Hello! Last time I picked out ten of the most wonderful creature designs in generation 1, and I've decided to continue my rambling and tackle the second generation. The introduction of Johto signified to many that the world of Pokemon was going to be much bigger than we thought, and with a bigger world comes more critters to befriend and adore. The Johto dex always did feel like it played second fiddle to the Kanto dex, especially when a lot of the new monsters were only available in the later parts of the game, and in a lot of ways this group of Pokemon feels like a bunch of ideas that they couldn't fit into the first game. Nonetheless, there's still some seriously creative designs here, so come on, let's put our nerd glasses on!
Disclaimers: this is all my opinion, these rankings are in no way concrete and subject to change on any given week, I'll be bundling evolutionary stages together whenever I feel like it, and for simplicity's sake I'm not gonna count stuff like Megas or G-max forms until the generation they debuted in
#10 Xatu
I actually forgot Natu and Xatu were part of second generation until I did my research for this thread, so uhh sorry about that. Xatu in particular is one eerie bird, supposedly staying still for an entire day, lost deep in meditation. I like how it's styled after a South American totem pole, which is more obvious when it has its wings spread. It even has a second "face" peeking from beneath its wings! That second "face" honestly could have used more detail to really sell it as a second "head" of the totem, but overall this is one cool customer.
#9 Cyndaquil
Picked a picture where it has its embers out, because I know the best look for my monsters. cough Game freak cough what were you thinking with Cyndaquil's early 3D models cough
Anyway, look at this precious baby echidna thing. In a classic Pokemon twist, Cyndaquil's flames act like an echidna's quills. It can even retract these firey "quills" when they don't need the defense, deftly sidestepping the hedgehog dilemma and ensuring it has better chances of survival than the Charmander line. The closed eyes and snout are also adorable and I kinda wish the snout stayed in its later evolutions.
#8 Sudowoodo
Wipe that smile off your face. You haven't fooled anybody!
Sudowoodo here is a delightful example of mimicry, which is when an organism pretends to be another thing in order to hide from predators and better ambush prey. And by pretending to be a Grass-type, the Rock-type Sudowoodo can 1) dissuade Water-types from attacking it and 2) potentially lure in Bug types that want to munch on its "leaves". I've always wondered how many kids got duped by its design, expecting their Cyndaquils to score a super effective hit and getting rebuffed by a hail of rocks.
This walking beetle stone-creature is also so dedicated to acting like a tree, its idle animation perfectly still. It's doing its darnedest and it's almost a shame to blow its adorably crude disguise.
#7 Skarmory
Look at how badass this bird is. Its wings are made out of blades, and I'm not joking, people of the Pokemon world used its shed feathers as knives. Now you look at its sharp teeth, its dagger-like headcrest and tail, and those powerful talons. Every single part of this bird can rip you to shreds. I also enjoy how it apparently nests in thorny brambles. That's exactly what a steel-plated bird would do!
I caught one of these the first time I played Pokemon Gold, and I had to add it to my team just for how cool it looks. I don't remember how useful it actually was, but it felt powerful and that's all that really matters.
#6 Donphan
If you're a fellow 90s kid, your first exposure to Donphan was probably in the first Pokemon movie. You saw Ash fight this random trainer in the beginning, who sends out this little elephant and you're like, WAIT, WHAT IS THAT. Donphan was a tantalizing hint that there weren't only going to be 151 Pokemon.
And putting nostalgia aside, Donphan is still pretty weird. I don't know the thought process behind letting an elephant roll around like a grumpy tire-madillo, but it makes for one memorable pachyderm. It's especially cool how its favored form of movement is reinforced by that tough rubbery hide covering its trunk and back. Believable anatomy for fantastical biological functions!
#5 Wobbuffet
At first glance, Wobbuffett seems like one of those generic, ambiguous blob creatures that serve as EXP fodder in other JRPGs. That's what I thought, at least. How wrong I was.
For starters, we should know that when Wobbuffett debuted in Generation 2, it could only learn four moves: Counter, Destiny Bond, Mirror Coat and Safeguard. This Pokemon could only defend and counterattack. Weird! Then you read the Pokedex entries. It likes to live in dark places to hide its black tail. It will never attack first, only endure damage, unless you attack its tail in which case it will do its best to take you down with it.
