Chillie's Top 100 Favorite Pokémon

[Chillie]

Hey all you fellow nerds :p

Spring 2011, my world was changed forever as I was introduced to the Pokémon series as a gaming franchise for the first time. From the first moments my nuclear family and I were drawn into it, we were absolutely hooked. Admittedly, we were not fans who joined in at a specific time or place within Pokemon's history; if anything, it was one of the weirder times. For the rest of the world, people were complaining about garbage and ice cream in their animal gotcha games, but for me and my 3 siblings we were just starting to watch the original Pokémon anime series for the first time, more than likely introduced to us by my sisters' set of friends at the time. I don't know why, but it was almost like divine intervention..."Pokemon?? This is actually kinda cool??" my 11-year old self puzzled. It wasn't long after I started watching the anime when I played my first Pokémon video game: an emulator of Emerald version on my dinosaur of a Vista PC. And while the playthrough itself was terrible (only used my starter, got stuck halfway through), it was the first time I truly felt like I went on an adventure. Fast-fowarding from those humble beginnings, this is now my 10th year of being a fan of the Pokémon series, and let's just say I've become a lot more wise than just Water Gun-ing the crap out of literally everything. I've met so many friends; so many people I consider family. Countless memories and lifelong bonds with both people and these funky looking creatures. So to celebrate a huge milestone in my life and to celebrate this year's Pokémon Day, I will be going over the grand hierarchy of some of my bestest friends: My Favorite Pokémon, organized in a top 100 list.

Ranked by my own personal experiences and opinions as a Pokémon gamer and fan, I have assembled 100 of these hokey pokeys into a countdown for the ages. Obviously, this top 100 are all Pokémon that I adore and every single one means a lot to me, but that doesn't stop you from saying what you think about my entries and even joining me along for this ride by saying your favorites! Feel free to do so :) I'm gonna need some company on this journey. Each entry will be daily, maybe once in a while two in a day; we'll see, I'm inconsistent when it comes to that kind of stuff lol. But with that said, it's time to get this Pokéball rolling!

Truth be told, this forum is actually originally from the Bulbagarden Forums. So for a while I'mma be directly throwin' the already-done entries here until we catch up with what we have so far, and then they'll be daily. But if you wanna see the entries now, I guess hop over there? Idk? Do what ye want lol.

This is my top 100+ favorite Pokémon in the series.​

 

[TepigLover101]

well I'm looking forward to it

 

[Chillie]

Before I start this enormous countdown, I will first express my honorable mentions; those that were close to entering my top favorites list but just barely missed the cut. I still love every Pokémon here and even a good amount that won't even be mentioned! I say this because I will be giving 8 honorable mentions, one for each generation of Pokémon. With that out of the way, let's see the friends who might not have made the top 100, but are still special to me and I appreciate a lot as a Pokémon fan!

Here are the honorable mentions for Gens 1-4!

HONORABLE MENTION (GEN 1):

RAICHU
Fitting how the evolution to the most popular Pokémon in existence would be the first one on this huge list!
I find the whole Pikachu-line charming for obvious reasons. No I'm not one of those people who think Pikachu is too popular or overrated or whatever, but I actually think I do like Raichu more hence his place here over the lil yellow rat. I guess it's because of the whole underdog story Raichu's got going on. It's the "ugly lazy older brother" of the iconic Pika, so naturally it's not gonna have as much of a crowd even with the addition of a regional form in Generation 7.
With that said, I'm in the camp that does really appreciate Raichu's design; it does feel like a cool natural progression up from Pikachu while still keeping a lot of the cute factor! I like the more thicc legs given to Raichu, makes him look like a cross between a kangaroo and large house cat. Strange combination, but I find it really charming. And its Alola form is that but if it had a daily meal routine of Nutella and pancakes for breakfast lunch and dinner. Mood. I love how most Raichu are these snarky, cocky older siblings in comparison to the usually tame Pikachu and Pichu. The whole attitude these chodes tend to have really speaks to me on a spiritual level.
And even though Pikachu has that Light Ball item going for it, I find Raichu just as if not more fun to use in battle. It's a bit bulkier than Pikachu (though that's like comparing a glass teacup to an eggshell), and faster in both forms. I've found its speed to be helpful whenever I was using it, as letting it pull off either a sweep with Nasty Plot or use one of its nasty tricks like Nuzzle and Volt Switch is satisfying when I actually succeed with it lul.
So yea, Raichu is shockingly cool. I like Pikachu a lot too and I'll prolly lump him here too with Raichu cuz Wynaut, but if I gotta pick one for the honorable mention spot it's this chonker.


