DrCoolGuy: Welcome back again, everyone! After talking about the dumbest and coolest moves in Pokemon, we decided we’d finally get down to it: the Pokemon themselves.

ThunderPlant: With each passing generation a new breed of Pokemon are introduced for players to toy around with, then judged harshly on Smogon to see where they stand on the current metagame. Is it another useless Bug/Flying type in the bunch, or do we have another Garchomp at our hands. However, there are some to be forgotten along the way. Whether it’s a poor movepool, questionable stats or just better alternatives. Hell, even the design is a major aspect when deciding on who can be pitted against the best of the best. (See: Stunfisk) This list is based upon those unappreciated Pokemon, who despite their flaws, need some serious loving.

Doc: That’s right! This time it’s going to be something a little different (except really not because it’s still a Pokemon Top 10). We’re not talkin’ cool, dumb, awesome, or lame, but just giving a nod to some of the neato Pokemon that deserve it. We chose a middle-ground topic to level everything out for once. But seriously it’s still pretty extreme since holy crap are there a lot of Pokemon. Oh well.

TP: Of course, with so many Pokemon out there we had to make some restrictions to make our jobs easier. The following rules were implemented so less people are butthurt of our decisions, but more so what I said earlier. (Seriously, count how many of those critters are out there and give me TEN of them that people often forget about.) Ahem. So here are the rules:

1. If we eliminate the Gen V Uber, OU, and BL tiers, that drops only 99 Pokemon. Then ignoring UU still leaves us with 493 Pokemon; that’s equal to the first four generations combined. So here’s our most important rule: no Pokemon that has EVER been OU (especially in the current meta game) can be on this list. They were loved a lot at some point, so it’s only fair. They also must be UU or less this generation. We have plenty below that to choose from anyways.
2. To make this fairer for the earlier generations too, no Pokemon from this current generation. So therefore no Black and White Pokemon.
3. We are looking for redeeming qualities that are often overlooked due to having a superior Pokemon. Delibird and Farfetch’d are useless Pokemon with no redeeming qualities, to provide an example. They have to be a Pokemon that has little fanbase due to that overlooked appeal factor in terms of usage of metagame or hindering factors. But they do still have SOME redeeming quality. They just need a little work, is all.
4. Don’t see much use even in the main game (for any reason).
5. Popular Pokemon and legendary Pokemon will immediately be removed from the list. We are looking for the forgotten children in the Pokemon world.
6. But not actual child Pokemon. No pre-evolutions that get ignored due to not being fully evolved.
7. Seriously, you’re going to disagree with us. So just sit back and enjoy the ride. This is only our opinion.

Doc: There you have ‘em. Our way of ensuring these bad dudes are the okay-est of the okay. These guys are the 10 Pokemon that are, for once, just plain outclassed by better Pokemon due to easy-to-see shortcomings. They’re cool mofos and unsung heroes that still kinda suck... a LOT. They fill tiny little niches that aren’t worth anything but a gimmick, but we love em, right TP?

TP: Says the guy who wanted Tropius on this list...

Doc: YO HE’S A FUGGIN BANANA TREE DINOSA- But before the actual 10, as you probably guessed, the ones that couldn’t quite make it on the list. The guys with that un-American U, the HONOURABLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENTIOOOOONS:

 

TP: The version exclusive Pokemon Ruby, Mawile tend to be underclassed when compared to her partner Sableye. The idea of a Pure Steel type wasn’t that much appealing, as Generation III also introduced Registeel in contrast to Sableye’s gimmick of having no weakness. Of course when comparing to a legendary, the legendary Pokemon would usually be better, but Mawile having poor stats just made it worse when comparing it her Regi counterpart and Metagross, the Steel/Psychic pseudo-legendary. I for the life of me will never know why they would think the futakuchi-onna had any relation to Steel but I don’t really care, I like the design of it. Thanks to her steel typing she covers many resistances and is a decent utility Pokemon, which makes the low stats understandable. She has an amazing movepool with a countless amount of abilities, but she can’t harniss them due to that lingering low stat distribution. 85 ATK/DEF being her highest stat is pitiful. Not to mention, her debut in Granite Cave was just dumb, as the Gym Leader of Dewford is Brawly. You should know him as the FIGHTING TYPE SPECIALIST. Something tells me if she had an evolution just for the sake of increasing her stats, she’d do amazing in the upper tiers. Since the existence of a Pure Steel type is just rare, I can’t constitute having her beyond Honourable Mention since the typing is excellent for resistance, which is how Mawile is used (and often might I add) in NU.