Considering all that information, that little black tail is probably Wobbuffet's real body. Meanwhile the big blue blob is essentially a giant suicidal meatshield that bounces back everything that hits it. A fleshy punching bag that also has its own eyes and digestive organs. What an elaborate defense mechanism! I'm sorry for ever thinking you were a boring standard-issue slime, Wobbuffett.
#4 Chinchou
One of the most exciting fields of study for any aspiring zoology enthusiasts is the dark abyss of the deep sea, host to a number of oddball organisms that have adapted to a world without light. One of my deep sea darlings is the wonderful anglerfish, which makes its own light in order to use it as a lure. Any curious fish checking out the pretty lights would be promptly snapped up.
The anglerfish is an excellent basis for an Electric/Water Pokemon, and while I love the hideous maw of the real thing, I'm also pretty happy with Chinchou's adorable little fins and big yellow plus-sign eyes. It even has two lamplike lures, which it not only uses to attract prey but also to signal to its friends.
Another cool thing about Chinchou is that it also has elements of a specific subtype of anglerfish-- the walking batfish, which waddles on the seafloor on its cute little fins. And you can't go wrong with a Pokemon that's basically two types of anglerfish put together.
#3 Wooper
WHOOOOP! This adorable amphibian is a ball of enthusiasm, and I'm equally excited to be talking about it. Its name "Wooper" isn't just supposed to sound hyped, it's a reference to the wooper loopers, a kind of axolotl usually found in Mexico. Axolotls are weird among amphibians because they prefer to stay in their larval stage their entire lives, which functionally means they stay aquatic and gilled. They even develop adult sexual characteristics as larva, how bonkers is that?!
Anyway, enough about axolotls, we're talking about Wooper here, and man it's one of Game Freak's finest efforts in distilling the best parts of a real animal into an impossibly cute, merchandisable toy. They removed its two front legs because most things are cuter when they waddle, they put a wide ol' grin on its face, and the external gills are even turned into stylish antennae. About the only thing I'd critique is that I kinda wish the "perpetually a larva" thing got referenced somehow whether by being single-stage or a unique method of evolution. But for the creature design itself? Full marks. WHOOOOOOP!
#2 Magcargo
I talked about JRPG slimes in Wobbuffet's entry, and I gotta wonder why do JRPGs stick with slimes when there's a whole host of real animals that are equally slimy that you can base monster designs on? Snails in particular are severely underused as a creature blueprint.
At least we have Pokemon to right this injustice, and with this beautiful specimen no less! This is a snail made of magma, and wow now that I think about it why aren't more RPG monsters made of magma?! We have aqeuous slimes all over the place, just replace the jelly with magma!
What really elevates Magcargo's design though is that it forms its shell from the its own magma that's cooled down. It's the definition of simple but elegant. If you look closely at the shell you'll also see that it's made up of distinctly separate, pleasingly organic-looking rocks, but it nonetheless forms an overall image of a coiled shell. Again, elegant.
#1 Shuckle
One of Pokemon's long-standing mysteries is: what even the hell is a Shuckle? The common theory is that they're based on scale insects: shelled bugs that produce sweet honeydew, which sort of fits Shuckle. But a quick glance at the Pokedex says it's a Mold Pokemon, and Dex constantly talks about how Shuckle would ferment berries in its "vase-like" shell. Its Japanese name is even Tsubotsubo, literally translated to Jar-jar.
With that in mind, my interpretation has always been that the yellow "turtle" part of Shuckle is in fact stylized depiction of a fungal colony that's contaminated a jar of fruit wine.
We did learn what a Shuckle really is thanks to the leaked Spaceworld Beta for Pokemon Gold and Silver: Shuckle initially started out as a snake living inside an earthen pot, where it also ferments berries. Shuckle was based on snake wine! It was a snake that was pickling itself. We can imagine that Game Freak realized that this creature concept was too tied to alcohol and thus it evolved into this shelled slimy mold turtle thing, which is in itself a fascinatingly original concept.
Just for kicks Game Freak also gave Shuckle insanely high defensive stats, because of course a mold living in a berry jar should have nigh impenetrable defenses. What a weirdo.
And that's it for Johto! Not my favorite generation in terms of designs, but there's a few interesting oddballs in there. Of course, if you ask me, the real monster of Gen 2 would be Red, the silent lord of Mt. Silver. He has a Pikachu and he's not afraid to use it.
