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RTTP: The Pokemon. All 721 of them, and counting.

Kadabra was the first 100 I ever got in a Pokémon game in Pokémon Blue. I coasted through most of the game with him
because I was a moron and he was 44 by the time I left Cerulean
.
 
Never been an Alakazam fan. I prefer Kadabra's bulkier look, face structure, and the sweet tail, evolving him is always disappointing design-wise.
 
Abra and its line are some of my favorite pokemon.

A good trick in RBY is to trade one up to a Gen 2 game and teach it all the elemental punches. This remains a perfectly viable trick internally Gen 3 as well, though you'd have to breed it and if you're breeding for in game use you can get even more broken combinations.

Another one is in D/P (not Platinum unfortunately) you can get the hidden power tm extremely early and teach it to Abra, giving you a strong attack and its an easily replaceable tm in the game corner.
 
Love the Abra line. They're very unusual creatures that resemble real world animals (foxes) while still being very distinct "monsters". They also have a lot of personality in their designs, especially Abra; I love seeing Abra just drift around sleepily in battle.

Also helps that, with a few exceptions like Gen 4, Alakazam has been very good throughout the history of the game series. Very high speed, very high special attack, and a nice movepool are a good combination, even with pitiful defense. Add in the useful ability Magic Guard, a useful mega evolution, and some of the best facial hair in Pokemon, and Alakazam has been doing great.
 
Benzychenz said:
Never been an Alakazam fan. I prefer Kadabra's bulkier look, face structure, and the sweet tail, evolving him is always disappointing design-wise.
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I like Kadabra, Haunter, Machoke, Graveller, Boldore, and Gurdurr all more than their evolutions.
 
Watch Da Birdie said:
All the Trade Evolutions who follow the three-stage line.

Honestly they're all some of my favorite Pokemon.
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While I don't agree with all of those I've always myself thought that the trade evolution pokemon all had some of the best midforms in the entire series and part of it was to entice people to trade but not completely punish them by having good looking, decently performing pokemon for those who couldn't find a friend with the game.\

Haunter is quite simply one of the best pokemon designs in the series.
 
Awesome thread especially since I've only played Gen 1 in its entirety. Enjoying the trip down nostalgia lane with the initial 151 and learning little things I never knew. Keep up the great work!

I also hate these new designs shown in later gens. They are way too over the top compared to the simplicity in earlier designs. But to each their own.

This thread has got me itching to play a Pokemon game. I visited Fire Red maybe a year or two ago and that was fun. Haven't really played any other version except maybe Silver/Gold during its heyday (which I don't remember anything from except that godawful Pichu). Is there a version I look to play to get full sense of scale of where the franchise is today?

I've always wanted to make a Pokemon clone for mobile (less rpg, more battling and collecting) so this might be a good little venture.
 
VoxPop said:
This thread has got me itching to play a Pokemon game. I visited Fire Red maybe a year or two ago and that was fun. Haven't really played any other version except maybe Silver/Gold during its heyday (which I don't remember anything from except that godawful Pichu). Is there a version I look to play to get full sense of scale of where the franchise is today?
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Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire do a good job at that.
 
VoxPop said:
Awesome thread especially since I've only played Gen 1 in its entirety. Enjoying the trip down nostalgia lane with the initial 151 and learning little things I never knew. Keep up the great work!

I also hate these new designs shown in later gens. They are way too over the top compared to the simplicity in earlier designs. But to each their own.

This thread has got me itching to play a Pokemon game. I visited Fire Red maybe a year or two ago and that was fun. Haven't really played any other version except maybe Silver/Gold during its heyday (which I don't remember anything from except that godawful Pichu). Is there a version I look to play to get full sense of scale of where the franchise is today?

I've always wanted to make a Pokemon clone for mobile (less rpg, more battling and collecting) so this might be a good little venture.
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if you wanna try gold and sliver again i would say go for heart gold and soul sliver, they are amazing remakes

other wise X and Y are also good, those game are made with people like you in mind when it comes to it's design (like giving you and Kanto starter pokemon)
 
XY, for better or worse.

You'll get to play around with the largest amount of Pokemon, and if you don't care for the new ones, there's plenty of old ones available including the original Kanto Starters you get to choose from early on in the adventures.

But there's issues with the pacing and difficulty feeling a bit off---on the other hand a lot of it is designed to feel a bit faster and easier, and if you're a person who doesn't have a lot of time to play games, you might enjoy how streamlined it is in parts. For example leveling up your team is easier than ever since you can make it so everyone gets leaked Exp. even if they didn't fight...I sort of like that to be honest.
 
Watch Da Birdie said:
XY, for better or worse.

You'll get to play around with the largest amount of Pokemon, and if you don't care for the new ones, there's plenty of old ones available including the original Kanto Starters you get to choose from early on in the adventures.

