The Sad thing is from what I understand, Chesnaught tends to be a pretty good lower tier Battler, but he's only in 2 Gens so far, and in Gen 7 he had Ambipom Syndrome where his usage moved him up from a tier he was good in to a tier where he wasn't very useful and then never dropped back. Greninja has the Casual and OU Fan base, Chesnaught could have the RU/UU Fanbase with an OU Fringe if they'd bring him back again
Greninja has the casual and comp fan base behind him
what does Chesnaught have?
NOTHING
LITERALLY
NOTHING
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Nah, not one of every Type, but I would be in support of one more trio of Dark, Fighting, and Psychic.
Chespin is the most optimal starter choice for XY speed runs. However, only Chespin, not Quilladin or Chesnaught. XY speed runs have you burn through like 6 Pokemon as your main Battler until you get the free Lucario, Chespin is only needed for a few fights until you can get the in-game trade Farfetch'd(which in turn gets replaced later). The main reason why Chespin is the starter of choice is honestly just to make sure your rivals don't have access to it because having to fight Chesnaught later in the game can easily add time due to it having Spiky Shield
Its the single most neglected starter ever
Delphox has the degenerate site of the fan base behind her
Greninja has the casual and comp fan base behind him
what does Chesnaught have?
One of the things I like to do on my in-game teams is use at least one mon that is not super popular. It's not necessarily entirely intentional, but I seem to manage one or two every gen, so I'll go over some highlights.
Gen 1:
My Blue team was Blastoise + legendaries, but in Yellow I used an Abra and a Kabutops on my team.
Maybe Kabutops isn't particularly unpopular, but I feel like it doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves. For Abra, I always liked its design better than any other non-Mewtwo psychic type (even to the point where when we were kids my brother and I got our first pack of TCG cards and I picked the Abra over the holo Chansey...)
Gen 2:
I think I probably picked Xatu because I was into various mythologies from different cultures, and it reminded me of the west coast native american art and mythological creatures (though Xatu is maybe more South American influences). One of the best myths from the pacific northwest is how the raven stole the sun, so maybe I would have gone with Murkrow if had been actually been available in Johto.
I'm not sure Misdreavus was really unpopular per se, but having it as a favourite mon at the time and jumping through hoops to get it during the main playthrough since it was only available in Mt. Silver meant that most people probably didn't have it on their in-game teams.
Gen 3:
Yes, I had a Solrock on my original Ruby team. I also picked Ruby specifically for Mawile. I just really liked the concept of a floating psychic rock sun, and Mawile just looked cool. I feel like Banettte should also be here, but for some reason I never used it on my team.
Gen 4:
I don't remember what I actually had on my team in Gen 4 because it was just a bunch of filler mons. I wanted to use Mismagius because Misdreavus was my favorite in Gen 2, but we're talking old school Game Freak that gave you 1 (one) dusk stone and I didn't want to blow it on an in-game Misdreavus. I do love Tortetta, which I think is definitely the least loved of the Sinnoh starters.
Gen 5:
I don't remember my Unova team since I didn't actually own a copy of the game, but if we get remakes/Unova legends-style I want to use this guy on my team.
Gen 6:
I remember a lot of people hating on Klefki when it came out, but I really liked the concept and it was super fun to have on the in-game team. It was neat to see Alberto Lara using it recently in VGC.
Gen 7:
My original plan for Moon was to use mono-ghost since we finally had a ghost starter, but the plan fell apart when I could not get an SOS Gengar to show up nor find a honedge through the island scan (because it was only on Tuesdays, which we didn't know at the time). Palosand was originally intended to be a placeholder, but stuck on the team since there was no Gengar or Aegislash to take its place, and then I decided to just go with some 'scary' mons for the remaining slots, and I liked Wishiwashi's concepts and look so it made the team. Alolan Muk also made the team, but it was maybe decently popular at the time.
Gen 8:
My Shield team ended up being pretty standard except for this buddy. I loved the design when it came out, but was pretty disappointed when it turned out to be pure fighting... that was the only thing that saved Intelleon from getting booted from the team.
Gen 9:
I used 3 teams for Scarlet, and I'm not sure if anything I ended up using was particularly unpopular.
Gen 1:
My Blue team was Blastoise + legendaries, but in Yellow I used an Abra and a Kabutops on my team.
