March 6th will bring the North American release of both Pokémon Black and Pokémon White for the Nintendo DS, and we’ve decided to re-cast our votes and update our list of the Top 25 Pokémon of All-Time! Last time around, Mew came out on top, while you readers voiced your surprise that the famous Charizard was nowhere to be found. This time, voting has been opened to all 649 Pokémon spread out over five generations… but has anything changed?
We’re getting into the home stretch of our Pokémon countdown: Tonight we look at our picks for #6 through #4! Head on past the break to find out which Pokémon splashed onto our list, and just in time!
#6 – Starmie
Who’s That Pokémon?
Starmie is the evolved form of Staryu. They will always grow into the symmetrical geometric shape shown here, no matter where they are raised. By rotating its second star, Starmie can propel through water, out of water, and even briefly through the air. In addition, the gem located at its core will occasionally glow brilliantly in all the colors of the rainbow — speculated to be a means of communication with the furthest reaches of outer space.
In the anime, Starmie’s most notable role was as part of Misty’s team, seemingly as one of her more powerful Pokémon as well as one of her most useful — Misty often calls upon Starmie to ferry her through water. In the games, Starmie currently retains the shared distinction of being the fastest water Pokémon in the game, matched only by Sinnoh’s Floatzel.
Why did we pick it?
Psychic, Thunderbolt (or Thunder, if you prefer), Blizzard, Hyper Beam, Recover, Hydro Pump, Rollout, Toxic, Confuse Ray. These are all moves that Starmie can potentially learn, making it one of the most versitile (and unpredictable) Pokémon in the game. You can imagine crafting a team composed entirely out of these little guys, each with a different strength and all independent power houses. You could power Russia with that many power houses in one place, assuming none of them accidentally power house each other, inevitably causing a chain reaction that would lead to a massive explosion, crippling the nearby landscape with deadly poké-radiation. While it’s true there may be nothing nobler than the mind, there is nothing Chernobler than a group of Starmies turning on each other. On top of that, Starmie has the cool guy at the bar in sunglasses effect. You can’t really tell where he is looking, which instantly makes him more attractive, mysterious, and free to check out all the Poké-ladies. Just stay away from Jynx Starmie — trust me, that beast comes with baggage. I can tell by looking at her. In fact some even go as far as to say she’s… jinxed? Too easy? Ah, what do you know.
#5 – Dragonite
Who’s That Pokémon?
It takes quite a bit of effort to evolve a Dragonite all the way from a little Dratini (and from lengthy Dragonair, whom Dragonite is shorter than). Dragonite is worth it, though. The pseudo-legendary Dragon Pokémon is highly intelligent and rare, and they are usually only seen by humans when they are flying over vast oceans — rescuing drowning people at speeds that allow it to circle the planet in less than a day. It is rumored that a colony of Dragonite all live together on a secluded island somewhere.
In the games, Dragonite is a popular staple in the metagame, and is to this day one of the most powerful dragons in its class. It has since been joined by the very similar Salamence, though many players will still opt for Dragonite on account of its bulk and movepool. In the anime, Dragonite is first seen as a messenger, coming to invite Ash & Co. to Mewtwo’s Castle in Pokémon: The First Movie — Mewtwo Strikes Back. In addition, another Dragonite is shown to be one of Professor Oak’s own personal Pokémon.
Why did we pick it?
What’s not to love about Dragonite? It’s cute, cuddly, yet oh so devastating. Dragonite makes a great addition to any trainer’s party due to the fact that this Pokemon can learn a wide variety of powerful elemental moves through Technical Machines. Personally, my Dragonite knows both Thunderbolt and Flamethrower, giving it a tactical advantage against most types of Pokémon. A third-level evolution, Dragonite also boasts some impressive stats to back up a varied move set. Lance of the Elite Four was well aware of the power that this Pokémon packs, as later on in the series his party includes multiple Dragonites to wreak havoc on unsuspecting trainers. Dragonite has been a favorite since the first generation of games, and for many reasons you will still find this Pokémon in many trainers’ parties.
#4 – Celebi
Who’s That Pokémon?
Celebi is the Time Travel Pokémon. Rarely seen by humans, Celebi is the guardian of the Ilex Forest, where a shrine was built in its honor. Perhaps this is because Celebi has the power to make trees, flowers, and all plant life flourish and grow with life. Celebi’s name is even derived from a word meaning “beauty.”
In the games, Celebi was only obtainable in Pokémon Crystal by using a special item — the GS Ball. Ever since the third generation’s reboot, however, Celebi has had the infamous distinction as being arguably the rarest event Pokémon, at least until the past year’s Celebi distribution across Japanese movie theaters, North American GameStop stores and mall tours, and various video game retailers across Europe. Taking this new Celebi to the Ilex Shrine will reveal backstory for Silver and Team Rocket, and will give players access to Zorua in Unova.
In the anime, it is revealed that one of the Celebi is the reason that Ash got to see what Professor Oak was like when he was younger. The Celebi from the latest movie comes to Crown City, where it brings prosperity to the plant life. It also eventually helps to reunite Zorua with Zoroark, who has been captured from the Unova region.
Why did we pick it?
Maybe it’s an obsession with psychic Pokémon, or maybe it’s just a fascination with time travel… but Celebi is truly worthy of “legendary” status. This elusive Pokémon can navigate through the fourth dimension, influence the growth of plant life of entire forests, pack a huge punch in battle… and yet it’s always seen acting so playfully and fairly modest as it goes about its business. On top of that, it’s been near impossible to obtain one for use in the games. From the release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire through the recent release of the Zoroark movie, we’ve seen countless distribution events worldwide for Mew, Jirachi, Manaphy, and so on. Celebi was the only one with extremely limited distribution, so for many gamers, Celebi was the holy grail. The one Pokémon missing from the Pokédex. It was almost impossible not to want to obtain one.
That’s unfortunately all we have time for tonight. Be sure to check back here tomorrow night as we continue counting down our favorite Pokémon all the way down to our #1 all-time favorite on the eve of the North American launch of Pokémon Blackand White, coming March 6th! Be sure to leave some comments below regarding your thoughts on these picks, and your predictions for the rest of the list!
