Pokémon you like in concept, but not design

[colours]

zoroark. like the concept, and i don't mind zorua having an evo, but the design i'm just purely meh on.

 

[RTLfan]

Lanturn - the shape is too odd.
All the bear Pokemon because none of them portray the positive side of bears and/or they just don't have good designs.
EDIT: Bear Pokemon* not vibration Pokemon lol.

 

[Neyo]

Aromatisse comes to mind. A witch doctor specializing in perfumes that’s also a fairy type? Heck yeah!
But what we got was a pink pillow that’s a Sp. Defense tank, so it isn’t fun for playthroughs that much. And its a trade evolution! The trifecta is complete.

 

[Tood]

Paras and Parasect are among some of my least favorite Pokemon, which is a shame since the idea of a Pokemon being taken over by a parasitic fungus sounds super cool. I feel as though more could have been done with the concept to make it a bit creepier or unnerving.

I don't like Paras's weird googly eyes, and the dot pattern on its head just grosses me out. Parasect is just kind of meh. Its eyes are glazed over, but that's really it.

 

[Enzo]

Aromatisse comes to mind. A witch doctor specializing in perfumes that’s also a fairy type? Heck yeah!
But what we got was a pink pillow that’s a Sp. Defense tank, so it isn’t fun for playthroughs that much. And its a trade evolution! The trifecta is complete.

And they also tried to mix a can can dancer on the design which is just... so weird.

It's like they tried to mix at least 2 wildly different concepts that just didn't worked together. It especially pains me because I love Spritze and it deserved so much more.

 

[Kung Fu Ferret]

Klinklang.

Don’t get me wrong, the design isn’t terrible, but they could have done so much better for a Pokémon based on gears. Hell, it could have evolved into a badass clock tower Pokémon.

Also, Coalossal should have been a steam engine locomotive, and you will not convince me otherwise.

A little late to the party but I agree with you on both of those.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

Parasect is just kind of meh. Its eyes are glazed over, but that's really it

I mean, this is supposed to symbolize that the mushroom parasite has completely taken over the host bug, and the bug is a literal zombie.

 

[Tood]

I mean, this is supposed to symbolize that the mushroom parasite has completely taken over the host bug, and the bug is a literal zombie.

Yeah, but I don't think it's creepy enough. I'd like to see more from it, tbh. Like the actual Parasect body looking a bit more hollow and damaged, with the hyphae/mycelium/whatever peeking through tiny cracks in its exoskeleton.

Maybe I'm just expecting something a bit too horrifying

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

Yeah, but I don't think it's creepy enough. I'd like to see more from it, tbh. Like the actual Parasect body looking a bit more hollow and damaged, with the hyphae/mycelium/whatever peeking through tiny cracks in its exoskeleton.

Maybe I'm just expecting something a bit too horrifying

No, no. This is a good thought, and definitely disappointing about Parasect’s design.
But I doubt they’d have gone that far in a children’s game.

 

[Arylett Charnoa]

Mudsdale.

For a Clydesdale horse Pokemon, I was hoping for something fluffy-hooved and majestic-looking, but instead, it looks ridiculous. Its hooves don't even look like they're covered in mud - they just look like absurd rubber shoes. And the color scheme is absolutely garish. The entire thing looks like a plastic toy in general, the complete opposite of what a majestic, powerful horse should be.

If they wanted to make a Ground-type Clydesdale, they should've just made the hooves sandy instead of muddy. It would've more resembled the fluff.

 

[toastghost]

rolycoly and its line. we were totally robbed of a badass train pokemon

morgrem and grimmsnarl. impidimp is one of my favorite galarian pokemon, I like how goofy it looks and how its just a prankster but something about morgrem and grimmsnarl don't really appeal to me. i think they're fine, and i think gigantamax grimmsnarl is kinda funny because it turns into a giant dark disheveled monster, but still. disappointed

lanturn. chinchou is so adorable, a perfect blend of cute and unnerving, which is perfect for an angelfish. I'm disappointed that they made it into a generic cutesy dolphin looking thing.

aromatisse. i liked spritzee, and the idea of a poison/fairy plague doctor pokemon would've been so fucking cool to see, and would probably be one of my favorite pokemon, but instead we get a weird?? thing?? I don't even really know what it is.

sneasler. i tried to like this one, i really tried. i love normal sneasel and weavile, and hisuian sneasel looked cute but sneasler just looks so awkward.

a lot of gen 9 pokemon go here too, some of the designs grown on me since i first saw them (like cetitan, meowscarada, skeledirge, greavard, etc) but still they just don't stick out to me, and if they do they do in a bad way. like capsakid.

also, all of the future paradox pokemon except like. iron treads and iron valiant. the rest look insanely boring, some of them barely changed from their normal counterparts, and there would be way more interesting ways to explore how pokemon would evolve in the future than just making them robots.

