With over 1,000 Pokemon in existence, there’s a lot to keep track of. Even the Pokemon Company thinks there are too many at this point, apparently. With just so many creatures nowadays, there are going to be some that rise to prominence, which, of course, leaves some to fall by the wayside, especially as more and more keep getting added.

While there are some Pokemon that really just aren’t that interesting, today, we’ll be looking at the most underrated of all time. However, this is really just one version of the many variants of this list that could exist. There are honestly just too many underrated Pokemon out there.

Updated January 24, 2024, by Jon Eakin: Whether Pokemon is a source of nostalgia or exhaustion for you, there's no denying that it's one of the biggest gaming series of all time. More than that, it's a cultural phenomenon spanning television, movies, toys, and more. It seems like everyone, even people who don't play the games, has their favorite Pokemon. Even with worldwide popularity and more Pokemon than you can shake a Lum Berry at, some of the critters are still unloved, though. Whether undervalued competitively or simply unpopular, we wanted to shine a light on even more of these lesser-loved Pokemon.

21 Lanturn

The Light Pokemon

The Water-type enjoys one of the deepest rosters in all of Pokemon, so it's easy for one to get lost in the aquatic shuffle. Lanturn regularly suffers from this, unable to stand out despite the shining light on its head. It's an absolute shame, because Lanturn is a Pokemon any team can benefit from.

Water/Electric is a great combo to begin with, but what makes Lanturn such a winner is its move pool. Water and Electric moves galore, of course, but the TM options are impressive. Dazzling Gleam, Psybeam, Ice Beam - the list goes on. And that's not to mention that it can pick up Soak as a Breeding move, meaning your Electric attacks can always be super-effective.

20 Starmie

The Mysterious Pokemon

Not enough people are talking about Starmie when it comes to the best Pokemon of the original 151. It's a design without a face, which, let's be honest, Pokemon needs more of. Water/Psychic was a very unique combo back in the Red and Blue days; and with the help of TMs, it can have a versatile moveset.

What is particularly fascinating about Starmie is that it's one of many Pokemon believed to have its origin in space, as the red core of its body regularly sends signals up into the night sky. Other Pokemon like Elgyem have ties to the extra-terrestrial, as well as a theme of colored gems, so why aren't people talking about it more? The truth is out there!

19 Raichu

The Mouse Pokemon

Oh, Raichu, the animated series really did you dirty. Show protagonist Ash refusing to make his Pikachu evolve was a touching story, but it did unintentionally paint Raichu as a lesser Pokemon. Pikachu defeating the Raichu of Lt. Surge made it look like evolving a Pikachu was just a bad idea when the episode actually points out that Lt. Surge was at fault. The issue wasn't the evolution, it was that he triggered it too early.

Pikachu is the mascot, and although Raichu has gotten love via regional forms, it just isn't appreciated enough. It's a better, stronger Pikachu. It has a cooler tail! We'll be screaming into the internet that you should evolve your Pikachu's until the end of time.

18 Bellsprout

The Flower Pokemon

Ah yes, the humble Bellsprout; a simple Pokemon that often gets overlooked by its more powerful pocket monster companions. Bellsprout is a small plant-like Pokemon that looks like it provided the inspiration for the plants in the popular Plants vs. Zombies property. Bellsprout is a special grass and poison Pokemon that doesn't quite provide powerhouse moves.

However, what Bellsprout lacks in raw power, it makes up for in attack negation, specifically when it comes to electric-based attacks. As you might imagine from a plant-based Pokemon, Bellsprout's tendril roots can plant themselves into the ground to stop electric moves in their tracks. Plus, being able to provide poison damage means it can sap the energy of other Pokemon in battle.

17 Haunter

The Gas Pokemon

It's a shame that the Ghost-type Pokemon, specifically from the original 151 generation, don't get the love and spotlight they sorely deserve. Haunter is one of those spooky yet lovable Pokemon that is both ghost and poison, something that can leave other Pokemon scared stiff if they aren't careful. Haunter's main attack of licking opponents until their life bar is sapped is equal parts creepy and disgusting but all parts effective.

