The Johto Region, introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver, is a veritable treasure trove of beautifully designed and memorable Pokémon, to say nothing of the lore and mythology of the area. Its roster bridges nostalgia with innovation, paying homage to the Pokémon that came before while still offering fresh and original concepts to keep the Pokémon fanbase engaged. Its designs have stood the test of time, offering Pokémon that still remain fan-favorites to this day, thanks to the care and emphasis placed on the Pokemon's design, creativity and lasting impact on the Pokémon world.
Filled to the brim with such wonderful Pokémon, a few stand apart as truly exceptional, cementing their place as the best of the best. From the charm of Pichu to the majesty of Ho-oh, these Pokémon species continue to hold a special place among the multitudes of Pokémon around today.
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10 Pichu Gives Another Pokémon in the Pikachu Line
Pichu Offers a Cute and Cuddly Pikachu Pre-Evolution
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Pichu features many similarities with the iconic Pikachu, such as the jagged lightning bolt tail, rosy cheeks and long, pointy ears. Smaller in size than even Pikachu, Pichu's irresistibly cute design features a softer shade of Pikachu's trademark yellow and black, opting for a more pastel shade of yellow, which helps to sell the baby Pokémon image. Even its name -- a shortened version of Pikachu -- helps to paint the infantile picture of Pichu, in the same manner in which a child learning how to speak might not be able to pronounce all the syllables of a longer name like Pikachu.
Baby Pokémon made their debut in the second generation, with Johto featuring quite a number. Pichu, the baby form and pre-evolutionary form of Pokémon mascot Pikachu, is a delightful addition to the leagues of baby Pokémon and the Johto Region Pokédex. As one of the first baby Pokémon introduced, Pichu's cute, compact and charming design emphasizes the nurturing aspect inherent in baby Pokémon, bringing it to the forefront of trainers' eyes when seeing it for the first time.
9 Ampharos Offers a Three-Stage Electric Pokémon Line
Its Design Draws Inspiration from a Lighthouse
Ampharos blends together simplicity and elegance, producing a genius third stage Electric Type Pokémon -- the first of its kind without later modifications (like Pikachu and Raichu getting Pichu in a later generation). This Electric Type Pokémon evolves from Mareep and Flaffy, shedding its wool to showcase its sleek and luminous design. The bipedal Pokémon stands tall on its back legs, exposing its white-colored belly, and sports a red gem on its forehead and a matching orb on the tip of its tail.
Ampharos boasts a lighthouse-inspired motif, as seen easily in its name: when broken up into its two components (amps as a measurement of electrical currents and pharos as the Greek word for lighthouse), the inspiration is plainly seen. Added with its Pokédex entry that mentions the bright light that shines from its tail acts as a beacon for travelers who might be lost, the intent is clear, and makes for electrifying inclusion into the ever-expanding ranks of Pokémon while also proving just why it joins the ranks of the best Pokémon designs in the Johto Region overall.
8 Espeon Gives a Psychic Type to the Eevee Line
Espeon Evolves During Daytime with High Friendship
Eevee and its previous evolutions -- Jolteon, Flareon and Vaporeon -- stood out as unique and clever additions to the first generation of Pokémon, with many fans enamored of Eevee's ability to evolve into a different line depending on the stone presented to it. The second generation of Pokémon from the Johto Region doubled down on this brilliant design mechanic, introducing two more Eeveelutions for trainers to choose from. The first of these was Espeon, the Psychic Type feline who exudes grace and intelligence.
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Espeon levels up with high friendship during the day, introducing a fresh twist on the already unique Eevee evolution mechanic. The soft lilac purple coloring, the mysterious red gem on its forehead and the way its tail forks into two at the end all work together to convey a sense of mystery and sophistication. Representing the dawn, Espeon stands out as an iconic Eeveelutions while also standing apart as one of the best Pokémon that debuted in the Johto Region.
7 Umbreon Gives a Dark Type to the Eevee Line
Umbreon Evolves During the Night with High Friendship
Umbreon serves as the second newly introduced Eeveelution trainers can choose from, adding a Dark Type evolution to Eevee's myriad possibilities. Contrasting with Espeon's theme of light, dawn and daybreak, Espeon represents darkness, dusk and the night -- a fitting choice for its elemental typing. Balancing out Espeon once again, Umbreon evolves from Eevee when a trainer reaches high enough friendship during the night, making it unique among the already creative Pokémon from the Johto Region.
Umbreon's sleek design emphasizes its connection with the dark, as its stealthy appearance and color scheme match its nocturnal nature. Its bold, black-and-gold coloring makes it stand out, with the rings on its forehead and legs said to glow on nights of the full moon. Yet its most striking physical feature are its eerie crimson eyes, which play into its mysterious aura, and help to make it a stand-out star amidst all the wonderful Pokémon species from the Johto Region and one Pokémon real life people would love to have as a companion.
6 Donphan Made a Break-Out Appearance in Pokémon: The First Movie
Its Inclusion Teased the Second Generation of Pokémon
Donphan's armored design and elephant-like features fit in well with its Ground Type affinity, pole-vaulting the tough Pokémon into the stratosphere of cool. Massive, curling tusks jut out from either side of its mouth. Thick, armor-like skin covers its gray, rugged body, starting from the tip of its tail and going over its spine to the tip of its trunk. Short, stout and sturdy, Donphan has the ability to curl up into a ball and roll around like a wheel, violently smashing into obstacles and opponents with enough force to even knock down a house.
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Older fans can easily recount the moment of seeing Donphan in Pokémon: The First Movie in a battle against Ash in the opening scenes of the film. The teaser for the second generation of Pokémon hyped up fans, getting them pumped for the next wave of Pokémon species and designs, further cementing Donphan's place in fans' hearts.
