Pokemon has played an integral role in not just my childhood, but also in my teen years and adult life. I was born in 1997 and so toddler me was exposed to the full force of the late 90s Pokemon fever. My first gaming console was the special Pikachu edition of the Nintendo 64. One of my most thorough collections of childhood drawings is a hardcover book that 10 year old me filled with Pokemon sketches. It has given me a fondness for monsters, creatures, and all sort of "little guys" and has had a profound influence on my artistic journey. So, what better way to celebrate that than talk about some of my favorite Pokemon designs? Rather than doing a top ten though, I am going to talk about my favorite design of each type.
Normal: Porygon 2
Porygon 2 really nails the whole "technological upgrade" theme from Porygon: whereas Porygon is rough, jagged, and polygonal, Porygon 2 is round and smooth. Even the cry reflects the change: Porygon's cry is very chiptune-ush and electronic while Porygon 2's is quite gentle, sort of like a weird cross between a whistle and a squeak. And while Porygon's design is a bit ambiguous as to what kind of creature it's inspired by, Porygon 2's much more pronounced beak makes it clear that the line is based on some kind of bird (to me, it gives duck vibes specifically).
Above all else though, Porygon 2 is shaped like a friend. If I was having a bad day and needed to cry on a Pokemon's shoulder, I would want to cry on Porygon 2's first. It may not have healing, delicious eggs like Chancey or Blissey, and it may not have any magic empathy powers like Gardevoir, but its gentle cry combined with its roundness and cuteness means that even just a nuzzle from this digital duck can help mend a wounded heart.
(Oh also, not relevant to visual design at all, but he can burn, freeze, and electrocute you at the same time with Tri Attack).
Fire: Simisear
Simisear is a silly little guy. It has that cute curl of fur on top of it head that looks like some flames. Around its neck are those big tufts of fur that look like smoke. And its large, clumsy hands are fanned out like it is fully prepared to visit its grandmother’s house and accidentally knock all the little statues and knick-knacks off her fireplace mantle. Trouble and chaos follow this monkey everywhere it goes. Not too much chaos though, just enough to get under your skin but not enough to cause any serious harm. And of course it never means to cause any trouble, it’s more like the trouble finds it.
Water: Dracovish
My favorite part of Dracovish’s design is the fact that it shouldn’t even be alive. And no, I don’t mean that in the sense that it’s a resurrected fossil. I mean it in the sense that it was reassembled in a completely incorrect way that is not compatible with life. Its head is attached to what is supposed to be a completely separate Pokemon’s tail. It has no trachea, no lungs, no heart, no esophagus. And sure, there are plenty of Pokemon that don’t have organs. But those are your Muks and Chandelures and Klefkis that clearly aren’t supposed to have organs. Dracovish is supposed to have organs, but is missing about 50% of them. Yet Dracovish keeps trucking on because Dracovish does not care. Lungs or no lungs, it will Fishous Rend your team into oblivion.
Grass: Hydrapple
Hydrapple looks okay at first: it's an apple with a snake inside it. Cute, silly, and charming, but a bit underwhelming for a third stage evolution. Then you realize, no, there are SEVEN snakes in it. As the name implies, it is a hydra apple. Just a regular hydra Pokemon would be awesome enough, but combining something badass like a hydra with something so mundane like a candy apple results in this absolutely absurd but wonderful mishmash. And Game Freak really leaned into the candy apple aspect: instead of breathing fire/lighting/frost or some other typical mythical beast substance, it uses syrup. Its signature move is even called Syrup Bomb.
There is also some possibility of it being based on Christianity’s myth of original sin. Hydrapple’s first stage evolution, Applin, was introduced a generation prior in Sword and Shield. It has a worm living inside it and the worm evolves with it. At that time, Applin could evolve into the dopey, chunky, apple-pie inspired Appletun or the nimble and energetic Flapple, both of which deviate from a serpent theme and instead go for more traditional dragon and wyvern themes. Expanding on Applin’s evolution line by having the worm evolve into serpents seems like a conscious choice. Whether or not Christianity had any influence on Hydrapple’s design though, it is a really sick Pokemon regardless.
Electric: Toxtricity
Game Freak gave us a punk rock gym leader in Black and White 2, but didn’t give us any actual punk rock Pokemon until Sword and Shield. (And considering Obstagoon, really they gave us two rock/metal themed Pokemon in those game). In both of its forms, it looks incredibly relaxed, yet still confident. It’s about to casually stroll on stage and absolutely shred a solo without breaking a sweat. The spikes on its wrists of course make me think of spiked bracelets while the spikes on its waist are clearly meant to resemble a spiked belt.
