The Pokémon universe has a vibrant mythos, one that details the creation of the world and all the Pokémon that have lived in it since the dawn of time. Most interesting are the first Pokémon to exist after the formation of the gods, called Ancient Pokémon or Prehistoric Pokémon.
These ancient beings were the first to wander the planet and existed before even man. Unlike fossil Pokémon, they’re also still alive to this day. Which of these old-timers are the best to have by your side in a battle? Let's take a look.
10 Relicanth
Relicanth is an odd Pokémon. It’s a Water and Rock dual type, which make it weak to many, many types and resistant to very few. According to lore, this Pokémon was thought to have been extinct until deep underwater explorations revealed it was still alive and living on the ocean floor.
Other than that, there’s not much to it. It’s a rock fish that lives on the ocean floor, has very few interesting attacks, no evolution tree and is darn tough to use. In spite of that, it's surprisingly powerful.
9 Carbink
Carbink is a Rock- and Fairy-type Pokémon that looks like a bunch of crystals embedded in a chunk of rock, with a head glued on top with shaving cream. The lore says it was found deep in the earth during mining operations. In terms of gameplay, it doesn’t possess a whole lot of attacks and isn’t considered very strong in any of the games, but is a handy staller and supporter.
It’s a weird looking Pokémon, one that doesn’t meet the criteria of being a cute fairy or a beefy rock type. The only reason it ranks higher than Relicanth is that it’s crystals would probably fetch a good price on the black market.
8 Regice
A member of the Regi trio, Regice was formed by the Pokémon gods to be the embodiment of the element of ice. Given that it’s a Legendary Pokémon, it's quite useful in battle with its incredible Special Defense. It was crafted out of ice from the ice age and is incapable of melting.
It ranks low on this list because of how goofy-looking the Pokémon is. It appears to be a great hunk of ice, with other crystals of ice forming limbs, digits, and feet. It seems the gods were still practicing their art when they created this Pokémon.
7 Regirock
Yet another member of the Regi trio, this Pokémon was built to represent the element of rock. Like its fellows, it’s also a powerful legendary and a handy Pokémon to use in the games (especially with its new Sturdy ability). Its lore says it’s made entirely of rock with no brain or heart. If injured it battle, it can supposedly grab a bunch of nearby rocks to attach to itself and repair the injury.
It’s not the worst looking Pokémon on the list, resembling a type of rock golem, but it’s not very creative or original so it doesn’t rank higher.
6 Regigigas
This Pokémon is basically the Maui of the Pokémon mythos. It was responsible for moving the continents with rope, and was crafted by the gods to create the Regi trio out of rock, ice, and magma.
It’s a quirky-looking Pokémon, with a white body embedded with black lines and yellow plates on its wrists, shoulders and the center of its body. There’s also some green stuff growing on it (thought to be moss) and its eyes are gemstones representing Regice, Registeel, and Regirock. It’s an important Pokémon to the mythos and would rank higher if it didn’t look so strange.
5 Registeel
Out of all the Regi, this one is easily the coolest to look at. It sort of resembles the type of cyborg you might find in the Fallout universe, with its long arms, round body sitting on short stubby legs, and the seven red dots serving as eyes.
The lore in Pokémon Alpha Sapphire is unique for stating that this Pokémon was held captive by ancient peoples, and its metal is thought to be of extraterrestrial origins. It’s unclear why this Pokémon was held captive, other than the fact that it serves as a powerful defensive member of any Pokémon team. Its appearance and strength in battle makes it an easy member of the top five.
4 Cloyster
This Pokémon is probably a little more recognizable for Pokémon fans, a member of the beloved first generation. Cloyster is a creepy looking black pearl inside two tough shells, ia dual type Water and Ice Pokémon boasting powerful attacks like Hydro Pump and Ice Beam. The lore says that ancient tribes used to use the spikes that fell off the shells to craft their spears.
It ranks high on this list for being a useful Pokémon in battle throughout the games and for its intimidating appearance.
3 Heatran
Heatran takes the number three spot for its intimidating appearance and cool properties. It’s a Fire- and Steel-type Pokémon, the only one of its kind. This dual nature serves it well, giving it some of the best resistances of any Pokémon (and making it a powerful fighter against Fairy types). In the mythos, this Pokémon’s creation was an accident; happening by chance as a result of magma forming on the earth’s surface after the mountains are formed.
In the games, it’s a beastly Pokémon to face and its signature move Magma Storm is ridiculously powerful. It’s an Ancient Pokémon that looks, acts, and plays like a powerful Legendary should.
2 Genesect
This may seem like an odd inclusion on a list of Ancients, given its cybernetic exoskeleton and the laser cannon strapped to its back. Interestingly, this is an Ancient insect Pokémon that received modern upgrades thanks to Team Plasma.
This dual Bug- and Steel-type Pokémon likely would have been a singular bug type in its original form, and was considered a fierce hunter according to the game’s lore. Some of the games claim it was originally a fossil that team Plasma brought back, while others claim it’s an Ancient Pokémon that has been around the entire time and never went extinct. In any case, it’s a fierce Pokémon, feared millions of years ago for its hunting abilities and feared today for its technological upgrades.
1 Mew
Ah, yes, one of the most iconic Pokémon of all time and the most sought after of the Generation I games. Mew is a powerful Psychic Pokémon, capable of learning a staggering variety of moves of all types. This makes it an unpredictable opponent in combat and adaptable for all kinds of strategies in the right hands.
Many of the games suggest that, after the gods finished their work, this Pokémon was the forerunner for all other Pokémon. If true, this makes Mew the most important Ancient Pokémon in existence, as all other Pokémon life evolved from it. The gods created the world, but Mew was the blank slate that led to the existence of the hundreds of different species of Pokémon that exist today.