POTW Pokémon of the Week #50: Horsea, Seadra, & Kingdra

Enzap · Jul 2, 2017

In the World of Pokémon, there lives a vast number and variety of amazing creatures to befriend and collect. Every week, we will be focusing on a single one of these Pokémon or evolutionary line and talking about what makes it special. This week's Pokémon of choice is the Horsea line!

The first two of these Water-type Pokémon, Horsea and Seadra, were introduced in Generation I. Although primarily based on seahorses, they seem to take inspiration from several other sources such as squids (shooting ink), lion or puffer fish (poisonous spines), and dragons (their names and species name). The references to dragons is likely due to a Japanese legend stating that all seahorses are baby dragons, and the Japanese name for seahorse translating to "Dragon's Child." While neither Horsea nor Seadra make any prominent appearances in the games they originate in and are a bit overshadowed by more powerful Water-types, Seadra has always been a moderately strong fighter with useable Defense, Special Attack, and Speed and access to good water attacks like Hydro Pump and Surf. Over time it has only become more useful since gaining more Dragon-inspired attacks like Dragon Pulse and Dragon Dance, as well as having access to items such as the Eviolite to boost its defenses.

While Seadra can work in battle itself, this line's full power is revealed upon evolution into the now true Dragon-type Kingdra, which was introduced in Generation II. Although Kingdra only maintains the same three highest of Seadra's stats mentioned above, all of its other stats are increased to a comparable level, meaning Kingdra can make use of its entire sizable movepool and be much less predictable to fight against. It gains access to STAB Dragon Pulse and Outrage, as well as the utility move Yawn. Kingdra is commonly run on Rain-based teams due to its ability Swift Swim giving it almost unparalleled speed when combined with the speed and attack boosting move Dragon Dance. If not fighting on a Rain-centered team, its alternative ability Sniper can also be potentially useful (although perhaps a bit too gimmicky) for scoring massive damage with critical hits. Sniper's bonus can be made more reliable with moves such as Focus Energy and items such as the Scope Lens.

Horsea, along with many other Water-type Pokémon, makes a regular appearance in the anime under the control of one of Ash's original companions Misty, however it is rarely used in battle and usually only appears alongside her other Pokémon. Seadra made its most notable appearance in the Inidgo League in Ash's first round battle against Mandi. Ash defeated Mandi's Seadra along with his two other Pokémon with his own newly evolved Kingler. Kingdra appears both in the games and in the anime as the signature Pokémon of the Johto Region's eighth Gym Leader, Clair, although in the anime it is not considered her strongest team member. In Emerald, Kingdra once again appears as the ace Pokémon of the eighth Gym Leader of the Hoenn region, Juan. It is replaced by a Milotic in the anime.

Here are some questions to consider to get conversation rolling. You don't have to answer all of them or any of them in your post as long as you're staying on topic and within global forum rules.

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
How is this Pokémon in-game?
How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
How does Seadra stack up against the plethora of other Water types from Generation I?
Is Kingdra a suitable evolution for Seadra despite not improving on any of its best stats?
Does this line deserve the title the "Dragon Pokémon?"
How does Kingdra compare to other Dragon-type Pokémon that often receive more attention?
Which "dragon"-related story do you prefer, Horsea's or Magikarp's?

Previous Pokémon of the Week:

Guzma · Jul 3, 2017

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
They're pretty cool. Horsea's cute, Seadra's neat, and Kingdra's pretty cool.

How is this Pokémon in-game?
Kingdra's pretty solid? I never used it.

How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Never used it, but in Gen V Swift Swim Kingdra was a beast.

Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
I only remember Misty having a Horsea.

How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
Well, Kingdra would be a pretty big hazard, what with generating whirlpools when it yawns.

If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
I'd shift Kingdra's stats around so it'd be a speedy Special Attacker instead of a jack of all trades.

How does Seadra stack up against the plethora of other Water types from Generation I?
Compared to Starmie, Blastoise, Vaporeon, Tentacruel, Slowbro, Cloyster and Gyarados... Not well, really.

Is Kingdra a suitable evolution for Seadra despite not improving on any of its best stats?
Yes. It could afford to have more specialized stats, though.

Does this line deserve the title the "Dragon Pokémon?"
According to Japanese mythology, yes.

How does Kingdra compare to other Dragon-type Pokémon that often receive more attention?
I like the weirder dragons more than "traditional" ones, TBH. I still like Garchomp and Haxorus more, though.