And I can’t forget about the two main differences between the forms- the colors and the buttons. Both the yellow and blue go great with the purple- yellow is excellent contrast while blue is an excellent analogue. And these definitely play into each form’s identity- using a yellow contrast really drives home the excitement of Toxtricity’s amped form while the more mellow blue helps establish the demeanor of the low-key form. Meanwhile, the buttons’ arrangements help create a musical distinction- the buttons on the amped form are representative of a standard guitar while the low-key buttons are for a base guitar. And that definitely suits each form’s personality- the more aggressive Pokemon is definitely going to go for center stage while the more relaxed form is going to opt for the background bass. Overall, it's an excellent design that has been long overdue.
Ice: Froslass
Froslass is, initially, a bit of a deceptive Pokemon. The signs of her (Froslass is an exclusively female Pokemom) ice type are there, namely the white and blue colors scheme as well as the ice crystal on her head. The ghost typing though, seems somewhat off. Froslass looks elegant, but not necessarily spooky, eerie, or mischievous. She goes have the yellow sclera that make her seem a bit otherworldly and she does float, but neither of those characteristics are ghost type exclusives. Initially she just come across as a rather elegant ice type.
However, that's until you realize the inspiration behind her design. She's inspired by the yuki-onna, a mythical Japanese yokai (basically a spirit). The yuki-onna myth varies depending on which region of Japan you're considering. A handful of stories depict her in a morally grey area where she shows up to someone's house, stays for a while and later disappears in a puff of snow, the only thing that tips the other characters off to her supernatural nature is that her whole body is frigid to the touch. In most myths though, she's more malevolent. In some stories, she appears to travelers lost in snowy mountains and leads them to their doom. Other times she will appear at random with a small child (another snow spirit) and ask someone to hug the child with her, only for the victim to not be able to let go and eventually freeze to death as snow covers them. Meanwhile, other stories depict her trying to lure children outside on snowy days, usually with the promise of playing in the snow. These dangerous spirit stories clarify why the ghost typing is there and also why she's elegant rather than spooky or terrifying. If you want to entrap someone or lure them to their demise, you can't be going around looking all terrifying. You need a pretty, kimono-esque bow and a gown-like body with some pretty blue patterns. She is a welcome departure from the typical ghost Pokemon archetype as well as just being a very well designed Pokemon all around.
Fighting: Infernape
If Simisear is your country bumpkin cousin, then Infernape is the other, jaded cousin who grew up in the ghetto. It has a bright, fierce flame atop his head and positions its legs in an action-ready stance. Its tail is long and spindly, implying a certain degree of flexibility and litheness in combat. The golden growths serve two purposes: as a part of the body, they look like they could be callouses from repeated hits and scuffles. But the color and circular shape make them look a bit like medals, like Infernape is showing off its winning streak. When it visits Simisear and sees it getting harassed by a local bully, Infernape starts PUMMELING.
Poison: Nidorino
Nidorino is the epitome of a little monster. He (male only Pokemon) has the horn, a jagged body, an angry stare, and enough of an aura to intimidate someone. However, he’s not going to terrify anyone. He’s still in the process of escaping his past as a cute Nidoran but is jumping the gun to embrace his future as a Nidoking. He is truly an angsty teenager, caught in an uncomfortable in-between. Yet despite being in this awkward stage, its design is still generally appealing. Many Pokemon middle stages suffer with features tacked on from their pre-evolutions and final evolutions. They feel like the equivalent of when you put two photos into a mashing program and it combines them with the main objective of producing a true 50/50 split between them, disregarding how the two images actually mesh together.
But Nidorino feels like its own Pokemon rather than a creature made to transition a small, rabbit-like fellow into a purple Godzilla. If you took most three stage evolution lines and erased the third stage from existence (and also erase everyone’s memory of the third stage), the now final second stage would be completely unsatisfying. But if you erased Nidoking from existence, Nidorino would still feel like an acceptable way to cap off Nirdoran’s evolutionary journey. Nobody would be saying “Nidorino feels unfinished, why doesn’t it evolve?”
Ground: Diglett
Diglett is simple and cute. He’s a tiny little mole with a silly nose and a BIG secret. Does he have feet? Maybe, maybe not. According to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red and Blue Rescue Team, he does. But according to Pokemon Stadium, he doesn’t. But then again, also according to Pokemon Stadium he can float in the air.
He digs. And then he pops up out of the ground. And he says “Diglett dig”. And then he goes back underground. And he digs again. And then he comes back up. And then he says “Diglett dig!”. And then he goes back underground. He digs again. And then he comes back up and says “Diglett dig!”. You cannot get better than this. He is my favorite Pokemon ever.