Maybe Kabutops isn't particularly unpopular, but I feel like it doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves. For Abra, I always liked its design better than any other non-Mewtwo psychic type (even to the point where when we were kids my brother and I got our first pack of TCG cards and I picked the Abra over the holo Chansey...)
Gen 2:
I think I probably picked Xatu because I was into various mythologies from different cultures, and it reminded me of the west coast native american art and mythological creatures (though Xatu is maybe more South American influences). One of the best myths from the pacific northwest is how the raven stole the sun, so maybe I would have gone with Murkrow if had been actually been available in Johto.
I'm not sure Misdreavus was really unpopular per se, but having it as a favourite mon at the time and jumping through hoops to get it during the main playthrough since it was only available in Mt. Silver meant that most people probably didn't have it on their in-game teams.
Gen 3:
Yes, I had a Solrock on my original Ruby team. I also picked Ruby specifically for Mawile. I just really liked the concept of a floating psychic rock sun, and Mawile just looked cool. I feel like Banettte should also be here, but for some reason I never used it on my team.
I don't remember what I actually had on my team in Gen 4 because it was just a bunch of filler mons. I wanted to use Mismagius because Misdreavus was my favorite in Gen 2, but we're talking old school Game Freak that gave you 1 (one) dusk stone and I didn't want to blow it on an in-game Misdreavus. I do love Tortetta, which I think is definitely the least loved of the Sinnoh starters.
Gen 5:
I don't remember my Unova team since I didn't actually own a copy of the game, but if we get remakes/Unova legends-style I want to use this guy on my team.
Gen 6:
I remember a lot of people hating on Klefki when it came out, but I really liked the concept and it was super fun to have on the in-game team. It was neat to see Alberto Lara using it recently in VGC.
Gen 7:
My original plan for Moon was to use mono-ghost since we finally had a ghost starter, but the plan fell apart when I could not get an SOS Gengar to show up nor find a honedge through the island scan (because it was only on Tuesdays, which we didn't know at the time). Palosand was originally intended to be a placeholder, but stuck on the team since there was no Gengar or Aegislash to take its place, and then I decided to just go with some 'scary' mons for the remaining slots, and I liked Wishiwashi's concepts and look so it made the team. Alolan Muk also made the team, but it was maybe decently popular at the time.
Gen 8:
My Shield team ended up being pretty standard except for this buddy. I loved the design when it came out, but was pretty disappointed when it turned out to be pure fighting... that was the only thing that saved Intelleon from getting booted from the team.
Gen 9:
I used 3 teams for Scarlet, and I'm not sure if anything I ended up using was particularly unpopular.
gonna show some love for middle pokemon of 3 stage evolutionary lines!!!
one of my absolute favs of all time alongside espeon. always loved the pink color and that it's both fluffy like mareep and has silly little nubs for arms like ampharos. all around so cute!
super awesome middle stage starter with a design i'd say i prefer over its evolution, love its facial expression and how it uses its shells!
goofy little friend with a wacky face and a memorable cry, the lack of hands is also very funny to me
such fun designs on both of these middle stage bugs and even though they're a lot different from their evolutions, i just love them
i love this whole evolutionary line but think dolliv is super under appreciated compared to the others, i really like the olives in its hair and the little dress! smoliv's design was super simple so i think everything that was added to dolliv came across as especially cool when i first saw it
I'm not sure how to objectively quantify what counts as an "unpopular" pokemon so if this post makes me seem like a basic bitch know that I did my best 
Aside from the trash bag and maybe the gears, this is the line of pokemon that people will point to in order to disrespect Black and White's dex, which is a bit unfair for a couple reasons, but I will give them this: they are literally just ice cream. Despite that, I found myself drawn to the Vanillite line, probably because Vanillite itself is pretty cute, but also because they're the most accessible ice types in the game. They are quite basic, more or less just clicking ice STAB (most importantly, Ice Beam by level-up, helpful when the TM is locked to post-game). Its best coverage is Flash Cannon, which I guess lets it take the Brycen mu, that very important and daunting battle. But idk, I think they're neat.
