Tag: Typings

Pokémon Top 5: Favourite Water Pokémon

After the really off-beat fire type favourites of last time it is time for a much more conventional list of pokemon this week! The water type is without a single doubt THE type all pokémon trainers , until recently always ran on their gameplay theme. Let’s see if my list holds water and can make a splash! These are my top 5 favourite water types.

Like every list so far, I follow four main rules. Only one entry per evolution line, and if the later stages are really disliked by me, while the first form adds little on it’s own it will not make the list. Such is the case with Sobble. I really love this little crybaby up to a point where it might be my favourite designed water starter. However it’s monotype evolution line with a creepily slender final evolution didn’t do anything for me. I have a problem with human-like starters, it takes away from their pet quality a starter should have. Water evolutions don’t often work for me as Oshawott, Mudkip Piplup and Totodile all are dear to me but I do not care for their final evolutions.

The second rule is a Pokemon has to feel like a water type to me, since like 90% off all water types are either blue or a fish they most of the time have this covered but one that really doesn’t feel like a water type to me is Golisopod. While it has powerful water moves , Surf and other powerful water moves have been available to the weirdest pokemon! Like Pikachu, Rhydon and Nidoking amongst others. So Golisopod having a water move doesn’t make it a water type and a fast bug monster that can switch itself out when taking damage, that liked priority moves doesn’t feel water to me in any way! The Legendary pokemon of space, Palkia is yet another one that missed the mark.

Finally I am not allowed to use temporary forms.  Some Pokemon gain a type or switch types like Meloetta for example. Yet in the case of water types there is a Mega Evolution I adore while not caring a lot for the base Pokemon. That Pokemon is Mega Slowbro.  While this pink creature is great at defence I think its look is a bit generic nowadays. It did not age that well for me. Galarian Slowbro  fixes this for me, but Mega Slowbro did it so much better. I love the commercial design and this take on mega evolution, evolving the former shellder on its tail to make it almost consume it whole. A great wall in its mega form and adorably awkward!

The fourth rule, a Pokémon can only be entered once! Cloyster  and Walrein are examples of earlier water type entries. Ducklett is excluded from this list for a similar reason. It already was on my top 5 favourite Pink Shines list. I mentioned it in a few posts in and outside of Pokémon so I do not think I have much more interesting stuffs to add to it hence it is not on my list either. I want to show as much love to as many Pokémon as possible! So if your favourite one did not make the list check out if was on an older list!  Gyarados and Lapras just fell short. Usually when I get Lapras I already have a water pokémon and Gyarados I think is fundamentally flawed with it’s water flying typing, making it more pointless to level up a Magikarp just to see it one shotted by a simple spark.Same goes for Ducklett.. but that is a baby Duck! I can accept that! Plus it has a pink Shiny!

When we got introduced to Feebas in Hoenn I firstly thought..beh just another Magikarp! Yet  there was so much more to this Pokémon than meets the eye! Quite literally! In these games to Evolve A Feebas into A Milotic it needed to be deemed beautiful! By having it participate and win Beauty Contests!  Feebas is quite an ugly fish but by showing it’s inner beauty this pokémon could unleash that beauty and transform into one of the most beautiful water pokémon designed. One that feels like a water pokémon but also one that reads that theme and it’s story very well. Pokémon Twilight Wings released a beautiful story about a Milotic as well and you can check that out by visiting the Pokémon Official Youtube Channel right here. It is a Pokémon that is all about obtaining beauty by being yourself and that is a message I’ll always support. It may be a bit fairytale like but just as every frog might be a prince to some.. every big lipped Bass with a triangle on its head can be a magnificent sea serpent!  It was one of the most interesting evolutions, and its a shame that over time it became easier to evolve taking away that theme a bit..which is why it isn’t higher on this list.

It is known as the most beautiful pokémon in the pokedex lore! They have scales that reflect the light differently depending on what angle you look at it , giving it a rainbow like glance over it’s entire body as all it’s scales are also in different angels! This has led the pokémon to become a muse for artists all across the pokémon world. Which again is reflected in the Pokémon Twilight episode, where both a model and the photographers use it to improve their career and create shots of true beauty. Yet Milotic is more than just about beauty. It’s beauty is said to be so vast that it will mesmerise anyone who looks at it. This effect causes people to lose any negativity in their heart, with hate and their will to fight being specifically highlighted. So not only is this a radiant pokemon it is also an envoy and a symbol of peace. If there is one supermodel in the world that CAN achieve world peace and happiness for everyone it is Milotic!

In combat Milotic works best as a wall.. it can tank a lot of damage due to it’s excellent defensive stats. It’s special defences are amazing and it’s physical defences are decent enough to take a hit or two as well. Having access to the move recover, which is considered a staple for Milotic will make it even better. Scald is the move that is placed on it for chip-damage and burns to make physical attacks weaker. Usually you equip the pokémon with leftovers for even more recovery and longer tanking. The other two moves are flexible and dependent on your team. Ice Beam is a favourite as it helps deal with pesky Ground and Dragon Types and usually Toxic is slapped onto it to give dots. Depending on your opponents team though Toxic might be swapped out with Haze..with resets set up moves like Swords Dance or Calm Minds and if you run the toxic stalling set , you might want to replace ice beam with Refresh for even more recovery and longevity. Whatever you build.. you can make it work with Milotic! It has a more supportive function in your team rather than a flat out offensive so adapts it move-set to your team’s strengths! But keep Scald and Recover!

Hoenn had some really good water Pokémon, which makes sense because of how much of the Region is covered in water. One of my favourite water types is the gigantic whale Pokemon Wailord. Why.. because it is so comically big and so ridiculously light for its size.. yet still heavy enough.. to be something incredibly memorable! Of course it famously breeds with Skitty ..the little cat pokémon too so there is already a lot of fun to be had with this pokemon. Skitty is 60 centimeters tall while Wailord is 14,5 meters tall. Respectively about 2 feet compared to 48 feet. Yet they can still make eggs together!  Wailord with it’s 398 kilograms of  877 pounds of weight has a Body Mass Index of 1.9.. compared to that of a human at 18 to 25 that isn’t very high! That being said, Skitty is not the only weird paring this whale of a pokémon can get it on with! Diglett is also a great partner. Wailord is just this really unique  water type who just for its size has taken a place in people’s hearts but he is still a pretty solid Pokémon as well!  Especially during Gameplay or the friendlier competitive scene this is a beast! Also it’s a symbol of friendship between me and this girl so I have lots of positive associations with it!

Pokedex wise there is mostly more stories about how big Wailord is and how much it can eat.  It can eat entire schools of Wishiwashi (which is a very tiny fish Pokémon) and if there is a pod (a group of whales)  Wailords near fishing beaches they decimated the pokéfish population so much that fisherman have to scare them off in order to keep their livelihood. The lungs of a Wailord are so big that it can dive 10.000 feet or +/- 3 kilometers deep and still have enough breath to come up for a new gasp of air no problem! It does this by breathing through its nostrils that it sticks above the water in it’s time of need. Wailords hunt in packs and heard their prey by leaping out of the water completely, which causes such big splashes that it can drive their prey in one direction or even flat out knock them out by the massive shockwave of a wailord hitting the water again. While it is the pokémon that is known as the largest one.. some smaller Wailords do exist. If it is targeted by Pokémon like Sharpedo or Dhelmise..all the Wailord in it’s pod flock together to deal with the treat to their smaller pack member. That smaller one probably is the child of a Diglett!

In the competitive Meta Wailord mostly uses its ability pressure and it’s fabulous healing to PP stall their opponents and making them unable to use moves!  While that is a good set to build it isn’t particularly my style. I prefer the “Moby Dick” set. Which uses moves like Curse, Waterfall , Rest and Avalanche to up it’s defences and rest up while becoming near immortal. Than just chipping away damage at the enemy. This works best with a Chesto Berry to make it snap awake early so you can do it all again! This set let’s your enemy despair. Since it’s health is insanely high , 170 base total using the move Water Spout  which deals damage based on how much health you have remaining is a good shout out as well. This usually means equipping it with a Choice Scarf for speed.. but I prefer to run this set on a sticky web team so I can boost the damage through the use of Choice Specs and see it kill everything! Fun and an excellent use of Wailords flavour! Both movesets also shout “big and clunky”  so you know it has my love!