But there's issues with the pacing and difficulty feeling a bit off---on the other hand a lot of it is designed to feel a bit faster and easier, and if you're a person who doesn't have a lot of time to play games, you might enjoy how streamlined it is in parts. For example leveling up your team is easier than ever since you can make it so everyone gets leaked Exp. even if they didn't fight...I sort of like that to be honest.
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This seems like exactly what I'm looking for, thanks!

I'll also dig into HeartGold and ORAS when I can. My girl actually got a 3DS and OR for free from her brother so that will be easily doable.
 
VoxPop said:
This seems like exactly what I'm looking for, thanks!

I'll also dig into HeartGold and ORAS when I can. My girl actually got a 3DS and OR for free from her brother so that will be easily doable.
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I'd also suggest HeartGold/SoulSilver simply because it contains the best and longest adventure to date (Johto+Kanto in one game), all original trainers, all previous legendaries in their old locations, gen1 starters, and many many more. They are incredibly deep.
 
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066 - Machop
Fighting

Machop is perhaps one of the most well-known Fighting-type Pokemon introduced in Generation I, and even today likely is one of the first Pokemon people visualize when they hear "Fighting-type". He's often seen as Abra's counterpart, the two of them being polar-opposite in Type, having similar evolution patterns, and appearing alongside one another in the majority of Regional Dexes. As I mentioned before, Fighting-type Pokemon weren't as straight up powerful as Psychic types, however they are a very solid party member and it's likely many folks used a member of the Machop-line during their initial Gen I playthrough, and likely during future playthroughs of later Generations as well.

Like Abra, Machop doesn't seem to be based off any particular animal, although he has a vague "dinosaur" appearance due to his short tail, and the crests on his head which resemble something you might find on various bipedal, herbivorous dinosaurs. As a child, the dinosaur I always saw him as was a Pachycephalosaurus, his crests reminding me of their hardened domes and his love of combat bringing to mind how Pachycephalosaurus were believed to engage in combat through butting their heads, although I don't think this was actually Game Freak's intention. Years later, we'd actually get an authentic Pachycephalosaurus Pokemon, which greatly excited me since that was always a creature I adored and thought seemed natural to turn into a Pokemon.

While Machop eventually becomes one of the most muscular Pokemon, and is implied to very strong even as a child (able to lift 100 adults---although presumably not simultaneously), there's a bit of a weak looking element in his design due to his stomach, which looks a bit flabby with the ribs showing and all. I always thought Machop's flabby chest looked a bit odd, and sort of detracts from the design a bit by adding a somewhat distracting element that messes with the streamlined look most Generation I Pokemon are well known for, but it isn't a deal-breaker. He's still a Pokemon I enjoy, and one of the best representatives of my favorite Type.

Fighting-type Pokemon usually specialize in a certain form of martial arts, but Machop is a bit different since it's implied he's actually on a mission to master all forms of martial arts, although judging by his evolutions it appears he eventually settles on professional wrestling. It would've been cool if perhaps the idea of Machop being an all-around martial artist was expressed by him having branch-evolutions into different Pokemon focused on various forms of martial arts, but of course this idea ended up being used by a different Pokemon in Generation II. Probably for the best, since the Machop-line's image as the "wrestler Pokemon" has become so memorable.

Machop never got much love in the show, during the Kanto season his biggest appearance was jobbing during the P-1 Grand Prix to Ash's Primeape. It wasn't really till Hoenn where he got his first decent role as one of Brawly's Pokemon, but it's quite odd how Pokemon like Abra and Machop who have been present in so many games end up with very little roles in the show. But then again, I think while folks like Abra and Machop, their designs aren't exactly the cutest or most marketable, and their main appeal is more so their reliability in the games as capable battlers rather than simply Pokemon that are nice to look at.

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067 - Machoke
Fighting

Machoke is the evolved form of Machop, and my favorite member of the family, but as I said before, I pretty much feel that way about the middle-forms of all the Link Evolution Pokemon. I feel his design is pretty much perfectly balanced, and as people have mentioned, perhaps because some players may not be able to obtain the Link Evolutions, the middle-forms are designed in a way that visually they have a completeness to them. I could easily accept Machop and Machoke being a two-stage line for example.

Machoke keeps its dinosaur-like attributes somewhat, but also becomes a much more humanoid figure, even now sporting a belt! This is another design element of a Generation ! Pokemon that, based on complaints about other Pokemon, should be a bigger issue, but is incorporated in a rather subtle way that your brain tends to forget about it and thus most folks just accept it as is. The belt isn't simply for show, either, as it's implied to be a "power-limiter" that holds back Machoke's greater strength and it's said if the belt were to be removed, Machoke would end up posing a serious danger to itself and others, unable to control its fiercesome strength. This seems like a cool "storyline" for one of the other mediums to explore, but sadly neither the show nor the manga have ever tackled this idea as far as I know which is a bit of a shame. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if perhaps the belt comes off when the line gets their eventual Mega Evolution...

