Pokemon come in all shapes and sizes with a number of them existing just so they can evolve into something much more powerful and/or useful. When people discuss Pokemon evolution and potential they'll often point to Magikarp.
Magikarp is a Kanto region Water-type that can only really splash in battle, but if nurtured evolves into a giant leviathan that can destroy anything in its path. It's pretty inspiring, but are there other creatures as weak and useless in Pokemon as Magikarp? Let's look at 10 others that are, through Pokemon Sword & Shield.
Updated May 4, 2022 by Jerrad Wyche: Despite it being well over 20 years since the Pokemon series debuted in earnest, the general fan base still considers Magikarp to be the weakest creature in the series. There is definitely a case for that being true, but with new games and Pokemon being added every few years there are at least a dozen Pokemon that can challenge it for that title. Who knows, the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, the ninth generation of games, could include what could truly be the weakest Pokemon of all time.
14 Patrat
Pokemon Black & White to many fans felt like a soft reboot for the series as the fifth generation of games introduced 150 new Pokemon for the first time since the original games. Among all of these new creatures, Patrat the Scout Pokemon landed as the weakest Pokemon native to the Unova region.
In addition to simply being a basic Normal-type Pokemon, all of its base stats come in at below average. It evolves into Watchog at level 20, which is also underwhelming. A slight statistical improvement is all you'll get from reaching its final form and training it up.
13 Kricketot
This list features a lot of Bug-type Pokemon, which is a product of every new generation of Pokemon games that follow patterns the series implemented long ago. One of these patterns is to include a handful of early game Bug-type Pokemon you run into in a forest area early on.
Kricketot is that Pokemon for the fourth generation of games and is simply known as the Cricket Pokemon. A quick glance at its base stats reveals how atrocious it is, with half of them being in the bottom tier in terms of effectiveness. It also evolves only once and does so at level 10, which is another indication of just how weak this thing is in comparison to the rest of the roster of Pokemon.
12 Azurill
There is a large portion of the Pokemon fanbase that despises what they refer to as 'Baby Pokemon.' These are the pre-evolutions of already existing Pokemon, introduced first in the second generation of games, Pokemon Gold & Silver. Azurill doesn't do any favors in defending their inclusion in the game, as this baby form of Marill solely exists to be cute.
Now, for some Pokemon fans, that's enough to justify its existence, but for others, they see it as a meaningless addition to the battle and competitive aspects of the series. Others argue that these tiny creatures are the only ones with a justification to be underpowered and serve that purpose expertly.
11 Wurmple
From a functionality standpoint, Wurmple is designed in a way where it feels like having a Caterpie that can either become a Butterfree or a Venomoth. In that same way, this red little caterpillar is just as useless as its Kanto native counterpart.
Sure it can evolve into a dual-type that either has a good special attack or special defense, but the headache it takes to evolve it just doesn't seem worth it. It functions as the expected three-step Bug-type evolution of a region and doesn't do much to set it apart and give it some type of value in terms of both ownership and evolutionary investment.
10 Snom
Before anyone attacks the writer, understand this list is centered on power and not cuteness. If you've paid any attention to the internet then you'll know it will protect Snom at all costs.
The Ice and Bug dual-type was introduced to the world in Pokemon Sword & Shield's Galar region and it immediately became a fan favorite. The reason people feel compelled to protect and coddle it is simply because it can't do it itself. Designers of Snom, if graded, would get an A+ in terms of design likability, and an F when it comes to battle viability.
9 Scatterbug
Scatterbug is the first early game Bug-type we'll be talking about on this list, but certainly not the last. The reason it doesn't land as high as its Kanto counterpart Caterpie is that its middle form Spewpa isn't nearly as annoying as Metapod.
In almost every way it is a copy and paste clone of the Caterpie evolutionary line with its final form being a beautiful butterfly that sheds the shortcomings of its previous two forms. Scatterbug's single bucktooth also makes it quite adorable and endearing to most people.
8 Wishiwashi
Now, to the uninformed Wishiwashi may seem like a neat concept for a Pokemon design where it doesn't evolve, but rather powers up situationally in battle. The problem is that it is only powerful if it is above 25 percent HP at the end of a turn.
This means that it is unreliable in a tough battle and you can be left with a terribly weak Water-type unless you commit to healing it after every turn. When looking at the upside it just doesn't outweigh the drawbacks the Small Fry Pokemon has in battles that aren't cakewalks or type advantages.
7 Caterpie
Caterpie is a relatively weak Bug-type Pokemon and its situation gets worse once it evolves. Caterpie doesn't become viable or competent until it spreads its wings and emerges as a fully evolved Butterfree at level 10. Its middle evolution, Metapod, is frustratingly useless, but Caterpie doesn't fall far from the cocoon.
Sure it can attack its opponent, unlike Metapod, but its attack stats are so weak that a tackle from it does little more than an actual caterpillar trying to hit a human in the real world. The problem is that this caterpillar weighs over six lbs.
6 Sunkern
Sunkern, does that name ring a bell for anyone. The Seed Pokemon of the second generation called the Johto region home and was likely overlooked by anyone and everyone who played Pokemon Gold & Silver, or the remakes Pokemon SoulSilver and HeartGold.
Going over its base stats you'll see that they all come in at a mark of 30 across the board which is less than ideal. Unless you have a Sun Stone burning a hole in your inventory to evolve Sunkern, you should let these things live an honest life in the wild.
5 Wimpod
There's an ongoing philosophical and psychological question about whether or not someone's name shapes their personality as they grow into an adult. In the world of Pokemon, it seems that names can point towards details surrounding said creature.
Wimpod is a Bug and Water dual-type from the Alolan Islands featured in the seventh generation of games, Pokemon Sun & Moon. This little thing lives up to its name and runs away from everyone and everything since it knows it has no chance of defending itself in battle.
4 Feebas
Would you be surprised to learn that the Pokemon that looks like a dead Magikarp is just as weak as its orange doppelganger? Feebas, known as the Fish Pokemon, is from the third generation of games. It evolves into a very capable and powerful creature known as Milotic, but until that day comes it struggles to survive.
Thankfully it was gifted with decent speed so it can escape possible predators, but if it ever happens to get trapped or cornered it likely won't stand a chance and will be knocked out almost instantaneously.
3 Abra
What's more annoying than accidentally knocking out a Pokemon you intended on catching? Most trainers would reply with the experience of trying to catch a creature that's always fleeing.
Abra is a Pokemon that does exactly that and it isn't based on it being scared, rather, low-level Abra only have the move Teleport at their disposal. This means that you need a Pokemon quick enough to put it to sleep or get lucky with a Poke Ball in hopes of catching it. Not only is it weak, but Abra is annoyingly evasive as well.
2 Metapod
Anyone who played Pokemon Red & Blue remembers getting into boring and drawn-out battles against a Metapod. All that Bug-type Pokemon does is use the move Harden and boost its defense.
This means that its sole strategy in battle is to make itself harder to knock out without ever attempting to inflict damage on its opponent. Its base form named Caterpie is on this list and was already talked about. It didn't land as high on the list considering it can attack its opponent, despite its attacks being relatively weak.
1 Unown
You may be wondering why out of all of the hundreds of Pokemon why Unown landed on the top of this list. Well, unlike every other Pokemon on this list Unown doesn't evolve into or from any other creature known to humans.
This means that it has zero potential considering it is what it is. Thankfully it is interesting when talking about lore as it can be born as one of many symbols directly correlating to the English alphabet. Other than that all it can do is levitate and avoid Ground-type attacks.