Pokémon Top 5: Favorite Electric Types

The electric type in Pokémon is a bit of a weird one. Super effective against only the water and flying type, and weak only to ground. As a result it is one of my least used typings. Since I mostly start with a grass starter I tend to start with a grass and rock/ground core rendering this typing a rather ineffective addition to my team. Yet there are so many great electric pokémon. So today let’s look at the ones that are SO special they won a spot on my team anyway in this week’s top 5.

The same rules like always would apply to Pokémon… but.. I have a problem here. Hardly any of the rules are applicable here! Normally I’d say only one entry per evolutionary line where if the evolution and its necessity is factored in should I dislike where forms go. Yet every single electric type has amazing evolutions. There isn’t a single one I’d disapprove off. The only one that kinda meets this brief is Yamper. I adore Yamper and do not feel very strongly about Boltund. It’s a good dog but I liked the clunkiness of the first form a lot more.. like the whole “loaf” feeling it has going. Boltund is only a type of dog I prefer slightly less.. but hey since I need honorable mentions it counts.

Pokémon that featured on other lists do not count either,since I love Galvantula so much and it was on my bug list, it will not feature on this one. Otherwise it would most likely be in the number two spot yet again. The honorable mention goes to it’s pre-evolution Joltik whom I love dearly as well.. technically it could make the list because it’s not Galvantula..but since I have the one entry per evo line rule as well it still felt wrong. Still it is so adorable so it deserves more shoutouts than I can give it!

In every other list I managed to mention a pokémon that did not feel like it’s typing to me.. the electric type doesn’t have that to me! All of them feel tied to their given element. The Psychic type gave me trouble with this as well but with these ones.. I am convinced I could even show the biggest pokémon non believers a picture of a pokémon and ask what type it is and you’d all guess correctly.  Luckily I also made a rule that disallows  temporary forms because of how situational it is .. which gives me my final honorable mention Pop Star Pikachu.  Just because it is because.. It’s Pikachu in pink.. This one would be disallowed either way because….

The Pikachu line in Pokémon has always been a bit lackluster except for the whole mascotte thing of course. Kantonian Raichu wasn’t all that good. While normally I say that an entry in the anime is beneficial this applies to me for everything but the Pikachu line.. and to a lesser extend Greninja and even Charizard. All the Pokemon Ash made hype.. kind of let you down in the games. The final evolutions less than Pikachu ..but if you saw Ash first.. they still feel lacking in oomph compared to how they are build up. Raichu was always one of those for me.. We see Pikachu do such epics things and ours.. fizzle.. as if we are playing with a bootleg. However this all changed when Alolan Raichu came along.

While it stats do not change , it addresses the generic looks of the original Raichu and they give it an additional typing in the form of the Psychic type. Electric Psychic is a great offensive typing!  It is super effective against flying, water, poison and fighting which actually makes it great to use next to Rowlet or Popplio, who both have a weakness to poison and Litten which has a weakness to water.  Regardless of the starter you choose this is a great accompaniment to them all. In Kanto, Normal Raichu doesn’t help you much when you pick Squirtle and if you start with Bulbasaur going with Geodude would be a better way to cover your flying weakness.  But let’s back up a bit and talk a bit more about the looks. Original Raichu was originally meant to be a midway station between Pikachu and Gorochu and in a way you feel that. Alolan Raichu has much more finality to it’s design. The surfing on it’s tail with electromagnetism, the tanned look, keeping Pikachu’s cuteness. I really adore it’s looks.

Statwise this Pokémon still feels like a relatively weak end station. It’s main offensive stat is only 95 which is okay enough but something you can easily find a better answer for. For reference the area between 70 base stat and 100 is deemed okay and above 100 a stat is great. So 95 is good enough. However here is where it’s new typing comes into play. Since Generation VII Raichu can learn Calm Mind.. the best set up move for special attackers. It raises special defence and special attack. Prior to this Raichu had no proper setup for offence, only evasion so even if it made it hard for an opponent to hit it could never really hit back hard either. It’s move pool has also vastly expanded. Same Type attack bonus boosted psychic hits harder and more reliable than most electric moves and using the ability surge surfer it’s speeds can reach insane levels so even in its core moveset it already deals a lot more with it’s own weaknesses.  It can set up defensive screen which half damage, it can set up terrain and it can set itself up to hit hard.  While it’s still frail it reviced a lot of weaknesses with the originals and when you look so adorable when dealing a fair amount of damage as well as be Hau’s best buddy! You are doing something right!

I was trying to decide whether to put the final evolution of the magnemite line in the Steel Type top five or the electric top five. In retrospect I should have put it in the other one as I like a lot less of those.. but since in Gen I the line was still pure electric I always see it as that first. Magnezone is on this list because it lets me combine two of my least used typings in a pretty amazing pokémon that is very weak to ground type moves though. Magnezone came to me via a trade in Gen V, it was a very random trade but there it was. A magnet Ufo that to me.. had some cop vibes/patroller in it as well. I did not know that Magneton could evolve. It was named Kilowatt. The original trainer was LeLouche all of people.. I never figured he would be into pokémon! Kind of makes sense though with all the tactical battling.