This ethereal purple specter is often overlooked due to its much stronger evolution, Gengar. The combination of poison and ghost abilities makes Haunter a force to be reckoned with. Just don't stare into Haunter's eyes for too long, as it might just cause you to have nightmares.

16 Dewgong

The Sea Lion Pokemon

Does anyone talk about Dewgong when discussing their favorite Pokemon? The answer to that question is likely no. However, this doesn't quite make sense because one look at Dewgong is enough to melt your heart. This sea lion-like pocket monster is downright adorable and might just lull you in with its cute and cuddly exterior.

Despite looking super charming, Dewgong is a powerful water and ice Pokemon that can easily hold its own in battle. With abilities such as Thick Fat, Hydration, and Ice Body, Dewgong is both sturdy and resistant, especially against similar types of Pokemon. Dewgong is one of those rare Pokemon that is underrated for both its looks and abilities.

15 Ursaring

The Hibernator Pokemon

Teddiursa is a classic Pokemon, one that's adorable and even a little bit dangerous. It's found relatively late in the Johto region, so it makes sense that trainers might not use it since their team has likely been put together by then. Ursaring is just as classic, with high power and a lovable sunbear design.

Ursaring is also underrated by Game Freak themselves. The last time Teddiursa could be found natively was in Gen 4, which means Ursaring is definitely also off the table. If Ursaring made any native appearances in any Pokemon game, it would definitely be recommended.

14 Gastrodon

The Sea Slug Pokemon

Some Pokemon type combinations are better than others. One of the best, despite having a crippling weakness to water, is the Water/Ground combo. And one of the Water/Ground types that often doesn't get a lot of love is Gastrodon.

Gastrodon certainly gets more respect than other Pokemon. It was a part of Cynthia's final team in the original Diamond and Pearl games, for instance. However, with two different forms, there's a split on which one appears. It's hard to deny that East Sea Gastrodon is cooler looking, so anytime West Sea Gastrodon is the exclusive appearance, Gastrodon stock tanks.

13 Alcremie

The Cream Pokemon

The ancient scripture tells us, "It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake." However, as trainers learned in Sword and Shield, that doesn't mean the process isn't obtuse. One of the Pokemon shown during pre-release previews was Alcremie, a cake-like Fairy-type that is just plain adorable. Watch it try and run around in the overworld or while camping; it's so precious.

However, without looking it up, trainers may not have been able to obtain Alcremie easily. Evolving Milcrey, Alcremie's pre-evo, requires equipping it with a decorative item and spinning around in-game for a specific period of time. It's a roundabout way of evolving, which may have led people to just forget about it.

12 Barbaracle

The Collective Pokemon

Pokemon with unusual designs tend to be more niche in popularity. Not everyone loves "literally just gears" as a Pokemon. Barbaracle fits into that mold, looking like a classic Nintendo hand-boss in Pokemon form.

Binacle is already weird, found most commonly through smashing rocks. Some might even call it "ugly," but that's an uncultured take. Barbaracle looks less odd, but still isn't your typical Water-type Pokemon. It's far from the typical Rock-type either. But it packs a punch and is a reliable friend. Barbaracle needs love, too.

11 Chikorita

The Leaf Pokemon

Is it possible for a starter Pokemon to be underrated? Every trainer uses a starter Pokemon, so it's not like they go unused like other underrated Pokemon. And yet, when the discourse goes to what starter to throw away, there's one usual suspect: Chikorita.

Chikorita is a wonderful Pokemon. In terms of personality, Ash's Chikorita was one of the funniest and most distinct of his party in Johto Journey's. Bayleef and Meganium are also both solid designs, Bayleef being a lot better than a lot of mid-evolutions. It may not be great in battle at... anything, but battles aren't about stats. They're about friendship. Chikorita and Meganium are the perfect Pokemon at providing friendship.

10 Lickylicky

The Licking Pokemon

Look at this absolute UNIT of a Pokemon. He's huge! Actually, maybe Lickylicky isn’t exactly underrated. He might just be correctly rated on the low end.