Early art, especially the sprites, gave Machoke a rather dumb and mean looking appearance, especially its Red and Blue sprite where its apparently flexing and winking at the player. In reality, Machoke is shown to be pretty humble, disciplined, and friendly, and is said to regularly assist humans with various hard labor tasks such as working at construction sites and helping sailors. This was made famous by the Machop stomping the land in Vermilion City (in every trip to Kanto!) and the Machoke movers seen at the beginning of Ruby and Sapphire, and Machoke and Machop have become synonymous with construction work in the Pokemon World---although Generation V introduced a new family of Pokemon who use that as their entire theme. However, because that line has yet to really appear as frequently as Machoke's, he's still the first Pokemon people think of when they visualize Pokemon aiding construction workers.

As I said before, I consider Machoke to have a great sense of balance in his design, losing the awkward "flab" Machop had and looking very tight and intimidating all-around. His design gives off a great impression of physical strength from looks alone, and the veins on his arms are neat visual touch that don't feel intrusive nor tacked-on. While I certainly don't consider Generation I my favorite Generation, I do think that it's fair to say that overall the Pokemon here have the best designs from an objective artistic standpoint in terms of stuff like color, balance, etc., and Machoke is a great representative of this fact. But as I'll explain later on with a certain Pokemon, people have a variety of tastes, and even if a Pokemon is visually sound, that doesn't exactly make it interesting or likable. Machoke is a Pokemon, though, who I think embodies both traits, being artistically nice but also with a sense of likability and whimsicalness to it, and thus has remained a Pokemon I find to be a great representative of why I love this series so much.

Like Machop, Machoke was a Pokemon who didn't get a lot of focus during Kanto, but has gone on to become one of the more popular "background" Pokemon used to flesh out group scenes by giving him to a Trainer in the background, or having him appear at construction sites and training dojos. He's just a very usable Pokemon for those kind of scenes, and I believe he's appeared far more than any other Link Evolution Pokemon. Machoke has also appeared frequently under the command of Gym Leaders, being used by Chuck, Maylene, and recently Korrina. Not too shabby, and well-deserved in my opinion---he's just a good standby for Fighting-type Gym Leaders.

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068 - Machamp
Fighting

Machamp is the Link Evolution of Machoke, and could be seen as the counterpart to Alakazam, although he's greatly fallen behind. While Alakazam is still a very powerful and effective Pokemon, Machamp not-so-much, and has recently been replaced, more-or-less, in the competitive scene by other Fighting-types, including a direct counterpart introduced in Generation V. Furthermore, Machamp was skipped over for a Mega Evolution so far in Generation VI, although I consider him one of the top contenders to get a Mega Evolution in the future. Still though, Machamp's popularity is still good, and he remains a solid Pokemon for the in-game adventure. He also recently received a surge of popularity by being one of the first Pokemon to be shown playable in Pokken Tournament alongside the insanely popular Lucario.

While I do like Machamp, I consider him a downgrade compared to Machoke in terms of design. Machoke as I explained is basically perfect, but Machamp adds some new elements that come off as a bit clunky---he almost looks like the typical "Cross Generation Evolution" which will add a bit too much to a balanced pre-existing design. Maybe this was the point though, since as I explained with Alakazam, the Link Evolutions tend to be portrayed as an "unnatural" evolution brought about by human intervention, and perhaps the oddness of Machamp's design was partially intentional. The biggest detractor for me are Machamp's lips. Although I imagine they were intended to be more of a beak-like protrusion possibly tying into the line's dinosaur elements, most portrayals of Machamp draw them as big ol' lips, and I think it would've been better if they kept the regular mouth Machop and Machoke have. The lips and the horn crests kind of give me a Kinnikuman vibe, however, so they're not too bad, but I'm unsure if Game Freak was going for that or if it was a coincidence that Machamp slightly resembles a popular fictional wrestler.

Machamp also adds an additional set of arms, which makes sense---how else are you supposed to make a ripped Pokemon like Machoke look even stronger? Machamp's additional arms allow it to utilize extremely powerful moves simultaneously, but its capabilities are a bit unclear. The PokeDex states that Machamp is a very skilled fighter who is capable of launching various punches and chops at the same time, but at other times it implies that Machamp's not exactly the most coordinated Pokemon, and presumably lacks the ability to manipulate its individual arms to perform more complicated tasks. It seems if Machamp can launch a combination attack consisting of an uppercut, hook, straight, and karate chop, then he has a considerable amount of dexterity and control over his arms individually, but perhaps he's only capable of these graceful movements when it comes to fighting. I suppose Machamp probably isn't skilled at playing the piano, or sewing perhaps.

