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Pokémon Diamond/Pearl

Pokémon at 25: Our favourite creatures from the Sinnoh region

These are our favourite creatures that you'll be able to encounter once more in the remakes.

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After many years of rumour and speculation, it was finally revealed yesterday that remakes for Diamond and Pearl will be launching later this year. This pair of fourth generation games were the first Pokémon titles on the Nintendo DS and they introduced online multiplayer to the series for the first time. They certainly hold a place in the heart's of many, and this was shown by how vocal the community was in pushing for them to be remade.

To celebrate the announcement of the remakes and the 25th anniversary of Pokémon as a whole, we have decided to countdown our 25 favourite Pokémon from the Sinnoh region.

Grotle - #388

What isn't there to love about Grotle? It's a silly looking turtle with bushes sprouting out of its back, and in our opinion, it's the least awkward looking of the three starter Pokémon's middle stages. It also sounds like a creature you'd want to befriend, as the Pokédex entry from Black & White states that it carries other Pokémon on its back after finding pure water.

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Chimchar - #390

Out of the region's three starter Pokémon, it's Chimchar that's easily the most adorable. This cheeky looking chimp has a flame coming out of its rear end, and the Pokédex states that it extinguishes this fire to protect others before it goes to sleep - how considerate!

Empoleon - #395

It's surprising to think that Game Freak took until 2006 to design a Pokémon after an emperor penguin, given how much a natural fit Empoleon is. This Water-type looks absolutely badass due to its bulky exterior, and its yellow beak that forms the shape of a three-pronged spear. Choosing Piplup might mean that you have a disadvantage early on against Gardenia's Grass-type team, but the wait here is certainly worth it.

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Bidoof - #399

Okay, so Bidoof isn't exactly one of the most powerful or majestic looking Pokémon to debut within this generation, but we had to give it a mention due to how adorably goofy it looks. With its giant buck teeth, beady eyes, and chubby frame, it's easily (for us, at least) the most memorable Route 1 Normal-type Pokémon to have ever graced the series.

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Luxray - #405

Gen 4 blessed us with not one, but two of the best Electric-types within the entire series. Luxray is a great companion to have on your team especially within the mid stretch of the game, as it fully evolves at Level 30 and has the type advantage against the fourth and fifth gym leaders. As well its use in battle, Luxray is just a stunning looking Pokémon, as it has a star for a tail and its colours of blue, yellow, and black really work to compliment each other.

Roserade - #407

Up until this generation, Grass-type Pokémon (outside the starters) had a reputation of being pretty weak, but Roserade arrived and showed the masses that they could be a force to be reckoned with. This new evolution to Roselia boasts an impressive Sp.Atk stat, and its overall base stat total puts it into the same ballpark as both Aerodactyl and Yanmega.

Bastiodon - #411

From a design perspective, Bastiodon still stands as one of the finest Fossil Pokémon in the series. This ancient creature has a body coated in steel and its head is shaped like a bulldozer. We certainly wouldn't want to get caught in the path of a charging Bastiodon, as its face (according to the Ultra Moon Pokédex) is said to be as hard as steel.

Burmy - #412

It's unlikely that you're going to be making it to the Elite Four with Burmy or its evolved forms within your party, but do hear us out as to why this Bug-type is worth your attention. Burmy can evolve into one of two different creatures depending on its gender, and a really cool feature is that its appearance changes depending on the location you most recently battled in.

Vespiquen - #416

Along with its majestic design, Vespiquen manages to scrape its way onto our list due to its unique and rather frustrating evolution method. To be able to obtain Vespiquen in the Gen 4 games you need to have a female Combee reach level 21. It sounds pretty straight forward, but there's only a 10% chance of the Pokémon being the correct gender. So yeah, we wish you the very best of luck if you're trying to obtain a shiny version.

Mismagius - #422

At first glance, Mismagius looks just like a witch with a pointed hat and the wild Ghost type Pokémon usually confirms this first impression. It is feared by Pokémon and Trainers alike for causing the worst nightmares if you dare to anger them. What hardly anyone knows is that Mismagius can also make your deepest dreams come true - if they like you.

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Garchomp - #445

In a 2020 Pokémon of the year poll hosted by Google, Garchomp managed to rank in an impressive seventh place when competing against over 800 other creatures. Its popularity isn't hard to understand though given its eye-catching design. Garchomp's head is shaped like a hammerhead shark, it has a gold star on its snout, and it has razor-sharp blades as arms.