HONORABLE MENTION (GEN 2):

MEGANIUM
sigh.
Poor Meganium, you might as well call it the Pity Party Pokémon. Always feels like this Green Giant-lookin mofo gets the shaft in favor of more popular picks for starters. And whenever fans do give it attention, it's usually negative, rather it be because of its poor battle capabilities, weird design, or whatever random nitpick people have with it. Well I'm here to turn that around. Meganium is, contrary to the majority of the fanbase, one of my favorite Grass starters. I guess I'm just a sucker for nature in general, but I find Meganium to be an awesome plant dino. I get why some people can be turned away from it; the design is rather plain. But I think it's actually quite appealing this way. No big spots stripes or any other gimmicky quirk to this Pokémon, just a gentle Apatosaurus-like friend with a flower for neck decor. Its colors are soft on the eyes and it just has this cute factor that I just love (sticks with the whole Chikorita family). I dunno, I think it still holds up.
Unlike its stats....sheesh....it's like beating up a dead horse, or dino i guess. It's not that its stats are bad; its defensive stats are actually quite good especially for a starter. The biggest problems this gentle giant suffers is...it doesn't really do anything. It's movepool and coverage is more shallow than a preschool kiddie pool and anything it can do can be done much better by other Pokemon. Being a pure Grass type does nothing but hurt it even more both offensively and defensively. That's not to say it's completely a waste, but it's just a shame how Meganium is outclassed at pretty much everything. It's definitely not a battler, but I don't really mind too much.
Besides, in my opinion I think it's an excellent team player for any Johto journey! Yes, it's weak to the first two gym leaders and the majority of the Poison-types you'll be seeing from the Rocket dudes, but I think its good matchups get extremely overlooked. It's easily the best starter against Whitney's Miltank onslaught with insurance moves like Reflect, and it even has the best matchup with Clair's Kingdra when compared to Typhlosion and Feraligatr. And aside from Morty and the previously mentioned Falkner and Bugsy, I think its capabilities against the other bosses in the game are on par with that of the other two; just takes some getting used to as you won't be spamming Flamethrower or Surf 3 ways to Sunday like you would with the other two starters, I like its playstyle, and it won't be the last one of its kind to be mentioned in this journey.
Is it perfect? No. But it doesn't have to be, and I think Meganium is one of the more underrated creatures in the fabled Pocket Monster library.


HONORABLE MENTION (GEN 3):

FLYGON
It was a tough choice between Flygon and Sableye for this spot, and yet despite how much I love Sableye's concept and creepy design, I learned over time to really appreciate Flygon both as a Dragon-type and as a general Pokémon. I mean just look at this beauty! They don't call it the Mystic Pokémon for nothing. I find Flygon to be a rather beautiful design in both physique and color. It's a big ol' bugger friend with rhombus wings and pilot and protective goggles. This dude is like a mini-airplane I LOVE IT! Flygon is one of the Pokémon In instantly think of when I think about flying Pokemon. It's a unique high-flyer, especially with its typing and concept. An ant lion of all things becoming this majestic draconic beast. Definitely a classic design!
So much so that even Game Freak couldn't come up with a design that could live up to its standards (and yet Mega Garchomp exists eesh). It does leave poor Flygon out in the dust (ba dum tss) when it comes to battling it with the big boys, as it's hopelessly outclassed by the majority of the powerhouse Dragons reigning over the tiering rum. But I still think it's a very fun Pokémon to use, just send it out and let it rip stuff up with two great stabs and fantastic coverage on top of the single best typing and ability to combat entry hazards; you got a consistent offensive force with a solid amount of defensive merit. If this thing got a Mega it would've been a top-tier force for sure. But as is, it's still a great Pokémon. Just try to avoid raising Vibrava for as long as you can; that lil teenage bugger is borderline unusable in pretty much every way and makes it a pain to raise into Flygon. But it's definitely well worth it in the end. A Pokémon I find incredibly fun to use and fly around with, yet another underrated gem. It's a cult fan favorite for a reason!