The arms bring to mind various Hindu deities, but I don't think that was the intention, rather giving him four-arms was just seen as a "cool" way to have Machoke evolve. I actually think the extra arms though are a flaw, as most depictions of Machamp can't get the arms looking right---most sprites look like the extra arms are awkwardly pasted onto the main body (look at the Platinum sprite especially), and have this weird inorganic feel to them. If I stare at Machamp for a few seconds, usually it becomes very noticeable where the extra arms are drawn on, and that really bothers my aesthetic senses. It's also quite noticeable in the show, where its arms often just sit limp in the air, and I figure this is probably because they're probably a pain to animate in an interesting way. They look pretty good in Pokken, however, where they're given a high amount of focus and budget to have them look and work properly.

Even though Machamp seems like he's a pain to draw and animate, he has a fair amount of appearances, often appearing as a background Pokemon in various tournaments and competitions. Despite all this, I don't think he really got a focus episode to himself till just recently where he played a major role in an XY episode, serving as an antagonistic Pokemon at first who was revealed as the episode progressed to be a somewhat "deep" character then first thought. It wasn't even his episode entirely, as the episode was focused mainly on a new Generation VI Pokemon, but he played such a large role that it was the first time I recall liking a Machamp in the show. However this episode also made me realize how awkward his extra arms look most of the time, as they barely seemed to move and stood out considering how XY tends to be a bit more fluid than past seasons.
 
Never liked the Machop line, I can't stand the belt. It's just one of those things that just doesn't make sense at all, like Farfetch'd hatching with a leek already in it's hand, or Kadabra suddenly gaining a spoon out of nowhere, or Kangaskhan hatching from an egg with baby already in its pouch.

To me, Machoke and Machamp are as bad as Sawk and Throh. Interesting looking pokemon whose designs are ruined by incorporating non-sensical human elements.

Which is opposed to pokemon like say, Smeargle, who incorporates a human element (the paint brush and the beret) but does it in a way that feels organic and natural.
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Love this line, especially Machamp. He'd be up near the top of my 'most times used in a playthrough' list. The belt always did stand out as a bit wtf where did that come from though, but plenty of Pokemon have design elements like that so it doesn't really bother me.
 
I've never really like the Trade evolution lines, at least the ones with 3 stages.
I actually do like Machop and Machoke, but Machamp is butt ugly.

Final forms have to step it up, middle forms is leading with 2 now :p
The next two trade evo's are going to take it
 
Machamp looks good when you can focus a small amount of time and a decent budget on him, such as in a movie or commercial for the TCG, but in the games, where he's one of 700+ Pokemon you need to sprite/model and animate, or when you have to dedicate a lot of screentime to him with a relatively small budget, then his design seems to come off clunky more often than not.
 
The Abra and Machop line to me have always been considered my enemies. Back in the grade school days there was a friendish whose two favorites were Alakazam and Machamp, while mine's were Hypno and Hitmonlee. Sometimes we pretend fought as them, but because of that past I never liked those two lines.
 
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#069 - Bellsprout
Grass/Poison

Bellsprout is the Blue Version counterpart to Oddish, yet like various other Version Exclusives throughout the years, their relationship has grown strained as one member managed to out pace the other---in this case, the Oddish line appears to be far more popular than Bellsprout among fans, not that Bellsprout doesn't enjoy popularity itself, and also received a new member to their family in Generation II whereas Bellsprout didn't. I'm team Bellsprout myself!

Despite its name (which is a dub invention, as the Japanese names don't incorporate "bell") and appearance, the Bellsprout lines probably aren't intended to be bellflowers, but are based on the carnivorous Pitcher Plants, specifically the Nepenthes genus. As a kid, this was a Pokemon I didn't know was actually based on a real creature, as the most popular and only carnivorous plant I knew of was the Venus Fly Trap---and years later, Game Freak made that a Pokemon as well. The pitcher plant is a bit more obscure, but perhaps Japanese players are more familiar with it than use Westerners? It's said the popularity of the Pitcher Plant was revived in the 60s/70s by a Japanese botanist, so this was probably the case. I'd like to know if anyone here knew what a pitcher plant was prior to the Bellsprout line? The pitcher plant is known for its pitcher-shaped bud which contains a fine-smelling syrupy substance that attracts insects (and sometimes other prey), who slip into the pitcher and drown as their nutrients are absorbed. Bellsprout's "lips" mimic the lips of the pitcher plant, the peristome, which is used to attract prey with its bright colors and is quite slick as well, the perfect trap to lure unsuspecting bugs to their ultimate demise.