Lotad , the basic form of Ludicolo was the first pokémon I ever caught in Hoenn after starting with Torchic .. I did a Mudkip run as well but since I never knew what kind of animal Mudkip was I felt closer to the fire chicken.. which was blatantly wrong.. but hey without that mistake I would not have loved Lotad as much or Ludicolo if i had started ..properly.. with Mudkip. A Water and Grass type pokémon combined was an excellent idea, and to base it around a lillypad.. that .. kind of becomes like a dancing Pineapple with a duck bill is amazing.  Because all ducks are amazing! Ludicolo even became more special to me when I played trough Colosseum and Gale of Darkness XD.  I actually started with Gale of Darkness XD for some reason and encountered a man named Mirror B! Who used mostly Ludicolo and dancing based themes. When I faced him in Colosseum  though he had this amazing conga-line like music theme. It became Ludicolo’s theme for me as it fits it so well! A pocket monster with it’s own music theme is amazing! 

Ludicolo is just the epitome of cheerfulness which is reflected by it’s lore.. which mostly a single entry across almost all generations. It loves to dance! It loves to dance so much that whenever it hears music it’s muscles become so charged with energy that it can not help not to dance. It grows stronger through dancing as well as it actually gives it energy rather than take it away. Any little happy beat will trigger this as well.  It is said to love dancing so much that it can be summoned by children, who hum just for fun! It will join them and dance on their merry melodies! Which I take as a lesson to never completely grow up! When we are adult we don’t hum a lot anymore! At least not like we did as a kid! We might mimic what Kanye song is hip .. or do whatever song is now a meme.. but we don’t really do our own melodies anymore! Like we used to. Ludicolo is a Pokémon that is a very odd duck that dances to the beat of it’s own drum.. and whatever drum people choose to walk to. So it teaches us a lesson to just do it! Go Ludicolo!

As a moveset, Ludicolo is very versatile again.. it functions best when it is in the rain as it activates it’s abilities Swift Swim, which speeds it up in the rain. Or Rain Dish which lets it heal in the rain.  The Rain Dish set is more often used in competitive using leech seed, giga drain and moves like that to keep sapping and gaining health.. a near immortal pineapple duck lily pad that never stops dancing. The Swift Swim set is usually quite aggressive with powerful water moves such as Hydro Pump, Giga-Drain again and two other offensive moves.  I personally like the aggressive Ludicolo a lot,  and if you make it set up the rain it is a great teammate on any rain team. With Dynamax setting up the rain is easier than ever so this pokémon is great!  The healing one is definitely more versatile though and helps you much better if you  your opponent lacks a bug type or another good counter for Ludicolo. It stats are lackluster compared to most of the other pokémon here, as it only has a 480 base stat total which is in the lower end of a fully level monster but given how easy it can boost itself this pokémon is still a keeper! 

Blastoise and I have a kind of weird relation. While it is not my starter of choice and nowadays I rarely pick it up anywhere, I still love it dearly… I just love another starter more. As a kid me and my sister used to play with Legos and at one time there were these Pokémon Gashapons which you can get.. we combined with lego’s to play Pokemon. The pokemon toys were about the right size so me and my sister would spend an entire day to build our pokémon same including a battlefield and a gym puzzle. My sister got Pikachu and Charmander, I got Blastoise and Gengar.  Our Gym leaders would visit each others gym, solve the puzzle and battle the gym leader.. which my sister always won..because if not she would break my gym!  But it was fun! We played our Pokémon talking to each other after the fight was done and Blastoise was my hungry lovable oaf. Gengar was an edgelord and he never got a lot of love! One time I won a gym battle and my sister got angry and tossed Gengar away and I did not find it again for a very long time.  So Blastoise was all I had. I grew super close to that toy so it will always have a warm place in my heart.

I played plastic Blastoise as someone who was always taking of it’s next apple as we had an apple toy as well!  Which neatly blended in with lore that was added during Pokémon Gold and Silver. A Blastoise likes to eat and keep being fat. It does this so that it is not jetisonned when it fires it’s own cannons. For these water cannons are powerful enough to punch a hole into thick steel plates. It can use it’s cannon to create water bullets that are so precise it can hit a tin can 160 feet or 53 meters away. It can use the pressure of it’s cannons to launch itself into a highspeed tackle and it likes to  crush it’s opponents with it’s heavy body until they faint. So that is already a lot of fire power! However if Blastoise Mega-Evolves the additional cannon it grows is about equal in strength to that of a tank!  Still very accurate. If it Dynamaxes however it loses all sense of accuracy for some reason so instead it just fires it’s 31 cannons over and over again, with the central cannon being powerful enough to blast holes into mountains.. once more proving that Pokémon hate steel vehicles like Dump Trucks and tanks but hate mountains even more…. I think it’s all the Zubat!

Our cannon turtle is a bit difficult to build because it really depends in what generation you build your set. Blastoise is often used as a Rapid Spinner, which means he should know the move Rapid Spin, which removes hazards your opponents sets! In  Generation VIII this move has become so much better due to the increased base power and speed boosting effect of this move.  Next you’ll want Scald in the pokémon to inflict burns and render physical move users pretty worthless! Dragon Tail gives you momentum control by forcing your opponent to swap out and Ice Beam is nice weakness coverage, which you can take advantage off because of the speed boosts.  This also works nice with Dynamaxing as it gives you access to four offensive Dynamax moves, even losing the low priority of Dragon Tail once you upgrade it to Max Wyrmwind. If you play a generation where you can Mega Evolve Blastoise you want to go hyper offensive with moves like Hydro Cannon and Dark Pulse.. as well as ice beam again.

Both my number 2 and number one pick aren’t even the characters I prefer to choose but these Water Pokémon are amazing.  Initially I was on Team Popplio when Sun and Moon where announced but I fell for the charm of Rowlett. It felt more consistent. However where I really love Rowlett so much it is in my top 5 of next week.. I did not particularly care for it’s evolutions. Primarina though… is amazing.  A water Fairy Type.. based on an seel who opera sings who gets her own sound based water move?! Sign me up for this this! I love the fairy type and Primarina is no exception!  I spend 5 hours mystery trading so I could add a Popplio on my team next to my Rowlett just so I could have a Primarina.  So it came to be that I became the first champion of Alola with all three starters in my squad! Heck I even wrote a little story about Popplio which is a testament on how much I like this evolution line! It still can not hold a candle to Rowlet on it’s own but throughout the entire evolution line this one is my clear winner.  In fact I dare say this is my final fully evolved starter ever.

Having not been around for long in the pokémon world it’s pokedex lore is a bit lackluster but this Primadonna requires a lot of it’s trainer.  As allegedly Primarina uses its singing voice as it’s main weapon, it is up to the trainer to maintain his poke-partners throat at all costs. So I bet Primarina stays perfectly hydrated and gets to eat lots of yummy ice cream to cool it’s throat. With song a primarina controls water balloons filled with sonic waves which form the basis for its attacks. These songs are passed down down for generations , thus a Melody should be able to tell you if Primarina are family of another or maybe if  they have been captured to early. Primarina is the Idol Girl, the Hatsune Miku, if the pokemon world as well. They don’t really care about battle, they battle simply so they can set foot on the “stage’ to display their songs. On moonlit nights it goes out in the see and looks quite mystical as it searches for other Primarina as they burst into song together!  That seems like a very on brand water pokémon for me!

Primarina is another one of those pokémon that is is a bit version specific. The Alola starter for example works best with Sparkling Aria, it’s signature water move that does that exact water Balloon thing we mentioned earlier, Moonblast which is the most powerful Fairy Type Move, Ice Beam  for weakness coverage against grass  and Psychic for weakness coverage against Poison. Equipped with a Primarinium Z to give it access to it’s signature and very powerful and good looking Z-Move, Oceanic Operetta. In Sword and Shield Surf is the better option over Sparkling Aria because it’s equally as reliable and powerful but functions better in Double Battles as well. It has one of the highest special attacks of all the pokémon on this list so it works best as a physical sweeper. Good items to equip it if you aren’t going for the Z-moves are items like a Life Orb or Choice Specs.  The latter may prove to be tricky though as Primarina is rather slow. Choice Scarf can make it faster but not enough so stay away from that. If your opponent doesn’t have many counters for Primarina you may want to consider putting an Assault vest on the pokémon.. which increases her defensive stats in trait for her not being able to use non offensive moves. 

Water Pokémon are a bit of a weird brand for me, I always feel a bit forced to use them so they do not always impress me as much, plenty are a hassle to evolve  or require you to commit hard to a single direction. Primarina is an amazing easy to start , easy to learn Pokémon that can offer joy to everyone! Her moves all by herself is pretty amazing so no need to hunt for moves to make her decent!  The design is resonates really well with me and it’s one of the most unique fully evolved starters out there that even can get rookies pretty far in their journey! This pokémon really sings to me! The winner! Primarina.

