I’m leading with this to say that I’m not hating on any of the designers at Game Freak. All of them are infinitely more talented than me. But what I am saying is that there are some truly forgettable Pokémon that just don’t make a strong first impression. And these are the most forgettable Pokémon out of everything that has been designed thus far. If a favorite of yours appears on the list, feel free to send some choice words my way… I won’t read them, but it might help you feel better about knowing that your favorite Pokémon is just hard to remember.
20. Mienshao
This guy isn’t all that forgettable for me, given that I played the hell out of Gen V. But I get why it is for everyone else. It’s just sort of a nothing Pokémon. With other fighting types like the Machamp line, Throh and Sawk, and the Hitmons, there is a distinct style going on. Mienshao is meant to be a more traditional martial artist, but I don’t see it. I mean, what kind of Pokémon even is it? It’s such a bad design that it doesn’t look like anything martial arts-related at all. Maybe my glaring lack of cultural education is showing, and it’s based on something, but this is my list so forgive my limited depth of knowledge.
19. Dewgong
I know, I know, how could I put one of the original 151 on this list? I get if you want to hang, draw, and quarter me, but you have to admit that Dewgong is… well… just a seal. That’s it. How is this not forgettable? It doesn’t even take any liberty with the design like other animal-inspired Pokémon. It’s literally just a seal.
18. Girafarig
The fact that Girafarig has fallen into such obscurity is an absolute crime. It came out all the way back in Gen II and is a giraffe Pokémon; how has that not got a fan base? Maybe if Game Freak got itself together and gave it a proper giraffe evolution it would have a chance. But this guy hasn’t even been catchable since ORAS, and before that you could only get it in BW2. Girafarig isn’t one of the most forgettable Pokémon of all time because of its design, but because of Game Freak’s apparent disinterest in it.
17. Heatmor
How I find Heatmor forgettable, yet can easily recall Durant, is a mystery to me. I mean, they go hand in hand. Heatmor is an anteater and a fire type, while Durant is a steel type ant. It’s a genius idea. So why doesn’t it work? Well, anteaters don’t translate well into the Pokémon world. Sure, it looks interesting in real life, but Heatmor is just a bit, well… weird. Maybe if Game Freak went for a more visceral approach to the design rather than whatever the hell was going on it, Heatmor would have a bit more fanfare. We’ll never know, though.
16. Oranguru/Passimian
These are another set of no-evolution Pokémon that suck. I’m sorry if you like these guys; I’m just talking facts. There’s just no inspiration behind the designs at all. At least Heatmor and Durant had a theme. These two are just two different monkeys, and we definitely don’t need any more of those. We already have Infernape, the Simis, Primeape, and the rest.
15. Ledian
Ledian shouldn’t be forgettable, but it is. It’s honestly got one of the cooler designs to come out of Gen II. So why does no one remember it? Maybe I’m just living in a little bubble, and people are actually aware of Ledian’s existence, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s the type of Pokémon that makes me go, “oh I forgot about that one,” and isn’t that the whole point of this list?
14. Corsola
It’s coral. I get it. But that doesn’t mean that I have to like it. I get that they needed a Pokémon to fill that role, but couldn’t they have been a little bit more creative with it? I mean, look at Dragalge. That’s a dragon type based on algae, and it looks awesome, so why is Corsola so plain and boring?
13. Swalot
Why does it feel like Swalot is a direct dig at me? Uncanny similarities aside, this big blob of goop would be entirely out of the picture if it weren’t for its minor role in the old Mystery Dungeon Red and Blue Rescue Team games. Those games are fairly niche, though. So if you never played them, then you probably don’t know anything about Swalot. This goes double if you’re newer to the series, given that it hasn’t been seen since ORAS. I don’t really blame Game Freak for that, if I’m honest. It’s something of a nothing Pokémon, but that really doesn’t help its cause.
12. Armaldo
Armaldo conjures up “Fernando” from Mamma Mia in my mind every time I hear it, which is the extent of this Pokémon’s usefulness. It’s the worst and most forgettable fossil Pokémon that has ever been released, and that’s not an easy accolade to earn. I get that’s meant to be an armadillo and all. But it just doesn’t work. Especially when you realize that those red things on its head aren’t its eyes.
11. Kricketune
In a bizarre twist of fate, Kricketune has become one of the rarest Pokémon of all time. How, you ask? Because it hasn’t been seen in a game since ORAS. And before that, the original Black and White, but only in the Dream Yard. You could also only get it in HGSS in the National Park. The last time Kricketune was available to catch normally out in the wild was Pokémon Platinum, the generation that it was released in. Why Game Freak hates this design is anyone’s guess. It’s not that a cricket Pokémon is a bad idea, and it has one seriously stellar mustache, so maybe they’re just jealous.