Bellsprout resembles a younger pitcher plant, where its pitcher has yet to fully grow, and thus the Pokemon is depicted as a bit more active than its evolutions with vine-legs allowing it to wiggle around and catch bugs. They are known to be surprisingly agile hunters despite their rather demure appearance---but presumably they're only able to eat tiny bugs at this point, so they're not a match for other Pokemon. Pitcher plants aren't necessarily poisonous in real-life like the Bellsprout line is said to be, whose acid can even melt iron. Of course, in Gen II, this was directly contradicted thanks to Steel being immune to Poison-type attacks, but it seems like by this point we really should have a "Corrosive Acid" attack that's super-effective against Steel-type Pokemon, or an Ability that removes this immunity. Get on that, Game Freak, and show Poison Pokemon some love again.

While Oddish has more traits associated with the mandrake, Bellsprout is mentioned by the PokeDex to be related to the legendary plant due to the fact its bud is said to resemble a human face...somewhat. In Gold and Silver, Bellsprout was given an entire religion based around him in the monks of the Bellsprout Tower, who see Bellsprout as a gentle and peaceful Pokemon worth emulating---which is pretty odd, considering Bellsprout is described as being a pretty vicious carnivore. The Bellsprout Tower has a swaying pillar in the center---based on real-life pillars which are used in temples to help stabilize them during Earthquakes and are one of the various reasons Japan's pagodas have withstood all the earthquakes over the years---which is claimed to have once been an enormous Bellsprout. I don't know why Game Freak decided to give such an odd focus to Bellsprout of all Pokemon in Johto like this, and why it was chosen to be a sacred Pokemon, but there it is.

Bellsprout has a very memorable role in the television show, an obscenely powerful one appearing during the Indigo League and delivering a smack-down on Ash's Pokemon that only Muk, due to its flexible body, could put a stop to. A later Johto episode also featured an oddly strong Bellsprout, capable of lifting boulders---since this Bellsprout was owned by a medicine man, it was probably juiced up explaining its strength. Outside of these roles, though, Bellsprout is usually a pretty weak and passive background Pokemon.

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#070 - Weepinbell
Grass/Poison

Weepinbell is the evolved form of Bellsprout. And...that's pretty much it in terms of how to introduce it. I'll be glad when I get through Kanto and all its three-stage families as sometimes it's a bit hard for me to evenly distribute the discussion between three forms who sometimes have very little difference.

Anyway, Weepinbell kind of looks like a pear with lips, but is a larger pitcher plant, and looks a bit more like an actual one compared to Bellsprout due to having the large bulb the pitcher plant is normally associated with. While Bellsprout had roots that functioned as its lower body, Weepinbell is reversed, with the bud serving as the bulk of its body and the small stem acting like a strand of hair in a way. Weepinbell uses this hook to hang from tree-branches, presumably it can stretch and extend, which is based on the tendrils of pitcher plants---their tendrils don't actually allow them to hang from branches since they're rooted plants, but the tendrils will curl around branches and other objects to help stabilize the plant's growth. While Bellsprout had a small mouth and could only really eat small bugs it had to chase after, Weepinbell is capable of devouring larger creatures instantly with its mouth, dissolving them in its body acid, and for larger creatures, can use its leaves to slice-and-dice its food. Its acid is said to be able to dissolve anything (except Weepinbell itself, as it has a neutralizing agent covering its body), and presumably the color seen inside Weepinbell's mouth isn't a tongue like you'd think, but probably meant to represent the acid within its body.

While I don't have much to add about Weepinbell in general, thankfully there's some interesting facts to discuss concerning its appearance in the show. In The Breeding Center Secret, James suddenly revealed out of nowhere that he had captured a Weepinbell who he'd left at the Pokemon Daycare Center---and had since evolved into Victreebel. The sudden appearance of this before-unseen Pokemon led to various theories of where it came from, a popular theory claiming James caught it in the infamous Safari Zone episode that was banned outside of Japan due to gun-violence, but this isn't the case. It wasn't till the end of Johto where we were finally given an explanation---James, sometimes after Koffing had evolved into Weezing, encountered a wild Weepinbell and had caught it off-screen. But did you know that James has had two Weepinbell? In that same episode where we learn where he got the first Weepinbell, Here's Looking at You Elekid, he's conned into trading his Victreebel for a Weepinbel who knows Sweet Scent by the Magikarp Salesman, and ultimately regrets it. You'll have to read Victreebel's entry to learn the shocking conclusion of the Twin Weepinbel Saga.

Other than that, Weepinbell never did much in the show till a recent XY episode where it was used by the Grass-type Gym Leader Ramos, and was able to take down two Flying-type Pokemon, one who was also part-Fire.

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#071 - Victreebel
Grass/Poison

How to tell a TRUE POKEMON fan---if they remember that Victreebel only has one "l" due to the 10-character limit in-place for Pokemon names till Generation VI's Fletchinder. Victreebel is the final form of Bellsprout, and like Vileplume evolves from the Leaf Stone. During Generation I, Victreebel I recall was considered one of the greatest Grass-types due to its powerful attack and speed, but nowadays seems to have fallen down the ranks quite a bit. It and Vileplume both appear to be rather average Pokemon, useful on Sunny Day teams, but not much use outside of those support roles. Since Vileplume got a split-evolution in Gen II, maybe Victreebel will be given a Mega Evolution in exchange?