HONORABLE MENTION (GEN 4):

HIPPOWDON
Hippos are cool man. They're these humongous hulking beats with jaws and bites stronger than my will to do anything meaningful in life. I can relate to these chunks of awesomeness, and that's what put Hippowdon here. I'm already a sucker for good Ground-types, and making a hippopotamus who lives in SAND? Epicepicepic YES TAKE MY MONEY. Hippowdon looks super awesome, 10/10 Hippo Pokémon.
Of course it also helps that this big lard is also a beast in battle. The mon just sits on it ass all day and just soaks up almost any physical hit for brunch. WITH reliable recovery, great offensive coverage, and the unique trait of being able to phase with Whirlwind?? Add on the fact that it's a weather setter with Sand, and you got a Pokemon that has a plethora of great unique individual traits that make it another fantastic team player.
Not much else to say here, hippos are friggin chads bruh.​​

 

[professor plum]

I really appreciate the amount of work you're putting into this! Can't wait to see the rest of your list.

 

[Chillie]

HONORABLE MENTION (GEN 5):

STOUTLAND
doggos. doggos are cute.
In all seriousness, I truly love the entire family. I love the natural progression from adorable lil pie-face puppy to stern canine hero into...this majestic work of art. Truly one of the finest examples of facial hair I've seen in the Pokémon series. He's just such a gentle wise good boy who'll always be loyal to their trainer. Makes me wish I had my own dog lol. And don't even get me started on its role in the anime, it's enough to make robots shed a tear. RIP to a GOOD good boy for the ages.
And he's also incredibly reliable as an early-game Pokemon throughout pretty much the whole journey. Sometimes even borderline broken as a Herdier without stupidly hard Take Down hits. But solid coverage, and a classic ability in Intimidate make this borko a great team member, and those traits carry on into its life in competitive history. Although not the best Normal type, I've had fun using it whenever I've given it a chance. Hits relatively hard especially with its STAB and even has a surprise sweeping trick with access to Sand Rush. Pair him up with a Hippo TTar or Gigalith and watch the bodies drop. >:)
There won't ever be a doggo Pokémon as endearing and awesome as this family (well, that's actually a lit, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there). Truly the finest of fine boys. Must pet and protect 24/7, although it'll probably end up protecting me. Good doggo.


HONORABLE MENTION (GEN 6):

HOOPA
Sounds like a lot of HOOPA!....I deserve a brick to the head for that.
Where do I start? I love the whole djinn concept and aesthetic it's got goin on. I love how mischievous its grin is, it's like the one mean bully kid on the playground who steals your lunch money. I really love the whole dimension-portal nonsense Hoopa's got goin for it. This dude can literally pull hula hoops out of its ass and use them to travel between different universes and timelines. Really adds a new layer of depth to how we look at the Pokemon world. But of course this lil chump is just the baby. But don't even think about giving him its bottle...
Unless you want a 20 foot tall world-shattering monster in your backyard.

Holy whackin cow steak on a hiphop hockeypuck.
Where do I begin? Hoopa-Unbound is absolutely terrifying. Absolutely TOWERING over almost every Pokémon including Legendaries, this behemoth is just a marvel for the eyes. SIX arms, an even more sinister personality, and borderline god-like powers make it one of my favorite Mythicals to date and easily my favorite from Gen 6. You know what else is terrifying about Hoopa-Unbound? Its battle capabilities. While Hoopa's normal form possesses the rare Psychic-Ghost typing and decent stats and coverage, all of that is amped up to 11 when Hoopa-Unbound shows up with even better coverage including a devastating signature move in Hyperspace Fury, as well as one of the best mixed-attacking stats of any Pokémon period; turns this beast into a multi-faceted monster that can arguably be given the title of greatest wallbreaker in the entire game. So fun to use to let frustration out and just kill stuff for dessert with this beast.
While the lil guy drags Unbound outside of the top 100, I still greatly love and respect Hoopa as a fantastic force within the Pokémon lore.


