It’s truly impressive how Nintendo’s Pokémon franchise has somehow become even more relevant and popular than it was back in the ‘90s when it first made its debut. Pokémon is a constant that’s never stopped and each new game finds ways to advance the formula and implement worthwhile changes that don’t come at the expense of Pokémon losing its core mechanics.
Each new generation introduces a bundle of new Pokémon and the creatures from Generation 4’s Sinnoh region are about to receive a major bump in popularity because of the upcoming Pokémon Diamond and Pearl remakes on the Nintendo Switch. Generation 4 makes some fantastic new entries into the Pokédex, but there are also a few new creatures that are hard to remember even exist.
10 Bronzor Feels More Like Loose Parts Than A Pokémon
Bronzor is a regrettable Pokémon from Generation 4 that isn’t essential, memorable, and it’s also incredibly easy to miss in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl in the first place. Bronzor is actually a competent combination of a Steel and Psychic-type Pokémon with some enviable psychic attacks that are possible, but its look feels like a rejected design for Metagross or a piece that would help complete another Pokémon’s ensemble. Its evolved form, Bronzong, isn’t much better and it’s easy to forget that these two exist, especially when stronger and similar Pokémon are available.
9 Cherubi Blends In With Its Surroundings
Some of the more common environments in Pokémon titles that are swarming with common and expendable creatures are the forest and trails. There’s an abundance of woodland-esque Pokémon that appear, and it’s easy to lose sight of some of the new creatures as a result. Cherubi, and its evolved form, Cherrim are Grass-type Pokémon that take their cues from cherries and that’s about it. It’s a one-note idea that’s mildly cute, but underpowered and easily forgettable. It’s why Cherubi has largely disappeared and failed to return in a significant way.
8 Finneon Add Nothing To The Large Number Of Fish Pokémon That Are Out There
There are Pokémon that base their designs on completely original ideas, but it’s a lot easier to turn to real animals and aquatic fare, like fish, which have resulted in a large amount of Water-type Pokémon.
There’s only so much that can be done with a Fish Pokémon and the series is likely at a point where they don’t need to continually return to this well. Finneon is a prime example since it’s just an unassuming guppy that doesn’t stand out in any unique way. The same is true with its evolved form, Lumineon, which is also just a basic fish.
7 Combee Gets Lost In Its Concept
It’s deceptively difficult to design a winning Pokémon and there are plenty that have decent ideas behind them, only for the execution to go in the wrong direction and ruin that Pokémon’s chances at relevance. Vespiquen is a Generation 4 Pokémon that resembles a queen bee, which is actually quite interesting. However, its previous form, Combee, is practically useless. Combee is a Flying and Bug-type Pokémon that’s mildly cute, but its honeycomb design is so disposable and unnecessary. It’d be a stronger Pokémon purely as Vespiquen and without the awkward Combee before it.
6 Chingling Is A Baby Pokémon That Never Matures Into Being Useful
New concepts have entered the Pokémon series as the Pokédex has steadily expanded to nearly 1000 unique entries. Early on in the series came the advent of Baby Pokémon, which are often incredibly cute and offer up a softer side of pre-existing Pokémon, but they're not always a success. Generation 4's Chingling is a Psychic-type runt that feels derivative of several other Pokémon, both in design and purpose. It's one of the more inconsequential Baby Pokémon to come in Generation 4 and so it's quite easy to completely miss Chingling.
5 Mothim Is A Rare Bug Pokémon That Some Will Never Encounter
Just like in the real world, the growing Pokémon series has a rich ecosystem of bugs that represent a portion of the Pokédex. A lot of unique Bug Pokémon have been seen by the time Generation 4 comes around and Mothim is just more of the same and doesn’t offer anything original.
Furthermore, Mothim can only be obtained from the evolution of a male Burmy, which is an obscure enough requirement that it’s not even a very common Pokémon. The other Pokémon connected to Mothim, like Burmy and Wormadam, also feel derivative of generic Bug Pokémon.
4 Yanmega Is A Dragonfly Pokémon That Somehow Hasn’t Been Extinguished
Bug-type Pokémon get a lot of criticism and it’s difficult to properly train them to become unstoppable, and there’s a smaller percentage of powerhouse Bug-types. Yanmega and its previous form, Yanma, are perfectly serviceable, and if they were the first-ever Bug Pokémon then they’d be exceptional. However, this oversized dragonfly feels more like an actual insect than a creative Pokémon idea. It’s an unfortunate misfire, and it fails to make an impression even though there’s a Yanmega in the party of Team Rocket’s Jessie in the anime series. Jessie even sometimes forgets that she has one.
3 Carnivine Is An Odd Grass-Type Pokémon That Lacks Exposure
In the defense of Carnivine, there’s actually a creative idea in play here with how the Pokémon draws inspiration from a venus flytrap. If Carnivine appeared in Generation 1 or 2 it might have been one of the biggest Pokémon due to there being less competition. Generation 4 has a bloated Pokédex, and it means that some Pokémon get squeezed through the cracks, even if they’re entertaining. Carnivine is an unusual Grass-type Pokémon that doesn’t evolve from or into anything else, which makes it a rare outlier. It’s a pleasant sight, but one that’s out of mind once it’s gone.
2 Purugly Is The Forgettable Outcast Of The Feline Pokémon
The Pokémon series is usually pretty good at knowing how to read a crowd and capitalize on certain trends for some of their Pokémon designs. It shouldn’t be surprising that there is a handful of Cat Pokémon that have gained a strong following over the years. Purugly leans into a “Grumpy Cat” aesthetic, but both it and its previous form, Glameow, don’t do enough to stand out or have tragic backstories that benefit them. Disgruntled Pokémon sometimes work, but when it comes to feline Pokémon audiences prefer something like Meowth and Purugly remains a furry footnote.
1 Phione’s Unique Conditions Keep This Pokémon A Mystery
Most of the time the new Legendary and Mythical Pokémon are some of the most iconic creatures from a new generation, but sometimes the obscure nature of obtaining said Pokémon can turn them into an unknown oddity. Phione can only be acquired by breeding a Manapy or another Phione with a Ditto, which is why it’s uncommon and feels similar to the other Guardian Pokémon that are supposed to protect the planet. At its core, Phione is literally an imitation.
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