since I don't count the Tynamo line). Wugtrio having the exact same color scheme as a red Among Us crewmate, whether intentional or not, is hilarious to me.
Dondozo
You know, rarely do I care about fish Pokémon. But this generation is making me somewhat partial to them now. Sometimes I just love a giant, dumb catfish, and Dondozo really scratches that itch. I'll discuss Tatsugiri once I get there, because I love that these two elevate each other.
Veluza
Veluza is one of my favorite new Pokémon, and considering that it's a fish that's a pretty big achievement. The idea of a fish that fillets itself is metal as hell, and using it in my own playthrough is quite fun.
Finizen and Palafin
It's one thing for Generation IX to finally introduce a dolphin Pokémon, but I'm glad they didn't stop there. The fact that Palafin looks almost exactly like Finizen at first is funny, and I love its Zero to Hero gimmick. While Hero Form Palafin is far from my favorite design (the fact that it doesn't have thumbs bothers me more than it should), I love Palafin on a conceptual level.
Varoom and Revavroom
My mind's a little split on these two. On one hand I love that we have more Pokémon based on transportation, and that it's a Poison/Steel-type, I feel Varoom and Revavroom are emblematic of why people dislike object Pokémon so much: they look too inorganic. Varoom in particular looks obtuse (from which angle am I supposed to look at it?). I do love the Starmobiles as bosses, though, because those things are tough (flashbacks to Mela's Starmobile). One thing I will say is that the average Pokémon is getting more difficult to draw.
Orthworm
Orthworm is another one of my favorites. We finally have a proper annelid Pokémon, and the fact that it takes cues from subway trains is really cool too (eat your heart out, Coalossal). I don't know, I just love my funny worm guy.
Tandemaus and Maushold
I can see why people dislike these Pokémon (especially their Shinies, seriously why do they look like that), but Tandemaus and Maushold are incredibly interesting to me. The fact that they evolve randomly and under normal circumstances never show you its evolution process is funny (Everstones don't prevent their evolution either, which is the icing on the cake). Dudunsparce and Maushold are some of my favorite jokes.
Tatsugiri
Now we're at Tatsugiri, and I can confidently say that it's my favorite new Pokémon this generation. I love that it's a cute little sushi dragon that comes in three different colors, each with their own animations, and more symbiotic Pokémon are always a good addition. Its relationship with Dondozo is really cool (even if it's almost busted), and I love that Dondozo's Order Up has different animations depending on the kind of Tatsugiri in its mouth.
Wattrel and Kilowattrel
It's funny how Game Freak basically abandoned the early-game regional bird trope. Wattrel is the closest we have, and even then you normally first see it near Levincia (unless I'm just stupid and Wattrel can be found in South Province Area One or something). Glad we have more Electric/Flying-types too, and that these two represent birds we didn't have Pokémon based on previously.
Squawkabilly
Shortly after Legends: Arceus released I was disappointed that Generation IV Pokémon themselves didn't get much love, especially Pokémon like Chatot and Kricketune. I remember wishing that we has another parrot Pokémon, and when I saw the weird parrot Pokémon icon in one of the reveal trailers I didn't have high hopes. This feels targeted: I wanted another parrot Pokémon, perhaps an evolution to Chatot or something, and the fact that we get another mediocre single-stage Normal/Flying-type parrot disappoints me. It's not even that colorful, and I hate its ill-fitting pompadour too. The fact that people employed it over, I don't know, something like Kilowattrel for the Flying Taxi is weird to me. At least it has a cool name.
Flamigo
Flamigo is weird. It's too simple yet it somehow has too much going on as well. It's a flamingo...but also a lawn ornament and a balloon animal and a boxing glove? Yeah. Weird.