Flying: Xatu
Xatu is so mysterious and cool. It stares at the sun all day and looks like it will turn around and tell you how and when you die. Its bodily structure really helps set it apart from most other bird Pokemon. It looks stiff and rigid, like the Native American totems it is inspired by. You can tell that this bird will never be rocketing across the skies or swooping down to quickly snap up its prey; its build alone tells you that it leads a much calmer and more pensive life. The markings on the wings as well as the very elongated feathers from its head also tie it to the totem inspiration. It really does look like a Pokemon not quite meant for the natural world, like it's truly not meant to have to waste its time with matters such as eating, or using the bathroom, or bathing itself. The markings on its chest help as well- while the birds of Pokemon are no stranger to markings, Xatu's look like eyes, even more alluding to its clairvoyant powers.
It's just a shame that this Pokemon is so overlooked. Like most other second generation Pokemon, its stats are terrible and so it sees zero competitive use. Here's to hoping that we get Mega Xatu in Pokemon Legends Z-A.
Psychic: Reuniclus
A lot of Pokemon take inspiration from real word animals, cultural myths, or random objects. Reuniclus is a pretty unique Pokemon in that its inspiration is the cell cycle. While the cell cycle is still an observable concept, it’s a lot less tangible and more abstract concept than most of Game Freak’s muses. I am really a fan of the color scheme here- green is definitely a cell color. I know cells don’t really have a color, but in my mind they always have a color and that color is green or blue-green. With its bubbly, round design, it looks goofy and much more mischievous than your typical, overly serious psychic type.
Another welcome departure from psychic Pokemon tradition is Reuniclus’s physique. Its arms are THICK and BEEFY. It looks like it can cause some serious damage. And according to its Pokedex entries, it actually can: Although its psychic power is strong enough that it can crush rocks with its mind, it prefers to beat the shit out of things with its arms. Truly a pioneer, combining both brains and brawn and refusing to be neatly categorized.
Bug: Escavalier
I feel like there are a couple common animals to plop in a suit of armor: mice, cats, and dogs. Beetles though? Not so much. But Game Freak did not care, and so they gave us a beetle in a suit of armor. And honestly, I think that it came out cooler than any dog knight or mouse knight they could have done. Because insects have a much simpler shape that most mammals, they had to worry less about making the armor work with its body. On the other hand, with something like a dog, they'd have to make sure the armor has 4 legs (or 2 arms and 2 legs for any bipedal dog Pokemon). But with a beetle's shape basically just being a little ball, Game Freak had free reign on how the suit of armor fit around it. Because a bug’s legs are so tiny, they didn’t need to give greaves, they just stuck them in a shell inspired piece of armor.
Not only is that neat, but its evolution process also shows off a really cool, real-life interaction. The beetle Karrablast is based off is specifically the Drilus beetle. This beetle is unique in that it preys on snails and steals their shells. To evolve Karrablast, you have to trade it for the snail Pokemon Shelmet. When they are traded, Karrablast steals Shelmet’s shell and evolves into Escavalier. Meanwhile, Shelmet evolves into the now shell-less and sulking Accelgor. So Escavalier’s bottom piece of basically functions both as cool looking armor as well as a mutation of the Shelmet’s shell. I don’t think there are any other Pokemon that need to be traded for each other to evolve and then interact during said evolution. It’s a really unique evolution concept.
Rock: Diancie
I feel a little bad putting Diancie as my favorite rock type Pokemon, because it’s the fairy influence that really earns my love for her. She's a rock princess dotted with diamonds and a white coat that looks surprisingly soft for Diancie being made out of minerals. She is absolutely gorgeous and so so so pretty.
When she mega evolves, all of these elements get turned up to an eleven. The coat expands into a skirt and the diamonds on her head get even bigger. The mildly exposed diamond on regular Diancie’s lower body has now fully emerged and turned into a beautiful dress. And she also gains a veil. She is basically ready for her wedding at this point. But if you try to crash her wedding, she can still kick your ass: in her mega form, she can create a diamond sword to fight with.
I see a lot of people fawn over Pokemon like Gardevoir, Lopunny, and Hatterine for their embodiment of femme energy, but so little of that attention gets shared with Diancie despite her absolutely radiating it. She blows them out of the water. I think after writing this bit I’ve concluded that she is one of the most underrated Pokemon.
