With Pokémon Sword & Shield recently releasing on the Nintendo Switch in 2019, some fans were less than impressed with the latest entry in the Pokémon franchise. Despite what fans may think of the Galar region, few Pokémon games will ever reach the level of disappointment that Pokémon X & Y did when they introduced the Kalos region in 2013.
The Kalos region may have felt subpar, but it was home to some adorable critters fans fell in love with. Let's now rank the 10 most adorable Pokémon introduced in Pokémon X & Y.
10 Froakie
The 6th generation of games falls victim to the pattern where the ugliest base starter has the best final form, and the cutest base starter has the worst final form. Froakie, the base form of the beloved Greninja, isn't ugly and is quite cute in its own right.
Compared to both Chespin and Fennekin though, it falls short due to the usual design issues water-type starters have. For some reason, GameFreak likes to add unnecessary balls and accessories to water starters and in Froakie's case, the two white balls on its nose hurt its overall design which is quite cute.
9 Swirlix
Swirlix is a Pokémon that has a diet that only consists of sweets, but when you realize there are other Pokémon like Alcremie that are sentient sweets, Swirlix becomes a bit darker.
On the surface, the design of this floating ball of cotton candy is pretty alluring thanks to both its coloring and facial design. Its tail and hanging tongue help it resemble a canine or feline, and just like those animals, Swirlix becomes terrifying when you see the inside of its mouth. Why does a Pokémon that only its sweets need sharp teeth that make it frightening?
8 Pancham
Pancham may not be the ideal candidate when looking for the cutest creature in the Kalos region, but it does have a case. This tiny Panda-inspired Pokémon is pretty mischievous and inexperience trainers should maybe hold off on pursuing one.
The reason they're often seen trying to look tough and unapproachable is that they look up to Pangoro, their final form. They few them as leaders and want to imitate Pangoro as much as possible. Don't let this full you as Pancham in the wild can often be seen smiling and messing around with one another.
7 Phantump
Phantump owes a lot to Casper the Friendly Ghost when it comes to creating a friendly-looking and approachable child-like ghost. Its large eyes and tiny limbs and body make it less intimidating and even though it's a ghost-type Pokémon people are rarely scared by Phantump unless they appear unexpectedly.
According to Pokémon lore, they are the result of spirits that possess tree stumps and more specifically are the spirits of lost children who perished as a result of getting lost in a forest. It's pretty dark but explains why Phantump tend to be so energetic and youthful.
6 Chespin
Grass-type starters in the Pokémon franchise have been fighting an uphill battle since the first generation of games, and Chespin is no different. This little rodent is super adorable and any kids who grew up watching Chip N' Dale: Rescue Rangers got serious nostalgic vibes the moment Chespin was revealed.
Unlike Bulbasaur, this is a grass-type starter whose final evolution is pretty neat looking which in turn makes Chespin a lot more desirable. The quills on its head are soft and ideal for petting and cuddling and only become hard and dangerous when it feels threatened.
5 Flabébé
Flabébé is one of the smallest Pokémon in existence and like most tiny things it only makes it cuter. When it is young it will seek out a flower and once it has found one it like it will bond with it for life.
It draws most of its power from the flowers it attaches itself to and the lifelong bond it makes with one is the reason the pair is considered one entity. The crown on its head which may seem like an accessory meant to make the creature even more adorable is actually made of flower pollen produced by its paired flower and is said to have hidden and secret healing properties.
4 Fletchling
Birds in the world of Pokémon are weird because they often try and follow the trajectory of ending up with an intimidating final form. Very rarely though are their base forms cute as they often just come across as average, normal, and/or forgettable.
Fletchling, the base form of Talonflame, is quite cute and this tiny bird whose design is meant to mimic a robin, won the hearts of trainers in the Kalos region. It's unique coloring, tiny legs, and beak, and its eyes make it a little cute creature humans want to cherish and protect. Those trainers are then rewarding with an awesome fire and flying-type bird named Talonflame.
3 Helioptile
Helioptile is an electric-type Pokémon whose meant to represent the types of lizards who live in the desert and bask in the warmth of the sun. This little thing has large floppy ears which make it read more like a puppy than a baby reptile.
It has large puppy dog blue eyes which contrast pretty well against the yellow and black scales that cover its body. Its evolved form, Heliolisk, loses a lot of what makes Helioptile feel special and desirable, but thankfully it evolves by exposing it to a sun stone, so it can be easily avoided by trainers who just want to keep their Helioptile small and adorable
2 Fennekin
It was previously mentioned in the Froakie entry, but the Kalos region is home to starter Pokémon who have base forms that are completely opposite in terms of desirability than their final forms. Froakie isn't super cute, but it eventually becomes Greninja, one of the series' best designs.
Fennekin, on the other hand, is super adorable and easily the cutest starter Pokémon of the bunch, but its final form named Delphox is an awkward design that just doesn't feel right and becomes worse the longer you look at it. Do yourself a favor and give your Fennekin an everstone, so it remains an adorable baby fox.
1 Sylveon
Sylveon at first may feel like just another Eevee evolution, but it being the fairy-type evolution lets it hold a candle to its base form which is one of the cutest designs in the entire franchise. The ribbon-like ears and pastel color palette of its design make it such a lovely Pokémon design to look at.
Most people are unsure as to whether Eevee is inspired by dogs or cats as it sits in that weird ambiguous middle ground. Sylveon, on the other hand, easily reads as a feline and struts around like it knows how cute it is. Be prepared to see this Pokémon marketed as much as possible, for as long as the franchise exists.