Aaa Spring is in the air, birds are in the air, bugs are buzzing and trees are (oh dear god) pollinating ugh. (I hate allergy season.) Anyways, speaking of getting in the mood of spring, it brings me to a brand new spotlight! I think given the blooming of flowers it’s only appropriate to cover Pokemon’s Grass starters.
There are over 95 different grass type Pokemon in the games, and a majority of them share dual typing. While it’s not as big of a category as some of the other types there is something that grass has consistently brought to the table – a starter. While a water type is more useful, and a fire type is almost always more powerful, the grass type to me has always represented balance. Often not as strong as a Charizard nor as swift as a Greninja, but tough enough to take a hit from the former and survive to do its own damage.
So as I did in Starting birds, let me break down each type then rank them.
Bulbasaur Family: one of the original three of Gen 1 and often times one of the most overlooked of the three starters, it doesn’t grow cannons on the back like Blastoise, nor does it turn into a “dragon” like Charizard. However it is one of the most consistent; balance is the name of the game when it comes to this starters. As I have mentioned before, it was Ash’s Bulbasaur I really fell in love with, along with the fact it helped stick up for weaker Pokemon and refused to change when others did. For me however its poison typing was a bit of a setback for the Pokemon, due to its weakness to the highly over-powered psychic type. The years however have been very kind to this Pokemon – with the introduction of fairy typing in gen 6 plus a new mega evolution this little one’s future is looking very bright.
Chikorita Family: I have a confession to make. While technically Bulbasaur was my first grass starter, since I chose Yellow as my first Pokemon game I didn’t really choose to play him (I collected him, not played him). So it wouldn’t be until Gen 2 that I would make my very first starter choice, and again influenced by the show I picked Chikorita which even I admit is one of the hardest starters to run in Gen 2. While I will admit right now I don’t believe I ever completed Gen 2 with Chikorita, I did run her for more than half of Johto. When you struggle so much in the early gyms, you grow fond of your starter. However despite all of this…I do admit Chikorita is one of the more forgettable starters. Like I said before, the gyms in this game actually work against this Pokemon. Bird, bug, normal, ghost, fighting, steel, ice and dragon….none of these gyms would this starter or its moveset have an advantage in. Sorry Chikorita…
Treecko Family: I honestly do not have too much experience with this particular family. Gen 3 was the generation I went with fire…but I will get to that maybe one day. This is not a bad family though, and the generation has more balanced gyms so there are opportunities to really shine. Like Chikorita, Treecko is a solid grass type, with solid grass moves. There just isn’t much that makes this starter stand out in my opinion. I had really stopped watching the show by this point so it is all personal experience and I am afraid I just don’t have it with Treecko. Hey at least he has a mega form.
Turtwig family: I have a special fondness for this family. I love turtles and this one was the very first that was a totally uninfluenced decision. Turtwig is the first dual type since Kanto, picking up the the ground typing in its final evolution Torterra. Having the ground typing can be both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is it makes getting through Gen 4 easy; I love multiple typing and Pokemon that can learn a variety of moves. However, it now becomes four times weak to ice types, making it not as successful in the competitive world. Still Turtwig is adorable and one of my favorite designs and I played him though not only Pearl but Platinum as well, bonding me pretty tightly to this little guy. I wait long for the day that Torterra can mega evolve!
Snivy Family: Poor Snivy, it’s not its fault that Gen 5 was the generation I drifted away from Nintendo and Pokemon. I did eventually return, and when I did Snivy was my choice. Snivy is another grass starter that I think is destined to be forgotten. Like Chikorita and Treecko it is another solid grass type. I always love Snivy’s final snake-like design; there are really not enough snake Pokemon in the game. The sad fact of the matter is that Snivy’s move pool is limited, and with pure typing there is just not much other than design going for it. I fear as we move further and further into Pokemon this family will grow to be forgotten like the other solid grass types.
Chespin family: Chespin is what happens to chipmunks when they eat too many acorns and they become one. That being said, I think poor Chespin like the rest of Gen 6 starters did not have the chance to shine in game. The reason I say this is before we even get to gym two we get to pick another starter, this time from Gen 1. On top of that, these Gen 1 starters have mega evolutions. Gen 6 starters were overshadowed in their own game, with so many old school Pokemon that I didn’t really give this one a chance. Also I want to note with Chespin that this is the fourth generation to include fighting as part of the dual typing.
