Ranking the Baby Pokemon

Today, we're introducing a new segment on my blog that I like to call Stellar Gets Nerdy. There really isn't much to this segment that you can't already tell from the title: I, Stellar, will be talking about things that can reasonably be called "nerdy". Think of it as like the "Fandom Friday" segments from The Brick Wall, my old blog. Most of that was dedicated to me and my friends being cringy middle schoolers and gushing about how obsessed we were with Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Here is where I'm going to talk about books, movies, maybe some TV, and especially relevant for today, video games.

I'm not much of a gamer, and for the most part, my gaming knowledge is pretty much limited to Mario Kart and Just Dance, although I also like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, even if I can't tell you much about most of the characters. But towards the end of 2018, I started to get into Pokemon. I think my brothers were sort of into Pokemon when they were younger, but I didn't really know much about it until recently. I even missed out on the whole Pokemon Go craze in 2016, when it was the hottest game around. However, I did start playing Pokemon Go a full two years after it first became popular, purely because some friends in gym class were talking about it and I thought it sounded interesting. From there, my interest skyrocketed. I've still never played a real Pokemon game (although I definitely would like to), but I just really like learning about all the different creatures. I like how they have so many different kinds of Pokemon, from the intimidating to the adorable. I like learning about the different origins behind each Pokemon, often rooted in folklore and mythology from different cultures. I like watching the anime and seeing how these creatures act in their own world. I like how they emphasize that even though you can use your Pokemon to fight, above all else, they are your friends, like a pet but even stronger. The world of Pokemon is filled with creativity, imagination, and wonder, and even though I missed out on it as a kid, it makes me feel like a kid again.

A big part of why I like Pokemon so much is because I'm the type of person who loves cutesy things. Pokemon comes from Japan, where a big part of their pop culture is based on cute things, known as kawaii. Because of this, a lot of Pokemon tend to be designed with cuteness in mind, and as a result, we have adorable characters like a tiny, playful blue sea turtle, a pudgy electric Corgi, a singing pink puffball, a spherical owl with a leafy bow tie, and of course, Pikachu. But although the first generation of Pokemon gave us such iconic and adorable characters as Pikachu, Eevee, and Jigglypuff, the developers weren't stopping there. In the second generation, with the games Pokemon Gold and Silver came the mechanism of breeding Pokemon, and with the introduction of breeding came new, smaller, in most cases cuter versions of favorite Pokemon, known as baby Pokemon! And that's what we're ranking today: we're ranking the baby Pokemon based on nothing but my personal preference. But before we begin, we need to establish our criteria for baby Pokemon. I use the ever-helpful Bulbapedia to answer my every Pokemon question, so here is what Bulbapedia counts as the criteria in defining "baby Pokemon":

"Specifically, baby Pokémon can be classified by the following criteria:
-Must be obtainable by breeding.
-Must be the lowest form in a family chain and must be able to evolve at least once.
-Must belong to the Undiscovered Egg Group*."

*Side note, the Undiscovered Egg Group basically means that the Pokemon that hatch from eggs in this group are unable to breed. Of course the babies belong to this group- they're babies. Why would they be reproducing? Bulbapedia also contains a list of the baby Pokemon, and we are going to be ranking the Pokemon only on that list, from my least favorite to my favorite. That's enough rambling, let's get ready for some cuties.

Honestly, if you don't think at least one of these characters is cute...then I don't know what to tell you. Clearly you and I have different ideas of cuteness.

19. Tyrogue

Evolves into Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, or Hitmontop depending on its attack stat. It's weird. 

Tyrogue is cute, but it's my least favorite because it's so weirdly shaped. I'm sorry, but its body shape looks...almost phallic, and when looking at a baby, my first thought should not be that it is shaped like a certain male anatomical structure. It's also not too special in that it's literally just a purple boy with spikes on its head. The Pokemon world has so much more creativity than that. 

18. Riolu

Evolves into Lucario

Riolu evolves into the ever-popular Lucario, one of the fan favorites from the fourth generation. Although not one of my absolute favorites, I think Lucario is a pretty cool Pokemon, but I'm just not super into Riolu. It's about a 6/10 on the cuteness scale, which is a lot lower than some of the other ones. And I know, who am I to criticize something for not being cute? Well, that's pretty much the entire point of baby Pokemon, so if it's not an 11/10 adorable Pokemon, then I don't really have any use for it. 

