Read This: A Rant on UU Pokémon
Recently, we've noticed an uprise in the popularity of UU Pokémon, a.k.a. underrated Pokémon. Doesn't sound major, right? Well, we think otherwise.
To understand this a little more, a bit of history is needed here. Back in 2004-2005, underrated Pokémon were just what their title suggested: underrated. A select few took to liking these Pokémon, such as Tropical Spirit and I.
I can imagine the reactions to that statement, so let me say that this rant is not out of bitterness between the two of us. Even if Tropical Spirit and I weren't fans of decidedly underrated Pokémon, I have no doubt that it would annoy us equally as much. We were some of the first anti-Charizard folk here, and neither of us were fans prior to that upsurge of popularity. It just happened, just as this us happening now. Tropical Spirit and I just happen to be part of this ever-growing bandwagon.
But I'm digressing. To get back on topic, underrated Pokémon were never really appreciated. And there's nothing wrong with that. There were a few fans here and there who took some time to recognize these Pokémon for their creativity and potential use. It was a fairly balanced system. But, especially in 2006, there's been an increase in the amount of UU fans. I won't name names, my reason being that I do like many of the people this rant is directed toward, and I don't want it to be taken in the wrong way.
But the fans of many OU Pokémon have been vanishing, replaced instead by newer members who are outspoken against these OU juggernauts and favor UU Pokémon. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because they genuinely like those Pokémon. But my suspicion is that UU admiration was becoming a fad as 2006 progressed. In other words, a bandwagon was formed, an unintentional one, at that. I wouldn't be egotistic enough to blame myself for that bandwagon earning its wheels, but there are certainly many respectable members here whose opinions may have influenced those of newcomers'.
Normally, this would be a good thing, right? UU Pokémon finally getting the attention they were denied previously. Sounds cool to me. But two problems stem from that newfound popularity. Firstly, and less importantly, UU Pokémon become less underrated. That defeats the point of liking them, really. People like them because no one else does, and are proud of their one-man fandom. But if everyone else follows suit, that sense of individuality is ruined.
The most prominent example of this is Dragonite. NetBattlers in particular are standing up and feeling the worth of this juggernaut, the only one of the four who isn't commonly seen in OU Play. DDNite, CBNite, SubPunchNite....All of a sudden, the big orange lizard is getting a lot more attention, simply because someone got tired of Salamence and decided to go for its little brother for once.
But, therein lies the problem. That's the entire reason this rant exists. Though I'm a bit against the thought of underrated Pokémon overtaking Charizard, Kingdra, Shuckle, and the like, there's a bigger problem that extends from this: There's only so much you can do to emphasize your love of your underrated champion. Sooner or later, you'll exhaust all the good points of it. So what is there left to do?
Blame. Blame its superiors, blame its fans, blame anything or anyone who stands in the way of general popularity of your underrated Pokémon. Again, I'll use Dragonite as an example. More and more people are using and loving this thing, and as a result, Salamence is garnering a lot more hatred. As opposed to before, when Salamence dominated the Polls of preference, the results are tying frequently, often with Dragonite taking the lead. However, to me at least, that sounds like I'm biased in favor of Salamence. So I've come prepared for that eventuality.
Look here. That is the kind of hostility I'm talking about. This is why this bias is a bad thing. With the newfound Dragonite fans, Salamence's popularity has dwindled alarmingly. People hate it. And they hate it because it's more recognized than Dragonite as a competent battler.
Salamence is a darn good Pokémon. That's not opinion, that's fact; statistics support it. But it's getting a terrible reputation. It's not like Charizard, who isn't the best battler around. Salamence hits hard and fast, with high Speed and Offenses. It has a huge movepool, and it's quite hard to beat without a proper counter. It doesn't deserve the hatred it's been receiving recently.
People can dislike it, but if they hate it because Dragonite is overshadowed in comparison, then that's just stupid. Newbies could easily be misled by this hatred, forgoing this mighty battler in favor Dragonite. Dragonite's a fine battler and all, but Salamence is overall more usable and versatile. It's just better to use, in most cases. But that fact could easily be overlapped by the flourishing bias against Salamence that SPPf is harboring.
Similarly, Skarmory and Blissey suffer from the hatred of UU fanatics. I can't tell you how many people hate these two just because of their undeniable usefulness. People call them ugly, people call them attention *****s, and people call them just about anything they can to get people to join in the campaign.
There's no reason for that. Use Ledian instead of Blissey. Go ahead. No one's stopping you. You're not going to be shot for doing so. No one's going to hack your game, delete your Ledian and replace it with a Blissey. Blissey isn't going to eat your Ledian and take its place. Blissey has nothing to do with your usage of Ledian. The most you'll get is a few laughs out of Competitive Battlers for not using a superior Special Wall.