Bold of me to call a starter trio in one of the most beloved generations unpopular, but think about it, Infernape is a ton of people's favorite for obvious reasons, and Piplup gets by on cuteness factor alone, but how often do you see people stick up for Turtwig? Who on this mortal plane has Torterra as their favorite Sinnoh starter? Me, that's who. I had always overlooked Turtwig in my youth, but replaying it as an adult I came to discover how fun this green tortoise is to use. TL;DR, this thing spams setup like a motherfucker. Curse at 17 already provides you with a powerful boosting move, allowing you to break through most early to mid-game boss fights with maybe a potion or two necessary, but it's when we get to Torterra that things get crazy. SD via the game corner and Rock Polish via Mt. Coronet allow for some hilarious double dancing abilities, and with STAB EQ upon evolution (allowing you to give the EQ TM to something else, very useful) and Wood Hammer via the move tutor, Torterra becomes an absolute monster on the battlefield, and while it has enough drawbacks to not effortlessly sweep, I'd say that makes the payoff all the more worth it.
When thinking of fire types, even just those in Kanto, I can't imagine Magmar wins the popularity contest over Charizard, Arcanine, or even Moltres, but I love this wacky thing like nothing else. Its design is a hot mess (no pun intended), with its duck bill, forehead booba, and bizarre body constructed of circles and ovals, but somehow the reptilian kaiju template (typical of gen 1) brings it together into something fascinating. Gameplay-wise, Magmar's level-up movepool is a big draw for me, it's mostly just fire moves, but a steady series of strong, reliable fire moves is very appealing to someone like me who's accustomed to games where the Flamethrower TM can be hard to come by. If that's not enough for you, Magmar's expanded movepool is quite colorful, including options such as Psychic, Thunder Punch, Focus Blast, and even Thunderbolt and Earthquake when its evolution Magmortar is factored in (not as huge on Mortar itself but hey, hand cannons are still pretty cool). Despite its reputation in its home region as a rare, late-game pokemon, the Magmar line is surprisingly common throughout the generations, being found in Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, and Alola, and being quite solid in all of those game, which thankfully gives me plenty of opportunities to use this fiery weirdo as much as I want. And as the cherry on top of all of things, its Japanese name is "Boober." I mean come on
Aside from the trash bag and maybe the gears, this is the line of pokemon that people will point to in order to disrespect Black and White's dex, which is a bit unfair for a couple reasons, but I will give them this: they are literally just ice cream. Despite that, I found myself drawn to the Vanillite line, probably because Vanillite itself is pretty cute, but also because they're the most accessible ice types in the game. They are quite basic, more or less just clicking ice STAB (most importantly, Ice Beam by level-up, helpful when the TM is locked to post-game). Its best coverage is Flash Cannon, which I guess lets it take the Brycen mu, that very important and daunting battle. But idk, I think they're neat.
Bold of me to call a starter trio in one of the most beloved generations unpopular, but think about it, Infernape is a ton of people's favorite for obvious reasons, and Piplup gets by on cuteness factor alone, but how often do you see people stick up for Turtwig? Who on this mortal plane has Torterra as their favorite Sinnoh starter? Me, that's who. I had always overlooked Turtwig in my youth, but replaying it as an adult I came to discover how fun this green tortoise is to use. TL;DR, this thing spams setup like a motherfucker. Curse at 17 already provides you with a powerful boosting move, allowing you to break through most early to mid-game boss fights with maybe a potion or two necessary, but it's when we get to Torterra that things get crazy. SD via the game corner and Rock Polish via Mt. Coronet allow for some hilarious double dancing abilities, and with STAB EQ upon evolution (allowing you to give the EQ TM to something else, very useful) and Wood Hammer via the move tutor, Torterra becomes an absolute monster on the battlefield, and while it has enough drawbacks to not effortlessly sweep, I'd say that makes the payoff all the more worth it.
