Friend Faves

Every Pokémon fan seems to have their favorite Pokémon. And they like them for a variety of reasons, competitive or otherwise. Even my fellow Pokémon colleagues and friends have their own faves, and at one point or another, they've informed to me theirs. It then becomes fascinating to (try to) understand what they see in the Pokémon they like and how they are appealing for them.

One of my friends likes the Grass-type Lilligant. He's a competitive player, so it's no surprise he likes its usage in competition battles, especially how it could have been used within the competitive regulations of the past. It has a high Special Attack and it's quite speedy, and this can be exploited in certain situations. Notwithstanding its competitive abilities, it's a pretty and attractive Pokémon, and its gender is female-only to boot. While I could see this being a particular attracting factor, it is perhaps the competitive abilities that play a bigger part.

Meanwhile, a different colleague likes the Fairy-type Sylveon. This particular attraction seems to be particularly emphasized as a fascination with its appearance, which has been demonstrated quite a few times. This in fact evokes one of the Four Notions that I've discussed of certain Japanese fandoms - that of "waifu", as I mentioned in a discussion about it. Yet, though Sylveon is pinkish in color and suggests feminine qualities, there are also many that are male. Regardless, it is his attraction, and I won't question that - Sylveon is cute in my book too, perhaps as much as this is true in his eyes.

Evolutions of Eevee ("Eeveelutions") seem to be popular and attractive among fans, and I know of another friend and fan who likes another. He likes the Electric-type Jolteon instead. In contrast to the example of Sylveon as mentioned, Jolteon appears more masculine and fierce. He shares the same fascination, though not to the same level from what I can tell. I have once tried to play into this attraction, and this seems to have worked well. We allowed ourselves to understand each other and Pokémon through this.

It's totally understandable that different Pokémon fans have their own selection of favorite Pokémon, but it's also totally great to understand what they like. And there's always something, whether it is for use in competition or something else. I can't help but like what they like based on what they've demonstrated about certain Pokémon.