So who is your Favourite Water Pokémon? I do expect a lot of Lapras and Gyarados answers here but I have been wrong before! What is your favourite starting type? Next week we will cover the last of the starting types with the grass type! Let me know your thoughts in the comments and see you next time!

Psy-ai-ai-ai! I have been forgotten!


Pokemon Top 5: Favourite Fire Types

This is it! The list that would kill my blog if it had still been just about Pokémon! After reading this list not a single pokémon fan will take me seriously anymore.. after reading this list the man with the long sleeved coats and the soft walls will come collect me! All because the fire type beats the steel type! No Charizard will not be on my list! I find him overrated and overused! It’s like you talk about Pokémon and there he is well not this time Charizard this post will not mention you……D’oowww friggin crabcakes!

With this post we will be two-thirds into every pokémon typing so the rules should be clear by now. Only one entry per evolutionary line and I am free to pick my favorite but if I dislike the final evolution a pokemon might miss a nomination..because of all the steep competition Raboot and Scorbunny come to mind, but not because I dislike Cinderace, in fact I don’t mind him at all. I just REALLY dislike how little rhyme and reason there is to their evolution line. From a though kid with  a patch on his nose, into a ninja like, into a soccer player.  Now I know the ninja like look may be a soccer player warming up .. but I see a ninja and an edgy kid. So I can’t help but feel like “this doesn’t evolve into THAT when I see it. I would have loved to see Raboot somewhere else.. in the game..not as starter but like a thing of its own.. it doesn’t seem to fit Galar in the way I interpret it but I love the design I really want to see it in a more fitting line.

Secondly a pokémon has to fit a certain flavour for me to fit the typing. The fire type mostly has that covered for me. A weird one I do not really find a fire type is the pokémon Ironically named Talonflame…yet even with fire in the name and bright orange feathers I am not sold that it is a fire type. To me it’s a speedy hawk. With its ability Gale Wings I usually run it with Brave Bird anyway and run it more as a pure flying type.  The reason  I think this is is because it gets a primary typing change. It starts as Fletchinder who is a normal flying type like most birds. Yet when it evolves it’s primary typing gets changed. That doesn’t happen a whole lot and since the time I did actually pick it up I ran with a Fennekin I gave it a normal and flying moveset and that feeling stuck for me! I recognise it’s a Fire type.. but I rarely use it as such so to me it’s like all the other birds.

Nothing with a temporary form either, while I vastly prefer Primal Groudon over regular Groudon, a primal reversion is not a form you constantly have on your team You can choose not to give it the red ob and then Groudon will stay a ground type! I think this Pokémon should always have had the fire typing because of that it represents so I was really glad when Omega Ruby gave me what I had been asking for all those years! However, it only happens when you send it into battle so no this pokémon unfortunately will not be making my list.. unlike.. a pokémon I am sure will get me discredited as a pokémon fan. 

That’s right the most hated pokémon of all times, is in my top five favourites and no that is not a stunt for attention I really and genuinely like this pokémon. I like it so much that one of the first posts I made on my website was a promotion of this adorable simian.  No one shared love for it so now it is back with a vengeance! I honestly feel that everything deserves love so when I saw Simisear get so much hate I just could feel it weeping that nobody cared for it.. I heard it cry so I picked it up and realised..this isn’t so bad at all. In fact this a solid mixed attack, sure it isn’t all that special but I had a lot of fun with it. On Pokémon Showdown while doing random battles this pokémon also came up a lot for me and every  time I was happy.  I am like the patron of unloved pokémon .. I try them out and try to find the best in them and often I do and I had a blast with my sweet monkey! Who’s a good boy! Mamma Pinkie loves you even if no one in the world doesn’t!

Lorewise this pokémon isn’t particularly interesting but it has enough endearing info for me to fall in love with it more. This pokémon survives by keeping a flame within itself alive, for this it needs a lot of energy which it prefers to gets out of candy and other sweets. It reminds me so much of my OC Luma who is a near godlike creature who also needs lots of energy so she is a candy fanatic herself. Since it’s like a counter to your opponents starter and a static pokémon the pokemon fan titled “trash monkeys’  have a 87.5% chance to be male! Biologically speaking at least! I do not assume gender of course! Simisear evolves from Pansear once you expose it to a fire stone and it gains the ability to shake embers from it’s head and it sprays out fire from his tail once he is excited. The more excited this pokémon becomes the hotter it gets. So a happy little monkey is a hot little monkey!

Simisear has fairly low stats with his attack and special attack only being 98  aside from speed being at 101 the rest is all lower resulting in a fairly lackluster base stat total of 498. However Simisear gets a pretty decent moveset that can really surprise his opponents. Obviously you will want to run flamethrower or at least a powerful fire type move for same type attack bonus moves! Since it’s stats are fairly low you will want to run Nasty Plot to boosts it’s special attack!  Put on the move Focus Blast which provides Weakness covery against rock but also is a very powerful way to get around earth types and even most dragon types or anything resisting fire. Grass Knot is a great final move since all of his weaknesses usually are heavy and slow pokémon. Grass Knot deals damage based on the pokémons weight and it covers all three of it’s weaknesses so that is absolutely a great move to put on this  guy that kinda looks like Giorno Giovanna! So the best part is you can play Giorno’s theme when kicking ass with a pokémon people really can not stand! That is a win in my book!

The guy gal or otherwise who came up with the idea to make an Alolan Marowak based on a Hawaiian fire dancer should be given an award of some kind because oh my! While Cubone’s lore has always been super special Marowak always just was that  mother that just kinda got killed. I like it fine but the way it Alola treated it was amazing. One of my if not my favorite regional forms and and for those keeping track.. I really like alolan forms! It might not even be the last one we see in this format!  The hawaiian fire dancers that pay tribute to the dead alone would be enough to make it pretty special.. but they also had to give it the ghost time? Remember Marowak?! Well it’s still dead! Yet they did more with it.. you see.. this Marowak is not that pokémon that got killed.. it is actually that Cubone but it evolved.  There are  actual layers to this pokémon. And when it literally evolves an okay but sorta bland design into an almost identical looking one but better in every way with just some subtle tweaks and recolourations you know you are doing something right! , I can gush about how right this pokémon feels like me for ages and I think that is on it’s own a very powerful achievement.  For once I am not particularly  called back to my pokémon but how it fits in the entire pokémon world! Mad Props!

There is no Alolan Cubone, instead this Cubone is something that takes a different path. It’s mother was a regular , or an Alolan Marowak that got killed and Cubone this time took her bones instead of just her skull. However these bones were filled with regrets  of it’s mother of being unable to keep her child safe. Mother and child now sort of fuse into a spirit of vengeance where the former cubone functions as the body while it can manipulate the spirit of it’s mother into being flames that burn it’s targets.  With a burn that does not go away by applying water! Due to its nature and their familiarity with loss Alolan Marowak make graves for their fallen companions and honour their fallen by dancing for them, the graves consist out of little mounds of dirt. As a result of its loss it has a rivalry with the pokémon Mandibuzz, which is apparently responsible for it’s mother. Both Pokémon can be found in rocky mountainous areas, which is Marowaks habitat because it has trouble living in green environments on account of it’s fire abilities.  This calls back to the fact that cubone is the lonely Pokémon! This pokémon lives with its allies in relative isolation not to set the region ablaze. It’s lore keeps very much in mind where the pokémon came from as well as the region and I love it for it.

Alolan Marowak is much like his Kantonian counterpart a physically defensive pokémon.. as they share stats amongst each other it means their defence is the highest stat at 110 and both their offensive stats cap of at a mediocre 80. With a speed of 45  this thing is quite slow despite of its nimble dancing so it is not something you want to send in and take a hit from something it is weak against. I personally run the set with Willow Wisp.. a 100% burn guarantee move that halves your opponents physical attacks damage! Allowing it to maximise its own defences. Depending on your team set up this can be replaced by stealth rocks for entry hazards or sword dance for additional damage .. (if you have another way to burn them that would be great) you run it with its signature move Shadow Bone, which offers great same type attack bonus and as a ghost type move has some good coverage and the move Flare Blitz. THis move could be swapped out for Fire punch if you decide you rather have lighting immunity on your team with it’s lightning rod ability rather than Rockhead which prevents recoil damage. In my opinion Rock Head/Flare Blitz  is superior combination in general especially in regular gameplay moments as electric moves types usually do not want to swap into this pokémon because it knows Bone Club and Earthquake which should be your last move anyway. 

