Route 1 Exhibit

Imagine starting up a fresh save on your Pokémon game, choosing your name and starter Pokémon, and setting out into the world to explore all the cute, cool, strong, interesting, dangerous, big, small, and Pikachu-clone Pokémon out there. You take your first step into the tall grass on Route 1 (XY being the only exception, with the tall grass starting at Route 2) and instead you find these... things. Usually based on critters or other small mammals, these Pokémon are maybe not what you set out in the world to find primarily. But, if you take a closer look, you might be intrigued on what these have to offer you, or you can just deposit them to your PC indefinitely once your party needs empty slots for those cute, cool, strong, interesting, dangerous, big, small, and Pikachu-clone teammates you actually want. Let's dive in and see what the Route 1 Exhibit has to offer!

Rattata: Ah yes, Rattata, the OG rodent. Pikachu and Sandshrew don't count, since they're too cute. Made (in)famous by Youngster Joey, who never seemed to stop calling and reminding you about his so called "top percentage" Rattata, but we all know it wasn't all too hot, as we kept beating it rematch after rematch. Its Pokédex entries mention it as the pest it's based on: gnawing on and eating basically everything, cautious, common, and known to reproduce quickly if left unchecked. In the games, it can be found in the wild in multiple locations and often in the hands of young trainers or Team Rocket grunts. Early on, it learns its former signature move Hyper Fang, which is usually one of the strongest moves your party might know at that time, and with its good Speed and decent Attack it can literally chew through most of the early-game, though it's held back by its poor bulk. In Generation 4, it got its own famous strategy revolved around it: F.E.A.R.(Focus Sash, Endeavor, Quick Attack, Rattata), which revolves around surviving any attack using its Focus Sash, getting off a Endeavor that leaves the foe with only 1 HP left, and picking them off using the priority of Quick Attack. Nowadays, there are better, more efficient users of this strategy, but the namesake is kept and immortalized, and in the competitive scenes, it uses an all-out offensive set utilizing its Hustle ability to fire off powerful attacks, outspeeding many other Normal-type attackers. However, as it is in-game, it suffers from low defenses and the accuracy-lowering side effect of Hustle.

Raticate: When Rattata evolves at level 20, it turns into a very angry and ugly hamster with the misfortune of never being able to fully close its mouth due to its oversized incisors. Not even Ash can love it, as he instantly regretted trading his Butterfree for this on the S.S. Anne, even though he just ended up releasing the damn insect later anyway. The most remarkable thing about Raticate is its Generation 2 Pokédex entries; in Gold, it says: Gnaws on anything with its tough fangs. It can even topple concrete buildings by gnawing on them. Either the Pokémon world has awful infrastructure or Raticate is secretly Jaws. Later generations toned down the entries and merely stated that it can chew apart cinder and concrete walls with ease. In the games, Raticate will be useful in the early-game but will fail in the later stages against Rock- and Ghost-types, since it only has Dig to reliably hit those. None of its stats are above 100 as well, leaving both breaking power and bulk to be wanted. In the lower tiers of competitive, Raticate fills a niche as a Guts user with access to U-turn, Swords Dance, Sucker Punch, and the boosted Facade but is ultimately outclassed by Quick Feet Ursaring in power, coverage moves, Speed, and overall bulk.

Sentret: A Pokémon with the emotional range of a :c face and tail with the stiffness of a dead person, it's hard to understand the appeal of it. Its Pokédex entries describe it as nervous wreck that's always on the lookout for enemies, even becoming incapable of sleeping due to fear if separated from its pack. It should come to no surprise that its stats leave much to be desired, having a Base Stat Total of only 215 and its highest stat is Attack at 46. This, coupled with a pitiful early movepool, leaves it as a liability to use and level up. Since Sentret hasn't received a competitive analysis since Generation 5, I decided to seek out an anonymous LC tier leader for an explanation and their response was, and I Quote: cuz it's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. The set that does exist for it is a Choice Specs set to take advantage of its incredibly vast movepool, but other than that, it has no redeeming factors in a competitive environment.

Furret: Fortunately, Sentret evolves at the early level of 15, transforming its uselessness into a slender body that's basically just all tail with T-Rex-inspired limbs. Despite its cute exterior, it hides a sinister inner; the Pokédex talks about its surprising speed despite its short limbs and that it uses this to hunt Rattata(!), and who knows what other gruesome acts it might hide. Furret does receive substantial stat boosts upon evolving from Sentret but it is still mediocre overall, and its vast movepool is either mostly specially oriented off a base 45 Special Attack or just doesn't quite help it enough in the later game. It does, however, get access to a plethora of HMs, making it quite the effective HM slave should your team need one. On the competitive side, Furret is mostly limited to running a Choice Scarf set, having the niche of the combination of Frisk, Trick, and U-turn to scout and potentially cripple foes. As mentioned, though, it is both weak and frail, leaving it almost completely outclassed by other Normal-types.

