Hello. Justin here, and welcome to the Otaku Mind. Well guys, October is here and the much-anticipated Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be out this week. Whatever complaints you may have about the Pokémon games, there’s no doubt that you’ll be interested in playing the next game because of how iconic the series is, setting off on a new adventure, and training up your favorite Pokémon. There are a lot of Pokémon to choose from and naming your favorite can be a chore for some people because there are so many good ones from A-Z or in this case, from Z-A. In honor of the newest Pokémon game, I’m going to have fun and name my favorites from Z-A, and just for the hell of it I’ll also name my honorable mentions. I’m Justin, and these are my favorite Pokémon from Z-A.
Letter Z: Zapdos
There’s been a number of legendary birds in the series but my favorite by far is Zapdos. If there was ever a physical representation of lightning it would be this Pokémon. Powerful and dangerous but at the same time mysterious and amazing to look at. Just like real lightning. I always had difficulties training electric types in the first game, so Zapdos was my go to bird when it came to filling in the lightning slot. The Galarian version is also cool as well. Out of the three it had the best design and move set. It’s like what would happen if the Road Runner from Looney Tunes decided to take up kickboxing. The legendary birds are always cool to have on your team and Zapdos leads the flock. Speaking of legendary birlds-
(honorable mention : Zeraora and Zoroark)
Letter Y: Yveltal
One of the three legendries from Gen 6. Yveltal is easily the coolest looking out of all the birds. So much so that the Galarian Moltres tried to copy it just to make people care about it. The grim reaper in the Pokémon universe, Yveltal is easily one of the strongest dark type Pokémon out there. With a good set of skills to learn both physical and special, Yveltal is easily one of the most versatile legendries in the game who can fill whatever role you need it to do. If only I could combine it with Zapdos. I could create the coolest flying type in the game.
Letter X: Xatu
If it isn’t clear by now, I’m huge fan of flying type Pokémon. They’re in my top 3 along with fighting and steel. There’s not much to say about Xatu. It’s not a must have on your team. It’s speed is good but its power output is lacking. Still, it is a cool looking Pokémon that pays respect to the culture and beliefs of Native Americans, Mesoamericans, and some Polynesians. It showed that the series could base Pokémon off of different cultures and still show them respect.
Letter W: Wobbuffet
Gaining popularity through the anime, Wobbuffet quickly gained a reputation as being a joke character with a lot of personality. It always goes second, has one of the most cartoonish designs, and has no attacks whatsoever besides counter and mirror move. Still, that’s kind of what makes it so unique and exciting. When it does manage to use those moves and get the win it’s hype as hell. I remember playing Pokémon Stadium 2 and losing to do this thing not being mad in the slightest because it so hilarious and awesome when it happened. On any given day and with the right conditions, Wobbuffet can possibly beat any Pokémon out there and I find it hilarious.
Letter V: Volcarona
Bug Pokémon have never really been my thing. With their low stats they’re not really all that helpful on teams. However, there are two bugs that are actually worth having. One is Volcarona which has become my favorite bug type. With the right amount of training this bug can have one of the highest special attacks in the game with some of the strongest fire and bug attacks and can learn a physic and grass moves to deal with poison and water types. Along with that it has quiver dance, one of the most broken moves in the game and its hidden ability, swarm, is also great to have when you find yourself in a pinch. The paradox forms in Scarlet and Violent are also great too. Slither Wing is a physical beast that has the best design out of the Scarlet paradoxes and Iron Moth is an enhanced Volcarona with the highest special attack I’ve ever given a Pokémon (413). While it may be at a huge disadvantage when fighting rock types, the time and investment put into this bug is well worth it.
(honorable mention: Victini)
Letter U: Umbreon
I’ve always been a fan of the eevolutions and long for the day when we get one for every type. That day will be glorious. Out of the eevolutions Leafeon is my favorite, but a close second is Umbreon. At a time when dark types were new to the series, Umbreon stood out from the pack with its cool yet regal design. It looked like a creature out of ancient Egypt that the Egyptians would worship as a god. Its stats were decent and while not a permanent member of my main team, I always found Umbreon helpful to have around as I played through the story and bust it out to deal with physics. While there are much stronger dark types out there, Umbreon still remains to be a favorite among fans for its designed and considered the best eevolution of the bunch.
