With so many Pokemon released, there are bound to be a lot of duds. However, like a diamond in the rough, there are a few that, once given the chance, can really shine.

This list will comprise of Pokemon that may not look like they would be good for either competitive or casual play, but once they are given a chance, they really show what they are made of.

I will admit, though, I am not as well versed in some of the later generations, so they might not make this list due to my inexperience.

Pokemon may make this list for a number of reasons: being tough to raise, start out with horrible stats or even just being rare to find. For whatever reason, players that were patient were rewarded with very good teammates that can be cornerstones of their teams.

5. Magikarp/Gyarados

When people look up “Magikarp” in the dictionary, all it says is “future potential.” As one of the earliest Pokemon that coulf be obtained (can even be bought for 500 Pokedollars in gen one), Magikarp is definitely one of my favorite early game options. The only problem with one of the most famous fish in gaming is the fact that it is extremely difficult to train. Until it reaches level 15, the only move it knows is Splash. Splash doesn’t do a thing, making it worse than no move at all. Because of this, the only ways to train a Magikarp are by using an EXP Share, or by leading it off in battle and immediately switching it out. Trust me, this is not an easy or fun process.

However, those trainers that can successfully train it to level 20 will be rewarded with one of the best physical attackers in the first generation in the form of Gyarados. This Pokemon has a base attack stat of 125 which is very high for early game. Getting a Pokemon with this high of an attack stat early in the game can be extremely helpful.

Gyarados does have his flaws, though. His special attack stat is pretty low which is bad since most water attacks are classified as special before the physical/special split introduced in gen four. His moveset is also extremely limited, making him not the most balanced Pokemon ever.

4. Starly/Staraptor

Pokemon is known for giving its players a normal/flying type Pokemon at the very beginning of the game. Generation one had Pidgey and Spearow, gen two had Hoothoot and gen three had Taillow. However, gen four brought forth Starly. Where the Starly family is different than the others is in its moveset and stats. Staraptor has a huge attack stat which complements its physical moveset. Speaking of moves learned, Staraptor learns some amazing moves. Along with some solid flying moves, it also learns the powerful fighting attack Close Combat which takes full advantage of its high attack stat.

In short, Staraptor is a Pokemon that can be a solid addition to almost any team. Yet, it is constantly looked over because of its stigma as the early game bird Pokemon. If people can overlook that stigma, they will be rewarded with a strong physical attacker that can be on any team from the start of their adventure.

3. Munna/Musharna

A true to the blue psychic wall. There are few like it and none better at that job than the Munna family. Munna is often passed up for a few reasons. The big one is that it is hard to train early on. Munna is available early on and doesn’t know any decent attacking moves. Until level 11, the only attacking move it knows is Psywave which does a random power level each time, making it extremely unreliable. The other problem is that Munna has pretty bad stats. Its highest stat is HP and even that is pretty low.

Once Munna evolves into Musharna, it becomes one of the best psychic walls in the game. Not to mention that it also has a ton of HP and a strong special attack stat. Since gen five is pretty scarce for psychic type Pokemon, the Munna/Musharna family is definitely one to pick up for any team. Its combination of high HP, high defense and high special attack give it many qualities that both casual and competitive teams can appreciate.

2. Staryu/Starmie

This gen one phenomenon was shown to me not too long ago by my best friend, and I am hooked. I never see many people use this true All-star on their teams, and it is a shame. Many people overlook Staryu because it is hard to find most of the time and once it is found, most teams already have a water or psychic type on their team. However, that seems to be the only real bad side of the Staryu family.

One of the biggest reasons why Starmie is so high on this list is its typing and how it works with its stats. While Staryu starts out as a pure water type, it gains dual typage when it evolves as Starmie and gains a Psychic sub-type. Those two types are some of the best special attacking types in the game, and the stats compliment it perfectly. With a base special attack stat of 100 and a surprisingly high-speed stat of 115, this Pokemon can deal out damage like a beast. His only other weaknesses, like many other psychic types are known for, are having low HP and low defense. While this does make him a bit of a glass cannon, he is able to dish out damage quicker than he can take it, making him a great sweeper for any team.

The other huge point going for him is his insane move pool and how it works with his stats. While he learns almost no moves through leveling up, he learns some of the best moves in the game through Technical Machine or Hidden Machine. These include moves like Surf, Psychic, Thunder and many more. Imagine having a pure special attacker with a move set that covers almost every type in the game. My personal favorite move set to give him is: Surf, Thunderbolt, Psychic and Ice Beam.

Before I move on to number one on this list, I would like to mention a few honorable mentions. These guys didn’t make my cut for a multitude of reasons, but that doesn’t mean they are bad team members by any stretch of the mind. They just didn’t make the cut of my top five.

Honorable Mentions: Trapinch/Vibrava/Flygon, Abra/Kadabra/Alakazam, Jigglypuff/Wigglytuff, Spearow/Fearow and Psyduck/Golduck

1. Zubat/Golbat/Crobat

Probably the single biggest joke in the entire Pokemon franchise is Zubat and how common he is. It is true that he is extremely common in pretty much every Pokemon game ever, but I can assure that he is no laughing matter.

Let’s first look at the glaring weak point for Zubat. The fact that early on he is so common and extremely difficult to train. At his early levels, the only offensive move he knows is Leech Life which is one of the worst offensive moves ever created. It isn’t until level 16 where he gets his first respectable offensive move in Bite, and it isn’t until level 21 where he gets his first respectable move in his type in Wing Attack;That is where the hardship ends.

When he evolves into Golbat at level 22, he finally starts to look like a respectable member of the team. He can do some damage and take a hit or two. He will learn some respectable moves which, all in all, make him a solid member from there.

Where he becomes amazing though, and the reason why he is number one on this list, is in his final evolution. Crobat is one of the fastest Pokemon in the game. Excluding legendary Pokemon and mega evolutions, he is the sixth fastest in the game only behind Ninjask, Jolteon, Accelgor, Electrode and Aerodactyl. This Pokemon all but guarantees that he will attack first in most battles. This gives players an advantage in competitive play as it will almost always move before its opponents.

Crobat’s unique typing of poison and flying gives him complete immunity from the poison status plus gives him both good physical and special attacking moves such as Toxic, Acrobatics, Sludge Bomb and many more. To this day, he is still a favorite in competitive play around the world.

Do you agree with this list? Disagree? Have a Pokemon that I completely missed? Let me know if you have a different opinion.