My 10 Favorite Gen 1 Pokemon.

My belated little way to celebrate Pokémon Day, I thought it would be neat to talk about my favorite Pokémon from the first generation of Pokémon games (Red, Blue, and Yellow). It's a list of my ten favorites, and it's not in any particular order.

I have been a Pokémon fan since the original Red and Blue days, and I was happy to see them come to the 3DS Virtual Console. However, I do hope they do 20th Anniversary remakes of them, as being able to go to Kanto with all the features of modern Pokémon games would make them much more accessible to new fans, and fix the original games' few flaws.

Anyway, on with the list.

Articuno

I thought this Pokémon was awesome alone simply because of its looks. It's a big blue bird with ice powers. When I was a kid, I wanted to catch the Articuno so badly, and it was a fun addition to my team for a while. It didn't end up on my final team that I used to beat Red, but it was fun to have, and I still think highly of Articuno.

Zapdos

Another one of the original Legendary Birds, this one is my absolute favorite of them. It was big, yellow, pointy, and it allowed me to have two things I wanted on my team at once: An Electric type, and a flier. It was a powerhouse, and it helped me beat the Red Version. Everything about Zapdos to me is cool, its look, its name, its ability to bring the electrical pain. And in case you're wondering, I have nothing against Moltres. It's just I think Articuno and Zapdos are cooler.

Golem

This one is one of my favorite Pokémon because like Articuno, it was cool-looking, and like Zapdos, it was a tank. In fact, in my Pokémon team in Red, Golem was my tank. It wasn't fast, but it could take a beating (Well, except against Water and Grass, but that's to be expected), and hand out a beating to opponents. Like Zapdos, a Golem was on the team I used to win Red. Golem rocks, pun semi-intended.

Blastoise

The fully evolved form of Squirtle, I love this guy. How can you not? It's a big blue tortoise with a shell that has giant cannons in it! To me, Blastoise is the best Water Pokémon. Like Golem, Blastoise is a tank. Its water cannons could punch a hole in concrete, and its shell is like armor. And its Mega Evolution is even cooler, with more deluging firepower. To me, if you want a Water Pokémon, you call on the Squirtle line.

Venusaur

Like Blastoise, Venusaur is a fully-evolved form of a starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur. I have to admit, this Pokémon and the rest of its line. It's a plant-dinosaur/frog hybrid thing. It had a bulb that became a bud and then a full-fledged beautiful flower. It was a rather fascinating Pokémon line to me, and it was a big help in beating the first two Gyms, which was why I chose it. It also could learn a variety of useful attacks. I especially liked using my Venusaur to wear opponent Pokémon down.

Charizard

Charizard is a popular and iconic Pokémon. Why? Because for all intents and purposes, it's a dragon. And dragons are awesome. The fully evolved form of the Fire starter Charmander, Charizard is a powerhouse Pokémon, fast and hardhitting. The anime portrayed as a tough wild Pokémon that Ash had to struggle to win the respect of, and it has become another mascot of the Pokémon series in a way. It has appeared in numerous other games, and is the only Kanto starter to get TWO Mega Evolutions. Charizard is a Pokémon that rocks. Any Trainer that uses one, I immediately bow in reverence.

Alakazam

Let's be honest with ourselves, back in the Gen 1 days, Psychic was overpowered. There were very few Bug and Ghost Pokémon or attacks to counter them, so Sabrina was a nightmare to beat. I remember having to evolve my Eevee into a Jolteon and raise it until it learned Pin Missile to beat her and get the Marsh Badge. Alakazam, like Golem, was one of those Pokémon you could only get by trade evolution. To me, if you want a Gen 1 Psychic on your team, you go with this Pokémon. Sure, Abra is a nightmare to catch and harder to raise, but Alakazam is worth it. And even in modern Gens, Alakazam still

Starmie

I will admit, I never really used a Starmie on any of my teams. I do have a Staryu on my team in the fan game Pokémon Insurgence, though. Why do I like this one? Well, to be honest, it was its looks. It looked like two purple starfish fused together with a big jewel in the center. It can also learn a wide variety of attacks, so it makes itself very useful.

Butterfree

I love Butterfree. It was such a handy Pokémon that one could obtain early on in the game, because Caterpie was one of the first Pokémon a starting Trainer in Kanto could catch. I love this Pokémon so much that I use one in my team in Pokémon X. Yup. Why do I love this one. Mainly because it can learn such a variety of great attacks. Sleep Powder is very helpful for catching Pokémon, and attacks like Psybeam and Poison Powder are great for helping wear opponents down and do damage.

Pikachu

Yes, of course, the mascot of the first Gen had to make this list. And why not? Pikachu is THE face of the Pokémon franchise, appearing in just about every Pokémon game. He can't take a hit too well, but the little electric mouse is speedy, and can learn some good attacks.

And this is my list of my ten favorite Gen 1 Pokémon! I'd love to hear about yours!