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POTW Pokémon of the Week #83: Togedemaru

Cresselia92

Cresselia92

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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…

250px-777Togedemaru.png


Togedemaru, the Roly-Poly Pokémon!

Introduced in Generation 7 as the regional “Pikaclone”, this round rodent has quite a few characteristics that distinguish it from its fellow round-cheeked brethren.

First of all, it has the unique Electric/Steel typing, which was formerly an exclusive typing of the Magnemite line, as well as another former signature in the form of Iron Barbs, previously exclusive to the Ferroseed line.

Those traits not only grant it plenty of opportunities to switch in thanks to its plethora of resistances and immunities, but also can damage the opponent if it dares to strike it with a physical attack. Talk about sharp spikes!

Its other two abilities are good, too, with Lightning Rod granting it an additional immunity and a Special Attack’s boost if struck by electric attacks, and Sturdy allowing it to survive any hit that would otherwise knock it out.

It’s not too shabby in terms of attacks either. In its arsenal you can find nice tools like Nuzzle to paralyze the opponent while damaging it, Iron Head and its signature Zing Zap to potentially make the target flinch, Spiky Shield to protect itself and damage the attacker, and Wish to heal either itself or an ally.

The Totem variant of this Pokémon can prove to be tough to crack, as it can summon as allies Sturdy Skarmory with Stealth Rock and Tailwind or Dedenne with Super Fang, which can slowly chip away at your Pokémon’s health.

This species has also an important role in the anime, with a female one being the main Pokémon of Sophocles and having a crush on Ash’s Pikachu. And the latter fact could potentially trigger the jealousy of another female Pokémon belonging to the main cast and who has an attraction toward Pikachu, but we are digressing now.

So, now that you know more about this Pokémon, 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?
  • Pikaclones: interesting concept or useless gimmick? And how does Togedemaru compare to the others?
  • What are your thoughts about Pokémon without an evolutionary line?
  • Is it fine for a Pokémon to inherit a signature move or Ability from another one, or should signature moves and Abilities stay exclusive to their original owners?
If you have any suggestions for Pokémon you'd like to discuss in the future just leave your ideas at the bottom of your post. Make sure you give your thoughts about the current Pokémon first!

Previous Pokémon of the Week:
 
Togedemaru is cute and it makes me laugh sometimes because there are a few other forum members who make it as their avatar and the first thing I see when I log in looking on some of the threads, I see Togedemaru. First time I played a gen 7 game, I used a Togedemaru on my team and it's not the strongest electric type Pokemon I have used though. I can't say anything about its representation in the anime because I have not watched the Sun/Moon episodes. I know there are a few people who hate the Pikaclones. The Pikaclones are cute but I feel as if the creators were being lazy on designing new Pokemon and they just throw Pikaclones at us. Pokemon who don't evolve have low stats except for legendaries.
 
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Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
Like. It put an interesting twist to the electric rodents traditionally introduced in each generation.
How is this Pokémon in-game?
Haven't tried using it. But yes the Totem version is surprisingly challenging.
How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Haven't tried it either but in between its typing, Abilities and Zing Zap it could be annoying to deal with in its tier.
Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
Sophocles' Togedemaru is nice.
How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
People would find it cute but probably get hurt while playing with it, so I'd also guess they'd be cautious.
If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
Better stats, more focus on Special Attack, a buff on Zing Zap.
Pikaclones: interesting concept or useless gimmick? And how does Togedemaru compare to the others?
It is a gimmick, but a nice one. I'm more of a Dedene fan with its typing but Togedemaru also has its way to stand out from the others.
What are your thoughts about Pokémon without an evolutionary line?
I don't mind them per se, it depends on how good their stats are. Most legendaries don't have an evolutionary line either after all.
Is it fine for a Pokémon to inherit a signature move or Ability from another one, or should signature moves and Abilities stay exclusive to their original owners?
I'd rather they stay signature, but if it's done right I don't mind it too much. Togedemaru as a concept deserved the typing and Ability it got, I guess.
 
Togedemaru is a bit of a weird Pikachu clone imo.. It is rather slow compared to some of the others but it also gets a unique move in Zing zap. Which has only happened once with Pikachu (volt tackle). The abilities are rather nice though it gets overshadowed by pretty lightning rod users, and just isn't as strong. Especially considering it had no decent steel stab move prior to USUM with tutor moves being released again. One thing that I would want to change though is giving it better speed.. 96 is ok but it's still rather slow compared to other Pokémon.. It does have a nice supportive role though since it keeps away most electric attacks and has access to fake out and nuzzle. And of course super fang can be useful against certain Pokémon to weaken them if they are known for bulk lol.
 
Togedemaru is better than the other Pikaclones, I guess. Still not to fond of it. Also kind of bitter it replaced the much cooler Vikavolt as a totem Pokemon.
 
