My Favorite POKEMANS

Pokemon AS and Pokemon OR are almost here!  I mean, literally, it's like a week away? AM I SERIOUSLY THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS TO BUY THIS GAME!?  Ah, whatever.

Anywho, today I'm here to talk about my favorite things about the different Pokemon games. See, I wasn't raised up on the Pokemon anime or manga, the majority of my experience has been with the games, and the games are really what the series is about anyways.  While there are plenty of different forms of media Pokemon is now a part of, it all started with the games, and for me, that's what really matters the most.  So, let's look through each of the main Pokemon games (not involving spinoffs such as Mystery Dungeon, Nobunga's Ambition, etc.).

Favorite Protagonist - Red




I doubt this a surprise to anyone, but my favorite protagonist is Red, and for many reasons. Beyond being considered to be the most classic by absolutely everyone, he was actually the first trainer I ever played as in the first Pokemon game I ever played, Leafgreen.  And there's something about his design that's so fantastic.  Despite being possibly the simplest design out of all the trainers, for some reason it feels like one of the best.  

Heck, even the games treat him like he's THE MAN.  He's the only trainer protagonist in Pokemon history to actually physically return in a future Generation, and what is his entrance you ask?  On top mountain filled with tons of dangerous Pokemon, stronger than every other trainer in the game including the Elite Four and Champion, waiting to fight the strongest trainer ever: You.    That's pretty awesome.

Favorite Rival - XY Rivals



Hold on, shouldn't Blue be here?  While I will say that Blue is absolutely boss and definitely the toughest rival, I actually prefer the rivals of XY more, for rather different reasons.

XY was the first game where I actually enjoyed having a rival.  In all the other games, the rivals were opponents you had to face, a powerful obstacle, and while I enjoyed that, there were already tons of those and didn't real special.  Pokemon Black/White's rivals got close with giving you two companions instead, but they were a bit generic and didn't really show much.

In XY, you travel with 4 companions: Shauna, a hyper active young girl who uses lots of cute Pokemon, Tierno, a fat kid who loves dancing and likes to use Water Pokemon, Trevor, a young boy with great intelligence, and opposite gender trainer who is another dedicated Pokemon trainer like you.

I feel like Game Freak felt like they could have creative freedom with this game in terms of your rival.  Each rival feels like an actual character, with diverse and interesting personalities.   Instead of being a force to face, they're friends with the same goal as you, and feel kinda like Misty and Brock in Pokemon season 1 (I have seen SOME anime).   I enjoyed having them around, and they definitely get my favorite rival position.

(My favorite out of them is Tierno, who's apparently the least liked on the Marriland Poll.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME).

Favorite Gym - Sunnyshore Gym



Am I the only one who thought most of the gyms before Generation 4 were incredibly obnoxious or pathetically easy?  I dunno.

Anyways, my favorite gym itself is Sunnyshore.  The gym itself is fairly simple: a few puzzles with a few good trainers.  Nothing special to report here, though there haven't been any gym designs yet that have really blown me back.  The trainers are pretty good overall, as this was before Ground types ruled the day with sand crap, so chances are you didn't have one around (at least yet).  Overall I remember it being pretty challenging (probably because it's the last gym), but that's not the only reason.

"... ... ...so you're the latest challenger up against the Sunyshore Gym...All right, I've decided! If I find you to be weak, I'm going to challenge the Pokemon League. I'm all done with renovating the Gym, so I don't need to be here. More than anything, I want to have battles that can thrill me again. As the toughest Gym Leader in Sinnoh, I'm going to unleash everything in my arsenal on you."

Volkner takes the cake in terms of being a gym leader.  So frustrated with the lack of tough trainers that he actually considered taking on the Elite Four himself and becoming Pokemon Champion.  He's so bored that he doesn't even take the battle seriously until halfway in, when he realizes that you're an actual threat.  

And as for his team, it's pretty good, especially for 4th Gen.  He has four Pokemon: two electric, one normal, and believe it or not, a water type as to counter ground Pokemon.   His team feels more intelligently made than most gyms have.  As a boss gym leader with a team strong enough to back that up; I just can't think of anyone better.

Favorite Elite Four - Grimsley



"If somebody wins a battle, then, without doubt, someone else has lost the battle. That's the way of battle. A real warrior doesn't dash off in pursuit of the next victory, nor throw a fit when experiencing a loss. A real warrior ponders the next battle."

This choice was obvious for me.  I thought he was awesome before, and I still think that now.

