Alakazam The dual-spoon-wielding psychic powerhouse was one of my favorite Pokémon in the original generation. Being a lover of bad puns, the name of the three forms being Abra, Kadabra, and Alakazam always amused me. Good thing he was also really good to boot. Of course, being an anti-social youth, actually acquiring him was a pain as a Kadabra only evolved when traded. I did manage it of course, and it has remained one of my favorites throughout the years. Something about its look I think captures the often whimsical spirit of the series while also looking extremely cool at the same time. I suppose isn't quite as fun as the hilarious Psyduck, but he still remains my favorite Psychic Pokémon. Now if they'd just go ahead and add him to Smash Bros. that would great. Now to find someone to trade with in Pokémon X so I can get myself an Alakazam... — Mike Apps

Bulbasaur Of all the Pokémon to come and go in my life, my love of Bulbasaur has always stayed tried and true. There's something about this cute little creature saying "Bulba!" that just completely melted my heart. Bulbasaur was the first Pokémon I managed to learn how to imitate perfectly as a child, so when my friends and I were playing Pokémon in the yard at recesses, I felt like the perfect one. Bulabsaur is still the only Pokémon I collect trinkets for, and whenever given the chance to use him in the games, he's always imported in, ready for action. While certain staff members, *cough*Scott Wachter*cough* call Bulbasaur the "Easy Button," I couldn't care less considering how much of a long and loving history we've had as Pokémon and Trainer. — Sam Wachter

Charizard Charizard was my first favorite Pokémon, and still ranks rather high on my list of overall favorites. I remember the very first time I got a Charizard. I had known about it in passing, but actually having one in my game was much more personal than still images or the occasional animated appearance (this was before Ash's Charmander evolved in the anime). It not only looked awesome, but Charizard blew away all other Pokémon in the game, even those resistant to fire attacks. It was not only my best Pokémon, but also the best Pokémon ever. I was naïve, though to be fair, I was also twelve. Charizard's design is simple, but it is nonetheless awe-inspiring. Despite being a Fire and Flying type, Charizard resembles a bipedal European-style dragon, and was arguably more draconic-looking than any actual Dragon types up until the third generation games. With its fearsome and majestic appearance, status as a fully evolved starter, and being featured on the box for Red Version, it's not surprising that Charizard has remained popular throughout the franchise's lifetime. The species has made major appearances in the anime series and movies, various side games, and has even made the transition from Pokéball Pokémon to playable character in Super Smash Bros. Competitive-wise, it's double weakness to Rock-type moves has left it lagging until the release of Pokémon X and Y. Mega Evolution gives Charizard not one, but two powerful and competitively viable forms. And yes, one of them is an actual Dragon type. — Cassandra Ramos

Ditto Ditto! This adorable, shape-shifting ball of pink that totally isn't Kirby is one of the most unique critters in all of Pokémon. It only has one move: Transform, which copies the target's shape, move list, and stats perfectly. Up until Generation 5, however, Ditto was all but unusable, due to its low HP and base stats. Thanks to its new ability, Imposter, Ditto can transform immediately upon entering battle, making it a great surprise counter for stat-boosting opponents. I'm currently attempting an Omega Ruby playthrough with a team of six Dittos, which is surprisingly effective. — Adriaan den Ouden

Lapras I traded a rare candy for my shiny Lapras with a nice lady from Portugal. I asked her to name it something in Portuguese, thus Purpura the Lapras was born. She's been a staple on my team ever since SoulSilver. I love Lapras' sweet look, and her Ice Beam has helped me down many a Dragon gym leader and Elite Four member. — Becky Cunningham

Marowak Marowak is a dinosaur that wears its mother's skull as a helmet. That's really all you need to know about this bizarre, disturbing little Pokémon. In fact, it's been wearing the skull for so long that it has actually fused onto its head. I'm not entirely sure where Nintendo got the idea for this thing, but I'm glad they did because it's been one of my favorites since the first generation of games. — Adriaan den Ouden

Raticate As many popular legendary figures of old discovered, one should never underestimate a smaller opponent. Especially when it's a small mammal with nasty, big, pointy teeth. And there aren't many other contenders for nastiest, biggest, pointiest teeth than Raticate. Admittedly the sheer numbers of the creatures that inhabitant the world's continents means that it can be too easy to find a pretty mediocre one, however, when you find one in the top percentile of Raticate, you've got a vicious fighter that sends kings fleeing. The only correct action when spotting one of these is to throw a special round object at it. — Alex Fuller

Wartortle Wartortle was the very first evolved Pokémon I ever had. Starting with a Squirtle and knowing nothing about the game, when it evolved I felt unstoppable. Water Gun was like a death sentence to everything that looked at me funny. Wartortle also happens to be one of the best looking Water types and remains one of my all time favourites even now. — Robert Sinclair

Nidoking When I was in elementary school, during the original release of Pokémon Red and Blue, it seemed as though all of my close friends had very same-ish taste in Pokémon. Their favorites were Blastoise, Charizard, and Mewtwo. All good Pokémon, to be sure, but the three of them just didn't turn my crank. My first love was Nidoking. Nidoran was one of the first Pokémon I ever caught, Nidorino was the first Pokémon I used an evolution stone on, and Nidoking's powerhouse moves got me through the Elite Four on my first play-through. Earthquake, Thrash, Horn Drill, and Surf — my Nidoking was a versatile heavyweight capable of besting most of my friends' "so much cooler" favorites. They teased me about having a "girl-colored" Pokémon, and I teased them for crumbling before my pink badass. — Trent Seely

Snorlax Unlike Nidoking, I came to love Snorlax while replaying Gen 1 as an adult. When you age it can become harder to relate to the things you once did, but other things strike a new chord. As a undergraduate student, I slept a lot, ate a lot, and didn't give too many damns about anything else. This was when I found Snorlax - my spirit Pokémon. Snorlax may not be the most amazing fighter, but who cares? Snorlax is basically a gigantic, lazy cat with A+ comedic timing. Anyone who has even casually watched the anime will tell you that Snorlax's attitude towards everything that isn't sleep and food is both hilarious and charming. Each Gen introduces a new set of Pokémon, but there is no new Pokémon I see myself more in than Snorlax. — Trent Seely