 

Doc: Yeah I technically have two honourable mentions. Whatever, I do what I want. Besides, it would be a little unfair to choose one over the other. After all, they both kind of faded into obscurity around the same time for the same reasons. Without even looking for too long, it’s easy to see why: we have WAY better Fighting Pokemon at our disposal such as Infernape, Conkeldurr, and Lucario who rock way better movepools and serve much greater purposes. Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan both have solid Attack and Sp Def stats, but their speeds are hardly redeemable. And that’s really ALL they have going for them. The rest of their stats are trash. These guys are just plain COOL though. The reason they’re only honourable mentions is really just because they were kind of popular (and I guess redeemable-ish) in Gen I. After all, you got to choose one for free in the Saffron Dojo. Hitmonchan learns all the elemental punches (although I don’t know why, a special attack of 35 makes me want to vomit) and Hitmonlee boasts the amazing Hi Jump Kick (although back then it didn’t have such great accuracy). So really, as long as they’re a few levels higher, these Pokemon could  wreck shop in the main game and actually be good. Too bad they’re not as good anymore, because these guys are sick. Sorry Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, but you were turned into bad Pokemon.

 

Now, without further a scooby dooby doo:

 

DrCoolGuy and ThunderPlant’s Top 10 Underappreciated Pokemon

 

TP: One of the last non-legendary bird Pokemon you get in Red/Blue (and for you pirates, Green) Dodrio was seen as “a better Fearow”. Better stats all abound with glorious 100 base ATK, whatever happened to this majestic creature of three heads. Truth be told, I MUCH prefer this to all of the birds in Gen I. It learned Tri-Attack, which was a move I always thought was cool back in Pokemon Stadium. Not to mention, a three headed bird is way better than anything else you can put to bat. (Although the eagle that is Braviary does look awesome...nonetheless) Best thing to note: This fucker knows FLY. How does he fly? God if I know...

Doc: Stealth Rock, guys. Dodrio saw a steady rise in use from Gen I to Gen III, actually being BL at the end of its reign. With a Choice Band, STAB Drill Peck and Flail/Return, it was kind of neat, you know? But then Stealth Rock, Guts, Toxic Orb, and no good moves came and ruined this Pokemon’s parade. It wasn’t doing well as it is, but it can barely get in a worthwhile Brave Bird when there are better Pokemon like Swellow and Staraptor. On the topic of Guts, having no useful ability seriously ruins Dodrio. Come on, Run Away and Early Bird? Oooo and let’s not forget the oh-so-amazing Dream World ability: Tangled Feet. Pass.

TP: Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned notes above, there isn’t much you can do with Dodrio. Its stat distribution is good enough where it doesn’t warrant an evolution. Guts with this sucker would do wonders, as it would be a more powerful Facade up in your grill in exchange for 25 base Speed. Quick Feet wouldn’t be too horrible of an ability if the damn thing learned any bird variant of Swords Dance/Dragon Dance.

 

Doc: Just look at this guy. He’s a dinosaur with bananas growing out of his chin! You know when this dude’s hungry he just bends his mouth down and goes “gum gum gum gum gum.” Although a lot of players dislike his design, I think it’s pretty neat. Dinosaur, check. Leaf wings, check. Bananas that make no sense, sure Game Freak, whatever. In Gen III this guy was pretty rare, but when you found him you stumbled upon a wonderful in-game gem. I love this dude, but he ranks low on the list for actually being useable.

TP: Damn Tauros and him being OU in Gen I...I mean, Tropius’ main quirk is being an HM Slave, thus able to learn: Cut, Fly, Strength, Defog, Rock Smash, and Flash. Anyways, right from the get-go Tropius was defined as the “poor-mans Exeggutor”. It has a strange spread of stats, where everything sans Speed is lackluster and an even stranger movepool. In his debut, he only had access the SunnySeed movepool, using Sunny Day and Solar Beam with double speed thanks to Chlorophyll. But thanks to an increase of moves throughout the generations and Harvest he has seen more diversity in the metagame. This however is trumped by his typing, as Tropius has the prize of being weak to Fire, Rock, Flying, Ice and Poison. Stealth Rocks crippled any use of it and whatever it can do, Exeggutor is just in front of him.