Ok so that is the 6 starters, so where would I rank them from worst to best….
Snivy: I love Snivy’s design, but this starter has little going in its favor; it’s not as fast as Treecko’s family nor as defensive as Chikorita’s family. Its move pool is fairly shallow as well leaving little chance to really let this well-designed Pokemon shine.
Chikorita: another pure-blooded grass type, at least unlike Snivy its move pool is slightly deeper, and it’s the more defensive then Snivy. Still I find this starter just as forgettable as Snivy and nothing really makes her stand out to me. Its own generation fights against her as there are no gyms that really allow her to shine until the second half of Gen 2.
Chespin: Poor adorable Chespin, it could not even shine in its own game because a second starter was added. While I am generally in favor of dual typing, Chespin’s dual typing just makes it so weak to flying and psychic. While I am sure it has its pluses since almost every starter that got fighting typing did well, I just never really got to use it…sorry Chespin one day maybe.
Turtwig: I love this cute adorable starter, you guys know I love this little guy. While it rocks through Gen 4, I cannot and should not ignore the fact it’s four times weak to ice. While its move set should make up for this fact, the sad fact is that a good chunk of ice users will likely out-speed Turtwig’s final evolution before it could do any damage. However Turtwig does have access to a wide range of moves making it a diverse fighter, and unlike the later three Pokemon at least its own game Turtwig can shine in.
Treecko: While a pure-blooded grass type, Treecko has one thing the last four do not have – mega evolution. while I can honestly say I have never played this grass Pokemon, I do however acknowledge that this grass type may be the best of the three pure grass Pokemon. Like Turtwig, it does have access to a diverse move pool, however unlike Turtwig it can mega evolve, although for the life of me I cannot explain why it becomes part dragon….really now it is also 4 times weak to ice. Still the mega evolution adds a nice boost in stats.
Bulbasaur: Before mega evolution and fairy typing Bulbasaur might have been lower on the list, however now I say it’s the number one of all the grass starters. Now it has the stats, the moves and the mega evolution to take this grass starter all the way, of course game freak has also had 20 years to perfect Bulbasaur.
Well what’s your opinion? who is your favorite grass starter?
Diglett & Dugtrio: I loved these little ground dwellers. I remember reading in my first Pokemon walkthough a Versus book (which sadly doesn’t exist anymore) that speed wins battles and if there is one thing this little mole Pokemon has, it’s speed. During the course of gen 1 this little guy would more than earn its place on my team. It is also one of the only Pokemon i can consistently draw and when I get bored you can find one or two on the page of a notebook. I wished it aged as well as my love for it because as the generations grew this Pokemon fell out of favor in my teams, to stronger ground types. However, Diglett will always hold a special spot for me. 
Pikachu: So cliche, I know, but Pikachu was the first “rare” Pokemon I ever caught. I remember the first one I saw in Viridian Forest, being surprised at never having seen one before (and how cute it was), and then quickly realized how rare it was to encounter one. This little electric mouse may have never made it as a permanent member of any of my teams, but its charm and personality have stuck with me from the very beginning. (Ash’s Pikachu is infinitely adorable too.)
Zapdos: Out of all of the legendary Pokemon in this generation, Zapdos was by far and away my favorite. This wonderful little electric Pokemon would be a firm fighter for me. With Zappy (yes that’s what I named it) by my side I always knew I would make it through. In game Zapdos is truly the key to getting the other legendaries, We zapped Moltres and Articuno and drill pecked Mewtwo. Whenever I see the Zapdos in future games my heart jumps a beat because I know with this bird at my side…nothing will stop me. 
Pidgey, Pidgeotto & Pidgeot: Pidgey was one of two bird Pokemon you could catch at the very beginning of the game, and I always liked Pidgey’s design better than Spearow’s. As this little bird evolved, he became my Flyer and a very reliable member of my first team. In a recent playthrough of Soul Silver, I made it a point to use one, and while he had a period where he was close to useless, now he has proven himself to be a core member of the team. There have been many new bird Pokemon introduced since Gen 1, but they will never replace the Pidgey family for me.
