Normal – Porygon Z, #474
Choosing a Normal-type to represent on this list actually ended up being quite difficult for me, as there’s a lot of good Pokémon to choose from, but none exactly stand out massively to me:
- Do I pick one of the Starly line for being my personal favourite of the “three stage” bird lines in the series?
- Do I pick Wooloo because the idea of rolling away from life’s problems seems appealing?
- Do I pick Regigigas because I’m a memelord who wanted a shiny one to make a “MyBodyIsRegi” nickname joke?
In the end, I decided on one where the background and design has always brought a smile to my face.
The Porygon line in Pokémon derives from the core concept that it is a Pokémon that exists purely as computer code, giving it potential to operate in a near limitless amount of environments (though the Pokédex entry in Ultra Sun/Moon of most of the original Porygon being “obsolete” is quite entertaining).
This artificial quality is reflected in how evolutions work along this evolutionary line. Trading a base Porygon with “Upgrade” turns it into Porygon 2, an upgraded version with better graphics hardware, as evidenced by the rough edges of the polygons behind smoothed out. You can then evolve Porygon 2 again by trading it with a “Dubious Disc” which does not upgrade the graphics hardware, in fact, no one is sure what it did.
What exactly happens with this evolution can be left to interpretation, but two common ones persist:
- The Dubious Disc infected Porygon 2 with a virus, not advertised on the disc, and this caused them to go haywire
- The Dubious Disc was supposed to be what was advertised on the disc (interdimensional travel), but the programmers never finished the software, so it is full of bugs
Porygon Z being a buggy mess is what appeals to me personally, because then that way I can have the concept of spaghetti code as a Pokémon!
In terms of offensive capabilities, Porygon Z is primarily a special attacker, with a good range of Electric, Normal, and Psychic moves to choose from. With 90 base Speed it’s not exactly a slow Pokemon, but it most definitely benefits from a Speed-enhancing nature such as Timid, there is also some potential for working with a Choice Scarf build, but the lack of Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) on the more powerful moves of the arsenal holds things back.
Honestly, I am just happy to keep this as my fun glitchy mess.
Electric – Ampharos, #181
If the positive praise I heaped on Ampharos in one of my previous works is evidence enough, I love this little electric loaf.
Their name also has a cute tie in to where you find a named Ampharos in the Gold/Silver/Crystal storyline. “Amphy”, belonging to Olivine City gym leader Jasmine, powers the city’s lighthouse. The second part of Ampharos’s name is derived from the Greek word “fáros”, meaning lighthouse, whilst “amp” is a unit of measurement for electrical current. It would be entertaining if the name came from the design scenario of needing an Electric-type Pokémon to rest on top of the lighthouse.
Whenever I play through a game where Ampharos is in the regional Pokédex, it is always in high contention to join my team even when I am playing an entirely new region with new potential Electric-types to choose from, despite its low speed providing a potential disadvantage compared to faster Pokémon who may not hit as hard.
One of its main boons is the fact that Thunder Wave, a fairly accurate Paralysis status-inducing move, is learnt on level up in the base stage of the evolutionary line Mareep. Having a move like this is valuable for difficult gym battles, working to make roaming legendary Pokémon easier to catch, and providing the same utility to static legendary Pokémon.
Ampharos is also one of the Pokémon to have gained a Mega Evolution in Generation VI, becoming even more of a slow but impactful special sweeper. The ability of Mold Breaker allows Electric-type moves to bypass any shenanigans with Pokemon using Lightning Rod, and the addition of Dragon-type allows for STAB with the potential for Ampharos to learn Dragon Pulse starting in this generation.
It has also clearly been using L’Oréal for its hair – got to respect its commitment to self-care.
With a diverse move pool from both level up and TMs providing endless utility, this yellow loaf will always be special to me.
Psychic – Gallade, #475
A gallant knight, a wandering warrior, or a ferocious gladiator? Whilst the head of a Gallade has the appearance similar to the latter’s helmet; it is a much more honourable Pokémon than that. It utilises its Psychic/Fighting type combo appropriately, being attuned to the needs of others in dire straits and having the ability to telepathically predict the attacks of potential foes, allowing them to deliver devastating attacks.
Gallade was introduced in Generation IV alongside many other previous generation Pokémon to get additional evolutions (one of many favourite features from the Sinnoh Pokédex in my opinion), this time being an alternate option if you didn’t want your male Kirlia growing up and just living with the gender role it was given, instead using a Dawn Stone to achieve the life he wants to live.
Despite appearances and expectations, Gallade is not all that fast of an offensive Fighting-type, with a base Speed stat of 80. However, this is made up for with a great Special Defence stat of 115, which allows him to tank at least one hit from a super-effective Ghost-type or Fairy-type move, potentially two if a build utilising an Assault Vest is deployed.
An all out offensive build with said item can have a decent chance of success, though as with a fair few Pokémon utilising a choice item (either a Choice Band or Choice Scarf here) can offer just as much damage output for Gallade, though the lack of a swapping move (such as U-Turn or Baton Pass) can reduce the versatility of the build.
Like with Ampharos, Gallade also has a Mega Evolution. The size of the crest on his helmet increases, the blades on his arms become red and gain a sharper edge, and, mostly importantly, he gets a cape, giving him the appearance of a mighty duellist, looking to prove his worth against opponents near and far.
With this change comes a speed more befitting the power of Gallade, going up 30 points to 110 base. Special Defence remains at its high level of 115, Defence itself goes up to 95 from 65 indicating the close quarters skill of Gallade has enhanced, but the true power lies in his Attack stat, going all the way up to 165 base, placing it above other Mega Evolutions and even some legendary Pokémon.
Gallade has always been a pet favourite of mine when it comes to competitive play, I know there’s better choices out there, but he always has a spot in my roster for both design and power.
Part 2: Completed
Normal/Electric/Psychic edition of this series completed. Once again, it’d be nice to hear your feedback on my choices and what your potential choices may be, next time I’ll be covering my picks for the most synergistic three types, Rock/Steel/Ground.
Rosalia Rambles 
Leave a comment