Doc: I’ll admit it; I think Tropius is pretty great. Like TP stated, he has access to two great abilities leaving it hard to predict what he may be running early on. He has neat support in Leech Seed and Roost and an otherwise decent move pool. The only way to make Tropius a powerhouse would be the same as changing his very being. Grass/Flying is an interesting type combination that’s hard to come by, and Tropius pulls it off well enough. Sure, we could get rid of that 4x weakness to ice and make him resist stealth rock somehow, but we don’t need another ordinary grass type. We need Tropius. But because of that and being an HM God, he only clocks in at number nine on the list.

 

TP: Surprised? Despite being a /b/tard’s dream Pokemon that isn’t named “Gardevoir”, there are things going for this other than being modelled after a Playboy Bunny. (You. Sick. Fucks.) Despite the feminine appearance, it does have a 50/50 chance of being a male, akin to the confusion surrounding Mr. Mine. All that aside, this thing is pretty fast. Boasting 105 base Speed, carrying okay defenses of 65/84/96 and a diverse movepool, Lopunny is a well-known support due to her unpredictability.. The ability Cute Charm is a complete waste, but it’s claim to fame is being the best user of Klutz and Switcheroo.

Doc: What else does Lopunny do, you may ask. Well... Nothing really... Being a Normal type with average defense and non-existent offenses is honestly pitiful. It’s easy to see why this Pokemon never gets used, as there are so many other Normal types that do everything better than Lopunny. No seriously, name an above average  However, as stated, she does have a sort of niche with Klutz and Switcheroo, allowing her to hide the item she passes on and not take its ill effects. Then attempting to boast Encore, Healing Wish, and Baton Pass, she supports well. That is, assuming you’re the greatest at predicting everything in the Pokemon metagame. Ech.

TP: Lopunny as mentioned, is a high risk/high reward Pokemon. Most support Pokemon usually dwell on the safe side, stacked with tank-like defenses or a small pool of weaknesses. Lopunny excels in unpredictability, as you are guaranteed to cripple one of your opponent. The ONLY possible way to increase her chances in the metagame would be to increase her stats. She has the movepool and ability to be used in the metagame, and is considerably a better trade off than a Trick User. Maybe give it Wish to add to it’s already large movepool in a SubPass? Yes it has Healing Wish which does something similar, but all I’m asking is for a lil’ diversity.

 

Doc: I almost had to beat TP to let Kecleon on the list. Then he realized what a cool concept Kecleon is. For those who don’t know, Kecleon’s ability, Colour Change, changes his type to the type of the attack he was hit with each turn. For example, if hit with Surf, Kecleon becomes a Water type. Then, if hit with Thunder, he will take 2x damage and then become an Electric type. So you probably already see why he’s not amazing. That ability is entirely controlled by the opponent. But really, this can also screw over your opponent. And that’s the last thing you need, because as a Special Wall with a pretty great movepool (since he’s otherwise your typical Normal type) he can really be a bother. Unless you’re packing good coverage, anyone who know when and where to use Kecleon is definitely going to cause you trouble

TP: Kecleon has two stats going for it: Attack and Special Defense being 90 and 120 respectively. Other than that, Colour Change being his ability can be quite the disadvantage as many physical attackers tend to have more than one move typing. (Not to mention, the increase of Fighting types recently and having mediocre defense equals a bad time to be had) With an astounding number of Normal types in the series, it’s hard to find your ground between the good and bad ones. In the main game, Kecleon was the Sudowoodo of Gen III, as I like to call it. Hindering your path, you need Steven to use Devon Scopes to reveal it’s true colours from it’s camouflaged state. If you choose to catch it, you’re met with Winona, the Flying specialist Gym. It’s level is similar to the Pokemon you’ll face, but by then you should already have your party by now. There isn’t much special going for it, unless you are in dire need of some higher leveled Pokemon in your team. (Shame if you’re not mid 30’s by this point of the game.)

