While there are tons of very recognizable starters in the Pokémon franchise, there's always one Pokémon that's stood in the background, watching and waiting for its time in the limelight.

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That Pokémon is Poliwag, who tons of fans no doubt recognize from either running into the creature pretty much non-stop throughout the Pokémon series from generation to generation or in the merchandise. Either way, there's always been a serious case for why Poliwag should have been the big water-type, rather than Squirtle.

10 Squirtle: It's Iconic

squirtle prancing

While the obvious mascot of the entire Pokémon franchise is Pikachu and none else, there are a good few contenders for that spot, and a lot of people would argue that those are the starters out of Gen I, in addition to a few of the more popular Gen I Pokémon. While Squirtle might not be as immediately recognizable as someone like Pikachu or maybe Charmander, it's still one of the most popular Pokémon there is, especially when it comes to merch.

9 Poliwag: It Was Supposed To Be The Original Mascot

Poliwag jumping

Satoshi Tajiri, one of the biggest minds that's responsible for Pokémon as an entire franchise, is a huge Poliwag fan, far more so than pretty much anyone knows. The creator is such a big fan of the creature that he campaigned for the replacement of Pikachu as the mascot of the entire series. While this obviously hasn't happened quite yet, it probably isn't in the cards for the franchise. Poliwag fans can dream though.

8 Squirtle: Every Evolution Is Great

Squirtle evolutionary line

A lot of Pokémon have really decent evolutionary lines, but that doesn't mean that there aren't a few that stand out far beyond a lot of the creatures in the series. Squirtle is among the few with almost perfect evolutionary lines.

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While a lot of the original evolutionary lines are perfect, there are a few later ones that also really hit the mark, like the branching evolutionary line of Eevee.

7 Poliwag: Just Look At That Face

poliwag waterfall

Poliwag is perhaps one of the cutest Pokémon of the first generation, even though it doesn't necessarily match up with some of the babies in the series. While Squirtle is no doubt among some of the cuter Pokémon in the First Gen, it doesn't quite stack up to Poliwag, who is quite literally an actual baby. Squirtle is nearly perfect, but there's a hint that it could become the behemoth who is Blastoise.

6 Squirtle: It's A Good Addition To Smash

squirtle smash bros

There have been a fair few Pokémon in the Smash franchise, starting with characters like Mew and Mewtwo, Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Lucario. When the character Pokémon Trainer character was introduced in the Wii entry of the Super Smash Brothers series called Brawl, Squirtle was one of the few Pokémon they were able to use, including Charizard and Ivysaur as well, for good measure.

5 Poliwag: Better Abilities

poliwag attacks

Poliwag, in general, is a more powerful Pokémon, while we're not looking at their native move-pool or their abilities to learn certain TMs.

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While they do have some seriously imposing moves included in the move-pool, a lot of those aren't actually different from the moves Squirtle has available. The thing is though, that Poliwag's abilities allow him to heal from any water move impact.

4 Squirtle: It's Much More Fashionable

Squirtle sunglasses

While Squirtle might come across as a naive baby Pokémon, nothing could be further from the truth, as is evidenced by the fact that this "Tiny Turtle Pokémon" is more than capable of learning how to accessories. This couldn't be more apparent than when it appeared in some seriously stunning sunglasses with a surfboard, giving us some seriously cool vibes. This incarnation of Squirtle has since been immortalized in a plush doll, which is equal parts snuggly and wicked sick.

3 Poliwag: Better XP Yield

Poliwrath

While it might not be a concern for a lot of Pokémon fans who aren't so concerned with much beyond the aesthetics of a Pokémon, there are some serious differences between Squirtle and Poliwag.

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One of the biggest of these differences is that while Squirtle might have a better move-pool, Poliwag is able to accrue more XP in a more reasonable time, meaning that he might be the better long-term option.

2 Squirtle: It's Always Been Around In The Anime

Squirtle anime gary

While Poliwag might just have shown up here and there in the anime, the other Pokémon under consideration in this article has actually shown up in too many instances in the anime to detail here. The protagonist of Pokémon Indigo League, Ash Ketchum, did have a Squirtle for a while, which honestly seemed to overshadow Pikachu for a while. That being said, most fans probably wouldn't have minded if it was a little sphere of cute named Poliwag either.

1 Poliwag: It Has Some Seriously Powerful TCG Moves

Poliwag TCG

While Pikachu might make up some of the content of the more rare and expensive TCG cards, there's something to be said for the cards that are available for water fans, whether they're looking for Squirtle cards or Poliwag cards. Regardless of what's being sought, both of these Pokémon have some seriously powerful cards in the TCG. That being said, in the TCG, Poliwag is able to use the attack "Rollout", which not only does some serious damage, but does more and more damage over the course of successive turns.

NEXT: Pokémon: The 5 Ugliest Water-Type Pokémon (& The 5 Cutest)