Zigzagoon: As the name might imply, Zigzagoon is known for its circular patterns across its body. Oh who am I kidding, Zigzagoon is not subtle and its patterns are most certainly zigzag-shaped. They even decided to base its entire persona on this feature; the Pokédex mentions it restlessly wandering in a zigzag fashion, searching for items and playing dead to fool foes. At level 11, it learns Headbutt, which, coupled with a decent Speed stat, is a great boon in the early game. Pickup is also a very useful ability, allowing you to get a plethora of items by just entering battles and running away. Its offensive stats are rather abysmal, however, with its bulk not being much better. You'd think it would be in the same situation in competitive, but thanks to a Generation 3 event granting it Extreme Speed, in tandem with Belly Drum and Berry Juice, it becomes a ferocious sweeper capable of decimating teams. However, it is held back by poor coverage and its reliance of Belly Drum to do any real damage.

Linoone: When Zigzagoon hits level 20, a large man grabs it by its ends and stretches it out to at least double the length, and so that you don't get confused which side is the head, he paints an arrow on the head to signify the direction it will run in. Despite this, Linoone is no laughing matter; its Pokédex entries describe it as being able to reach speeds of over 60 mph when hunting but having trouble turning at such speeds, leaving it often failing. This is reflected by its base 100 Speed stat, but the rest of its stats are quite average. It learns some useful HMs and TMs, but they're mostly special, leaving Linoone to be rather lackluster in the later game. Much like Zigzagoon, however, it fairs a lot better in competitive thanks to the aforementioned Belly Drum + Extreme Speed combination, though having to rely on Gluttony and the new pinch Berries, such as Figy Berry, instead of Berry Juice.

Bidoof: Many hail this little beaver as the second coming of Arceus, while others mock its dumb face. It's hard to tell which is wrong, but the Pokédex describes it as packing nerves of steel and that nothing can disrupt this Pokémon's focus. It's faster than it looks. Bidoof does look like a total Bidoofus, but don't let appearances fool you. This Pokémon is extremely handy due to its ability to learn almost every HM and access to a decently powerful STAB move early on in the form of Headbutt and later on in the form of Hyper Fang. Simple is also a stellar ability paired with Curse for in-game play, though that comes rather late. However, it still suffers from middling bulk. It does have a legacy in Generation 5 of being a part of a team that peaked both the OU and Ubers ladders, with teammates Bibarel and Smeargle. All of them have access to the ability Moody, proving that a broken ability can make gods out of tiny critters, which eventually lead to the ban of Moody as a whole. Nowadays in LC, it has a small niche with a set of Simple, Curse or Swords Dance, and Berry Juice that can attempt to sweep with Quick Attack after setup. One Swords Dance can turn a measly 15 Attack into 45, but it struggles to set up due to the vast number of Fighting-types and is generally outclassed by its fellow brother Zigzagoon.

Bibarel: 'Looks aren't everything,' a wise man once said. He didn't see Bibarel. The Pokédex doesn't discriminate, though, and it tells how Bibarel often makes streams with bark and mud for its nest and how they are known for being industrious workers. Despite its rather silly appearance, Bibarel is quite a good in-game Pokémon. Its HM capabilities are further expanded from its evolution, and it evolves early and gains a useful secondary typing in the form of Water. Quick access to good Normal-type STAB move in the form of Headbutt is also quite appreciated. Its stats are still lackluster and can fall off late-game, but with Simple and Curse, it can potentially hold its own in the later parts of the game. In PU, it has the potential to go big or go home with Simple + Swords Dance backed up with Aqua Jet.

Patrat: Yes, witness the sight of Hypnotoad's right hand man. Scary? Possibly even rivaling the might of Espurr. Although the Pokédex mentions our dear pal being extremely cautious and storing food in its cheeks to keep watch for days, its general frailness coupled with its other shortcomings doesn't help it one bit. However, it's not completely dead weight due to its passable Attack stat and early access to Crunch, which, whilst non-STAB, possesses good Base Power, as well as gimmicky status moves. Might want an eye check so you can properly aim those Hypnosis beams. In BW LC, its only real niche was to set up Swords Dance or Work Up and pray to Arceus that it may actually Baton Pass them out without fainting.

Watchog: Once it hits level 20, Patrat receives a much-needed growth spurt and manages to get a snazzy tail. According to the Pokédex, it uses luminescent material to make its eyes and body glow brightly, essentially turning it into a very handy light source should you not mind it spitting seeds all over the place. Analytic is somewhat neat of an ability, as with its mediocre bulk and Speed, it's bound to take a hit and retaliate back strongly. Compared to its fellow Route 1 brethren, it takes quite some time for it to learn a decently powerful STAB move. This is reflected in competitive too, as it is outshone by nearly every PU Normal-type, failing to carve out any notable niche. I guess the eyes don't make the man after all.

