Mle's Favorite Pokemon!

All Time

Generation Breakdown

Generation 1

I’m not going to even try and pretend that nostalgia doesn’t influence my love for Generation 1 of Pokemon. Pokemon Red was not the first Pokemon game I owned, but it was the first Pokemon game I beat. Pokemon like Charmander, Vulpix, and Eevee captured my heart from day one. I loved learning the mechanics, getting lost in the region, and sharing stories with friends.
There was also a fun aura of mystery behind the early days of rumors and cheats. The fact that Missingno., glitch city, and the mew trick actually worked gave way to so many other tall tales and urban legends. Nowadays, we know that Mew wasn’t under the truck, Pikablu is Maril, and that there are no “pokegods”, but at the time it all felt like it could be true.
My love for this era doesn’t just come from the games though, it also has an amazing aesthetic. The Ken Sugimori watercolor Pokemon designs, the cards, books, strategy guides, and characters are my preferred look for Pokemon as a whole. I also love that so many of the initial looks of the Pokemon were rougher and compact, as if they were made with being pocketed in mind. The Tomy figurines really capture this look, and are my favorite Pokemon toys (now decor lol).
I don’t come back to these games as much anymore, but I love the way the hooked me into being a life long fan.

Generation 2

Generation 2 also holds a very special place in my heart. I received a copy of Pokemon Silver for Christmas, and was instantly so excited to have the game Pokemon like Entei and Lugia were from. I couldn’t believe how large the Pokedex was at the time (251!), and that I could go back to Kanto after completing the Pokemon League. Nowadays, that aspect is written off as “overrated”, but I still think having two regions is still one of the coolest things Pokemon has ever done. I remember the sheer excitement I felt challenging Red for the first time after beating the gyms in my Kanto “home”.
Sadly, I feel like I missed out on big parts of this generation because I didn’t have a link cable or transfer pack until I became an adult. I wish I had had the chance to trade and use Mystery Gift. I was also completely devastated the first time one of my cart batteries died. I legitimately cried!
Outside of the games, I fondly remember watching the Johto anime. I was particularly obsessed with Master Quest because, at the time, I thought Ash really could win! (lol). That obviously didn’t come to pass, but watching his rematch with Gary lessened the sting.
Generation 2 also gave me some of my favorite merch. I had the “red” Master Trainer board game, most of the e-series cards, and more tomy figurines. I wish that I hadn’t lost so much of it.
Generation 2 continues the watercolor look of Generation 1, only now more refined. The pixel art, especially the animated sprites in Crystal, are my favorite of any Pokemon game. The Pokemon are colorful, while also feeling round and lovable.
Sadly, I’ve replayed Pokemon Crystal and Pokemon Soul Silver so many times that the games aren’t quite as fun to me anymore. Still, I can’t forget how big of a role Generation 2 played in keeping me hooked as a Pokemon fan.

Generation 3

Pokemon Sapphire was my very first Pokemon game. I enjoyed it, but stopped playing when I picked up Pokemon Red shortly thereafter. Something about Sapphire felt “too new” and “too different” from the Pokemon I was seeing on TV or in my trading cards. Even at the age of 6, I had a weird affinity for “older” things.
I eventually did return to Generation 3 when I was 8 and got a copy of Ruby. Despite dumping hours into it, I still wasn’t connecting to it the way I did with the first two generations. In fact, for many years, I resented Generation 3 for changing the art direction, removing features, and slashing the Pokedex.
These feelings of animosity eventually disappeared when I got a bit older and could appreciate what Generation 3 was trying to do. Pokemon Emerald especially. Hoenn is a vibrant and incredibly fun region to explore and traverse. The Pokemon species are new and fun to experiment with, having their own distinct style. Pokemon Emerald is the first game I nuzlocked, and I loved it so much that I did it again!