Rapidash: When I was looking over the list of the original 151, and looked at good Rapidash and Ponyta I got this warm happy feeling. Like most little girls, I grew up loving horses. I can’t tell you how it absolutely blows my mind after 20 years and 722(?) Pokemon that there are only 3 horse type Pokemon. Rapidash is too often overlooked in my opinion as a fire Pokemon, but it has something that is so key, the same reason i love Dugtrio: speed. It’s not only that. I loved encountering it in Snap. It is beautifully designed, and has the moves and the stats to be a great Pokemon, and she really is. 
Butterfree: Yet another Pokemon found close to the beginning of the game! I loved Butterfree even though she was always swapped out later for something more useful. I think it’s because I loved butterflies as a kid, and hated bees (Beedrill is the Pokemon opposite Butterfree). Leveling up a Caterpie or Metapod and then seeing this beautiful Butterfree emerge was always immensely satisfying. 
Eevee & Flareon: Ok, another cute choice, but this Pokemon is not found until much later in the game. You can only get one Eevee, and then you find that Eevee can evolve into one of three Pokemon depending on what kind of stone you give to it. Eevee is cute enough already, but Flareon’s design always attracted me more than the other two options. Flareon just looks so fluffy! Eevee has consistently been a team member in later games, sometimes as its original form, and much more often in one of its now EIGHT evolution choices. 
Lapras: By now are you really that surprised to see Lapras here? If you have read my past blogs you know I absolutely love this Pokemon. She has carried me through so many games, but it was Yellow where I first met her. Once I had her by my side I dropped my Blastoise for her and I have never looked back. Lapras has been at my side since the beginning, My love for this Pokemon goes longer and deeper, met in gen 1 and by my side until the end. Beautiful, serene, defensive and strong this one has gotten me though many Elite Fours. 
Charmander: I’m sure you can guess by now which Pokemon I got while my brothers got the other two. Charmander has always been my favorite Pokemon, partly because he was the one that started it all. I remember that I didn’t want to evolve my first Charmander, but eventually gave in and Charmeleon and Charizard became heavy hitters as I faced the Elite Four. But in every game since then, I have tried to have a Charmander on my team and never evolve him. There is something about this cute little lizard that makes me happy to have him by my side. Perhaps part of it is seeing Ash’s Pikachu and wanting my Charmander to be the same kind of friend. Ash’s Charmander may have evolved into a stubborn Charizard, but my Charmander will always be my faithful companion.
Pidgey’s family: Pidgey is probably the most famous out of all the birds on the list, well known to fans of the anime and gamers alike. Pidgey is the only bird in this group of starter birds that not only gets two evolutions (pidgeotto at 18 and pidgot at 36) but it also gets a mega evolution. That is high praise in deed, from both fans and the pokemon company to give one of the first bird types that most players run into a mega. The train doesn’t stop there either for pidgey, no this birds fan base grew even more when earlier this year Twitch played pokemon. A whole lore built around the game and Pidgey became so much more to people. it became bird jesus…the protector of the helix. I tell you out of all the starter birds here…pidgey’s fame beats all of them.
Spearow: poor forgotten and neglected Spearow. This bird was released the same generation in the same areas as Pidgey, but this guy is often neglected and forgotten for one of two reasons. One likly reason, gen one is oozing with birds and it just gets worse after. two Pidgey has two evolutions Spearow just has the one fearow. dispite all this, fearow is a really decent flyer who learns one of my favorite flying moves drill peck. This is a ferce bird type that deserves just as much love as pidgey. Sadly though…i think pidgey got a better agent.
Hoothoot: I honestly don’t have much to say about this guy, all my playthoughs in gen 2 i rocked spearow all the way though. I really can’t think of single time i really played with this guy. i will say this though, i really like owls so i have always been a big fan of the design. Its kind of sad though that this is the only instance of owls in the game. I have used this bird to breed with snorlax though, Noctowl learns zen headbutt, one of my favorite psychic moves, breeding it with a snorlax (holding a full incense) you will get a little munchlax born that knows this move. It is a difficult process but to me makes this starter bird worth having around.