I hate most of the Pikaclones, and Togedemaru is no exception. I really don't find it's design that appealing at all. It's got that same generic cute face that all Pikaclones have that I don't find charming at all. I guess it isn't quite as bad as Dedenne, but still.
The Totem Togedemaru in USUM was super frustrating to beat, and after a while I got sick of looking at its ugly face. I really wish Vikavolt remained the Electric-type totem because at least then I wouldnt have to look at a boring Pikachu clone for ages.
The only I do like about this Pokémon is it's typing, but that isn't enough to redeem it for me.
Overall I strongly dislike Togedemaru, and it is definitely one of, or if not my least favourite Alola Pokémon.
 
Design-wise it's better than Dedenne, but still lacks something that makes i special. It's nice how its pattern can become spikes, and how its cheeks contain holes for plugs, but that's pretty much it.

In the anime, I like how she's Sophocles' lamp, but her hyperactive antics are sometimes overused, and her relationship with Pikachu is forced too.

In the games, I OHKNO'd her with Incineroar.
 
I grew up with all kinds of rodents as pets so I can't help but love Togedemaru. I have one in game that my girlfriend named Bolita for me. I thought the name was clever because it has bolt, and means little ball. I haven't really used her much yet admittedly because I prefer other 'mons over her. But she's bred in a fast ball and has a jolly nature so she'll be ready for a fight if I do use her.

With Pikaclones as a whole however, I really appreciate that they branch out and just don't stick to just mice. Which makes the rodent lover in me super happy. I can imagine Togedemaru very much acting like a hedgehog.
giphy.gif
Needless to say I wouldn't change Togedemaru. I'm not it's biggest fan but I very much appreciate it for what it is.
 
Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
I love it. Very adorable.

If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
No way!

Pikaclones: interesting concept or useless gimmick? And how does Togedemaru compare to the others?
I have to say, Togedemaru is the best of the Pikaclones by far. And it is an interesting concept.

Is it fine for a Pokémon to inherit a signature move or Ability from another one, or should signature moves and Abilities stay exclusive to their original owners?
I do suppose it's fine, as long as it makes at least some sense for said Pokémon to have it.
 
Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
Love it, it's so cute :X3:

How is this Pokémon in-game?
Good, I used one in Sun and he was great.

Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
Amazing. Sophocles's Togedemaru is probably my favorite Pokemon in the Sun/Moon series.

How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
Just like a cute little hedgie...only electrical ;)

If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
I kind of wish it didn't have the big needle on it's back. I just feel like it would be cuter without it.

Pikaclones: interesting concept or useless gimmick? And how does Togedemaru compare to the others?
I've always loved the Pikaclones, they're a legit guarantee of a good Pokemon each gen. Togedemaru is just a cute as the others.

What are your thoughts about Pokémon without an evolutionary line?
I like them.

Is it fine for a Pokémon to inherit a signature move or Ability from another one, or should signature moves and Abilities stay exclusive to their original owners?
I think they should stay exclusive unless there's a good reason to pass them on.
 
Togedemaru is alright. I don't like it as much as Raichu and Emolga, but it is better than the rest of the Pikaclones. I didn't like the fact it couldn't get any good Steel moves in Sun/Moon, but thankfully they fixed it in US/UM. I don't really think it needs any improvements, but Lightning Rod is kind of wasted on it, since its Special Attack is pitiful. Maybe Motor Drive could have been more useful on it.
 
Togedemaru is a beast. I generally never cared for the Pikaclones outside of Emolga, but when Togedemaru revealed I was on board. Cool typing, interesting abilities, cute design, it all came together to make a Pikaclone that was both mechanically interesting from a battle perspective and another (after Emolga) with a design I liked.

I considered using one in SM playthough, but I never did, there was too many other choices. So when USUM came around and move tutors appeared (so it could finally learn Steel STAB that wasn't Gyro Ball) I jumped at using one. And let me say, Togedemaru was a monster. It was the best Pokemon on my team by far, which I absolutely did not expect. Obviously the Electric/Steel typing has so many resistances that help it, but I was so shocked (puns!) at how many times it got me out of a situation where I thought I was going to wipe out.

Also I think the Totem fight vs Togedemaru in USUM really highlighted the potential strengths of the 2 vs 1 boss fights. It was a fun, borderline annoying yes, fight to do, but I think it showed that "boss" battles can be deep mechanically in the single player/story. With things like the Torment from Skarmory you had to think what you were doing rather than just spamming a super effective move. Of course, things like Z-Moves or the player's team have an affect on how easy or hard it was, and could have made it more trivial, but in general I think it's one of the more impressive Totem fights for highlighting their strengths as bosses.

I'd like to see it get Spikes and Rapid Spin as moves in the future, but I guess it's not a big deal if it doesn't get them, I like it how it is just fine.
 
Heh.

I tried SO hard to like Togedemaru as soon as it was revealed but.... it just didn't click for me. It always felt like somewhat of a gimmicky Pokemon, and while I get that pikaclones are more or less supposed to give off that kinda vibe, I always felt like poor Togedemaru was kinda... unimpressive? Granted, I've never personally used one in my SM/USUM playthrough but I don't particularly feel motivated to. It just doesn't seem like the type of pikaclone I would use compared to say, Emolga or even Dedenne for that matter.
 
Please note: The thread is from 6 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.

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