However, no one's going to stop you but yourself. That's the idea behind 'free will'. People are blowing Blissey's popularity far out of proportion. Blissey isn't even that used, anymore. There are a bunch of counters to Blissey, such as Boah, Snorlax, Sceptile, or even Dragonite. People are using Suicune, Regice, Snorlax, and other Special Walls, who aren't as easily countered and can do the same job, but with a bit more Offensive power.
Blaming Blissey for Ledian's neglect is like blaming the sun for global warming. It can't help it; it just does what it does. Blissey was made to be a Special Wall, and it will continue to do so no matter how many fanboys wet themselves over Blissey's perceived Uber power.
I'm not asking for much here. All I want is a decrease in the animosity that has been directed towards the OU Pokémon. It's not their fault that they're used. Just as it's your choice to use Hypno or Mightyena, it's the choice of serious players to use Salamence and Snorlax. Does that mean Hypno and Mightyena should never be used? No. Anyone can use these Pokémon, and they have the ability to do damage and annoy the opponent. It's just that Snorlax and Salamence are more usable and are generally easier to use, and people go for that. Whatever works, Competitive Battlers use it.
Why hold that against them? We're all free to use whatever we want to. Our choices are our own. We can influence the opinions of others, but it's ultimately the person in question who makes the decision, not the one who persuades the said person to use what they like. Salamence, Skarmory, and Blissey are all excellent Pokémon, and they're recommended to new players because they work. That's simple logic.
If you're upset that Mawile and Wailord don't get the respect they deserve, get over it. Seriously. That's the way it is. A few angry posts on a Pokémon Forum isn't going to make Nintendo Uberize the Pokémon they've neglected, nor will flaming the superiors of the weaker Pokémon.
I'm a big fan of Luvdisc and Lickitung. I think they're great Pokémon, but, unlike many of the other supporters of underrated Pokémon that have spawned over the past few months, I don't go to pieces when someone insults them. Luvdisc is horrendously weak, and Lickitung was really screwed over when it comes to Stats. I don't bother telling them that they can be killers when used in the right way, nor do I blame Snorlax or Milotic for being better Water/Normal Pokémon(respectively). That's the truth, and I've learned to live with it. I like the Pokémon for what they are, and I don't care how bad or how ridiculed they are. That's what being a fan is, in short, but some people don't seem to realize that. And that's why this Thread exists.
OK. Tropical Spirit and I have been discussing this over IM, and we both agree that this is a problem that has been growing over the past few months.
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Recently, we've noticed an uprise in the popularity of UU Pokémon, a.k.a. underrated Pokémon. Doesn't sound major, right? Well, we think otherwise.
To understand this a little more, a bit of history is needed here. Back in 2004-2005, underrated Pokémon were just what their title suggested: underrated. A select few took to liking these Pokémon, such as Tropical Spirit and I.
I can imagine the reactions to that statement, so let me say that this rant is not out of bitterness between the two of us. Even if Tropical Spirit and I weren't fans of decidedly underrated Pokémon, I have no doubt that it would annoy us equally as much. We were some of the first anti-Charizard folk here, and neither of us were fans prior to that upsurge of popularity. It just happened, just as this us happening now. Tropical Spirit and I just happen to be part of this ever-growing bandwagon.
But I'm digressing. To get back on topic, underrated Pokémon were never really appreciated. And there's nothing wrong with that. There were a few fans here and there who took some time to recognize these Pokémon for their creativity and potential use. It was a fairly balanced system. But, especially in 2006, there's been an increase in the amount of UU fans. I won't name names, my reason being that I do like many of the people this rant is directed toward, and I don't want it to be taken in the wrong way.
But the fans of many OU Pokémon have been vanishing, replaced instead by newer members who are outspoken against these OU juggernauts and favor UU Pokémon. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because they genuinely like those Pokémon. But my suspicion is that UU admiration was becoming a fad as 2006 progressed. In other words, a bandwagon was formed, an unintentional one, at that. I wouldn't be egotistic enough to blame myself for that bandwagon earning its wheels, but there are certainly many respectable members here whose opinions may have influenced those of newcomers'.
~
Normally, this would be a good thing, right? UU Pokémon finally getting the attention they were denied previously. Sounds cool to me. But two problems stem from that newfound popularity. Firstly, and less importantly, UU Pokémon become less underrated. That defeats the point of liking them, really. People like them because no one else does, and are proud of their one-man fandom. But if everyone else follows suit, that sense of individuality is ruined.
The most prominent example of this is Dragonite. NetBattlers in particular are standing up and feeling the worth of this juggernaut, the only one of the four who isn't commonly seen in OU Play. DDNite, CBNite, SubPunchNite....All of a sudden, the big orange lizard is getting a lot more attention, simply because someone got tired of Salamence and decided to go for its little brother for once.
