JAPE: Jingle Bells
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skylight
What better way to celebrate Christmas than to judge Pokémon? All Pokémon featured in this JAPE are Christmas themed (wreath, bells, tree, presents, tree topper, and reindeer!) Merry Christmas and enjoy!
| Comfey | Chingling | Abomasnow | Delibird | Starmie | Stantler |
| Click on the images to reveal everyone's thoughts! | |||||
Codraroll
This adorable little fairy sure brings some festive spirit with its flowers! It might not have been designed with Christmas in mind, but one could easily imagine it carrying season-appropriate wreaths as well. After all, the flowers are not part of the Pokémon, they are picked by Comfey and woven into a ring for it to carry. If let loose in a holly bush, it would probably make very Christmassy decorations. And I imagine it singing carols for some reason.
All in all, Comfey is a Pokémon appropriate for any festive occasion!
GatoDelFuego
What a cute Christmas wreath! Comfey is the happiest of everything in this article. It's got plenty of holiday cheer! Back when Comfey was revealed, I don't think I was too kind to it, but I don't think it has an inherently bad design. It balances the colors really well and exudes a friendly atmosphere. Comfey would also be happy acting as a decoration. Its job is to make people happy! Overall, it's an automatic spot on the nice list for me.
Pikachu315111
Sadly there's no holly Pokémon to deck the halls with just yet, but Comfey makes a nice substitute for a wreath. While technically a lei, I don't think anyone would complain if you have a Comfey hanging out over your door. One of the Christmas wreath's symbolisms is how its circle shape represents the cycle of life or cycle of the seasons. Comfey represents this idea perfectly, being designed to be a healer (placing itself in the cycle of healing its allies after they've been knocked down). Its Dex entries also support this. Its Sun entry says it's able to revitalize flowers, while its Ultra Sun entry says it becomes uneasy if it has no flowers. There are few to no flowers in winter, so Comfey would feel uneasy, but when spring comes it'll use its power to revitalize the flowers, the vibrancy of which represents the return of life.
Pilo
The latest addition to the rag-tag group of loosely Christmas-themed Pokémon, Comfey is one that I'm rather fond of. It has a very aesthetically pleasing, easy-on-the-eyes color scheme of soft pastels that makes it pleasant to look at, and oh my god is that smile infectious. It's pretty hard to look at something as cute as Comfey and have a bad day.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
'Tis the season for warm greetings!! And what could be a warmer greeting to you as you arrive at someone's door than the gorgeous wreath Pokémon, Comfey?!? Comfey surely would be a pleasant greeting, and its color scheme sure is festive, plus it doesn't have those horrible pine thistles. To me, Comfey looks like a strand of Christmas lights wound up to make a wreath because of the bright popping colors that it adorns itself in. Comfey hanging around waiting to greet you would be so cool, and it would likely put more pep in your step. It may even encourage people visit their neighbors simply to see the various personalities of the Comfey. Comfey for wreaths in 2018!! Who's with me??
Codraroll
I must admit that I find Chingling one of the most annoying Pokémon in existence. In Gen III, Chimecho was extremely rare and obscure, only found as a 5% encounter in a piece of grass you had no reason to step into, in one of the most faraway locations in Hoenn. Without watching the anime, you wouldn't have any idea where to find it, or that it existed at all for that matter. But some stubborn players set out to find it, and found... pretty much the weakest fully evolved Psychic-type Pokémon in the game. Chimecho has the unfortunate combination of being rare and bad, with low stats and a terrible movepool. An evolutionary relative one generation later could have amended its horribleness, but it turned out to be a pre-evolution. Literally nobody asked for an even weaker Pokémon that would become a Chimecho if you trained it enough.
That being said, Chingling is an adorable little bell. With a total height of 20 centimeters, it could feasibly fit on a Christmas tree as a decoration, although it'd be a little heavy for the smallest branches. Its colors would match a green background nicely, and there is enough room on its little head to fit a tiny Santa hat. It's really a Pokémon to put you in the Christmas spirit, as long as you can tolerate constant jingling.