17. Magby

Evolves into Magmar

I'm sorry, Magby, you're cute. You look like a cute, sort of apprehensive fire duck. You're also the only fire-type baby Pokemon, so you stand out amongst your friends. But your head is so weirdly shaped! Seriously, what is its head supposed to be? Well, probably coal, seeing as it is known as the "Live Coal Pokemon", but it really just ends up looking like Magby has pimples or tumors covering its head. Poor Magby. 

16. Budew

Evolves into Roselia

The final stage of this Pokemon's evolutionary family, Roserade, is one of my personal favorites from the fourth generation. I love how elegant it looks. I also really like the middle stage for this line, Roselia, for its beautiful flowers and soothing colors. Unfortunately, Budew is just kind of bland for me. It just seems like a bulb with a smiley face and stubby feet. I do think the stubby feet are cute though. Also, I have no idea how to pronounce this Pokemon's name. In my head, I always pronounce it to rhyme with "voodoo", but it might be "bud-ew". It confuses me and I don't like that. 

15. Toxel

Evolves into Toxtricity

After three generations in a row with no new baby Pokemon, the generation eight games, Sword and Shield, saw the debut of Toxel, a Pokemon who is literally known as the "Baby Pokemon". This Pokemon looks like a pudgy purple baby, and it even seems to be wearing a diaper. But honestly, I just don't think this one is as cute as the other baby Pokemon. It's more "ugly-cute" than anything. But on the bright side, I think its evolved form, Toxtricity, is absolutely one of the best Pokemon to come from generation eight so far. It's so badass and punk rock and I love it! 

14. Igglybuff

Evolves into Jigglypuff

Jigglypuff is my favorite character to use in Super Smash Bros, so I'm pretty attached to it as a result. I just think it's so cute when it sings, inflates, or gets angry. Because Jigglypuff is so adorable, I'm not sure why it really needed a baby form. Igglybuff is pretty cute and I like how round it is, but I have to dock it points because I just think Jigglypuff is cuter and has a more unique design. 

13. Happiny

Evolves into Chansey

Happiny involves into Chansey and later Blissey, which are Pokemon known for being extremely hard to take down. The fact that the character Brock also had one in the Pokemon anime also gave Happiny some notoriety. I think it's cute and I like how it seems to have a pouch with an egg, but after Igglybuff and Cleffa, I don't see why we needed another pink baby Pokemon. 

12. Mime Jr.

Evolves into Mr. Mime

Mr. Mime is one of the most hated Pokemon for its unsettling appearance, and I will admit that it's pretty creepy. At first I'd ask why such an unpopular Pokemon got a baby form, but when you actually look at Mime Jr., it's easy to see why. With its little hat and red nose, Mime Jr. is certainly the cutest clown I've ever seen. It seems like that kid that's always eager to show everyone the cool things it can do, and while in real life, showoffs can be pretty annoying, Mime Jr. is quite the charmer. Also, Mr. Mime, despite its name, can also be female. I have questions.

11. Smoochum

Evolves into Jynx

Similar to Mr. Mime, Jynx is another unpopular Pokemon, only it's unpopular because its purple skin used to be black, so it resembled blackface. Despite the controversy, it got a baby form, called Smoochum. And honestly, while I don't like Jynx because of how awkward and weird it looks, I think Smoochum is pretty adorable! I love how sassy she is, and those kissy lips would make Kylie Jenner seethe with jealousy. There are other baby Pokemon I like more, obviously, but Smoochum is such an improvement over Jynx that I have to like it. 

10. Cleffa

Evolves into Clefairy

I don't know what makes Cleffa better than the other pink baby Pokemon, but I like it more than both Happiny and Igglybuff. I think it's because its face is more simple. With Igglybuff and Happiny, it's like they tried as hard as they could to make them as cute as possible, but Cleffa isn't really trying It just is cute. It's also star-shaped, and considering the name of this blog is Stellar in Neverland, that obviously gets points from me. 

9. Bonsly

Evolves into Sudowoodo

Sudowoodo is a rock that disguises itself as a tree to confuse predators, and it is one of my little brother's absolute favorite Pokemon. I think Sudowoodo is pretty cool and funny, but I prefer its baby form. I like how it looks like it's got a flowerpot as a diaper, and I like its dinky little feet. I also really love how nervous it looks in its official art. 

8. Chingling

Evolves into Chimecho

I don't think Chimecho, the wind-chime-like Pokemon, is that impressive, and yet I have a place in my heart for little Chingling. I just think this tiny bell is adorable. It's probably due to the stubby limbs. It also looks like your standard smiley face, like the stickers they used to give out at Walmart. Wait, was that actually a thing or did I falsely imagine something? (Nope, it was a thing. I have no idea why I remember it, but I did.)

