Talking Point: What’s The Best New Pokémon Design In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet?

The Best Pokémon Designs of Gen 9 — *Image: Nintendo Life*

There are 107 new Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet, including all new evolutions, forms, and legendaries — and we’re here today to pick the very best of them.

Our writers (the ones playing Pokémon, anyway) have sat down to decide their favourite Pokémon designs out of those 107 — and even though our picks are sometimes determined by competitive suitability and sometimes just by sheer cuteness, we hope you’ll agree with us. Here’s what we went with!

Kate Gray, Staff Writer

The Best Pokémon Designs of Gen 9: Tandemaus — *Image: Nintendo Life*

The entire Tandemaus line. I’m obsessed. It’s two mice, and their evolution is two mice plus babies. That’s not evolution, that’s biology.

They also look so adorably stupid, with their blank little eyes and their expressionless little faces, and I’m a sucker for any round Pokémon.

Also, honourable mention to Dudunsparce, for similar reasons — it’s just such a goofy idea for a design. “Dunsparce, but more”. Love it.

The Best Pokémon Designs of Gen 9: Dudunsparce — *Image: Nintendo Life*

I’m happy to see the Pokémon designers taking weirder ideas and running with them, like convergent evolution and whatever Tandemaus is all about. I wish they didn’t pad out the Pokédex with Pokémon I’ve already seen from previous gens, though.

Alana Hagues, Staff Writer

I’m picking a couple of later Pokémon who stand out as favourites for me at the moment — sorry to Fuecoco’s evolution, Skeledirge, for its awesome Gaudi-inspired coffin design and microphone bird flame…thing.

The Best Pokémon Designs of Gen 9: Glimmona — *Image: Nintendo Life*

Glimmora is fast becoming my favourite Paldea Pokémon, and part of that is because of its design. It’s a Rock/Poison type that’s likely based on copper sulphate, a toxic compound that’s formed of blue crystals. But it’s a really beautiful take on it — Glimmora looks like a crystallised flower, and while most of the time it floats around in a kind of bullet form, sometimes it hangs on the walls face-first. It’s a really simple, sleek design that I’ve grown attached to.

The Best Pokémon Designs of Gen 9: Tatsugiri — *Image: Nintendo Life*

Shoutout to Tatsugiri, who is the funniest concept for a Dragon-type Pokémon ever. A sushi fish? With three different variations? It’s so stupid, but I love it all the same. Of course I have all three forms, but I think Droopy is my favourite.

Gen 9 doesn’t have as memorable a selection of new ‘mons as Galar did, but a lot of its middle and final evolutions are pretty darn cool, and I think the simplicity of many of the new Pokémon wins out in some ways.

Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer

The Best Pokémon Designs of Gen 9: Charcadet — *Image: Nintendo Life*

Okay, so listen, there’s really only one acceptable answer to this question, and that’s Charcadet. The little thing is just so adorable, yet somehow exudes remarkable power. In short, Charcadet would have been the perfect fire starter Pokémon had we not already got Fuecoco.

In fact, I’m almost hesitant to follow the relevant steps to evolve Charcadet, because I’ve grown so unreasonably attached to it. It’s proven itself to be a great member of my team and held its own against several gym leaders and titan Pokémon.

A special shoutout, however, goes to Pawmi. This little Pokémon evolves twice and gains a secondary fighting type when it evolves into Pawmo, but the first iteration is just so darn cute, it could honestly give Pikachu a run for its money as the very best electric type.