HONORABLE MENTION (GEN 7):

BRUXISH
Ohh boy...here we go...Bruxish. Arguably one of the ugliest Pokémon in all of existence. And by god is it glorious. I love how shamelessly ugly this fishy this. Though I also feel like this Pokémon can hunt me down and kill me with those teeth. Okay so I know Bruxish isn't a popular pick, but I think among all the strange one-off Pokémon in Gen 7, this prissy lil glubber stands out. All of Bruxish's traits are ugly yes, but I like how it's all orchestrated for effect. This Pokémon is based on the queen triggerfish, or the humuhumunukunukuapua'a (say that five times fast), one of my personal favorite fish who also happens to have ugly lips and colors. It's just such an out there design that it does connect with me even with all the slander against it. I dunno, I guess it's also the psychadelic colors. The hippie side of me gravitates towards this blub. Also love how its shiny is literally pizza. Yum.
Battle-wise Bruxish is no slouch either. I love how this seemingly-useless fish is somehow stupid strong. With access to incredibly hard-hitting biting attacks as well as sweeping potential with Swords Dance, Bruxish can be a hilariously epic cleaner. Not much else to say here, I really like Bruxish's concept and think its design suits it very well. So ugly, yet so so beautiful.


HONORABLE MENTION (GEN 8):

ELDEGOSS
One of the first Gen 8 Pokémon to be revealed, and still one of my personal favorites. I used Eldegoss on my main playthrough of Shield as a team member, and it did not disappoint. Having a Grass-type that could (inaccurately) put stuff to sleep while also dealing out solid Grass damage was satisfying to have on my squad. And just look at it! I really like how Gossifleur evolves from a bright young flower into this wise elderly cotton plant. The big cotton puff kinda reminds me of an elderly woman's hair, love the touch there. I guess I have a thing for Grass-types in general, but I find its ties to real world cotton so cool and fascinating.
What's also fascinating is how it works as a Grass-type tank. It's got an interesting bag of tricks including Rapid Spin of all things and cheeky stat boosters like Cotton Guard. Couple that with 2 useful abilities in the new Cotton Down and Regenerator and you got an interesting wall. Not anything groundbreaking, but it's a serviceable ally that can be a decent sponge for your other team members.
Definitely a Pokémon I liked the second I saw it, and who knows maybe it'll actually gradually rise into my top 100 favorites over time.


And those were my 8 honorable mentions! I'll be back here soon to kick off my top 100 Favorite Pokémon :) I'll see ya then~​​

 

[Chillie]

#100:

SOLGALEO
We're really starting this list off with a bang huh? Or should I say a big bang. heh? heh? I'm gonna go die now.
Solgaleo, the mascot of Pokémon Sun and the very emissary of the solar body. This king of the animals needs no introduction. Easily one of the best, and in my opinion most perfect designs for a legendary mascot. I absolutely adore the metallic plating around its body and THAT MANE this Pokémon is handsome~ And love the blue frontal head,it complements the yellow and red so perfectly.
The concept is ingenious, a friggin alien lion sun god with ironclad plating, and I love the ties in with alchemy Solgaleo is rooted from.

How it's based on the lion eating the sun motif, it's just drenched in symbolism and it's so much more original than a generic Fire-type sun lion idea that we all thought it would be. It's just a flawless legendary in terms of lore and design.
And given that this is "the beast that devours the sun," it's fitting how Solgaleo has an awesome signature move: Sunsteel Strike. Literally ripping energy from the sun and slamming that energy into your opponent. It's so unbelievably awesome, and it's great to see it use that often paired with its amazing physical prowess. Solgaleo and its evil alter-ego Dusk Mane Necrozma both share the great Psychic-Steel typing, and while Dusk Mane is far superior, I still get a kick whenever I get to use the O.G. in any battle. Feels so good to just fire off powerful STABs along with interesting coverage like Flare Blitz and recovery in Morning Sun. Solgaleo is just even more drenched with the sun with every part of its repertoire. It's such a fascinating Pokémon in many ways, and always one I'm happy to see.
On a side note, I've been using Solgaleo in Pokémon Masters as of late, and it's borderline OP when its fully maxed out. It almost feels like I can win any battle with it, it's super reliable as it hits like a truck and doesn't care about any hits it takes cuz it's just that badass.
Not the last legendary on this list, far from it actually, but I can't deny how incredible Solgaleo is. It's one of the very few Pokémon that I can actually say is just about perfect on an objective standpoint. Great background and lore, outstanding design, predictably stupid good in battle, and just the all around joy it gives me definitely warrants the first entry in this Top 100. And to think it really is only #100, but trust me. We're just getting started. :)​