I always favoured Magmar over Charizard, because Charizard to be honest is my least favorite starter  of Gen I , I just like the other two better, since Growlithe never appeared in Pokémon Blue that meant my options were either Ponyta or Magmar when it came to a fire type. I could trade with my sister but she usually really liked Charizard and never ended up really catching fire types. At school I was a bit of a bullied kid so Growlithe was something I missed out on for quite a while. Not until a Pokémon event I visited would I get that one. So while I love Growlithe and Arcanine.. I never had the same bond with it as I had with Magmar.. my fire duck!  For those who are a bit familiar with me they know I love ducks!  Of course it doesn’t hurt that it has a pinkish shiny!  When my Lava duck got a trade tiem that evolved it into a super duck! I could not be happier! Magmar already had the previous two entries defeated in the stat department and now it got even better! A super artillery like fire duck that had some cool pairing with Electabuzz evolution as well! Sign me up!

Lorewise Magmortar is the most boring pokémon on this list. It has basically one relevant pokédex entry and it states that it can shoot fireballs that are about 3600 degrees fahrenheit which are 2000 degrees in the real temperature of Celsius (1982 to be exact) and for those who say.. Go Fahrenheit.. I say Celsius scales to Kelvin.. it just has a different zero point.. and Kelvin is the absolute temp measurement.. so if you really want to nag ..sure then  Magmortar fires fireballs of 2255.15 degrees Kelvin which is the absolute best temperature measurement, there we go. But yeah other than those fireballs it doesn’t do a whole lot.. it body becomes a bit whiteish when it does that according to most Pokedex entries and it’s breath is boiling hot and can sizzle.. which is not strange if you consider that Magmar , it’s pre-evolution’s body temperature is already 1477.594 degrees Kelvin, which is 273.15 degrees more than it’s temperature in Celsius and it’s 2200 degrees of that weird one.|Obviously Sun and Moon had to make this pokedex lore a bit darker because that is what they did.! Apparently if Magmortar fires these balls in rapid succession it’s body becomes so hot that it begins to melt. Whatever it hits turns into a blackened shrunken , charred nothingness… so it prefers to kill its prey in other methods because there isn’t enough left to eat otherwise. Thanks Sun and Moon!

In combat Magmortar has many options , but let’s build a set that really capitalised on his amazing 125 special attack!  I think one of the best ways to use it to its maximum potential is to make it a Sunny Day user. This is a move that boosts up the power of fire moves and one should consider Heat Wave, Fire Blast or Flamethrower  with Heat Wave being your best option in my opinion but Fire Blast coming with a Higher Power but lower PP and Flamethrower coming with a better chance to burn etc.  Solar Beam should also be equipped. After Sunny Day it is a one turn move with 120 base power that hits all of Magmortars Weaknesses super effectively, with a base speed of 84.. I suggest putting some EV’s in speed and it will on average be the faster between those water rock or ground types. Psychic would be a great move for some further coverage against some Meta-dominating types and in Showdown where it can Dynamax psychic terrain grants some additional benefits. Spec it out like a semi-fast special sweeper and you will definitely bring some pain.

Darmanitan is easily one of the most unique fire types out there, based on A Daruma doll with some ape like features and an ability to turn into a statue that gains the psychic type as well as massive defensive an special attacking capabilities make it a super versatile monster. However it’s alternate ability makes it a powerhouse that can one shot so many things. There is just something to this pokémon that is incredibly appealing to me. It has this charisma. Whenever I see that Pokémon I go like! Yes that is a Pokémon I wanna use! It looks awesome. Even when a Daruma Doll pokémon is a weird thing to insert in a region based on America. In fact that is what made it even more appealing. Darmanitan and Darumaka stood out from Black and White to me.. and Darmanitan is probably my favorite Gen V Pokémon, though I really like Scrafty as well.. oh and Krookodile! It just feels so unique to me, those bushy eyebrows, those eyes, that sharp grin it is absolutely amazing. Visually except for Ho-Oh who already made a prior list maybe the most appealing fire type for me! So there is already a lot of love there! Yet i can’t even fully tell why.

Pokédex wise it’s more temperate stuff, but I can’t be bothered doing all the calculations again so let me just say it’s colder than Magmortars self melting fireballs and hotter than Magmar. While in it’s Apish  form it is said to have a power level.. equal to its temperature with a maximum 2500. While Power Level is never used in Pokémon.. 2500  equals abouts Two Raditz and a normal form Master Roshi. I know those sound weak but I bet they could punch the crap out of a shit ton of wildlife! While it’s unsure if this power level is anything remotely close to the one we see in Dragon Ball Z is unknown BUT it is given context in the pokedex.. as Darmantian can obliterate a Dump Truck with one single punch, which makes me thing the Two Raditz is fair comparison. Also I know PETA tried to make us feel bad for the Pokémon in this world but no one ever stood still at the dump trucks! I noticed how many dump trucks get destroyed by pokémon, is that why we never really see a lot of cars in the anime or in the games! Regardless all in all Mew chose a pretty shitty hiding place  back in Vermilion city! Perhaps it really wanted to get found and since it is the biological ancestor of all pokémon it made sure so many pokemon could find it and play with it? Hmmmm theories!

In combat Darmanitan can be a beast. While many people prefer to run the mixed Zen Mode set, the one where Darmanitan turns into a statue (which is other pokedex lore but they just say it turns hard and sharpens it’s mind so meh)  I prefer the Sheer Force version. Which boosts power of attacks by 30% but negates any secondary effect like a burn chance etc. Flare Blitz, Earthquake, Rock Slide and Hammer Arm  as moves give it a coverage against virtually everything, a life orb will make sure it hits so hard it just destroys everything in its path. It doesn’t take a lot of hits.. but to be honest that would not be fair.  With Dynamax being a thing letting this one grow and  use a few Max fighting moves to increase it’s already huge 140 base so now it arguably is even better, with the Dynamax Fire move putting up the sun to power your Flare Blitzes as well this can really be a sheer force to be reckoned with.

Cyndaquil is my favorite fire starter ever, without a shadow of about, I like torchic as well but Blaziken I found a bit.. undefinable or something I do not know! Cyndaquil is my favorite starter from my favorite Gen from my possibly favorite Region. Of  course it’s also the only one who is weak to Whitney’s Miltank so I cursed the living daylights of it as well  Though that was mostly the Miltank! Gold is the game I replayed the most times..except for Kanto based Rom Hacks maybe.. and while I ran Totodile twice and Chikorita once.. Cyndaquil I have chosen for a grand total of at least 5 times.  A feat only surpassed by a single starter and it’s not a fire type. I head a lot of Cyndaquils, bearing a lot of names and all of them I loved very much! The nick nameless one (I think it was the first but not fully sure)  was one I particularly held dear because it was the first pokémon I ever taught the move Return, which deals damage based on affection and through the power of our friendship we are a very strong pairing. I shall never  forget the good times I had with this mon and what it did for me!
Thank you for making my childhood and my adventures in Johto awesome.

Now lore wise this Pokémon has no Sun and Moon nor Ultra Sun and Moon Pokédex entries so it should be known that there are no real super dark descriptions on how it blows up innocent kids or something for the heck of it or how it’s burn victims scream in pain only livable for life if they are hoisted in a robotic suit that makes them sound like James Earl Jones. Instead it’s Pokédex entries are a testament of Typhlosion’s  power and it’s tantrum. The heat one of these fire starters emits is directly related to it’s rage!  At the peak of it’s rage it is so hot that anything it touches..or touches it.. immolates. Science shows that humans who allegedly self immolated have burned at a temperature of 1930 degrees Celsius or 2200 degrees Kelvin (Which translates to about 3500 degrees Fahrenheit).
Given that I think it is safe to assume that a Water Killed Crocodile or a Rock with arms probably have higher immolation temperatures it is safe to say this beasty is a big hot head.
It is so hot that it can create a shroud of heat. Heat Shimmers that are so intense it can actually hide behind it, from which it launches it’s secret technique! By rubbing it’s blazing  fur together it can create an explosive that are so powerful it can reduce everything to firey nothingness. So this means something has to be heated so much it gets undone on a molecular level. This basically only incurs in the sun. So even if we lowball Typhlosions explosion by using the suns outer layers it already can reach up to 5500 degrees Centigrade, 5770 degrees Kelvin and 10.000 degrees Fahrenheit, with the inner workings of the sun going up way higher going into the millions.  So pretty powerful either way.

