SwSh Thoughts on Galarian Ponyta?

[Mistresspaie]

it's...PSYCHIC??

I know my brain can't comprehend it. It just SCREAMS fairy!

 

[Matthew Clerkin]

That’s...not at all the logic I was using. You were talking about how Psychic being the 5th most common type should be a reason against Ponyta being given that type. My point is it doesn’t matter how many we’ve gotten in the past when gen 8 hadn’t even gotten one yet.

Plus since when does it matter what “the more obvious” (which btw is mostly subjective) type would be? I personally enjoy when a Pokémon’s design doesn’t automatically tell you its type.

Fair enough, but if Game Freak made a Pokemon like Gallade, Psychic/Ground instead of Psychic/Fighting, you wouldn't have a problem wrapping your head around it?

There are some Pokemon like Lugia, Golduck, and Florges whose typings are just really bizarre and the games give a lot of evidence that it should be different.

 

[dig]

Doesn't look one bit like a psychic type.

 

[Matthew Clerkin]

???

I mean, my comment was not meant to invoke any kind of logic if that makes you feel any better.

It seems to me that we've had so many fairy types revealed over the past few gens I've gotten a little tired of the "oh look a cute girly looking Pokemon, guess it's fairy.

While I am partial to the psychic types and the psychic types we've been getting over the past few gens have been sub-par. I probably would have been happy had it been revealed to be a flying type or grass type or something as well. Because I honestly am getting really close to being sick of fairy types.

That's fine. I get where you are coming from. Dedenee and Morelull being Fairy types seem like a stretch and we've have been getting a bunch recently. However, Galarian Ponyta is one of most fairy-like Pokemon we've got in a while so it feels like a crime to deprive it of that type just because it is overdone. It can both Fairy and Psychic type but it feels like a Fairy type first.

Personally, though I'm more annoyed at the number of Psychic types that are either Legendaries or Mythicals and that space is lumped in with the Psychic (the gen 7 cover legendaries covers both of these annoyances) . As of Gen 7 there are 20 Psychic Mythicals/legendaries and it took the same amount of time for Poison type to just get any (if you consider Ultra Beasts legendaries).

In spite of how many legendaries it does get, though, Psychic type still feels underwhelming. I'm not sure if that has to do with how uniform the type's playstyle is or just the overabundance of Psychic types that do the same thing, but I hope Ponyta does well.

 

[Gengarzilla]

According to legends, a unicorn's horn was said to have the power to cleanse contaminated water, detect poison, and heal sickness. Powdered alicorn (the substance that makes up horns) from various animals were actually advertised like such and were sold as "curatives" up until about 1841.
A Psychic type unicorn Pokémon actually makes more sense than you'd initially think when you get up and do the research, as Psychic beats Poison in Pokémon. Heck, Pastel Veil protects Alolan Ponyta and its team from poison.

 

[swiftgallade46]

Fair enough, but if Game Freak made a Pokemon like Gallade, Psychic/Ground instead of Psychic/Fighting, you wouldn't have a problem wrapping your head around it?

There are limits, sure. Like obviously Seaking is not a Bug-type and that would be ridiculous. But I don’t find it so black and white in this case. Ponyta as a Psychic-type wasn’t my first guess but it’s perfectly justifiable imo.

 

[Phosphene]

I'd like to note that no Ponyta has been shown missing their tail in the trailer and webpage, and it's not mentioned there either. Interesting...

 

[Battista]

So i’m still shook over the not-Fairy thing, but I did grow to realize that Ponyta’s typing and ability allow it to be a support to another Fairy Pokemon so they complement each other well. Kinda like how Flabebe wasn’t a grass type in Gen 6.

Which begs the question; who would you pair our new horse friend with in Doubles?

 

[Juliko]

I think Galarian Ponyta is adorable! I don't mind that its a psychic type rather than a fairy type. But who knows? Maybe it'll be part fairy when it evolves, kinda like Alola Vulpix.

 

[Phosphene]

I'm kinda disappointed that it's a Fairy type, but at the same time I think it's a rather unique design for a Psychic type. It's ability is also kinda interesting as it's basically Immunity on steroids.

 

[Gengarzilla]

Which begs the question; who would you pair our new horse friend with in Doubles?

Interesting, because there isn't this specific selection of Pokémon who could reap greater benefits than any other species from a poison immunity (not like Slaking/Regigigas with Alolan Weezing's ability, I mean). It's an overall good thing for anyone who doesn't like facing the status.

In theory, grounded Spinners and Defoggers wouldn't need to bring Misty Surge support (or plain old Misty Terrain if Fini doesn't reach Galar) or spend a Lum Berry on coming in to clear away Toxic Spikes if they had this Pokémon hanging around.

 

[PinkIceFox]

SON OF A B-WITCH. ITS ONLY IN SHIELD?!

To hell with it. I'm getting Shield. My destiny was the colder color coded version. Apparently the curse is broken. I AM FREE!!!

 

[Matthew Clerkin]

Interesting, because there isn't this specific selection of Pokémon who could reap greater benefits than any other species from a poison immunity (not like Slaking/Regigigas with Alolan Weezing's ability, I mean). It's an overall good thing for anyone who doesn't like facing the status.