 

[Chillie]

#99:

DARMANITAN
One of the more popular Pokémon to come out of the 5th Generation, and spoilers: it is the first of MANY from Unova to appear on my Top 100.
Let's just say this one is praised for a reason.
Just...look at him. Hands down one of the most radically badass chads I've ever seen. Those fire eyebrows and just the pure RAGE this Pokémon exudes, heck just looking at it gives me the same flippin' grin it has! Darmanitan is the textbook definition of POWER. Those hulking arms can probably slam me underground 5 layers down. I'm worried if I didn't put him on the list, he'd hunt me down and steal whatever will I have to go on left. It's more of an acquired taste I feel design wise, but those who do love it REALLY love it, myself included.
But what puts Darmanitan here is its playstyle, at least for the standard Fire-type Darm. It is THE glass cannon Pokémon, less emphasis on the glass and more on the CANNON. Holy smokes does this thing just DROP EVERYTHING. It's one of the most satisfying Pokémon to just send out and just TEAR THINGS APART! It's like being in control of a wrecking ball! Horrifically high Attack WITH Sheer Force?? This thing's Flare Blitz is one of the most nuclear moves to just spam in the entire game. It pretty much OHKO's everything in a main playthrough that doesn't resist it, it's insane. Whenever I know I have to fight a Darmanitan, I just go "sigh...I'm screwed." 😆 It's a Pokémon that I feel like is best suited for when you just wanna let out your frustrations; just watch the world burn with him...

Galarian Darmanitan has a slightly different playstyle, acting more like a revenge killer or cleaner rather than being a straight up nuke. Though this can arguably be even more broken considering it can have 2 Choice Band boosts...gross. I do say though I enjoy the snowman yeti gorilla concept. But while I do like the new form a lot, it doesn't even hold a candle to the original Fire form.

And oh yea...this thing.
Honestly I think it was poorly executed battle-wise. Making a raw physical nuke turn into a slow special attacker halfway through a battle (if it can even take a hit) just really hampers its capabilities and it loses out on the power of Sheer Force. I do like the whole see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil concept behind it though. Definitely a much better representation of this idea than the three elemental monkeys you see before it. I really like how these Pokémon are just Japanese Daruma dolls that wanna scorch the earth. Brings out the real devilish side in all of us huh.
Darmanitan is a Pokémon that deserves every bit of praise it gets. Really unique idea, extremely badass design, and one of the most satisfying "push the red button" options out there, you got a Pokémon that's not like any other.

Also Galarian Zen Mode is an Ice/Fire Snowman that feverishly hops?? Yeeess GameFreak good good just take more of my money why don't cha?​

 

[Chillie]

#98:

MAGEARNA
This one is an interesting case.
Normally I'm not the biggest fan of either Steel or Fairy as a type, and yet this is a case where concept and design really shine. When Magearna was first revealed with that silhouette teaser and the 'Magiana' name attached to it, I never would've thought it would be THIS! It strikingly looks like a princess straight out of the Robots move 😆 but I love how it tucks itself in to look like a Pokéball.

Given how it may as well be the original prototype OF a Pokéball, it adds a lot of interesting depth to how the modern ball was constructed....are Pokémon concealed using the same Soul-Heart energy as Magearna? Is that why Magearna gets stronger whenever a Pokémon is knocked out of a battle regardless of ally or foe??? Mad props to that dude who invented her over 500 years ago lol. I think it's a really cool lore-shattering concept that can answer one of the many lingering questions this series likes to drag behind its ass eugh. Not to mention its original color form kinda confirms this too!

And can we just talk about how adorable Magearna is?? It always has this curious wide-eyed face AND it'll give flowers to whoever it likes, while it can also just become a giant Pokéball whenever it wants! Sign me up please! :D Although I kinda found it weird that the normal washed color form seemingly didn't have a shiny, they DID just recently give it one with the release of Pokémon HOME and...