P.S. I'm planning to continue this type of thread generation by generation. Unless we finally get the official art for the Paldean Pokemon, in which case I'll skip to generation 9 to make for a more topical discussion. We'll wing it. And again, thanks for reading!
Disclaimers: this is all my opinion, these rankings are in no way concrete and subject to change on any given week, I'll be bundling evolutionary stages together whenever I feel like it, and for simplicity's sake I'm not gonna count stuff like Megas or G-max forms until the generation they debuted in
#10 Xatu
I actually forgot Natu and Xatu were part of second generation until I did my research for this thread, so uhh sorry about that. Xatu in particular is one eerie bird, supposedly staying still for an entire day, lost deep in meditation. I like how it's styled after a South American totem pole, which is more obvious when it has its wings spread. It even has a second "face" peeking from beneath its wings! That second "face" honestly could have used more detail to really sell it as a second "head" of the totem, but overall this is one cool customer.
#9 Cyndaquil
Picked a picture where it has its embers out, because I know the best look for my monsters. cough Game freak cough what were you thinking with Cyndaquil's early 3D models cough
Anyway, look at this precious baby echidna thing. In a classic Pokemon twist, Cyndaquil's flames act like an echidna's quills. It can even retract these firey "quills" when they don't need the defense, deftly sidestepping the hedgehog dilemma and ensuring it has better chances of survival than the Charmander line. The closed eyes and snout are also adorable and I kinda wish the snout stayed in its later evolutions.
#8 Sudowoodo
Wipe that smile off your face. You haven't fooled anybody!
Sudowoodo here is a delightful example of mimicry, which is when an organism pretends to be another thing in order to hide from predators and better ambush prey. And by pretending to be a Grass-type, the Rock-type Sudowoodo can 1) dissuade Water-types from attacking it and 2) potentially lure in Bug types that want to munch on its "leaves". I've always wondered how many kids got duped by its design, expecting their Cyndaquils to score a super effective hit and getting rebuffed by a hail of rocks.
This walking beetle stone-creature is also so dedicated to acting like a tree, its idle animation perfectly still. It's doing its darnedest and it's almost a shame to blow its adorably crude disguise.
#7 Skarmory
Look at how badass this bird is. Its wings are made out of blades, and I'm not joking, people of the Pokemon world used its shed feathers as knives. Now you look at its sharp teeth, its dagger-like headcrest and tail, and those powerful talons. Every single part of this bird can rip you to shreds. I also enjoy how it apparently nests in thorny brambles. That's exactly what a steel-plated bird would do!
I caught one of these the first time I played Pokemon Gold, and I had to add it to my team just for how cool it looks. I don't remember how useful it actually was, but it felt powerful and that's all that really matters.
#6 Donphan
If you're a fellow 90s kid, your first exposure to Donphan was probably in the first Pokemon movie. You saw Ash fight this random trainer in the beginning, who sends out this little elephant and you're like, WAIT, WHAT IS THAT. Donphan was a tantalizing hint that there weren't only going to be 151 Pokemon.
And putting nostalgia aside, Donphan is still pretty weird. I don't know the thought process behind letting an elephant roll around like a grumpy tire-madillo, but it makes for one memorable pachyderm. It's especially cool how its favored form of movement is reinforced by that tough rubbery hide covering its trunk and back. Believable anatomy for fantastical biological functions!
#5 Wobbuffet
At first glance, Wobbuffett seems like one of those generic, ambiguous blob creatures that serve as EXP fodder in other JRPGs. That's what I thought, at least. How wrong I was.
For starters, we should know that when Wobbuffett debuted in Generation 2, it could only learn four moves: Counter, Destiny Bond, Mirror Coat and Safeguard. This Pokemon could only defend and counterattack. Weird! Then you read the Pokedex entries. It likes to live in dark places to hide its black tail. It will never attack first, only endure damage, unless you attack its tail in which case it will do its best to take you down with it.
Considering all that information, that little black tail is probably Wobbuffet's real body. Meanwhile the big blue blob is essentially a giant suicidal meatshield that bounces back everything that hits it. A fleshy punching bag that also has its own eyes and digestive organs. What an elaborate defense mechanism! I'm sorry for ever thinking you were a boring standard-issue slime, Wobbuffett.