10. Carbink
It’s a rock. It’s meant to be like a jewel in a rock, but it’s a rock. At least Geodude has arms. This thing doesn’t have any limbs at all. It’s just a rock. It does have a massive 150 base defense, but that doesn’t really matter when you’re… well… a rock.
9. Purugly
You know you’re one hideous-looking MF when the localization team literally changes your name to ugly. Glamglow could also be on this list, I won’t lie. But Purugly is getting the spotlight based on that horrible name alone. It’s a fat cat. I mean, so am I, but I’m a far cry from being a Pokémon. Why anyone would remember this Mon’ let alone like it is a mystery to me. It’s just bland. It’s an ugly, fat, bland, and lackluster cat.
8. Lumineon
Big-eared fish. You starting to sea a pattern with these entries? Lumineon isn’t so much forgettable, as it is totally pointless. It’s a regular water-type fish with big ears and poor stats. I honestly don’t know why Game Freak even created it. I mean, I get that you have to fill out the Pokédex, but this isn’t very good. It would look cool if it weren’t a Pokémon, I’ll admit. Especially since those red eyes make it look like it’s constantly blazed. But I’m not sure if the devil’s lettuce even exists in that wholesome PG world of glorified dogfighting.
7. Chatot
Talk about wasted potential. Chatot has an awesome design. It’s a parrot with a music note for a head. Whoever came up with that deserves a raise because it is so clean. It’s got a clever gimmick, too, given that it can mimic other humans and Pokémon. Game Freak really could have done something with this species had they given it an evolution. But instead, they left it in the graveyard of other forgotten Gen IV Pokémon. I’m holding out hope that the Sinnoh remakes decide to overhaul some of the Pokémon in the game like Chatot and Kricketune, but who knows what’s going on in those teams these days.
6. Eldegoss
There are quite a few recent grass types that have been terrible, and Eldegoss is the worst offender. It’s a cotton bud, which is cool. But there is absolutely no reason ever to use it. It doesn’t look that cool, its stats are miserable even though it has a good special defense, and its single grass typing is one of the worst in the franchise. This feels like another Dex filler. But one that’s remarkably low effort.
5. Maractus
I’ve hated on Maractus before, and I’m going to do it again! It’s just dollar-store Cacturne. It should arguably be the evolution in the middle of the Cacturne line because that’s all it’s ever going to be compared to. It’s not as good or recognizable as Cacturne, but more importantly, it’s just another cactus. Why on earth would anyone be able to remember “the other cactus Pokémon?” It was a horrible idea. At least it’s given me a Pokémon to squeeze for content, though.
4. Minior
It’s a meteor, but it’s also just a rock. I’ll admit that the transformation that it has is incredible. But that’s nothing more than a gimmick in the grand scheme of things. For all other intents and purposes, it’s just a rockier rock than Carbink.
3. Clamperl
Clamperl has the awesome gimmick of evolving into different Pokémon depending on what item it’s holding. It’s a great idea that needs to get used more. So why the hell is this such a forgettable Pokémon? The Gardevoir line has the exact same mechanic and is one of the most recognizable, so there’s no excuse for the lack of support that Clamperl has gotten. It’s not like its evolutions are bad, either, because both of them look great. It’s also been in more games than it hasn’t been since its release, so maybe it’s just me, but it’s a Pokémon that I don’t think I’ve ever even bothered catching.
2. Beheeyem
The story goes that the Game Freak design team decided to drop DMT and Beheeyem was what they saw on the trip. I’m convinced that something like that happened, because even they don’t know what it’s meant to be. They call it the “cerebral Pokémon,” but what does that actually mean? I would say it was some weird alien robot, but that doesn’t fit into the Pokémon canon at all. The complete mystery of this Pokémon is why I’m arguing it’s so forgettable. It’s just an afterthought with no explanation given. It doesn’t play any roles in any stories and sort of sits there like a forgettably sore thumb.
1. Komala
When I was doing research for this list, I had no idea that Komala even existed. I’m certain that I’ve actually talked about how I wish there were a proper koala Pokémon before. It was such a shock that I immediately DM’d my group chat to see if anyone else had ever seen it. They don’t know much about Pokémon, so their answers were obviously “no.” Seriously, though. Out of all the research I’ve done for all the articles I’ve written, I refuse to believe that I never stumbled across Komala. I am convinced that it’s some sort of weird Mandela effect. It can out all the way back in Gen VII, too, which I played. There’s absolutely no way that I haven’t seen this Pokémon up to now, but either way, that’s not good for Komala. Either I’ve completely forgotten about it, or I’ve never even seen it before. Both options point towards this little dude being extremely forgettable. Which is shocking when you actually look into the Pokémon. It spends its entire life sleeping, literally from birth to death. The number of jokes and self-depreciation I could get out of that is incredible! So how? I’m baffled.