Regardless, Lickylicky first found his way into our hearts as one of the Generation 4 evolutions, being a larger and… toungier version of the beloved Lickitung. That’s really it; it is just a larger version of Lickitung. It just goes to show that bigger really isn’t always better.

9 Chimecho

The Wind Chime Pokemon

Chimecho is absolutely the purest boi in all of the land and deserves absolutely as much praise as possible. This Generation 3 Pokemon evolves from Chingling with high friendship.

The windchime-like Pokemon really just likes to float around and eat berries, and we should absolutely not try and force him to battle (he’s not very good at doing that anyway). Just love him with all of your heart. He’s really earned it.

8 Maractus

The Cactus Pokemon

In order to remember the name of Maractus, we were forced to look up “cactus Pokemon.” This poor thing wasn’t even the first search result. You’ll never hear anyone talking about this Generation five Pokemon, which is really quite a shame.

While Cacturne certainly is a more full-fledged cactus Pokemon, Maractus has something going for it probably. Maractus offers a more fun and colorful depiction of a cactus, having a nice color contrast due to the flowers on its… ears? Truly a star.

7 Drampa

The Placid Pokemon

Drampa might be even kind of a mess in the PU tier, but that by no means should make him underrated. Drampa is a KING. Do you want to hear what this boy does? Drampas often live by towns, and the kids in the towns love him.

According to the Pokedex, when one of its friends gets bullied by another kid, Drampa finds their house and burns it to the ground. WHAT? What sort of monster is he? Kids, don’t bully, or a dragon will find your house and destroy everything you’ve ever had. Drampa is a legend.

6 Leavanny

The Nurturing Pokemon

Going to a complete 180 from our last Pokemon, this one makes clothes for its other Pokemon friends out of leaves. Ok, adorable. Leavanny is another Generation 5 Pokemon, evolving from the equally fantastic and always furious Swadloon.

The humanoid like Pokemon is one that is always full of joy, requiring high friendship to evolve. Like many of the other Pokemon on this list, its poor battling skills probably don't help its case of being underrated.

5 Porygon -Z

The Virtual Pokemon

While there’s certainly an argument to be made that the entire Porygon line is underrated, Porygon-Z certainly takes the cake for the most underrated of the three, despite its strength. Porygon-Z is an evolution from Porygon2, although this time, it seems that things went wrong. Porygon-Z wasn’t originally supposed to turn out the way he did; the programmers that made him weren’t qualified, and thus, we ended up with Z.

Unfortunately, the ability to travel through dimensions he was supposed to have didn’t quite work out either. Give this poor boy some love if you can. His entire existence is a mistake. At the very least, we can make sure that he doesn’t have to feel like that is the case.

4 Rapidash

The Fire Horse Pokemon

Rapidash is an actual fire horse. How are you going to ignore that? Being able to control the heat of the flames on his back, Rapidash allows only a trusted trainer to ride him. While certainly not one of the most complex Pokemon out there, Rapidash isn’t over or under-designed and looks perfect just as he is.

Blazing fast with hooves as tough as diamonds, Rapidash is one horse you don’t want to mess with. He can also jump 400 feet into the air for some reason with Bounce, so don’t stand near Rapidash at all, ever, really.

3 Tropius

The Fruit Pokemon

Y’all out here living in the current year while Tropius is living in the super-future, growing bananas on his neck. Tropius is a dinosaur-like Pokemon with wings that grows fruit out of his neck. While he isn’t the best battler, his design is absolutely fantastic.

The Pokemon provides a very jungly, ancient vibe. Unfortunately, fans of the series never seem to pay Tropius any respect, which is such a shame for the excellent Pokemon.

2 Tsareena

The Fruit Pokemon

Tsareena is literally just out here kicking everything that stands in her way and truly what more could you ever want out of a Pokemon? That’s right, named after Russian queens, Tsareena is wholly based around kicking.

Its evolution requires it to know stomp, it has a kicking signature move called Trop Kick, Tsareena is absolutely everything. This girl takes no prisoners, and we really could all learn a thing or two from her. Have obstacles in your life? Kick them.