Doc: All Kecleon really needs is better Defense and some useable Attack stats. While his 40 Speed is downright awful, we can’t expect him to be perfect. He’s meant to wall, so he shouldn’t be sweeping necessarily. His movepool is nice enough, especially since any move can potentially be a STAB attack, and he rocks Recover and Stealth Rock, which is plenty to set up and survive a couple of turns. Having 120 in both defense stats and decent Attack/Sp Attack (let’s say at least 90) he would be awesome. His typing is completely at the mercy of his opponent, and since he can’t have any of the other great abilities, this would be completely justified. Come on Game Freak, give Kecleon an evolution or something to make him everything I want him to be. Chameleons are cool as hell.

 

TP: “Wingull is cool, he evolves into Pelistorm” - JonTron 2012. Now that that’s out of the way, Pelipper was one of the many Gen III Water types introduced in the series. He tends to be outclassed by it’s counterpart Milotic for many good reasons, and by Gyarados in terms of typing. But underneath that slew of mediocrity reveals some good things going for it: Defense and Special Attack, being 100 and 85, respectively. Aside from the metagame, where if you have the balls to use it I salute you, it’s found fairly early and is quite useful. Being a good counter to Roxanne and Brawly, it’s quite useful being an early game teammate. Later he can become your Fly/Surf slave if you stopped investing time on him.

Doc: “Wingull’s only the rarest Pokemon...” - JonTron 2012. This just about sums up why Pelistorm doesn’t see any use. Wingull is, by far, the rarest Pokemon. Because of this, it makes it incredibly hard to find, let alone catch. So for this reason alone he sees limited use; no one has one. Even then, due to his rarity, it takes an extra amount of effort to level up and evolve him. Once he becomes a Pelistorm though, it’s all downhill. But seriously, he’s not all that bad. He just has some really lackluster stats, Electric attacks obviously hurt him, and a weakness to Stealth Rock. It has its good points and bad, but most people neglect it for any of the better options. Pelistorm’s mad cool though.

TP: “...of all Wingull!” This thing just needs more stats, which could be handled with an evolution. Why is it that Gyarados, it’s only counterpart in terms of typing get 110 more base stats? Pelistorm’s appeal is in defense, in similar vein to Milotic. Give it the ability to not get OHKO’d by Thunderbolt by increasing those defenses. Other than that, from the look of his movepool, although shallow would benefit from the increased stats. A Sub Toxic stall could even be implemented, as it’s unique typing provides much to benefit. Game Freak already gave it some cool toys with Hurricane and Rain Dish, so it’s not in such a bad predicament at this point in time.

 

Doc: We’re getting into actual unappreciation now, guys, as Castform is one cool little dude. He has an interesting signature move (Weather Ball), average stats (they’re all 70), and he changes his form based on the weather forecast. Get it? Castform? Anyways, he changes his form and has fanTASTIC coverage. If you try to play a little differently than the norm (which is possible) he can be a tad hard to predict, at least getting in one or two KOs if you’re lucky. He has a lot of potential, really.

TP: Game Freak stop. What the hell is the point of having a Pokemon with a balanced distribution of stats when the majority of them (sans legendaries) will be under utilized. Mew (and those cute variants) and Arceus pull it off not just because they get 100 (120 for Arceus) stats across the board, but a diverse movepool to boot, so any set could be used for any circumstance. Snorunt and Glalie also suffer from this, but at least they got better with Froslass.  Castform has one thing going for it, a weather gimmick and his signature move, Weather Ball. Sure you can give it the BoltBeam setup known to Starmie and add Sunny Day/Rain Dance, but in the end of the day, it will faint. It has powerful moves and a diverse (and by god is it diverse) attacking movepool, but the stats just...are...so...meh.

Doc: Unlevel his stats Game Freak. This little bro needs more focus on some Speed and Sp Atk. Then, even with meager defenses and HP, he could absolutely dominate. You would never know what to expect with some decent stats behind this little devil. He could be running Hail, Sunny Day, or Rain Dance, or even Sandstorm if he wanted. Between all those weather effects, that’s easily 6 different types of damage. You’d never be able to predict between BoltBeam, Sunny Solar Beam, Rain and Thunder, and even after all those, he could easily change form via other team members or simply knowing more than one weather move. He just needs to Sp Atk and Speed to back it up, otherwise Castform is cool. Plus he totally has balls on his chin.

