I don’t find out about you, however I’ll all the time have fond recollections of Kanto, and holding that huge gray Gameboy at the back of my mother or father’s automobile in the summertime holidays. I needed to angle the sunshine good so I might see what I used to be doing, and the Pokémon had been made up of about ten pixels and regarded like somebody dropped a pile of lego bricks on the ground. However that didn’t cease my creativeness, inflicting me to fall in love with every monster I caught.
25 years on, and Kanto remains to be going robust, although remakes, and the resurgence of the Pokémon franchise in Pokémon Go clearly play a component. However, we’re right here at this time to separate the Meowths from the Bellsprouts with our information to the finest gen 1 Pokémon. I like every monster from Pokémon Purple and Blue, however when push involves shove, a few of these creatures are merely higher than others. I imply, come on, it’s a seal referred to as seel… did they even strive?
Earlier than we dive into what’s positive to be a controversial listing, we must always point out we didn’t embody any starter Pokémon or legendary Pokémon, as they’d take up too most of the picks (love you Blastoise). However if you wish to see these and extra, you may as well increase your nerdy blood strain with our guides to the perfect canine Pokémon, cat Pokémon, monkey Pokémon, starter Pokémon, and even the perfect legendary Pokémon. There aren’t any dangerous Pokémon within the eyes of our lord Arceus, however some are simply constructed in a different way.
Let’s wade by the forest of opinion, open up the Pokedex of controversy, and catch the legendary monster referred to as our greatest gen 1 Pokémon information.
Finest gen 1 Pokémon
Ditto
Why be only one factor if you may be something? Ditto is a prevalent drive within the franchise because of its distinctive capacity to rework into every other Pokémon, copying their look and their strikes. It’s develop into the go-to ‘mon when gamers have to breed, particularly if you will get a Ditto with good IVs, and my private Ditto is answerable for extra eggs than the easter bunny.
The pink gelatinous blob can also be simply endlessly endearing, and as time has gone on, I’ve develop into slowly obsessive about the Pokémon plushes that characteristic widespread Pokémon with Ditto’s trademark button eyes and cute smile. It’s only a nice little inclusion, and I’ll always remember the time Staff Rocket reveals it an illustration of a Dratini to get it to rework, and Ditto as a substitute turns into the ebook the image was from. God bless you Ditto. You tried your finest.
Lapras
Whereas many Pokémon from the primary era have had completely different kinds or evolutions over time, one Pokémon I all the time assume deserves extra love is Ash’s stalwart companion throughout the Orange Islands, the one and solely Lapras. It’s synonymous with travelling throughout the water within the video games and relies on the loch ness monster. It’s additionally only a majestic beast in its personal proper, and out of doors of a Gigantamax kind in Pokémon Sword and Protect, I’d like to see it revisited with a brand new variation or evolution down the road.
Lapras can also be one of many few Pokémon that don’t talk by saying their very own identify, as a substitute letting out a joyous noise harking back to whale sounds. It did reappear in New Pokémon Snap as a homage to its look within the unique, and it appears completely unbelievable within the attractive artwork type of the current pictures sport. Lapras has been there for seafaring trainers for the reason that very starting, and I want it obtained extra love. Learn our information to the perfect water Pokémon in Pokémon Go for extra.
Eevee
Everyone knows Pikachu is the face of the Pokémon franchise, however Eevee might be someplace close by, eagerly standing behind Charizard, ready for its time to shine. The cuddly canine Pokémon has a unbelievable design, and whereas we’ve moved away from the illustrative work of Ken Sugimori, Eevee simply appears to get cuter with every iteration. It even has its personal starring title with Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee, however let’s hope it will get a greater sport to its identify sooner or later.
Importantly, Eevee additionally modified how we view evolution within the Pokémon video games, with its capacity to show into one among many different creatures relying on numerous situations. Vapereon, Flareon, and Jolteon are the unique evolutions, however we’ve seen Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, and the wonderful Sylveon added through the years. Each era I hope for extra Eevee evolutions, and I’m positive we’ll see a pair extra someday.
Gengar
I don’t even know easy methods to begin right here. Personally, I believe Gengar is the one finest design out of the unique 151 Pokémon. It conveys a lot appeal, mischief, and remains to be so malleable as we regularly see Gengar dissolve into the shadows and creep onto the battlefield. It’s gotten a LOT of affection through the years as properly, showing on extra merch than Hatsune Miku, and receiving the honour of each a mega evolution and a dynamax kind.
