Pokemon designs you love to hate

[MegaArceus]

There aresome people that complain about newer generation Pokemon designs being overdesigned or just not as good as the first generation, namely Genwunners. On the other end, some say generation one Pokemon were too bland or simplistic. Myself, I am equal opportunity when it comes to criticizing designs regardless of the generation.

One of my most disliked designs has always been Dugtrio. In the first generation games, he's available pretty early in the game, and at level 29 or 31 when your Pokemon are barely at level 20, but couldn't bring myself to using him due to his ridiculous appearance. I mean, it's just 3 Digletts, sometimes with angry eyes and sometimes with Diglett's normal eyes. Magneton may seem similar, but at least for Magneton, it makes sense since magnets stick together. Moles aren't attached in groups of three last time I checked.

And how are 3 moles always stuck together as though they are one being? It just looks lazy, like the designers were like "okay, Diglett looks kind of cool with its minimalist design, but how do we evolve it? Should we make it bigger? Add more detail? What should we do? Screw it, let's just add two more Digletts and call it a day."

Also, Pokemon that appear to wear clothes, because they are supposed to be akin to wild animals. Even when encountered in the wild, they are clothed. Like, Where did Jynx get its dress? How did Machoke get its underwear? How do every wild Throh and Sawk have clothes?

Sure, maybe Pokemon and Logic don't go together, some some designs are less logical and more jarring than others.

Bonus: Ever wonder what the underground part of Dugtrio looks like?

Possibly NSFW

 

[DrPumpkinz]

I think Foongus and Amoogus are really dumb designs. Voltorb and Electrode I can get behind; they're clearly inorganic, and often found in factories and stuff, implying they really are sentient Pokeballs or something. Foongus and Amoongus, organic creatures, have no business having a Pokeball design on them.

 

[Hugin]

I think Foongus and Amoogus are really dumb designs. Voltorb and Electrode I can get behind; they're clearly inorganic, and often found in factories and stuff, implying they really are sentient Pokeballs or something. Foongus and Amoongus, organic creatures, have no business having a Pokeball design on them.

It’s basic camouflage. Other pokes ignore them, because you can’t eat pokeballs, and they’re clearly pokeballs. Humans will walk up to them though, and that’s fine, because a human’s first instinct when realizing that’s a Pokémon is going to be something other than “Kill it”, which gives Amoongus the opportunity to Spore you and begin composting you into fertilizer.

So many shinys suck. They’re either indistinguishable or lime green. If you’re making a super-rare variant, why not spend the 10 seconds needed to make it a cool one?

 

[BlizzardHero]

So many shinys suck. They’re either indistinguishable or lime green. If you’re making a super-rare variant, why not spend the 10 seconds needed to make it a cool one?

The palate for many shiny Pokes weren't actually created specifically for each Pokemon, rather their colors were selected by shifting the color palate within the games code ahead 1 to create the color change. This vid does a good job explaining it. When they actually try and make unique shiny palates for Pokes (as the games code no longer restricts colors to specific palates), they generally turn out with mixed results. Sooooo.....

 

[hypno28]

It’s probably better to view Dugtrio as the result of the Diglett basically sprouting two new heads, rather than three Diglett combining.

It’s possible that Foongus inspired the design for the Poke Ball (for some reason...), or, as mentioned, that it copied the design as a defense (maybe its top coloring is prone to variation or can even be willfully controlled in some way...).

 

[Siggu]

Pokemon I'm proud of hating? Well, everyone that resembles a dog, a fox, or something like that. No exceptions... although, now that I think of it, Lycanroc's Midnight forme is the one I hate the least, perhaps because it fits with what I think of its kin: terrifying.

I actually can't say I dislike any other Pokemon. At worst, I forget they exist.

Also, Pokemon that appear to wear clothes, because they are supposed to be akin to wild animals. Even when encountered in the wild, they are clothed. Like, Where did Jynx get its dress? How did Machoke get its underwear? How do every wild Throh and Sawk have clothes?

There have been a few implications (not in-game as far as I remember) that it's the other way around. It's not that they have clothes, but that they inspired clothes.

 

[Hugin]

Oh, also I hate Fenniken’s evolutions. They share nothing in common with the base form except palette, the change doesn’t make any logical sense, and they’re also just more odd and ugly humanoid mons. If you’re going to change literally everything about a mon when it evolves, it needs to be a clear improvement and justified by the lore(see all the bug pokes). Instead they took a great starter and made it too ugly to use after lvl 16.

 

[Hyper Cutter]

If you’re going to change literally everything about a mon when it evolves, it needs to be a clear improvement and justified by the lore(see all the bug pokes). Instead they took a great starter and made it too ugly to use after lvl 16.

This, but Greninja and ditching its bubble motif for a gross tongue scarf.

 

[DrPumpkinz]

This, but Greninja and ditching its bubble motif for a gross tongue scarf.

Actually, those circles are bubbles. It's pretty clear in its Smash Bros victory animations where you can see them jiggle.

 

[Codraroll]

Rockruff. Rock-types aren't meant to have fur!

 

[HONK]

I Hate Aerodactyl because It's name is a combonation of Aerodynamic and Pterodactyl, It is clearly not a pterodactyl, it is a Rhamphorhynchus longicaudus

 

[Kurona]

Ludicolo. Abandons its family tree's kappa theme for no reason to go into a bizarre route of a mexican stereotype crossed with a pineapple. I don't understand the inspiration at all.

 

[hypno28]

Rockruff. Rock-types aren't meant to have fur!

It’s one of so many “elemental” species (edit: OK I guess Rock isn’t really elemental) that should also be Normal-type. Why is, say, Pyroar Normal/Fire but Gogoat pure Grass? It would suck to have dozens more lines have to be Normal-type, but the inconsistency is frustrating.

 

[Taptricity]

Stantler and his ugly as shit shiny. I’m glad that this ugly pudgy face Rudolph wannabe is barely memorable.

 

[Karxrida]

Rockruff. Rock-types aren't meant to have fur!

Maybe it's just fiberglass.

 

[Flame from Heaven]

Naganadel is what happens when Beedrill is spray painted, fused with Druddigon, and on crack.