Typhlosion is a mixed attacker, with it’s special attack at 109 base and it’s physical attack at 84.  While certainly not the best stats this does keep your opponent guessing. This creature is best when it comes equipped with a choice-item which is an items that boosts a stat (attack, special attack or speed for band, specs or scarf respectively) Physical sets usually run Earthquake (the most used move in this game ever) Fire Punch and Shadow Claw. Special sets use Eruption (which deals damage equal to your hp left.. so rather than boosting your attacking stat boosting your speed seems rather nifty, unless your opponent has a slow team. Flamethrower and Extra Sensory, the fourth move in both cases is a a case of covery and usually based on what type of team you run. Ice is usually a good shout out against Dragon Types. Typhlosion is one of those “it’s okay” in everything  type Pokémon so that does means it does not like to swap into opponents moves. Since a choice item locks you into a single move this requires your team to have a special and physical wall to exploit effectively. With Eruption it can hit hard and fast early game and take out a lot that doesn’t resist it but after it takes a hit when locked into Eruption it needs to be swapped out. If it faces something that resists the move it is locked in.. you need to swap it out.  This also means you will be very vulnerable to entry hazards like stealth rocks and spikes. So asides from having something that can tank damage you will want a Rapid Spinner or a defogger to remove hazards. So Choice item users really become the center of your team. As a result I do think Typhlosion is a little more advanced to use than some other entries.. but It keeps your opponents guessing and you should know by now how I feel about Mind games! My number1 pick for fire types is this  dedicated good boy!

So who is your favourite Fire Type?! Do you usually start out with Fire Types? I am a dedicated Grass starter myself.. I rarely start with fire types! How many of you will answer Charizard?! We will find out! Next week there we will take a break from this list to celebrate my blogs anniversary but the week after that we will be back with the water type! Now all this writing made me want to play with some fire!

Pokémon Top 5: Favorite Rock Type Pokémon

Hello Hello my sweet island guests! Even a restyle can not stop me from continuing to do top fives on one of my most beloved franchises in the world. Pokémon! By the time you are writing this the DLC will have been out for about a week or so. However I plan to take my time with that.. plus I work ahead a bit so I will discuss that when I get there. Most likely on a game cocktail as well. So keep an eye out on tuesdays! Today however we will discuss a pokémon type that is super effective against the ice type! The Rock type!

Unlike the ground type , which is counted as one of the stronger pokémon types, the rock type oftenly along with the ice type is considered on of the two worst typings. Rock type moves are quite okay .. but due to how many enemies are weak or quad weak to rock, you do not really need the STAB bonus for it.. rock type moves are often better of being used on a non stab pokémon. And  that is mostly due to the insane amount of weaknesses rock has as well. Water, Grass, Ground, Fighting , Steel. While it is super effective against Fire, Flying, Bug and Ice that already forms a problem. Bug Ice and Flying are all part of the weaker, less (end game)  represented typings.

In the competitive scene.. nearly all fire types learn will o’wisp which burns an enemy and harms physical attack.  Most rock moves are physical and stat wise.. these pokémon are oftenly specced on the defensive side.. for example Oddish has a better physical attack than Onix.. that means a beet..can punch you harder than a rock snake! Halving their offence so easily.. is not that good! Since it’s so bad! Onix is not my favorite but he does get a mention.

This snake lifts less than this beet!

Like Always one entry per evolution line, while I can use prior forms if I like them better, I’d have to like the final form at least a bit. It has to be usable.. if the final form makes me not want to use it.. it gets reprimanded. As is the case with Tirtouga and it’s evolution Carracosta. While I really like the energetic looking rock turtle Tirtouga, Carracosta is just a cranky boring as bipedal version of it and it feels extremely lazy in design! It doesn’t have a fun move set either and it lacks any form of charm. Gen VIII finally showed us how a rock turtle is properly done with Chewdle and Drednaw. I do love Tirtouga design wise.. it just doesn’t got anywhere.. which is a shame. 

Now this typing is the worst offender by far of my.. it has to feel like a rock type to me rule as well. The biggest reason is all the fossils being rock type because they are ancient pokémon and came out of a rock! (Well except for the Gen VIII fossils but so many of them miss the mark. Aerodactyl should have been a dragon type.. while I get the redundancy with dragonite nothing really screams that this thing is made of rocks until it’s mega evolution. It’s a flying dinosaur. Flying Rock and Flying Ground and Flying Rock types I have difficulty believing. Minior and Archeops being the only exceptions because one is a meteor.. so I get both typings.. and the other is a dinosaur that can barely fly.  I know Aerodactyl has some pretty solid rock type moves but I’d rather see either an Ancient Type or giving Dinosaurs the Dragon type. 

Another rule is that a pokémon can not show up on a list more than once. If a pokémon was on an earlier  typing list it can not exist on the list of it’s other typing as well. Shuckle, Archen and Archeops are therefore out of the running. Still I would like to name one of my favorite Ultra Beasts here, Nihilego.. it’s a starry Jellyfish that shoots poison .. but for some reason they gave it the rock typing! Not only does this make my precious like super weak to sooo many types.. it should not be a rock type at all! It doesn’t have anything that ties it to a rock type other than that it learns Power Gem and possibly Ancient Power?!  Blegh! Bad call Game Freak!  So unfortunate that lovely will not be on the list either! Now let’s see who did make it.

For the first time I flipped a coin to determine my number 5. It was a close one between this and Minor, the cute jelly filled rock which has a pink form!  Ultimately when I think about it though Sudowoodo is definitely the more iconic one of the two! It’s one of the famous roadblock Pokémon, it has that level of clunk to it which I really appreciate in pokémon and like Minior it has a bit of a deceptive nature.  Where Minior looks like a rock but is actually a rock covered.. alien thing.. this looks like a tree that is actually a rock. Comparing those statements next to each other does make me think Sudowoodo is the better pick! His anime voice is amazing as well! This pokémon actually became a part of my first Pokémon Gold Team for a brief while! I would later travel with a Bonsly that would turn into Sticks the Sudowoodo in another pokémon fangame, whose name I am not sure off. It might be Pokémon Phoenix Rising.. but it might have also been something else. I play a lot of those!Reason enough to have a personal connection with this pokémon though! So yay for number 5.

Lorewise Sudowoodo is quite an odd Pokémon which endears me to it! It hates fighting so it pretends to be a tree to avoid being attacked.  While up close you can see it seems to be made out of rock rather than out of wood it really sticks to the practice. It is so rigid that if you see a twig shake in the wind.. you know it’s NOT a Sudowoodo! While it is not moved by the wind.. it starts fleeing as soon as it begins raining as it hates the rain so much, which I find adorable.  The fact that it hates rain and water so much is mentioned in nearly every pokédex entry.. and it had a lot!  It allegedly has has gained tremendous strength keeping its muscles so stiff. However by far the best pokedex trivia comes from the fact that old folks tend to collect and groom Sudowoodo. The greener their finger orb things are the higher the collectors value. Old people like to compare their Sudowoodo with each other, trying to find one that has the perfect arm length and angle with as green as possible orbs. This practice has become so popular it even sprouted it own magazine! So if you ever want a magazine filled with posing tree rocks travel to the pokémon world!

Sudowoodo is not a very competitive pokemon. With a Base Stat Total of only 410 it’s about as powerful as a Ponyta, Bibarel or Pyukumuku .. it also has the same base state total as the number four on my list.. and that one is not even fully evolved… neither is Ponyta though. While it’s defence is a great 115 and it’s attack a very respectable 100 the rest of it’s stats are VERY poor. Speed being at 35 as Sunkern and a Metapod and with it’s Special Defence, and Health being below par means it will not take kindly to even a water gun!
Sudowoodo however can learn the devastating move Head Smash and is one of the most punishing sucker punch users to send out against psychic types, ghost types or fire types.  While Woodo will go down with just a splash of water or a Giga- or mega drain  it can still take away a large chunk of enemy hp. Counter or Lowkick and Wood Hammer are pretty solid to run on this pokemon as well. It could also set up the sun if you have team build around that.  All in all a great monster that does show the rock type it’s flaws very well. It might be physically defensive..but three out of the  9ish predominantly physical types are its weaknesses.. 4 if we count the pretty solid grass physical covery.  So it is a mon you need to swap out a lot.