Wingull: Oh wingull so cute…so damn annoying. Its only when playing oras did i remeber how annoying this bird is, and how much fun it is to electrocute the crap out of it when i run into it. Most starting birds have it rough with electric, ice and rock out to get them, but add water to the mix, wingull can’t even look at an electric pokemon with out fainting. Do not even get me started on Pelipper, I just have never been a big fan of its evolution. Sure its nice the game gives you a water type, especially since the first gym you come across is a rock type, but no.
Taillow: this is another generation 3 starting bird and honestly the better of the two. Taillow has a little more durbility then wingull ever had, but i am afraid unlike wingull if it wasn’t for ruby and sapphire rerelease this might fall into to the forgotten bird catigory. like wingull and hoothoot this little one only has a single evolution. I honestly forgot this pokemon existed until i was trying to complete my dex in Y, that is really sad, because taillow was also featured in the anime as on of ash’s pokemon. the problem here i think is its move pool is very shallow and the first three gyms where starting birds can really shine. Hoenn is just not a good place for starter birds with shallow move pools and gyms that don’t really take advantage of thes starting critters, gen 3’s starter birds just get obscured. so while design wise taillow is one of my favorites, it never really makes into a party.
Starly: in gen 2 and gen 2 the starting bird types have ranged from not choosen because there were better and more familer options there, to competly useless and forgetable. When Pearl and diamond rolled around i think many pokemon fans were looking for a change in this trend, and what we got was starly. For me at least this little bird impressed the heck out of me, staying on my team though the elite four (five). This was the first starter bird in a long while that had pretty unexpected natually learned moves. I mean it learns close combat, then it has a pretty nice arrary of teachable moves as well. Plus this little guy is tough, i played though gen 4 twice, and both times i had a starly at my side. This one is one of the few starter birds you can take to the elite four and know they will be right there till the end. This is the only one on this list, i want to have a mega evolution to.
Pidove: this derpy thing, I can’t blame its design, honestly unova is more of a city scape, and supposdily designed around good old NYC. You can’t go a block in nyc without running into a pigion, so to have one in the game espeically in gen 5 must have been a no brainer to the designers or unova. My complaint with this isn’t pidoves design even though i really hate the male design, but thats ok i primarily go female anyways. My complaint with this guy, is more to the fact given how awesome starly was in gen 4 pidove is kind of a let down. no where near as strong as its predecessors i think pidove is doomed that as the years drag on to be forgotten like little taillow and hoothoot. Unlike hoenn though, unova has a few more bird types later game, so if you havn’t ditched by then you likely will by the end of game. its design is great its just if your a player like me who has been there for every generation, to see how stater birds can excel then the following generation we return to mediocrity. poor little pidove.
Fletchling: Well we have seen it all with starting birds, from gods, to forgetable and everything in between, but until gen 6 we hadn’t seen a starting bird quite like this one. Until fletchling all starting birds were normal flying with wingull being the only exception, now we have this one that as it evolves gains fire typing. None of these birds had been featured in a story. this all changed with the latest entry into the pokemon universe. the game starts off with as i would call it a smart ass little fletchling waking up out character, and when the game closes out we see probably the same smart ass fletchling flying away, talk about a good agent, (must be using pidgys). For a starting bird fletchling is probably the most useful bird on this list, not only does it gain a fire typing, it gets flame body, making talonflame the perfect pokemon mother(or father) to what ever pokemon you might be trying to hatch. Example pick up five eggs from the breeder, fly to Luminous city to bike around in a circle, until the five hatch, (hatching faster due to flame body) then taking flying to the next city to check on your new babies potential, just to start the process over again.
Scizor: Somehow this guy always finds his way on my teams. its no secret that i like bugs i always have ever since i was a little kid, so finding a praying mantis pokemon like Scyther was a real score. In generation 2 it evolved into Scizor and with that often found a place on my team. Its a tough bug and has proven itself at my side over and over again. I know it will always be there an now with a new mega evolution i know it will continue to have my back.
Greninja: When X and Y initially came out i was on team Chespin being someone who almost always picks grass starters it seemed only natural for me to continue down this path. To say i was disappointed in little Chespin is an understatement. fortunately for me i decided to play both versions of the game, and the second go around i got to know froakie. Boy did this froggie ever make an impression on me. i named my first one Kitt after a bullfrog i had had in my youth. I have since gone on to breed a competitive one that knows the annoying to go up against but super fun when its on your side ability protean. It being a frog doesn’t hurt its case either, for me this is the stand out starter of and X-Y and you better believe when i play smash its also one of my go to characters.