GatoDelFuego
I think Chingling COULD have been a good Pokémon. Its design history just sets it back about a thousand miles. Why is Chimecho so secretive? I had to buy a strategy guide to even know that it existed. Not too many people I knew were fans of Chimecho. So why introduce a pre-evolution to it in the next set of games? It's not like pre-evolutions add anything to the game. But I like Chingling's design a lot more than Chimecho's. The wide mouth, golden body, and happy chirp of a cry make me really feel something. If Chingling and Chimecho had just been in the same game, maybe it'd make more sense and I'd have a different opinion. For now, I'm putting Chingling on the naughty list due to no fault of its own, but just because I spent way too many hours combing the grass of Mt. Pyre.
Pikachu315111
There's, surprisingly, a few Pokémon that are based on bells, like Bronzong and Chingling's evolution, Chimecho (well, wind chime, but it's bell shaped). But luckily for the holiday season, Chingling was based on a type of bell often called "jingle" bells due to the sound they make (though Chingling is based on large versions of these bells called Suzu that are used in the Shinto religion). But let's back up, how did jingle bells (or at least the small versions of them) get associated with Christmas? Jingle bells are also known as sleigh bells because they were used on sleighs, carriages, and other horse-drawn carts to alert people they were coming through. Where does Christmas come in? Originally, Santa Claus rode on a horse-drawn sleigh. Thus the sound of sleigh bells got associated with the idea that something good was coming. Does Chingling represent this association? Eh, nothing official does. However, Suzu bells are considered good luck, and since encountering Chingling's evolution was originally very hard (so you had to be very lucky), I guess it can be seen as bringing good luck from that association.
Pilo
Chingling sucks. There, I said it. Its design leaves so much to be desired that I just can't force myself to like it. The bell aesthetic is so ugly, not to mention it doesn't even look the least bit like Chimecho. Honestly I just want to punch it in its smug little face.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? On the sleigh, it's a Chingling! This little jingle bell of fun is all geared up for Christmas!! Its tie downs even look the part, since they're striped like candy canes. Take it caroling with you, because it's the only bell you'd never have to shake! Let it sit in the palm of your hand and Chingling will do the rest. Chingling is the reason for the joyful music of the season, and that is something you can't deny. This pretty cute little bell with take care of all your Christmas music needs, because nothing warms the heart more than the sound of jingling Chinglings.
Codraroll
While Abomasnow is a really cool Pokémon, I don't think it would make for a very good Christmas tree. It is a very tall and heavy Pokémon that would get in the way in your living room, and it doesn't appreciate the heat of the indoors. You'd have to seek out one with its hidden ability too, otherwise it would create a permanent blizzard in your house. On the other hand, a Soundproof Abomasnow would probably be a good idea if you plan to decorate it with Chingling. From the expression on its face, Abomasnow doesn't look like the most cheery Pokémon around, however, and would probably not appreciate attempts to decorate it.
I would also like to point out that Abomasnow is notable in that its design has changed somewhat over the years. In Diamond and Pearl, Abomasnow's body was rather rotund, its eyes were quite small, and its arms ended in curved claws. From Platinum and throughout the Gen V games, Abomasnow is leaner, with larger eyes, bushier eyebrows, and a tail that didn't sag. In Gen VI, the design changed again. Abomasnow is now fatter than ever, its arms are twice as large compared to the rest of its body, its claws are straight, and its tail once again sags to the floor. Did Abomasnow try a diet after its initial appearance but fail after Gen V?
GatoDelFuego
Abomasnow is one of my favorite concepts of DPP. Combine the Yeti aesthetic with a unique typing and a unique ability at the time, and you get one cool Pokémon (pun intended). The typing really does it for me. A Grass / Ice Pokémon just seemed like such a radical idea when I first heard about it. But it fits Abomasnow so well, being designed from high-altitude evergreen trees. I also like the angry eyebrows compared to Snover's more welcoming face; they give Abomasnow a personality. Even though it looks like the Grinch, I'm sure Abomasnow could be cheered up with a few sparkling ornaments hung all over its body. Or, it might retaliate and bring a literal white Christmas to your living room with a summoned snowstorm. Off to the naughty list for you, Abomasnow! (But I really do love this Pokémon)
Pikachu315111
Honestly, Abomasnow's characteristics have more to do with the Yeti than an evergreen tree, which makes up half its design, but since the theme is Christmas, the evergreen tree half is what we're focusing on. Why are evergreen trees decorated on Christmas? Originally they weren't part of Christmas tradition. When Christianity began to spread around the world, pagan religions and beliefs were being stomped out. However, the pagans who practiced tree worship stuck around. So what do you do with a popular belief when trying to convert people to your belief? You adopt and adapt it, of course! Folklore arose of Saint Boniface relating the evergreen tree's shape to the holy trinity and that it represents the tree of paradise (and decorating it with ornaments represent the forbidden fruit), and thus a Christmas tradition was made. But why the evergreen tree specifically? Evergreen trees symbolize longevity, virtue, and solitude due to being one of a few trees that remain green during the winter. Does this relate to Abomasnow? Well, maybe the solitude and virtue part, though not so much the longevity (I suppose it's a bit bulky, though its type combination doesn't help it any). But two out of three ain't bad, and it is (partially) based on the Christmas object in question, which is more than some other Pokémon we're discussing can say.