 

TP: Surprise, surprise a Gen III Pokemon. This one actually isn’t that terrible. Sure the design is something worth commenting on (This is a kappa, not some stereotypical Mexican who serves your Taco Supreme down in Taco Bell...I think) Anyways, in a similar theme to all the other Pokemon here, Ludicolo’s stats are all above average, totaling in 480. Relatively high Special Attack and Special Defense give it a nice niche alongside it’s fellow bulky water counterparts like Swampert. Not to mention, it’s part Grass typing just makes it fabulous in Rain Dance teams.

Doc: Ludicolo suffers from a very weird problem, if you will. I guess the easiest way to put it is as follows: people hate him. I don’t know what it is, but Ludicolo can work wonders on certain teams when setup properly. Sure, his stats aren’t amazing; 100 Sp Def is cool and all, but when backed by only 80 HP and 70 Def it really fails to last long. However, this can easily be supplemented by Rain Dish, Leech Seed, and Giga Drain. Sure, he’s not amazing by any means, but he’s definitely interesting and unique. This is basically the definition of underappreciated, guys. He’s even got just the right resistances and coverage to survive a short while in ubers. The only, and I mean only thing limiting this Pokemon are his stat alignments. But he is still good and can be used, so here he is arbitrarily placed at #4. Suck it.

TP: It’s not that Ludicolo is bad, it’s just he’s difficult to be placed in a team in comparison to it’s cousins. With so many Water types, a large majority being the bulky variants. It’s hard to see what needs to be changed without trampling on others along the way. Although the stats are not too bad, with all the toys he gets after each generation, he just needs more spotlight. Rain is Ludicolo’s playing ground, and there has been a multitude of set ups because of it, but with/without it, depending on setup he’s dead meat. Nonetheless, with a Rain Dance team (which is one of the more popular gimmick teams might I add) Ludicolo reigns among kings to the point where he even has a moveset made for Uber territory. Uber, thanks to Kyogre. The tier known for the banned Garchomp and legendaries. Dude just wants a little more loving behind that sombero.

 

Doc: I like Kingler. He has a really interesting design and can hit incredibly hard with base 130 Attack. Fortunately, he can also take some hits with 115 Defense. However, if you hit this king crab (Ooooooooh now I get it) with any special attack, it’s cooked. It’s Sp Attack is unsalvageable and a base 75 Speed isn’t exactly impressive. He has potential to boost it and the Attack to back it up, but you better hope he lives long enough for you to even set up. He’s a classic, but he might just stay that way. He’s really faded away among much better Pokemon.

TP: Even Ash ignored you after the Elite Four. Kingler, although carrying a massive physical Attack and Defense is hindered by his lack of moves. You would think that the Gen IV attack split would have made Kingler a force to be reckoned with, seeing as he possesses Agility to boost that 75 speed to sweeping levels. However, it’s pitiful special defense can even get him killed by powerful Fire/Ice attacks, which is sad considering that he is supposed to resist them. Crabhammer, Rock Slide, X-Scissor, Return. Double Edge. Those are all of Kingler’s possible physical attacks. I know he has Giga Impact but who uses Hyper Beam variants nowadays sans Slaking. Oh and Superpower, which is a BIG NO-NO considering it lowers it’s BEST STAT. >mfw he doesn’t even have Waterfall. Imagine Kingler going “COOOOKIIIIIEEEEEEE” as he traverses up a waterfall.

Doc: He... He seriously doesn’t even learn Waterfall...? You guys wanna know how to improve Kingler? Just give him more moves. That’s it. He’s got a nice Attack and Defense, we can’t expect his speed and special defences to be good. He can’t have all good stats. We’ve gotten away from that. What he really needs is an interesting-enough move pool. Some priority moves would be swell; and moves that take advantage of his Dream World ability, Sheer Force, could slowly help Kingler rise from the depths of the tier list. (TP: lol Aqua Jet Kingler) I mean, he’s a bad ass crab. I wanna use him on my team and not hate myself afterwards.

 

TP: “Two? That’s cheating!” Well our list, and these guys are pretty much the same. Both support a respectable 495 base stat total (same with all fossil Pokemon) and are the fossils of Gen III. But in comparison to the likes of the originals or new breed, they are hardly the talk of the town. Sure Steven carries both in his team, but the spotlight is usually the original three. However, they’re not completely ignored in NU. Cradily provides an excellent support with high defense stats with it’s new ability Storm Drain, or provide sweeping potential with Suction Cups boosting it’s 81 Attack stat with either Curse or Swords Dance. Armaldo seen as a more appealing option, where he is defined as the NU Rapid Spinner, and in addition to Swords Dance is able to boost that 125 Attack even further. Both Pokemon are similar in their roles as support, but have the underlying ability to sweep the NU tier.

