Listmas 2021: Pokémon

So during this latest period of being a bit stuck not at home, it oddly has been Pokémon that has been the main saving grace for me. I have two new Pokémon cartridges, I found some nice Let's Plays, and I finally bit the bullet on the wonderful world of emulation because 1. Paying exorbanent amounts for 15-year-old cartidges is bogus, 2. Pokémon having only one save file past Generation 1 is bogus, and 3. Not being able to fully evolve a Pokémon you want to use without trading - ESPECIALLY in Gen 3 - is bogus (If I can ever afford to get a streaming setup started we're going to have some laughs)

It has allowed me to take my oldest on her first Pokémon journey. While she's still a bit to young to really do the driving (or read thr dialogue), the team and major choices are all hers with no restrictions other than team diversity (We're playing FireRed and she enthusiastically chose Squirtle BTW)

With that giant preamble out of the way, it's time to get into these Pokémon lists

I need to make a disclaimer up front: I do not own a Nintendo Switch (and likely will not), and therefore I have not yet played any of the Generation 8 games, so anything involving content from those games are based on conjecture and limited knowledge and are subject to wild change if and when I finally play through them.

For reference:

Generation 1: Red, Blue, and Yellow

Generation 2: Gold, Silver, and Crystal

Generation 3: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, FireRed*, and LeafGreen*

Generation 4: Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold*, and SoulSilver*

Generation 5: Black, White, Black2, and White2

Generation 6: X, Y, Omega Ruby*, and Alpha Sapphire*

Generation 7: Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon

Generation 8: Let's Go Pikachu*, Let's Go Eevee*, Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond*, and Shining Pearl*

*Remakes count as the generation they're remaking in terms of story and the generation they're released in in terms of gameplay

Pokémon Generations' Story from Most to Least Favorite

1. Gen1

2. Gen3

3. Gen2

4. Gen5

5. Gen4

6. Gen6

7. Gen7

8. Gen8

Pokémon Generations' Gameplay from Most to Least Favorite

1. Gen4

2. Gen6

3. Gen3

4. Gen7

5. Gen2

6. Gen5

7. Gen8

8. Gen1

Pokémon Generations' General Design from Most to Least Favorite

1. Gen1

2. Gen4

3. Gen3

4. Gen2

5. Gen6

6. Gen5

7. Gen7

8. Gen8

Pokémon Main Series Games from Most to Least Favorite

1. HeartGold/SoulSilver

2. Red/Blue

3. Emerald

4. FireRed/LeafGreen

5. Diamond/Pearl

6. Crystal

7. Gold/Silver

8. Black/White

9. X/Y

10. Platinum

11. Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire

12. Black2/White2

13. Yellow

14. Ruby/Sapphire

15. Sun/Moon

Still have yet to play Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon and (again) Generation 8

Top 12 Favorite Pokémon of Each Type

I need to start by explaining this number.

So originally I started with 6, to be one full team of each type. The I expanded it to 7 for honorable mentions. Then I wanted to do a regular Top 11, but decided to put it up to 12 to make two full teams each.

The problem is apparently I like some Types way more than others, as while some I struggled to keep to only 12, others I struggled to get anywhere near 12 and had to settle for "Ones I wouldn't immediately kick out of my party if forced to usr"

So take some of the later numbers with grains of salt.

Also in order to fit more diverse entries I did not repeat in instances of duel-typing. And I picked the finsl evolutions to represent the entire line.

Finally the Types are listed in the order they are generally listed in Type-Matchup charts and do not reflect the order I like them in (I considered making a Top Favorite Types list, but I couldn't decide whether to judge based on liked aesthetics or amount of Pokémon of that type in my favorites)

