Favorite Pseudo Legendary

[Alola]

Alola everyone! I checked and couldn't find a thread on this, so I decided to spurn one out! The 600 club thread-your favorite pseudo legendary! As quoted from our very own Bulbapedia, these Pokemon all have "a three-stage evolution line, 1,250,000 experience at level 100, and a base stat total of exactly 600 (before Mega Evolving)."

Spoiler: The Pseudo Legends!

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Thus, which one of these mighty champions is your favorite? What do you like, or dislike, about their designs, origins and such? What are your experiences raising one? Does it tend to take you a long time? Does it feel rewarding in the end? Do you tend to stray away from such usage? Is there a certain kind of pseudo legendary that you yearn to see in future Pokemon games?

Photo credit to Tom Salazar.

 

[Kharixi]

My favorite goes straight to Goodra, with an honorable mention to Metagross and Dragonite. Goodra is super cute in my opinion. Despite it not exactly ending it's evolutionary line that well, I think it's just a genuinely cute Pokémon.

I think my first experience with one came in Pokémon X, during the Pokémon League, when Diantha sent hers out. I immediately loved it! Of course I had to get one, which I ended up doing in the post game. I actually haven't really raised one since..

Pretty much the only things I'd like from future pseudo-legendaries would be some more unique type combos.

 

[TechSkylander1518]

Ah, gee, I've got a lot of thoughts on pseudos....

What do you like, or dislike, about their designs, origins and such?

Spoiler

I was gonna think up stuff for each pseudo, but I don't have it in me for now. I might add the rest later.

Salamance-Honestly, it's the pre-evos that I like about Salamance. Bagon's lore is quite fun, and a dragon cocoon is a very unique concept. Salamance itself...not so much. The design's not exactly bad, but it's not really that interesting, either. It's a dragon that's based on a salamander, but it doesn't do much with that inspiration beyond the fins on its head. Its typing is Dragon/Flying, which was the typing used by the first pseudo, and used on two other Pokemon that generation. I don't hate Salamance, but it's hard to feel like it should have been a pseudo.

Metagross-I think all the uniqueness Salamance lacked got put into Metagross. In a category full of dragons, Metagross is a psychic alien robot spider. That's all that needs to be said.

Goodra-Probably my least favorite pseudo, but not because I hate it. I love Goodra's design-it's a fun, goopy dragon that evolves from a ball of slime. But Goodra's battle makeup makes it really hard to enjoy it. It's a singular Dragon-type. Goodra has all this uniqueness in its design, but it focuses on the most obvious part of it in typing. (Sap Sipper is made redundant by it being Dragon-type, too) It learns almost as many Grass moves and Water moves leveling up as it does Dragon moves.

And to top it all off, it doesn't really have much story presence? No special lore about it, no notable trainers using it (unless I'm misremembering), no notable location where the line is first found...Goodra honestly feels almost incomplete. I wish its inclusion in the game had as much thought put into it as its design.

What are your experiences raising one?

Spoiler

Honestly...nearly non-existent. Pseudos are always too late in the game for me-why bother training up a Pokemon that levels slowly when I've got a team of six ready to fight? I still get their entries, of course, but that's just by grinding. There have been games that motivated me to use them more-the shiny given in BW2 was certainly a motivator-but for the most part, they're more of a final dex entry.

Is there a certain kind of pseudo legendary that you yearn to see in future Pokemon games?

Spoiler

Non-Dragon pseudos, easily. (Psychic robot alien spiders, dude-there's cool stuff out there to think up)

I'd also like to see more pseudos that have a sort of story to them? I know it's not a defining characteristic of pseudos, but I think it helps make them more fun to find. (As opposed to "Oh, here's this region's archetype, just like the bug archetype, and the bird archetype, and the")

Some pseudos that come to mind personally-The three pseudos of Pokemon Uranium, Beliaddon, Yatagaryu, and Laissure. Each one of them is based on a beast of legend, and from various time periods-Yatagaryu is based on the three-legged crow, Laissure on the modern jackalope, and Beliaddon is kinda a mix, being a modern interpretation of the ancient idea of demons. And sure, these guys don't break the dragon pattern-Yatagaryu is part Dragon, Beliaddon is a bit draconic-but there's still a lot of other elements mixed in.

