You know, it’s still strange to me that I’ve been alive throughout the entire Pokémon phenomenon. Starting with Pokémon Yellow in 1998, I’ve been through every single major release. So when Pokémon Scarlet and Violet came out last month, you’d think I’d be tired of their formulaic style and traditional 8 gym, evil team, beating the pokemon league gameplay by now.
Nope!
Why is that, you ask? Brand new Pokémon! The best awe-inspiring designs and cute little critters always keep me coming back. Pokémon Violet takes place in the brand new Paldean region, filled with Spanish-inspired little friends to have a fiesta with! I picked up my day 1 pre-order and dived straight into the world of Pokémon, for the 9th time, eager to find some chili peppers, and mariachi dancers!
I’m going to be giving you a glimpse into my 10 personal favorites from these new games along with my fellow Couch Soup writer and Pokémon lover, Erika, who has done the Scarlet version of this list. But Scarlet has smelly prehistoric creatures while we have our robot overlords, so you should probably pick up this version!
Miraidon may be the box cover legendary creature, but they get onto this list purely for their contribution to the story and being cooler looking than their counterpart “Koraidon.” Lots of points for being the driving force behind my picking Violet over Scarlet. Still quite the odd shape, though.
When I went into this game; I was all aboard the Fuecoco train. But then Sprigs appeared; its cute charms and happy smile won me over completely! How could anyone not love the plant cat? It’s absolutely adorable!
Erika says: “It honestly pained me not to put this sweet kitty on my list. Look at those perfect paws!”
I was wondering whether to put Fidough or Dacsbun here, but I went with the baby form purely because of the puppy dog eyes. Such a good dog, I had a Fidough called “Doughboi,” for the first part of my journey, netting them 8th place on my list.
This mallet-wielding malicious master of murderous mayhem is an absolute menace, and I’m completely on board. Its Pokedex entries tell of its baby form getting harassed by Corviknights, so future evolutions go full John Wick and declare war against their entire race! This is Tinkaton, they will get their revenge, and I love it so much.
Hoo boy, talking about this guy is riddled with spoilers. Let’s just say it’s a mechanical fusion of Gardevoir and Gallade, a couple of series mainstays, and add an incredibly evil mechanical aura. Looks pretty badass if you ask me. I wonder if it can charge my phone…
Erika says: “Really jealous of all the futuristic Pokémon in Violet… gosh, they look so badass!”
I love sushi SO much. So when I saw there was a sushi Pokemon with multiple forms and patterns that go along the preparation aesthetic, I just had to get one of these little guys on my team.
Tatsugiri has an interesting pair-up mechanic with Dondozo, too, which adds a fresh layer of strategy to battles.
Floragato is the middle evolution for Spriagatito: it gets a flower on its chest like it’s a Spanish dancer. This form does just enough to look polished and refined before it becomes the chaotic design of its final evolution. Pretty good!
It’s a dolphin, it’s so cute, and then it turns into a superhero. If Aquaman had one of these, nobody would ever make fun of him again. This buff beast goes from loveable to complete powerhouse with an attack stat way above the average. It’s so strong that Smogon banned it from competitive matches. Fantastic.
Erika says: “I think my only negative thing was the second evolution was just a heart on its chest! That’s it!”
This is the dark and menacing Violet exclusive evolution of Charcadet. With big swords and scary-looking eyes, it’s an edgy Pokemon that embraces the cold truth of warfare over honor, taking no prisoners. Really cool looking and has a very stylish design. This is the Pokemon of future values. The shiny version even has sharper edges. Nice touch.
Absolutely the cutest little guy in this generation. Deciding whether to embrace the honor of its ancestors or don a more practical and cynical outlook on life, this fire type is a soldier trying to find who it wants to be. Its design is probably my favorite one for years, and I love the aesthetic mixed with its Mega Man motif. There’s enough cute energy to easily give them my top spot.
Well, there we have it, our top ten. Yours is probably a lot different than mine, though, as there’s so much choice and good picks around this generation. Put your favorite new Pokémon in the comments below, or an older one if you didn’t like these games. Adios!