While I never really was appealed by balls and magnets sticking together they already looked very gleefull in Pokémon Snap when you fed them apples.. I always remembered those happy eyes. I imagined this Ufo like thing do the same thing and I was immediately sold. A magnetic Ufo who doesn’t want that?!  These pokémon are so Magnetic they attract each other and then become unable to move! That sounds clunky! I like that as well! Implications that this pokémon has alien contacts were made in Sun and Moon.. when all pokédex entries were particularly ominous and it added to it’s mystery. While made by man scientist kept trying to evolve it again.. could it be that in the future this will be the first pokémon we see get a stage 3?  <Pinkie Explains: A first form is called a basic.. the second form a stage 1 evolution.. if that evolves it’s stage 2>  Will it call something from out of space like a new legendary tied to it?! Kind of like Carbink and Diancie? Mysteries keep surrounding this pokémon, along with the unique and fun design I think Kilowatt is a keeper.. Had I not sold that game for convention money back in the day.

In combat having using steel and electric moves are basically it’s entire bread and butter. It also gets hyper beam which then can do big damage with the Analytic ability. Since Magnezone is a fairly slow Ufo with a base speed of 60 so the ability is quite usable as well.It will outspeed ground types.. but unless you equip it with a Balloon you’ll want to swap out when those come out and threaten your space ship anyway. It’s special attack being at 130 as a base value is amazing and really makes this a floating attilery thing. It’s best when paired with big damage moves such as Zap Cannon, Flash Cannon and Hyper Beam, I either run it with Magnet Rise ..which makes it immune to ground type moves with a Life Orb as held item or I put it on a Balloon and give it Signal Beam  as well for some extra type coverage and possible confusion. The first set is usually better though. It also makes sense that it floats on it’s own abilities..being a Ufo at all.. why would a Ufo be on a balloon? That is just silly.

What’s up with my favorites  and quad ground weaknesses. This is yet another that could look at a patch of soil and die in agony! Yet poison electric is such a cool typing. I really like the poison typing as well. Much like my Pokémon flying list though.. this would have been an ideal candidate for the sound type! Which funnily.. I would make weak to ground types.  This pokémon is all about playing air guitar.. or Keyboard as some version of this pokémon would.  Toxtricity has two forms, the Low Key form and the Amped form. This is on Toxel’s (its basic stage)  nature. If it has an energetic nature like Rash or Bashful  it will become Amped and if it has a more tranquil spirited nature.. for example Modest or Mild. That is SUCH a great idea. Letting a pokémon evolution look differently based on their character. Amazing!  I really love the colours of the Amped form myself.. but the Low Key version is pretty neat itself. Competitive it’s mostly Low Key though since the Modest Nature fits it the best. That’s a bit a let down in that system for me. 

Lorewise there isn’t that much known about the pokémon yet except that is quite arrogant and it plays air guitar or Electric organ to generate up to 15.000 volts on electricity. It’s poisonous nature is never really mentioned anywhere..but I think it comes from being a punker.  Or from being purple! In the world of pokémon the colour of your skin quite oftenly depicts your typing. I wonder if Lucario gets bullied for being blue but not being a water type?! The design however looks so friggin amazing, this is one of the coolest designed electric types out there. Tying it’s theme to the electric guitar was a briljant stroke that we untill now have only seen in a trainer type. I can just imagine  it singing the Sex Pistols version of I did it my way while frying it’s opponents with its electric waves or tossing some goop their way! This is a rebel and for once I like that.

In combat you mostly would like to rock out with a Low Key… Mild Toxtricity. It’s defences aren’t good at all and you really want to capitalize on it’s special attack of 117 without compromising it’s speed and preferably not it’s attack either since that being close to a 100 at 98 can allow you to run it as a mixed attacker.  It should be decked out with the ability Punk Rock which boosts sound type moves by 30% offensively while reducing damage taken by 50% defensively. This one definitely needs it’s own signature move Overdrive to be good, but if you equip it with Boomburst it might even be scarier. The last one has a base power of 140 so boosted by 30% that is one of the most powerful moves in the game. Though still not coming close to a fully boosted Fisheous Rend.  As a third move and fourth move I’d run it with Toxic and Venoshock, but that is mostly when I have other toxic users or stallers as well.  There are other options as well like some physical attacks like Gunk Shot.. or Throat Chop to give it something to defend against the psychic type. As an item you definitely want to give it some Throat Spray. As a side node why are some many electric type pokémon names so hard to spell?!

Ah the moment I begin writing this entry I realised how big of a whole I have dug myself. I normally blab on movesets and designs and Rotom.. has six forms, six typings and six designs. This is going to be a tricky one. Technically this one even has nine forms, if we count the pokédex, phone and drone form as well. It’s also the weakest pokémon on the list of today..but I can’t help but to love Rotom. It’s such an amazing concept. Basically he is the poltergeist that make your electric devices go bump in the night. It’s very mischievous as well. It loves to ruin your day. If it possesses the microwave it gleefully burns your favorite clothes, if it possess your fan it giggles why blowing away important documents and if it’s a freezer it will freeze your bath  water or give you a very cold shower. When it possesses a lawnmower it will destroy all your flowers and when it possesses the washing machine.. well you probably have a good idea what happens then! Let’s hope you don’t have any wooden floor.

