LOC 57: Top 50 Pokemon {Now counting down!}

[gojikranz]

Dugtrio was the bomb in blue for me.  just pop of a dig at the start and watch your foe die (unless they flew...)

[Asbestos Bill]

Also, outraged that Aggron is so low. Ultimate badass.

Yeah. I was kind of disappointed too, even though I bumped him from my list.

[Darth Geek]

Bill was supposed to post this at the beginning of the list. It's like he didn't want people to see it for some reason...

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/phQaxixsNNM?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/phQaxixsNNM?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US</a>

[Coragale]

Bill was supposed to post this at the beginning of the list. It's like he didn't want people to see it for some reason...

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/phQaxixsNNM?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/phQaxixsNNM?version=3&amp;amp;hl=en_US</a>

[Asbestos Bill]

#46a: Girafarig

NORMAL / PSYCHIC
Points: 23; Lists: 2; Highest: pegaso220398 (#6)

Girafarig, as pegaso said in his list, is like a pushmi-pullyu crossed with a chain chomp. The rear head isn't capable of thought, but it remains alert while the main head sleeps. The rear head responds to stimuli instinctively and is affected subconsciously by the actions of the main head. For instance, when the main head is eating, the secondary one will go through the motions of chewing absentmindedly. Girafarig is a Gen 2 pokémon, found in route 43 of Gold and Silver. It has a huge moveset pool and overall average stats, with Special Attack and speed in the lead, though still only moderate. Until Gen 5, Girafarig was the only Psychic / Normal pokémon, and thus the only Psychic pokémon to be immune to Ghost, which could be useful. Even now, it is one of only two.

Ideal nature: Timid Recommended moves: Calm Mind Psychic Thunderbolt Baton Pass Grass Knot Shadow Ball

[Pak-Man]

I love Girafarig's design but I have a hard time getting attached to a Pokemon that doesn't evolve, for some reason. I only have one non-evolver on my list, and only 7 others that don't have at least 3 evelutionary steps.

[Asbestos Bill]

#46b: Quagsire

WATER / GROUND
Points: 23; Lists: 2; Highest: gojikranz (#6)

Quagsire is the evolved form of Wooper, and is an upright standing amphibian with an adorably derpy face. Sort of like Wobbuffet, Quagsire has an oblivious personality and is known for hitting its head on things. They participate in a ritualistic yearly sporting event, launching things toward the full moon: Once a year, when the moon is full, wild Quagsire collect round objects like balls and swim to Blue Moon Falls, where they attempt to shoot the balls to the top of a waterfall with their Water Gun attacks to see who can launch their objects the highest, with the apparent target being the moon. The day after, the objects float downstream and are considered to be blessed with luck from the Quagsire. Quagsire can be found all over the place in Gold and Silver. Despite seeming like a token cute pokémon, Quagsire is quite adept at defense, with four resistances and an immunity to Electric. Unfortunately, he has a 4x weakness to Grass, but that's still his only weakness. He is best used as a wall or support, even moreso in Black and White, where he can acquire the hidden ability Unaware in the spirit world, letting him ignore the stat boosts of other pokémon.

Ideal nature: Relaxed or Careful Recommended moves: Recover Scald Toxic Earthquake Curse Waterfall

[Thrifty]

That Ground subtype was incredible.  Most folks have a thunder type to take care of water types, but if you're packing a Quagsire, the other guy's thunder type is in trouble.  Ground type leaves you immune, and Earthquake lets you make short work of the thunder type.  I seem to recall that I would usually have a grass type move on one of my Pokemon, or if I didn't just not worry about type effectiveness and bring out something that could deal heavy neutral damage and absorb Quagsire's attacks.

[Relaxing Dragon]

That Ground subtype was incredible.  Most folks have a thunder type to take care of water types, but if you're packing a Quagsire, the other guy's thunder type is in trouble.  Ground type leaves you immune, and Earthquake lets you make short work of the thunder type.  I seem to recall that I would usually have a grass type move on one of my Pokemon, or if I didn't just not worry about type effectiveness and bring out something that could deal heavy neutral damage and absorb Quagsire's attacks.

I was always the sort who had a lot of grass types, so this guy was never a problem. I think I only fell back to stuff like Thunder when facing guaranteed fish, such as Gyarados (that Elite 4 one isn't so tough when you're dealing x4 damage to it).

[Asbestos Bill]

Bonus: Wooper

WATER / GROUND
Points: 9; Lists: 1; Highest: CJones (#5)

Since Quagsire made the list while Wooper didn't, and since it's based on an interesting natural phenomenon, lets take a detour to look at the fascinating history of Wooper and the ambystoma mexicanum, or axolotl. The axolotl is a small amphibian native to Mexico that appears to be a normal salamander, except that it lives its entire life in the water. However, in 1863, a package of axolotls was sent to a French zoologist. Upon arrival, it was discovered that the axolotls had metamorphosed into their true adult form. The axolotl was able to live into old age without growing up because it has one feature that sets it apart from other amphibians: It can mate in its adolescent stage. Despite being based on a creature that "evolves" in a unique way, Wooper evolves starting at level 20. It's a shame; they didn't need to have a complicated process to evolve it like Chansey or Sneazel. If they had just made it evolve after trading it would have been a clever reference to the sent package in 1863. Here is the full article on Wooper's origins and here is a Dresden Codak page that happens to go into the story of the axolotl.

[Asbestos Bill]

#46c: Articuno

FLYING / ICE
Points: 23; Lists: 2; Highest: gojikranz (#11)

The legendary bird of ice, Articuno is a magestic creature, and counterpart to Zapdos and Moltres. Together, the three were known as the Winged Mirages, and were subservient to Lugia. It has no gender and can not be bred. The three legendary birds of Kanto Articuno was found at the end of the cave on Seafoam Island in the sea on the South edge of the map. Training it made it much easier to beat the Elite Four, especially Lance, the Dragon trainer. However, its Flying/Ice typing gives it a 4x weakness to Rock (the same as Moltres), plus three other weaknesses (starting in Gen 2, with the introduction of Steel). To counterbalance this, it has only one immunity and two resistances—Ground, Grass, and the rarely used Bug. In competetive play, its severe rock weakness and the widespread use of Stealth Rock means it is suceptible to losing half its health when it switches in. Articuno isn't a lost cause, though. It still has very high Special Defense along with good Defense, good HP, and a wide defensive movepool. This makes it a good Special wall or stall/support, using Toxic, Substitute, and Roost to outlast opponents.

Ideal nature: Calm or Timid Recommended moves: Ice Beam Roost Toxic Substitute Roar Heal Bell

[Invader_quirk]

This was probably always incredibly obvious to everybody else, but I recently noticed that the legendary birds are numbered. Artic-uno, Zap-dos, Mol-tres.

[Asbestos Bill]

This was probably always incredibly obvious to everybody else, but I recently noticed that the legendary birds are numbered. Artic-uno, Zap-dos, Mol-tres.

So it's "mole tray"?

[Invader_quirk]

This was probably always incredibly obvious to everybody else, but I recently noticed that the legendary birds are numbered. Artic-uno, Zap-dos, Mol-tres.

So it's "mole tray"?

No... mole trace

[Asbestos Bill]

This was probably always incredibly obvious to everybody else, but I recently noticed that the legendary birds are numbered. Artic-uno, Zap-dos, Mol-tres.

So it's "mole tray"?

No... mole trace

Oh right. I was thinking of French.