When thinking of fire types, even just those in Kanto, I can't imagine Magmar wins the popularity contest over Charizard, Arcanine, or even Moltres, but I love this wacky thing like nothing else. Its design is a hot mess (no pun intended), with its duck bill, forehead booba, and bizarre body constructed of circles and ovals, but somehow the reptilian kaiju template (typical of gen 1) brings it together into something fascinating. Gameplay-wise, Magmar's level-up movepool is a big draw for me, it's mostly just fire moves, but a steady series of strong, reliable fire moves is very appealing to someone like me who's accustomed to games where the Flamethrower TM can be hard to come by. If that's not enough for you, Magmar's expanded movepool is quite colorful, including options such as Psychic, Thunder Punch, Focus Blast, and even Thunderbolt and Earthquake when its evolution Magmortar is factored in (not as huge on Mortar itself but hey, hand cannons are still pretty cool). Despite its reputation in its home region as a rare, late-game pokemon, the Magmar line is surprisingly common throughout the generations, being found in Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, and Alola, and being quite solid in all of those game, which thankfully gives me plenty of opportunities to use this fiery weirdo as much as I want. And as the cherry on top of all of things, its Japanese name is "Boober." I mean come on
Fortunately Magmar did have a big chance to shine in Gen 2 if you didn’t pick Cyndaquil. And whilst Torterra is my least favourite Sinnoh starter (high bar indeed) its still a top 3 Grass starter for me.I'm not sure how to objectively quantify what counts as an "unpopular" pokemon so if this post makes me seem like a basic bitch know that I did my best
Aside from the trash bag and maybe the gears, this is the line of pokemon that people will point to in order to disrespect Black and White's dex, which is a bit unfair for a couple reasons, but I will give them this: they are literally just ice cream. Despite that, I found myself drawn to the Vanillite line, probably because Vanillite itself is pretty cute, but also because they're the most accessible ice types in the game. They are quite basic, more or less just clicking ice STAB (most importantly, Ice Beam by level-up, helpful when the TM is locked to post-game). Its best coverage is Flash Cannon, which I guess lets it take the Brycen mu, that very important and daunting battle. But idk, I think they're neat.
Bold of me to call a starter trio in one of the most beloved generations unpopular, but think about it, Infernape is a ton of people's favorite for obvious reasons, and Piplup gets by on cuteness factor alone, but how often do you see people stick up for Turtwig? Who on this mortal plane has Torterra as their favorite Sinnoh starter? Me, that's who. I had always overlooked Turtwig in my youth, but replaying it as an adult I came to discover how fun this green tortoise is to use. TL;DR, this thing spams setup like a motherfucker. Curse at 17 already provides you with a powerful boosting move, allowing you to break through most early to mid-game boss fights with maybe a potion or two necessary, but it's when we get to Torterra that things get crazy. SD via the game corner and Rock Polish via Mt. Coronet allow for some hilarious double dancing abilities, and with STAB EQ upon evolution (allowing you to give the EQ TM to something else, very useful) and Wood Hammer via the move tutor, Torterra becomes an absolute monster on the battlefield, and while it has enough drawbacks to not effortlessly sweep, I'd say that makes the payoff all the more worth it.
When thinking of fire types, even just those in Kanto, I can't imagine Magmar wins the popularity contest over Charizard, Arcanine, or even Moltres, but I love this wacky thing like nothing else. Its design is a hot mess (no pun intended), with its duck bill, forehead booba, and bizarre body constructed of circles and ovals, but somehow the reptilian kaiju template (typical of gen 1) brings it together into something fascinating. Gameplay-wise, Magmar's level-up movepool is a big draw for me, it's mostly just fire moves, but a steady series of strong, reliable fire moves is very appealing to someone like me who's accustomed to games where the Flamethrower TM can be hard to come by. If that's not enough for you, Magmar's expanded movepool is quite colorful, including options such as Psychic, Thunder Punch, Focus Blast, and even Thunderbolt and Earthquake when its evolution Magmortar is factored in (not as huge on Mortar itself but hey, hand cannons are still pretty cool). Despite its reputation in its home region as a rare, late-game pokemon, the Magmar line is surprisingly common throughout the generations, being found in Johto, Sinnoh, Unova, and Alola, and being quite solid in all of those game, which thankfully gives me plenty of opportunities to use this fiery weirdo as much as I want. And as the cherry on top of all of things, its Japanese name is "Boober." I mean come on
Torterra is also my least favorite Sinnoh starter...and still probably my favorite fully evolved Grass starter and top 5 starter overall. Just speaks to my high regard for the Sinnoh starter trio.
Anyway my contribution to this thread is this guy:
Just a solid Pokemon overall that doesn't really get its due. A go-to Pokemon in my Platinum runs when I'm not running Infernape as my Fighting type. That Dry Skin ability is super clutch versus difficult opponents like Crasher Wake and Cynthia's Milotic. It has a terrific move pool as well as a neat, unique typing at the time.
And design wise it just...works. It's sufficiently vile looking which serves it well as the ace of a villain admin, Saturn. And it conveys its Fighting and Poison typings in a nice, organic and synergistic package. Overall, I'm a fan.