5 Celebi Guards the Forest as a Deity
It Can Also Travel Through Time
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Known as the Time Travel Pokémon, Celebi sports a fairy-like design, even though it belongs to the Psychic and Grass Types (Celebi debuted before Fairy Type was incorporated into the world of Pokémon). Transparent wings protrude from its back, and it has a round head that comes to a curved point, almost like a teardrop or a seed. Two antennas sprout from its forehead, their greenish color fading into light blue at the tips. Thick black rings circle around its baby-blue eyes, and it features round, toeless feet and three-fingered hands.
According to legend, Celebi is known as the Voice of the Forest, and this title comes into play during the Pokémon 4Ever movie. It's dual ability to time travel and exist simultaneously throughout time makes for a brilliant design choice. And its connection to the forest -- both as a guardian and deity of the forest -- gives the Pokémon a mysterious, elusive and magical feel. While perhaps not the most powerful Pokémon, it does stand out thanks to its mythical status and its brilliant design.
4 Tyranitar is a Formidable and Fearsome Dragon Type
Its Design Gives Godzilla Vibes
Following in the dragon-sized footsteps left by Dragonite in the previous generation, Tyranitar opts for power and destruction instead of cutesy or majestic. With a design that seems suspiciously reminiscent of Godzilla, Tyranitar boasts a stocky body with a green, armor-like hide covering most of it. It stands upright on its hind legs, making it a bipedal Pokémon. Jagged spikes shoot out from along its spine and around the tip of its tail, showcasing its prickly nature and affinity for combat. Piercing eyes sit above pointed fangs, warning others of its insolent nature and disregard for others.
Tyranitar perfectly captures the essence of a battle dragon, with its piercing red eyes and armored spikes granting it an intimidating presence. Dragonite holds a warm, fuzzy place in fans' hearts as one of the original dragons, but Tyranitar dominates with its colossal strength and dominance in competitive battles. It's powerful stats, diverse move pool and its versatility in combat make it a fearsome and dominating presence with a lot of strategic depth, showcasing how it reigns over other Pokémon in the Johto Region, if not one of the best Pokémon from the Gold, Silver and Crystal games.
3 Togepi is Iconic as Misty's Travel Companion
Its Cute and Egg-Like Design Shows its Baby Pokémon Status
Togepi's rounded, egg-shaped body perfectly encapsulates its baby Pokémon status. Its head, cone arms and small feet stick out of its shell, which sports a white base color and then red and blue triangle shapes. The top of its head has five rounded-tipped spikes that feel reminiscent of a crown. According to lore, Togepi can absorb positive emotions and kindness from people around it, storing that energy within its shell. It is also widely seen as a symbol of good luck, as it can share that stored happiness with others nearby.
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Many fans of the anime series recall Togepi as it traveled with Misty, the cute and darling baby Pokémon often held in her arms as she, Ash and the others traveled through the vast landscape of Johto. It's adorable and endearing appearance, along with its innocent smile and newborn curiosity about the world, made it an instant favorite with many viewers of the anime, further cementing its place as one of the best Pokémon the Johto Region has to offer.
2 Ho-oh Was the First Legendary Pokemon Ash Saw
It Revived the Legendary Beasts from Brass Tower
Inspired by the legendary phoenix, Ho-Oh's multicolored plumage includes beautiful and downright decadent shades of red, green, yellow and gold. Its massive wings shimmer like a rainbow, with its regal feathers and grand tail feathers helping to enhance its majestic and noble appearance. According to its Pokédex entry, Ho-Oh only reveals itself before pure-hearted trainers, even as it continuously flies through the worlds' vast skies.
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Ash began his Pokémon journey, inspired by a massive bird Pokémon that flew through the sky as he set out on his grand adventure. Many viewers believed that Pokémon to be a Fearrow until the second generation of Pokémon was revealed, with Ho-Oh shown as a much more likely candidate for the mystery Pokémon Ash saw instead. That marked Ho-Oh's cornerstone status in the franchise's mythology, but Ho-Oh also received another legend in connection with the Brass Tower and its role in the resurrection of Entei, Suicune and Raikou.
1 Lugia is the Guardian of the Seas
It Features as a Main Character in Pokémon: The Movie 2000
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As the counterpart to Ho-Oh and the star of the Pokémon: The Movie 2000 film, Lugia serves as the Guardian of the Seas. It's sleek, dragon-like design includes a massive white body with blue plates running down its spine. Its hand-like wings allow the Pokémon to fly, and when tucked in close against its body, to soar through the water with just as much ease. Its streamlined, aeronautical appearance evokes both power and elegance, befitting Lugia's Legendary status and its dual Water and Psychic Type.
According to lore, Lugia can control the weather, specifically calming storms. This cements its place as an environmental-conscious Pokémon, which is again seen in Pokémon: The Movie 2000 as it calms the raging legendary birds, Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres. Plus, as its Pokédex entry says, it spends time at the bottom of the sea because its powers are too strong, showcasing how utterly terrible and destructive it has the potential to be.
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Pokemon
Expanding across a multitude of media, including TCGs, video games, manga, live-action movies and anime, the Pokémon franchise is set in a shared world of humans and creatures with a wide variety of special abilities.
Created by Satoshi Tajiri
First Film Pokemon: The First Movie
Latest Film Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle
First TV Show Pokémon
Latest TV Show Pokémon Horizons
First Episode Air Date April 1, 1997
Video Game(s) Pokémon GO , Pokemon X and Y , Pokémon Legends Arceus , Pokémon Scarlet and Violet , Pokémon Sword and Shield , Pokémon Diamond & Pearl , Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl , Pokemon Red and Blue , Detective Pikachu , Detective Pikachu Returns , Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! , Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!
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