Ghost: Giratina
Giratina is the closest thing that the Pokemon franchise will ever have to Satan. And that already makes it cool. Depending on its form, you either have a gigantic dragon or a gigantic serpent. Both the altered form’s raggedy wings and the origin form’s tentacle wings help drive home its ghost type. Its red eyes stare directly into your soul and the gold plates adorn its body like the demon king it basically is.
Each form also has a single, completely unnatural feeling feature. For the altered form, it’s the six legs. You have two legs for anthropomorphic Pokemon, four legs for many beasts, and eight legs for spider Pokemon. But six legs? Six legs are for bugs, not giant dragons. Yet here altered Giratina is. Meanwhile, the origin form has the wings. They do NOT look like they can be used to fly. There is no way you can convince me that those sludgy looking tentacles can carry this giant beast through the air. Yet, here origin form Giratina is, flying anyways. Both forms really drive home the feeling that this Pokemon does not belong in this world, that it’s the antithesis to all other Pokemon.
Dragon: Archaludon
Pokemon is pretty famous for making creatures out of inanimate objects. Anchors, keyrings, ice cream cones, swords, the list goes on. Then they go and make a Pokemon out of a BRIDGE. But what sets Archaludon apart from many other inanimate object Pokemon is that the bridge and dragon design are meshed really well. For example, the bridge’s supports become its legs and the upper tips of the bridge posts become its horns. In contrast, its pre-evolution Duraludon just looks like a skyscraper with a face and some stubby legs slapped onto it. And lots of other inanimate object Pokemon, like the ones mentioned previously, suffer from the “let’s just slap a face on this object and call it a day” attitude. Archaludon is one of those really rare instances where an inanimate object design is fleshed out to its maximum potential.
And yet, as a homage to the more common and derivative inanimate object designs, Archaludon does go full, regular bridge mode during some of its attack animations as it bends its front half forward to flatten itself out. Overall, Archaludon just has a really well thought out design. Whoever designed it was really firing on all cylinders.
Dark: Houndoom
I’m going to be frank, Houndoom’s design isn’t super clever or genius. It’s not reinventing the wheel. It’s just really, really cool. It is a black furred, fire-breathing hellhound with horns, bone armor on his back, shackles on its legs, a skull on its chest, and a devil tail. And when it mega-evolves, the bones get BIGGER. Houndoom’s artist set out with a pretty simple mission when they made its design, but they absolutely nailed it. I am blowing him a chef’s kiss. Every goth or punk kid in the Pokemon world probably wants to ride around on a Houndoom, and I totally get that. I want to ride around on a Houndoom as well.
Steel: Kingambit
Being a Japanese game series, many Pokemon take influence from Japanese culture (just look at Froslass as an example). However, despite the samurai being one of the most iconic parts of Japanese culture, there wasn’t really a samurai Pokemon until Scarlet and Violet. I mean, Pawniard and Bisharp have been around since Black and White, but their samurai influence was much more subtle. Enter Kingambit, a samurai general who gains strength from the spirits of its fallen comrades. The samurai influence is very clear here. The red and gold crests on its chest also hearken to Japanese samurai armor. The large blade on top doubles as a decoration for its helmet while the horizontal ones double as a mustache. Regardless though of whether they are weapons or decoration first, they are absolutely menacing.
But, I think my favorite part of Kingambit’s design is the fact that it’s sitting. The position grants it an even greater air of authority, like a general sitting in their war room looking over battle maps and contemplating their troops’ next move. But funnily enough, it doesn’t seem to actually do much contemplation. Its Pokedex entries says that it relies much more on brute strength and just throwing more and more Bisharp and Pawniard at an opposing force than actual strategy. And this makes me want to circle back to the swords on Kingambit’s head and face- they are its main blades. On the other hand, its hands are not particularly sharp. Meanwhile, if you look at its pre-evolution Bisharp, its main blades are on its hands. I think moving the main weapon from hands to the head is a neat way of demonstrating its reckless approach to combat. It doesn’t want to “use its head” (as in strategize). It wants to “use its head” as in ram into opponents with the giant blades on its head. Awesome, badass design.
Fairy: Granbull
Oh poor Granbull. It is trying SO hard to be intimidating, but its giant fangs are too much. The purple color also doesn’t help. It even tries with the collar and wristbands, but with them being plain and spike-less, they don’t grant it any intimidation. The more it tries to be scary, the cuter it gets. I can’t recall any specific appearances from Granbull in the anime, but I can imagine it being in a scene where a smaller, vulnerable Pokemon tries to go with it. It constantly growls and barks and tries to scare it away but to no avail. Eventually it relents and lets the smaller Pokemon accompany it, and Granbull becomes a parental figure to it. It wants to be like Houndoom but it is destined to be a big, goofy fairy dog.
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