 

[Bismuth84]

also, all of the future paradox pokemon except like. iron treads and iron valiant. the rest look insanely boring, some of them barely changed from their normal counterparts, and there would be way more interesting ways to explore how pokemon would evolve in the future than just making them robots.

I have the opposite opinion: I think the future paradoxes are cooler and believe that Koraidon should have had working wheels.

As for the "way more interesting ways," I don't think there really would. IMO, going the The Future Is Wild spec-ev route would leave them too similar to the past paradoxes. Besides, robots are cool and I think there should be more Pokémon based on them.

 

[Dreary_Rowlet]

The Aromatise line, I fucking love plague doctors but what the fuck is this

Spoiler: seriously, what were you thinking Gamefreak???

Spritzee, was so damn cute and they ruined it with this abomination of wasted chick fluff.
Cute plague docs would've been so damn good but why

 

[Aozora]

Sunflora - I love sunflowers, but something about its face just looks really weird to me.

 

[Chidamari Sketch]

Gengar: Ghost/Poison is a misguided type choice that still remains by the stranglehold of this line. Outside of that, I feel like a Pokemon that is supposedly themed around shadows could've been executed in a much less nondescript manner than this grinning thing (And no I don't count that stupid Clefable shadow theory). And I pretty much hold it in the same resentful regards I feel about the likes of Lucario and Charizard in that it's a Pokemon I feel like Game Freak latches on too much just because the fanbase loves it so much and/or it being the original Ghost type. there's other Ghost types that exist, c'mon.

Spiritomb: I like the original means to encounter it and the 108 symbolism.... can't put a finger on why exactly I can't get latched onto it by looks alone.

Darkrai: I really want to like something that embodies nightmares so much. There's something about it feels oddly generic that it rubs me the wrong way; it probably also doesn't help that it's existence is a symptom of Gen 4's ridiculous focus on making all these Legendaries/Mythicals.

Lanturn: They had to ruin an anglerfish concept by giving it such a delphinic physique and a generic cutesy anime face. Chinchou has miles more personality than this thing ever would.

Carnivine: My actual grievances towards it are moreso towards how nothing gameplay-wise plays with the fact that it's supposed to be a Venus-Fly Trap. It's supposed to be a Bug-Catcher Pokemon and yet not only is it a plain Grass type but it doesn't even get a signature move or ability that makes it advantageous against Bug types. But... there's also something utterly plain, even outright incomplete about its design that I regrettably prefer the earlier Victreebel. It really should've played up, made more intimidating and/or perhaps more ghastly looking... but eh.

 

[Herbizarre]

Aggron. I love the concept of a steel-plated dinosaur-like creature that uses a dual-type combining the most defensive type in Steel and Rock.

The main problem is the fact that it's combining the Steel and Rock types, giving a lot of weaknesses, including not one, but two 4x weaknesses in Fighting and Ground. And the stats ? Aggron's defensive stats are lower than Steelix.

Still love it though, especially its Mega form, which fixes all these problems and then some.

 

[DawningWinds]

Greninja. I love a good frog, I love a good ninja, I love a good dark-type. But goddamn does Greninja's design just not sit right with me one bit. I don't like the tongue scarf for one, and just. Everything about it feel wrong. And not in a good way. In a way that ultimately ends up with it just being all and all among my least favorite Pokemon, not helped by its constant over-exposure.

Toxitricity. This thing could've been really damned cool. Poison electric is an interesting typing! Rock music in particular has so much opportunity for interesting aesthetics! ...But the proportions are all wonky it just ends up being ugly.

Quite a few paradoxes. A handful are pretty cool, but most end up being kinda meh design-wise, which is a shame because past/future forms of existing Pokemon is a really interesting idea.

 

[Viridian Beedrill]

Aromatisse. I respect the effort, but I really hope we get a take two on using plague doctor aesthetics for a Pokémon.

While I'm overall ok with Iron Jugulis, I sometimes wish they'd gone a little more crazy with the concept of "robot Hydreigon". They might have been going for a close-but-not-quite uncanny valley effect though, in which case I'd have to admit they succeeded on me. I freaked a little the first time I saw one fall asleep and turn off its entire heads.

 

[Juliyet]

Scovillain. The concept of a fire/grass pepper mon was overdue and I really like the idea of the two heads, but that weird lizard bottom doesn't quite fit with the more planty top. Maybe if it had the dragon typing it wouldn't be as too out of place? Idk, something about it just doesn't quite click

Komala. Koalas are animals I have a huge appreciation for, but I don't think they did quite enough with it. Komala is fine and harmless but I think they could've given it just a little more personality and oomph to make it stand out.