(honorable mention : Unown and Urshifu)
Letter T: Tinkaton
I’ve always struggled finding a good fairy type to really like. Thankfully, Scarlet and Violet finally gave me one in the form of Tinkaton. This cute little pink oni-looking puffball (I named my Onihime) has become my favorite fairy type. She has one of the best dual-types in the game giving her barely any weaknesses and making her a pain to battle against. Throw in the fact that she also has good physical stats with special defense to boot and you have yourself a reliable Pokémon that can hang with the toughest and hold her own against them. Lastly, her Pokedex entry is hilarious. Corviknight, this intimidating metal bird is afraid of her and a taxi company had to change their whole business model in one region just because of this pink menace. If that doesn’t make you laugh then something’s wrong with you.
(honorable mention : Terapagos, The Tapus, Totodile, and Tyranitar)
Letter S: Scizor
There’s no shortage of S-named Pokémon but for this letter but I’m using my bug, Scizor. Considered one of the best designed Pokémon out there, Scizor just radiates a disciplined bug who has studied the ways of the samurai and uses its skills to win battles. A powerhouse with good speed and defense, Scizor was always a mainstay on my steel team. With barely any weaknesses aside from fire and a good variety of moves to learn from different types, Scizor is easily one of the most versatile Pokémon that’s a huge asset to anybody’s team. For some people, it’s a glass cannon, but it packs a powerful shot and sometimes that’s all you need to win.
(honorable mention : Squirtle, Slowking, Seviper, Scream Tail, Spirittomb, and Scorbunny)
Letter R: Rayquaza
My favorite dragon type hands down. Taking inspiration from Asian mythology, this serpant-like dragon has a cool and intimidating design that’s only topped by its shiny form. I’m not too big on shiny hunting but this shiny form is awesome. Rayquaza is a massive powerhouse that has you covered in whatever area you need it to be in. Whether it’s overwhelming foes with physical attacks or crushing them with special attacks, Rayquaza offers options for both and will deliver.
(honorable mention: Regieleki, Regigigas, Riolu, and Rowlet)
Letter Q: Quilava
The second evolution forms of Pokémon can often be related to that awkward teen phase you would like to forget before settling into adulthood. Quilava, the second evolution of Cyndaquil doesn’t have that problem as it has a good look. Gone is the shy kid from elementary school and in is the cool kid who took the summer to reinvent themselves for middle school and is now just radiating with confidence. Not afraid to show off in front of its opponents and going into each battle with the confidence that it’s going to win, Quilava is truly one of a kind.
Letter P: Pikachu
An obvious choice. The face of the Pokémon series, Pikachu won fans over with its adorableness, loyalty, companionship, and never quit attitude. It wasn’t the biggest dog (or in this case mouse) in the fight nor was it the strongest, but it always fought the hardest and never gave up. While Pikachu’s popularity is owed largely to the anime, I think it still would have received some level of popularity without it because of how marketable and cute it is. I mean, with all the knock offs we’ve seen I think it’s clear that Pikachu has staying power.
(honorable mention : Pichu, Pangoro and Pineco)
Letter O: Ogerpon
The first DLC of Scarlet and Violet gave us quite a treat with this adorable little creature you want to protect. Ogerpon’s story is cliché but still works. You get investment in her story, you want to clear her name, you want to see her happy, and you want to catch it because of how unique and skilled it is. The use of the different masks to change up her second type was a cool concept. I still can’t believe we have a fire type that can use grass moves. Why they didn’t make masks for all the types is beyond me. Ogerpon definitely made the DLC worth checking out and her abilities, story and cuteness were worth the price of admission.