Which "dragon"-related story do you prefer, Horsea or Magikarp's?
Probably Magikarp's, I guess.

Can next week's POTW be a Bug-type? We've only had two Bug-type families in the POTW so far, and we haven't had one since the Beedrill line four months ago. I'm gonna suggest Scyther/Scizor or Wimpod/Golisopod.

Enzap · Jul 3, 2017

Dustflier said:
Can next week's POTW be a Bug-type? We've only had two Bug-type families in the POTW so far, and we haven't had one since the Beedrill line four months ago. I'm gonna suggest Scyther/Scizor or Wimpod/Golisopod.

We already have one for next week planned out, but thanks for pointing that out. We'll keep that in mind for future reference.

Maniacal Engineer · Jul 3, 2017

I used a Kingdra on an in-game rain based team once in Gen V. It curb-stomped everything in its path.

Kingdra is a pain in the neck to take down prior to Gen VI, when it gained a Fairy type weakness in addition to its only other weakness, Dragon. Particularly, Juan's Kingdra in Pokemon Emerald was difficult to take out because it used Double Team so frequently, and some of the more powerful Dragon type moves hadn't been created yet.

All in all, Kingdra is a beast and it's one of my favorite Dragon types. Given its general lack of weaknesses, especially prior to Gen VI, I can see why Gyarados wasn't given the same typing in Gen I, when the only offensive Dragon type move was Dragon Rage, which could never get STAB, nor do any more than 40HP of damage.

Enzap · Jul 3, 2017

Maniacal Engineer said:
Kingdra is a pain in the neck to take down prior to Gen VI, when it gained a Fairy type weakness in addition to its only other weakness, Dragon. Particularly, Juan's Kingdra in Pokemon Emerald was difficult to take out because it used Double Team so frequently, and some of the more powerful Dragon type moves hadn't been created yet.

I forgot to mention Juan's Kingdra in the OP. It also gave me a lot of trouble. It was like Wallace's Milotic but worse because it has fewer weaknesses and that Double Team you mentioned. I will edit that one in.

ocelotlrama jaguar · Jul 5, 2017

This line is great! I love Seadra more than Kingdra in terms of design, but Kingdra is cool, too. Horsea is a little cutie. I love him. In-game, they really hold their own. Granted, I've never used Kingdra in-game because I don't like wasting trade items on in-game teams, but Seadra is more than enough to get through a game pretty well. It's stats are good enough and with Sniper, can be a real beast. Competitive play Kingdra is pretty straight-foward- I have the Sniper ability with a Scope Lens and Critical Hits can cause real headaches. It's also awesome in Rain Dance teams. In Gen V and below, the only type it had to struggle with was the Dragon-type, but with the introduction of the Fairy-type, it is a lot harder to use because it's defenses are nothing too special. Still, it's something that I really like to go to when I need just need to throw a Water-type or a Dragon-type with decent coverage.

Misty's Horsea was cute. I wish they showed it more often but it just seemed the writers forgot its existence. I don't have a good recollection of Seadra or Kingdra in the anime. I do remember Kingdra from the third movie. Not much to think about from the one scene it appeared in.

If these guys were real-world Pokemon, I would guess they would be roaming the sea, minding their own business. Something peaceful but something you wouldn't want to mess with, either.

If I could change anything about these Pokemon... there's really nothing I would change. Maybe give them a few more TMs to learn. Not enough to break them, but something that would make them more capable of taking care of large threats.

In Gen I, Seadra was alright. It wasn't the best Water-type of the bunch. I found myself using Starmie and Gyarados more than Seadra due to their larger movepools.

Yeah, Kingdra holds up on its own. Despite the stats not changing dramatically, certain stats go up that make Kingdra worth using. Of course, I know plenty of people who despise Kingdra and love Seadra, so if people decide to use Seadra, they're not missing out on too much except a few moves that will not get a STAB boost, Swift Swim, Electric and Grass normal resistance, and higher HP and Special Defense (I doubt anyone will care about higher Attack). It also won't have a weakness to Dragons or Fairies, and those types are pretty common, but Kingdra offers a bit more for those who want that extra boost.

I read that in certain Asian cultures, sea horses are seen as "baby dragons", so yes, they do deserve it. Those of us in the west may not make the connection, but since these games come from Japan, I'd say it's deserved.