Nacli, Naclstack, and Garganacl
We need more Pokémon like the Nacli line. I don't mean we need more blocky Pokémon (although that would be cool), but Pokémon with substantially unique interactions with the type chart are in short supply. We have type-immunity abilities and such, but the Nacli line almost don't feel like Rock-types with how unique they are when it comes to type interactions. Their signature move does more damage to Steel- and Water-types, which otherwise are awful matchups for Rock-types, and Purifying Salt turns them into the only non-Dark-types to resist Ghost moves. We really need more Pokémon like these!
Glimmet and Glimmora
While I'm not the biggest fan of their designs, Glimmet and Glimmora interest me because of their lore implications. It's rare for non-legendary Pokémon to have such a substantial role in the lore, let alone the generation's new gimmick. The Glimmet line being strongly connected to the Terastal phenomenon is interesting, and there's no shortage of evidence that stimulates the imagination: Glimmet and Glimmora spawn everywhere in the depths of Area Zero, where the Terastal phenomenon originates from, their dex entries imply they're related, and crafting TMs for Tera Blast requires Glimmet Crystals. Say what you will about Pokémon's story/lore, but I find myself drawn to it nowadays.
Bramblin and Brambleghast
As weird as it is to say, I really like that we have a tumbleweed Pokémon now. However, Bramblin makes me feel uncomfortable when it's close up (maybe its twigs look too thick for a tumbleweed?), and Brambleghast's "face" isn't doing me any favors either. But hey, the last Grass/Ghost Pokémon with a weird physiology (Dhelmise) grew on me, so maybe these ones will too. They do look like real tumbleweeds when they move, so that's cool I guess.
Gimmighoul and Gholdengo
Even if hunting Gimmighoul Coins isn't exactly that challenging or engaging, I like that they're really tying open-world exploration to obtaining Pokémon, and that finding 999 Gimmighoul Coins is much less tortuous and much more rewarding than finding 900 Koroks.
The Paradox Pokémon
Game Freak really went, "what if we made Alola but again?" As someone who loves the Ultra Beasts, Paradox Pokémon were the perfect compromise for me. Although I much prefer the Ultra Beasts in terms of design, I prefer the Paradox Pokémon in concept and execution. They feel more like monsters from any other JRPG than actual Pokémon, which I really like, to be honest. My favorite of these has got to be Sandy Shocks, though, just because of how absurd it is on all fronts (so you want to make an ancient relative for the Magnemite line of all things, and of Magneton, not even Magnezone, and you make it look like...that?). I'm a sucker for Pokémon that confound me. I hope we get more of these, especially because the Scarlet/Violet Book is giving us some pretty interesting teasers.
The Treasures of Ruin
Yup, "what if we made Alola but again?" strikes again. This is our second animal-themed legendary quartet with a shared type and signature move that cuts your current HP by half. That said, I love the Treasures of Ruin simply because of how mysterious they are. They never show up in the main story, and the only way you'll know about them without looking them up is either roaming around the open world and finding them yourself or taking Raifort's class and having her mark the locations of the shrines for you. I just like Legendary Pokémon who are...you know, legendary, in the sense that their very existence is a legend until you find out for yourself. Kind of like Mewtwo in Generation I.
Koraidon and Miraidon
I've already talked about Koraidon and Miraidon in this forum before, but long story short they might just be my favorite boxart legendaries, simply because they're such a breath of fresh air in terms of story presence and execution. They're present throughout the entire game and you treat it like a beast of burden and a companion during all this, which paradoxically (get it?) makes them seem less legendary, but I like it when the Pokémon on the boxart is there the entire game. They're not even guardians or anything, they're just past and future versions of a Pokémon that already exists and they just so happen to be really strong. They're kinda like Reshiram and Zekrom, funnily enough (and you can draw quite a few parallels between the pairs).
Toedscool and Toedscruel
Yay, more regional fakes! Seeing a Tentacool-like Pokémon run around on land is hilarious, and overall I just think they're neat. I don't have much else to say about them, but I'm always a fan of mushroom Pokémon (and it's funny that they introduce mushroom Pokémon every odd-numbered generation).
