(Little) Things that annoy you in Pokémon

I feel annoyed that Umbreon wasn’t at the very least Poison/Dark. Actually, a lot of illogicalities annoy me at times, like Regieleki and Regidrago not having Clear Body (or the moves the other Regis learn) in addition to Drago not having Strong Jaw.
 
I’ve discussed it before in OI, but the outsized importance of having powerful STAB in newer gens (to the point that it often dictates competitive viability) undermines a Little Thing I Like About Pokémon: how the complex interplay between a Pokémon’s typing, abilities, stats, and movepool (hopefully influenced by its design) makes it unique and ideally gives it some kind of niche.
You mean like giving Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist Fire moves, as reference to them being based on candle-bearing Jack-o-lanterns, and then saddling them with the wrong Attack stat to make use of them? Not to mention there is another Grass/Ghost type introduced in the same Generation that is also a Physical attacker with an overall more robust movepool. And then in SwSh they didn't even give it Flare Blitz!
 
The very limited pack space in early games.
This WAS an issue in GSC but much, much less so than RBY, where you had 70 item slots for every single item in the game. I'm not sure if it was even possible to have each TM/HM at once after the game was completed, with all the space key items took up.
 

ScraftyIsTheBest

On to new Horizons!
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That sounds really irritating.
Having recently done a playthrough of Red on Virtual Console, it's definitely very tedious and annoying. It's especially annoying when you find an item but you're out of bag space meaning you have to go back to the PC in the Pokemon Center to dump some of your items in or outright use them on one of your Pokemon to free up bag space. The limited bag space really makes items a tedious chore to deal with and manage in the original RBY and it's quite annoying.

I'd say it's actually better in GSC, because there's more space for each kind of item, and the bag is actually categorized in Gen 2 meaning while the space for regular items is still frustrating, at least you're not sharing it with TMs and Key Items, and you can also give your Pokemon held items in Gen 2 so you can have them take care of item space by using them to hold items that are taking up space instead (even if this really isn't the main reason you should have them hold items, but it's a useful trick for item space if you really need to do it).
 
You mean like giving Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist Fire moves, as reference to them being based on candle-bearing Jack-o-lanterns, and then saddling them with the wrong Attack stat to make use of them? Not to mention there is another Grass/Ghost type introduced in the same Generation that is also a Physical attacker with an overall more robust movepool. And then in SwSh they didn't even give it Flare Blitz!
If Pumpkaboo learned Flare Blitz people would be making jokes about how ridiculous it is that a pumpkin Pokémon sets itself on fire and charges into the opponent without obliterating itself. I can buy that it generates a ghostly flame that it launches at the opponent, but physical Fire-type moves (besides Fire Punch and Fire Fang) rarely lend themselves well to use by non-Fire-types.

This is definitely an unpopular opinion here though, because most people seem to want the barest hint of flavour in a Pokémon’s movepool as a vague pretext to give it powerful coverage options.
 
If Pumpkaboo learned Flare Blitz people would be making jokes about how ridiculous it is that a pumpkin Pokémon sets itself on fire and charges into the opponent without obliterating itself. I can buy that it generates a ghostly flame that it launches at the opponent, but physical Fire-type moves (besides Fire Punch and Fire Fang) rarely lend themselves well to use by non-Fire-types.

This is definitely an unpopular opinion here though, because most people seem to want the barest hint of flavour in a Pokémon’s movepool as a vague pretext to give it powerful coverage options.
They say he's tired of his flamin' top​
He's got a yen to make a swap​
So he rides one night each year​
To find a head in the hollow here​
Now he likes them little, he likes them big​
Part in the middle, or a wig​
Black or white or even red​
The Headless Horseman needs a head​

Not only are jack-o-lanterns heavily connected to fire (the two things that separate them from regular pumpkins are a carved face and a candle), but Pumpkaboo and Gourgegeist already learn an attack where they "cloak themselves with flame and attack". It's called Flame Charge. And that doesn't inflict recoil, which would fit right in with the self-obliteration you mentioned.
 
People who are surprised a Pokemon learns a move because it's weak to it.

"I can't believe Rhydon learns Surf. It's 4x weak to Water."

Wanna see just how absurd this logic is?

"I can't believe Seismitoad learns Power Whip. It's 4x weak to Grass."
"I can't believe Aggron learns Earthquake. It's 4x weak to Ground."
"I can't believe Tyranitar learns Superpower. It's 4x weak to Fighting."
"I can't believe Celebi learns Signal Beam. It's 4x weak to Bug."
"I can't believe Virizion learns Aerial Ace. It's 4x weak to Flying."
"I can't believe Lunala learns Shadow Ball. It's 4x weak to Ghost."

Is it weird that Rhydon and all the other kaiju-looking mons learn Surf? Yes. But that weirdness has nothing to do with type effectiveness. It's because this clay dinosaur thing that digs through solid rock and chills in magma does not look like the kind of thing that could summon an ocean wave.
 

Pikachu315111

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It's because this clay dinosaur thing that digs through solid rock and chills in magma does not look like the kind of thing that could summon an ocean wave.
Clay RHINO. And Rhinos can swim:

"But (Pokemon) is based on (Animal) and they swim yet (Pokemon) can't learn Surf!"