Chandelure: To say i am not a big user of ghost (or fighting) types is an understatment. It in most cases is because i never really take the time to get to know them the case with most fighters there is never a design i really like. For me I have always thought myself as someone who likes to go against the crowd as well so i tend to for this reason stay away from popular and over used pokemon such as gengar. i am not really sure what it was about litwig that i really liked. For some reason it apealed to me and to be honest i wasn’t really that disappointed. In most generations Fire types are often few and far between so when you find one you stick with it, and when you find a good one you are rewarded. I have used this guy a couple of times now both in game and casual compitition and i have yet to be disappointed. A lot of generation 5 pokemon are overlooked for no good reason and Chandelure is very much a hidden gem.
Espeon and Umbreon: I always seem to cheat a bit when it comes to these two. I like most eeveelutions but for me these two are hands down my favorite. When it comes to battling however it is almost always my espeon that is by my side, back in the day it was one of the best Psychic pokemon out there, and even today a lot of other blogs and players still use this guy in competitions. I use it because it really is still to this day one of my favorite psychic pokemon, and it doesn’t hurt it reminds me of a cat. So if I use Espeon all the time, why does it share the number seven spot with Umbreon. For me Umbreon is more of an emotional attachment. Some of you know and can see in my icon a black cat, that’s my buddy blizzard, and for some reason when i see Umbreon i think of him. I can’t help it, and blue i have always loved its design even its shiny as rare as that is to find. So for me i cannot separate these two, you can’t have light with out darkness, nor darkness without light after all.
Inkay: Inkay is different then the others i have featured on this list so far. Its not really on here because of its battling skills or its ever so weird type combination, no its on here because i am completely and utterly in love with its design. I am a huge fan of squids and octopus’s so when i met Inkay in the wilds of X I fell head over heals in love with this thing. While i am not as impressed with its evolution malamar, the way it evolves is kind of fun for me too. No Inkay is one of the few pokemon who earn a spot on this list because I just think its adorable.
Torchic: remember that hiccup I just mentioned, yeah Torchic is that hiccup. How could i resist such a cute little pokemon, i mean really. Torchic would mark the first and pretty much only occasion i would wonder away from the grass starter (for the first round of play) line. This little guy has never disappointed me, with a great move pool and lets be honest so few fires to pick from in gen 3 this was my best option and never one i was disappointed in. In every game i have had this guy in, it has come though for me, sure we have lost a few times to friends but i always had a good time. Lets be honest here Blaziken Torchic final evolution just keeps getting better as the years pass, and with ORAS around the corner i look forward to kicking ass and taking names once again with my little orange chicklet by my side.
Crobat: Crobat didn’t even make the list last time, because honestly i forgot it, years away from the game i had forgotten my history with this little bat. it wasn’t until X-Y did i get a reminder of why i like this creature so much. Since i mentioned it recently in another post i will try to keep it brief. Crobat has speed, and some power behind it. more importantly its a bat, and as you guys have gotten by now i was a weird little girl who like creatures most girls did not, and one of those things were bats. So of course Zubat once again falls into the catagory of weird creatures i should like but i do so there. Crobat has earned its time in the sun and a place on my list, with a promise to never forget it again.
Lapras: this one should come as a surprise to no one who has read my blogs before, i just love this pokemon. Lapras has been at my side since the beginning and in almost every single generation i have depended on her to get me though the end of the game and the elite four. Lapras only drops to number 2 on my list because the years have not been kind to my old friend. while in game she always helps me, in the world of competitive she just has to many flaws to ignore. I am just starting to break into this world, and i would love to have my old friend at my side, but to use her would be a mistake, so i am forced to sideline her with the hopes that one day maybe with a mega Lapras will rise again.
