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Pokemon you used to dislike, but have grown fond of over time.

Most normal types. I used to think Normal was the worst type due to not having any advantages yet still had a weakness.

Roserade. It helps that Toxic has 100 accuracy if used by poison types.

Ludicolo. Decent combination and abilities and nice movepool.

Skarmory. Nice defense typing and stats.

Sableye. The Mega Evolution and the accompanying ability.

Defensive Pokemon. I used to be all offense, but learned defense could be useful in its own way.
 
Gligar back in the early days. It was just so... meh, with a rather unimpressive movepool, stats, and design. Gen 2, its debut gen, was particularly unkind to it, since it couldn't even learn its best STAB move: Earthquake via TM, only through a special one in Stadium 2, if I'm remembering correctly. Even the Johto episodes it was in, which were far and few between, did little to impress me. Once Glicsor came into the picture, however, that changed quickly. Also, Gen 4 was much kinder to Gligar than earlier gens, which made me appreciate it even more. That and Ash's Gligar/Gliscor in the DP anime was just too adorable, even after taking a level of badass. And once it got Poison Heal in Gen 5, that pretty much solidified it as one of my favorite Mons (Toxic has always been the bane of battles for me, especially wifi ones, due to it being so wide-spread, so getting Poison Heal was a godsend). I hope the Crown Tundra DLC brings it back, as I haven't used a Gligar/Gliscor since my last Platinum run, and I really want to use one again with the updated moves and such. Plus, I want to play with it in Camp.
 
Giratina. For some reason, after learning on Giratina's Bulbapedia page that it possesses a gentle side in the anime, I could see a main character befriending it somehow. Also, I've heard that its signature move
Shadow Force
can hit its foes, even if they used Protect.
 
Giratina. For some reason, after learning on Giratina's Bulbapedia page that it possesses a gentle side in the anime, I could see a main character befriending it somehow. Also, I've heard that its signature move
Shadow Force
can hit its foes, even if they used Protect.
I'm starting to like it even more, specially since it also bypasses the negative effects of moves like Baneful Bunker.
 
The Chespin line. I used to really dislike the whole line, but I decided to be different and pick Chespin on my last X playthrough and somehow fell in love with it, both the design and in battle. Still not a fan of the middle evolution but I love Chespin and Chesnaught.

Also the Zubat line. My gosh I used to hate the things. Again, used one on my team for the first time in X and ended up liking it.
 
Snubbull. As a kid I thought it was pretty ugly. Then it got the fairy typing and older me was like "WHY THO??"

Then my mom got me a Snubbull plush from the detective pikachu movie for Christmas last year. Turns out Snubbull might be my favorite pokemon. I named the plush Bitsy. Snubbull is adorable and I will fight anyone who disagrees.
 
As of recent, Empoleon. I never liked the line back in its debut gen, as I largely preferred Infernape and Torterra, and Dawn's Piplup got on my nerves very easily. However, over time, I slowly started to like the line (though I still dislike Piplup). I don't love it, but I've gained respect for it. Over time I realized that it, along with its fellow Starter Torterra, were poorly designed for Sinnoh, but other regions and gens were nicer to them. I unwittingly used one in both a HeartGold run (before the game glitched) and a Kalos run, as I had leftover eggs from past experiments that I mixed up with other eggs, both times it actually pulled its weight more easily than it ever did in Sinnoh. Plus, to this day, it's still the only Water/Steel Mon (Dhelmise could've very easily been one as well, given what it is, but they went the Grass/Ghost route instead), so it does have a unique typing.

Plus, after reading the Sinnoh saga of the Adventures manga (which as become my favorite segment of Adventures), Platinum's Empoleon allowed me to see it in a more positive light, as it actually proved what it could do in the right hands (that and I loved the Sinnoh trio's different personalities and such, along with their true companion bond, and the comedy skits, while corny, are worth a chuckle). While I still prefer Infernape and Torterra, Empoleon has managed to swim its way up into more favorable standings with me. As a result, if/when the Sinnoh remakes come around, I might actually have a tougher time selecting my Starter, given the fact that they all got very useful tools over the generations, making them pretty well equal in terms of what each brings to the table. So, yeah, while I still don't like Piplup, Empoleon has earned my respect as time went on.
 
I feel weird hearing people having trouble with Empoleon. I'm kinda tempted to hack the games to remove HMs (or use Walk Through Walls) just to see how it does while playing how I feel it was intended.
 
I feel weird hearing people having trouble with Empoleon. I'm kinda tempted to hack the games to remove HMs (or use Walk Through Walls) just to see how it does while playing how I feel it was intended.