 

[BigBadButterfree]

Honestly, I hate to be that guy, but I don’t like pseudo legendaries. Too many of them are dragon-type, and the ones that aren’t just don’t do it for me. Overall, I hate how some of these dominate the competitive scene. And literally none of them needed megas. Like, aren’t they OP enough? Anyway, I guess I can go through each and give some good and bad points individually:

Dragonite
It’s the original dragon, and the original pseudo. You can’t really go wrong, I suppose. While I don’t dislike either its design or its pre-evolutions, they just don’t match up, and that sort of screws things up for me.

Tyranitar
One of two nondragons, so it’s got that going for it. Other than that... idk. Neat design concept I guess. I don’t like it’s mega design though. It’s like they didn’t know what exactly they wanted to do with it. Oh, and I hate fighting this thing and it’s stupid samdstream. Gtfo.

Salamemce
Oh look, it’s dragonite but better. Unnecessary mega is unnecessary.

Metagross
The other nondragon. Probably would consider this one of the better ones. It’s design is a little much, and its mega is just a clusterf*** of limbs, but I like the supercomputer basis of it. Also appreciated that it was one of the few physical psychic Pokémon.

(Side note, it’s always bothered me that there were 2 of these in gen 3)

Garchomp
I hate this thing. I loathe this thing. I used to like Cynthia as a character. Then I hated garchomp. Now I don’t like her. It’s just... it’s like the OU poster child of everything wrong with the metagame. Such a cool design, I even used one back in middle school before I knew about stats and competitive and stuff. Do regret. Also, why give a mega to literally one of the best Pokémon in the game? It didn’t need it. Nobody even uses it cuz it isn’t as good.

Hydreigon
Oh look another dragon. Best part of this Pokémon is its evolutionary line’s use of German numbers in their names. Deino is cute. Zweilous is just Deino with 2 heads. Hydreigon is a mess. Where in the evolutionary path was it even evident that it would lose its legs and levitate? And it’s evolution levels. Ridiculous if you want to use it in the story, horribly tedious if you want to use it anywhere else.

Goodra
Admittedly the cutest one. It’s jaut so huggable- oh, is that slime? Eehhhhhh... also, why is it just dragon? Not only did they repeat the dragon type, they stripped it of the opportunity to have a second type that would at least make it stand out. Probably up near the top with metagross, but that’s not saying much.

Kommo-o
Whyyyyyyy another dragon???? At least it’s a unique typing... that isn’t that great, thank you very much fairies. Jangmo-o was so cute. Why do they have to ruin everything?

So yeah, those are my (completely subjective) thoughts. I hope any future pseudos give other types a chance.

 

[SUP3RN0VA]

Dragonite, which is my favourite Pokemon in general.

To those questioning why so many Pseudo legendary Pokemon are Dragon type, the answer is pretty simple. Dragon Pokemon rely on higher base stats to compensate for lack of super effective STAB damage, which means it is easier to make more Dragon Pokemon Pseudo legendary to justify the high stats. Otherwise, you get Dragon Pokemon with lower stats, which isn't really that fun. Plus, Gamefreak seem to enjoy making Dragon Pokemon tougher to raise, needing higher levels to evolve than most other types, and having them usually be found pretty late into the game.

 

[DoctorWhy]

Metagross is definitely my favorite pseudo-legend. Always has been, probably always will be. It's got a couple of my favorite types (which also become favorite types of mine actually because of Metagross), it's design is super badass, it gives me great Gen III nostalgia, and I've really enjoyed raising a few. Salamence is my second favorite.

 

[Soki]

Hydreigon. It's a dragon with sockpuppet heads as hands, what more would you want

 

[Nicolas721]

Metagross. He looks simple and badass, and is a supercomputer that can kick ass. It Mega is mediocre through.
Out of the dragon ones, Kommo-o wins, as it looks majestic and godly and has a decent enough design.
Salamence is meh.
Dragonite, Garchomp & Tyranitar are ugly.
Goodra & Hydreigon are ultra ugly.

 

[Bob Fizzle]

Design-wise, it's always been Metagross. I've always loved steel-types, the thing is just fun to use, and its mega evolution is even more badass.

Recently, however, I've been having a lot more fun using Tyranitar. I always slept on it because I didn't like its defensive typing, but now that I've actually used one, I finally realized what I was missing out on.

 

[Rosalia R]

I love Hydreigon the most, for reasons I believe Soki expressed perfectly, but Garchomp is a very close runner up for me and I feel bad not being able to vote for it as well. It's the ace Pokemon of one of my favorite champions, and the anime has shown it can be both badass and adorable.