This pokémon is a bit of a weird pick! It’s the first, and not final evolution of Rolycoly, the cutests named rock type in existence. It is on this list because with some distance it is my favorite designed rock type. A coal cart! That is so random.. but what won me over is that Coltrane  my Carkol was so fun to play with at Pokémon camp! I had a blast tossing the ball for it and see it play fetch. There is something about seeing a mine cart filled with fire and a head smile gleefully at you that felt deeply satisfying. I also really like the combination of fire and rock types being used as non-lava pokemon for once. Coal seems a perfect metaphor for that type and since Galar is based on England making a pokémon to represent that part of their history I found quite enjoyable. There is so much recognisability in Galar pokémon, one might call it gimmicky but I actually love this style. You can glance at a pokémon and say! Well yep that’s from Galar!  It’s a great route I hope they will take in the future and this pokémon to me might be the epitome of it. 

Now lore wise Carkol is lacking a bit as it is only one generation old and DLC has replaced alternative versions so less dex entries for it to be had anyway! Carkol  apparently can form coals deep inside its body which it then “drops”  these coals have fueled many generations of people living in Galar. So there you have it , steam trains in Galar run on Pokémon Poop! I never thought I could make a PooChoo train joke but here I am! Thank You Game Freak.  Not to speak of Poop-Power Plants! Pooper Plants?  Of course this is never really stated to be poop.. but it is a dropping the pokemon forms out of waste inside its body so that does sound awfully familiar.  Carkol rolls around on its little  stumpy legs, they can spin around like wheels.. but not as round.. which is hilariously clunky and if you read any previous top 5 you know I have a thing for that. It’s top speed is 30 kilometers per hour or 18 miles per hour! Proof that kilometers are the best because more of them fit in the same hour! More is always good!  This little train that is about as fast a sprinting cyclist  can also breathe fire of about 1000 degrees Celsius or 1800 degrees Fahrenheit.. which proves Celsius is better.. because there are less degrees to get hurt by!

Competitively this pokémon of course can’t do anything! It’s base 410 stats are evenly distributed with a best stat of 90 in defence and speed being the lowest at 50.  Since it is 4x weak to both water and ground basically every semi decent pokémon trainer will kill it dead within a single turn. Coalossal it’s evolution however does have some uses as a physical wall. Just make sure to equip it with an air balloon. It’s signature ability Tar Shot adds a weakness to fire moves on the next turn so it’s best used to take care of enemies you do not have a counter for during gameplay! I don’t see this pokémon being used a lot in competitive battles and Smogon has put it in a bit of a borderline competitive tier RarelyUsed. So instead of trying to making this pokémon work for you in battle I suggest you use it where it really matters. In your pokémon camp! Making it fetch various forms of toy-balls and such! Thats where this little coal cart really can warm your heart!
<I found no Carkol Plushie otherwise it would be depicted as an image>

Who would have thought that a pink pixie that is considered the jewel pokémon with a mostly white and pink colour scheme would ever be one of my favorite rock types?! It’s a legendary pokémon as well.  Now I know some people will nitpick and call it a mystical pokémon instead but no it has 600 stat points at least! It’s a legendary! Mystical is a term I hate to define pokémon with. It’s so exclusive for no reason at all! Anyway this pokemons design is so amazing. I loved Carbink already but when they gave it a magical evolution that formed this legendary creature it just got better. It’s Mega evolution is so amazingly pretty! It felt truly like something legendary.. but not like Celebi or Victini.. whose designs I find a back lackluster. This one walked that balance so much better. Just look at it! It’s so pretty and the gem on the normal form changes into a heart when it evolves. Have I told you it’s shiny is even pinker?! * Fan Girl purring noises* 

Only in the Gen VI games has Diancie ever had a pokédex entry! While it is linked to the regularly pokémon, the rock and fairy Type Carbink it doesn’t actually evolve from it in game. Rather according to the pokédex it more or less mutates into a Diancie. A sudden transformation rather than a build towards evolution. The reason why it does this is not known. It’s pink glimmering body is in universe said to be the prettiest site in the entire world… *Squeeeeee*  So the fact that this pink thing is the prettiest thing in existence in the pokémon world makes me feel I am right! Pink is an amazing colour! So it’s a great pokémon for me to have! Not only that but Diancie also has the ability to create Diamonds from “nothing” It can compress the carbon between it’s hand and form pink diamonds which she can hurl at her enemies.. or of course give to me .. her loving trainer. Diamonds might be a girls best friend but that is just because most girls do not know what a Diancie is!

In battle Diancie is amazing, as to be expected of a legendary with a mega evolution. Just unfortunately like almost every dual rock type she has a 4x weakness. This time to steel types. Luckily Iron Head and Bullet Punch, and Meteor Mash are usually the only steel type moves that are run so it’s not as bad as being 4x weak to fighting or to Water or Grass.  With 100 base stat in both attack and physical attack it’s about as strong of an attacker as Mew  and with 150 defence and special defence it’s as hard as Registeel! It has terrible hit-points and speed though. It can probably survive one of two hits due to it’s tankiness but still this pixie does not enjoy pain! When you Mega evolve it it swaps around it’s offensive and defensive stats and becomes fast!  Meaning it now can hit really hard really fast. Usually I run a barrier setting Diancie with Diamond Storm and Moonblast as offensive moves.  Get your barriers up, transform and bring the pain.  Once again though Diancie is a monster you do not want to sent out against anything it is weak against.. and that is still a fair few things. You probably need a trick room setter or a hazard setter to optimise your beautiful jewel.

This pokémon would be my number 1 with quite some margin if it did not have one big strike against it.  It’s four times weak to fighting type moves. Those are quite prevalent in end game and competitive scenes due to moves like Close Combat. Also since Dynamax fighting moves are really good, as in that they actually increase your most important stat if you use those type of moves…  that is a major flaw in the current generation for this pokémon. Despite that fact though this is such a cool pokémon. I am a bit upset they did not give it a Godzilla like Gigantamax. This is the pokémon is basically Godzilla anyway so now that pocket monsters can actually become Kaiju this is a missed opportunity. That being said ..this pokémon is so incredibly cool! Like from it’s design to it’s moveset, to it’s mega!  This is a COOL pokémon. I’d say rivalling charizard in charisma for me! …Not that I am THAT fond of charizard but still I can’t deny it’s charisma! This is the same.  Probably my favorite designed pokémon from Gen II. 

In the pokedex this pokémon is quite hyped up as well. It being described as so incredibly powerful that in a single of its hands it has the power to destroy mountains. It is unable to feel physical pain so it travels through mountains to find a new home destroying every opponent it finds on it’s way. It cares for nothing but for itself and it can create earthquakes powerful enough to shape the land. When A Tyranitar goes on a rampage maps have to be altered because the land simply will not look the same. Ultra Moon describes it as a mobile Disaster.. it will go where it wants to go and if something is in it’s way it will go through rather then around. No matter if this is pokémon , people, houses or mountains. All shall be  crushed by its power.  It should come to no surprise then that Tyranitar is a Pseudo-Legendary.. and in fact having high enough stats to be counted among some of the legendary pokémon. It’s mega evolution only has 12 pokémon physically stronger than it.  Mewtwo X, Kyurem Black, Primal Reversion Ground and Deoxys are amongst the list.. so  you can imagine how many pokémon can actually stand up to it… all but two are mega evolutions as well. 

What is most terrifying about this pokémon though is that it learns Dragon Dance, a support move that boosts Attack and Speed. Dragon Dance is one of the.. if not the best set up move in the entire game and it turns Tyranitar in a justified OverUsed (best rank of competitive battling that are not widely banned)  candidate despite it’s weakness. However since I don’t exactly know what does get Superpower or Close Combat or on who it ‘s viable and what not I can’t use this pokémon to the max of its potential!  You definitely want Dragon Dance on your Tyranitar usually with Crunch a dark type (thus boosted) physical move  and Stone Edge, which is the best physical rock type move an elemental punch of your choice to complete the set and you are done! You created a monster.. although one that will fall immediately if someone uses low Kick!

This pokémon looks like the most edgy pile of rocks you have ever seen. Yet this pokémon really feels like rocks! I just love this design! The blueish main rock with those orange like shards and those split rock.. yellow eyes it is completely amazing to me! During my first play trough of Black and White I caught a Roggenrolla intrigued by the little thing. It’s evolution into Boldore and trade evolving into Gigalith was one of my most liked evolution lines. This really feels like an evolution but it also feels really impressive and powerful. I managed to get it evolved by trading with someone willing to help me out after I wondered why Boldore would not evolve and looking it up. The pokémon that I got in return was so badass and while I am not a big fan of badass pokémon this one quickly won my heart.  During Black and White 2 I found no one to trade me and this pokémon was sorely missed. It’s a super sluggish pure rock type.. but unlike Tyranitar I always feel like I am control of this beast and I can make the proper plays!  Plus my Barney could really look impressive while he was doing it. 

