There have been countless arguments over whether or not Pokemon designs are getting better or worse. Older fans tend to claim that the first and second generations of games featured the best monster design, while newer fans appreciate the more complex designs of later generations.
Regardless of which camp you happen to fall into, one thing is for certain: not all Pocket Monsters are created equal. There have always been both good and bad designs throughout the series — and yes, that includes Generation 1.
The latest games in the series, Pokemon Sun and Moon, are prime examples: for every Rowlett and Vikavolt, there's a Magearna or Bruxish. Thankfully, most of the Generation 7 Pokemon revealed thus far are strong, and it feels like Nintendo is willing to take more risks when it comes to designing new battle strategies and typing combinations.
So, where does the latest batch of reveals land? At six new Pokemon, it's the largest reveal thus far — but not all of the newcomers are worth getting excited about. As with the rest of the Gen. 7 monsters, there are some really great Pokemon ... and then, there are a few that aren't quite as great.
#6: Comfey
Type: Fairy
Ability: Flowerveil/Triage
It's amazing that Nintendo could look at the criticisms leveled at one of the previous games' worst Pokemon and think, "... but what if Klefki was covered in flowers?"
It's lazy design at its worst, and the fact that Sun and Moon are based on Hawaii doesn't make up for that. What's worse is that there's nothing interesting about Comfey from a battling perspective, either: a Fairy/Grass hybrid or a new Ability could have been interesting, but Comfey is basically a weaker version of Flabebe.
Remember how boring Flabebe was? Yeah, that's definitely not a good thing.
#5: Bounsweet
Type: Grass
Ability: Leaf Guard/Oblivious
Speaking of boring designs ... it's Bounsweet!
Look, there are plenty of great Grass-type Pokemon, and they tend to get better as they evolve — and there's a good chance that Bounsweet will be one of those Pokemon.
That being said, Bounsweet's spot in the trailer was made up of it standing around and throwing out a single attack. If Nintendo can't even get excited about its little puffball berry thing, why should fans?
#4: Mudsdale
Type: Ground
Ability: Own Tempo/Stamina
It's a muddy horse.
There's a difference between being simply designed (more on that later) and being boring — and honestly, Mudsdale falls into the latter category. There's nothing that really stands out about its design, typing or Abilities — it's really just a muddy horse.
Of course, it's always important to remember that there could be different forms or evolutionary stages that have yet to be revealed, but ... it's just a muddy horse!
#3: Wimpod
Type: Bug/Water
Ability: Wimp Out
First things first: Wimpod is an extremely well-designed Pokemon. Honestly, the simplistic design and clear focus evokes the art of the earlier generations — something of which Sun and Moon have been in desperate need.
Even so, it's hard to imagine Wimpod as much of a fighter. Bug/Water isn't an especially strong typing, and the Wimp Out ability sounds like it could be one of the most frustrating mechanics since Abra's Teleport. Granted, Wimpod is likely just the first stage in a longer Evolution line — but on its own, Wimpod doesn't do all that much to impress.
#2: Bewear
Type: Normal/Fighting
Ability: Fluffy/Klutz
Bewear is a bizarre Pokemon ... and not in a good way. It's not because of Bewear's unique Fighting/Normal typing, or its new damage-absorbing Ability — no, Bewear only starts to fall apart when you take a closer look at its design.
Most other Pokemon have a clear design, but ... what exactly is Bewear supposed to be? Is it a bear wearing a wrestling leotard? If that's the case, why is the back open? Speaking of the back, why does everything about Bewear look like a bear except for that big raccoon dog tail? Why does the pun-tastic name have absolutely nothing to do with the Pokemon itself?
Bewear definitely has the potential to be a hard-hitting powerhouse of a Pokemon ... but from a design standpoint, it's all over the place.
#1: Mimikyu
Type: Ghost/Fairy
Ability: Disguise
Look at that face!
Out of all the new Pokemon, Mimikyu is easily the most interesting. Its "Disguise" Ability can absorb a single hit's worth of damage, the combination of Ghost/Fairy Types gives it both some serious strengths and weaknesses and it's absolutely freaking adorable.
If only the rest of Sun and Moon's cast were so well designed ...
Alright, there may have been some personal bias in that list — but Pokemon means something different for everyone. Just like there were fans of Klefki back in Gen. 6, there are bound to be fans of Comfey throughout this upcoming generation. Plus, there have been some other great reveals over the past few months — let's hope that the rest of the new Gen. 7 Pokemon can keep that momentum going!
Pokemon Sun and Moon are set for release later this year.