Doc: There is next to no reason for these guys to be unnoticed. Well, I guess there is, but still. They differentiate themselves from the rest of the fossil Pokemon with a nice change of design. Cradily has a pretty nice stat distribution that covers a lot of different areas; he’s all-around pretty sweet. He has the gusto to run support, a mono-attacker, and even run a swords dance set. That’s really all worth saying though. The sad fact remains that, because of this, none of his stats specifically shine to give him a good standing: a jack of all trades, if you will. Armaldo can run some similar sets, but he’s much more focused on Attack and sort of defense. His 75/100/80 HP/Def/SpDef spread is almost solid for taking a few hits (and his Rock/Bug typing certainly helps a bit). He is unfortunately plagued by incredibly slow speeds, which kind of ruins the illusion of a good wall. He can take hits, yes, but he can’t take HARD hits. A strong neutral STAB attack (i.e. Brave Bird or Close Combat) will do him in pretty quickly. Also, Armaldo has a Stealth Rock weakness, so if he comes into Stealth Rock to Rapid Spin, you’re at a loss. And seriously, I thought he was cool til I realized his eyes weren’t those cool red things on his head. Dammit.

TP: It’s obvious that Armaldo and Cradily are the more hard hitting or defensive fossils that we've come to known. (Alongside Omastar, the Gen IV fossils and Carracosta) It’s not the stats hindering their play in the metagame, neither the movepool either. They just weren’t given the similar spotlight in comparison to other fossils. Fossils were optional in R/S/E, either found in the sand or Mirage Tower. You could go the majority of the game without seeing them, where either some random trainer will have it or you’re facing Steven at the end of your main quest. It’s a damn shame because Cradily has my favourite appearance as a fossil. (Armaldo as well if it weren’t for his eyes would be up there as well.) Gen III introduced many underappreciated Pokemon, but you would think as an exclusive group like fossils that they would be seen in a greater light. The OG Aerodactyl, Kabutops and Omastar rule the fossils with an iron fist, and everyone else is behind the limelight of those three giants.

 

Doc: Given the previous nine Pokemon listed, you all must have known this one was coming. In a game ravaged by legendaries and Dragon Pokemon, Garchomp really fades into obscurity. Although being a Dragon, his Ground typing doesn’t really help him. Ice types ruin any chance Garchomp has to sweep, and the overabundance of Ice Pokemon in the game make him nearly unplayable. His 95/85 Def/SpDef make him subpar for taking more than a few hits. And his low 80 Sp Atk leaves him incapable of dishing them out. It doesn’t necessarily help that Gen V gave him no new toys to play with either. Sand Veil was already a relatively worthless ability, since no one really uses Tyranitar or Sandstorm anymore. And Rough Skin as a Dream World ability is alright, but physical moves are probably going to 2HKO if not OHKO Garchomp. It’s not really worth the 12.5-25% total damage. And that’s assuming they even use physical attacks. Sure, 130 Attack and 102 speed are swell to try and make a  comeback, but not if he can’t back them up with the right moves.

TP: Garchomp possess a rather shallow movepool, as it’s later cousin Haxorus proves it. With such physical prowess, one has to decide having Swords Dance or Dragon Dance. Unlike Haxorus who can favor both, Garchomp needs to choose one if holding a Life Orb/Berry setup. Oh, and don’t get me started on Choiced setups. Outrage? That confuses you after a few hits. Earthquake? Say hello to Levitate and god knows how many flying types holding Ice Beam. It’s a wonder how he’s in Uber with so many Pokemon that fit the above criteria (namely Latios/Latias) Fire moves to check against those Ice types? Stone Edge? Why do you hate accuracy so much to have that move? It takes two to kill Lugia after Stealth Rocks damage, granted if it didn’t kill you already. Fire Fang? LOL WHO THE FUCK USES FIRE FANG?! Mamoswine would eat those any day and just counter like the beast he is. Do you know what Gen V gave Garchomp? Dragon Tail. No comment there.

 

Doc: Dude.... TP... Garchomp is OU, ya noob.

TP: Yeah....I think we should actually start talking about number 1.