Like Tyranitar Gigalith is a force to be reckoned with, though where Tyranitar is a Pseudo Legendary this one is not, which is reflected in its lore! It’s a much more friendly pokémon usually working with humans in construction. It works a bit like Dynamite..capable of producing energy that could blow up filled dump trucks. However to do so it must  charge it’s orange bits in sunlight first. It can not keep this charge for very long either because it is stated that on rainy or cloudy days it can not use it’s beam attacks.  While it is being described as a beam attacker though it’s actual special attack stats (which is used for beams etc)  are quite low. However there is still a way that Gigalith can unleash all this energy! It can explode with a big bang! When it compresses the energy inside itself it can gather enough energy to blow up an entire mountain along with it, so that means it would be a great pokémon for Megumin from Konosuba.  Explosion!

Explosion is a great optional move on this pokémon. However this pokémon comes with with the ability Sand Force .. and that is what you want it to have. This ability boosts Rock steel and earth types moves power by 30% if used in a Sandstorm.. so obviously you want to carry that move named the same as a Darude song with you . Then you want to run earthquake.. while it does not get STAB bonuses on Gigalith it’s 135 attack along with the 30% boost will not make that to much of a problem. You could run toxic on it because Gigalith is counted as a wall pokémon but I honestly advise you to just bring normal gem and explosion along and use the last move for Stone Edge. Toxic stalling might be smarter but exploding and taking out your opponents ace is so much more satisfying. For some reason everything I see Gigalith I just think.. man now thats a cool rock type.. when I see Tyranitar I think.. wow thats a cool pokémon! So that’s a point for this one! Another point.. A fully set-up Tyranitar will surely cause despair in your opponent but seeing their face when their Kyurem white just jumped into an explosion is so much more priceless. Now seeing a face doesn’t often happen but I got lucky on a few occasions and while I think Tyranitar really is overused and a bit of a generic pick.. I would use Gigalith again!  My favorite rock type is just that.. a rock! Both on and off the battlefield.

Winner! Gigalith!

Due to almost all the Rock dual types having a 4x weakness, this is one of my lesser favorite types! I love rock types moves but due to their stats they are usually still beter on another Pokemon. What are your favorite Rock-Types? Is it Aerodactyl? Do you use the type a lot? Let me know in the comments! Thank you for reading and next time we are going to look at my absolute least favorite type.. the steel type! Now it’s time for me to be taking a plunge into making some more content! Bye!

Pokémon Top 5: Favourite Ice Types

Hello my sweet island guests, get a fruity little drink! Today I’ve got the ice!
The Ice type  is commonly seen as one of the worst two typings in the entire game. While good against the Grass, Flying Dragon And last weeks ground type, it’s weaknesses to fire, steel rock and fighting make it quite a struggle to use these things. Their defences are usually very flimsy while many are built like tanks.. Today we look for a little ray of sunshine amongst the ice types. Let’s hope they don’t melt!

If you have been keeping tracks of these list by now you do know the rules. No pokémon from earlier lists and only one entry per evolution line which in this case is much less of a problem because there is only one good unevolved ice type pokémon and even then I do not mean it in the viable sense. The only good, non fully evolved ice type is of course Snom! He’s so adorable!He also feels like an ice type because of well his name.. and his colour! He’s precious we should all protect snom! A single pebble can kill him so he’s no list material but still!

The second rule I always wield is.. the pokémon has to feel to me like it’s typing and ooh boy.. does the ice type miss that mark a lot. Of the 53 ice types out there 9 do not feel like ice types at all to me. That would arguably be more if I count the cold water pokémon. Lapras however I do count among the list that do not feel like ice types to me. Perhaps because the anime branded it as native to tropical islands but yeah that doesn’t feel icey to be.. it’s gigantamax does. Then again I think it would be better as a water-sound type. I do not like Lapras though.. so it would not make the list regardless. Sneasel and Weavile also don’t really feel like Ice types to me! I love using them and I run them with ice moves but why is it an ice type?! I don’t really see it. Same goes for Jynx . 

A final shout out goes to Zen Mode Galarian Darmanitan. I really don’t like the design of it’s normal mode.. but when it goes into Zen Mode using its ability I love the design. The fire and ice typing is fun as well.. but SO much ice types have quad weaknesses and this on does as well.  Given that Zen Mode Galarian Darmanitan needs to be  below a certain amount of health to transform into his ice and fire state, it is a temporary form pokémon and thus not eligible for this list. Still a great design though. 

I am gonna get strung up for this by the Pokémon community but I LOVE Vanilluxe! The ice cream pokémon it looks so Happy! The idea of a snow cone pokémon  I find perfectly okay! People complain that it’s ice cream and say Gen I pokémon were better no stupid objects. We had a Pokéball  that evolved into an inverse Pokéball.  We had a stick in the ground that became three sticks in the ground and we had two magnets on an eyeball! The whole idea of Pokémon is seeing creatures you have never seen before. If you just want cats in varying colours go play that cat mobile game.  Vanilluxe is great!  It deserves love! It is probably THE pokémon that everyone would look at at say “Now THAT’s an ice type”  along with very few others.  Along with about half the full ice types.  My test for this would be.. imagine a black and white picture of the pokémon.  No colour.. could you still say it’s an ice type? Heck yeah I could!

Vanilluxe comes into existence when two Vanillish (it’s pre-evolution) partially melt in the sun! When they go out to play at night together they freeze up together and now are one entity! This gives them the ability to cause powerful blizzards that can freeze just about everyone. However this ice-cream is also a bit of a hot head! It gets angry a lot and when both heads get angry it will cover the land in a huge snowstorm regardless if friends or foe are in there! It just throws a tantrum! An Ice type that is a hot head! I love it! Of course Pokémon Sun and Moon had to add some darkness to it’s pokémon entries by stating that both it’s head have separate brains that can agree and disagree with each other.. making it’s power alternate! It also was stated there that it can occur that one of the heads is lost! If that is so the other still can live in relative comfort! How said! You just got a forever friend and then it’s head is blown off and you live with just the body of your friend. Basically.. it’s just Dio then I guess

In combat Vanilluxe is not bad either! It has an okay base speed of 79 but it can learn the ability weak armor which easily allows you to crank that up! It also has some speed boosting moves. Ice body and Snow Warning as an ability can come in clutch as well. It’s attack being at 95 which is also fairly high makes it that it’s Explosion move can also hurt like heck! It’s defences are quite okay as well! Not great but not trash either so it could possible take a hit and if it’s too damaged you just blow it up and take your opponent with you.  It gets powerful ice moves such as blizzard and ice beam but it also learn Flash Cannon a nice steel type special move to give it some weakness-covery against rock! It gets the move Sheer Cold as well which can knock your opponent out in a single hit. .if luck is on your side!  It was a great addition to my  princess tea party team in Galar (An Apple Pie, With some Whipped Cream, A scoop of Ice and Some hot tea, all with a fairy princess and her magical unicorn)! 

A pokémon that is both an ice type and a fairy type. That looks super pretty and is inspired on the nine tailed fox? Of course that would make the list! This pokémon is probably the most pretty Alolan form across the line!  I wish I could have made this my favorite but unfortunately it has two major flaws. It’s stats aren’t all that great with everything but speed hovering at around 75, only being specially defensive. It is quad weak to steel type moves though.  It’s great for killing dragons though! Also have I told you it looks pretty?! This definitely is the prettiest pokémon on the list.. heck I think it might be one of the prettiest pokémon ever! What it lacks up for in battle aptitude it  makes up for in style.  Many times over! During my fairy only type run in Alola,  Shirona  was my Alolan Ninetales and while I noticed she lacked the ability to hit hard.. she made my team look pretty and helped me deal with a bunch of peky types! Sometimes style does go over substance.

This design is reflected in the  pokédex lore it has been given. Due to it’s looks it has been revered as a deity before it was identified as a regional version of Ninetales. This has to do with the fact that in the mountains these majestic pokémon dwells there lives a deity. When seeing a snowy beautiful pokémon like this of course it was given divine qualities. This also is in part because Alolan Ninetales will guide lost hikers back to the foot of the mountain. However it does not do this out of kindness it does this because it wants the hikers gone from it’s mountain to protect the deity! Other deities seem to visit the areas they live in as well making it even more important that they are left alone. Those who damage the nature in the areas they live in.. do not get the kind treatment to safety. It will never forgive anyone who scars it’s mountain.  So there you go! This is a pokémon that is above humans it rather plays with deities! That’s top 5 worthy!