Generation 4

Generation 4 is an anomaly for me. I obsessively followed its build up, checking Serebii daily for more Pokemon releases and hints of what was to come. I was obsessed with Pokemon like Lucario, Weavile, Buizel, and Manaphy early on.
I picked up Pokemon Diamond day one, and dumped over 400 hours into it thinking it was THE Pokemon game. I got back into the anime, bought tons of merch with my allowance, and religiously followed the spin-offs.
Sadly, my love petered out. After replaying Generation 3, I had a tough time coming back to Diamond’s slow engine. Platinum mostly remedied this, but it didn’t solidify Sinnoh as one of my core Pokemon regions. If anything, I completely dumped Diamond/Pearl/Platinum the moment HeartGold and SoulSilver came out.
I’m kinder to Generation 4 now that I’m older. Platinum is a lot of fun, and I do have some great memories of playing with friends around this time. And hey, it did give me my favorite Pokemon Game of all time, Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky.

Generation 5

Days after finishing my very first living Pokedex in Soul Silver Generation 5 was announced. I was so annoyed. I couldn’t believe we were getting more Pokemon - how many did we need? My disdain only worsened when I saw more of the designs and art. Unova didn’t look like Pokemon to me. Yet, I received a copy of Pokemon White for my 16th birthday all the same.
I’m so glad I did. Pokemon Black and White gave me a taste of a really good storyline, and the joy of discovering brand new Pokemon again. (Which, it turns out, I needed as an angsty teen). Their sequels were also great, and helped me to broaden my idea of what Pokemon could be. I have weirdly specific fond memories of playing White while visiting Florida and White 2 while in California for the first time.
I was also working my first job at this time, so I started using my disposable income to buy Pokemon trading cards. I got really into collecting and playing during this time, which was a fun distraction from how terrible high school was. Unova still doesn’t have my favorite Pokemon, but I still really enjoy replaying them.

Generation 6

Generation 6, similar to Generation 4, was one I was really excited for. I followed the pre-release, and saved my money to get Pokemon X day one while I was a freshman in college. To this day, X and Y have one of my favorite pokedexes and battle system. It was the generation that finally got me to EV train, and got me so excited for possibilities like Mega Evolution.
Sadly, I don’t really enjoy playing X and Y these days. I just find them a little bland. Apart from Megas and playing a ton of ORAS, this generation didn’t leave a big impact on me.
(Trainer card sprite credit 1
Trainer card sprite credit 2)

Generation 7

I don’t have a lot of nice things to say about Generation 7. I’m sorry. I know a lot of people like this one.
Pokemon Sun was another game I was legitimately really excited for. I remember getting it at midnight, grabbing Taco Bell and an energy drink, and playing as much as I could. I was almost immediately disappointed by how much hand holdings and cut-scenes took away from actually playing the game. The game was also just too linear.
At least I love so many of the Pokemon designs, and the newly introduced regional forms.
(Trainer card sprites credit)

Generation 8

Unpopular take, but I loved playing Pokemon Sword. I think it’s partially because I went into it with zero expectations, and was pleasantly surprised by the adventure. The gyms felt like a spectacle, the wild areas let me experience open Pokemon for the first time (which I LOVED immediately), and I liked the characters. Pokemon Sword also gave me Galarian Zizagoon, one of my favorite Pokemon of all time! I had a great time with the DLC too, Dynamax adventures being a highlight.
More importantly though, Generation 8 gave me Pokemon Legends Arceus which has become one of my favorite Pokemon games period. I didn’t realize how much I needed an open level Pokemon game with quick capture mechanics until I finally had it. Being able to explore the world with Pokemon mounts, with the danger of Pokemon KILLING you actually rules. I can’t wait to play it again.
(Trainer card spirtes credit 1
Trainer card spirtes credit 2)

Generation 9

UPokemon Violet broke me at first. I picked up the game with friends on day one, and thought it was so awful and unpolished that it was unplayable (see my journal from the time). Then, something weird happened. I had to go on a road trip, and decided I’d spend the car ride trying to like the game. And like the game I did. In fact, I ended up loving the game. It was fun to go anywhere I wanted, and catch everything I could find. Doing raids with friends was a blast, and the DLC kept the fun going. I also legitimately loved the story and its characters. I can’t believe I actually cried over a Pokemon game of all things.
I just really really wish these games had more polish. The graphics are terrible, the frame drops are terrible, the models are terrible - Pokemon has the resources to DO better. If this game had more time to cook, I think it really could have been my favorite of all time.
(Trainer card sprites credit
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