Stunfisk is often regarded as a joke 'mon or just as something rather forgettable - I don't think I ever see much in the way of genuine love for it, even when it got a Galarian variant in SWSH. And honestly, I can't blame anyone for that! I mean, look at the thing:
It really does live up to the name 'Stunfisk', you know? After all, it was conceived with the sole purpose of being the world's flattest Pokemon - a lofty goal it most certainly lives up to. It's dumb looking, has Limber despite being an Electric type, and is overall just a little bit pathetic. But despite that... I love this thing. It is genuinely my favorite Generation 5 Pokemon, and that's some pretty steep competition! But why is that?
Its design and typing - I mention these two in the same breath because they're pretty closely linked. Stunfisk being a flounder that is simultaneously weak to the myriad of Water types it lives by, while also being able to hunt prey and defend itself with its Electric typing, is a really cool dynamic that Stunfisk has, and lets it naturally fit in freshwater areas that are mostly dominated by Water types. In general, I think that GF has struggled a lot over the years with implementing water areas (oceans, lakes, and the like) when almost everything living in it will be a Water type - so Stunfisk makes a welcome exception to that. Its design manages to be both silly while also adhering well to its irl counterpart, the flounder, and also manages to be a distinct and suitable addition to worldbuilding - what's not to like?
Its personality - Smiling as it shocks you is just really funny, I don't know what else to say. It's like it can barely hide its smug satisfaction at getting the jump on you, and it adds a lot of personality to have this otherwise-dopey and unexpressive 'mon just show utter glee at electrocuting you. Adding an extra dash of personality over a deliberately-unexpressive 'mon with a blank face and drab color scheme really helps to accentuate its strong points, and makes it stand out more in my mind.
The Galarian regional form - I don't think anyone, even the most diehard of Stunfisk fans, had a regional variant on their radar, so this came as a very pleasant surprise! Going for a bear trap that lives on land is a fun take on Stunfisk's original concept as an aquatic ambush predator, and does enough to make the two distinct and worthwhile in their own right, in my eyes.
But really, what it all comes down to is this - I think he's neat. A silly little fella. What more can I ask for?
It really does live up to the name 'Stunfisk', you know? After all, it was conceived with the sole purpose of being the world's flattest Pokemon - a lofty goal it most certainly lives up to. It's dumb looking, has Limber despite being an Electric type, and is overall just a little bit pathetic. But despite that... I love this thing. It is genuinely my favorite Generation 5 Pokemon, and that's some pretty steep competition! But why is that?
Its design and typing - I mention these two in the same breath because they're pretty closely linked. Stunfisk being a flounder that is simultaneously weak to the myriad of Water types it lives by, while also being able to hunt prey and defend itself with its Electric typing, is a really cool dynamic that Stunfisk has, and lets it naturally fit in freshwater areas that are mostly dominated by Water types. In general, I think that GF has struggled a lot over the years with implementing water areas (oceans, lakes, and the like) when almost everything living in it will be a Water type - so Stunfisk makes a welcome exception to that. Its design manages to be both silly while also adhering well to its irl counterpart, the flounder, and also manages to be a distinct and suitable addition to worldbuilding - what's not to like?
Its personality - Smiling as it shocks you is just really funny, I don't know what else to say. It's like it can barely hide its smug satisfaction at getting the jump on you, and it adds a lot of personality to have this otherwise-dopey and unexpressive 'mon just show utter glee at electrocuting you. Adding an extra dash of personality over a deliberately-unexpressive 'mon with a blank face and drab color scheme really helps to accentuate its strong points, and makes it stand out more in my mind.
The Galarian regional form - I don't think anyone, even the most diehard of Stunfisk fans, had a regional variant on their radar, so this came as a very pleasant surprise! Going for a bear trap that lives on land is a fun take on Stunfisk's original concept as an aquatic ambush predator, and does enough to make the two distinct and worthwhile in their own right, in my eyes.
But really, what it all comes down to is this - I think he's neat. A silly little fella. What more can I ask for?
It looks dumb and has a stupid wide smile. I would say that's enough.Whiscash. [...] there's no reason for anyone to like it
It might be because I skipped DPPt when they first came out and had no exposure to the DPPt animated series, but I personally never particularly liked Infernape and I think Empoleon is a bit too busy in its design. Favourite Sinnoh starter and favourite fully evolved Grass starter.Who on this mortal plane has Torterra as their favorite Sinnoh starter?
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Too busy?