Pilo
Unique typing? Check. Cool design? Check. First in the alphabetical Pokédex? Check. Yep, Abomasnow has it all. Nowadays it seems like there's a Pokémon for every animal, concept, inanimate object, etc. But back when Diamond and Pearl came out, having a Pokémon based off of the Abominable Snowman felt like a pretty big deal. I don't know, maybe it was just me, but I remember seeing this thing and instantly falling in love with it.
It's like a Yeti, but it's also a tree, and it's not even one of the most out there designs. I thought it was totally nuts back then and I still love the design to this day. The only issue I have with Abomasnow's design at all is that is that the shaggy fur makes it look a bit more visually cluttered, but honestly that's a nitpick. As it stands, few Pokémon in Generation 4 can even dream of touching Abomasnow.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
What's Christmas without the tree?? Well, if you're in a pinch, use an Abomasnow! It looks like a tall pine tree covered in snow, and that means you'll have one of the better-looking trees around! I thoroughly enjoy seeing snow-covered pine trees because they look so majestic, and their coloring is gorgeous. Abomasnow could likely even hold on to its snow without it melting, and that means your tree would never look withered or start dying, because it has its very own water source when and if the snow would melt. The best part is that you could even have a perch for your tree topper if you can get your Abomasnow to make its eyebrows stand up straight. Even more appealing is the fact that Abomasnow comes in various heights, just like real trees, making it the perfect tree for any home!! No need for a saw to cut that tree down, just pop a Poké Ball open and put it away when you're done.
Codraroll
Delibird is an awesomely cheery Pokémon with plenty of Christmas spirit. That is pretty much its only redeeming quality, but it's not to be underestimated for an occasion like this. It's a penguin dressed as Santa, who cares if it's one of the worst battlers in the franchise. Delibird's tail is a hollow sack, which allows it to carry items around, and it can even conjure presents from nowhere if it doesn't carry any. But beware of those presents, because even though they are nicely wrapped and presented with a ribbon and all, only one-fifth of them should be opened. However, they would probably look nice underneath the tree, just as long as the tree doesn't step on them.
GatoDelFuego
I think Delibird is a cool concept, but one that just wound up being executed poorly. I mean, we have to be honest, its entire design is just an excuse to put Santa Claus in the game. There's nothing wrong with that... but why give it only a single level-up move? Why make it so rare? Why give it such horrid base stats? It's like they knew Delibird would get ignored. From an aesthetic perspective, they did succeed, I guess. I had Pokémon Gold as a kid, so when I heard about a rare Christmas bird that threw exploding presents at people, I thought it was awesome, for a little. I'll put Delibird on the nice list this time... but with a 20% chance to be on the naughty list.
Pikachu315111
It's Santa Penguin, what more can be said? How more Christmassy in Pokémon can you be than Delibird? The origin of Santa Claus is a cultural mixing of Father Christmas (originally a jolly spirit who represented Christmas in England), Saint Nicholas (a saint who's best known for being the patron saint of children and a secret gift-giver), and Sinterklaas (a Dutch figure based on Saint Nicholas). While all different figures (with one being an actual person), they all share common traits: they're kind and cheerful gift-givers. And guess what, that idea is reflected by Delibird. Dex entries say Delibird share food they keep in their sack-like tail with passersby, many stories telling how they saved people stranded in the mountains or helped them reach the peak. Who would have thought the Pokémon based on Santa Claus would reflect the Christmas spirit?