In battle Alolan Ninetales does not have a lot of oomph! It’s attack stats are just to poor. It usually is made to be into a supportive wall setter. Equipped with the ability Snow warning and the Light Clay Item, this pokémon can set a unique barrier that shields against both physical and special moves (it needs to be hailing for it to do so though.. hence the ability which sets up the snow/hail) This means you give it the move encore as well to prevent your opponent from setting up or force a switch if they set up weather to counter you.  Very important to carry that move then! Offensively there are two main types of pokémon that can set up the weather in your disfavor in general,  Grass types set up the sun while Water types set up the rain! (Rock and Fire types can set weather but you switch out against them anywya) By taking the move Freeze-Dry you have super effective special moves against both grass and water so that is a good shoutout to take as well. For a fourth move you should let it know Sheer Cold. Random One Hit Knock Outs can be good since when the shields are up, Ninetales becomes a tad throwaway.

A penguin that has a block of ice on it’s head that is also a head already sounds like a perfect pokémon for me! So adorable and derpy!  This is the type of design I love! I am fairly alone in that because some people seem to hate this pokémon despite of how cute it looks!  When it is hit by a physical move the ice cube shatters and it becomes penguin with a super tiny head that has turned all blue from the cold! I love it so much! In the Crown Thundra DLC trailer we have seen recently we see an Eiscue in the water.. it’s floating there because it’s head is just a big ice block! It looks so fun! Squeee! I just imagine the little feet trampling at all their might underneath the water to get anywhere but it just doesn’t work! So it has to let the current take it where it wants to go! If you read any of my lists before you know I really appreciate clunk in Pokémon.

Since this is a Gen VIII pokémon we do not have a lot of pokédex entries yet ..but what we have is super cute! It does indeed mention that it likes to drift in the ocean to keep its head super cold! It likes the big head it seems! When it breaks it reveals a slightly worried expression that has enamoured many people in the pokémon world and I totally get that! I love that face I just want to squeeze it in it’s tiny cheeks and tell it’s a good boy and I will help it get it’s favorite head back! Yes I will! Mamma will put a block of ice on your head! When it is drifting about the ocean it uses it’s little hair that grows out of the ice block as a fishing rod.  When it’s in it’s small faced form the single hair reacts to it’s thoughts. The hair is in straight connection to the brain so  when something is on it’s mind the hair emits a cold aura. I just want to put a little ribbon in there! 

In battle Eiscue can be amazing! It learns Belly Drum.. and combining that with a hp recovery berry, and it’s ice face ability this pokémon is rather amazing. Belly Drum boosts it’s physical attack stat from a base 80 attack to a base 320 attack. If it moves into its tiny face form by being hit physically it’s speed stat becomes 130 too. Which means it hits fast  and REALLY REALLY hard. If you combine it with a Dynamax it can even set up the hail and get it’s square head back to be bulky in defence over speedy! The only problem.. it doesn’t really matter it has bulky defence as the head shatters if it’s hit with a physical move and the head shattering negates any damage! So … in the ice head form it has a lot of wasted stat points, which is a shame and prevents it from being higher up this list. Liquidation avalanche and facade are good physical moves to run on this good boy!  The ability Ice face is kinda tricky to understand and I do not have the room to go into detail.. so google if you need.. but if used properly this penguin can kick some ass.

A very close to number one second this time around in the form of the Gen 3 pokémon Walrein. While I have used one on my team in my first playthrough of Pokémon Sapphire, I really warmed up to the pokémon trough my playthrough of Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. There is something about seeing a Walrus in 3d with animations that makes it more charming. I also really needed it on my team as it destroys Salamence which I saw often in that game.  Designwise it’s about as much as you can do with a Walrus I guess. While I do not like that all water pokémon are blue, or most of them at least,  the blue on this one along with the white really does well to sell the cold qualities it possesses. It looks kind of dopey which I do like.. it doesn’t feel as ugly and mean as some other stage 2 pokémon. It keeps that beloved pet vibe more than say Tyranitar or Exploud for example. 

It’s pokedex entries do not state to much interesting facts about this pokemon, other than that it is very fat! There have been 12 pokedex entries of Walrein  to date and 11 mention it’s thick layer of blubber. The only one that doesn’t mentions that when a Walrein is the leader of a herd it will battle anything that invades it’s territory and it will continue to fight to keep it’s herd safe regardless if that means it’s own death. It can even lose it tusks in these battles.  All the other pokédex entries state that it is protected by it’s large amounts of blubber. The blubber shields it from both the cold and enemy attacks. The real impressive feat however is that it can break 10 tons of iceberg with a single attack with its tusk! Now that is an effective ice cube maker!  I bet it would be neat to use at parties! Crushed ice for everyone!

In battle it’s quite okay! It’s hindered by the poor stat average most ice types have.. with only a very high hp count and the other stats being okay! However.. due to its ability Thick Fat it is so bulky it makes up for that weakness. It can just tank! It will not die easily!  As for movesets.. that is a bit tricky! I ran my most beloved Walrein, Hoomphrey on a coliseum game, which means 2 v 2 battles. Moves like Surf and Blizzard are great shout outs for that.  It’s special attack is capped at 95 which is really quite alright certainly given it’s high hp, so special moves are your bread and butter. I personally run it with rest for a full recovery and sleep talk. But Snore is also a okay move to put on this pokémon. There are plenty ways to play but I do really prefer to break this one out in 2v2 battles. In 1v1 I kinda see how it does not deal as much damage as it could. Still it’s  also nice PvE playthroughs as it learns a nice amount of HM’s and is able to use them in combat rather effectively. A great allrounder that I wish would have gotten just a little more punch.

Even now I feel like .. should this be here? Does it feel enough like an ice type?! Heck there was  time I didn’t even know it was an ice type! It was only when I started playing competitive battles with my friends that i discovered skill link, kings rock Cloyster using ice type attacks with stab.. murdered EVERYTHING. I always liked Cloyster quite a bit as it had one of the most interesting designs in Gen 1 for me. I loved that black pearly little head in that spikey shell. Of course in Gen 1 this was a rather terrible pokemon. A good looking but terrible pocket monster. It lacked some good moves, it lacked anime support. Shellder being involved in Slowpokes evolution and having such an iconic but annoying cry in the anime made me aware of this pokémon .. rather than the pokemon itself . However since the invention of the ability skill link and the move Shell Smash.. killer oyster is exactly my battle style! The kings rock item makes it so much better even!  I really love it!  I have since used that spec in a playthrough with my main guy Hurl-Pearl. 

For some reason this pokemon seems rather hated in the pokémon-world.. well or at least they think there is a pearl inside and they want to reach it.  As it is stated that once a Cloyster closes its shell no one can open it.. not even someone with superior strength. It is also stated that not even bombs can open it! Mentioning no one managed to get inside to take a look at it’s interior .. It can “swim” by swallowing up water and shooting it out the back…. that sounds kind of dubious and kinda clunky but well it’s a shell  so I am sure it doesn’t poop out water or anything… “it uses this same system to to shoot its spikes a it’s opponent”.. Uhm wait.. it shoots spikes out of it’s ass?! That’s kinda cool! Do shells even have asses though?! It has a hole in the back that expel excess material at least. Sounds like an ass! The spikes on its body are its main method of attacking. They are so hard that old tribes used the spikes that Cloyster lost.. by shooting them away as their weapons.  The spikes are even so hard that even missiles can’t break them! Why are humans shooting missiles at cloyster and why do they try to blow them up! You meanies!

In combat this by far is one of my favorite pokemon to use ever! Skill Link, as an ability makes your pokémon always hit the maximum amount of times a move can hit.  Icicle Spear and Rock blast are both offensive moves that hit up to five times and the coverage amongst them is quite solid. Shell Smash will boost your speed Attack and Special Attack in trade for your Special Defence and Defence.. but with a White Herb that first skill down step is negated.  Or like me you could give it a Kings Rock! Which grants an attack a 10% chance ability to flinch. However due to skill link you now have five 10% chances.  That makes the chance of flinching pretty high! A flinch means a pokémon can not move that turn. So this pokémon can deal massive damage with a huge chance to stun your pokémon! I know there are better builds like the herb..but Kings Rock is just so funny!! Hurl-Pearl and me.. we are Nakama! I think this pokemon is very nICE!

What is your favorite ice type? I am predicting a lot of Articuno answers here, but proof me wrong?! Do you use the ice type a lot?! Let me know! Next week we will discuss the other “weakest” type, the rock type! Which Pokémon do you think will be on there?! Since Rock Types are super effective against the ice type..some ice pokémon are already coming up with a counter! See you next time!