There's also some additional factors we need to take into account here:
  1. Many of the odd Pokemon that learn Surf are from generations where Surf was a major HM required to progress through a lot of the game. Cut, Strength, Flash, Rock Climb, and even Dive and Waterfall are very situational and you only use them a handful of times which, if you switched up your party to have a Pokemon that can use the HM, you could then switch back to the Pokemon you actually want to train at the next Pokemon Center (or go back and get the other Pokemon if the HM was only needed for a side path). But Surf is notable where you, for the part of the game you need to be surfing, you're stuck with the Pokemon that knows Surf likely until the end of the game. So, not to force anyone from having to give up a Pokemon they want to train at the middle-end of the game, GF was generous with what Pokemon got Surf as long as there was some logical sense.
  2. If it was a Water-type it auto got it for the above reason. A lot of Dragon-types got it too cause many were given a connection to water.
  3. But, incase someone didn't use a Water-type, they had to be sure a handful of non-Water-types got it. So there's one more rule, let's see if you notice it with the list of non-Water-types that get Surf:

    Nidoqueen, Nidoking, Lickitung family, Rhydon & Rhyperior, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Snorlax, Sentret family, Sneasel family, Miltank, Tyranitar, Zigzagoon family, Exploud, Makuhita family, Aggron, Rampardos, Herdier & Stoutland, Audino, Cubchoo family, Stunfisk, Bouffalant, Bunnelby family, Skiddo family, Pancham family, Furfrou, Swirlix family, Helioptile family, & Bergmite family.

    Still can't figure it out? What if I remind you that Surf is Special move? Now you see it, a lot of the non-Water-types that get Surf are Pokemon which lean Physical, defensive, or Special Attack ain't so good (except for Helioptile, but it has a pretty good reason to get Surf regardless so they let it slide; makes it unique and an exception that proves the rule). Not look at the list for Waterfall, behold how most of these Pokemon that learn Surf are oddly not on the Waterfall list even though its a HM too. Well, that's because not only is Waterfall a situational HM you only need for a few moments, but it's also a Physical move and giving it an equally wide distribution to the above would be giving those Pokemon a powerful coverage. But Surf, in battle it's mostly useless to them and probably even a non-STAB Normal move would be a better option as long as it goes off its Attack (or there's a useful status move it rather know).
However, come Gen VII where they completely remove Surf's function as a HM, and you suddenly notice really only Water-types and aquatic-based Pokemon are getting Surf. :bloblul:

The dude is a Bayleef stan, there's some obvious trauma-related issue at play here. :psysly:
That's not a nice thing to say about Mr. Stake fans... even if its likely true (trees don't headbutt themselves you know).
 
Clay RHINO. And Rhinos can swim:

"But (Pokemon) is based on (Animal) and they swim yet (Pokemon) can't learn Surf!"

There's also some additional factors we need to take into account here:
  1. Many of the odd Pokemon that learn Surf are from generations where Surf was a major HM required to progress through a lot of the game. Cut, Strength, Flash, Rock Climb, and even Dive and Waterfall are very situational and you only use them a handful of times which, if you switched up your party to have a Pokemon that can use the HM, you could then switch back to the Pokemon you actually want to train at the next Pokemon Center (or go back and get the other Pokemon if the HM was only needed for a side path). But Surf is notable where you, for the part of the game you need to be surfing, you're stuck with the Pokemon that knows Surf likely until the end of the game. So, not to force anyone from having to give up a Pokemon they want to train at the middle-end of the game, GF was generous with what Pokemon got Surf as long as there was some logical sense.
  2. If it was a Water-type it auto got it for the above reason. A lot of Dragon-types got it too cause many were given a connection to water.
  3. But, incase someone didn't use a Water-type, they had to be sure a handful of non-Water-types got it. So there's one more rule, let's see if you notice it with the list of non-Water-types that get Surf:

    Nidoqueen, Nidoking, Lickitung family, Rhydon & Rhyperior, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Snorlax, Sentret family, Sneasel family, Miltank, Tyranitar, Zigzagoon family, Exploud, Makuhita family, Aggron, Rampardos, Herdier & Stoutland, Audino, Cubchoo family, Stunfisk, Bouffalant, Bunnelby family, Skiddo family, Pancham family, Furfrou, Swirlix family, Helioptile family, & Bergmite family.

    Still can't figure it out? What if I remind you that Surf is Special move? Now you see it, a lot of the non-Water-types that get Surf are Pokemon which lean Physical, defensive, or Special Attack ain't so good (except for Helioptile, but it has a pretty good reason to get Surf regardless so they let it slide; makes it unique and an exception that proves the rule). Not look at the list for Waterfall, behold how most of these Pokemon that learn Surf are oddly not on the Waterfall list even though its a HM too. Well, that's because not only is Waterfall a situational HM you only need for a few moments, but it's also a Physical move and giving it an equally wide distribution to the above would be giving those Pokemon a powerful coverage. But Surf, in battle it's mostly useless to them and probably even a non-STAB Normal move would be a better option as long as it goes off its Attack (or there's a useful status move it rather know).
However, come Gen VII where they completely remove Surf's function as a HM, and you suddenly notice really only Water-types and aquatic-based Pokemon are getting Surf. :bloblul:



That's not a nice thing to say about Mr. Stake fans... even if its likely true (trees don't headbutt themselves you know).
Something can have an explanation and still be weird as hell.
 
Wonder if early kaiju got surf to imitate the giant monsters often coming out of or otherwise fighting in the ocean. The prototype name was flood, which a giant monster coming out of the water would probably do. I mean Godzilla's one of the most famous ones and his whole Thing is rising up out of the water, even if this does wind up being silly on a bunch of rock or ground monsters
 

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