Letter N: Ninetales
When it comes to Japanese folklore no creature is more recognizable and important as the kitsune, and the most well-known is the nine-tailed one. While the name isn’t all that original this Pokémon manages to capture the mystical beauty and power you would expect the nine-tailed kitsune to have. I’m also a fan of the Alola variant and like how it’s an ice type as opposed to fire, but still having the same beauty and power as the original. While it was never a mainstay on my team, it’s a Pokémon I always enjoy seeing, catching, and raising just for the fun of it.
(Honorable mention : Noctowl)
Letter M: Milotic
This was a tough one, but I’m choosing the embodiment of beauty, Milotic. My second favorite water type Pokémon, Milotic’s story is similar to Gyarados’s story. A fish who is mocked for being ugly and useless evolves into this beautiful creature that earns the affection of everyone. It has great special attack and defense along with high hp and its ability, competitive, only makes it all the more powerful and worth having on your team if you’re looking for a strong water type Pokémon. This Pokémon shows us that beauty isn’t given, it’s earned.
(Honorable mention: Magnezone, Mawile, Meloetta, Mew, Mewtwo, Machamp, Misdreavus, and Mismagius)
Letter L: Lucario
Well this was an easy pick. Hands down my favorite Pokémon. Lucario is just awesome. An all-around Pokémon who’s good at everything. Whether you want it to be your physical or special ace attacker, Lucario will deliver and is worth your time to train and is Pokémon I always have on my team. If I was given the choice of choosing my starter Pokémon it would be a shiny Riolu. I honestly do believe that if Riolu or Lucario had been introduced in the first generation then they would have been the face of the series instead of Pikachu.
(honorable mention: Leafeon and Luxray)
Letter K: Kommo-o
The Koraidon prototype with a more majestic design. Don’t know if this is a hot take but generation 7 is my favorite in terms of new Pokémon. I’m serious, this generation had a lot of good ones. Often seen as the Dragonite of this generation, Kommo-o was already a must have Pokémon even before the games were release. It was the first dragon/fighting type with great stats all around and an impressive moveset that took full advantage of its power. Personally, I turned mine into a dragon brawler ready to kick ass and take names. It’s a shame the games gave it to you too late in the story, but thankfully they would fix this in the next set of games making it more readily available to capture for your team. While Koraidon is awesome and a powerful brawler, I actually like Kommo-o more.
(honorable mention: Kingambit and Kartana)
Letter J: Jirachi
The wish granting Pokémon and one of the rarest mythicals out there. Seriously, getting your hands on Jirachi is one of the hardest things to do in these games. An adorable little critter who despite boasting some great stats all around, works best as a supporter. Offering buffs and healing. If this was an old JRPG then Jirachi might possibly be the greatest supporter in the game. While turning him into a special attack monster is also an option, Jirachi is one of those Pokémon you don’t bring out to fight, you use it to show off. If only they made a game based around Pokémon contests.
Letter I: Iron Hands
Our only paradox on the list. While I prefer the paradoxes from Scarlet more, there’s no denying that Iron Hands is the strongest. Basically, Hariyama if it fused with Robocop, Iron Hands is an unbelievable powerhouse that could one shot any Pokémon given the right conditions with HP to spare. It’s essentially a super tank that makes tera raids a breeze whenever used in battle. While all the paradoxes had their benefits in battle, Iron Hands was the one that unleashed the most destructive power out of all of them and saved the Violet paradoxes from being a complete bust.
Letter H: Hawlucha
Cero meido! The hawk luchador was the first shiny Pokémon I ever caught. Funny enough, I didn’t know it was a shiny Pokémon until my friends pointed it out to me. Hawlucha is just an awesome Pokémon with a created design and concept while boasting good attack, speed, and its own special move the Flying Press which I call the Hawkplex. While it has a few weaknesses against a number of Pokémon, Hawlucha was one of those Pokémon I always had on my team because I liked it so much. With Hawlucha finally getting its own mega evolution in Z-A I think it’s fair to say that Game Freak is also a fan of this Pokémon and is positioning it to be one of the many faces of the series.
