Talonflame, Xereneas, and Aegislash all came from here. And Greninja is one of the best starters of all time. But that’s really it. Every other Pokémon seems to have gone to the wayside and has been forgotten, often deemed too slow or even too ugly. And there are some really great ones! So for this ranking we’re going to look at some of the Pokémon that come to us from the Kalos region, that have left our memories by now – yet they’re ‘mons that I think deserve to be remembered.
10. Aurorus
I’ve recently watched a YouTube video that lambasted Aurorus. They claimed it was poorly designed, was completely useless, and had an awful dual-typing with Ice and Rock. And while I agree with that last point, I think the rest is totally off base. Aurorus has an incredible base HP at 123 and decent special attack and special defense, with 99 and 92 respectively. It also has incredible abilities with Snow Warning, which summons Hail, and Refrigerate, which turns all Normal attacks into Ice. Aurorus can take advantage of both of these with Blizzard and Hyper Voice, plus gets great coverage moves like Earth Power and Ancient Power. And this guy also has great supporting options with Aurora Veil, Thunder Wave, and Stealth Rock. Yes, Aurorus has one of the worst dual-typings of all time. But there’s just as much to love about this elegant Sauropod either way.
9. Clawitzer
When I was a kid, I actually had a crawdad habitat that I kept in my room right next to a couple of hermit crabs. Needless to say, I love a crustacean. And Pokemon X and Y introduced one of my favorites. Clawitzer has a great base Special Attack stat at 120, but it’s boosted even further by Mega Launcher. This ability increases the power of pulse moves by 1.5x. That means moves like Dark Pulse, Aura Sphere, and Dragon Pulse become even stronger and give Clawitzer great coverage. However, the best option comes with Water Pulse. Not only does this move get the Mega Launcher boost, but it also gets a STAB boost – making Water Pulse have a base power of 120, even stronger than a Hydro Pump! Clawitzer may not seem dangerous at first. But I have caught many an opponent off guard with this surprisingly powerful little lobster.
8. Pangoro
One of the most fun Dual-typings in the game is Dark/Fighting. It makes me think of either a tough looking thug, like Scrafty, or an evil karate master with a single powerful move, like Single Strike Urshifu. And right in the middle lies Pangoro. Pangoro is strong, quick to temper, and virtuous. It’ll often keep punching no matter what is in front of it. And its Scrappy ability suits that perfectly. This means that its Fighting and Normal-type moves can hit Ghosts, plus it’s not affected by intimidate. And if that doesn’t do anything for you, Pangoro has access to two more great abilities. First is Mold Breaker which ignores other Pokémon’s abilities, and then Iron Fist, increasing the power of punching moves. All of these work great with a base 124 attack stat. And these abilities fit well with moves like Drain Punch, Knock off, and Bullet Punch. Plus I’ve gotta say that Pangoro has one of the coolest evolution methods in the entire game! You have to level up Pancham with a Dark-type Pokémon in your party, meaning something evil has to affect it. It’s a very clever way to give a cool Pokémon an interesting in-game backstory.
7. Barbaracle
People claim that Barbaracle is one of the ugliest Pokémon of all time, and I can’t really blame them. If you’ve read any of my lists before, you know I love Shell Smash. It increases both attacking stats and speed, at the cost of reducing both defenses. There are a ton of Water-types that take advantage of this move. It has made many “Meh” Pokémon become incredible. This is true of Barbaracle too, since it has great Attack, even better Defense, and bad speed. Shell Smash cures this. And it makes Barbaracle one of the most terrifying physical sweepers in the game, especially because of its ability Tough Claws. Tough Claws makes every contacting move increased 1.3x. Suddenly Liquidation and Grass Knot become truly threatening attacks, even though Grass Knot is Special. This creature has some great coverage, and the perfect stat distribution to really take advantage of Shell Smash. While Barbaracle may be as ugly as a bunch of rocks, it also hits like a bunch of rocks.
6. Dragalge
With the introduction of Fairy-types in Pokémon XY, Dragon Pokémon were pretty worried. If only there was a common Dragon-type that could hit Fairy’s for Super Effective damage! Dragon fans, say hello to Dragalge. Dragalge has a unique Dragon/Poison dual-typing and a high Special Defense stat, making it a Fairy’s worst nightmare. But what makes it really interesting is the ability Adaptability, which changes the STAB boost from 1.5x to 2x. This means that almost all Fairies will be dead on contact. Also, Dragalge has access to Toxic Spikes. This can poison opponents when they switch in. So that means that all your opponents can be whittled down as you switch out with the move Flip Turn. Dragalge is really a unique Pokémon that can fill a lot of roles. And I promise that you’d be surprised how effective it is when you use it. Certainly an underrated choice.