The concept of a ghost pokémon animating things is great of course and since it is a ghost electric type animating devices makes so much sense! The fact that it loses its ghost typing and replaces that with the element it possesses even more so. If you have the ability to swap devices this pokémon can be incredibly versatile, although a bit of a hassle to set up. Will you run it as a lawn mower for the water type gym or will you run it as a  fridge to defeat that guy who has some strong ground types? The sky is the limit.  Having access to water-fire-grass-flying-ice OR ghost typing as a secondary STAB is an unparalleled feat for a pokémon. I know temporary forms do not make the list but these are semi permanent and I count this pokémon in its entirety so it’s all good! If your game does not have an area to swap rotom tools you’ll just have to work with the one traded to you. I like the idea of customisable pokémon and it doesn’t get much more customisable than this.

In the competitive scene Rotom Wash is the most popular form to use. Water Electric is a great typing and since Rotom has the ability levitate it doesn’t have all that many weaknesses. Rotom is mostly used as a trickster. Use Will O Wisp to burn your opponent and lower their attack stat. It’s a bit in that “float like a butterfly sting like a bee” segment of things. I like Rotom Wash the most myself as well.. the square design with that pipe as some form of weird tale is adorable. It can be a bit more offensive due to learning scald. You can get those burns while attacking, yet each Rotom is fun to use in it’s own way. I had a blast when trying Rotom Freeze uit for the first time. Rotom Mow i’d say is the most tricky form to use but if played well it can be hard for your opponent to deal with as well. Rotom Fan i’ve seen a lot in Showdown battles and now that Dynamax Air moves boost speed it has quickly become much better than it was before!  Maybe a full Rotom Playthrough would be fun.. it would be pretty balanced at least.

The first electric type I ever actively  used and my strongest pokémon in my favorite pokémon game. At least in main line Pokémon games! In Pokémon Stadium I used Pin Missile Jolteon to take down my sisters all Mewtwo team. I am not sure why that worked so well back then because I never was able to reproduce it. Ampharos though I can make good time and time again. I am using it again on my Pokémon Reborn playthrough..but that games runs so much more horrible now than it did before.. so much lag.. so now I only play it when someone is live streaming and I need some side content.  Still Ampharos is there for me. My first one did not have a name, I needed to remember the new pokemon names still. The second one was called Apple, I think, I used it during a Soul Silver playthrough I named things after fruit. I used one in my main team in Gale of Darkness XD  named Shaun and my custom shiny Ampharos in Reborn is called Choked Sheep (because it turned blue, and my nicknames are descriptions)

I also played the crap out of the pokémon in Pokémon Stadium 2. If I can get  the monster early on I will use it. Now it took me way longer than I am willing to admit to discover that this one has a pink shiny… oh no.. I admitted it!  So now that I know that it makes this pokémon even better though I only have a few pink ampharos (pokemon plural is the same as singular) on Pokémon Go due to community days. I never had a pink Amphi in a fun game though.  I am always drawn to it no matter what media it appears on almost as if it’s a beacon drawing me in.. what do you know! Pokémon Lore bride.. Ampharos only lore is that it can store electricity in it’s tale to shine very bright. So it functions as a lighthouse. This light is so bright that it can even be seen from space. It seems to hurt it’s own eyes though so it doesn’t really like using it.. the way it moves.. is also kinda clunky and it isn’t exactly elegantly shaped. I begin to see why I like this.

In Galar my troupe of sheep isn’t that special when it comes to stats.  It has a special attack stat of 110 which is great but it is on par with most the electric types here that take less work to evolve.Yet in this last generation my baby got robbed of its mega evolution. In its mega form my sweet hairless sheep had an amazing 165 base special attack and gain the dragon typing as well as a bunch of wool back as fancy luscious locks. It’s so good as a Mega, even though the hair kinda looks silly, that’s what made it so sexy to me! Not as in Bomchikawawa sexy but non sexual sexy! That is a thing! Mega Amphi is kinda like my Totoro! So I was robbed! I can’t even put it to words but this pokémon is so charming to me! If I only could make one pokémon real this would be a consideration. It would probably be Sylveon in the end.. but the whole flesh ribbon things is kind of off putting. I am not going to make a battle set because all my Amphi’s were different and I love them all and I feel one of them might cry if I favor the other and I just can’t bear to imagine that!  Given the fact that I consider the feelings of digital picture I resetted over twice, and that they are still with me in spirit tells something on how much I love this pokémon! A deserved number 1.

What is your favorite electric type?! Did you ever use one of these in your team?! Do you use the electric type a lot? Leave your thoughts in the comments and let’s start talking Pokémon! Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog if you want to make sure that you catch nexts weeks Earth Shattering top 5! That’s right! Bring your balloons cause there will be earthquakes! Now I have to go to the store because my Joltik drained all my batteries!