Shack Chat: What's your favorite Pokemon?

It's time for Shack Chat once again! It's our weekly feature where each Friday we rap with the hooligans of the Shacknews staff to get their opinion on a particular topic, then open the floor to our Chatty community to share their thoughts on the subject at hand. It’s a great way for us to get to know one another better while inspiring healthy debates with all of you passionate gamers out there.

This week, your intrepid editors had quite the conundrum facing them: choosing their favorite Pokemon. It's certainly not an easy task, especially considering there are hundreds now, and some of our staff members haven't actually ever played the games before. Still, we managed to get just about everyone involved so we could bring you a fun discussion about our favorites, different as though they may be. Please join us in mourning the staff members who "don't care about" or "haven't played" Pokemon, as their lives must truly be bereft of sunshine and goodness – they probably just think they're too cool. 

Question: What's your favorite Pokemon?

Jigglypuff - Asif Khan, Nephew thinks he works at Nintendo

I think the name is funny and I always laugh when I hear the Smash announcer say “Jigglypuff!” The Jigglypuff song is also great.

Bill Lavoy, Snow Removal Expert

The moment I read this week’s question I felt like a kid sitting in the principal’s office waiting to be berated. My crime: not having a clue about anything Pokemon beyond having heard names like Pikachu and Eevee, and only because there is a game coming out that has those names in the title. Maybe if there were Pokemon in Fallout 76 or Red Dead Redemption 2 I’d have a better shot at providing an answer with substance.

Psyduck - Blake Morse, Reviews Editor

I was about a year or two too old for Pokemon when it hit the US shores as a Saturday morning cartoon [Ed. note: You're never "too old" for Pokemon, this argument is moot], so the fad has eluded me all these years. It’s probably for the best though as I’ve already got an unhealthy habit of collecting toys and pop culture junk. But yes, in general, I could not care two bits about pocket monsters.

If I had to pick one gun to my head though it would definitely Psyduck. I just relate to the dude: he’s got a headache and just wants everyone around him to STFU. He also has a look on his face like someone just asked him the world’s dumbest question and he can’t comprehend the vast idiocy of it. This also leads me to believe that Psyduck has definitely worked retail before.

Kevin S. Tucker, Heard You Liked Mudkips

Missingno. is my guy. He’s mysterious, maybe a little sketchy, and he’s probably (definitely) not supposed to be there. Otherwise, I like the one with the goofy face and the name that makes vague reference to its elemental affinity. You know the one I'm talking about. 

Meowth - Brittany Vincent, Senior Editor

Ever since I got into Pokémon back when Red and Blue were about to release, I've been all about Meowth. That was the reason I decided to get Blue first, after all, because Meowth was available in it. I love that little cat, from his wise-cracking anime form to the "regular" Meowths spread throughout the Game Boy versions and card games.

I bought every scrap of Meowth merchandise possible, from a huge plush doll to a bouncy ball and even the talking figurines imported from Japan before the series really took off. I've always loved cats, and Meowth fit the bill for me in every single way. Persian just isn't the cutie this little guy is. Kids WB even let him sing a whole Christmas carol about himself, after all. They knew how important he was.

Lapras - Ozzie Mejia, Senior Editor

Look at this majestic watery steed! Lapras was my jam back in the Red/Blue days, mostly because he was built like a tank. He could withstand a lot of punishment before bopping everyone with Ice Beam and Blizzard. On top of being one of the first Ice-types I really got into, his design jumped out at me. He's the Loch Ness Monster if he was designed by Sesame Street. How can anyone not love this thing?

He's gotten a lot more rare in later games, which has only made his appeal greater. I've only found one in the wild in Pokemon GO and I'll definitely seek him out in Let's Go Pikachu and/or Eevee whenever I pick that game up.

Charmander - Charles Singletary, Retired Pokemon Trainer

My favorite has always been Charmander. He’s absolutely adorable and the episode of the anime where his fire nearly went out was a legitimate tear-jerker for me. Charmander, Char!