Bunnelby: Probably the cutest of the bunch, which is saying a lot, Bunnelby just looks like your average rabbit. The Pokédex does note that they use their large ears to dig burrows, strengthening them to the point that they can easily sever thick roots with them. But, just as how rabbits are known in real life for their ferocious and savage nature, Bunnelby is quite the powerhouse with its abysmal Base Stat Total of 237, barely outperforming Sentret due to its average Speed stat. This leaves it only useful early on because of its Pickup ability. But GF decided to give it one of the best hidden abilities out there; it gets access to Huge Power once you get to the post-game. This turns Bunnelby into one of the strongest wallbreakers in LC, with access to moves such as U-turn, Earthquake, Stone Edge, and Quick Attack, capable of almost 2HKOing the entire metagame. It is easily worn down, however, and its low bulk leaves it ripe for revenge killing.

Diggersby: Diggersby tho? The once cute Bunnelby evolves into a huge lumbering beast, its ears transforming into giant dirty fists, leaving its real arms pitiful in comparison. Pokédex tho? Using its giant fist ears, it is capable of lifting boulders weighing over a ton, making it a common help at construction sites. In-game tho? It gains a significant amount of bulk, but due to its Hidden Ability being locked away early on, its attacking stats are the worst of any of the fully evolved Pokémon mentioned here. This is a shame considering its new, useful Normal / Ground typing and wide access to strong physical moves, leaving it dead weight as soon as it evolves. Competitive tho? Here it can use its Huge Power to its full extent, making it one of the strongest attackers in the game. Its OU wallbreaker set, using either a Choice Band or Life Orb, is able to OHKO or 2HKO the vast majority of the metagame using its strong STAB combination and plentiful coverage options. It struggles against more offensive teams, however, due to its poor bulk and average Speed stat.

Yungoos: Having been created without any lips, Yungoos is forced to forever live sneering with its shark-like teeth. There are rumors, however, of it dropping fresh mixtapes with Litten under the duo name Yung Goos & Lit Ten. Examining the Pokédex reveals that Yungoos's fangs are pretty sharp, it will bite anything, and it is said that it was imported from another region, though it might as well be an Alolan native due to its sluggishness. Despite that, it actually isn't half bad, as it has a pretty decent Attack stat and has two useful abilities for in-game. Adaptability is the most desirable and can be easily acquired via SOS battles. Tackle may be its only STAB move for quite a decent portion of the game, but thanks to Adaptability, it rips through enemies like a hot knife through butter. It still has pressing issues with its middling bulk and slow Speed, though. In LC, it has a small but respectable niche with Stakeout + Yawn or Pursuit acting as a trapper.

Gumshoos: One might believe GF takes inspirations from the real world, but surely, such a posture, hairdo, and general demeanor is too ridiculous to exist for real. Right? The Pokédex does explain that as our imported friend evolves, it becomes a predator that, whenever it finds a trace of its target, patiently stakes out the target's location. He doesn't stay up past his bedtime, however. Despite that, it does a better job at shredding through foes with Adaptability-boosted STAB attacks backed by a 110 Attack stat, which is the highest out of all the Route 1 Pokémon (excluding HA Diggersby, which isn't encountered early-game at all). However, its bulk is mediocre, and its slow Speed does not help it, despite it packing a punch. This is reflected in competitive, too, where it is outclassed by a plethora of other strong Normal-type attackers, failing to carve out any notable niche.

Alolan Rattata: Once migrated to Alola, Rattata turned part Dark-type, and its colors followed suit. It also gained a few fur tufts, most notably its quite laughable mustache-looking whiskers. Packing sharp incisors, this rat shreds through homes and forages for any food it can manage to get its hands on. Alolan Rattata packs a decent punch if its ability is Hustle but has serious trust issues in hitting. Its frailty is still a liability and it struggles in early-game trials, but it can outspeed a good portion of Alola and an early-game Dark typing is still appreciated with its early access to decently powered moves such as Bite and Hyper Fang. In LC, it has the potential to 2HKO everything with the combination of STAB move + Hustle + Life Orb, but it suffers from the abundance of fast Fighting-type users and priority around.

Alolan Raticate: When little Alolan Rattata evolves, it turns into a Don: a fat mafia boss with a taste for fine food. Hopefully, there won't be any Mudsdale heads lying around. The Pokédex tells of it being armed with a group of Rattata; this rodent commands its own army and often disputes about who gets the food. Despite this, our chubby little pal isn't exactly the most amazing Pokémon around. With Hustle, powerful STAB coverage, and average bulk, it can perform well in the mid-game and later trials but definitely starts to fall off near the late-game. In PU, it acts as a passable wallbreaker thanks to Swords Dance, Hustle, and Darkinium Z-boosted attacks. Just hope you don't miss and this fat rat will do you just fine.

Now once you've gotten to know these small creatures a bit better, you might have a better appreciation for them as teammates to follow you on your Pokémon journey, conquering goals, creating lasting bonds, and generally enriching your life as a trainer! Or you could just walk in the tall grass a bit more and catch one of the Route 1 birds, but those are for another time.

HTML by Jho.

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