Joltik: Yup that’s right this adorable tiny bug pokemon has unseated lapras from the number one spot. How the heck did that happen you might be wondering. after all me and lapras have had a decade with one another and this little upstart just showed up about four years ago. Well here is how it happened, as it probably quite clear to you all by now i love bugs and other weird little things, So when i met joltik about a year ago i fell instantly heads over heels in love with this thing. However unlike the ultra cute inkay, Joltik quickly set about proving its worth in my team. Its Evolution galvantula is touch and its excellent in the world of competitive. no one knows what to make of this little eletric tick, and the fact i think the generation five is so unpopular makes this little guys a bit of a surprise when the meet it. Joltik just fits all my needs for eletric, bug, grass and what ever else i need in one adorable package. In the short time i have known this little bug it has proven itself over and over in game and in the competitive field. That is why joltik has earned a number one spot on my list.
Gen II Starters: The word i used above was forgettable. There is nothing really special about these three that make them stand out. They were not by a long shot a bad pokèmon, they just pale in comparison to the other Starters.
Aipom: Big secret about me, i hate all the monkey pokèmon, i just have never found one whose design i liked and this one sadly falls in that category.
Dunsparce: i don’t really use Pokèmon that don’t evolve, i also don’t use ones that are just dex filler. This one is useless and a dex filler.
Delibird: Another Dex Filler, but at least Dunsparce can attack, Delibird only knows present which can hurt your opponent or help it…really?
Smoochum: The baby form to my nemesis jynx, there for i hate this one too!
Unown: 26 useless waste of spaces. OK maybe that is a bit harsh but they are not that strong, and i spent a while ins silver trying to catch them all only to realize i only needed one..grrr.
Entei, Suicune and Raikou: As much as they were a pain in the ass to catch, i did like these three and still do. they good all around and some of the top of there types.
Lugia: Hands down one of the best legendaries of that game my favorite legendary of all time. Its just power in a pretty package and i look forward to the day i can double battle with Lugia and Yvetal.
Ampharos: Electric was few and far between in Gold and Silver, and unlike future gens which gave us novelty electric types, gold and silver gave us one really powerful one. Hint for players using it for the first time…never stop this guy from evolving!
Mantine: Beautiful and cute, and always runner up to Lapras in my book. While Doubly weak to electric, it had a good hp and move pool. This is a little guy i have also grown to appreciate again in X-Y.
Espeon and Umbreon: These two were almost number 1, beaten out by a bug, my love for them holds no bounds probably still the best of the Eeveelutions: Little tip out their, Espeon can now learn fairy moves…take that Sylveon!
Squirtle, Charmander and Bulbsaur, The original Starters for this game hold a very special place in most everyone hearts. Without these three most players didn’t get very far.
The bird Trio: These three were great, they stayed put and waited for you to come catch them. Now you have to chase them all over the place to catch them, this was back when Catching was a little easier. Articuo, Moltres, Zapdos, while no longer considered uber these three you still should not mess around with. (and yes i want to see a mega for them too)
Mewtwo: first time on one of my lists, but even i have to acknowledge what a powerhouse this guy was…still is. The first post game guy, first over powered guy, first one with a movie and a good one too. While i don’t use him much now a days back when i was playing gen I and Gen II he was a fixture on my team.
Porygon: Nothing like teaching kids to play the slots at a young age. i spent hours there trying to save up for this thing, and its pretty damn useless.
Electrobuzz and Magmar: I am not a big fan of human shapped pokèmon and these two are no exception. To be honest this is also one family that really hasn’t improved much with future family additions either. I am just not a fan of these two and probably never will be.
The Poison type: This poor typing was a victim of Gen I’s powering system, Poison was very, very weak to the games over powered Psychic’s and strong against nothing really. As a result up until X and Y I saw very little reason to ever use a Pokèmon with Poison in its typing. Kind of a shame too because I ignored them for so many years.
Eggscute: Nope Still not a fan…it is eggs people! EGGS! Tell me again why people were so upset about the ice Cream cone pokèmon?
Mr.Mime: this one another human shaped one, just annoys me, and confused me. Even with the gender updates then Gen I got with the remake, this one is still capable of being a boy or a girl. It’s name is MR. mime. See the Mister in it!!. Yes i know something likely got lost in translation, but at this point Game freak has got to realize its name and just make it a boy already! Either that drop the Mr and just call it Mime.
Jynx: MAY YOU BURN WITH THE DEATH OF A THOUSAND EMBERS!! Ahem. Sorry to this day this pokèmon still calls up loads of anger. I have never and will never like this guy, and you better believe i will wonder trade its butt out of my system the second i have dex credit for it.