Victreebel is an enormous pitcher plant, and greatly resembles how an actual pitcher plant looks---and yes, the real ones are equally as phallic-looking as the Pokemon version is, perhaps even more so. Don't pretend the shape and wide lips didn't make you chuckle at least once as a kid, although Palkia sort of came along in Gen IV and stole Victreebel's dick-joke thunder---but for us naughty 90's kids, Victreebel remains the original. One element of Victreebel's design I like is its ambiguous orientation, where you can't really tell if Victreebel is right-side up or upside down, and its design works both ways. I also like how the leaf atop its head and the vine play with the viewer's mind---the leaf looks like it's attached to the vine, but it's actually the other way around, the vine is attached to the leaf and you'll notice the vine isn't connected to Victreebel's body. Looking at the current Sugimori Art, I also realize how the leaf's positioning over the mouth gives the impression of a second face. Just picture the leaf as the top of the mouth. It's a pretty neat design with these little touches taken into account.

The leaf is based on the "lid" of pitcher plants, which gives off a sweet nectar smell to attract prey, yet also shields the pitcher from rain-water. It's believed the leaf also acts as a "landing pad" to attract flies and other winged bugs, who end up wandering on the underside and manage to fall into the plant's stomach where they're dissolved. Like Victreebel, the leafy lid is thinly attached to the lips of the pitcher---there's a misconception that it closes to trap insects like what the Venus Fly Trap does, but this is false as the lid's main purpose is to, as stated before, keep rain-water from diluting the syrupy nectar within its pitcher. Victreebel's teeth aren't biologically accurate, but weren't pulled out of thin air as one species of Nepenthes, the "Fanged Pitcher-Plant", has two small teeth-like thorns on the bottom of its lid, but these "teeth" aren't used for biting, rather one theory is that they're used to scare away larger mammals from stealing the innards of the pitcher. Victreebel's vine has an additional function that isn't based on something the real pitcher plant does as far as I know, as it can also wiggle around to serve as bait to lure large prey into wandering near Victreebel so that it can eat them.

Weepinbell and Victreebel seem to represent the two different pitchers that the Nepenthes produces---the upper pitchers, and the lower pitchers. Upper pitchers actually appear later in the Nepenthes' life, are smaller, and have the curl in their tendril like Weepinbel to wrap around branches for support, while lower pitchers appear earlier in the growing stage, and are much larger and tend to sit on or near the ground. And Victreebel is quite large, at 5'07" it dwarfs many humans and Pokemon, and is said to be capable of devouring large creatures, bones and all, with ease. One of my favorite PokeDex entries implies that countless people have fallen victim to Victreebel: "Said to live in huge colonies deep in the jungles, although no one has ever returned from there". Whoa. While there's no plant that eats humans, small rodents have been known to be "devoured" by certain pitcher plants, but it's assumed the animals accidentally drowned and aren't purposefully being "eaten" by the pitcher plant. The pitcher plant isn't a mindless predator either, as there are various animals who use the pitcher plant for protection or feeding, in turn helping the pitcher plant break down food faster to help clean up bacteria. The pitcher plant is really a fascinating creature, and goes to show how Pokemon aren't as "fantastical" as we may think since our creatures can be equally amazing---Pokemon represents a somewhat vain, somewhat childish wish to hope to tame these lifeforms who continue to baffle us humans who think we know and control everything.

And let's get back to James' Victreebel. His original Victreebel which he suddenly gained in the Breeding Center Secret was an odd addition to his team, and actually didn't appear except in one episode for the rest of Kanto. However, its role became more prominent in Orange Islands and Johto, and actually appeared more than Weezing did as James' main Pokemon. Part of the reason was probably because Victreebel's tendency to chomp down on James (out of love?) was an easy gag to repeat ad-nauseum, and gave Victreebel a bit more personality than the one-note Weezing who didn't have any defining traits. It also began the pattern of James' ending up with overly-friendly Grass-type Pokemon, and quite a few episodes throughout the show seem to hint that James is quite skilled with Grass-type Pokemon such as the time he proved to be quite skilled when handling a rental Venusaur. This trend, though, has been broken though in XY as it's Jessie, not James, who ended up with a Grass-type Pokemon. Anyway, as I mentioned with Weepinbell, James traded his Victreebel for a Weepinbell who then evolved (without a Leaf Stone) into another Victreebel, this one having a fatal attraction to Jessie. Basically, both Victreebel were blasted off by their owners---the Magikarp Salesman getting fed up with James' Victreebel, Jessie sick of the new one who wanted to attack her---and ended up bumping into each other and falling in love, screeching as they walked off into the sunset. And thus closes the story of one of the weirdest Pokemon Team Rocket has owned.
 
