There are a lot of Pokemon, and some tend to not get the recognition that they deserve. So, here are the ten most underrated Pokemon.
10. Vivillon: Don’t get distracted by its appearance, because this Pokemon can dominate competitively, especially in NU. On top of being a good competitor, I think the concept of Vivillon having multiple forms for its wings is very neat. Speaking competitively, it has a nasty combination of Sleep Powder and Quiver Dance, making it a very deadly sweeper. What makes Vivillon better is its ability Compound Eyes, which buffs its accuracy, making a move like Hurricane very easy to use on this Pokemon. The reason it is getting such a low rating is if you send it out on Stealth Rocks, you will lose half of your health due to Vivillon’s typing of Bug/Flying.
9. Manaphy: On top of being my favorite mythical, Manaphy can compete with top tier OU Pokemon, and here’s why. It has a really great ability Hydration, which will cure it of any status condition while in the rain. I like to use a combination of Rain Dance and Rest, and once Manaphy falls asleep, it will wake right back up. Another strategy is using Tail Glow, which will more than triple its Special Attack. Manaphy is getting a low rank because it is already fairly used, but I don’t think it is used quite enough.
8. Cinccino: Really? Yes. I think Cinccino is underrated. It’s hidden ability Skill Link is very useful. Multiple striking moves, such as Bullet Seed or Rock Blast, will always hit the maximum amount of 5 times. With an above average speed stat, combined with Skill Link, Cinccino can dish out a decent amount of damage. Putting a King’s Rock for flinching is even better.
7. Araquanid: Now you’re probably wondering how Araquanid made the list. It is partly a personal pick, but Araquanid is a very underappreciated Pokemon. In lower tiers, it works as a great setup by having access to Sticky Web via egg move, and it also only has three weakness, one being Rock, which Rock is weak to Water. Araqanid also has great Special Defense, and while its defense isn’t the greatest, it does have access to Iron Defense. While it doesn’t have a great move pool, I don’t think it needs to because it only has three weaknesses, and the moves that it gets are fairly decent, such as Liquidation, Leech Life, Lunge, and a few others.
6. Roserade: I would say the only thing that holds Roserade back is its bad Defense stat, but other than that, Roserade is a great Pokemon. While it does having a fair amount of weaknesses, it is more than capable of dishing damage back out with its 125 Special Attack. It also has access to entry hazards such as Spikes and Toxic Spikes, making it a useful lead. It also has a good 105 Special Defense. Roserade can take special attacks, as well as dish special attacks back out.
5. Seismitoad: Seismitoad has a lot going for it, the first being its great typing of Water/Ground, only making it quad weak to Grass. Another is its great ability Swift Swim, doubling its speed in the rain. I have run teams before and put both Manaphy and Seismitoad on them due to how their ability utilize the rain so well. You can either run an offensive Swift Swimmer, or a defensive Water Absorber, both very good options, making Seismitoad very effective in the lower tiers.
4. Arcanine: I don’t ever see Arcanine being used in battles. When I played UU in Gens VI and VII, I almost always had an Arcanine on my teams. It has great Attack, and just decent stats all around. My favorite set on Arcanine is I’ll have it hold an Assault Vest and max out its Special Defense, and being an all out attacker, with Close Combat, and either Thunder Fang or Wild Charge for coverage against Rock and Water types. Another set I use is I have it hold Leftovers, with a Fire Spin/Morning Sun combination.
3. Ambipom: Here’s another surprising pick. The reason I put it up so high is because I am so familiar with Ambipom, as I have used it in every tier except Ubers, and it has thrived in every tier. It is one of the better leads in the game and I’ll explain why I think that. For me, I like Ambipom as a lead because I won’t have anything to lose. The worst thing could happen is I Fake Out and switch. Other than Fake Out, I’ll have Beat Up and Fury Swipes, with it holding a King’s Rock. Ambipom also has access to Skill Link as a hidden ability, but I prefer using Technician, which will increase low base powered moves by 50%. It is very similar to Cinccino, and while Cinccino may have a more diverse move pool, but Ambipom has a slightly higher Attack stat, and has access to Beat Up, which if you lead with Ambipom, it will hit a full six times.
2. Drapion: I love this Pokemon, and it has so much going for it. Its design is super sleek, and its typing and stats are excellent. Poison/Dark makes it only week to Ground, and it has average in Attack, and Speed, with above average Defense. It also has two great abilities, Battle Armor and Sniper, making it versatile, as you can use it as a defender, or a sweeper, as it has access to stat boosting moves such as Agility, Swords Dance, and if you really want to, Fell Stinger, which will nearly max out its Attack stat if you knock out the defending Pokemon. Another sweeper set is just a Choice Band, and all you need for coverage is Aqua Tail. Not only does Drapion have an underrated design, it is also underrated on the battlefield.
Special Mention. Mr. Rime: I think this Pokemon has a lot of potential with an interesting ability, and decent stats. The only thing that holds it back is it being an Ice type, which gives it a lot of weaknesses.
1- Durant: If you’ve seen other underrated Pokemon lists, Durant is going to be somewhere on the list. For me, it is the most underrated Pokemon. On some of my UU teams in Generation VI, Durant was an absolute beast at sweeping. It has good Attack, Speed, and Defense, and it only has one weakness of Fire with it being Bug/Steel. Its ability Hustle will increase its already high Attack by 50%, but lowers accuracy by 20%. What can be done to bring its accuracy back up is use Hone Claws which Durant can learn by TM, and that will up its Attack and Accuracy, making Durant have double Attack. I’ll usually run Iron Head for good STAB and flinching, as well as Rock Slide for coverage.
So there are the 10 most underrated Pokemon. If you have any feedback, let me know, as I am open to new ideas, as well as ways that my content can be better as a whole
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