The thing that I've come to notice about Empoleon is that when played as intended (for example, competitively) it actually does well. It's things like HMs and other such hindering factors that cripple it. As a Water-type, it naturally has access to the various Water HMs (Surf, Waterfall, Whirlpool and Dive, though the latter two only show up in select situations), along with several other HMs, which often force it into a rather mundane role instead of playing its strengths. This is particularly bad in HM-heavy games like Sinnoh, which, evidently, is the region it debuted it. When it's used differently, like purely in a competitive way, then it actually excels. It was OU in its debut alongside Infernape, as it had some mean sets that it could very easily use to great effect.

While, fortunately, HMs slowly went the wayside until they pretty much ceased to exist in Gen 7, another factor of Empoleon's struggles were that Sinnoh had a fair amount of counters to it and very few situations where it could actually show its effectiveness. As I've come to observe, it was a half-step forward from Torterra within its own region, as both struggled in nearly the same areas. Outside of Sinnoh, however, it can show more of its talent, as when I used one in Kalos it really carried its weight extremely well. Plus, later gens gave it new tools and roles that allowed it to become a more solid Mon such as Scald and the buffed Defog. It's just the HM-heavy nature of Sinnoh and the lack of reliable roles it could play in-game that held it back really badly during its debut (again, outside of competitive battles). Hopefully, since HMs are gone, if/when Sinnoh remakes come out, it will get a better chance to show its strengths more. Time will tell.
 
The thing that I've come to notice about Empoleon is that when played as intended (for example, competitively)
I meant playing the games as intended, not Empoleon itself. In other words, with actual freedom of choice of moves and teams. This is why I said I would try playing with Walk Through Walls since that's the only way I can think I can bypass HMs.
 
I meant playing the games as intended, not Empoleon itself. In other words, with actual freedom of choice of moves and teams. This is why I said I would try playing with Walk Through Walls since that's the only way I can think I can bypass HMs.

Oh, sorry. I thought you meant Empoleon itself. Never mind then.
 
I'm outspoken about my list of ugly Pokémon lol—and my belief that every other species is cute in some way. However, there has been one species so far that I've actually taken off of that list: Binacle. I dunno. I thought it was ugly for a few years, but I eventually managed to find cuteness in its facial expressions lol. Now I don't mind it.

I can't say the same about Barbaracle, though lol. Thing is kinda gross.
 
Another interesting one has come to light for me recently: Weezing. Granted, I never disliked Weezing, not at all, especially since my favorite member of the TRio: James used one, I was just neutral toward it. However, thanks to certain recent playthroughs where I've picked up a Weezing I've really come to see its strengths. Before, during the earlier gens, it was in Muk's shadow but once it got Levitate and a few new toys like Will-O-Wisp it became much more viable, even becoming the face of UU for Gens 3 and 4. It also got a funny yet interesting regional variant in Gen 8 with an interesting typing, as well as a new ability that could end up being a game-changer for Mons like Regigigas (as for its design, while I know what it is, it does suffer from a bit of an unfortunate design choice, as it also looks like a pair of bongs). If played right, Weezing could be a major bane to any opponent, especially since its regional form has the coveted Fairy-type. But, yeah, I've come to appreciate Weezing more due to its unique traits and talents.
 
I wouldn't say I outright disliked it or anything, but Mr. Mime was one I was more meh on for the longest time. then I started seeing more of him in the anime and wow he is adorable and silly. definitely more fond of it now than before!!
 
I wouldn't necessarily say I'm fond of it, but I don't dislike Conkeldurr anymore. My reasoning behind that was quite petty and unfair in retrospect; I liked Machamp a whole lot at the time of Gen V's release (thank the first PMD games) and it somehow really bothered me that this creature was intended to be Machamp's superior expy.
Nowadays I have mellowed out on the whole thing and Conkeldurr is one of the many, many Pokémon I hold no particularly strong feelings for. It just exists.
 
I wouldn't necessarily say I'm fond of it, but I don't dislike Conkeldurr anymore. My reasoning behind that was quite petty and unfair in retrospect; I liked Machamp a whole lot at the time of Gen V's release (thank the first PMD games) and it somehow really bothered me that this creature was intended to be Machamp's superior expy.
Nowadays I have mellowed out on the whole thing and Conkeldurr is one of the many, many Pokémon I hold no particularly strong feelings for. It just exists.
I disliked Conkeldurr's design until I realized I could nickname them "Protoclown". Now I'm a lot more fond of the line.
I am still a bit annoyed that it feels like a min-maxed Machamp in a lot of ways, but Machamp does have the No Guard niche going for it.
 
Please note: The thread is from 3 years ago.
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