 

Doc: Now I hope this actually comes as a surprise to some. It really shouldn’t though. Who’s the cover Pokemon for Nintendo? Pikachu. Who was on a limited edition Game Boy Color, N64, AND 3DS? Pikachu. Who’s Ash’s main Pokemon in the anime? Obviously Pikachu. Raichu is not underappreciated because there are better Pokemon (well, that too...) but because he lives in the incredibly large shadow of his pre-evolution. The sad part is, Raichu is (for the most part) better than Pikachu. Sure, Pikachu can use Light Orb, but then it’s still slightly slower than Raichu. Raichu is an awesome Electric type to run on any Gen I team, as he’s moderately fast and has a nice Sp Atk. Getting a Pikachu early on certainly helps too. There’s not much to say about Raichu, but it’s certainly unfair that he’s forced to live in the shadow of the really not-so-great Pikachu, you know?

TP: Pikachu has Light Orb, which makes it stronger than Raichu in both Physical and Special Attack. Not to mention, if for some reason you want a defensive Pikachu Gen V gives you Eviolite, which although doesn’t match Raichu’s okay defenses makes it pretty damn close. Don’t get me wrong, Raichu is theoretically better, with his movepool being so diverse he can even run a Support set up with such moves as Encore, Wish, Knock Off, Tickle, etc. His claim to fame is to sweep, sporting 90/90 Attacks and 100 Speed and having Nasty Plot in his disposal. But his greatest asset is also his biggest weakness. He’s not as fast or powerful in comparison to other NU/RU sweepers, and will die with ease thanks to it’s low physical defenses and lack of resistances. Raichu is the “Jack of All Trades, Master of None” as evidently shown. He may be able to pull many setups, but in the end of the day he’s either out beat by better sweepers/support, or outshined by a Pikachu aiming for Rhydon’s horn.

Doc: It’s a shame really. Raichu isn’t really expected to be great. He’s a nice in-game Pokemon, for sure, but no one’s really used one since Gen I (or if you count FRLG as Gen III) since they’re kinda tired of Pikachu. He hasn’t changed much, but he has seen some improvements. Static is okay and has always been as such, and he got a slightly better one; Lightningrod in Gen V, so that’s something! With equal Attack and Sp Attack, he’s a great addition to any team as long as he has the usual few-levels-ahead advantage. Dig, Charge Beam, Volt Tackle, Return, Focus Blast, Nasty Plot -- these are all great moves to be had, but in the meta game, Raichu just doesn’t have the necessary stats to really run them well. This is a typical showcase of both being underappreciated in the game due to lacking stats and being underappreciated by the population because of Pikachu’s “greatness” being shoved down your throat. Raichu is definitively the most underappreciated Pokemon.

 

 

TP: So there you have it. Our Top Ten Underappreciated Pokemon. Now, this list is incredibly subjective as what one defines as “underappreciated” is to the eye of the beholder. Now since this is OUR list, we are 100...err...85% sure this is our final answer, as we have mentioned in our introduction. This took the entire month of December to write, and we hope you liked reading on what we thought deserves more spotlight in the meta that is Pokemon. Join us next time as we talk about Pokemon We Hate with a Passion.

 

Doc: Actually, TP, before we get on with that, I think it’s only fair that we mention this week’s talk of the town: Pokemon Version X and Y! Like many Pokemon fans, I sure am excited, so I think it would make sense for us to take a minute to actually talk about a Pokemon game on Pokemon Talk. No? Everyone’s tired of hearing it..? Oh... Well... I’m gunna write it anyways, and make it hopefully fun! So, while you can still expect the Pokemon We Hate with a Passion, you’ll sooner see a mini list of:

The Top 5 Things We’d Like to See in Generation VI!

 

TP: Now, since the next topic is much more broad, we wouldn’t mind adding an additional one or two g1s to join us in the next collab. If you are interested, you can find us on Twitter by following: @Dr_Cool_Guy and @Thunderplant.

Doc: Or if you’re so bold, email me at doctorjustin88@gmail.com, ya buttnuggets.

TP: You can find me on the g1 forums where I partake in the Signature Request Community, if else both of us are frequently seen on g1 After Dark. (http://tinychat.com/g1afterdark) TILL NEXT TIME...idunfuckingknow.

Doc: TOP TE-

TP: TOP TEN THIN-

Doc: POKEMON. DONE.