Gengar has additionally managed to remain forward in aggressive battles, because of its spectacular particular assault and velocity. Whoever is in command of the Pokémon stats clearly loves Gengar, because it regularly will get love and a spotlight in each sport. The one draw back is a kind of disappointing shiny kinds which can be solely marginally completely different to the bottom color, however each its mega and dynamax kind ditch the boring colourway for a spooky all-white sheen. Stick with it Gengar. You rule. Learn our information to the perfect ghost Pokémon in Pokémon Go for extra.
Arcanine
What an excellent boy. Growlithe is already a unbelievable Pokémon, as any canine Pokémon is robotically nice (each single one, struggle me), and Growlithe has its attractive flame-coloured stripes and fluffy fur. However Arcanine. My boy Arcanine. It’s the proper evolution, taking every part good concerning the unique design and making it so, so, significantly better.
Ash driving an Arcanine and leaping into the air from the unique Pokémon anime intro is burned into my retinas. Arcanine instructions a legendary presence, trying regal and highly effective multi function fell swoop. And whereas we want the unique look, we have now to say the wonderful Hisuian variations of Growlithe and Arcanine from Pokémon Legends: Arceus. They add a contact of Chinese language mythic design to the ‘mons, and apparently make them joint hearth/rock kind. It doesn’t matter what sort of Arcanine you might have, it guidelines. Learn our information to the perfect hearth Pokémon in Pokémon Go for extra.
Slowbro
It is perhaps pretty unassuming, coming from the Pokémon with the distant stare referred to as Slowpoke, however Slowbro is one other nice evolution that expands on what makes the unique so good, whereas additionally having some fascinating implications for the precise strategy of evolution. To today, whereas we all know {that a} Shellder should clamp on the tail of a Slowpoke to create a Slowbro, we by no means uncover why the Shellder then takes on a special kind.
Maybe the Pokémon hooked up to Slowpoke’s tail is definitely a type of Cloyster, or possibly it’s all one ‘mon, with the parasitic Shellder unable to outlive with out Slowbro. Both approach, we love the lazy however earnest nature of Slowbro, and surprisingly it’s no slouch both, with an awesome movepool mixing water and psychic assaults and an enormous defence stat. To confuse issues even additional, the type of Shellder modifications much more when Slowpoke evolves into both Slowking, Galarian Slowbro, or Galarian Slowking. We don’t know what’s happening, however we adore it. Learn our information to the perfect psychic Pokémon in Pokémon Go for extra.
Scyther
Whereas a whole lot of the primary era of pokémon may be thought-about a little bit…foolish, Sugimori and the gang took issues very severely when creating the bug Pokémon with weapons for arms referred to as Sycther’ It’s all the time given a really imposing impression, and the actual fact it’s so robust to search out in Pokémon Purple and Blue’s Safari Zone solely provides to the mysticism surrounding the creature.
And whereas this can be a listing of the perfect gen 1 Pokémon, there’s no approach in hell I’m not going to say Scizor. I’ve talked quite a bit about nice evolutions, ones that take the perfect components of the unique and increase on it, and Scizor is definitely top-of-the-line examples of how a brand new era revisits a earlier Pokémon. This vibrant crimson steely monster simply appears unbelievable, and attending to evolve the already badass Scyther from Purple and Blue into one thing that was one way or the other even cooler? Nicely, that’s a top-tier childhood reminiscence. Learn our information to the perfect grass Pokémon in Pokémon Go for extra.
Gyarados
Don’t underestimate Magikarp. When you get bought one within the unique Pokémon Purple and Blue in what looks as if a traditional fishing rip-off (sorry), the ineffective little crimson fish can really slowly splash its approach up the degrees, and finally flip right into a fearsome and terrifying large creature that towers above most Pokémon. It additionally offers us top-of-the-line moments within the unique Pokémon Snap, after any participant that fastidiously knocked that poor Magikarp midway down the valley into the waterfall was rewarded with the wonderful Gyarados bursting out of the water and roaring in type.
Curiously, Magikarp and Gyarados are primarily based on a Chinese language fantasy of a koi carp that was decided to swim up a waterfall. Ultimately, after a lot of exhausting work, the koi reached the highest of the waterfall, and the gods praised its dedication and turned it right into a golden dragon, a logo of energy and energy. Gyarados additionally gave many trainers their very first shiny Pokémon after the crimson Gyarados appeared within the Lake of Rage in Pokémon Gold and Silver, so it’s nonetheless a shiny I like and treasure to today.