(Honorable Mention: Hunter, Hariyama, Hitmonchan, and Honedge)
Letter G: Gengar
A fan favorite and for good reason. Gengar’s design may not be all that outlandish when compared to other ghost types, but its menacing smile was all you needed to scare kids and make it the one ghost everyone wanted for its crossover appeal. It can be cute and cuddly or a horror monster come to life that will eat your very soul. Just like Hawlucha, Gengar has been pushed as another face of the series for its crossover appeal and was a must have in the early generations when ghost Pokémon were scarce and still holds up in competitive contests. Even with the addition of new ghosts, Gengar still remains to be considered one of if not the best ghost type out there. With an exceptional score on special attack backed up by great speed, Gengar is the OG (Original Ghost) with the most.
(Honorable mention: Garchomp, Gliscor, Greninja, Grimmsnarl, Gholdengo, Gligar and Gyarados)
Letter F: Falinks (Updated)
I actually forgot about this Pokémon when I originally made the list. I liked these little guys the moment I saw them. The whole concept is cute. It’s like a bunch of kids playing follow the leader. I actually wish they were all different colors to make them their own little Power Ranger unit. It would go perfectly with their mega evolution which reminds me of the Megazord. Don’t be fooled by the cuteness, though; Falinks does pack quite a punch in combat. While I wouldn’t call it the strongest fighting-type, they are reliable and a good unit to have on your team thanks to its stats and moveset such as close combat, iron head, rock slide, and no retreat, which is one of the most busted moves in the game. It’s got its fair amount of weakness, but its easily one of the most creative, unique, and clever Pokémon designs we’ve in the games so far. Here’s hoping we see more of Falinks in the future.
(Flamingo, Florges, Flutter Mane, Frosmoth, and Fuecoco)
Letter E: Eevee
Another popular Pokémon. Next to Pikachu, Eevee has become the face of the franchise and for the right reasons. It’s a good representation of everyone playing. It’s a blank slate that has no strengths or weaknesses but is bursting with potential to be anything you want it to be. Just like in real life. With multiple eevolutions, Eevee is that one Pokémon that can fill the slot of whatever type you’re lacking. Give me an eevolution of every type. Come on Game Freak, I know you want to do it. Think of the merchandise.
(Honorable mention: Electabuzz and Eternatus)
Letter D: Decidueye
Out of all the starters, Rowlet is my favorite, and its final evolution is also one of my favorites. I love the hood and archer aesthetic it has going on. It’s like a Pokémon version of Robin Hood or a wandering ronin if you’re looking at the Hisuian version. It also has one of the most unique dual types in the games. Grass and ghost/fighting. With great stats in both physical and special attacks and a variety of different move types to learn, Decidueye is one of the most versatile starters to have on your team and a good ace as well.
(Dusknoir, Dragonair, Ditto, Darkrai, and Diglett)
Letter C: Cerulege
If you were expecting Charizard you’re out of luck. A badass dark knight with a great dual type, high attack power, and a cool design. What’s not to love about this thing?
(Honorable mention: Chandelure, Celebi and Chien-Pao)
Letter B: Blastoise
When I played the first Pokémon games all of my friends chose Charmander as their starter. They wanted the cool flying lizard and that’s fine. But for me, I always choose Squirtle because of Blastoise. It’s a turtle with cannons on its back, how does this lose to a flying lizard? What it lacks in speed, it makes up for it with solid defense and good attack on both ends. Seriously, people really do underestimate the strength of Blastoise. It can learn water, ice, rock, dark, and ground moves making it an offensive threat for anyone that goes up against it. Throw in dragon pulse and zen headbutt for good measure. Even if you put it up against a grass or electric type, Blastoise can take the hit and strike back with enough power to take them down with ease. Charizard may be everyone’s favorite from the first gen but Blastoise is without doubt the best.
(Honorable mention: Blaziken)
And letter A. . .
Letter A: Absol
Umbreon if you crossed it with a Ninetales. A misunderstood creature with a great design that got its time to shine thanks to the anime. While not as strong as we would like it to be Absol really left impact on me with its great design. I still catch one in every game I play and always train just for the fun of it.
(Honorable mention: Articuno, Annihilape, Alakazam, Arcanine and Aegislash)
And that’s my list. What are your favorite Pokémon? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.