Huh. They teased a shiny form before it was even released and before we even knew it was shiny. These damn people at Game Freak be SNEAKY 😤😤
Now onto the main reason why I like Magearna: its use in battle. It's arguably one of the single best all-around Pokémon to have EVER come out! Its stats are so evenly spread out with fantastic bulk, auspicious typing in Steel/Fairy, a crazy good ability in the previously mentioned Soul Heart, and it quite possibly straight up has the best movepool of any Pokémon in the game that isn't Mew Arceus or Smeargle. It's THAT insane. This thing's coverage is out of this world-Bolt/Beam, Aura Sphere, Energy Ball, Signal Beam, Shadow Ball, Volt Switch, great STABs in Flash Cannon and Dazzling Gleam, and an insanely hard-hitting signature move in Fleur Cannon. Not to mention access to incredible booting moves in Shift Gear (which fixes its only poor stat in Speed), Iron Defense, and Calm Mind, the ability to set up a Trick Room for itself, a nasty surprise reverse sweeping option in Heart Swap, a decent recovery option in Pain Split. the ever annoying Thunder Wave...the list can go on and on; the amount of sets you can run with Magearna are borderline limitless. In fact I'm surprised it wasn't banned or even suspect tested once during the Sun and Moon metagame's lifetime...it was almost universally given the banhammer in counter-team leagues for obvious reasons but it's still so strong and can do so many things so well in standard singles that it I do find it a bit strange. But lemme tell ya, whenever I used Magearna I've had an absolute blast. Rather it be with building interesting sets with it that can mow through whole teams or just laddering with an annoying bulky Pain Split set, I just generally love using it and it's almost always been the one to win me games or at the very least contribute to them, which kinda led me to respecting its design and concept just that much more.
It's a more recent addition to my all-time favorites list, but for some reason I've just always had a fondness for Magearna. It can do just about anything while also looking adorable and having such an interesting backstory that changes our own knowledge of Pokéballs. What's there left to say, it's just an amazing Pokémon and extremely deserving of a spot on my top 100.

and oh yea it had a movie right? eh I actually haven't seen it yet so I can't rly judge that or Magearna's character in it soooo yea, c'est la vie. :v​​

 

[Chillie]

#97:

PONYTA
Eh? Threw a curveball at ya huh? :p
How on earth could I put little Mr. Neigh-Neigh at a higher pedestal than the likes of powerhouses like Solgaleo and Darmanitan??
Well where do I start?? There's just so many qualities that Ponyta and its evolution Rapidash share that I personally find really cool. First off, I think they're actually some of the more beautiful Fire-types design wise, with Rapidash in particular looking just so graceful. Yea, it's just "horse on fire," but this is a case where I feel like the simplicity is a part of its charm. Rapidash has such a great and simple design that I even made an alternate form for it as a contest entry, and I won first prize with it!

Aurora Rapidash. Ain't she a beaut'? :D
But I'll be honest, the real reason why Ponyta is this high on my all-time favorites is because of a more recent turn of events....
It was the wee early hours of October 5, 2019. Almost the full 24 hours into the now-infamous "Mushroom Forest Stream." At this point, we kinda figured out that the new Pokémon was a Galarian Ponyta after all those teases and near-misses. And it was then during the final minute where I and millions of other fans fell in love.


Oh. my. god.

LOOK AT IT!! This has to be one of the most adorable Pokémon ever made. Look at its cute twilight eyes...that floofy colorful mane...I want twenty of my own. And oh my god the way it just gallops and glows!! I don't think I've ever been this infatuated with a Pokémon in a long time! 😆😍
And having it based on the unicorn, one of my favorite mythical creatures, is just icing on the cake. I've always admired just how mythical and elusive they are, I remember specifically trying looking up "unicorn sightings" on YouTube as a kid, they're just so cool! I definitely don't regret using this beauty on my main Shield team, and I named it Narwhal cuz I love narwhals too and that dog named Narwhal that went viral just stole my heart at the time. I will admit Galarian Rapidash was a bit of a downgrade (I'm not as in love with the locks as I am with the floof), but I still found it to be amusing and a great further evolution of the unicorn theme!
Yea battle wise Rapidash ain't all that (poor stats, outclassed by so many other Fire-types), but Ponyta is actually a BEAST in Little Cup. It's so fast and hits relatively hard and can even be really annoying defensively at least for the Fire-type form. I don't know much about the Galarian Pony's use in battle so yeah :P But I always like seeing Ponyta whenever I do take part in Little Cup. And Galarian Rapidash is actually quite deadly in the lower tiers thanks to its great STABs with better coverage for a Fairy-type! I haven't used it much yet outside of casually playing through Shield, but eventually I'll probably give it a good shot.
So ya, I might as well say this entry belongs to Galarian Ponyta, but since my entries for this will be single entries that cover both forms of a Pokémon, I might as well lump the Kantonian Ponyta here as well with some nods to the beautiful Rapidash. It's one of those Pokémon I've gotten more respect for it over the years, and with the Galarian form being one of my personal picks for the cutest Pokémon of all time, my appreciation for Ponyta isn't going to go away anytime soon. Without a doubt, my favorite Galarian form (not Galarian evolution though, oooh we'll get to that later). :)​

