This is the obvious one, but Fire/Water. The one use of it so far used it well (Volcanion is basically a steam generator), but I feel like the very nature of the combo is begging for an absolutely WEIRD Pokémon to use it. Ever since we found out about that dropped GS Fire/Water circus seal I’ve been enamoured with it and it’s a shame they never revisited the concept in a similar way
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Underutilised type combinations
- Thread starter QuentinQuonce
- Start date
Game Freak just know that I've wanted a full Fire/Water evolutionary line for my entire life and are determined to deny it.
But yeah, this seems like the ideal typing for a generation's "star" Pokemon (Lucario, Zoroark, Toxtricity et al) or a fun weird fan-favourite like Mimikyu or Grafaiai. I think it's just SUCH a hyped typing that it must be a hard one to design for - Fire and Water are so diametrically opposed that it's difficult to make something that doesn't feel at odds with itself.
The issue with making it the Mascot Mon for a gen is that a Fire/Water mon is going to overlap with the Starter trio by it's very nature. That isn't a deal-breaker, the gift Torchic/Charmander come to mind, but those were already established. If Gamefreak is pushing a specific mon, they're not going to want to risk 2/3rds of the playerbase ignoring it in favor of their starter.
Now, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a Starter trio that's Fire/Grass, Water/Fire, Grass/Water at some point. They're all 3 rare type combos(for obvious reasons), they match up evenly with each other, and they'd lead to some fun design options. I'm a little surprised we haven't seen it happen already.
I would really like to see an Electric/Ice type with a more offensively-oriented stat spread. Give me a Mega Electivire that leans heavily into the yeti aesthetic and gains a secondary Ice typing or something.
Fairy/Steel isn't exactly underutilized; Magearna is just broken and Tinkaton and Klefki are also great in their respective formats (oh, and Mawile exists, I guess) but I would like to see a bulky Fairy/Steel type with reliable recovery.
Fairy/Steel isn't exactly underutilized; Magearna is just broken and Tinkaton and Klefki are also great in their respective formats (oh, and Mawile exists, I guess) but I would like to see a bulky Fairy/Steel type with reliable recovery.
That is a fair point, though that didn't stop Infernape and Lucario both being Fighting-types. But I see the reasoning.
The "balanced starter trio" idea is one they've been experimenting with to different degrees over the years, but I think the same could be said for this - it sort of defeats the point in making a decision between Fire, Water, and Grass if the one you pick just becomes another of those types anyway. The alternate idea I've seen a lot is making all three starters become Dragon-type once they're fully evolved, which could be interesting but Dragons aren't usually that easy to obtain and it'd make them pretty overpowered.
Considering the huge amount of burrowing insects irl, I'm really surprised by the severe lack of bug/ground types. The ONLY mons with that combo are nincada, who loses that combination upon evolving, and one of wormadam's forms.
Personally I think that something like a mole cricket or termite would be a perfect fit! Oh, and if using shell smash crustle in-game has taught me anything is that bug-ground-rock coverage goes surprisingly hard!
Personally I think that something like a mole cricket or termite would be a perfect fit! Oh, and if using shell smash crustle in-game has taught me anything is that bug-ground-rock coverage goes surprisingly hard!
Much as I love its selection, earlygame Hoenn really did give us two bugs with entirely new entirely unique typings that then evolved into just two more bug/flyings, in a gen where the new regional bug was also bug/flying…
(Though hey you got a bonus bug/ghost, balances out!)
Fully agree we should see bug/ground again, in general any typing exclusive to a NFE pokemon feels like a big shame. I recall people thinking Trapinch at least should be bug/ground
(Though hey you got a bonus bug/ghost, balances out!)
Fully agree we should see bug/ground again, in general any typing exclusive to a NFE pokemon feels like a big shame. I recall people thinking Trapinch at least should be bug/ground
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Mono Flying, it looks like they just does not want it to be the lone type at first. Flying-
just has to. Then they made 
for the epitome of flying storm monster. But then they finally made avian mono-flying 
just has to. Then they made for the epitome of flying storm monster. But then they finally made avian mono-flying
Mono Flying, it looks like they just does not want it to be the lone type at first. Flying-
I was actually meaning to mention this one. For a while it seemed like Flying was more of a secondary attribute until Tornadus got it (Arceus being pure Flying was more like a technicality). Even now that's kind of still the case, since Rookidee and Corvisquire are unevolved. Why we've not yet gotten a fully-evolved non legendary that's allowed to be solely Flying is a mystery.
