Happy Throwback Thursday! Today, we're taking things all the way back to 1996, when the world first got a glimpse of the 151 original Pokémon as part of Generation I. Ranking our 10 favourites based on pretty much no specific criteria at all, we're sure to break some hearts with the exclusions of such favourites as Pikachu and Chansey. The emotional attachment we all had with various different Pokémon from the first generation was exponential, and everybody has hugely varied opinions when it comes to their favourites. With all that being said, here are the 10 that have secured a permanent place in my heart!
10. Jigglypuff
SO SQUIDGY LOOK AT ITS LITTLE FACE. Jigglypuff is stunning, and I'll hear no different. When it sings, it sends other Pokémon to sleep, and can then turn into one of the most fierce fighting machines the first Generation ever saw. If you don't love Jigglypuff, you've got a heart of stone.
9. Ninetales
Luxury. Glamour. Style. Substance. They're all things you're going to get from Ninetales, who's a Fire-type Pokémon evolved from its first form, Vulpix. It may look friendly and ready for a hug, but rumours suggest that if you so much as pull one of its tails, it'll curse you for 1,000 years. Perhaps best left to look after itself...
8. Arcanine
Oh hey you big fuzzy ball of fluff. Arcanine was meant to be a Legendary Pokémon, but plans to make it so were shelved at the last minute. Still, it kept its beautiful look, and is without a doubt one of the most interesting Fire-type beasts on the roster.
7. Marowak
A Pokémon that's a fan of playing dress-up, Marowak wears a little skull on its head to try and ward off potential opponents. It also carries around a bone to whack anybody who dares to get too close, making it perhaps one of the crankiest Pokémon on the entire roster.
There's actually a really tragic backstory to Marowak. They're the evolved form of a Cubone that has grown a thicker skin and mighty set of skills by overcoming the grief of losing its mother. If you thought Pokémon was a stupid franchise just for kids, surely this proves you wrong.
6. Snorlax
One of the most iconic Pokémon in the franchise's history, Snorlax is one lazy mother lover. That's why we love them. More relatable than most, it just wants to sleep and relax, and if that isn't a Pokémon after my own heart, I don't know what is.
5. Gengar
It may look scary, but Gengar is nothing of the sort. They're a misunderstood Ghost and Poison-type creature, with huge endearing eyes and a wicked smile... Okay, we may be letting the final evolutionary form of Gastly away with a lot here, but they just look so damn cuddly! Who cares if you lose a finger to their spiky teeth? IT'S SO CUTE.
4. Eevee
Eevee may be considered a 'Normal'-type Pokémon, but there's absolutely nothing normal about this creature. It can evolve into one of eight total different Pokémon at the time of writing, due to its unstable genetic makeup that mutates dependant on the environment in which it lives. Radiation from stones, such as a Water Stone, can be used to direct its evolutionary path.
3. Charmander
The first Starter Pokémon to make an appearance in this list, Charmander is probably the most popular of all three when it comes to the wider public, but has always been the least interesting to me. That doesn't mean I hate the little creature - they're absolutely adorable at the worst of times - but they don't really do anything for me. It's the least exciting element of all three Starter Pokémon, we know what it does - it burns! Still, it's definitely a useful little guy when it begins its evolutionary path to becoming the powerful Charizard!
2. Squirtle
If you wanted an easy way through the first Gym in the original video games, then Squirtle was your best Starter choice. The powerful Water-type Pokémon decimated Brock's rock-based monsters, taking each of them out with a single move if you spent enough time levelling Squirtle before claiming your first Gym badge.
Squirtle is the Pokémon that allowed so many millions to fall in love with the franchise, and for that they've gotta be respected. The gorgeous art design draws you right in, and the evolutionary path that Squirtle takes is amongst the best the franchise has ever seen.
1. Bulbasaur
I remember the peer pressure of leaving Bulbasaur behind in Professor Oak's lab when I was younger. Friends thought that Charmander and Squirtle were the only Starter Pokémon worth your time, and it made the Grass and Poison-type monster the least-chosen at the beginning of the original video games. With the first two Gyms in those original games being rock and water-based however, Bulbasaur is actually the best Starter option you can go with to ensure success.
Now, I've got some major love for the bug-eyed species. With a huge seed on its back that grows the more it takes in the sun's rays, Bulbasaur is chill for the most-part, but don't let that fool you... When it comes to battle, they've got some mind-bending moves in their arsenal to help take down an opponent!