Pilo
Delibird is everything I love about Flying-types all wrapped up in one neat little package. It takes a primary type and expands upon it with a simple yet interesting theme. In Delibird's case, Santa bird. Ice / Flying is far from the best typing competitively, but Delibird makes up for this with its memorability. With plenty of appearances in both the games and the anime, it's hard to deny Delibird's semi-iconic status. Heck, it even has its own signature move in Present. Despite it being seemingly deliberately weak, Delibird's endearing dorkiness goes a long way in salvaging the Pokémon and dare I say even earning it a spot in my heart.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
If ever a Pokémon existed that embodied the true essence of Santa Claus, Delibird and its presents can certainly do the trick. Although the only trick being played may be on the opener of any of those gifts left by Delibird. With its red and white color scheme that matches that of the Jolly Old Elf, Delibird could easily manipulate people into believing that its intentions are pure of heart, when its intentions may be just downright mean. Perhaps not all Delibird are bad ones though, and maybe one could be the replacement of Saint Nick himself, but I warn whoever chooses the Delibird to vet them very carefully so you don't get pie in the face later on. Delibird is a jolly Pokémon, even if it takes its greatest delights in playing pranks on others, so there are certainly enough reasons to let the little red and white bird work his magic.
Codraroll
To be frank, I really don't think of Starmie as a Christmassy Pokémon. It is also a little too big to fit on your average Christmas tree. But I think it would be a nice star to put on one of those large Christmas trees you find in town squares or malls. It glows brightly in seven colors, so it would definitely add some light to this darkest time of the year. Just try to avoid thinking about its tendency to send undecipherable radio signals into space or how its powerful stats give it the ability to really wreck up anyone who stands before it. Starmie is a little creepy, actually, so maybe you shouldn't give it a good vantage point from atop a tree.
GatoDelFuego
I'm a fan of Starmie's design. For Generation I, it's pretty typical: take an animal, add some edges and colors, and you're done. Staryu=starfish, Starmie=more starfish. What made me like Starmie more and more was seeing its full 3D model in games like Pokémon Battle Revolution, where it stands on two of its points and spins its rear section around. It also twitches its points in really interesting ways. New abilities like Illuminate and Analytic and a plentiful movepool have made Starmie more and more fleshed out over the years, which I think is pretty rare in Pokémon. As far as it scores on my Christmas Spirit Scale, I don't really have an answer. Maybe Starmie could be more of a Hanukkuh Pokémon?
Pikachu315111
While most Christmas icons have to do with winter or Santa Claus, that doesn't mean Jesus isn't present. Of course there's the nativity scene, which depicts the birth of Jesus, but there's another one that many don't realize or think about: the star on top of the Christmas tree. Though sometimes an angel that brings its own symbolism we won't get into, the star on top of the Christmas tree represents the Star of Bethlehem, which the Three Wise Men followed to the nativity. So, does Starmie (and by extension Staryu) appropriately represent this symbol? Surprisingly, I'd say yes... but in an odd way. A popular mystery with Starmie and Staryu is that they're sending signals into space via their center jewels. Relating this back to the Three Wise Men, you could say the Star of Bethlehem was sending a signal to them (and anyone else) where the birth of a savior was.
Pilo
There's something to Starmie's look that really resonates with me. Maybe it's the edges, maybe it's the slightly alien appeal, maybe it's the weird gem-like core in the center of its body. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but Starmie is way up there on my list of well-designed Pokémon, and it has some of the best animated sprites to boot. I just can't get enough of watching the thing spin, and even when Game Freak ditched most of the character of animated sprites when switching to models in XY, Starmie still managed to retain some of that coolness in its fantastic 3D model.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
This is the one I have to disagree with. Starmie is a truly attractive Pokémon in its own right, but it should be Staryu atop the tree. Most stars that are put atop Christmas trees are in fact gold, much like Staryu. Starmie may have a bigger gem at its core, more points on its star-shaped body, and a nicer design overall, but you just don't mess with tradition in my opinion. A big clunky star like Starmie may even cause the tree, or Abomasnow, to topple if it would somehow weigh too much. Here is a case of everyone wanting the biggest and best to make their seasons bright when the simple and subtle would do. Keep it simple, people. Put a Staryu on your tree, and be happy with the simple things in life.
Codraroll
Stantler is a reindeer. Can I go now?