 

[Sheep]

magearna and galarian ponyta <3 so agreed!!!

 

[Chillie]

#96:

EXCADRILL
For a while, I had this spot occupied by Dugtrio. The original whack-a-mole trio was a part of my original FireRed team, and because of that I have a soft spot for it. But alas, I ultimately settled on the superior mole for this spot.
Excadrill hands down has to be, objectively, one of the best and most universally lauded Pokémon of the past decade. Its place on tier lists, all-time favorite lists, and numerous championships gives that claim some merit, and damn it does Excadrill deserve every bit of praise it gets. It's a Pokémon so great that I borderline hate it? I'm jealous of it; jealous at how perfect of a creature this mighty mole has become.
Just look at this beast. Excadrill is a subterranean mammalian beast with bloody red scar-like markings on its chest and face, an expression that screams "I'mma kick some serious ass tonight," and razor sharp metallic appendages for a helmet and set of claws. When it tucks itself in its claws and Excadrill uses a move like Drill Run, it quite literally looks like a giant spinning bullet that's out for your head.

How is this not the coolest Pokémon design quirk ever?? It ties perfectly from the thematic standpoint of Excadrill being this digging worker mole. This dude can probably drill to the center of the earth at Mach speed! Badass.
Even though I haven't had a lot of experience using one in-game, I've always gotten chills down my spine whenever someone has sent out one of these beasts. They're just so scary to face off against especially in Nuzlockes.
Why tho? Why Excadrill when Dugtrio is arguably more broken with Arena Trap? Dugtrio is so fast and with that ability it makes it one of the best revenge-killer out there. So what makes Excadrill better?
Everything else.
Ludicrous attack that rivals that of Metagross, solid speed, another phenomenal typing in Ground/Steel, and the mole also has its own borderline-broken ability: Sand Rush. There's almost nothing that can outspeed an Excadrill in the sand, and its high attack and great STABs make this thing a terrifying sweeper. Not to mention the other option of another incredible ability in Mold Breaker; not only can it hit Levitate-ability Pokémon with Earthquake, but is also almost guarantees you're getting Stealth Rock on the field. Everything about this Pokémon is scientifically produced to be a top-tier titan, and for a time it was even banned from the standard OU meta because it was just so powerful. It has always been at the peak of usage, never once so far has Excadrill even come close to dropping to a lower tier; its tool kit is among some of the strongest of all Pokémon. And like the previously mentioned entries on this list, I've had so much fun with it. It feels so good to sweep in the sand or get my rocks up no problem with Drill, it's just such an unstoppable force that pretty much always contributes to a win; a very scary threat indeed.
And although the Black/White anime sucked for the most part, I felt like Excadrill's story with Iris was one of the bright spots early on in its life.
(and yes I did watch the BW anime back when it was new. Regrets were made.)

Unlike other disobeying Pokémon before it like Charizard and Mamoswine, this was the first time one of these characters had an actual reason for being stubborn apart from just being a lazy bum. The whole arc with Excadrill losing the trust of Iris after the battle against Drayden was honestly kind of heartbreaking, and Iris's apology was one of the only times in this whole series where I felt truly moved by a serious moment. It was satisfying to watch, unlike say Charizard losing Ash the Kanto league just because he felt like it. Eugh.
My point is that just about everything Excadrill appears in is better by Excadrill being in it. 😆 It's an unforgettable Pokémon with incredible use in battle, sick design, and just brings this aura of "epic" that not many other Pocket Monsters have. Excadrill really puts the "mole" in "holy moly guacamole."
...I'm gonna see myself out now.​
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[tulte]

wow this is an amazing list.