7. Azurill

Evolves into Marill

Like Bonsly and Magby to an extent, Azurill looks so unsure in its official art. I guess this makes sense, because it is mouse-like and the word "mousy" means "nervous, shy, or timid; lacking in presence or charisma." I like how Azurill has a giant orb on its tail that it sits on. I'm confused as to why it's not a water type, seeing as the rest of its evolutions are, but it's still cute and funny.

6. Wynaut

Evolves into Wobbuffet

The Pokemon Wobbuffet is pretty well-known due to its role in the anime, where it is a member of Team Rocket and always seems to pop up at the most inopportune times. Due to its popularity, it got an adorable baby pre-evolution in the third generation, named Wynaut. It's so jovial and has a giant smile! For me, the number one cutest thing a character can have is a smile. If you want me to go "aww" at your character, just make it optimistic. That's definitely the case with Wynaut. I also think it's cute how this Pokemon's name is pronounced like "why not". "Should we keep this cute little guy around?" "Why not!"

5. Elekid

Evolves into Electabuzz

This little bugger is shaped like a plug! It's like it's a cute little battery for you to play with! I think this is a great design choice for an electric-type Pokemon. Elekid just looks like the kind of kid that would be running around all the time, filled with energy and hyperactivity. Definitely the kind of Pokemon to keep you on your toes, but one with plenty of benefits. It would be a good friend and fighter. 

4. Togepi

Evolves into Togetic

I like to think of Togepi as the mascot of the baby Pokemon. It's certainly one of the more famous in the lineup due to the character Misty having one in the Pokemon anime. It's incredibly adorable, looking like a hatchling from a colorful egg. Togepi is just a spiky little ball of happiness. It's also pretty cute in Super Smash Bros, where it is one of the many Pokemon that can come out to help you when you grab a Poke Ball. I think its little voice is really cute. 

3. Pichu

Evolves into Pikachu

Pikachu is the most famous Pokemon and the mascot of the series, so naturally it was going to be one of the first Pokemon to get a baby form. Pichu is another one of the most famous baby Pokemon, even appearing in Super Smash Bros. Pichu's appearances in Smash are a big factor in it ranking so high. I just find it incredibly amusing how, when used well, this adorable baby can beat even the toughest of fighters in the game's roster. With his giant head and small body, Pichu is one of the cutest baby Pokemon for me. All of the baby Pokemon are cute, it's kind of the point of them, but Pichu is one of the cutest of all.

2. Mantyke

Evolves into Mantine

I'm not too attached to Mantine, Mantyke's evolved form, but damn do I love this little ray. It's just so cute and happy, and its little grin is adorable. If I was asked to name which of these characters I think is the cutest, I would either go Pichu or Mantyke, which is why they're so high on the list. I also use this Pokemon sometimes when I play Pokemon Showdown (a Pokemon battle simulator) in the Little Cup tier (which is made specifically for the smallest Pokemon). I named mine Skye and it's very cute but also pretty good at battle. But mostly I just love this one for its back design!

It's got a smiley on its back! Isn't that adorable?
1. Munchlax

Evolves into Snorlax

Snorlax, the lazy but lovable gentle giant, is one of the most beloved of the original 151 Pokemon. With its immense size and power yet docile nature, it's also one of my all-time favorites. Despite its popularity, Snorlax didn't get a baby form until the fourth generation. Although I wouldn't say Munchlax is the absolute cutest baby Pokemon, it's still extremely adorable. I love how happy-go-lucky this little fellow is. It's also pretty relatable, as its Pokedex entry for Pokemon Sword states, "Stuffing itself with vast amounts of food is its only concern. Whether the food is rotten or fresh, yummy or tasteless—it does not care." It eats its entire weight every day. I'm sure we've all had moments where we wanted to do that. Munchlax is just a funny little guy and I love that.

So, after ctrl-f'ing my page, I have used the word "cute" 32 times and "adorable" 13 times in this post. I guess that's what happens when you write about baby Pokemon. I'll definitely talk about Pokemon a lot more on this blog. On March 7, it's my birthday, so I think I'm just gonna gush about why I love the Pokemon Sun and Moon anime series. As for the next two weeks, I'll do another Movie Talk next week, probably on Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Then on the 29th, I'll do part 2 of my Kpop Crash Course. Of course, it's likely to change, but that's what my plans look like as of right now. So that's all I have for today, I'll see you next Saturday.

Stellar