Mabostiff is the only passable dog mon this gen, but I agree the others are garbage.
Though to be fair, fidough line's problems are partly to do with my dislike of fairy = food lines, enhanced by the fact that there are only 2 new fairy lines during main story.
I actually think the Fidough line handles that concept better than the others. Pastries specifically are something that shows up semi-frequently in classic fairy tales, while Slurpuff and Alcremie seem like their inspirations are a bit too modern for that. Daschbun having a mechanically interesting signature ability with clearer flavour (heh) connections than Sweet Veil and no overlap with Misty Terrain also makes it feel less like they slapped on the food theme because they didn't have any other ideas for a Fairy-type. Similarly with the line being outside the Fairy egg group (it's Field/Mineral)
Being an unrepentant dog hater myself, I was thinking of bringing up a Pokémon like this myself, but Dachsbun is not the worst one to me.
It's the Maschiff/Mabosstiff family.
Why oh why did anyone at Game Freak see the need to introduce three new two-stage dog families in the same generation? There's Fidough/Dachsbun, Greavard/Houndstone, and Maschiff/Mabosstiff, which all feature roughly the same base design and work roughly the same mechanically. They're single-typed Pokémon that evolve by level at 26/30/30 and have a BST of 477/488/505.
With three sets of dogs in the game, at least they should be distinct somehow. Two of them are. Fidough's bread theme is wonderfully unique, and Greavard takes the "the only good dog is a dead dog" thing to a whole new level. But Maschiff is just ... awfully generic. It's a quite basic mastiff design, its typing is quite bland (pure Dark), and its movepool is nothing to write home about. Sure, it has a unique ability, but it's very situational. Mabosstiff is essentially a physical Houndoom with no flavour. With two other dog families in the game, why add a third one if it's this generic?
My theory is that they needed a dog for the Arven plotline. But Dachsbun wouldn't have the same emotional impact ("Oh no, my pastry dog is hurt!"), and Houndstone is already dead. The writers wanted a Pokémon players could sympathize with, hence they made a dog that looks a lot like a real-life dog for that story, rather than some goofy design.
Also, Gen IX is slightly lacking in Dark-types. Okay, there are ten others beside the Maschiff family, but Maschiff is the only one that can evolve. So it's not entirely without a purpose.
Bruh, we are using luvdisk right now to perform emotes.I'm nominating Luvdisc. Here's why:
1. Design. It's just a heart with eyes. It's one of the laziest Pokemon designs ever.
2. In-game/Competitive Use: It has a BST of 330, and no base attacking stat over 40. It's moveset isn't that great, either. There are so many better water types. It doesn't even have a gimmick outside of holding Heart Scales, which is its only use.
Not anymore! In case you've forgotten, move relearning is now free and remotely accessible. In other words, Luvdisc has somehow, by some ungodly act of hell gotten even worse. Being Heart Scale fodder wasn't a particularly dignifying role, but it was a role all the same. Now, Luvdisc is genuinely completely without purpose from a game design standpoint. I fully expect it is going to become the new most requested candidate for an evolution now that Dunsparce fans have gotten their way, and for very good reason. Just god damn man. God damn.Fills the role of uncompetitive weak pokemon with an on cartridge niche
Yeah I actually mistook Iron Jugulis for Hydreigon the first time I saw it in the overworld since they look so similar.So I know its common to shit on the future Paradox forms for just "being the same mons but robots". But I think, IMO, the one that's the worst for this and a Pokemon that's surprisingly mediocre in general is Iron Jugulis.
The design is literally just Hydreigon with different textures. Even Iron Bundle changed more than that. The dex entry is funny, and the name is cool, but beyond that there's little intrigue.
Honestly I think the kicker though is the stat arrangement. Its a worse Hydreigon with slightly better Speed and a much less interesting and worse typing overall. I know Iron Thorns is like this to Tyranitar as well, though there at least Thorns has a unique type and enough movepool differences to make you actively want to use one over what its based on. Jugulis pretty much gets most of the unique moves Hydreigon gets, so in the end the only difference is you trade a cool typing for one that has to rely on fucking Hurricane for strong STAB and is weak to Stealth Rock.
While I do know its technically considered better competitively compared to Hydreigon, in comparison to most of its Paradox brethren it falls short. Its easily my least favorite Pokemon of Gen 9 cause at least Cetitan is unique, even if not in a pleasant way. (And it has an actually kinda cute pre-evo which saves it somewhat)
Mabosstiff doesn't feel like it fits amazingly into the narrative role it was given either. As a Dark-type, and not one that has other clear associations besides being a jerk (compare to Darkrai or Absol, for example), it feels completely reliant on being a dog to convey it being a loyal companion. As someone who's most vivid memory involving a dog is being hospitalized when I was 4, this fails on me. Thinking on it, a lot of my own "it's okay buddy, I'll get you through this" moments have involved computers, so Arven having magnemite or something like it would probably produce the desired emotions in me a lot better.
- Cyclizar? With Koraidon and Miriadon being past & future versions of them, would make sense that Sada/Turo would have one that Arven bonded with closer after they pull in the Legendary. Could maybe be in someway used to explain why it was specifically a past/future version of Cyclizar, which isn't that special of a Pokemon otherwise, was the one Paradox Pokemon they got first. And we could potentially have had Koraidon/Miraidon show some more concern/worry as they see a member of its descendent/ancestor species suffering (and maybe sympathy with how it's technically injured from fighting with the other dominant one, though being a Legendary it was able to get away with just being in a de-powered state).