Not unlike Raichu and the Eeveelutions, Wigglytuff did get overshadowed by it’s pre-evolution Jigglypuff, especially back then. Thankfully not to a dangerous amount, but still, this is notable to point out as Wigglytuff’s stat distribution and BST are pathetic when you compare to other stone evolutions; only Sunflora and Delcatty have it worse at 425 and 400 (380 prior to SM).
Still, I appreciate the goober a lot due to it’s bouncy, fun design, and the Guildmaster Wigglytuff from the Mystery Dungeon series is one of my favorite characters out there, if not my top favorite.
It was only made to be the Chansey of Unova, anime role and all, but it did managed to win my heart with it’s adorable appearance, more than the Chansey line ever did. It’s unfortunate that Audino is a master-of-none compare to the Chansey line, explaining it’s unpopularity at least at the time, but it’s cuteness help it to age well.
+ 
Hoenn isn’t known for their introduced Bug-type, due to almost none of them being useful even back when caught. One that is the closest to be an exception is the Anorith line, and even them were overshadowed by Heracross due to the latter not as resource intensive.
Even back then though, the Anorith line have many things going for it. Neat design, a rare kaiju-like bug design we’ve seen with Armaldo, physical oriented with a high 125 Attack that, back in Gen 3, complement Bug-type and Rock-type very well, and is one of the few non-Water Pokémon to have access to Swift Swim since the introduction of Hidden Ability of the fifth Generation.
YOOM…TAH!
Not unlike Raichu and the Eeveelutions, Wigglytuff did get overshadowed by it’s pre-evolution Jigglypuff, especially back then. Thankfully not to a dangerous amount, but still, this is notable to point out as Wigglytuff’s stat distribution and BST are pathetic when you compare to other stone evolutions; only Sunflora and Delcatty have it worse at 425 and 400 (380 prior to SM).
Still, I appreciate the goober a lot due to it’s bouncy, fun design, and the Guildmaster Wigglytuff from the Mystery Dungeon series is one of my favorite characters out there, if not my top favorite.
It was only made to be the Chansey of Unova, anime role and all, but it did managed to win my heart with it’s adorable appearance, more than the Chansey line ever did. It’s unfortunate that Audino is a master-of-none compare to the Chansey line, explaining it’s unpopularity at least at the time, but it’s cuteness help it to age well.
Hoenn isn’t known for their introduced Bug-type, due to almost none of them being useful even back when caught. One that is the closest to be an exception is the Anorith line, and even them were overshadowed by Heracross due to the latter not as resource intensive.
Even back then though, the Anorith line have many things going for it. Neat design, a rare kaiju-like bug design we’ve seen with Armaldo, physical oriented with a high 125 Attack that, back in Gen 3, complement Bug-type and Rock-type very well, and is one of the few non-Water Pokémon to have access to Swift Swim since the introduction of Hidden Ability of the fifth Generation.
Jynx.. Had a banned episode in the anime? Check. Need a trade for Poliwhirl to obtain in the original game? Check. Has a really odd design (which I don't mind)? Check. But if you look past those factors, Jynx is legitimately great and not nearly as power crept as so many Gen 1 mons are (Kingler, Hypno, Dewgong, to name a few). Great special firepower, awesome STAB combination - it's a legitimately good choice in-game in Gens 1 and 2. Lovely Kiss is a pretty great sleep move too. Only downside is quite a few Jynx appearances after the Game Boy days / Kanto remakes tend to be postgame aside from X and Y (where the sheer size of the Dex can possibly overshadow it) and USUM (where you can get Smoochum and later Jynx is okay but frail as sin which is bad in a game that heavily emphasizes tank builds over glass cannons). So yeah, try Jynx in the 8-bit installments.
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Now that I look at it it's not that busy, I concede, I overestimated the complexity of its belly pattern. It might be a side effect of DPPt designs starting to feel more complex in general.
The again one of my absolute favourites is the gloriously over-the-top pile of glitter that is
Mega Diancie, so whatever.
I have no idea what the general consensus on Shelgon is but I assume it gets overshadowed by Salamence. I cannot find anything interesting to say so I'll just note I like Shelgon.
I have no idea how, why, when or where it happened, but somehow, I like gothic lolita. A Pokémon based on it was something I never knew I needed. Not sure if Gothitelle is that unpopular, but I recall it always being less liked than its counterpart Reuniclus in the past. Either way, Gothitelle is one of my favorites from Gen 5.