In terms of strength, he actually isn't too strong (being a Dark type Elite Four and all), but there are so many other things I like about him.  His battle stadium and entrance are both pretty cool, his design is both creative and very fitting, and his personality...oh my goodness his personality...he's not exactly creepy, but he does have a rather unsettling air about him. 

Favorite Champion - Cynthia



"One look at you tells me many things about you. Together, you and your Pokémon overcame all the challenges you faced, however difficult. It means that you've triumphed over any personal weaknesses, too. The power you learned... I can feel it emanating from you. That's enough talking. Let's get on with why you're here. I, Cynthia, accept your challenge as the Pokémon League Champion! There won't be any letup from me!"

Yeah, yeah, Lance yadayadayada, Blue yadayadayada, I never beat the original Pokemon, and Lance is way too popular despite being very generic and really easy to beat.

And to be fair, my reason for liking her the best is somewhat biased.  She was the first Champion I ever faced, but I think there's a lot more to her than that.  First off, she's the most active of all the Champions.  You run into her multiple different times, and almost every time she's doing something important involving Team Galactic or the region in general. 

She's both a beauty and a boss, and her team shows it.  It's full of legitimately powerful Pokemon like Milotic, Lucario, and Garchomp, and is both balanced and powerful.  She's definitely a step above the Elite Four, and was definitely my favorite Champion battle.  


Favorite Antagonist - Team Galactic



I'm not sure about it, but I get the feeling that I'm a minority on this one, which REALLY surprises me.  I mean, I get that Team Rocket is classic, but that doesn't necessarily make it great.  There are so many things I like about this team, and it's not just preference.

First off, let's talk about difficulty.  This is the only team that I've really felt threatened by.   The basic members aren't anything particularly special, but they're certainly not pushovers like most other groups are.  Those basic members are run by three different commanders: Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, each of which are decently tough.  Then there's the boss Cyrus, who is the only boss I have actually lost to multiple times.  I would talk about Charon, but I never played through Platinum, so I don't know much about him.  Their designs are also somewhat threatening compared to other groups, and yet still managed to get across a cartoonish and unique concept.   

But I think what really sets this group apart from the others is their accomplishments.  They captured multiple legendary Pokemon, succeeded in bombing a lake and killing who knows how many Pokemon (and actually succeeded to steal the parts necessary), and legitimately taking control of what people of the Pokemon world would consider a god.  

And their purpose?   Not petty thievery or something PETA would have came up with: they believe that the world is a disease that cannot be cured, except through starting over from scratch and completely remaking the universe.  In other words, their goal is to reverse time to the creation of the universe and literally recreate it to perfection.  And not only is this such an interesting and massive goal, but you just BARELY prevent it from happening, and I mean BARELY.  

In my eyes, this team isn't just personally my favorite, I think it's legitimately THE best team in terms of creativity, difficulty, and purpose.  I get the popularity of Team Rocket, but that was all due to the anime and fans, the actual team in the old games were simply a large group of thieves, nothing more.  Heck, Giovanni was just a generic mafia boss, nothing unique or interesting whatsoever.  His popularity had little to do with the games themselves, and I think it gives a false perspective on the original game.  Team Galactic offers so much more in so many different ways, I think there's no comparison.

Favorite Track - Dragonspiral Tower

My favorite Pokemon OST by far.  The first time I heard this track, I actually took a minute to just sit back and listen to it.  It's got such a mysterious and epic sound to it, I just absolutely love it.  I can't tell you how many times in Black when I traveled to Dragonspiral Tower just to hear this music again.  

Favorite Region - Unova

I know that this is a VERY unpopular opinion, but my favorite region has got to be Unova.  I dunno, there's something about this region that I've always loved.  Maybe it's the similarity to America, maybe it's the atmosphere and landscapes, I don't know.  But overall, this is my favorite region.

Favorite Pokemon - Weavile

This shouldn't surprise anyone, Frafdo the Weavile was such a major element in my stories, drawings, and my Pokemon team.  While he was deleted in the crash of my Black 2 game and I have yet to obtain another one since, through him I gained an appreciation for the Weavile, and it has become my favorite Pokemon as a result.  

Favorite Game - ???

I thought about this for awhile, and I really can't say what my favorite Pokemon game is.  They're all so different in ways that I enjoy them, and I can't really give a specific game that really impacted me greater than other ones.  Every time a new game comes up I get hyped, and every time I play that new game I enjoy it.  It's been that way for as long as I can remember, and it will continue to be that way for a long time.