 

[godiego]

Goodra, because it's adorable. it's also the only one i've ever used in a main campaign. they may be strong, but they typically come far too late (either encounter-wise or evolution-wise) to justify having to carry their substantially weaker evos through the game.

Dragonite, which is my favourite Pokemon in general.

To those questioning why so many Pseudo legendary Pokemon are Dragon type, the answer is pretty simple. Dragon Pokemon rely on higher base stats to compensate for lack of super effective STAB damage, which means it is easier to make more Dragon Pokemon Pseudo legendary to justify the high stats. Otherwise, you get Dragon Pokemon with lower stats, which isn't really that fun. Plus, Gamefreak seem to enjoy making Dragon Pokemon tougher to raise, needing higher levels to evolve than most other types, and having them usually be found pretty late into the game.

the real reason is what you have in the latter half: they're rare, they evolve late, and are found late. Gen 1 also kinda establishes that they're meant to be real powerful anyways. if the lack of SE STAB were the reason, Normals would be busted too.

 

[SUP3RN0VA]

Goodra, because it's adorable. it's also the only one i've ever used in a main campaign. they may be strong, but they typically come far too late (either encounter-wise or evolution-wise) to justify having to carry their substantially weaker evos through the game.


the real reason is what you have in the latter half: they're rare, they evolve late, and are found late. Gen 1 also kinda establishes that they're meant to be real powerful anyways. if the lack of SE STAB were the reason, Normals would be busted too.

If the lack of SE STAB damage was the SOLE reason, then yes. However, there's no reason to assume that the former is not also taken into consideration WITH the latter, not solely the latter. Plus, the normal type also only has one weakness, and also has an immunity, whereas the Dragon type has three weaknesses (including itself) and zero immunities.

 

[Alola]

Goodra is my favorite pseudo legend. Prior to it, I didn't really have one. Yes, they're all powerful and look cool, but none of them really clicked with me. Dragonite probably would be closest, since it's actually the first pseudo legend I raised from start to finish. Generation IV baby! That Extreme Speed Dratini. It was so difficult that I didn't get to use it until halfway through Kanto! With no Lucky Egg or boosted EXP from being a traded Pokemon!

Anyway, I digress. I really like Goodra and its line's designs and lore. They're adorable, have a signature ability, are friendly, are specially defensive stalwarts and are very welcoming-the perfect attributes in a Pokemon for me. Also, the shades of purple and green are easy on the eyes. In terms of raising one, I've raised several. One during my first Y play-through, then one in my latest Moon play-through and currently raising a Sliggoo in Ultra Moon. I also like how it is relatively one of the easiest Pseudos to fully raise (Metagross and Salamence surpass it in this regard).

Seeing it animated with Ash only reinforced my love for the line, and now it is my favorite Dragon type.

I do think it would've been cool if they made it a dual Dragon and Water type, though. Most of Goomy's body is made up of water, the line has strong association with Water (evolves in the rain, found in rainy areas, learns quite a few Water moves, part of its design is based on mollusks, etc.), and they have naturally slippery, wet bodies. It would be even better defensively, which is its main shtick, and have a fairly unique typing. Who knows, maybe it may be retyped in the future or given such through Mega Evolution.

 

[Lone_Garurumon]

Thus, which one of these mighty champions is your favorite?
Probably Garchomp.

What do you like, or dislike, about their designs, origins and such?
Dragonite: Like most Gen I Pokemon, Dragonite's design feels fairly uninspired, and it doesn't mesh with its pre-evolutions at all (whose designs I prefer quite a bit more). The uninspired-ness isn't as severe as some other Gen I Pokemon, but it's still up there. Honestly Dragonite's just pretty meh to me.
Tyranitar: I can't remember what motivated me to train one, but I did, and Gojira's done great things for me. I also personally enjoy its design, I think it's the cool spikes and armour holes. Its typing lets it down a little, but all in all it's a Pokemon I like.
Metagross: It's cool an unique, especially among the Pseudos. I do like it, but it's probably around the middle of the list.
Salamence: The design is kinda uninspired, but there's something about it that looks cool enough that I don't really mind. I've only ever used one in a rental team so I could earn enough BP to get good items, but it was pretty good when I used it.
Garchomp: Love it. It's a freakin' land shark dude! The design is pure gold (like most in Gen IV), it hits fast and hard, and it's just all around awesome.
Hydreigon: The design is just pure unadulterated badass. I just love it. Also, Soki's right, sockpuppet hands dude.
Goodra: Bottom of the list. Easily. I can see how some people could like it and find it kinda cute, but I'm generally grossed out by goop in general, so making a whole dragon out of it just really turns me off. Its typing is unfortunate too. I always feel like it should be part Water Type.
Kommo-o: I like it, it's a cool punching dragon with rattly scales. I've been using one recently and I like how it handles. Can't wait to finish USUM so I can throw Clangorous Soulblaze onto it and really see what it can do. I personally don't feel like it was the best direction to take for Jangmo-o, but that doesn't stop me from loving it.