Kingambit
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw Kingambit was Dark Fantasy by Kanye West (if you were on specific circles on the internet, you know what this means). I was a little weirded out when Bisharp of all things got an evolution, but they really nailed this one. It's just sitting there menacingly, and Supreme Overlord is such a cool ability as well.
Annihilape
monkey
Well, Tauros comes before everything else in dex order so...might as well start here. Of course this region has regional forms for Tauros. Three of them. It was such a no-brainer, and I'm glad it happened. The fact that it has multiple breeds, each with its own type and movepool, is cool too, and it's a smart way to liven the region a little without filling in a separate dex slot.
Sprigatito, Floragato, and Meowscarada
It's funny how this is the second Protean starter in a row (Cinderace counts) whose second stage I prefer over the first and third. I don't hate Meowscarada, certainly not as much as Cinderace, but Floragato just tickles my fancy for some reason, and Sprigatito looks far too generic.
Fuecoco, Crocalor, and Skeledirge
Ever since Scarlet and Violet were revealed, I immediately fell in love with Fuecoco because it was a crocodile and it looked like an apple. Crocalor is a rather awkward second stage, and while I don't hate it per se, I can see why people do. I really like Skeledirge, even if it looks like it's trying to incorporate too many things at once. I'm just glad we have a fully evolved Fire starter that doesn't look so anthropomorphic after seven generations. I will say it's weird that Skeledirge looks more Mexican than Spanish, though.
Quaxly, Quaxwell, and Quaquaval
I like Quaxly too, but boy is it hard to like after it evolves. Quaxwell is just Prinplup 2 in how forgettable it is, and Quaquaval is...too much. Don't get me wrong, I like how it's animated, but its color scheme just looks awful to me and its feet look strange. Funny how they had to specify that Quaquaval isn't based on Spanish tradition. I find it strange that, overall, only one of the fully evolved starters (Meowscarada) is undoubtedly Spanish in inspiration.
Dudunsparce
I can see why people would be beyond disappointed that Dunsparce's new evolution, which it had been begging for for about 22 years, looks like Dunsparce but longer. But honestly I was a little bummed out when a leak revealed Dunsparce was getting an evolution in the first place, because I thought part of Dunsparce's novelty and charm was that it was awful and useless. But Dudunsparce...I kind of love it because of how disappointing it is, fitting for Dunsparce already being such a disappointment from Generations II to VIII. You can't tell me Game Freak don't have a sense of humor. I love a good joke, and Dudunsparce is one of Game Freak's funnier ones.
Spidops
There's a silly joke I see in the competitive VGC community that Spidops is the most overpowered new Pokémon this generation or something, and that's because Spidops is disappointing on all fronts. A secret-agent spider sounds cool but they dropped the ball here (literally too, because Spidops forgoes the cute spherical design Tarountula has), and its stats are AWFUL. Seriously, who at Game Freak decided to make a Bug-type bad again?
Espathra
I'm so glad we finally have an ostrich Pokémon. And to be honest, this wasn't a bad way to introduce one. I do find it weird that its actual mouth is below where I thought it should be, but I still like it regardless. Like real ostriches, however, I'm scared of Espathra because Geeta's punished me hard for using Shift Gear.
Wiglett and Wugtrio
I love that Pokémon is pulling out all the stops when it comes to biology. Convergent evolution was a no-brainer for the franchise to explore, and I especially love that Wiglett is based on a garden eel (and that we finally have an eel Pokémon, since I don't count the Tynamo line). Wugtrio having the exact same color scheme as a red Among Us crewmate, whether intentional or not, is hilarious to me.
Dondozo
You know, rarely do I care about fish Pokémon. But this generation is making me somewhat partial to them now. Sometimes I just love a giant, dumb catfish, and Dondozo really scratches that itch. I'll discuss Tatsugiri once I get there, because I love that these two elevate each other.