~
But, therein lies the problem. That's the entire reason this rant exists. Though I'm a bit against the thought of underrated Pokémon overtaking Charizard, Kingdra, Shuckle, and the like, there's a bigger problem that extends from this: There's only so much you can do to emphasize your love of your underrated champion. Sooner or later, you'll exhaust all the good points of it. So what is there left to do?
Blame. Blame its superiors, blame its fans, blame anything or anyone who stands in the way of general popularity of your underrated Pokémon. Again, I'll use Dragonite as an example. More and more people are using and loving this thing, and as a result, Salamence is garnering a lot more hatred. As opposed to before, when Salamence dominated the Polls of preference, the results are tying frequently, often with Dragonite taking the lead. However, to me at least, that sounds like I'm biased in favor of Salamence. So I've come prepared for that eventuality.
Look here. That is the kind of hostility I'm talking about. This is why this bias is a bad thing. With the newfound Dragonite fans, Salamence's popularity has dwindled alarmingly. People hate it. And they hate it because it's more recognized than Dragonite as a competent battler.
Salamence is a darn good Pokémon. That's not opinion, that's fact; statistics support it. But it's getting a terrible reputation. It's not like Charizard, who isn't the best battler around. Salamence hits hard and fast, with high Speed and Offenses. It has a huge movepool, and it's quite hard to beat without a proper counter. It doesn't deserve the hatred it's been receiving recently.
People can dislike it, but if they hate it because Dragonite is overshadowed in comparison, then that's just stupid. Newbies could easily be misled by this hatred, forgoing this mighty battler in favor Dragonite. Dragonite's a fine battler and all, but Salamence is overall more usable and versatile. It's just better to use, in most cases. But that fact could easily be overlapped by the flourishing bias against Salamence that SPPf is harboring.
~
Similarly, Skarmory and Blissey suffer from the hatred of UU fanatics. I can't tell you how many people hate these two just because of their undeniable usefulness. People call them ugly, people call them attention *****s, and people call them just about anything they can to get people to join in the campaign.
There's no reason for that. Use Ledian instead of Blissey. Go ahead. No one's stopping you. You're not going to be shot for doing so. No one's going to hack your game, delete your Ledian and replace it with a Blissey. Blissey isn't going to eat your Ledian and take its place. Blissey has nothing to do with your usage of Ledian. The most you'll get is a few laughs out of Competitive Battlers for not using a superior Special Wall.
However, no one's going to stop you but yourself. That's the idea behind 'free will'. People are blowing Blissey's popularity far out of proportion. Blissey isn't even that used, anymore. There are a bunch of counters to Blissey, such as Boah, Snorlax, Sceptile, or even Dragonite. People are using Suicune, Regice, Snorlax, and other Special Walls, who aren't as easily countered and can do the same job, but with a bit more Offensive power.
Blaming Blissey for Ledian's neglect is like blaming the sun for global warming. It can't help it; it just does what it does. Blissey was made to be a Special Wall, and it will continue to do so no matter how many fanboys wet themselves over Blissey's perceived Uber power.
~
I'm not asking for much here. All I want is a decrease in the animosity that has been directed towards the OU Pokémon. It's not their fault that they're used. Just as it's your choice to use Hypno or Mightyena, it's the choice of serious players to use Salamence and Snorlax. Does that mean Hypno and Mightyena should never be used? No. Anyone can use these Pokémon, and they have the ability to do damage and annoy the opponent. It's just that Snorlax and Salamence are more usable and are generally easier to use, and people go for that. Whatever works, Competitive Battlers use it.
Why hold that against them? We're all free to use whatever we want to. Our choices are our own. We can influence the opinions of others, but it's ultimately the person in question who makes the decision, not the one who persuades the said person to use what they like. Salamence, Skarmory, and Blissey are all excellent Pokémon, and they're recommended to new players because they work. That's simple logic.
~
If you're upset that Mawile and Wailord don't get the respect they deserve, get over it. Seriously. That's the way it is. A few angry posts on a Pokémon Forum isn't going to make Nintendo Uberize the Pokémon they've neglected, nor will flaming the superiors of the weaker Pokémon.
I'm a big fan of Luvdisc and Lickitung. I think they're great Pokémon, but, unlike many of the other supporters of underrated Pokémon that have spawned over the past few months, I don't go to pieces when someone insults them. Luvdisc is horrendously weak, and Lickitung was really screwed over when it comes to Stats. I don't bother telling them that they can be killers when used in the right way, nor do I blame Snorlax or Milotic for being better Water/Normal Pokémon(respectively). That's the truth, and I've learned to live with it. I like the Pokémon for what they are, and I don't care how bad or how ridiculed they are. That's what being a fan is, in short, but some people don't seem to realize that. And that's why this Thread exists.
~*CB*~
The 8th Champion
The 8th Champion
