The competitive nature of the battling in the Pokémon series meant that tiers were quickly drawn up to determine the relative power of each 'Mon to its contemporaries. It doesn't take a genius to work out that a Metapod isn't going to be in the same league as Charizard, but there were a few strange cases of unexpected Pokémon being really powerful in Red & Blue, such as Chansey and Tauros.
The mechanics of Pokémon battling have changed a great deal since the days of Red & Blue. We now have three different types, the ability to battle in groups of two or three, and the ability to change form in the middle of battle, using the power of Mega Evolution. The addition of unique abilities for each Pokémon in Ruby & Sapphire also had a huge change in how the game worked.
There were some Pokémon that you never have on your team during the early generations of the series, as they just didn't cut it compared to the others you would find in the wild. The changes to the system have meant that these formerly weak Pokémon are now worth a second look.
We are here today to look at the lame Pokémon of yesteryear who are now a true threat in battle. From the alien who turned into a fairy, to the mother & child team that changed how the face of the competitive scene.
Here are Twenty Pokémon That Used To Be Bad In Battle But Are Now Amazing!
20 The Fabled Clefable
Clefairy is the Pete Best of the Pokémon franchise. It came so close to being the mascot of the Pokémon anime, before the role was given to Pikachu instead. Clefairy was reduced to appearing in a bizarre episode about alien Pokémon living in Mt. Moon, while Pikachu became one of the most recognizable characters in fiction.
Clefairy's evolved form, Clefable. also received no love, due to how useless it was in battle. Clefable was a boring Normal-type Pokémon with no features that helped it stand out from the crowd.
The addition of the Fairy-type in Pokémon X & Y meant that Clefable had a new typing. This new Fairy Clefable suddenly had a bunch of resistances and moves that could make it a legitimate threat. Its Magic Guard Ability also protects it from common indirect threats, such as Stealth Rock.
19 Nothing Funny About Lopunny
Lopunny used to belong with the other trash Normal-type Pokémon that are always introduced in each new generation. Game Freak can't help but include a few dull Normal-type Pokémon with poor stats that no one in their right mind would ever use outside of a Nuzlocke challenge.
Lopunny was let down by its poor stats, with its HP being so low that it would never last long, as it would take one or two good hits to take it down.
It took the power of Mega Evolution to make Lopunny a threat in battle. Mega Lopunny becomes a Normal/Fighting-type Pokémon with Scrappy, which allows it to damage Ghost-type Pokémon. Mega Lopunny receives a huge boost to its Speed and Attack stats, which turns it into one of the fastest and most deadly Pokémon in the competitive scene.
18 Pelipper Into Battle
Along with the new Normal-type trash Pokémon that are introduced in each new generation, there is usually a group of Flying-type trash Pokémon that are based on birds. These at least serve one purpose, as you need something that can use the Fly HM so that you can fast travel.
Pelipper once fell into this category, as it was the seagull Pokémon of Ruby & Sapphire. It had nothing noteworthy about its move pool, stats, or typing.
Everything changed for Pelipper in Pokémon Sun & Moon when it became one of the few Pokémon that possessed the Drizzle Ability, which automatically summons rain when it enters the field. This meant that Pelipper would give a significant boost to all of its attacks, as well as those of other Water-type Pokémon.
17 Sableye's Got An Eye On Their Opponent
The original gimmick of Sableye was that it was a Pokémon with no weaknesses. The fact that it was a Dark/Ghost-type Pokémon meant that nothing else had a type advantage against it. This held true until Pokémon X & Y when Sableye became weak to the new Fairy-type Pokémon.
In order to offset Sableye's powerful type, it was given horrendous stats that made it all but unplayable in battle.
The introduction of Mega Evolution gave Sableye a new lease of life. Mega Sableye gained a massive boost to its Defense and Special Defense stats. It also gained the Magic Bounce Ability, which allowed it to reflect entry hazards and status effects, which made it one of the safest Pokémon to use when switching into a dangerous situation.
16 Watch Out For Pinsir
It isn't just Normal and Flying-types who have their own trash groups that are introduced in each generation, as there are plenty of junk Bug-type Pokémon that exist as well. This goes all the way back to Pokémon Red & Blue when Bug-type sucked the most, even though they were the only ones who had a type advantage against the dominant Psychic-type Pokémon.
Pinsir was one of the better Bug-type Pokémon in Red & Blue due to its high Attack stat. Pinsir's low HP and Special Defense meant that it could be taken in a single hit by almost every Pokémon you are likely to meet in battle. Pinsir languished until the introduction of Mega Evolution. Mega Pinsir gained a huge boost to its stats and the Aerilate Ability, which turned all of its Normal-type moves into Flying-types and boosted their damage.
15 There's Something About Wobbuffet
Wobbuffet has one of the strangest histories of any Pokémon in the competitive scene. This is fitting, considering how strange Wobbuffet is anyway. When Wobbuffet was introduced in Pokémon Gold & Silver, it was given a small move pool that was based on stalling and counter attacks. Wobbuffet wasn't particularly good at this, as its HP stat was incredibly high, but its others were embarrassingly low.