Dragonite
In Pokémon Purple and Blue, dragon Pokémon are a really uncommon factor. Earlier than Salamence, Hydreigon, and Garchomp took over the meta, Dragonite and its evolutionary line had been the only real recipients of the coveted dragon-type, and it made them a drive to be reckoned with on the playground battlefield. Fortunately, Dragonite additionally appears wonderful, with its lovable spherical design and antenna. Its jovial look within the first Pokémon film because the Pokémon postman enamoured many younger followers, and it’s remained a favorite ever since.
Curiously, that is one other Pokémon that’s by no means been revisited for an extra kind. As such a agency fan favorite, it appears like a bizarre omission from any doable regional variants or expanded kinds, and one, specifically, feels very unusual. Again within the unique Pokémon anime, one episode primarily based round a lighthouse revealed a gigantic-sized Dragonite that was the stuff of legends. That is considerably canonised with dynamax kinds finally, nevertheless it felt unusual to not get a gigantamax from linking the 2, like how Gyarados’ eventual mega evolution was a nod to its unusual look within the anime. Learn our information to the perfect dragon Pokémon in Pokémon Go for extra.
Bellsprout
Let me have this one. Whereas many of the picks on this listing are clear fan favourites who seem in numerous media through the years, this one’s for me. Bellsprout is among the most endearing Pokémon from the primary era, and its relative weak point and foolish voice have all the time make me simply need to shield the poor plant and name one my very own. I can’t say I like its evolutions wherever close to as a lot, even when James’ Victreebel is sweet for fun, however nothing can contact the minuscule and minimalist design of the unique little man.
Raichu
“Pikachu, Pikachu, Pikachu!” The crowds cheer, holding up Pikachu indicators, banners, dolls, sporting t-shirts with its face, and someplace buying and selling one of many million completely different playing cards that includes the electrical yellow mouse. However someplace, silently within the background, is a Raichu trying on in horror, shocked on the adoration the INFERIOR rodent is getting, when Raichu just isn’t solely extra highly effective, higher designed, but in addition associated. Think about you had a little bit wimp for a youthful brother, an actual rat, only a smelly little nuisance, and one way or the other despite the fact that you’re doing higher and had gone to college, your mother and father nonetheless solely sang your brother’s praises to all their mates.
If Raichu has one million followers, I’m one among them. If it has 100 followers, I’m one among them. And if it has a single fan, that shall be me (and my editor Ruby who really has a Raichu tattoo). I merely can’t fathom how Raichu isn’t universally adored on a degree much like its pathetic predecessor when it has these lovable ears, a beaming smile, and that pretty orange colourway. If that doesn’t do it for you, then how about a good cuter Raichu that has psychic powers and surfs on its tail? If Alolan Raichu didn’t change the tide of opinion, I actually don’t know what else The Pokémon Firm can do. I don’t even dislike Pikachu (a lot), however come on of us, you already know Raichu guidelines. Learn our information to the perfect electrical Pokémon in Pokémon Go for extra.
Kayleigh has to level out that not everybody at PT considers Pikachu to be a nuisance. We’re not united on this, although we do all love Raichu.
Alakazam
There are a number of Pokémon from the unique era which can be primarily based on real-world figures (most likely earlier than the video games had been large enough to fret about authorized points), and the wonderful Alakazam is one among them. This spoon-wielding unit with immense psychic energy relies on the notorious conman Uri Gellar, who spent years pretending to have psychic powers for clout. Nicely, Alakazam has REAL psychic powers Uri (I do know he’s not actual, let me have this) and he’s superior.
Not solely is Alakazam an absolute powerhouse within the unique video games, being one of many few challengers to the almighty Gengar, however the two Pokémon seem collectively in my favorite episode of the unique Pokémon anime, when gigantic prehistoric model of the 2 ‘mons appeared and had a kaiju struggle. With its absurd particular assault and its superior bearded mega evolution, Alakazam has additionally stored a gradual spot within the Pokémon meta, and it holds the honour of maybe being the Pokémon with a reputation that’s essentially the most enjoyable to say. Learn our information to the perfect psychic Pokemon in Pokémon Go for extra.
Alright of us, that’s it, for now, put down the pitchforks. We love each single Pokémon from the unique gen (apart from you Seel), however this was only a listing of our private favourites and a few which have had the perfect legacy since their unique launch. If you wish to see much more of our favorite Pokémon although, make sure to try our information to the Pokémon Legends: Arceus finest Pokémon subsequent.