Veluza
Veluza is one of my favorite new Pokémon, and considering that it's a fish that's a pretty big achievement. The idea of a fish that fillets itself is metal as hell, and using it in my own playthrough is quite fun.
Finizen and Palafin
It's one thing for Generation IX to finally introduce a dolphin Pokémon, but I'm glad they didn't stop there. The fact that Palafin looks almost exactly like Finizen at first is funny, and I love its Zero to Hero gimmick. While Hero Form Palafin is far from my favorite design (the fact that it doesn't have thumbs bothers me more than it should), I love Palafin on a conceptual level.
Varoom and Revavroom
My mind's a little split on these two. On one hand I love that we have more Pokémon based on transportation, and that it's a Poison/Steel-type, I feel Varoom and Revavroom are emblematic of why people dislike object Pokémon so much: they look too inorganic. Varoom in particular looks obtuse (from which angle am I supposed to look at it?). I do love the Starmobiles as bosses, though, because those things are tough (flashbacks to Mela's Starmobile). One thing I will say is that the average Pokémon is getting more difficult to draw.
Orthworm
Orthworm is another one of my favorites. We finally have a proper annelid Pokémon, and the fact that it takes cues from subway trains is really cool too (eat your heart out, Coalossal). I don't know, I just love my funny worm guy.
Tandemaus and Maushold
I can see why people dislike these Pokémon (especially their Shinies, seriously why do they look like that), but Tandemaus and Maushold are incredibly interesting to me. The fact that they evolve randomly and under normal circumstances never show you its evolution process is funny (Everstones don't prevent their evolution either, which is the icing on the cake). Dudunsparce and Maushold are some of my favorite jokes.
Tatsugiri
Now we're at Tatsugiri, and I can confidently say that it's my favorite new Pokémon this generation. I love that it's a cute little sushi dragon that comes in three different colors, each with their own animations, and more symbiotic Pokémon are always a good addition. Its relationship with Dondozo is really cool (even if it's almost busted), and I love that Dondozo's Order Up has different animations depending on the kind of Tatsugiri in its mouth.
Wattrel and Kilowattrel
It's funny how Game Freak basically abandoned the early-game regional bird trope. Wattrel is the closest we have, and even then you normally first see it near Levincia (unless I'm just stupid and Wattrel can be found in South Province Area One or something). Glad we have more Electric/Flying-types too, and that these two represent birds we didn't have Pokémon based on previously.
Squawkabilly
Shortly after Legends: Arceus released I was disappointed that Generation IV Pokémon themselves didn't get much love, especially Pokémon like Chatot and Kricketune. I remember wishing that we has another parrot Pokémon, and when I saw the weird parrot Pokémon icon in one of the reveal trailers I didn't have high hopes. This feels targeted: I wanted another parrot Pokémon, perhaps an evolution to Chatot or something, and the fact that we get another mediocre single-stage Normal/Flying-type parrot disappoints me. It's not even that colorful, and I hate its ill-fitting pompadour too. The fact that people employed it over, I don't know, something like Kilowattrel for the Flying Taxi is weird to me. At least it has a cool name.
Flamigo
Flamigo is weird. It's too simple yet it somehow has too much going on as well. It's a flamingo...but also a lawn ornament and a balloon animal and a boxing glove? Yeah. Weird.
Nacli, Naclstack, and Garganacl
We need more Pokémon like the Nacli line. I don't mean we need more blocky Pokémon (although that would be cool), but Pokémon with substantially unique interactions with the type chart are in short supply. We have type-immunity abilities and such, but the Nacli line almost don't feel like Rock-types with how unique they are when it comes to type interactions. Their signature move does more damage to Steel- and Water-types, which otherwise are awful matchups for Rock-types, and Purifying Salt turns them into the only non-Dark-types to resist Ghost moves. We really need more Pokémon like these!