The introduction of abilities in Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire meant that Wobbuffet went from being a junk Pokémon to being banned. This was due to the fact that a match with two Wobbuffet would never end if they both had Leftovers equipped, due to their new Shadow Tag ability which prevented switch-ins. Wobbuffet has created a unique niche for itself within the competitive Pokémon scene, as it possesses the ability to tank hits from anything while at full health while dealing that same damage back at its opponent.
14 Cute But Powerful
Marill was once referred to as Pikablu by the denizens of the Internet before its official name was finally revealed. This was due to the visual similarities between Marill and Pikachu.
One way in which Marill and Pikachu used to be similar is in their redundant evolutions, with most people not liking Azumarill and Raichu as much.
Azumarill was a generic Water-type Pokémon that was let down by its weak Attack stat. The introduction of the Fairy-type in Pokémon X & Y turned Azumarill into a powerhouse, as it suddenly became resistant to some of the most common types in the competitive scene. The Huge Power Ability also allowed it to overcome its previous weakness and become a heavy damage dealer on the battlefield.
13 Manectric, The Brave
Electric-type Pokémon are usually defined by their high Attack and Speed stats. This dates all the way back to Pikachu in the original games, as he helped define the Glass Cannon status of most Electric-type Pokémon that would appear in future generations of Pokémon games.
Manectric tried to fit into this mold, but it was let down by simply being outclassed by so many other Pokémon who filled the role better.
The introduction of Mega Evolution gave Manectric a much-needed boost to its stats. Mega Manectric gained a huge improvement to its Speed stat, which meant that it was almost guaranteed to hit first and hit like a truck. It became the Special Attack equivalent to Mega Lopunny in this regard.
12 Mantine's Health Boost
Mantine debuted in Pokémon Gold & Silver with one of the most unusual and self-sabotaging stat layouts of any Pokémon in the series. Mantine had an incredibly high Special Defense stat, which was offset by an abysmal HP stat. This Pokémon had the ability to tank certain hits but it couldn't even do that for long. It has almost nothing to offer on the offensive front, which wasn't helped by a subpar move pool.
Mantine was slowly made great over several generations of minor tweaks. By the time Pokémon Sun & Moon were released, Mantine received a much-needed boost to its health, gained access to a few useful abilities (such as Swift Swim) and had its move pool bolstered by numerous new attacks.
11 Mixing Up Mawile
Mawile was only notable for its creepy inspiration when it first appeared in Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire. Mawile is based on an old Japanese legend about an evil woman who grows a second mouth on the back of her head, which will eat all of her food before she has a chance to devour it.
A creepy inspiration is all that Mawile had to offer, as its subpar stats and unimpressive move pool made it the weakest link of the Steel-type Pokémon.
The introduction of both the Fairy-type and Mega Evolution in Pokémon X & Y changed everything for Mawile. It gained a ton of resistances and its Mega form gained the Huge Power Ability. This meant that Mega Mawile gained one of the highest Attack stats in the game and could punch through almost any enemy defenses.
10 Muking Around
Muk is most famous for being one of Ash Ketchum's Pokémon during the early seasons of the Pokémon anime. This Pokémon is best-known for its memorable victory against Jeanette's Bellsprout during the Indigo Plateau Conference. Muk wasn't much use in Pokémon Red & Blue, due to its crippling weakness to the dominant Psychic-type Pokémon of the era. It never found much in the later games, due to its incredibly low Speed stat.
It took a Hawaiian vacation for Muk to finally be improved. Alolan Muk gains the Dark-type, which removes Muk's greatest weakness and adds a few resistances on top. This makes up for Alolan Muk's poor Speed, as it has a much better chance of surviving an enemy onslaught so that it can bring its own impressive move pool and offensive stats to bear.
9 Mr. Mime Found His Way
Psychic-type Pokémon were overpowered in Pokémon Red & Blue, due to the fact that the Special stat hadn't been split yet and only Bug-type had an advantage against it, during the generation when Bug-type Pokémon were all but useless.
By far the worst Psychic-type Pokémon was Mr. Mime. Its awful HP stat meant that it wasn't going to last long in combat.
Mr. Mime was significantly boosted by the addition of its Fairy-type in Pokémon X & Y, as well as several new moves that were gradually added to its roster over the years. While many players think of Mr. Mime as a solely defensive Pokémon, it can actually deal a ton of damage with moves like Dazzling Gleam and Psychic.
8 Perfectly Persian
Persian has always been depicted as the loyal pet of Giovanni in the Pokémon anime, which exists to give him a Bond villain vibe. Persian wasn't of much use in Pokémon Red & Blue due to its low stats. This cat was pretty fast, but it didn't have the strength to back it up. This became more of an issue in Pokémon Gold & Silver due to how Hyper Beam was changed.
The Alolan version of Persian turned into a Garfieldesque monster, but it also gained access to one of the best Dark-type moves in the game.