What are your experiences raising one?
I've only ever raised them in post-game. You always find them way too late, and they take way too long to grow to make them useful in main-game.So the raising process itself has always been pretty smooth for me.

Does it tend to take you a long time?
Not me personally, since post-game, but I know it'd take forever to do if I tried in main-game.

Does it feel rewarding in the end?
Well, yeah, they're cool and strong.

Do you tend to stray away from such usage?
Indeed I do, see questions 3 & 4

Is there a certain kind of pseudo legendary that you yearn to see in future Pokemon games?
They don't bother me as much as they seem to bother some other people, but something different and outside the box like Metagross would be cool. As opposed to more Dragons/draconics.

 

[Pyrax]

Mine would be Garchomp. Its design incorporates European dragons and sharks really well imo, except for that awkward-looking dorsal fin. It really should be smaller or wider, otherwise it looks so weird on Garchomp's back. I recently learned that its torso was meant to mimic a shark's open mouth, hence the spikes and red belly. I used one in Platinum a couple of years ago - iirc it was one of my best team members and evolved while climbing Mt.Coronet. Very helpful for the lategame, especially Volkner.
I've also used Metagross (first AS playthrough), Tyranitar (BW2) and Salamence (second AS playthrough). All four were either caught or hatched during earlygame, and evolved into their final forms during the climax. It's incredibly rewarding though, if you don't mind raising something that will lag behind everyone else before fully evolving, of course.
Another non-Dragon pseudo would be great though, just for some variety. Back when SM were announced, I was hoping for a Fire-type pseudo based on Pele.

 

[Max1996]

My favorites of the pseudo-legendaries are definitely Hydreigon, Goodra, Salamence and Kommo-o. Whether it's because they're awesome (Hydreigon, Salamence), adorable (Goodra) or have a unique Type combination (Kommo-o), I really like/love them.

 

[Camille]

I like them all, but my favourite is easily Salamence. I love the fact its design is simple yet menacing, its stat spread and movepool. I really dislike Mega Salamence,though, not simply because it is overpowered, but also because its wing design is just unappealing.
As for the rest of them, well, I like Dragonite because it is derpy yet powerful like my favourite fully evolved starter Pokemon, Swampert, not to mention Multiscale and ExtremeSpeed. Tyranitar is great because of its unique typing. Metagross is a living supercomputer, Garchomp is sleek and fast (although I dislike its Mega), Hydreigon for its higher Special Attack, Goodra for its cuteness, and Kommo-o for its pride and unique Z-move (although I was annoyed by the fact it initially did not pick up Close Combat).
So, overall, my ranking is: Salamence>Tyranitar>Metagross>Kommo-o>Googra>Garchomp>Hydreigon.
I only really raised a Garchomp during the main storyline, but it performed great, especially in Sunyshore Gym. Hopefully if they remake Diamond/Pearl, Gible stays early accessible after the second Gym like it is in Platinum. I did raise all the pseudo-legendaries that existed before Generation VI post-game, though, and it always felt challenging yet rewarding to me.

 

[Midorikawa]

Metagross. I like it’s design and it’s the only one I’ve ever used so it gets points for that.

 

[Arcalargo]

I have raised and used every Pseudo Legendary with the exception of Kommo-O. Since I normally purchase multiple copies of each generation I will generally hatch one as an egg at the beginning of a playthrough. I've enjoyed playing each of them. Also I have used Dragonite, Tyranitar, Hydragon, and Goodra competitively and I think they are all pretty solid.

I don't always care for how long it takes to raise them, and before Generation VI, they ruled the roost (other than Legendaries) in playthrough. With the introduction of Megas, they are not nearly as worthwhile in gameplay.

 

[King Robert]

Garchomp is awesome.