Okay, maybe there's a little more to be said about Stantler. For a start, its antlers (okay, it's all about the antlers. The rest of the Pokémon is exceptionally boring) are said to distort reality, and Stantler uses them to hypnotize its foes. It therefore seems probable that it would be able to fly, or at least make you think it's flying. But would Santa really want a herd of hypnotic reindeer to pull his sleigh? And if the Stantler wanted to be put before the sleigh, would Santa really have a choice? Who can say no to a reindeer with hypnotic antlers? Probably not even Santa.
Stantler. Coming to your rooftop whether you want it or not.
GatoDelFuego
I've been talking a lot about "Pokémon concepts" a lot in this article—I really feel like it's a good way to judge not just a Pokémon's appearance but its entire design philosophy. So, Stantler is a concept that was executed perfectly. However, the concept is completely boring. Stantler is... a deer. That's it, team, go home. It also looks AWFUL. Boring beige color throughout, dopey expression, and large... tail. The fact that two additional deer Pokémon have been designed since (Sawsbuck and Xerneas) shows how reluctant they were to push the boundaries with Stantler. If it weren't for this article, I almost would have forgotten its existence. Wait a minute... a deer that was ignored, forgotten, and mocked until it's useful at Christmastime? That seems familiar... But I'll still be marking down Stantler as "naughty."
Pikachu315111
In the Pokémon anime's first Christmas special, after Ash & co. save Santa from Team Rocket (of course), Santa has to get to his gift-giving sleigh ride and so gets upon his sleigh... which is being pulled by a Ponyta. While you may assume this was because Stantler wasn't introduced until Generation II (and you'd be partly right, as once they were introduced, Stantler were the ones pulling Santa's sleigh), Ponyta was more fit than you may have thought. The actual Saint Nicholas was said to have traveled around on a noble, white steed, thus figures based on him such as Santa Claus also rode on a white steed (which Ponyta is, except it's also on fire). So where do reindeer come in? It all started with a small children's booklet that mentioned Santa's sleigh was pulled by reindeer, and the author was a child of a Native American who lived up north near the Arctic and had been told stories about flying reindeer. While the white horse remained prevalent in German and Dutch countries, as Santa Claus was brought to other countries, some mystifying adaptation occurred (to put it simply). Reindeer were once revered and honored creatures in most lands they inhabited, and there may have been a bit of Norse mixed in, as the Norse god Thor rode around on a sleigh pulled by two goats, another hooved animal with horns. So having Santa's sleigh pulled by reindeer made him more memorable and magical, and with the famous poem "The Night Before Christmas" it became part of Christmas tradition. Does Stantler match up to this depiction? While it isn't able to fly (though it does get Bounce, which also means it can use the Flying-type Z-Move Supersonic Skystrike), it does have some mysticism behind it, as it can create illusions with its horns and learns Psychic-type moves. Now this more has to do with Stantler also being based on an animal-repelling device called a shishiodoshi, "deer scare" in English, which looks like a giant, staring eye. But no matter the origin, for this topic what counts is that it's a reindeer, is mystical, and can learn some Flying-type moves, and in the anime Santa does use Stantler to pull his sleigh, so I think that settles that.
Pilo
Wow, is this 'mon the polar opposite of Delibird or what? Stantler is so incredibly bland I actually forgot it existed before I had to write this. It's pretty hard to find redeeming qualities in such a boring Pokémon; the best thing I can possibly say about Stantler is probably that its movepool is interesting.
In a way though it's almost sad that Stantler goes unloved. At the time of writing this, I've been searching for Stantler fanart for about 10 minutes purely out of interest, and there's a real scarcity of it. You can hardly blame the artists of the Pokémon community though, I can think of at least a hundred 'mons I'd draw before Stantler—it's just a funky-looking deer.
{Pokemon_Vigilante}
Santa's reindeer are all sick, and he needs a team to pull his sleigh!! If only he had some Pokémon to help him... Oh wait, he caught some Stantler!! Santa has the team he needs to pull the sleigh!! Stantler could likely do the job, and they would certainly look the part. The only thing missing is the ability to fly. I've always wondered if it was the sleigh and reins that could fly, or if it was the deer themselves? Either way, Santa could find a way to make sure his big brown reindeer substitute team could fly. Too bad he won't find a Stantler with a light for a nose though, cause the fog could be bad this year. Maybe he could develop some headlights for them to wear.
skylight
What do you think? Did we miss any other Christmas-themed Pokémon? Share your thoughts on our Twitter and Facebook!
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