There are a handful of Pokémon that are barely used by trainers out there, while some are under-represented in the media and the Pokémon community. That’s hardly a surprise, as roughly over 900 Pokémon exist in the franchise, but it is a shame as some of them have a lot of potential.
But just because a Pokémon is underrated doesn’t mean it’s not loved or recognized. There may be others out there who use these Pokémon in their teams because of various reasons. So let’s shout out those Pokémon that have been underutilised or underappreciated by the community.
Here are the top 10 most underrated Pokémon in the entire franchise.
10. Latios and Latias
Out of all the legendary Pokémon that have existed, Latios and Latias have to be the most underrated in the group. Despite being rare, they’re not as hyped up compared to other legendaries in the game. And it’s quite upsetting if you consider that they’ve made various appearances in the anime and ended up becoming a flying vehicle in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
9. Houndoom
Why is this Johto doggo underappreciated by fans? It has really good special attack and defense stats and can learn moves outside of dark and fire type-set like Thunder Fang, Smog, and Dream Eater. Just because it’s weak against fighting, ground, water, and rock types doesn’t mean it has potential. All it needs is a good trainer to showcase its full potential.
8. Magikarp
Everyone loves Gyarados but forgets the Pokémon it once was: the humble Magikarp. So much so that Nintendo had to write a song about it. You may think it is weak but there is more than meets the eye. Even the PokéDex points this out as it doesn’t know how this creature survived if it really is as weak as it’s believed to be. Also, the bond between a Magikarp and its trainer is rewarding because of its final evolutionary form. If only James from Team Rocket appreciated his Magikarp more.
7. Gallade
Everyone loves Gardevoir, but where is the love for Gallade? It has decent attack and special defense stats and can learn a variety of moves. Just because Gardevoir looks appealing doesn’t mean the same can’t be said for its counterpart. What’s sad is that this Pokémon can only be male which is quite upsetting because there are talented female sword-fighters that this Pokémon took inspiration from.
6. Exploud
Exploud is a very useful Pokémon if you’re tired of dealing with sound-based moves like Sleep thanks to its ‘Soundproof’ ability. And thanks to its hidden ability ‘Scrappy’, this Pokémon can’t be intimidated in the later games and allows ghost types to be hit by normal and fighting type moves. This is useful since most of Exploud’s move sets involve physical damage, making it a good damage dealer in-game. Not only that, Exploud can learn moves from different types such as fire, ice, and psychic, just to name a few.
5. Swalot
Swalot is a tough Pokémon. Not only does it have high HP stats, but it also has a handful of abilities that can cause trouble for opponents who have to face this Pokémon. And with its hidden ability, Gluttony, trying to take this Pokémon down will be a challenge indeed. While it’s not as tough or powerful, Swalot can inflict status effects that can make victory within your grasp.
4. Type: Null
The ultra-beast killer with powers restrained by its heavy helmet, Type: Null was developed to be a powerful beast. It has the ability ‘Battle Armor’ that prevents it from being critically hit by others. But not only that, it could learn multiple moves from other type-sets, including dragon-type, and has really decent stats. This Pokémon was designed to be a beast, and just like Arceus, it can change between types if it holds a memory disk.
3. Roserade
Roserade is a Pokémon you don’t want to mess with. It has two abilities so it can either cure itself of status effects or can poison others upon contact, making it either dangerous or stealthy. Just like a rose in real life, it’s beautiful on the outside but is also a lethal creature that can inflict multiple status effects and can cause damage to unsuspecting Pokémon. The best advice is to not be fooled by its beauty as this Pokémon means business.
2. Starmie
Starmie is an interesting water and psychic-type Pokémon. Not only is it well-loved by fans, but it’s one of the few water-type Pokémon that can learn moves outside its type-set such as electric, grass, rock, and dragon. This Pokémon is very useful and also has very high speed and special attack stats, making it powerful during combat. Perhaps if fans can learn more of its potential, we may see more of it in the competitive meta.
1. Pachirisu
![Pokemon World Championships 2014 Finals - Masters [PACHIRISU]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NOx_Qdc6bqw/hqdefault.jpg)
Giving credit where it’s due: Pachirisu is the most underrated Pokémon. This tiny electric-type creature made history when it won the 2014 world championship, proving that you don’t need brawn; you can win the game if you have a good strategy. This Pachirisu can make for great support with the move ‘Follow Me’, drawing attacks towards it, protecting your main damage dealer. It can also heal bits of its HP if struck with electric-type moves. And thanks to the introduction of the fairy-type, it knows Sweet Kiss, making it lethal against Dragon-types. It all comes down to strategy and how well you train your Pokémon.
These Pokémon deserve more love and recognition from Nintendo, Game Freak, and the Pokémon community. Sure, they’re not as tough compared to creatures in the lineup, but that doesn’t mean they deserved to be left behind. Each Pokémon has the potential to be something greater. All it needs is a willing trainer.