Glimmet and Glimmora
While I'm not the biggest fan of their designs, Glimmet and Glimmora interest me because of their lore implications. It's rare for non-legendary Pokémon to have such a substantial role in the lore, let alone the generation's new gimmick. The Glimmet line being strongly connected to the Terastal phenomenon is interesting, and there's no shortage of evidence that stimulates the imagination: Glimmet and Glimmora spawn everywhere in the depths of Area Zero, where the Terastal phenomenon originates from, their dex entries imply they're related, and crafting TMs for Tera Blast requires Glimmet Crystals. Say what you will about Pokémon's story/lore, but I find myself drawn to it nowadays.
Bramblin and Brambleghast
As weird as it is to say, I really like that we have a tumbleweed Pokémon now. However, Bramblin makes me feel uncomfortable when it's close up (maybe its twigs look too thick for a tumbleweed?), and Brambleghast's "face" isn't doing me any favors either. But hey, the last Grass/Ghost Pokémon with a weird physiology (Dhelmise) grew on me, so maybe these ones will too. They do look like real tumbleweeds when they move, so that's cool I guess.
Gimmighoul and Gholdengo
Even if hunting Gimmighoul Coins isn't exactly that challenging or engaging, I like that they're really tying open-world exploration to obtaining Pokémon, and that finding 999 Gimmighoul Coins is much less tortuous and much more rewarding than finding 900 Koroks.
The Paradox Pokémon
Game Freak really went, "what if we made Alola but again?" As someone who loves the Ultra Beasts, Paradox Pokémon were the perfect compromise for me. Although I much prefer the Ultra Beasts in terms of design, I prefer the Paradox Pokémon in concept and execution. They feel more like monsters from any other JRPG than actual Pokémon, which I really like, to be honest. My favorite of these has got to be Sandy Shocks, though, just because of how absurd it is on all fronts (so you want to make an ancient relative for the Magnemite line of all things, and of Magneton, not even Magnezone, and you make it look like...that?). I'm a sucker for Pokémon that confound me. I hope we get more of these, especially because the Scarlet/Violet Book is giving us some pretty interesting teasers.
The Treasures of Ruin
Yup, "what if we made Alola but again?" strikes again. This is our second animal-themed legendary quartet with a shared type and signature move that cuts your current HP by half. That said, I love the Treasures of Ruin simply because of how mysterious they are. They never show up in the main story, and the only way you'll know about them without looking them up is either roaming around the open world and finding them yourself or taking Raifort's class and having her mark the locations of the shrines for you. I just like Legendary Pokémon who are...you know, legendary, in the sense that their very existence is a legend until you find out for yourself. Kind of like Mewtwo in Generation I.
Koraidon and Miraidon
I've already talked about Koraidon and Miraidon in this forum before, but long story short they might just be my favorite boxart legendaries, simply because they're such a breath of fresh air in terms of story presence and execution. They're present throughout the entire game and you treat it like a beast of burden and a companion during all this, which paradoxically (get it?) makes them seem less legendary, but I like it when the Pokémon on the boxart is there the entire game. They're not even guardians or anything, they're just past and future versions of a Pokémon that already exists and they just so happen to be really strong. They're kinda like Reshiram and Zekrom, funnily enough (and you can draw quite a few parallels between the pairs).
Toedscool and Toedscruel
Yay, more regional fakes! Seeing a Tentacool-like Pokémon run around on land is hilarious, and overall I just think they're neat. I don't have much else to say about them, but I'm always a fan of mushroom Pokémon (and it's funny that they introduce mushroom Pokémon every odd-numbered generation).
Kingambit
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw Kingambit was Dark Fantasy by Kanye West (if you were on specific circles on the internet, you know what this means). I was a little weirded out when Bisharp of all things got an evolution, but they really nailed this one. It's just sitting there menacingly, and Supreme Overlord is such a cool ability as well.
Annihilape
monkey