#4 Chinchou
One of the most exciting fields of study for any aspiring zoology enthusiasts is the dark abyss of the deep sea, host to a number of oddball organisms that have adapted to a world without light. One of my deep sea darlings is the wonderful anglerfish, which makes its own light in order to use it as a lure. Any curious fish checking out the pretty lights would be promptly snapped up.
The anglerfish is an excellent basis for an Electric/Water Pokemon, and while I love the hideous maw of the real thing, I'm also pretty happy with Chinchou's adorable little fins and big yellow plus-sign eyes. It even has two lamplike lures, which it not only uses to attract prey but also to signal to its friends.
Another cool thing about Chinchou is that it also has elements of a specific subtype of anglerfish-- the walking batfish, which waddles on the seafloor on its cute little fins. And you can't go wrong with a Pokemon that's basically two types of anglerfish put together.
#3 Wooper
WHOOOOP! This adorable amphibian is a ball of enthusiasm, and I'm equally excited to be talking about it. Its name "Wooper" isn't just supposed to sound hyped, it's a reference to the wooper loopers, a kind of axolotl usually found in Mexico. Axolotls are weird among amphibians because they prefer to stay in their larval stage their entire lives, which functionally means they stay aquatic and gilled. They even develop adult sexual characteristics as larva, how bonkers is that?!
Anyway, enough about axolotls, we're talking about Wooper here, and man it's one of Game Freak's finest efforts in distilling the best parts of a real animal into an impossibly cute, merchandisable toy. They removed its two front legs because most things are cuter when they waddle, they put a wide ol' grin on its face, and the external gills are even turned into stylish antennae. About the only thing I'd critique is that I kinda wish the "perpetually a larva" thing got referenced somehow whether by being single-stage or a unique method of evolution. But for the creature design itself? Full marks. WHOOOOOOP!
#2 Magcargo
I talked about JRPG slimes in Wobbuffet's entry, and I gotta wonder why do JRPGs stick with slimes when there's a whole host of real animals that are equally slimy that you can base monster designs on? Snails in particular are severely underused as a creature blueprint.
At least we have Pokemon to right this injustice, and with this beautiful specimen no less! This is a snail made of magma, and wow now that I think about it why aren't more RPG monsters made of magma?! We have aqeuous slimes all over the place, just replace the jelly with magma!
What really elevates Magcargo's design though is that it forms its shell from the its own magma that's cooled down. It's the definition of simple but elegant. If you look closely at the shell you'll also see that it's made up of distinctly separate, pleasingly organic-looking rocks, but it nonetheless forms an overall image of a coiled shell. Again, elegant.
One of Pokemon's long-standing mysteries is: what even the hell is a Shuckle? The common theory is that they're based on scale insects: shelled bugs that produce sweet honeydew, which sort of fits Shuckle. But a quick glance at the Pokedex says it's a Mold Pokemon, and Dex constantly talks about how Shuckle would ferment berries in its "vase-like" shell. Its Japanese name is even Tsubotsubo, literally translated to Jar-jar.
With that in mind, my interpretation has always been that the yellow "turtle" part of Shuckle is in fact stylized depiction of a fungal colony that's contaminated a jar of fruit wine.
We did learn what a Shuckle really is thanks to the leaked Spaceworld Beta for Pokemon Gold and Silver: Shuckle initially started out as a snake living inside an earthen pot, where it also ferments berries. Shuckle was based on snake wine! It was a snake that was pickling itself. We can imagine that Game Freak realized that this creature concept was too tied to alcohol and thus it evolved into this shelled slimy mold turtle thing, which is in itself a fascinatingly original concept.
Just for kicks Game Freak also gave Shuckle insanely high defensive stats, because of course a mold living in a berry jar should have nigh impenetrable defenses. What a weirdo.
And that's it for Johto! Not my favorite generation in terms of designs, but there's a few interesting oddballs in there. Of course, if you ask me, the real monster of Gen 2 would be Red, the silent lord of Mt. Silver. He has a Pikachu and he's not afraid to use it.
P.S. I'm planning to continue this type of thread generation by generation. Unless we finally get the official art for the Paldean Pokemon, in which case I'll skip to generation 9 to make for a more topical discussion. We'll wing it. And again, thanks for reading!
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