Always been a fan of Victreebel's design. I even used him in a recent playthrough, though I'm not sure which game :P

Bellsprout is great too, though Weepinbell has always looked like an awkward mid evolution.
 
What other grass types has James had? I know he had a Cacnea in Hoenn but I stopped following after that.

Actually is there a list somewhere of all the Pokemon the main characters have had throughout the show?
 
Yeah, I was thinking mainly of Cacnea and Carnivine---the latter was basically Victreebel 2.0, down to randomly popping up as a Pokemon James' owned as a child.

I actually forgot about Amoongus though---but come on, it appeared in Best Wishes Season 2!

Don't forget he also technically owned a Hoppip.

I still sort of hope he gets a Trevenant at some point in XY.
 
Watch Da Birdie said:
But then why is Noibat the first primary Flying Pokemon? Who knows.
Click to expand...

I know this is a bit late, but I'd like to comment on this and it has to do with how Pokemon are designed and how it fits into the ordering of the Pokemon's type.

You see, the Primary/Secondary type distinction actually matters, and each Pokemon's type tends to inspire elements to the flavor. The First type is the primary defining trait of the Pokemon, with the secondary type being something it can do/is also.

Let's for example, compare two Pokemon who share types but have different type orders. Scrafty, a Dark/Fighting Pokemon, and Pangoro, a Fighting/Dark Pokemon.

Scrafty is pretty explicitly based off a sort of rough and tumble "Hood" character. Shady, tough, with criminal elements. As such, it's a Dark Pokemon. But then it's also a tough fighter for its own sake. Thus, it's also a Fighting type. Thus, Scrafty can be defined as a Dark type Pokemon that's also Fighting.

Pangoro, on the other hand, is defined as a fighter first and foremost. A sort of brawler fighter, yes, but one none the less. As such, it's a Fighting type. However, it's nature also has a bit of an edge to it. It has some bad influences as a kid and it's design is based off a stereotypical Japanese delinquent, a common fictional archetype for anti-heroes and antagonists alike. As such, it's a Fighting type Pokemon that's also Dark.

With this example, we see why there's only one Primary Flying type Pokemon, and only one Pure Flying type Pokemon. For the vast majority of Pokemon, Flying doesn't define what they are, it's just something they can also do. Pidgey is a Normal animal that can also fly. Dragonite is a Dragon that can also fly, etc.

Thus, for Noivern, we see that the fact that it can fly is meant to be more important and defining for it. It's a Flying creature that's also a Dragon.
 
PataHikari said:
I know this is a bit late, but I'd like to comment on this and it has to do with how Pokemon are designed and how it fits into the ordering of the Pokemon's type.

You see, the Primary/Secondary type distinction actually matters, and each Pokemon's type tends to inspire elements to the flavor. The First type is the primary defining trait of the Pokemon, with the secondary type being something it can do/is also.

Let's for example, compare two Pokemon who share types but have different type orders. Scrafty, a Dark/Fighting Pokemon, and Pangoro, a Fighting/Dark Pokemon.

Scrafty is pretty explicitly based off a sort of rough and tumble "Hood" character. Shady, tough, with criminal elements. As such, it's a Dark Pokemon. But then it's also a tough fighter for its own sake. Thus, it's also a Fighting type. Thus, Scrafty can be defined as a Dark type Pokemon that's also Fighting.

Pangoro, on the other hand, is defined as a fighter first and foremost. A sort of brawler fighter, yes, but one none the less. As such, it's a Fighting type. However, it's nature also has a bit of an edge to it. It has some bad influences as a kid and it's design is based off a stereotypical Japanese delinquent, a common fictional archetype for anti-heroes and antagonists alike. As such, it's a Fighting type Pokemon that's also Dark.

With this example, we see why there's only one Primary Flying type Pokemon, and only one Pure Flying type Pokemon. For the vast majority of Pokemon, Flying doesn't define what they are, it's just something they can also do. Pidgey is a Normal animal that can also fly. Dragonite is a Dragon that can also fly, etc.

Thus, for Noivern, we see that the fact that it can fly is meant to be more important and defining for it. It's a Flying creature that's also a Dragon.
Click to expand...
Not convinced. Noivern is primarily defined by its sonic attacks, not by flying. Yeah, it's a fast flying bat, but so is Crobat. I can think of a hell of a lot more Pokemon suited to a primary Flying type.

Like Rayquaza.