In theory, grounded Spinners and Defoggers wouldn't need to bring Misty Surge support (or plain old Misty Terrain if Fini doesn't reach Galar) or spend a Lum Berry on coming in to clear away Toxic Spikes if they had this Pokémon hanging around.

Yeah. It seems like a really general support ability. Unless a Pokemon that has an ability that requires it to be not poisoned is added, I don't think see specific pairings being made

 

[Myth]

Pokémon types have always worked more as elements whose monsters have less or more affinity for than as elements from which monsters are strictly representative of, imo. With the most obvious examples being the dragon type doesn't being made only of dragons, and the ghost type doesn't being made only of literal ghosts. So I think that Pokémon of various kinds and appearances (such as Alolan Exeggutor and Decidueye) will have high affinity with those types, and thus be classified as such. And that similarly, a Pokémon will often look similar to others Pokémon that belongs to that specific type, but yet will not have enough affinity with the element to be classified as one (such as Golduck being just water type, Florges being just fairy type, etc). At least that's how I see it. So, just because it's a unicorn, and has a fairy-type-pokémon-like appearance (taking into consideration others Fairy types), would not mean that its affinity with the element is enough to be classified as.

Of course, in other words, that just means Game Freak having more flexibility in choosing types (even if by extra-design/lore reasons, such as competitive reasons, or representative reasons), but I really believe that's how they see them as well, just as elements to which monsters have affinity with. But again, this is just my opinion on it.

But in the case of Galarian Ponyta, I think it may have to do with Galarian Rapidash specifically, as @PocketMonster and @SpinyShell speculated about in another thread. We already know that Galarian Rapidash will probably be an alicorn because of the final live footage. And in fact, many Galarian Rapidash fanarts feature stars in their mane. And one of the ones I saw even features a mane with a "cosmic pattern" (not sure how to call that in english).

tl dr I think Galarian Rapidash's design and lore may end up further explaining Ponyta's psychic type.

 

[TechSkylander1518]

Honestly, count me in with those annoyed that it's not Fairy. In addition to the whole glimmering lights and fairy tales stuff, the lore behind it states that the change came as a result of being exposed to the life energy of the forests in Galar, and that's definitely the Fairy-type's shtick. (Xerneas, Flabebe line, the Tapus, Comfey...)

I love the lore behind its ability, but that's not enough to justify a Psychic typing IMO. Beating Poison is only one trait of Psychic-types, and it's not even unique to them. Why not make it a Ground-type instead? Or Steel, since they're immune to Poison moves? (Plus, the whole "protecting allies from status afflictions" is also more associated with Fairy-Sweet Veil and Aroma Veil, anyone?)

Beyond that, though, I think it's great! Love the colors, and I think it was a great change for a regional form!

 

[Silverwynde]

Not a giant fan, myself braces for impact

I just don't really like unicorns all that much, I hate how cutesy-rainbowy they are in media.

Having said that, if Rapidash IS some kind of Pegasus, I'll definitely have to reevaluate.

The Arabian unicorn--the Karkadann--was known to be vicious and it wasn't pretty. The only thing that kept it calm was the cooing of the ring dove, which it would let perch on its horn. So yeah, there are vicious unicorns out there.

Personal thoughts: I. Love. It! Finally, GF went full uni! I have been wanting an actual unicorn for about as long as I've wanted a robot. Gen V gave me Golurk, now Galar has given me a unicorn!

 

[prog rocker]

The Arabian unicorn--the Karkadann--was known to be vicious and it wasn't pretty. The only thing that kept it calm was the cooing of the ring dove, which it would let perch on its horn. So yeah, there are vicious unicorns out there.

Personal thoughts: I. Love. It! Finally, GF went full uni! I have been wanting an actual unicorn for about as long as I've wanted a robot. Gen V gave me Golurk, now Galar has given me a unicorn!

But what about Rapidash? That's also an unicorn.

 

[Phosphene]

The Arabian unicorn--the Karkadann--was known to be vicious and it wasn't pretty. The only thing that kept it calm was the cooing of the ring dove, which it would let perch on its horn. So yeah, there are vicious unicorns out there.

I saw a comment talking about how we might see more fitting version exclusives for Sirfetch'd and Galarian Ponyta that reside in the areas they're found in. I think a pure Dark type based on the Karkadann would be super cool.

 

[Silverwynde]

But what about Rapidash? That's also an unicorn.

Oddly enough, I liked it but it never wowed me. I'm guessing that the alicorn looked just off enough to where it never quite said unicorn. I mean, it was hinted but not quite there.

Now, Galarian Rapidash better have some wings and a rainbow mane so I can name it Whisper...

 

[Gengarzilla]

If we're talking about version exclusive counterparts for Ponyta and Rapidash, well, the Houndour family hasn't been confirmed by Game Freak yet. Perhaps they could get Galarian forms and be the Sword exclusives? I'm for sure not sold on the assumption of Sirfetch'd being the other half of the pair, it frankly doesn't fit.

I mean, Houndoom's Mega Evolution is a moot point if the mechanic's being scrapped. The whole "Mega Evolvers don't get regional forms" thing from last gen isn't really valid now.