Pidgy family: this one almost didn’t make the list, but for a lot of players including myself this is one of your first wild catches. Honestly as much slack as this family gets, its not a terrible first family. Considering over the years i have seen a lot worse starting flyers. *Cough Cough pidove*. Excuse me. Pokèmon x has given me a chance to once again look at this first family of bird pokèmon on the skills it now learns are impressive. While still not my first pick for a flyer there is still no denying that that family is still a contender in the flying arena.
Togekiss family: this Family first introduced to players before Gold and silver had even hit our shores, it was a normal type with one one evolution. In gen IV (Pearl and Diamond, heart gold Soul Silver) this Family gained a third more powerful evolution making it a real contender in competitive battle. Now with this current gen this family is once again undergoing a change, this time its type. That’s right this family is now a fairy type, while i current don’t have at a Togepi in the current game, i look forward to seeing what this little guy can do now.
Aerodactyl: Let me start by saying, i hate his mega form, it just doesn’t do it for me. that being said i have always really liked Aerodactyl. For a flyer with a rock typing with it, this guy has always been really fast. Its a powerful ancient flyer that if raised right could put a serious cramp in everyone style. its one Ancient fossil that deserves its resurrection.
Fearow Family: I really didn’t pay much attention to this bird in the first gen. However the second gen i managed to pick up this guy pretty early in the game. Spearow stayed at my side all the way until the end of the game. i never realized how tough and powerful this guy was until that gen. With a powerful learned move drill peck, which at the time i only though zapdos knew. While not as pretty as some of the other birds on my list, it should not be ignored.
Staraptor family: Hands Down the best of the starting bird pokèmon you get, Gen Four has some great pokèmon in it, from previous entry Luxray to Staraptor a lot of truly greats were added too our dexs. Not only does this one has the standard moves most normal birds learn, what it learns naturally like close combat and Brave bird this is one tough bird and a dare say one of the greats. I have become a huge fan of this guy and its family and its hands down the top bird of flying types.
Joltik: I fell instantly in love with this little guy when i first saw him…yes i know there is a far better electric in that game, do i care no. Look how adorable Joltik is. Its evolved form Galvantula is nice looking too but not as charmingly cute as its unevolved form. did i eventually have to swap it out for a more powerful pokèmon, yes, did i enjoy having it on my team while it was their absolutly. Would i take the time now with the way things are currently laid out in x to get to know it better, Absolutely. Just can’t help but love that face.
Zebstrika: after 6 generations of pokèmon there are still only three families of horse Pokèmon, Ponyta, Keldeo (this is a special event guy who i have never caught myself) and blitzle. This makes Horse’s one of the rarer animal types in the game. One thing you can always depend on with the horses is that they are fast, which is usually a standby thing for electric anyways. You Pick up this family pretty early in gen five and they do a decent job. I love the looks of this guy and would haven’t kept it all game long but sadly as the case with ponyta, their are just better faster stronger guys out there. Sorry buddy.
Luxray: Gen Four was full of great pokèmon, especially early game Pokèmon. This family is no exception, especially if you spend some time with this guy at the breeders. You can have a great Shinx that knows right from the egg, Ice, Fire and thunder fang as well as crunch, now you have a little electric bad ass on your team that will not take nothing from anyone. On top of that if you get one with intimidate you drop your opponent defense as well. This guy is a dream for any electric lovers out their, easy to raise tough as nails, get it early, cute as a button and its pretty much a lion! So why isn’t this guy my number one?
Pikachu: Because with out pikachu there would be no other lists, i would have never played the game. i probably never known what Pokèmon was. This little electric mouse has changed my world and for the better part of 16 years for me. As most of you know Pokèmon Yellow was my very first game, making Pikachu my very first pokèmon. though the years have gone by i was surprised when making this list on how quick it was for me to put him on it. On top of that how much i missed him. To confess though I did not really realize how much i missed him until i started playing x and when i entered the not viridian “but it sure looks and feels like it” forest. The Npc hinted at a Pikachu so i hunted for one, i must have spent a half hour in there just looking for one, and then i found him. Now i only name Pokèmon in the game i intend to use, so i named him Bolt and i had him with me for quite a while. I am impressed now about his new moves and the new ones he can now learn. I guess you never forget your first one, and for me Its pikachu.