Spoink - Chris Jarrard, Not At All Comfortable With This Assignment

I don’t really know anything about Pokemon. I’ve never played any of the game and I am totally unfamiliar with the franchise. I know less about these creatures that I do about how to please a woman. When I was given this assignment, I had no idea where to start, so I looked at a collection of Pokemon pictures until I found one of these losers that I could identify with. I settled on Spoink because this is the Pokemon that looks the most like me.

I found from a quick Google search that Spoink is a pig/spring hybrid that must always bounce or it will die, as its heart can only pump blood through its Poke-body if the spring is being continually compressed and released. Spoink probably spends its existence just wishing it could lay down and die. I totally feel you there, Spoink.

Ivysaur - Greg Burke, The Video Jerk

Charizard this, Pikachu that, is what you’d hear all the time in my school yard. However one of my favorite Pokemon, or POKE-KEE-MAN, as my mom use  to called them. Is Ivysaur. Still cute, but deadly, I always stop him from evolving into Venusaur in the games. Most of my friends called me crazy for doing so. I just liked that stage better than Venusaur, who seem to look kind of derpy looking. I’m lucky enough to be able to play him in 3D (That’s right 3D Real time battles Donovan) In Super Smash Bros Brawl, and I’ll get to again in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo Switch. Ivysaur! Use Razor Leaf!

Snorlax - Sam Chandler, Guides Editor

While most kids were enamored with the Pokemon cartoon or collecting the trading cards, my favorite Pokemon moments were found in the Pokemon Snap - the on-rails title from the Nintendo 64 era that received above lukewarm reception. It’s in this game that I found a Pokemon that truly spoke to me, especially now that I’m an adult: Snorlax.

This sleepy monster didn’t care that I was taking photos. It didn’t want to pose from me or pay me any attention. It just wanted to nap. This speaks to me on a spiritual level. The way to get Snorlax to wake up so you could take a photo of it was to play the flute. He would do an adorable little dance and then get back to what it does best: sleep.

Magikarp - David Craddock, Long Reads Editor

Kirby. No, wait. I always confuse him with Jigglypuff.

Magikarp. Yes, really. Have you seen it in the cartoon? It’s hilarious, and an accurate simulation of how I would handle myself in a real fight.

Don’t mess with the ‘karp’s evolved form, though.

Zoroark - Donovan Erskine, The Very Best, Like No One Ever Was

Zoroark! My favorite Pokémon is on a never ending constant rotation. As of lately, I’ve been quite enamored by the illusion fox Pokémon from Unova. Zoroark was easily one of the coolest things to come out of (the often misunderstood) generation 5.

Zoroark’s design is sleek, yet simple. No overt use of colors or other flashy design choices to make this fox pokemon stand out. It’s list of learnable moves features moves like U-Turn, Night Slash, and Foul Play. While they may not be the most powerful moves in the game, they have unique mechanics and are just really fun to use in game. Zoroark also falls in the exclusive club of non fire-type Pokémon that can learn Flamethrower! How dope is that?! Over all else, my favorite aspect about Zoroark is the unique ability that’s 100% exclusive to its evolution line - Illusion. With illusion, Zoroark will always be disguised as the last pokemon in your party when first sent into battle. For me, this gimmick never wears off. When used strategically, it helps to throw your opponent off their game and get an early leg up during battles.

Zoroark represent everything great about dark-types, and there's a reason it’s one of the few non-legendary Pokémon to get its own movie!

Disagree with our picks? Think we're a bunch of Bug Catcher trainers who try to battle you with five damn Metapods at once? Or does our list make you want to use Harden? Let us know in the Chatty below.

Shack Staff

Shack Staff stories are a collective effort with multiple staff members contributing. Many of our lists often involve entires from several editors, and our weekly Shack Chat is something we all contribute to as a group.