Munchlax - #446

Munchlax is the only baby Pokémon to make an appearance on this list. Mime Jr., and Happiny didn't make the cut due to how pathetically weak they are, but we found ourselves developing a real sweet spot for Snorlax's pre-evolution. Personally, we just like how different in character it seems from the endlessly sleeping blob, as it appears content and spritely with a big smile on its face. It makes you wonder just how its transformation into Snorlax even happened.

Lucario - #446

Outrage would have certainly followed if we didn't include Lucario within this list. This Fighting/ Steel type Pokémon pretty much became the mascot for the fourth generation of games and it has been present within every subsequent release since. Lucario's coolness was even able to hit further new heights, as it received its own Mega Evolution in X & Y.

Abomasnow - #460

As well as being an absolute tank, Abomasnow stands out for its pretty unique typing of Grass and Ice. Having one of those guys on your team means that you have great type coverage, as it can learn moves such as Blizzard and Wood Hammer. Just be careful of its 4x fire weakness.

Magnezone - #462

It was pretty much the trend this generation to add new evolutions and pre-evolutions to existing Pokémon rather than create new lines. This addition to the Magnemite line is one of our go-to Electric types when it comes to starting a new playthrough, as its HP is plentiful and it can utilise powerful Steel-type attacks such as Flash Cannon.

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Yanmega - #469

Making previously useless Pokémon viable was something that Gen 4 excelled at and Yanmega is a shining example of this. Yanmega may just look like a slightly larger dragonfly, but it is a significant improvement over its pre-evolved form Yanma with its base stat total increasing by 125 points. It shouldn't be one to be messed with too, as its Pokédex entry claims that it is "adept at biting apart foes while flying by at high speeds."

Leafeon - #470

A Grass-type Eeveelution was something that fans had been craving for since the release of Generation 1 and it finally arrived within Sinnoh. Not only did it enable the adorable Eevee to become the Grass-type member of our team, but it also introduced an interesting new evolution method. To be able to get a Leafeon on your team, you need to level it up next to a Moss Rock found within Eterna Forest.

Glaceon - #471

With Abomasnow, Froslass, and Mamoswine all making their debut, Generation 4 didn't slouch when it came to new Ice-types. Easily though the biggest fan favourite from this bunch is Glaceon, the second Eeveelution to arrive in Diamond and Pearl. Glaceon has an especially high Sp.Atk stat and its defence and Sp.Def are nothing to scoff at either.

Gliscor - #472

With its barbed tail, black wings, and pointed teeth, Gliscor is pretty much what you'd get if Dracula and a scorpion had a baby. If you don't find that a cool concept for a Pokémon, then we really don't know what might be wrong with you.

Gallade - #475

Everyone who was unlucky enough to train a male Kirlia in Generation 3 (only to find out that the fairy queen only emerges from the female specimens) has been able to help their old buddy develop with a Dawn Stone since Pearl and Diamond. The type combination of Fighting and Psycho enables interesting tactics that revealed their full potential many years later when Galade's mega evolution was introduced with Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire.

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Probopass - #476

Probopass never fails to make us smile every time that we see it out on the battlefield. Its giant red nose and black bushy moustache give it a comedic look like no other Pokémon and bizarrely, it has three mini-nose attached to it that it can control to search for prey. Sure, you won't be seeing this guy on many competitive teams, but it has a look you won't forget soon.

Froslass - #478

Froslass is one of those Pokémon you certainly don't want to mess around with. Her background story circles around the tragic death of a woman froze to death on a snowy mountain. Her ghost still lingers around in regret, and it can often be seen collecting beautiful things, like humans or other Pokémon that she freezes with her -60 degrees ice cold breath.

Rotom - #479

This mischievous little ball of electricity might not evolve, but it can occupy different appliances to change its typing, making it one of the most flexible creatures in the series. Its forms are hilarious too, with it being able to occupy a washing machine, a lawn mower, and a fan. In subsequent games, this little guy also has other uses, as it functions as your phone within Sword and Shield and your Pokédex in Sun and Moon, so deserves a shout out just for that.

Giratina - #487

Along with Diamond and Pearl, we also got the excellent Pokemon Platinum this generation, which is arguably the best 'enhanced edition' the series has ever seen. One particular standout moment from this third game was venturing to the Distortion World to capture the box art legendary, Giratina. This legendary has the unique typing of Ghost/Dragon, and it looks absolutely terrifying with its piercing red eyes and giant spiked wings.

Arceus - #493

Not adding the Pokémon God to this list would be an absolute sin, so we had to reserve Arceus a spot. This powerful being is credited with being the creator of the Pokémon universe, so without it we wouldn't have any other creatures to place here. Along with its lore significance, this deity is also massively powerful too, as it has a base stat total of 720.

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