Top 10 Pokemon That Need More Love

Pokémon designs are a delicate balancing act; they need to be distinctive enough to be memorable, but not so weird as to be off-putting. Few people seem to appreciate Tropius’ design, which is a shame because though odd, it’s also inventive as heck! It’s a palm tree dinosaur with leaves for wings and a banana beard! That’s hilarious! Admittedly, Tropius isn’t exactly a heavy hitter when it comes to usability in battle, with middling stats and a ton of weaknesses, but that hasn’t stopped weirder Pokémon from becoming popular. We think ol’ ‘nanner chin deserves more love!

Each new Pokémon game tends to have a few archetypes that it adheres to, from the Grass/Water/Fire starter Pokémon, to early bird-like Pokémon. One of the more unappreciated archetypes are the Normal-type rodents, and one of the most underrated even among these is Sentret. A cross between a ferret, a meerkat, and a flying squirrel, Sentret is absolutely adorable! While it and its evolution are mostly remembered for being handy with HMs, Sentret is cute enough that it should have legions of adoring fans. Here’s hoping our spotlight on it will result in some converts!

There’s no getting around it – this is one bizarre Pokémon. With its huge tongue, pseudo-bib, rotund, pink body, and inexplicable wi-fi symbol waves on its stomach, Lickilicky is considered one of the most unnerving Pokémon by many. It isn’t particularly strong either and is outshone by many other Normal types. And while it’s hard to argue with those who dislike it, that which makes it unpopular also makes it unique. There is a certain kitschy appeal to Lickilicky that some non-conformist trainers are sure to appreciate. That being said, we certainly don’t envy anyone on the other end of that tongue!

There are a number of bovine Pokémon, but the one that’s the least discussed is Bouffalant. And really, why aren’t people talking about it?! It’s a buffalo with an afro! Sure, that’s a pretty silly concept, but it’s a great way to take an otherwise standard design and make it memorable. Besides its stylin’ ‘do, Bouffalant is a strong and defensive Normal-type Pokémon, whose power is recognized even by Alder, the Champion of Unova, since he uses one. While there’s certainly not a stampede of Pokefans gushing over Bouffalant, that only means the happy few have more room to roam.

Most Bug-types get a bad rap for being less than photogenic, but this underappreciated Pokémon is arguably one of the cutest pocket monsters in the franchise! Halfway between a butterfly and a pixie, Ribombee is incredibly precious, with big eyes, what looks like a fashionable scarf, and just da sweetest widdle face! Ahem…Ribombee is also incredibly fast and a decent special attacker, and its thus far unique typing is useful in battle. So, whether you want to take this tiny Pokémon into a fight, or home for a snuggle, Ribombee is one worth another glance.

Mythical and Legendary Pokémon are typically some of the most popular and recognizable of them all. However, even these vaunted ranks are bound to have a few lesser known members. Zeraora is an Electric type and resembles a yellow bipedal cat with blue and black accents. In the anime, it appears hostile to humans, while in the games it’s incredibly fast and has good attacking strength. Part of why Zeraora is likely not as popular is due to its relatively late release in “Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.” By the time of Zeraora’s release, most casual players were no longer playing the games, meaning it hasn’t gotten as warm a reception as it deserves.

Speaking of Electric types, Heliolisk is another sparky Pokémon whose benefits are often overlooked. A dual Electric and Normal type, Heliolisk resembles a frilled lizard, whose hood expands whenever it attacks. This quick special attacker is as good as any of its fellow fast Electric types, but it has the added bonuses of its dual typing, which is currently unique, some cool abilities, and a flashy design, all of which have us puzzled why hasn’t garnered it more praise. Heliolisk isn’t just all frills – it has plenty of thrills too.

Eevee has had a (slowly) growing number of evolutions over the course of the “Pokémon” franchise. While most of them are quite distinctive and beloved by fans, we’d argue that the most underrated of the “Eeveelutions” is Leafeon. While its design doesn’t pop quite as much as its “cousins,” Leafeon is still cute in a disheveled sort of way. As far as fighting prowess goes, it has a ton of attack and defense and some decent speed, though it’s rather vulnerable to special attacks. There are a lot of Grass types out there, but Leafeon is one that deserves some more time in the sunlight.

The Porygon line, in general, is not the most highly regarded thanks to that episode of the anime. You know ... THAT one. It basically got all of them banned from future appearances on TV. But the final stage in the line, Porygon-Z, is an especially underrated Pokémon. Like its predecessors, Porygon-Z is an artificial Pokémon, although it looks less like a cutting-edge piece of tech, and more like one of those plastic dipping birds. Still, this odd duck is pretty powerful, all things considered, with excellent special attack and well-rounded other stats, so don’t judge it by appearances alone.

While you could argue that some of the previous entries are or aren’t underrated, there’s no denying that Raichu gets far less attention than it deserves. The reason why is obvious – Pikachu! Raichu is the evolution of the “Pokémon” mascot, so it gets farless love than its earlier form. And that’s too bad, because Raichu is pretty dang cute in its own right! Plus it’s stronger in every way, no matter what the anime says! Plus, its Alolan form adds the Psychic type, becomes even more adorable, and uses its own tail as a surfboard! Pikawho?