Cyclizar was Heath's partner Pokemon iirc.
I also don't believe Koraidon was the one brought first, I''m not sure they clarify which one was.
as a luvdisc luver, it hurtsNot anymore! In case you've forgotten, move relearning is now free and remotely accessible. In other words, Luvdisc has somehow, by some ungodly act of hell gotten even worse. Being Heart Scale fodder wasn't a particularly dignifying role, but it was a role all the same. Now, Luvdisc is genuinely completely without purpose from a game design standpoint. I fully expect it is going to become the new most requested candidate for an evolution now that Dunsparce fans have gotten their way, and for very good reason. Just god damn man. God damn.
Wait, weren't the side heads mostly just hands and mouths already? The eyes look permanently closed/vestigial, and a lot of the dex entries mention they don't have brains in them. Apparently Jugulis will change the display on the side heads when emoting, which is actually more active than regular Hydreigon is with them.When I saw Iron Jugulis, I asked myself "What did they do to my boi, Hydreigon?" since it is my second favorite Pokemon after the Unrivaled Charizard.
How much does Game Freak want to make me question what I like about that Pokemon? First the 2 of the three supposed heads are just hands and now he has a crush with a robot in the future.
I just try to imagine what the wild Zweilos are thinking when they see a random Iron Jugulis next to them. How would they react?
But I don't think any of the paradox Pokemon are the worst Pokemon of Gen 9. I am really disappointed by the starters even if the cat doesn't look as awful as I imagined it would look.
The Dunsparce Evolution is a major disappointment.
I don't believe a single thing about the dex entries over statements by Game Freak employees. And Ken Sugimori stated they are hands, not heads in Nintendo Dream Magazine.Wait, weren't the side heads mostly just hands and mouths already? The eyes look permanently closed/vestigial, and a lot of the dex entries mention they don't have brains in them. Apparently Jugulis will change the display on the side heads when emoting, which is actually more active than regular Hydreigon is with them.
I don't believe a single thing about the dex entries over statements by Game Freak employees. And Ken Sugimori stated they are hands, not heads in Nintendo Dream Magazine.
Thus the design of Hydreigon, with one true head, and whose arms and wings give it a silhouette that still looks like lots of heads. By the way, the arms that looks like heads don’t actually have their own individual brains.”
Unno: “Well when I heard that Hydreigon was modeled after Orochi, I told them it’s supposed to have 8 heads. Hydreigon has 3 heads (including arms), and 6 wings. That’s a total of 9.”
I don't actually think it's the worst, and I actually like it, but I want to take a step back and analyze how Hitmonchan has been done dirty from birth.
First, its design. It's, other than Mr. Mime, probably the closest to full on humanoid in Gen 1 and still a disturbingly sterling example of humanoid mons over the years. Even Hitmonlee is a little less humanoid with its rounded head; Hitmonchan might have a ridged head, but it wears clothing.
Then, moveset and stats. Hitmonchan is clearly designed as a boxer, so it's slower and a little tankier than Hitmonlee, never a good sign. But it's a boxer, so the elemental punches make sense. Right? Right??! Well, have fun using them with its "sterling" 35 Special. Without it, it's limited to the usual Normal and Fighting moves of Gen 1, and it loses out bad to Hitmonlee, who gets access to moves like Double Kick, Jump Kick and High Jump Kick. Hitmonchan is stuck with Submission, which is all around worse than any of those three moves.
So Gen 2 has to save it with the special stat split, right? HAH! Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee both get access to a weirdly high 110 Special Defense and keep their godawful 35 Special Attack. Makes sense for Hitmonlee; less for Hitmonchan, which could've had a niche of a special attacking Fighting type. At least it can claim the priority Mach Punch and very strong Dynamicpunch... except Hitmonlee gets access to both Dynamicpunch AND Mind Reader. Oh, and all 3 of the Hitmons can get Mach Punch through egg moves. So that's another nail in the already nailed shut coffin.
Oh, but Gen 3 will save it with abilities, right? Hitmonlee's ability? Limber, meaning it can't get paralyzed. Hitmontop's ability? Intimidate, only one of the best abilities of all time. Hitmonchan? Keen Eye. Can't have accuracy lowered. Uh huh. At least it gets Sky Uppercut... except High Jump Kick is just as powerful and just as accurate and coming off a stronger attack stat.
Finally, Gen 4 rolls around, and finally, finally, Hitmonchan is sitting pretty. Iron Fist gives a boost to punching moves including the new Bullet Punch, the physical/special split means it can finally use the elemental punches like Arceus intended AND it gets Drain Punch and access to recovery. Smooth sailing now, right? Except even with Iron Fist 75 base power has long since lost its relevancy and Drain Punch is only 60 base power and has only 5 power points. Oh and Hitmonlee gets access to Reckless, boosting its High Jump Kick even further than the 100 base power it already has, Close Combat makes almost any other Fighting move pointless and Hitmontop gets access to Technician to boost itself as well.
Hitmonchan hasn't sniffed above RarelyUsed in its entire life, and that was effectively a meme. It's not Little Mac. It's not even Soda Popinski. It's Glass Joe. Someone throw in the damn towel.