Before Gen 9 I had a theory that, with Rookidee, Corvisquire & to an extent Cramorant (primary Flying, secondary water) they were going to start treating birds as "primarily Flying". The Galarian birds could be written off as just wantign to stay in lockstep with their Kanto counterparts. So in my theory, if the Pidgeot line had been in Gen 8 it would have been pure flying throughout or if the Fletchling line had been in Gen 8 it would have gone Flying -> Flying/Fire.
But then gen 9 did happen and we got Normal/Flying Squawkabilly and Electric/Flying Wattrel line. So....maybe gen 10.....
(& Then Flamigo & Bombirdier were both primarily flying anyway??)
But then gen 9 did happen and we got Normal/Flying Squawkabilly and Electric/Flying Wattrel line. So....maybe gen 10.....
(& Then Flamigo & Bombirdier were both primarily flying anyway??)
I'm surprised this one hasn't been mentioned yet! Empoleon remains the only Pokemon to have the Water/Steel typing, which itself offers 10 resistances, 1 immunity and 3 weaknesses. It's a good combination, but not insane - Electric, Ground and Fighting aren't great weaknesses to have and I recall finding the neutrality to Fire (on my designated Water type) to be an occasional annoyance. It's a combo that I think is quite easy to imagine a new Pokemon having - Water type with a weapon, Water type with armour, Water type who builds... stuff, Steel type who uses water to cool down, rust-themed Pokemon, etc.
I mean even Empoleon doesn't necessarily scream "Steel type" to me? I know the Pokedex mentions sharp blades, it has a royal vibe (and a few royal themed Pokemon like Aegislash and the Galarian Wolves have Steel typings) plus there's the whole trident visage going on, but lots of Pokemon have that but not the type! Honestly given the Pokedex Water/Ice would've been more fitting maybe. Point is, I don't see how it'd be too difficult to create a design for this type combination and I don't think it's too overpowered as a type to warrant holding back (maybe more so now, back in Gen 4 it would've resisted Dark and Ghost which I can see as being maybe a smidge strong on a better Pokemon).
I'm surprised this one hasn't been mentioned yet! Empoleon remains the only Pokemon to have the Water/Steel typing, which itself offers 10 resistances, 1 immunity and 3 weaknesses. It's a good combination, but not insane - Electric, Ground and Fighting aren't great weaknesses to have and I recall finding the neutrality to Fire (on my designated Water type) to be an occasional annoyance. It's a combo that I think is quite easy to imagine a new Pokemon having - Water type with a weapon, Water type with armour, Water type who builds... stuff, Steel type who uses water to cool down, rust-themed Pokemon, etc.
I mean even Empoleon doesn't necessarily scream "Steel type" to me? I know the Pokedex mentions sharp blades, it has a royal vibe (and a few royal themed Pokemon like Aegislash and the Galarian Wolves have Steel typings) plus there's the whole trident visage going on, but lots of Pokemon have that but not the type! Honestly given the Pokedex Water/Ice would've been more fitting maybe. Point is, I don't see how it'd be too difficult to create a design for this type combination and I don't think it's too overpowered as a type to warrant holding back (maybe more so now, back in Gen 4 it would've resisted Dark and Ghost which I can see as being maybe a smidge strong on a better Pokemon).
I'm actually quite surprised no starter has yet been Water/Ice
i do think it's interesting how type combinations seem to trend in and out of their creative processes - the two most common combinations for grass are poison and ghost, which have exactly zero generation overlap. grass/dark also went from two to six fully evolved mons in just one gen and a half.
as for underutilised, a lot of fairy combos were mentioned, but not normal/fairy, which is almost as unused - as in, it was never actually used for an original creation. it only exists in the igglybuff family and azurill, which received the typing retroactively, and in mega audino, which is a mega. not the worst type to have competitively either! wonder why they don't go there.
as for underutilised, a lot of fairy combos were mentioned, but not normal/fairy, which is almost as unused - as in, it was never actually used for an original creation. it only exists in the igglybuff family and azurill, which received the typing retroactively, and in mega audino, which is a mega. not the worst type to have competitively either! wonder why they don't go there.