Kingdra is great but not drop-dead awesome. My typical movepool for it is Dragon Pulse, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, and Protect. The one thing I wish it had was a larger movepool, which is why I sometimes overlook it for a Water-type or a Dragon-type that has more to offer. Making use of its Sniper ability with a Scope Lens is nice, but it's not foolproof. Swift Swim is also not 100% reliable, since either a Drizzle Pokemon or Rain Dancer can faint and you now have to rely on its mediocre 95 Speed stat, assuming it has a Nature that maxes out that stat to begin with. So I can see why people go with something else other than Kingdra in competetive play or even casual play.

Both the Horsea-line and Magikarp-line have good dragon backstories. There isn't one I prefer.

Zexy · Jul 7, 2017

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
Like. Water/Dragon is a great typing, the design is nice, Swift Swim Ability is good.
How is this Pokémon in-game?
Good but it's not the best offensive Dragon-type and it needs a trade and an item to evolve.
How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Very good in rain teams with Swift Swim and Draco Meteor.
Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
Misty's battle against it with Psyduck in the Whirl Cup. Although I'd rather have her get a Kingdra, I think it would make for a great story to give Misty her Dragon-type, and she did catch a Horsea early on...
How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
People would like it but also a bit afraid of it. And Seadra because of poison.
If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
I would have Seadra as Water/Poison or Water/Dragon.
How does Seadra stack up against the plethora of other Water types from Generation I?
It didn't do that well, it didn't even have Poison Point back then

Is Kingdra a suitable evolution for Seadra despite not improving on any of its best stats?
Haven't ever noticed that, wow. It sure is suitable if anything for typing alone.
Does this line deserve the title the "Dragon Pokémon?"
Honestly I don't think so, it's the Seahorse Pokemon...
How does Kingdra compare to other Dragon-type Pokémon that often receive more attention?
I think it's pretty good because of the Water typing, although others have better stat totals
Which "dragon"-related story do you prefer, Horsea's or Magikarp's?
Magikarp's.

Camille · May 5, 2018

I like Seadra and Kingdra, but Horsea is kind of boring. I remember always struggling with Clair's Kingdra, since Fairy type wasn't a thing yet and none of my Pokemon knew Dragon-type attacks. I used Kingdra both as a physical atttacker and a special one, and it didn't disappoint me. I think giving the line Damp as a Hidden Ability was pointless, since it isn't even a good ability. I also dislike shiny Kingdra's colours, but then again, most Water Pokemon are purple when shiny. Still, it is a shame it doesn't keep Seadra's shiny colour scheme.

Zeb · May 6, 2018

I remember Seadra being one of my favourite Pokemon as a kid playing Gen 1, so when Kingdra came around I was loving it. Although I must admit, the hard edges of Seadra's design do have their own appeal over Horsea and Kingdra's soft ones. It's interesting how Seadra gains a poison theme when it evolves, with it gaining Poison Point upon evolving and its dex entries talking about it, and then losing it again when it evolves to Kingdra. Horsea and Kingdra bookend its Poison Point with Swift Swim, so it's an interesting choice Game Freak chose to implement. It reminds me of Sandshrew/Sandslash knowing Poison Sting and it never being expanded upon.

I kinda like that Kingdra stats are so balanced. I guess they partly did it because back then because Water/Dragon was an incredibly good typing (and still is, just not to the same extent thanks to some Fairies and others like Ferrothorn). Evolutions like Kingdra and Scizor where the stats change in unexpected ways can be fun too. Kingdra's like a jack-of-all-trades really, but then you put in Rain and it's the best Swift Swim user around, which shows that stats don't need to be everything.

To this day Kingdra is still one of my favourite Dragon types. I'm not a big lover of Dragon as a whole, probably one of my least favourites, so it's nice to have a few like Kingdra that I can appreciate when most of them don't interest me. I think in general I must just like the creature the line is based on, since Skrelp and Dragalge are also two of my favourite Pokemon and they are both sea dragons too (just the leafy variety, not the weedy).

POTW Pokémon of the Week #50: Horsea, Seadra, & Kingdra

More options

Enzap

No thoughts, head empty

Guzma

Actually Your Boy Guzma

Enzap

No thoughts, head empty

Maniacal Engineer

Mushy Emotionalist

Enzap

No thoughts, head empty

ocelotlrama jaguar

Fluffy with 80% more spots!

Zexy

Quaxly Boy

Camille

Call of Fate

Zeb

what is your spaghetti policy here?

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