It wasn't love at first sight, but I always thought it was fine, and it grew on me as time went on. A year after X/Y were released, I realized how awesome Clawitzer was and it became one of my top favorites from Gen 6. Awesome design and a great Ability with many moves to make use of, essentially giving it STAB on four different types! Epic.
Girafarig is pretty awesome even if Farigiraf doesn't really know what it wants to be strictly gameplay wise (design wise it's good, but when you think mixed attackers, you think something with...60 base Speed and high HP? wut? at least it got an evolution which is nice, not ragging on it too hard).
Sorry for the awkward look of the above but I wanted to compare GSC movepool with HGSS side-by-side for this one. Girafirig's biggest crime in the original GSC is not getting Psychic before the Kanto TM (which HGSS, in a rare inspired movepool decision, actually rectifies but doesn't do for other overlooked Pokemon, hi Xatu!), but at least it barely gets Psybeam in time for League and Normals win in GSC anyway with Return / Strength and the Plain Badge boost. In GSC Girafarig gets by in spite of still being overshadowed by the infamous Abra and is roughly similar if not better in effectiveness than Hypno, trading Hypno's elemental punches for a great 85 Speed). In HGSS it functions pretty similarly aside from natural Psychic, which is HUGE (Slowbro gets it at level 54! Hypno gets it at 50! Xatu gets it at mothertrucking l e v e l 6 4 ??????).
So yeah. Girafarig won't be up there with the in-game greats anytime soon but it gets the job done in Johto if you want something different, and I like the designs of it and Firagiraf even if won't be turning any competitive players' heads anytime soon.
Eviolite Girafarig in Little Cup.
Oh right I totally forgot it got banned from there recently! Nice catch!Eviolite Girafarig in Little Cup.
I remember reading about it being super unpredictable down there.
Cool thing about Girafarig is that while it's a generally less effective Psychic-type than Alakazam and is a bit on the eh side overall: it has one cool thing going for it thanks to its availability.
Namely in that if you do a bit of exploring you can go to Route 43 just before the Ghost Gym Leader, Morty. And Girafarig can combine the offensive value of Psychic STAB and the defensive value of being a Normal-type to be a great weapon against Morty: it's immune to Ghost, but its Psychic STAB hits the entire Gastly line super effectively. This basically makes Girafarig a great catch in preparation for him, and he is bar none the best weapon against Morty at your disposal, and Morty tends to otherwise be a rather annoying/dangerous threat a lot of the time.
It can carry its weight for a good while afterwards as well, even if it's relatively unimpressive later on. But having that Ghost immunity and technically being available just before Morty and having a total advantage against him is a really nice thing to have.
I mean, thats super out of your way for the Ecruteak battle really. It is a really good matchup but will be underleveled and vulnerable to Gastly/Haunter’s Curse.
QuentinQuonce
formerly green_typhlosion
Mmm not really. Like, pretty much everything is vulnerable to Curse if whatever is using it is faster than you. If you're slower, it can actively help in a way since if you're using a move that will probably 2HKO and it helpfully cuts its HP in half, that gives you a nice quick win. And you can just switch to get rid of the effect of Curse.
But Gastly and Haunter pretty much can't touch Girafarig with any of their other moves. So the level disadvantage isn't as much of a hindrance as it looks. I used Girafarig when I played Silver VC for the first time, it's a lot of fun.
Yeah you’re right I guess. Just would be annoying for me at least - with respect to Morty’s Gym - to go all the way through Mt. Mortar and Mahogany Town to grab one mon to fight him.
I've always had a slight spot soft for Lunatone after using it in my very first run of XD: Gale of Darkness. While my stupid kid self didn't use it as effectively as possible (pretty sure I deleted Rain Dance under the "it's not a damaging move so it sucks" mindset), the floating moon served me well regardless.
While the Shadow Ralts you get earlier is a much better offensive Psychic-type overall, Lunatone at least has access to Ice Beam for coverage, Levitate for the always-useful Ground immunity, the aforementioned Rain Dance for Water buffing/Fire nerfing, and Rock Tomb for Speed control, which are all nice for a Doubles format game.
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Lickilicky is pretty hilarious, learns tons of moves, and is just a lovable Pokemon for being so derpy. It's a shame Lickitung isn't available earlier on in many games outside Platinum, because I think this is one of the more overlooked Gen IV evolutions.
Speaking of which, I also think Probopass is pretty cool with its cool diverse moves even if it can't use them very well.