To be fair most normal dual types (beyond Flying and, uh, Psychic) don't tend to get a lot of play. I think they like how "eclectic" they are as a concept.
Yes this is a good way of putting it - certain combinations do seem to go in and out of favour, like the aforementioned Fire/Fighting. Water/Ground was evidently in vogue for a while since we got at least one of them every gen from II through V but it's not been used since then.
Grass/Poison also actually hasn't been used since Gen V either, and nor has the once-common Bug/Poison. Something else of note is that all species of both Grass and Poison are that typing specifically - there hasn't yet been a Poison/Grass Pokemon. (I think you meant Grass/Ghost, not Grass/Dark btw)
Yeah, that's a funny one. But Wigglytuff deserves some kind of niche I guess.
i definitely am glad they decided to go pure fairy for clefable at least, because it rained on wigglytuff's parade for five gens without a break (and it's still 99% superior of course), but i do think the "dragapult hates to see me coming" niche deserves a bit more exploration
We already got squawkabillywe need more normal flying types
So Normal/Flying, it was Normal/Flying 4 whole times (I love Squawkabilly though)
A few of mine:
Bug/Ground: Thus far the only recipients of this type are an unevolved mon and an alternate form of something with a BST of 424. We can do better than that, especially with the myriad of real-life insects that burrow into the ground.
Rock/Dragon: While Tyrantrum is awesome, a T-Rex doesn't really give me "dragon" vibes. Something more along the lines of a stone gargoyle could rock this type though (no pun not intended).
Flying: With how often it gets paired with other types, it's kind of weird that we've only had one fully-evolved mono-Flying mon (and which arguably might have have made more sense to make Ice/Flying).
Ground/Psychic: This type combo is much better offensively than it is defensively, so I'd love to see something utilize it the former way, and Claydol isn't it.
Bug/Ground: Thus far the only recipients of this type are an unevolved mon and an alternate form of something with a BST of 424. We can do better than that, especially with the myriad of real-life insects that burrow into the ground.
Rock/Dragon: While Tyrantrum is awesome, a T-Rex doesn't really give me "dragon" vibes. Something more along the lines of a stone gargoyle could rock this type though (no pun not intended).
Flying: With how often it gets paired with other types, it's kind of weird that we've only had one fully-evolved mono-Flying mon (and which arguably might have have made more sense to make Ice/Flying).
Ground/Psychic: This type combo is much better offensively than it is defensively, so I'd love to see something utilize it the former way, and Claydol isn't it.
Ground/Psychic strikes me as one that'd be too good if they made an outright offensively-oriented mon, hence the only one so far being fairly bulky but unexceptional. Similar to how hardly any Ice-types end up being built to be full-on sweepers.
Like, this type pairing just screams "disappointment"
This is just pure theory crafting but an offensive ground/psychic would probably be pretty wonky. Psychic still doesn't have a lot of physical options, Ground has a couple special options and mixed attackers arent that common a design space or wanting to go mixed. Signature moves can always fill in the gaps but I think on the whole you'd probably need to pull a bunch of different levers to make it Really Good, especially these days, unless it was something designed in a Legendary space (& even then it could be hit or miss).
Special Grounds can be pretty powerful, as Landorus-I and Ursaluna-B will tell you. The physical ones are usually answered by Intimidate, metal birds, generic physically bulky stuff like Tangrowth, Rotom-W or Buzzwole, or in Doubles the fact that their only good STAB hits allies and is really weak. The special Grounds get a lot of tools to circumvent that, and that makes them pretty scary.
The only other special Grounds are Arceus-Ground, the Nidos (more or less poor man's Landorus), Mega Camerupt (which was considered one of the best Trick Room sweepers), Sandy Shocks (which is pretty decent in UU, and constrained by lack of Dragon and Grass coverage) and some defensive things like Stunfisk, Palossand and Gastrodon.
I think the main reason we don't see special Grounds used more is there are just so few of them.
The only other special Grounds are Arceus-Ground, the Nidos (more or less poor man's Landorus), Mega Camerupt (which was considered one of the best Trick Room sweepers), Sandy Shocks (which is pretty decent in UU, and constrained by lack of Dragon and Grass coverage) and some defensive things like Stunfisk, Palossand and Gastrodon.
I think the main reason we don't see special Grounds used more is there are just so few of them.