  • It lives in the upper atmosphere and almost never comes down.
  • It flies constantly and doesn't even have feet to walk with.
  • It's classified as the "Sky High Pokemon".
  • It controls the weather through Air Lock and Mega Rayquaza's Delta Stream.
  • It represents the sky in the weather trio the way Groudon represents the land and Kyogre represents the sea.
  • Its new signature move, Dragon Ascent, is Flying type.
  • Mega-Rayquaza's Delta Stream ability buffs Flying types.

Other Pokemon I can immediately think of that represent "Flying" better than Noivern
  • Salamence: The proud culmination of Bagon's desire to fly.
  • Swablu/Altaria: They're clouds. Altaria looks less like a dragon than Noivern.
  • Drifblim/Drifbloom: They're freaking balloons. Being ghosts almost feels tacked on.

I can see your point for Pangoro and Scrafty, but not for Noivern being the only primary Flying type.
 
Toxi said:
Not convinced. Noivern is primarily defined by its sonic attacks, not by flying. Yeah, it's a fast flying bat, but so is Crobat. I can think of a hell of a lot more Pokemon suited to a primary Flying type.
Click to expand...

Well, there's no Sound Type Pokemon, so you know, we have to go to other elements for Type choice. I'm explaining Game Freak's logic, not agreeing with all of it (as some of it is rather stupid.)

Toxi said:
Like Rayquaza.
Click to expand...

Yeah, no, The first thing you notice about Rayquaza is that it's obviously a Dragon. The fact that it can fly comes later.
 
I love Alakazam. It's my favorite Pokemon. I could see how someone could like Kadabra more though. That whole line has been my favorite line of Pokemon since Red/Blue. Every time a new game comes out Alakazam is on my first Champion team.
 
PataHikari said:
Well, there's no Sound Type Pokemon, so you know, we have to go to other elements for Type choice. I'm explaining Game Freak's logic, not agreeing with all of it (as some of it is rather stupid.)

Yeah, no, The first thing you notice about Rayquaza is that it's obviously a Dragon. The fact that it can fly comes later.
Click to expand...
Normal is sound. Sound-based moves and sound-based Pokemon are generally Normal type.

Moves: Echoed Voice, Uproar, Perish Song, Roar, Noble Roar, Sing, Hypervoice, Boomburst

Pokemon: Igglybuff/Jigglypufff/Wigglytuff, Whismur/Loudred/Exploud, Chatot, Littleo/Pyroar (The Normal typing gives them STAB for the roaring moves they specialize in, which is why they're not pure Fire)

Also, I'm pretty sure the first thing most people notice when they see Noivern is that it's a dragon. It looks like a cross between a bat and a dragon. They sure as hell recognize it as a dragon before Altaria.
 
When you see it...

rnSL3nj.png


Joking aside, Vectreebel was one of the prime reasons that made Gen1 probably the most creepy gen of them all.
 
Both Machamp and Alakazam don't really do much for me
Machop and Abra are hella cute though

Victreebell line was always weird to me for how it ditched the bellsprout legs and the final evolution essentially turning it upside down. I like it though.

vThat screeching sound was hilarious btw
 
Victreebel had a weird anime voice. Bellsprout and Weepinbell had "dopey" voices and then Victree comes out with these horrific screeching sounds. And yet Vileplume is the one that screeches in the game...

Anyway, I think those three are better designed Pokemon than Oddish' line, and actually underrated Pokemon designs in general. They have a very obvious progress to them, and Bellsprout also has hints of a tulip in his design, which I think works well in a "cute" first stage grass type that eventually evolves into a huge drooling, screeching abomination.
 
Watch Da Birdie i'm wondering, will you include MissingNo. in the countdown? I know it's not a "legit" Pokemon but there was a lot of speculation and debates among the community about it.

latest
 
MBS said:
Watch Da Birdie i'm wondering, will you include MissingNo. in the countdown? I know it's not a "legit" Pokemon but there was a lot of speculation and debates among the community about it.

latest
Click to expand...

I thought about this, but I think I'll skip it since I don't feel I'm that knowledgeable about it nor comprehensive as such a weird mix of gameplay-and-lore deserves. There's a certain Pokemon though where I plan to talk about it since it slightly relates to said Pokemon.
 
Watch Da Birdie said:
I thought about this, but I think I'll skip it since I don't feel I'm that knowledgeable about it nor comprehensive as such a weird mix of gameplay-and-lore deserves. There's a certain Pokemon though where I plan to talk about it since it slightly relates to said Pokemon.
Click to expand...

Are you talking about the Lavender Ghost?
 
Boss Doggie said:
They kept the anime creepy yelling sound when they had an orgy around Clemont lol
Click to expand...
It's such an abrupt change from...
"Hur dur, I'm weepinbell, weepan ball, buh, buh"

And then it evolves and makes creepy, disturbing screeches. And in some cases, just outright horror movie style screams.

it's almost more interesting because of its creepy cry. It's kind of creepy looking Pokemon.
 
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