Pokèmon: I was absolutely over joyed about the number of older pokèmon available in this game. I still remember how happy i was to step in that grass patch for the first time and see pidgy of all creatures. After playing for as long as i have, and as old as i have gotten its nice to see some faces i know what to do with. That being said this did come with a trade off. There are not as many New Pokèmon to be seen, i think at last check only about 70. For someone who has taken to some pokèmon in every generation it makes it hard for me to use new ones when there are more old school options then new ones. Also with the inclusion of Mega Evolution, it to me even seems like the game is also favoring the older gens too. Still the New pokèmon they added were not useless, and each one added their own little twitch. From Inkay to Fletchling and everything in between i think for the most part the new critters were interesting, and enjoyable to use, and now that the story part is over for me i plan on taking more of these new guys out for a spin to see what they are capable of.
Mega Evolution: I have used it, and i have seen what others have said about mega evolution, but i want to weigh in on this. Honestly i feel mega evolution is a bit of a cop out. yes its cool to see charizard and mewtwo take on new forms, but to give pokèmon like poor pinsar who for years needed another evolution a mega…a temp evolution is sort of taking the easy way out. Creating an evolution for him that has no real permanent effects on the creature. To me this seems like a guy thing…you know growing up that guys always needed a little boost to their toys because normal versions were not good enough. What is the word i am looking for mega…gimmick. Mega evolution feels very gimmicky to me, yes it changes the looks and increases the pokèmon’s strength and attack but in the end it is all very temporary. I think my biggest disappointment is this, if your going to have a mega Evolution that give a mega attack to go with it, but to have the same four moves as always to me was the nail in this gimmicks coffin.
Villains: I have gone over team flare in extent in previous posts, so i will not waste to much more time here. To me i was disappointed by Flare, compared to Plasma the gen before these guys were quite lame. beautification is not a valid reason to want to destroy the world, sorry. For once could the police actually help? really i haven’t seen any real active police officers in the game since team rocket, what did they all retire too?
Getting around: I must say i love the new addition of Roller blades, they are so much fun to play with, and the ability to do tricks on them just so much fun. I think i roller bladed the whole game i only used the bike a few times. This is a fun updated new feature to the game. There is also the addition of riding Pokèmon, which i must admit was a little deceptive when it was initially introduced though clips. I thought initially you could ride one of your own critters, but it turns out this is not the case at all. To be honest riding around on the Pokèmon the game provided was not all that much fun, and kind of slow.
New Type: I honestly don’t mind the fact they added Fairy to the game, or changed the typing of so many other Pokèmon out their. Lets face facts there are still way to many normal types out their, and anything that takes a few normals out is great news. Fairy also shakes things up a bit from the now stale type matching. It brings two ignored types and make them finally useful and its really nice to be able to go back and look at both Poison and Steel types and see them in a new light.
Customzation: I liked the fact we can finally alter are avatar, but like most things there is need for growth here. for instance i wear glasses in real life, my little avatar has perfect 20/20 (Damn it). I also want to see more area appropriate outfits available for your character. Like if you are in an area covered and snow and ice, the outfit shop should not be carrying tank tops! I was cold just looking at my poor avatar. All and all this feature isn’t perfect but its nice to finally have and look forward to seeing it grow.
Gen III: Ok Lets now address something else this game brought up , There are a Lot of hints in this game about a Hoenn, quite a few NPC talked about it, either pokèmon, or game play aspects from gen III. Ok Gen Three was not perfect, not my a long shot but it was still and enjoyable series and introduce one of my favorite HM moves Dive. I absolutely flipped when i saw dive return in black i was so happy. It has been Nintendo’s pattern the last few years which each new generation of handhelds they re release an older generation. With the gba, Fire Red and Leaf Green Was released, the updated versions of Red and blue, with some features from yellow. (Still waiting for a re-release of yellow!) With the DS game Soul Silver and Heart Gold. So to me it will be natural with the 3ds the newest handheld that Gen three gets and update and maybe they will fix some of those issues. i would love to see to See Sapphire and Ruby come back, and you better believe i will be one of the first in line to buy Sapphire. Some of my favorite dragons game out of this gen, and berries.
Gamerwoman 