5. Klefki
One of my favorite abilities in all of Pokémon is Prankster. It gives any non-damaging move priority, meaning you’ll be going first pretty much every time. This is great for supporting Pokémon like Sableye and Whimsicott. But it seems to me that people forget about Klefki. This weird floating key ring loves to steal different keys. This sneaky attitude makes it perfect for Prankster. It also has an awesome Steel/Fairy-typing, giving it 2 immunities, and great moves to help out your teammates. Klefki can throw out Spikes to hurt enemy switches too, as well as Thunder Wave and Toxic to status the same enemies. But that’s basic stuff. You can also use Magnet Rise to make yourself immune to Ground-type attacks, and Heal Block to prevent your opponent from healing. And what’s even more, Klefki can also summon up Light Screen and Reflect to defend your entire team! So I think Klefki is easily one of the best supporting Pokémon in the entire game. If you have a ton of heavy hitters and need some support, this little dude could be the key to your problems.
4. Heliolisk
Weather has been a fun mechanic ever since it came to prominence in Black and White. Most Pokémon are able to fill a niche as a sweeper with speed boosting abilities. But very few Pokémon can fill multiple niches. Enter Heliolisk. Heliolisk is unique for having 3 abilities that take advantage of different weather types. Sand Veil increases evasion during sandstorm. Not great, but usable. On the other hand, Solar Power is great. It increases all special attacks by 1.5x in the sun, at the cost of some health every turn. This allows Heliolisk to take advantage of its great 109 Special Attack and Speed. But Heliolisk’s best ability has got to be Dry Skin. Not only does it make the Pokémon heal every turn during rain, but it makes it immune to all Water-type moves. This makes Heliolisk not just a terror in the rain, but the arch enemy of all Water Pokémon everywhere. Combine all of this with powerful moves like Thunder, Hyper Voice, and Surf, and you have a solid Pokémon that’s way more useful than people think.
3. Florges
As I mentioned earlier, Kalos marked the introduction of the Fairy-type. This was integral to help balance the game, making Dragon-types weaker and Poison-types stronger. Whenever people think of this typing, they always talk about Clefairy or Xerneas. But for me it will always be Florges. Florges was the first Fairy-type the series introduced. And it used that typing beautifully. It’s a Special beast with a 112 base Special Attack, and a whopping 154 base Special Defense, one of the highest in the entire game. While Florges doesn’t have great offensive moves to use with these stats, its support moves make it an incredible Cleric. It can learn Wish to heal itself and others, Aromatherapy to cure status ailments, and Synthesis again to heal itself. But if you want to move a bit away from healing itself, you can always go with Toxic. Florges is a great Pokémon that has been forgotten because it’s not in Sword and Shield. And I long for the day it returns.
2. Diggersby
I realize Diggersby is hated by a lot of Pokémon fans. It looks like a construction worker stereotype with its big belly, mud-colored fur, and an in-game cry that sounds just like a belch. It’s gross. But I like it. Diggersby is a hardworking ‘mon with a huge heart. And that huge heart leads to Huge Power. Huge Power is the ability that makes Diggersby awesome. It doubles attack, taking a previously weak Pokémon and making it something powerful. The most famous Huge Power user is Azumarill, but Diggersby does it better. It has a higher base Attack and Speed. Plus Diggersby has better STAB moves with Return, Earthquake, and Quick Attack. At a glance, I think it’s fair to say that Diggersby is a working class Pokémon. It’s not as pretty as the others, and in fact it looks a bit dirty, but Diggersby will always put in work for you.
1. Slurpuff
Slurpuff is literally a cotton candy person. It always has a goofy grin on its face, and it just looks silly! This thing has average stats all the way through with an Attack of 80 and a Speed of 72. It can also be one of the most dangerous Pokémon you face in battle. So Slurpuff is just perfectly setup to take advantage of Belly Drum. It’s a boosting move that maxes out your attack at the cost of half your HP. And that’s when you’d give Slurpuff a Berry to heal back its HP. Consuming the berry activates the ability Unburden, doubling its speed. Suddenly you have a Pokémon with a 320 Attack stat and 144 Speed. That is terrifying. While Belly Drum is Slurpuff’s bread and butter, it has also been used recently as a setup Pokémon. This is because it gets access to Sticky Web and Yawn, which also combine well with Unburden. Here’s how they all work together: Give Slurpuff a Focus Sash and use Yawn first turn. Slurpuff will get hit, but will be prevented from fainting because of the Focus Sash. Not only does Unburden now almost guarantee Sticky Web to be set up, but your opponent now has to make a decision: try to knock out Slurpuff and fall asleep, or switch and risk them going against a very fast Pokémon that also has Endeavor, a move that deals more damage the lower your HP is. Slurpuff may have an innocent smile. But there’s a darkness behind it. It doesn’t feel emotion. It can only destroy. And that’s why it has to be the most underrated Kalos Pokémon of them all.