Alolan Persian can use Parting Shot, which lowers the enemy's Attack and Special Attack by a single stage, before switching out in a similar manner to Volt Switch. This made Alolan Persian into one of the best switch-hitters in the game.
7 Protecting Vaporeon
Eevee has always been a popular Pokémon, as have all of the Eeveelutions that have appeared over the years. It's a shame that the Eeveelutions haven't been that great on the battlefield, save for a few rare exceptions.
Vaporeon may have been the worst of the original three Eeveelutions, due to how it was outclassed by all of the other great Water-type Pokémon.
It took a couple of generations and a few additions to its move pool, but Vaporeon eventually became a true threat in battle. This is due to its infamous Protect/Wish combo, which it could use to pass on powerful healing buffs to other Pokémon on the team that may lack recovery moves.
6 Onix Wasn't Rock-Solid
Onix still resides in the nightmares of those who chose Charmander as their starter Pokémon in Red & Blue. The poor fire lizard had no power against Brock's giant rock serpent. You had to smarten up and find a Mankey or a Butterfree in order to progress past Pewter City.
Onix might look tough, but its low HP and Special Defense made it an easy mark for some of the most common Pokémon you would see.
Onix has since been saved by changes to its move pool. It is one of the best users of both Stealth Rock and Explosion. This means that it can set up the best entry hazard in the game, before taking one of the opponent's Pokémon out.
5 Giving Gyarados A Chance
Gyarados was a pain to evolve in Pokémon Red & Blue due to problems with the original Exp. Share item which were caused by technical issues.
Once you finally had a Gyarados, it would seem to be a decent addition to any team, due to its decent stats and move pool. The problem with Gyarados is its crippling weakness to Electric-type moves. All it took was a decent Thunderbolt or Thunder to easily take a Gyarados down.
Gyarados gained a Mega Evolution in Pokémon X & Y which switched its Flying-type to Dark-type. This finally reduced its Electric-type weakness and gave it a significant boost to key offensive stats. Mega Gyarados became one of the most terrifying foes in the X & Y competitive scene.
4 The Problem With Venusaur
Venusaur has always received the least amount of love from Game Freak. We saw this recently with Pokkén Tournament DX as Blastoise was added as a DLC character, while Venusaur has still yet to make an appearance in the game.
Exeggutor was the undisputed king of the Grass-type Pokémon in Red & Blue, which left poor Venusaur out in the cold.
Venusaur received a major boost in Pokémon X & Y in the form of its Mega Evolution. Mega Venusaur gained several boosts to its defensive stats along with the Thick Fat Ability, which reduces the damage dealt from Fire-type and Ice-type attacks. This turned Mega Venusaur into a great defensive wall that could dish out powerful attacks along with some decent status effects.
3 Changing The Story For Ninetales
Ninetales is unusual in that it is a Fire-type Pokémon that specializes in inflicting status effects. This was offset by its weak HP and Defense stats, which made it easy to end. The biggest threat to Ninetales in the early days of Pokémon was the dominance of Water-type Pokémon, who were second only to Psychic-types in terms of power. Ninetales could easily be vanquished by many of the Water-type Pokémon that commonly appeared in competitive battles.
Ninetales received a huge boost in Pokémon Black & White, where it gained the Drought ability. This meant that it automatically powered its own moves up when it entered the field. Pokémon Sun & Moon introduced the Ice-type Alolan Ninetales, which is the only Pokémon with access to both Snow Warning and Aurora Veil. This allows it to halve all damage for the first five turns of combat.
2 Starting With Charizard
Charizard has always been one of the most popular Pokémon in the series, but its performance on the battlefield has been spotty at best. This is due to its middling stats and a dual-type that made it almost impossible to use for several generations of Pokémon games. Charizard was outpaced by all of the powerful Water-type Pokémon that dominated the scene in Red & Blue.
It would become totally useless in Diamond & Pearl when Stealth Rock was introduced, as it had a four-times weakness to the move.
Charizard finally returned to glory with two Mega Evolutions. Charizard X switched its Flying-type for Dragon-type, which alleviated its weakness to Stealth Rock, while Charizard Y gained Drought, which gave a massive boost to Charizard's already powerful attacks.
1 The Power Of Kangaskhan
No Pokémon has ever received more of a jump in the tier lists than Kangaskhan. This is a Pokémon that went from being an annoying Safari Zone lurker to appearing in almost every team in the competitive scene. Kangaskhan was a generic Normal-type Pokémon that was totally outstripped by Snorlax and Tauros in Red & Blue. It remained a bottom-tier Pokémon for several generations, with no hope in sight.
The debut of Mega Evolution in Pokémon X & Y turned Kangaskhan into one of the biggest threats in the competitive scene. Mega Kangaskhan gained the Parental Bond Ability, which caused its baby to jump out of the pouch and fight. Parental Bond allows Mega Kangaskhan to hit twice in the same turn, save for certain specialty attacks. This factor alone elevated Mega Kangaskhan to the point where many non-official tournaments called for it to be banned, due to how overwhelmingly powerful it had become.