NORMAL

1. Persian

2. Smeargle

3. Exploud

4. Raticate

5. Furret

6. Bibarel

7. Porygon -Z

8. Girafarig

9. Kangaskhan

10. Ditto

11. Delcatty

12. Silvally

FIRE

1. Charizard

2. Ninetails

3. Typhlosion

4. Delphox

5. Incineroar

6. Magmorter

7. Flareon

8. Heatmor

9. Moltres

10. Ho-oh

11. Arcanine

12. Rapidash

FIGHTING

1. Kommo-o

2. Blaziken

3. Toxicroak

4. Scrafty

5. Hawlucha

6. Machamp

7. Mienshao

8. Infernape

9. Primeape

10. Hitmonchan

11. Pangoro

12. Grapploct

WATER

1. Vaporeon

2. Feraligatr

3. Gyarados

4. Golduck

5. Milotic

6. Suicune

7. Blastoise

8. Intelion

9. Samurott

10. Floatzel

11. Clawitzer

12. Kyogre

FLYING

1. Aerodactyl

2. Noivern

3. Crobat

4. Dodrio

5. Mandibuzz

6. Fearow

7. Swoobat

8. Xatu

9. Pelipper

10. Yveltal

11. Gliscor

12. Swanna

GRASS

1. Sceptile

2. Serperior

3. Meganium

4. Vileplume

5. Venusaur

6. Trevenant

7. Leafeon

8. Chesnaught

9. Decidueye

10. Breloom

11. Jumpluff

12. Tropius

POISON

1. Arbok

2. Nidoking

3. Selazzle

4. Skuntank

5. Drapion

6. Dragalge

7. Nidoqueen

8. Garbodor

9. Neganadel

10. Tentacruel

11. Muk

12. Wheezing

ELECTRIC

1. Luxray

2. Raichu

3. Ampharos

4. Heliolisk

5. Eelektross

6. Zebstrika

7. Toxtricity

8. Zapdos

9. Zekrom

10. Jolteon

11. Electivire

12. Manectric

GROUND

1. Marowak

2. Garchomp

3. Camerupt

4. Sandslash

5. Sandaconda

6. Torterra

7. Donphan

8. Groudon

9. Swampert

10. Hippowdon

11. Zygarde

12. Mudsdale

PSYCHIC

1. Mewtwo

2. Mew

3. Alakazam

4. Lugia

5. Espeon

6. Grumpig

7. Hypno

8. Cresselia

9. Reuniclus

10. Beheeyem

11. Gothitelle

12. Hatterene

ROCK

1. Rampardos

2. Kabutops

3. Tyrantrum

4. Lycanroc

5. Archeops

6. Golem

7. Carracosta

8. Rhydon (I try to ignore Rhyperior)

9. Cradily

10. Tyranitar

11. Magcargo

12. Coalossal

ICE

1. Aurorus

2. Articuno

3. Glaceon

4. Beartic

5. Lapras

6. Walrein

7. Weavile

8. Jynx

9. Vanilluxe

10. Abomasnow

11. Arctozolt

12. Glastrier

BUG

1. Scizor

2. Armaldo

3. Butterfree

4. Leavanny

5. Golisopod

6. Beedrill

7. Yanmega

8. Parasect

9. Kriketune

10. Genesect

11. Orbeetle

12. Heracross

DRAGON

1. Hydreigon

2. Rayquaza

3. Haxorus

4. Altaria

5. Dragonite

6. Flapple

7. Flygon

8. Goodra

9. Kingdra

10. Dracozolt

11. Reshiram

12. Eternatus

GHOST

1. Sableye

2. Chandelure

3. Lunala

4. Drifblim

5. Gengar

6. Dragapult

7. Mismagius

8. Cofagrigus

9. Banette

10. Giratina

11. Spectrier

12. Polteageist

DARK

1. Mightyena

2. Houndoom

3. Umbreon

4. Sharpedo

5. Greninja

6. Honchkrow

7. Krookodile

8. Liepard

9. Zoroark

10. Malamar

11. Theivul

12. Shiftry

STEEL

1. Lucario

2. Steelix

3. Empoleon

4. Bastiodon

5. Dialga

6. Corviknight

7. Excadrill

8. Aggron

9. Solgaleo

10. Aegislash

11. Magnezone

12. Probopass

FAIRY

1. Grimmsnarl

2. Gardevoir

3. Wigglytuff

4. Clefable

5. Primarina

6. Togekiss

7. Azumarill

8. Sylveon

9. Aromatisse

10. Xerneas

11. Mr. Mime

12. Mawhile

See you next time!